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New Kitten Info
Gold Coast Vet Surgery offers a FREE Kitten Health Check consultation with one of our vets within the first week of getting a new kitten. This enables us to check your kitty over to hopefully give you an independent assurance that you have got a healthy kitten. At this visit we also answer any questions that you may have and go through all of the information that you will need to know with a new baby in the house. We certainly don’t have a “one size fits all approach” so we will customise things to your experience and your kitten’s needs. We are happy to discuss everything from behavioural issues such as biting and toilet training, through to medical treatments such as vaccinations and preventative measures to control parasites such as worms, fleas and ticks.
Call us today on 5538 5909 to book your Kitten in for a Free Kitten Health Check.
New Kitten Checklist
Vaccinations
Cats need at least 3 vaccinations before they are fully protected. Most kittens have their first vaccination with the breeder at around 6 weeks of age and shouldn’t go to a new home until 8 weeks of age. We are able to do the second vaccination 4 weeks after the first vaccination.
Depending on whether you cat will be able to go outdoors in the future, or be a 100% indoor cat, you will have the choice to have the optional Feline Aids (FIV) & Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) vaccinations or to just have the core F3 vaccination. FIV & FeLV vaccinations are recommended in kittens that will have access to go outdoors.
Worming
Young animals are more susceptible to the effects of worms than adult cats and also put more silly things in their mouths. They can also contract worms from their litter mates and even their mother’s milk if she wasn’t adequately dewormed. This all means that kittens need more frequent deworming than adult cats.
Many supermarket worming products contain older ingredients that many worms are resistant to. We stock quality, reliable worm products and can guide you on the best way to use them for your circumstances. For most kittens this means worming every 2 weeks until they are 16 weeks of age.
Fleas & Ticks
If your kitten has arrived with fleas you will need to nip the problem in the bud to prevent a longstanding infestation. If they’re free of fleas, then the best that you can do is use a reliable product to keep them that way. Paralysis ticks can be lethal to cats but until they are going outside, they are less of a concern to young kittens.
There is a wide range of flea and tick products available – we can advise you as to which are safe for your age of kitten and which type will best suit your needs.
Microchipping
By law all kittens in Queensland are supposed to be microchipped before you get them. But we can scan your kitty and help you to be sure that the microchip is there and working correctly. We will also check that you’ve been given the correct paperwork that matches your kitten’s microchip number and we will check the microchip databases to ensure that your details have been registered correctly.
If for some reason your kitten is not already microchipped then we can easily help to implant a microchip and this can be done either at the FREE Health Check Visit or together with a vaccination.
Desexing
Unless you’re planning to show your cat and breed from them one day, we recommend desexing. Not only is it socially responsible in stopping unplanned breeding, but it also has several health benefits for both male and female cats – reduced risk of mammary tumours and uterus infections in females, as well as reduced risk of prostate problems and testicular cancer for male cats.
An uncastrated male tom cat is not a pleasant pet at all – they have a strong odour, constantly spray and are frequently protecting their territory and fighting.
Heartworm
Heartworm is spread by mosquitos but is uncommon in cats. The most practical prevention is to use a combination flea product that also controls & prevents Heartworm.
Diet
We can discuss your kitten’s nutritional needs and advise on how much, how often and what brands to consider feeding them. Whilst we do stock premium quality cat food for your convenience, we certainly don’t have a one size fits approach, and there is no obligation to purchase from us.
Pet Insurance
We strongly recommend that you take out pet insurance for your kitten ASAP. Kittens can be very naughty, adventurous and rather accident prone. Sometimes these accidents can incur you very large vet bills before you’ve even considered pet insurance. As we deal we a lot of insurance claims we are happy to help advise you as to what you should look for when choosing insurance for your kitten. We are not aligned with any one insurance company, nor do we sell pet insurance or receive commissions.
Pet Insurance provides you with peace of mind – knowing that whatever happens, your pet will be able to get the best treatment available, irrespective of cost. Not only does pet insurance cover visits to us as a general practice clinic, but also after hours emergency centre visits or referrals to specialists. Gold Coast vet Surgery is able to process claims directly with most pet insurance providers meaning that you don’t ever have to complete a form, submit an invoice or request a vet history! We will do it all for you.
Call us if you cannot find an available appointment online. Same day appointments are always made for critically ill animals.