A new kitten
Congratulations on your new kitten! Taking good care of your new family member will take time and effort. To help you on your way, we have some information about the most important things you need to know. This way we can give your kitten a good start.
Vaccinations
Kitten vaccinations are de basis for enough resistance through the rest of life. Yearly vaccines are necessary to maintain your cat’s immuneresistance.
- 9 weeks: Feline Panleukopenia and Cat Flu
- 12 weeks: Feline Panleukopenia and Cat Flu
- 6 months: Feline Panleukopenia and Cat Flu
- After this: once a year Cat Flu and every 3 years Feline Panleukopenia
Information about the different diseases we vaccinate against can be found here: Vaccination of cats
Additional vaccinations
When you go abroad: Rabiës vaccination (at least 3 weeks before departure).
Parasites
Deworming
All kittens have worms, so also yours. The main reason we deworm, is for human health! We do this at 3-5-7 and 10 weeks of age, at 3-4-5-6 months of age and after this, every 3 months. Unless your cat eats fresh meat, catches a lot of prey or there are children under the age of 8 in the house, deworming is recommended monthly.
Flea (tick) control
Flea-free in the first year of life reduces the risk of flea allergy later in life. You take flea eggs under your shoes and mice and other wild animals spread flea eggs. Indoor cats can also be infected in this way. It is best to give a flea product that kills the flea quickly.
We recommend Nexgard®Combo. This is a monthly pipette that you empty on the skin in the neck, which kills fleas, ticks, mites and worms. However, there are many antiparasitics on the market. Pipettes, tablets and flea collars. Good and unfortunately also less good products. If desired, we will look for a suitable alternative for you.
Chip
A chip ensures animal services can identify your cat in case it goes missing and greatly increases its chance of finding its way back home! A chip is required when you go abroad and possible at every age.
Insurance
No more worries about high costs at the veterinary clinic. The younger your cat is when you start the insurance, the lower the monthly costs will be. More information about insuring your pet can be found here: Pet insurance
Sterilization/castration
Sterilization at a young age prevents problems like uterus infection or mammary gland tumors when your cat is older. Castration can prevent spraying. Sterilization or castration can be done from the age of 6 months (sometimes even earlier).
Food
We recommend Hill's Kitten kibble for tasty food, a healthy coat and nice firm stools. We fully support Hills nutrition. It's a scientific diet. This means that the company conducts a lot of research into what the right diet is for a healthy dog, but also for diseases. It always has a balanced stable composition and is provided with the latest nutraceuticals. These are scientifically proven ingredients that have a positive effect on health. In our practice we work with the Feedwise nutrition program that was developed by the European recognized animal nutrition specialist (ECVCN) Esther Plantinga. With Feedwise we can take a closer look at any diet and see if it is balanced. Also the food that we do not sell ourselves, but that gives you a good feeling or that your animal simply likes very much. If you want to cook yourself, we can make a calculation for you of the correct ingredients.
Behaviour
Cats are super fun pets but also come with instructions. If the environment in which they live is not cat-friendly enough, behavioral problems such as urinating in the house and aggressiveness can arise. Sometimes physical complaints can also occur. Fortunately, it is often simple things that stress a cat. This is easy to adjust. You can read how to make your cat the happiest in the following article: How do I make my cat happy
Illness
Cats are really good in hiding their problems. They show that they are ill only at a very late stage. Often they continue to behave very normally. They wash themselves, enjoy the sun and run to the food bowl. It is very important to take your cat to the vet if you notice any changes. Losing weight, drinking more, vomiting, a bad coat or simply sleeping more can be symptoms of a latent disease. More information on this subject can be found here: how-do-I-know-if-my-cat-is-sick
Poisoning
In case of poisoning, consult the vet as soon as possible! Try to find out what the animal has ingested and how much is ingested. If you have a label, keep it handy. Do not make your animal vomit by putting a spoonful of salt on the tongue. This can lead to fatal salt poisoning. For more information on how to prevent poisoning visit: Poisoning in cats and dogs
We wish you lots of fun with your kitten! Do you have any questions? Our doors and telephone lines are always open for you!
