Category Archives: kittens

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Kitten care- first steps

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kitten vets

 

Once you have decided on a kitten and are ready to take it home, there are some essential items that need to be prepared first:

Food: A good brand of kitten food (biscuits or pouches) should be fed and we personally recommend the Science Plan food. Kittens must have access to fresh water at all times. Kittens who have been weaned do not require milk (even though they may really like it!). Cow’s milk can cause diarrhoea and should be avoided.

Food and water bowls: Bowls should be cleaned daily.

Litter: The cat litter should be non-clumping and non-toxic as kittens have a tendency to chew and occasionally try to eat the litter.

Litter tray: Trays can either be open or covered, but should be placed in the room where the kitten will spend most of its time. Scoop out soiled litter daily and completely clean litter trays regularly. If you have more than one cat ideally there should be at least one litter tray per cat.

Bed/ blanket: These are not essential but most cats prefer a comfortable place to sleep that they can call their own.

Toys: Toys are very important to keep your kitten entertained. Avoid toys that are easily broken as these can cause a choking hazard. To avoid accidents, supervise your kitten during any play.

Scratching post: Cats and kittens need to scratch and scratching posts can be an ideal way of preventing the furniture from being used.

Cat carrier: This is essential for safely transporting your kitten. End opening plastic carriers, or top opening wire carriers are suitable.

 

Preparing the area

 

 

One room should be designated for the kitten to spend its first few days. This room should be large enough to include all of the above. It may be helpful to bring something with the scent of the previous owner on it, such as a blanket or toy. This familiar smell can help the kitten relax.

Feliway is a product that can help settle your kitten into a new environment. It can be purchased from the surgery as a spray or plug in diffuser which has replicated pheromones (cat scent) that cats would leave naturally, and is used to calm and comfort cats during stressful times. All cats think it is their own scent, so it can also help if you already have another cat in your house.

Before the arrival of a new kitten, every home should be checked for potential hazards. Kittens are very curious and will explore their new environment by jumping, climbing and sometimes chewing! We recommend checking the following hazards:

 

 

 

  • Oven Hobs (kittens may jump up and burn themselves)
  • Washing machines and tumble dryers (check kitten has not climbed in before turning on)
  • Irons (kittens may jump up and burn themselves)
  • Electric wires (kittens may chew)
  • Dustbins and toilets (always keep the lid on and the toilet seat down)
  • Sewing materials (kittens love to play with string, but if eaten it will cause a serious problem)
  • Any small objects like pins, etc (may cause a problem if eaten)

 

 

 

Many everyday items found in the home can be potentially toxic to kittens and cats, and need to be avoided. Examples of  toxins include:

 

 

 

  • Pesticides and weed-killers
  • Rat-bait and slug poison
  • Antifreeze
  • Paint
  • Certain plants – Holly, Lillies, Mistletoe, Wisteria, Rhododendron, Poinsettia, Ivy and Sweet Pea
  • Paracetemol and other human medications
  • Tea-tree oil
  • Flea spot-on products for Dogs that contain Permethrin

 

 

 

If your kitten has eaten or come into contact with any of the above products, please contact us immediately.

 

 

Finally once your kitten is settled into your home, sit back and enjoy the show -they’ll be climbing the curtains in no time, and post your cute pictures on our facebook page here  !

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Tips on choosing a healthy kitten

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How to choose your  kitten

kitten vets

Cats are fast becoming the most popular household pet, with around 19% of households in the UK owning a cat, that’s 8.5 million cats in the UK alone. Cats make amazing companions, but are a big responsibility, so before getting a cat or kitten an owner needs to make sure they can be committed to the cat for the rest of its life which on average is 15 years.

 

 

  • The basics:

 

 

So how do you find  a healthy kitten? As a rule kittens should be at least 8 weeks old before they leave their mother. Kittens that leave their mother younger than this are more prone to behavioural problems. They should also be inquisitive and not shy away from people. Try making a noise (dropping keys) and see the reaction from the kittens, they may jump, but shouldn’t run and hide. Also look for a kitten with a nice temperament that approaches you, likes being stroked and picked up.

 

 

  • In terms of health:

 

 

Bright eyes. Kitten’s eyes should be clear and bright, some kittens can have runny eyes. Usually this is a simple problem that can be cleared up by medication, but it’s still something to think about.

 

 

Normal breathing. Kittens that cough, sneeze, or show other respiratory issues are doing so because they’re sick. Usually this is flu, but sometimes it can be more serious.

 

 

A healthy weight. You want a kitten with a bit of fat on its body and good muscle tone. Skinny kittens where the bones can be seen can have serious problems, but also bloated bellies can be a sign of worms.

 

 

Lots of Energy. Kittens should be full of energy and show an interest in playing with toys and with other litter mates.

 

 

Has a clean tail end. Check under the tail too! There shouldn’t be any blood, diarrhoea, or any other nasty-looking problems.

 

 

A healthy coat. A major sign of a healthy cat is a shiny, thick coat. An unhealthy coat may look dull, feel thin, or even have bald spots. Also check the coat for fleas as these are common in kittens and a severe infestation can cause anaemia.

 

 

Ears. Check the kittens ears, they should be clear and clean. Dark brown deposits can be a sign of mites and this can normally be treated by a trip to the vets.

 

 

 

  • The most popular breed of cat is the Domestic Shorthair Cat or “Moggy” which has many different colours, the most common are black, ginger, tortoiseshell and tabby. Did you know that tortoiseshell cats are always female? There are many different pedigree breeds, which  have  a range of different personalities and sizes, some of which are listed below:

 

 

 

  • Persian
  • Siamese
  • Burmese
  • Birman
  • Ragdoll
  • British Shorthair
  • Russian
  • Oriental
  • Maine coon
  • Bengal

 

 

 

For a full list and more information on specific breeds please visit: http://www.icatcare.org/advice/cat-breeds

 


 

 

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Stray cat needs caesarian to give birth to 4 kittens

ultrsound scan of a kitten

 

Nala was a stray cat bought into us at the beginning of July. She is such a lovely girl, very affectionate and purrs every time someone strokes her. We then came to notice that Nala was looking rather round…and pregnant!

After an examination with Mr Young, he confirmed that she was indeed pregnant and was due anyday.

Then after a couple of week Nala gave birth to 4 healthy kittens (2 boys and 2 girls) by caesarean, with the help of the Ealing team!

Then at three weeks old the kitten and mum came down with cat flu. So all the nurse’s helped them by giving antibiotics and lots of TLC. After a week they were well on the mend.

They have all gone off now to new homes- we wish them well.

A cute Maine Coon kitten for his vaccinations

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This is Barrie a 10 week old Maine Coon kitten in for his first vaccinations. Kitten vaccinations are normally given at 9 and 12 weeks of age, and protect against cat flu ( herpes and calicivirus) enteritis ( a potentially fatal form of diarrhoea) and leukaemia. Maine Coons are the original American farm cat, and males can grow to 9kg , double the size of the average cat, taking 3-4 years to finish growing (normal domestic short haired cats -moggies- will be fully grown by around 10 months). They also have an unusual voice, instead of meowing they make an unusual chirp sound. Barrie is already about twice the weight of a typical kitten his age. We think he’s got very fetching ‘feathers” on his ears.

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Choosing a healthy kitten – top ten tips

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Choosing your kitten can be difficult when presented with  multiple  cute little ones to pick from.  Below are my top ten tips:

 

 

 

1-Look for one with bright clean eyes, a clean nose and one that is lively. Runny eyes or frequent sneezing can be a sign of infection with cat flu viruses, which can be a persistent problem.

 

 

2-If colour is an issue remember that tortoiseshell coloured domestic short hairs (“moggies”) which are always female, can be very feisty in nature.

 

 

3-Sexing kittens can be tricky if you are not practiced at it. You may want to double check the sex yourself rather than just relying on the owner’s information, or have it checked by your local vet.  When looking under the tail, there is always a bigger gap between the anal ring and penis, than there is between the anal ring and the vulva. It can help to look at a few kittens hopefully of different sex to see the difference.

 

 

4-The kitten should be at least 6 weeks old and should be fully weaned and eating solid foods.
Feel the belly to check for an umbilical hernia. This is a soft fatty swelling under the skin in the middle of the belly and occurs when the hole that the umbilical cord passes through does not close fully at birth. This can allow a small amount of fat to pass through from the abdomen, and if present may need surgical correction at a later date.

 

 

5-Check the coat for fleas or flea droppings. Flea droppings may be easier to spot and look like specks of dirt in the coat,  which if put on damp white tissue paper leave a red stain as they contain traces of blood. Very young kittens heavily infested with fleas can become anaemic, although in most cases a few fleas can be easily treated with a spot on treatment from your local vet.

 

 

6-Check when the kitten was last wormed. Kittens should be wormed when weaned at about 4 weeks of age and then every 2 weeks until 10 weeks of age, often with a liquid wormer such as Panacur. All kittens will be born with some worms, and so will require treatment to eliminate them.

 

 

7-Pedigree kittens can be at higher risk of genetic diseases, although most are usually perfectly healthy.  Some cats may be screened before breeding, to reduce the risk of passing these diseases to the kittens.  Current screening schemes include heart disease (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is prevalent in maine coon and rag doll cats), or kidney disease (polycystic kidney disease is prevalent in persians and exotic shorthairs). Further information can be found here http://www.fabcats.org/breeders/registers.php

 

 

8-You may want to see the mum and if possible the dad to give you an idea of temperament and size when adult, although there can be a great deal of variation even within a litter, especially of domestic short hairs  (common “moggies”). This may be more useful with pedigree cats which have less variation.

 

 

9-Check the hair coat of the kitten.  Most cats are short haired, but some may be long haired (even in the same litter of “moggies”)  and they may need more grooming and be more prone to developing matted fur.

 

 

10- Be aware that bottle reared kittens who have lost their mums may be more aggressive than usual in play.