Cat
Kitten Information
Compassionate Professional Care | Cold Laser Therapy | Experienced Caring Staff
Compassionate Professional Care Cold Laser Therapy
Experienced Caring Staff
Pet Owners, Watch Out for These Household Toxins and Dangers!
Vaccines
The owners should bring any paperwork from the breeder, adoption agency, etc.
The first vet visit should be when the kitten is 8 weeks old. This is also when parasite prevention can start (first dose free with vaccine).
Kittens usually have worms (from the mom) that are noticeable by a distended belly. It is safe and effective to treat with a dewormer & needs to be repeated for the next lifecycle of the worm to be eliminated. We request a fresh fecal sample to test for worms and parasites.
Recommended Vaccines: Rabies, Distemper, and Leukemia
Note that Distemper and Leukemia need to have a booster shot 3-4 weeks after the initial injection. If a vaccine booster is not administered in the window of time, they must start over.
Vaccine Schedule
Distemper : 6 weeks, must have a booster every 4 weeks until the kitten is 16 weeks old
Leukemia : 8 weeks, must have a booster 3-4 weeks after the first dose
Rabies: 16 weeks, no booster required
Post-Vaccination Information
Preventive health care is an important part of keeping your pet happy and healthy. Vaccinations are designed to stimulate an immune response to help protect your pet from illnesses that your pet may be exposed to in the future. Vaccinations provide proven life-saving benefits and have minimal risks. A favorable response to vaccinations has been found in most cats and dogs, with minimal to no adverse effects. However, as with any vaccination, there are some risks that are associated.
Minor Reactions
Your pet may display short-lived side effects for up to 1-2 days:
- Reduced appetite or loss of appetite (lasting one to two feedings)
- Pain at the injection site
- Lethargy (lack of activity)
- Reluctance to walk/run
- Mild fever
- Mild cough, sneezing, or stuffy/runny nose (intranasal vaccines only- [Our clinic does not use intranasal])
Other Minor Reactions
Sometimes a small firm swelling (“lump”) may develop at the injection site. Contact your veterinarian if the swelling:
- Is still painful after 1-2 days
- Continues to grow
- Persists beyond 1 month
Severe Reactions
Contact your veterinarian immediately if your pet develops any of these less common but more serious allergic signs:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Collapse
- Difficulty breathing
- Facial swelling
- Itchy or bumpy skin (“hives”)
Spay/Neuter
We wait until the pet is 6 months old to spay or neuter. An exam is required prior to scheduling surgery if we have not seen the patient previously. Reasons to spay/neuter are to prevent breast cancer and uterine diseases in females and to prevent prostatic disease and testicular tumors in males.
Microchip
Placing a microchip into the pet’s neck enables them to be identified if found and taken to a clinic or pound. You can update your contact information so you can always be reunited.
Preventatives
There are several options on the market but we recommend Nexgard Combo for heartworm, flea, and tick prevention. This is topical and needs to be applied once a month year-round to protect your cat from heartworm, ticks, and fleas. Especially, for indoor/outdoor or strictly outdoor cats, preventatives are extremely important. We do recommend preventatives for all cats to be year-round, as indoor cats can pick things up for the clothing of their family members and friends that visit. Blood work is not required to be on preventatives for cats, as it is for dogs.
My Cat Isn’t Acting like Themself
Cats are known as predatory animals, however they are also considered prey. Prey animals tend to hide their symptoms when they are ill or injured. They do this to avoid looking weak to predators. Sometimes the smallest change in your cat’s behavior can signal there is something going on and your cat needs help.
Serious Symptoms of a Sick Cat
- Inappetence
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Seizures
- Limping
Subtle Signs of Sickness in a Cat
- Dropping food
- Eating predominantly on one side
- Grinding teeth
- Excessive drooling while eating
- Excessive vocalization while eating

Drooling can mean nausea in cats, which can point to gastrointestinal illness or illness in liver and kidneys.
If cats are overgrooming, hair pulling or not grooming at all, this could mean there is a dermatological problem or they are in pain.
Cats will also seek out isolated areas away from their normal interaction or sleeping locations could have a fever or be in pain. Drastic changes in behavior such as: sudden aggression towards other pets or humans or new vocalizations during the night can also be a sure sign that your cat is in distress. Illness, pain or cognitive dysfunction are usually present when behavioral changes occur.
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