Keep your kitten indoors until they are at least 7 months old as young cats do not have good road and traffic sense!

Neutering

This is the removal of your pet’s reproductive glands to stop it from breeding. We recommend neutering for all pets not explicitly used for breeding purposes. Neutered pets have fewer diseases, fight less, have cancer less, and live longer. Neutering DOES NOT alter the personality of your pet!

Neutering in males is called castration and in females, spaying. The common time for neutering in males and females is between 6 and 12 months of age.

Deworming

Regular deworming is necessary for the health of your pet and to protect the family from particular worms called toxocara.

Kittens should be wormed every month until 6 months old. Adults (older than 6 months) should be wormed every 3 months. However, if your pet is a hunter, roams, or is fed raw meat, more frequent worming, in accordance with the worm life cycle, may be necessary. Please discuss this with us .

NOTE: Evidence of intestinal parasites may not necessarily be visible to the naked eye.

Flea Treatment and control

Most, if not all animals, will encounter fleas at some time in their life. Signs of infestation include:

• Presence of actual fleas
• Bites on the skin which look like small pimples – these small bites can be on you the owner as well!
• Black, gritty material on the coat (flea dirt/faeces)
• Allergic skin reactions (dermatitis)

Flea control is possible only if both the pet and its environment are treated.

Litter training

Cats are very fussy about their toilet habits and kittens will usually have learnt to use a litter tray by copying their mother. You may just need to show your new kitten where the litter tray is and place it on the tray on waking up from a sleep and after meals, or when the kitten is sniffing, scratching or beginning to crouch and generally showing signs of looking for a suitable corner to use as a toilet.

Place the tray in a quiet accessible corner where your kitten will not be disturbed. Make sure that the litter tray is not next to their bed, food or water bowls.

When your kitten starts to go outside more often, gradually move the litter tray towards the door. A few handfuls of cat litter from the tray spread onto well dug soil in the garden will encourage the kitten to dig there.

Nutrition

We recommend Hill’s Science Plan foods because we know they will enhance the quality and quantity of your pet’s life. It is much better for your kitten’s future health to keep them on a dry diet as it is far better for their dental health.

Other reasons for recommending dry foods – easily digestible, better quality faeces, easy to feed and cheaper than wet food alternatives.

Become a Gold Club member and get a 10% discount on food

Insurance

We strongly recommend pet insurance at this practice. Although it is a cost many caring owners willingly pay, bills are often unexpected and can increasingly cost thousands of pounds.

Become a Gold Club member and do the best for your new kitten by budgeting monthly

Please ask for details