You’re adopting a new kitten? How exciting! Adopting a new whiskered bundle of energy and mischief requires careful planning to keep them safe and healthy. Our Towne Centre Animal Hospital team can’t wait to meet your new tiny feline friend. Read our comprehensive kitten checklist.
Kitten-proof your home
Kittens often create chaos. To kitten-proof your home before your new tiny feline friend’s arrival, follow these tips:
- Tidying your home — Remove all small or linear objects, since your kitten could experience a gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction if they ingest one of these items.
- Covering cords — Some kittens can’t resist the temptation to chew electrical cords. To prevent your tiny feline friend from experiencing an electrical shock or burn, hide the cords using cord covers.
- Removing plants — Many houseplants, such as lilies, are extremely toxic to cats. Check the plants in your home to ensure they are not toxic to cats.
- Securing medications — Over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications commonly cause toxicity in cats. Ensure you securely store your medications.
- Stabilizing furniture — Kittens love to jump, climb, and explore, and if they jump or climb on furniture that isn’t properly stabilized they can be injured.
Choose the right kitten carrier
When traveling in a car, kittens should be confined to a carrier to stay safe. To make your tiny feline friend’s carrier introduction positive, follow these tips:
- Top entry — To facilitate getting your kitten into the carrier, choose one that has a top opening. This is also helpful for future veterinary visits, because it allows your feline friend to stay inside their carrier and feel safe during their checkup.
- Appropriate size — Consider how big your kitten will be when they are fully grown. Their carrier should be large enough to allow them to stand up and turn around when they reach adulthood.
- Comfort — Place comfortable bedding in the bottom of the carrier. Use a towel or cloth that has the scent of your kitten’s previous home.
- Privacy — Place a towel or blanket over your kitten’s carrier to help them feel cozy and to reduce their stress from unfamiliar sights.
Schedule your kitten’s veterinary appointment
Once your kitten is settled at home (i.e. about one to two weeks), call our Towne Centre Animal Hospital team to schedule your kitten’s first veterinary appointment. Kitten wellness visits are important for numerous reasons, including:
- Vaccines — Starting from 6 to 8 weeks of age, your kitten will need vaccinations every three to four weeks until they reach 16 to 18 weeks of age. Our team will assess your kitten’s disease risk and lifestyle to determine the most effective vaccination protocol to keep them healthy.
- Parasite control — Kittens commonly have intestinal parasites, and our team performs a fecal check and administers appropriate antiparasitic medication. In addition, we recommend year-round parasite control against fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal worms.
- Microchip — Microchipping your kitten is the best way to ensure they can be reunited with you if they go missing. Your kitten should also wear a collar and identification tags that have your current contact information.
Have your kitten spayed or neutered
By having your kitten spayed or neutered, you help protect them from numerous health issues and help prevent behavioral problems such as urine spraying. Your kitten should be spayed or neutered before they are 5 months of age, and our team will perform preanesthetic blood testing to ensure your whiskered friend is ready for the procedure.
Handle your kitten
Get your kitten used to being handled. Doing so will help our team better evaluate your feline friend during veterinary visits, and allow you to provide essential at-home care such as:
- Toothbrushing — Periodontal disease affects the majority of cats before they are 3 years of age. Daily toothbrushing helps prevent plaque accumulation between professional veterinary cleanings to keep your cat’s mouth clean and healthy.
- Claw trimming — Trimming your feline friend’s claws helps prevent overgrowth and also helps protect your furniture from inappropriate scratching. Trim your cat’s nails every 10 to 14 days, and avoid the pink area, which contains blood vessels and nerves.
Provide appropriate scratching surfaces for your kitten
Cats have an instinctual need to scratch, and if you don’t provide appropriate scratching surfaces, your kitten will target your furniture, curtains, and carpets. To help ensure your kitten learns to scratch appropriately, follow these tips:
- Providing multiple surfaces — Provide multiple scratching surfaces throughout your home, especially in areas where your kitten likes to play and rest.
- Offering various orientations — Some cats are vertical scratchers while others prefer to scratch horizontal surfaces. Offer various options to ensure you meet your kitten’s scratching needs.
- Providing various surface types — Scratchers come in various surface materials, such as carpet, sisal, cardboard, and wood. Provide several textures to determine the one your kitten prefers.
- Making the surface attractive — Place toys on the scratching surface to attract your kitten’s attention. You can try catnip as well, but most kittens don’t respond to the herb until 6 to 12 months of age.
Socialize your kitten
Socializing your kitten means introducing them to new sights, sounds, and situations. This helps your tiny feline friend become a well-adjusted adult cat. Well-socialized cats are less fearful in unfamiliar situations and tend to adapt better to changes in their environment.
Contact our Towne Centre Animal Hospital team to learn about our kitten package, which is the best way to ensure your tiny feline friend receives high-quality health care.