Feeding
Kittens are normally weaned and on solid food by six weeks of age. Feeding a good quality dry kibble premium diet that is specially formulated for kittens is recommended. These foods are fully balanced to meet all a growing kitten’s nutritional requirements and do not require any extra supplements to be given. The dry biscuits can be moistened for younger kittens by soaking them in hot water and allowing them to cool before being fed.From 6-8 weeks of age your kitten needs feeding 4 times a day. From 8-12 weeks of age they can be fed 3 times a day, then twice daily for life.
Always provide fresh water and try to avoid feeding milk as it may cause diarrhoea in some kittens.
Toilet Training
Most kittens will naturally use a litter tray by 4-6 weeks of age. Make sure the litter tray provided is easily accessible but not placed to near to where your kitten sleeps or eats. Placing your kitten near to or in the litter tray after eating or waking from sleep will help if toilet training seems a bit slow. As your kitten starts to play outside, the litter tray can also be placed outside to further encourage appropriate toileting habits.Worming
All kittens need to be treated for roundworms. If fleas are present they also need to be treated for tapeworms. Kittens are infected with worms early in life so worming can start as early as 2 weeks of age. Use tablets, liquid or paste effective against roundworms. This should be continued every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age. After 12 weeks of age we recommend worming monthly till 6 months of age, then every 3 months. As for an adult cat, use a broad spectrum wormer that is effective against both roundworms and tapeworms.Fleas
Fleas can cause anaemia in kittens and if a large infestation is present kittens can become very ill and sometimes die due to the blood loss caused by the fleas feeding. We stock a number of easy to use, safe and effective flea products for kittens.Desexing
Desexing, also known as neutering, castration and spaying can be performed as early as 12 weeks of age and ideally by the time your kitten is 6 months old.Desexing by 6 months of age usually results in a nicer pet, which is cleaner and has more socially acceptable behaviour. Desexing early also prevents those unwanted litters and reduces the chances of urine spraying, roaming and cat fight injuries.
We strongly recommend desexing all cats that are not intended for breeding. Contrary to popular belief a female cat does not benefit at all from having a litter of kittens.
At The Vet Centre we use modern equipment, anaesthetic agents and pain relief protocols. This helps to ensure a rapid and pain free recovery post surgery.
Vaccination
Vaccination significantly reduces the risk of disease. We recommend vaccination of kittens at beginning at 8 weeks of age against feline panleukopenia and the feline respiratory diseases.At these visits your kitten will receive a thorough physical examination and it is also a chance to ask the vet any questions you may have. Yearly health checks and booster vaccinations are then required to ensure continued protection.
We highly recommend vaccinating against FIV (Feline Aids) as well. This can be done with the above kitten vaccinations as kittens can be vaccinated from 8 weeks of age and require an initial course of 3 vaccinations at 2-4 week intervals, followed by booster shots annually.
