Kitty's First Veterinary Check-up

the first three days following adoption. Typically, kittens are weaned and go to their new home at around 8 weeks of age.

Professional assessment of the kitten soon after arrival is important for these reasons:

* The veterinarian performs a full physical examination to assess overall health, and can advise you if inherited defects such as hernias, heart problems or other constitutional or health problems are picked up that might warrant a return to the point of purchase if a warranty is in place. Some kitten warranties specify a certain time frame within which an assessment must take place, or else the warranty is null and void as far as immediate return for replacement, or is sometimes even fully voided for the term of the agreement. A warranty timeframe can last as short as a few days, or as long as a few years for selected health problems, so read the fine print at the time of purchase or adoption.

* The veterinary clinic will ask you to provide a fresh stool sample for analysis. This will allow identification of any intestinal parasites. These worms and single celled parasites are very common in kittens, and since some are zoonotic (infective) between cats and people (e.g., Roundworm), it is important that the kitten be promptly cleared of all parasites. Prophylactic deworming is usually recommended since there can be false negative fecal analyses.

* Vaccination history can be reviewed and vaccines that are due can be provided. The mother protects her offspring with maternal antibodies contained in colostrum (first milk). By 8 weeks of age (sometimes earlier or later) these protective antibody levels wane in the kitten's system. This leaves young kittens vulnerable to infection by major agents of infection such as calicivirus, feline parvovirus etc. Your veterinarian will tailor your vaccine schedule to match the lifestyle and background of your kitten.

* Another key objective of the first kitten care visit is getting to know your veterinarian, and the veterinary healthcare support team. If an emergency should arise, you then know where to go, and have developed a rapport with those who will play a pivotal role in such an emergency.

* The clinic team will also provide key information on kitten care such as dental preventive care, normal cat behaviour, diet, grooming, nail care including proper trimming, and auxiliary information on such things as microchip identification, appropriate toys, planning for future spay or castration, and they will also explain their preventive health care program for this phase of the kitten's life stage. Normally, this program entails regular visits until the kitten matures in order to monitor growth, health and to administer vaccines and dewormers or external parasite (e.g., ear mites, lice, flea) control if needed.