Kitten care
Kitten care, everything you need to know
The first few months are some of the most important of your kitten’s life. Here’s our guide to getting things off to the best possible start.
As a proudly independent practice, we’re big enough to handle anything unexpected, and small enough to know you and your pet by name.
Getting to know your kitten
The first few weeks are key to your kitten’s development, and to building a bond that lasts a lifetime. Getting into good habits early makes everything easier down the line.
Handle them from the start
By running your hands gently all over your kitten regularly, you’ll get to know what feels normal for them. If you keep this up throughout their life, you’ll quickly notice any lumps or bumps that appear. Most will be harmless, but it’s always worth having us take a look.
Get your kitten used to daily grooming from the start, even if they’re short-haired and don’t strictly need it. Keep sessions short at first, they’ll think it’s a great game and end up biting the brush! Distraction works well at this age; try a treat in one hand and the brush in the other.
Grooming your kitten regularly helps you bond while subtly asserting your authority, two things that pay dividends for years to come.
Eyes
The eyes are often the first indicator that something’s not quite right. Check they’re bright, clear of discharge and wide open. Cats have a third eyelid which can creep across the eye from the inner corner when they’re under the weather, if you notice this, or if their eyes are red or runny, give us a call.
Boiled and cooled water or weak saline can be used to wipe mucky eyes, use a separate piece of cotton wool for each eye. Antiseptics such as Savlon or TCP should never be used on cats; some are genuinely toxic to them.
Ears
A healthy ear is pale pink inside with a sweetish smell, so it’s worth a sniff now and again to know what’s normal. A dark, thick, sticky deposit may indicate ear mites, which are easily treated with a product we can recommend.
Teeth
Regular brushing from a young age helps reduce the build-up of plaque and tartar. Use specially designed animal toothbrushes and paste, human toothpaste contains fluoride and a foaming agent that’s designed to be spat out, which cats simply can’t do.
Vaccination
A number of dangerous diseases can still affect cats in the UK, some of which can be transmitted to humans. Vaccination is the only safe way to provide immunity, and if carried out regularly it can protect your cat for life.
When to start
A kitten’s vaccination course usually starts at 8–9 weeks of age, with a second vaccination given 3-4 weeks later. Your kitten isn’t fully protected until 10-14 days after that second injection, so we advise keeping them indoors until then.
Annual boosters are essential, just as in human vaccines, the protection provided wanes over time. All cats should keep up with their boosters.
What we vaccinate against
- Feline panleucopaenia
- Cat flu (herpes virus)
- Feline calicivirus
- Feline leukaemia (FeLV)
- Chlamydophila
- Rabies (for travel abroad)
Feline panleucopaenia causes severe and often fatal gastroenteritis, vaccination provides strong, long-lasting protection.
Cat flu is common in unvaccinated cats, causing severe cold-like symptoms that can be fatal. Once infected, cats can become lifelong carriers.
Feline leukaemia virus is transmitted through blood or saliva when cats fight or groom each other. It gradually suppresses the immune system, leading to secondary infections, tumours and, eventually, death. Vaccination has made significant progress in bringing it under control.
Your vaccination record
On completion of the primary course you’ll receive a certificate showing when the next booster is due. Keep it somewhere safe, catteries, insurers and other vets will all want to see it.
Book a first appointment with us as soon as your kitten arrives home. We’ll work out the right vaccination timing and talk through everything else you need to know. Our Lifetime Care Club includes your kitten’s primary vaccination course and annual boosters, find out more at drovevets.co.uk/club
Parasites & prevention
Parasite control is one of the most important, and most overlooked, parts of kitten care. The good news is that with the right products, it’s straightforward to stay on top of.
Fleas
For every adult flea on your kitten, there are around 500 more at various stages of development in your home, eggs and larvae hidden deep in carpets and furniture. Modern, centrally heated homes are perfect environments for year-round flea development.
Young kittens are particularly vulnerable, as a heavy flea burden can cause anaemia, which can be serious and even fatal. Some cats are also allergic to flea saliva, causing intense scratching, sores and skin disease.
Any cat with fleas is also likely to have tapeworm, since fleas are the intermediate host, another good reason to treat regularly.
Many products available outside veterinary practices may not be effective against all species of fleas and worms. Ask us to recommend the right treatment for your kitten’s age and weight.
Our Lifetime Care Club includes bespoke year-round flea, tick and worm treatments tailored to your pet, so you’re never guessing what to use or when. Find out more at drovevets.co.uk/club
Worms
It’s safe to assume that all kittens have roundworm. Toxocara cati is passed through the mother’s milk, meaning kittens can be infected from a very young age. We’ll advise you on a worming programme to suit your kitten’s lifestyle.
Roundworms can be seen in faeces or vomit and resemble spaghetti. Worm eggs can survive in soil and stick to fur, so regular treatment and good hygiene, washing hands after handling your kitten, really matters, particularly around children.
Tapeworms look like small, flat grains of rice in the fur around your cat’s bottom. They’re commonly linked to flea infestations and hunting, and are easily treated with a worming tablet.
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite that rarely causes disease in healthy cats or people. Around a third of the UK population has been exposed to it without knowing. It is, however, a concern during pregnancy, if a pregnant woman acquires toxoplasmosis for the first time, it can potentially affect the foetus.
Importantly, cat owners are not at greater risk of infection than non-cat owners. The main risks come from handling raw or undercooked meat and from soil contaminated with cat faeces.
Simple precautions make a big difference: empty litter trays daily using gloves, wash hands after gardening, cover children’s sandpits, and cook meat thoroughly. If you’re pregnant and concerned, speak to your GP or midwife.
Health essentials
Three things every new kitten owner needs to sort early, neutering, microchipping and insurance. Here’s what you need to know about each.
Neutering
Spaying (female cats)
A female cat can come into season and get pregnant from just five months of age, so it’s best not to let her outside until she’s been spayed. Once in season she’ll call loudly and persistently, rolling and rubbing, and will attract the attention of every intact male in the area.
Spaying removes this entirely. It also eliminates the risk of womb infection, reduces the risk of breast cancer, and prevents unwanted litters. Pregnancy lasts around nine weeks and a queen can come back into season when her kittens are only six weeks old, so the numbers add up quickly without intervention.
Castration (male cats)
An unneutered tom will start to roam further from home, mark his territory with urine, and get into fights, which brings the risk of abscesses, and of diseases like feline leukaemia and feline AIDS that are spread through bite wounds. Unneutered toms are also significantly more likely to be involved in road accidents.
Castration makes your cat a calmer, closer companion who’s much more likely to stay safely at home.
When to neuter
Give us a call and we’ll talk through the latest recommendations and the right timing for your kitten.
Our Lifetime Care Club includes 10% off neutering. Speak to our team to find out more.
Microchipping
How it works
A tiny chip is injected under the skin at the back of the neck, holding a unique number that’s there for life. Should your cat go missing, any vet, rescue centre or warden can scan for it and reunite you. Lack of proper identification is a major problem for lost cats, a microchip is the most reliable solution.
If you plan to take your cat abroad using the pet passport scheme, microchipping is a legal requirement. It’s also essential to keep your contact details up to date whenever you move house or change your number.
Microchipping is included as standard in our Lifetime Care Club. Speak to our team or visit drovevets.co.uk/club
Insurance
Why it matters
Veterinary medicine has come a long way, we can now diagnose and treat conditions that would previously have gone undetected. Some cases run to thousands of pounds. Pet insurance means cost never has to be the deciding factor in your cat’s care.
Things to check when choosing a policy:
- Adequate vet fee cover
- No time limit per illness
- Cover continues in later years
- Check exclusions carefully
Switching insurers isn’t always straightforward, a condition that’s already appeared on your cat’s records could be excluded as pre-existing by a new provider. If you’re thinking of switching, talk to us first.
Our only interest is that cost never has to compromise the quality of care your pet receives. We’re happy to talk through what to look for in a policy.
Feeding & dental care
Getting nutrition right in kittenhood is critical, the consequences of any mistakes during this rapid growth phase can follow a cat into adult life. Dental care is equally important and easier to get right if you start early.
Feeding & Nutrition
What to feed
Cats are obligate carnivores, they cannot be vegetarian. Through evolution they’ve become dependent on nutrients only found in animal tissue, including specific fatty acids, vitamin A and taurine. Adult cat food isn’t suitable for a kitten; it won’t meet the demands of their rapid growth.
Feed a good quality kitten food until 6–8 months of age, when growth is almost complete and you can begin switching to adult food. Your kitten has a tiny stomach, so little and often is the rule in the early weeks, by three months they can manage fewer, larger meals.
Contrary to popular belief, kittens have no nutritional need for milk. After weaning, most lose the ability to digest lactose at around three months, and too much milk can cause digestive upset and diarrhoea.
Water
Fresh water must always be available. Cats prefer to drink away from their food and tend to favour larger bowls, not plastic ones. Simply placing an additional water source somewhere away from the food bowl can significantly increase how much your cat drinks.
Avoiding obesity
Obesity is the most common nutritional disease in cats. Neutered indoor cats are the most at risk, as their metabolism slows after neutering and opportunities to exercise reduce. The best check is simple, you should be able to feel your cat’s ribs with the palm of your hand without having to prod. If you can’t, they’re carrying too much weight.
Overweight cats are at greater risk of diabetes, lower urinary tract disease and liver problems. Weight loss in cats needs to be gradual, rapid weight loss puts them at risk of a serious condition called hepatic lipidosis. If you’re concerned about your cat’s weight, talk to us before making any drastic changes.
Dental Care
Brushing
Dental disease is one of the most frequent problems we see in cats, and it can start younger than most owners expect. Daily brushing is the most effective way to slow the build-up of plaque and tartar, and the earlier you start, the more your cat will tolerate it.
Use a purpose-made animal toothbrush and paste. Never use human toothpaste on cats, it’s not designed to be swallowed and could cause illness.
Signs of dental disease
Look out for a lack of interest in food, a tendency towards soft foods, chewing with obvious discomfort, dropping food, dribbling, pawing at the mouth or weight loss. Some cats with genuinely serious dental disease show few obvious signs, which is why regular checks with us matter.
If tartar is building up, we may recommend a professional descale under a short general anaesthetic, which lets us clean properly beneath the gum line. Dry food and specially formulated dental diets can contribute to home care, but they can’t replace brushing.
Never try to remove tartar yourself with any metallic instrument. You risk damaging your cat’s mouth and creating tiny scratches on the tooth surface that accelerate plaque formation.
Our Lifetime Care Club includes 10% off dental treatments, plus six-monthly nurse health checks where we’ll keep an eye on your pet’s mouth. Speak to our team or visit drovevets.co.uk/club
Behaviour & settling in
A well-socialised kitten who feels safe and settled at home is a happy cat. The decisions you make in the first few weeks lay the foundations for a confident, well-adjusted pet.
Socialisation
The socialisation window runs from around 2–7 weeks of age, for most owners, this will have happened before you bring your kitten home, which is why choosing the right breeder matters. A kitten that has been handled daily by a variety of people from this age will be far more comfortable with being picked up, restrained and examined.
When choosing a kitten, use your head as much as your heart. A healthy kitten should have bright, clear eyes, clean ears, a shiny coat with no pot-belly, and an alert, playful, confident character with people it doesn’t know.
Key things to introduce early:
- Children, supervise closely. Teach children to let the kitten approach them, not the other way round.
- Dogs, introduce carefully and always give the kitten a safe retreat. Let them set the pace.
- Household noises, the vacuum cleaner, spin dryer, TV. Don’t make an issue of them and your kitten is unlikely to either.
- Other cats, if you have a resident cat, introduce them gradually. Choose litter mates where possible if getting two kittens at once.
Litter training
Most kittens arrive already knowing how to use a litter tray, having followed their mother’s lead. Your job is to make it easy for them to continue. Use a similar litter to the one they’re used to, place the tray somewhere quiet and private, and make sure it’s large enough for an adult cat to squat, turn around and cover their deposits. Keep it clean, cats won’t use a tray that’s too dirty, but they also need a little of their own scent present to feel comfortable.
Getting comfortable with the cat carrier
Many cats associate their carrier entirely with trips to the vet or cattery, which is why they vanish the moment it appears. The fix is simple: leave the carrier out at home lined with a warm blanket and treats, so your kitten explores it freely and comes to see it as a comfortable, normal space. When you do need to use it for something less enjoyable, it won’t feel like such a shock.
Indoor or outdoor?
Once fully vaccinated, you’ll need to decide whether to let your kitten outside. Indoor cats can live very happily as part of the family, as long as they have a stimulating environment, things to climb, scratch and explore, and ideally a feline companion if you’re out for much of the day.
If you’re letting them outside, don’t do so until two weeks after their final vaccination. The first time, stay with them and choose a moment when they’re hungry, they’re much more likely to come back when called if food is on offer. Try to keep your kitten indoors at night; this is when the risks of road accidents and fighting are highest.
A microchip cat flap is a great investment, it gives your cat the freedom to come and go while keeping your neighbours’ cats out.
One kitten or two?
Taking on two kittens at the same time gives them a playmate, a companion and another cat for mutual grooming. Litter mates are the best combination, as they’re already familiar with each other. If you do take on two, make sure each has their own food and water bowls, sleeping area, scratching post and litter tray, cats are not natural sharers, and the rule of thumb is one of each per cat, plus one spare.
