Cats and Kittens

Blind, Deaf, and Dependent
The newborn kitten weighs just ounces, and
easily fits into the palm of your hand. Her eyes
and ear canals will not be open yet.

Keep them Warm
The body temperature of a newborn is only 95°
Fahrenheit, and their shivering reflex is not yet
developed, so it is extremely important to keep
them warm during this time, especially if they
are orphans or rescued without a mother cat.

Tiny Food Processing Factories
They are simply little food processing factories
at this point, and their only activities are
nursing, sleeping, and passing waste. There is
very little social interaction at this age

We all need Our Shots
Provided the mother has been vaccinated, or
has natural immunity, the kittens will receive
this same immunity for the first 24-48 hours
through her milk, and it will last until they are
old enough to get their "kitten shots."

Kitten’s Development
Kittens' development
into adult cats is a
fascinating process.
The wise caregiver
will recognize this
fact and use it to
understand what
your kitten is
experiencing, as well
as what his actions
are telling you.

Ticks and Fleas
In our hot and humid
climate, cats are prone to
getting fleas and ticks.
You may use PROTECTOR
(spray form) once a month,
per instructions on the
bottle, or powder them
thoroughly (except on the
face), with flea powder.
These medications are
available in the pet shop.

Deworming your kitten
Kittens and cats have a lot of
worms in the intestine, which
causes irritation and poor
health. It may also cause them
to eat too much.
Have them dewormed when
they are 15 days old and then
once a month for the next 6
months.
After that once every 3 months.

Vaccinating Your Kitten
Most kittens receive their first set
of shots between 8 and 10 weeks
old.
They receive two sets of shots,
given 3-4 weeks apart.
A booster shot has to be done
annually.
WHY? This is enough to protect
your kitten from common viruses
and diseases.
A healthy cat is a happy cat

Rabies Vaccination
Rabies is a highly fatal viral
infection of the nervous system
that affects all warm-blooded
animal species, including humans.
The virus is most often
transmitted from one animal to
another through bite wounds.
It is given when your kitten is
about 3 months old or more.
It has to be done once a year.

Spaying & Neutering
When your cat reaches maturity at nearly six months of age
they would need to be sterilized (animal birth control -ABC)
so that they will not have any more kittens.
Why?: Having too many kittens is a BIG responsibility. This
procedure helps your cat to be the one and only special pet
for you.

Some Questions about Kittens

How long should a kitten stay with its mother cat?
A kitten should stay with its mother for an
absolute minimum of eight weeks and preferably
12 weeks.
They also need this time to learn proper cat
behavior from their mother cat, including use of
the litter box, socializing with humans and other
cats.

How to Train a Kitten to the Litter box?
Kittens are readily trained to the
litter box, which is much preferred
to accidents on the carpet. The
momma cat will usually train them,
but if you are the surrogate
momma, you can train them too.

What Toys are good for my Cat?

What happens at the First Vet Visit?
• Checking baby teeth (will determine approximate
age) and mouth
• Taking temperature
• Listening to heart
• Testing muscles and joints for mobility
• Checking eyes
• Checking ears for mites
• Combing fur for evidence of fleas
In addition, your kitten will have several lab
tests performed

Proper and safe care of your cat
• Avoid cat scratches. If your cat scratches often, talk to your
vet about ways to change your pet's behavior and tools you
can use to guard against scratches.
• Never store your cat's litter box in the kitchen or near
warm, dry places in your home.
• Change the litter box daily. Wear disposable gloves each
time you change the box. Avoid inhaling any litter box
particles.
• Disinfect the litter box once a month. For example, each
month empty the litter box, fill it with boiling water and
leave stand for 10 minutes to kill off any bacteria.
• Keep your cat indoors. If your cat goes outdoors, don't
allow him to hunt birds or rodents.

Avoid cat scratches. If your cat scratches often,
talk to your vet about ways to change your pet's
behavior and tools you can use to guard against
scratches.

Change the litter box daily. Wear disposable
gloves each time you change the box. Avoid
inhaling any litter box particles.

Keep your cat indoors. If your cat goes outdoors,
don't allow him to hunt birds or rodents.

Question Time