Your Guide to New Kitten Care

Bringing a kitten into your home is a thrilling experience filled with affection, curiosity, and new routines. At Audubon Family Veterinary Center, we’re honored to be part of your healthcare team, helping you give your kitten the best start in life. This guide covers the essentials of new kitten care, including vaccines, parasite prevention, and wellness tips, ensuring your kitten grows into a happy and thriving member of your family.

Preventative Medications: Protecting Your Kitten from Parasites

Heartworm and Intestinal Parasite Prevention

Heartworms are serious parasites transmitted by mosquito bites, and while heartworm disease is less common in cats, there’s no treatment available, making prevention critical. We recommend a year-round, monthly preventative to protect against heartworms and intestinal parasites. These medications often target common intestinal worms seen in kittens. As your kitten grows, we’ll adjust their dosage based on weight, ensuring effective protection.

Flea and Tick Prevention

Fleas and ticks can affect both indoor and outdoor cats. Even indoor-only cats are at risk, as fleas can enter your home on shoes or other pets. Continuous prevention is essential as both fleas and ticks are active year-round. We recommend using veterinarian-approved preventatives each month, specifically labeled for cats, as canine products can be toxic. Avoid over-the-counter treatments that may be unsafe or ineffective, and consult your veterinarian for the best options.

Vaccinations: Building Immunity for Lifelong Health

Vaccines protect your kitten against serious diseases. The vaccine schedule maximizes protection during their first few months and continues throughout adulthood.

Typical Kitten Vaccination Schedule

• Rabies: Protects against the fatal rabies virus, required by law in New Jersey. Kittens receive a dose between 12 and 16 weeks, followed by boosters.

• FVRCP: A combination vaccine against panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, and calicivirus. Administered every 3–4 weeks until 16–20 weeks, with routine boosters afterward.

• FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus): Protects against a retrovirus that suppresses the immune system. All kittens should receive two vaccines, spaced 3–4 weeks apart, with a booster at one year. For outdoor cats, annual or biannual vaccination is recommended.

Before starting the FeLV vaccine, we perform a FeLV/FIV Snap Test to screen for major feline viruses, ensuring your kitten is a good vaccination candidate.

Fecal Exams: A Vital Step in Parasite Detection

Both kittens and adult cats can carry intestinal parasites. A fecal exam is the best way to identify and treat infections early. We recommend bringing a fecal sample to each kitten visit and continuing annual exams for adult cats.

Topics to Discuss with Your Veterinarian

• Socialization: Introduce your kitten to new environments and people early to prevent fear and anxiety later.

• Training: Encourage good habits like litter box use and scratching post training.

• Diet: Feed a diet labeled for kitten growth that meets AAFCO or WSAVA standards.

• Spay and Neuter: Discuss the timing for spaying or neutering, typically between 6 and 12 months.

• Pet Insurance: Consider pet insurance to ease the stress of unexpected illnesses or injuries.

Handling and Carrier Training

Familiarize your cat with their carrier to reduce stress during vet visits. Keep the carrier accessible with soft bedding, allowing your cat to view it as a safe space. Additionally, gently handle your kitten’s paws, ears, and mouth to ease future grooming and medical care.

We’re Here for You and Your Cat

At Audubon Family Veterinary Center, we believe preventive care and client education are the foundations of a long, healthy life for your pet. Our team is here to support you through every stage of your kitten’s development, ensuring they grow into a confident, healthy companion.