Forms & Docs

New Kitten Informational Packets

You're a New Kitten Owner!

Golden Retriever getting a bath at Galloway Village Veterinary
Congratulations on your new edition! Kitten ownership is a rewarding way to establish a lifelong bond with man's best friend. Whether you adopted your kitten from a shelter, friend, or breeder, we are committed to helping you through the process with as much information as we can. The following information is designed to help your new kitten remain healthy, happy, and safe. 
Within the following documents, you will find information regarding the vaccines your kitten will need and how often these are performed, microchip information, the benefits of spaying or neutering your kitten, and much more! We do know it's a lot of information but we do highly encourage that you take a look throughout your new kitten packet for any additional information that you might need.
 
If at any time you have questions or concerns about your new kitten, please do not hesitate to call us!
 

Recommendations

Vaccinations - Vaccinations are started at about 6-8 weeks of age, typically.
  • A FVRCP vaccine is started at 6-8 weeks of age. The FVRCP vaccine helps protect against feline viral rhinothracheitis, calici virus, and panleukopenia. This vaccine is given every 3-4 weeks until 14-16 weeks of age. This helps boost your kitten's immunity to disease. 
  • A Feline Leukemia vaccine is also recommended for all new kittens. The vaccine is started at 9-11 weeks of age and a booster is given in 3-4 weeks. Depending on your kitten's lifestyle, this vaccine may be recommended yearly.
  • Rabies vaccinations are given around 14-16 weeks of age, with a booster given one year later. 
Deworming - Kittens can acquire intestinal parasites from their mother or from the environment that they have been exposed to. Since some intestinal parasites do have the potential to cause disease in people, we do recommend checking a stool sample for intestinal parasites in any new kitten. Some intestinal parasites are not visible to the naked eye, which makes this test important to ensure that your kitten is being de-wormed appropriately.
Heartworm Prevention - Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes, and it is important to know that cats can acquire heartworms too. Heartworm prevention products are given every 30 days indefinitely. Most products also have the added benefit of helping to control intestinal parasites as well. We are sending you with some information on products we recommend as prevention against heartworm disease.
Flea and Tick Control - Fleas and ticks can cause kittens to become very uncomfortable; scratching and chewing can lead to trauma of the skin. anemia can also result, and indigestion of fleas can lead to tapeworms. We recommend keeping your kitten on a monthly flea and tick prevention to help avoid any problems. We are sending you home with information about products we recommend as prevention against fleas and ticks.
Microchip - A microchip is a permanent way of identifying your pet. It is roughly the size of a grain of rice and is administered just under the skin in-between the shoulder blades. The microchip can be placed at any time and does not require anesthesia but we generally do this at the time of spay or neuter. We highly recommend microchipping as a preventative measure to keep your pet safe. 
Spay and Neuter - In order to prevent unplanned litters, we recommend spaying or neutering your pet. Spaying or neutering can help reduce the chances of unwanted behavior like aggression, marking, and straying from home. Neutering at around 6 months of age eliminates the chance of testicular cancer in males. If females re spayed before their first heat cycle, it greatly reduces their chances of mammary cancer in the future and totally eliminates their chances of uterine cancer. 
Declawing - We have included information regarding declawing and it is recommended to consult with a doctor before this procedure. 
Dental Care - Starting kittens early with dental care is a big key to success. It is important to get them used to having their teeth brushed and their mouth looked at. We have included information regarding dental care and the VOHC list of accepted products for cats. 
Golden Retriever getting a bath at Galloway Village Veterinary

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