KITTENS / CATS

Vaccinations

Kittens require a vaccine course which can start with the first injection as early as 9weeks of age and giving the final injection three weeks later. The vaccination will provide your cat with immunity against: Feline viral rhinotracheitis (cat flu), Feline panaleucopenia virus and Feline calicivirus all of which still pose health risks to our cats within Ireland. The vaccination will not provide life long immunity, so it is necessary to provide an annual vaccine booster injection. We will send you a booster reminder by post where the veterinary surgeon will also carry out an annual health examination at the same time. This physical examination will provide an opportunity to discuss your pet’s health and allow early detection of potential health problems. The life span of the average cat is 12yr to 15yr, therefore each year equates to seven years in a cats life time, so it is very important your pet receives regular health checks with a veterinary professional.

During the initial vaccine course and through out your cats lifetime it is necessary to treat for parasites such as worms, fleas and mites. For further information on parasite treatments visit the flea and worm pages in our pet info section or contact your veterinary nurse for advice on which treatment is most suitable for your pet.
 

Feeding

Each cat will have their individual nutritional requirements for their breed and life stage. We recommend feeding a complete dry meal, always providing free access to fresh water. Quality dry meal diets will help your cat have optimal growth development, reduce messy stools, maintain good dental hygiene. As your pet matures their nutritional requirements will change to accommodate their life stage. Once your cat has developed into an adult their energy requirements will reduce, they will require less calcium and minerals as the growing period is over. We recommend your cat changes to a dry diet for adults over 1yr of age. Once your pet reaches 7yrs again the nutritional requirements will change and your pet should be placed on a senior diet. A senior diet will provide your cat with a controlled level of salt and protein in order to maintain healthy urinary function. More information on older companions can be found in the senior pets section. We do not recommend you give your cat wet food as this diet contains high salt and fat levels which can be detrimental to your pet’s health and contribute to dental disease. Milk can also have adverse effects on your cat; many cats become lactose intolerant and develop diarrhoea when given milk. Milk has a very high fat content; a single cup of milk for a cat is equivalent to you eating four and a half hamburgers. This will obviously lead to obesity and subsequent risk to your cat’s health.

When feeding your cat, their feeding bowls must be placed in an area where they have privacy for example a quiet room or placed at a height if your cat has a climbing post. Multiple cat households should not be fed in the same location; this is a cause of high stress and anxiety in domestic cats.

Toilet Facilities

Toilet training can take time, however most cats are very fastidious when it comes to latrine facilities. The key to successful training is to ensure your kitten has constant access to a litter tray. The tray position within the home is very important. Cats need privacy when eliminating, the litter tray must be placed in a quiet area, hidden if possible with No interruptions. Litter maintenance must be daily, soiled litter must be removed when used and the tray washed daily. When refreshing the litter tray, the substrate should be an inch deep in order for your cat to bury faeces. Multiple cat households should not share litter trays or trays placed in the same location, this is a cause of high stress and anxiety in domestic cats.

Neutering

Neutering is recommended from six months of age. Neutering your pet will eliminate common health and behavioural problems such as urine soiling around the household, aggressive territorial fighting which can lead to contraction of FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) Neutering also prevents the number of unwanted animals destroyed each year.

Micro-chipping

Cat collars frequently become lost, and rightly so! The correct collar to choose for your cat Must have a quick release catch in order to prevent your cat from becoming injured by the collar when snagged on branches etc. Microchipping is permanent identification; it involves injecting a chip under your cat’s skin at the neck which is approximately the size of a grain of rice. The chip is then registered on a central database where all your details and your cat’s details are stored. This is a permanent identification tag, which allows the person scanning your cat i.e. animal shelter/vet identify you’re the owner, should your cat ever become lost.

Pet Insurance

We recommend pet health insurance, for less than €14 per month and peace of mind, your cat will be covered for veterinary fees up to €4000 per year, per illness. We are happy to offer advice and answer your queries regarding pet insurance.

This section contains some helpful basic information about caring for your cat such as:

- Vaccinations
- Feeding
- Toilet Facilities
- Neutering
- Micro-chipping
- Pet Insurance

To see all the information available please scroll up and down the info box to the right using the up and down arrows below, or simply click on the box and use the scroller on your mouse. >>

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