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Health Care for Kittens
General Information
We would like to see you and your kitten get off to a good start. The first year
of a pet’s life is very intense from a preventative health standpoint, and the following
recommendations are made to ensure that your kitten has as few problems as possible.
Physical Examination
A complete exam can detect birth defects, physical abnormalities, parasites (such
as ear mites) or illness.
Feline Luekemia Virus
A small blood sample and a 10 minute test done in the hospital will determine if
your kitten is carrying the feline leukemia virus. It is very important to establish
the presence or absence of this fatal, often hidden, contagious disease. For more
information, please ask us.
FIV
FIV is a virus that has been compared in its mode of action to the human AIDS virus.
It is not contagious to human or other pets such as dogs, rabbits, or birds, but
can be fatal to your cat. It also is a virus that can show no symptoms but still
be infectious to other cats. A new vaccine has been released recently for this virus.
We do not recommend this vaccine unless there is a significant risk to an individual
cat. The problem lies in the test. It is unable to distinguish the vaccine from
a sick cat. Since the virus has a limited presence in the community, we may be putting
more cats at risk of being euthanized because of a positive FIV test than we could
save with the vaccine.
Fecal Examination
This lab test checks not only for worms, but also for protozoan parasites which
are not visible to the naked eye. Please bring a small, fresh (less than a few hours)
stool sample in an airtight bag or container. Do not refrigerate.
Vaccinations
Kittens are very susceptible to viral diseases such as panleukopenia (a highly fatal
disease characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, and severe dehydration), Rhino and
Calici Viruses (cause “cold” and pneumonia symptoms often with a high fever); Chlamydia;
and feline leukemia (a contagious, untreatable and fatal virus causing immune suppression
and a wide variety of symptoms). Rabies, although not required by law is just as
important for cats as it is dogs, due to their nocturnal and curious nature which
increases their risk of exposure to rabies carriers, the legal ramifications to
the owner should your cat or kitten bite or scratch anyone.
Some vaccines, most notably feline leukemia and rabies, have been linked to tumor
growth at the sight of vaccination caused by an individual kitten or cats skin reaction
to the vaccine. The incidence of this problem is very low but is real. About one
in 10,000 vaccinated cats may develop this tumor compared to one in 100 cats that
are being found positive for feline leukemia virus. In my 20+ years of veterinary
practice I have seen three tumors but have seen hundreds of cats die from the disease.
I recommend vaccinating for feline leukemia virus unless there is absolutely, without
a doubt, no risk of exposure to your cat.
A kitten is usually started at 6-8 weeks and would receive the following three vaccinations:
• 6 – 8 weeks – FVRCPC #1 (distemper, Rhino, calici virus, Chlamydia) • 10 – 12
weeks – FVRCPC #2 and Feline Leukemia #1 An FeLV blood test is strongly recommended
prior to vaccination. • 16 weeks – FVRCPC #3, FeLV, FeLV #2, and Rabies • These
vaccinations should be repeated at one year of life and every 3 years after unless
there are reasons to not vaccinate. Please feel free to discuss these concerns with
the doctor • Spay of Neuter (4 – 6 months)
Overpopulation
Pet overpopulation in Maricopa County and nationwide is a serious problem. Unfortunately,
thousands of homeless or unwanted animals (purebreds as well as “alley cats”) are
destroyed every year. Unless you are a serious full time breeder, we strongly recommend
that you have all your pets spayed and neutered.
Disease Prevention
Neutering a male cat has many benefits which include: a decreased tendency to spray
or mark territory, a reduced likelihood of roaming and fighting which lowers the
incidence of injuries and fight wound abscesses.
Spaying a female cat not only spares her the physical stress of pregnancy, delivery
and nursing kittens, but also lowers the incidence of breast tumors and completely
eliminates uterine and ovarian disease.
Nutrition
Cats have high protein requirements and should always be fed a high quality diet
formulated specifically for cats. Cats that are fed dog food will suffer from deficiencies
that may lead to blindness or cardiac disease. Milk should not be fed as it frequently
causes diarrhea.
Obesity
While many cats can be fed “free-choice” and maintain proper body weight there are
a significant number of cats that will become obese if fed in this manner. These
cats have increased risk of developing many serious problem including diabetes and
fatty liver syndrome. We recommend two measured feedings per day.
Bladder Stones
Approximately one out of 10 cats will develop bladder infections due to the presence
of numerous tiny bladder stones consisting of “crystals.” This occurs equally in
male and female cats, but can be life threatening in the male cat due to a tendency
to become completely “blocked” and unable to urinate. Symptoms include: frequent
trips to the litter box, straining or crying while urinating, or urinating outside
the litter box on carpet in sinks or tubs. Feeding low magnesium diet is very helpful
in preventing the occurrence of this problem.
Your veterinarian may prescribe a special diet for short or long term control of
the crystals and infections . If it is recommended for your cat to eat a prescription
diet for the control of stones and/or crystals, over the counter diets are not appropriate
and feeding over the counter diets, even those labeled for urinary care, may cause
further formation of crystals and stones. Always check with your veterinarian before
switching to a different diet.
If your cat doesn’t seem to like the special diet your veterinarian prescribed,
there are several brands of prescription diets, so your veterinarian can find an
alternate for you. It’s also nice to know, and reassuring to owner’s of finicky
cats, that all prescription diets are 100% money back guaranteed by the manufacturers.
Litter Box Problems
Most cats are easily trained to use a litter box and never have any accidents. Especially
when care is taken to keep the litter box clean and remove any smells. There are
a few cats that will periodically urinate or defecate outside the litter box, and
the reasons are many.
Spraying is urinating on vertical objects life walls and furniture and is a territorial
behavior.
Inappropriate urinating is the term used when the cat urinates outside the litter
box but the cause is not marking behavior. The causes for the behavior can be many
and sometimes very difficult to determine.
The first cause of inappropriate urination that will be discussed is medical. A
cat can have a mild to severe bladder infection of kidney infection that causes
very frequent and painful urination.
Other medical conditions that can be the cause of house soiling are diabetes that
increase the amount of urine produced and conditions that can be due to a hormone
imbalance such as hyperthyroidism or neurological disorders such as tumors or senility.
A thorough examination should be preformed by a veterinarian and laboratory tests
may be required to eliminate individual causes of house soiling. Those tests include
a urinalysis and blood tests.
After eliminating a medical reason for the problem a discussion needs to focus on
all of the factors that can cause a cat to avoid his/her litter box that stem from
behavior problems.
Some of the areas to be looked at include: location of the litter box, the number
of cats per litter box, the type of litter being used, and how often they are cleaned.
The changes in a household can trigger a change in a cat’s usage of the litter box,
adding a new cat to the household, changes in work or school schedules, or changes
in people living in the house. There may also be changes in the number and types
of cats that are roaming in the neighborhood. If a cat begins urinating near a door
or window there may be a new cat in the neighborhood.
Suggestions to help eliminate the problem are as follows: • Clean the litter box
more frequently • Add litter boxes to the house that total one more box than there
are cats • Change the type or scent of the litter being used • Change the location
of the litter box (you may try placing the litter box where the cat is urinating,
even if it is inconvenient and slowly over several days moving it to the preferred
location after the cat resumes using it. • Neutering and spaying a cat is usually
sufficient to prevent house soiling due to hormones, but some cats are neutered
later in life and have already developed the habits. • Treatment can be attempted
with an artificial hormone spray used in the area of urinating, to change the behavior
or with medication that helps with stress. • Sometimes it is successful behavior
modification training to confine a cat to a small area with the litter box to train
him/her to begin using the litter box again.
Scratching Post Behavior
When you teach your cat to scratch on carpeted cat scratching posts or furniture,
the cat will probably also scratch on the carpet in your home, not only the cat
furniture. Teach your cat to scratch scratching posts. It is healthier for their
nails and for your carpet, sofa, and curtains.
Dental Care
Plaque or tartar development is the most common cause of dental disorders in pets.
Periodontal disease has been estimated to affect 90% to 95% of dogs and cats over
2 years of age, and it essentially starts with accumulation of dental plaque. Studies
have shown that regularly brushing your pet’s teeth is the most efficient way to
prevent accumulation of plaque.
Train your pet to have its mouth handled before introducing the toothbrush. Wrap
nylon or silk around your finger and gently wipe the gums. Make it rewarding and
fun for your pet but be cautious, as even a familiar pet may bite!
Cleaning Applicators
Any soft-bristled nylon toothbrush can be used. Your veterinarian can provide special
brushes or you can use the human kind. If the gums are infected, you may use cotton
swabs soaked with medicated dental preparations. You can wrap gauze around your
finger and use it to wipe the gums and teeth. In cases of a severely infected mouth,
you may want to change toothbrushes at least weekly to prevent re-infection of your
pet’s mouth. As an alternative, after using and rinsing the brush off with hot water,
soak it in a mixture of chlorine solution prepared by adding 2 drops of household
liquid bleach to one cup of warm water. Soak the brush for at least 1 minute, then
allow it to air dry until the next dental session.
Brushing
Brushing action should be directed at the gum line at the base of the teeth. Be
gentle and offer a treat or praise at the end of the session. Once daily brushing
is adequate. Many cats do not adapt well to brushing their teeth and other products
may be helpful to keep tartar under control.
Several animal dental preparations are available through your veterinarian. These
will help you do the best job with the least effort. Some of these include CET,
Gel-Tin, Home Care Gel, Maxi guard Gel, Nolvadent, and Peridex solution.
Recommendations
If your pet already has tartar accumulated on its teeth, an initial professional
dental cleaning is often essential before starting a routine, home dental cleaning
program.
Both home and regular professional care are required for the most successful dental
program.
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