Basic Care For Your Kitten

Sneezing and runny eyes and nose are common signs of upper respiratory viral infection. Ulcers on the tongue and cornea (eyeball) and high fever are also characteristic. Fleas, mites, and fungal infection (ie, ringworm) cause skin problems including itching and hair loss. If your kitten shakes its head and scratches its ears and has "dirt" in its ears, it probably has ear mites. Diarrhea in kittens is caused by intestinal worms, viral infection, poor diet, or foreign body ingestion. Severe diarrhea in a kitten can be a serious problem, and causes rapid physical deterioration if it persists. Bulging stomach may indicate nutritional deficiency, intestinal worms, or a particular viral infection. All of these signs indicate diseases that are not uncommon in kittens and that can be treated by your veterinarian. If your kitten has any of these signs, or if it develops poor appetite, vomiting, or lethargy, a veterinarian should be consulted right away. Delay in seeking medical help in a young animal can result in a poor prognosis for recovery.

Kittens should first be vaccinated for panleukopenia virus, rhinotracheitis virus, and calicivirus at 6 to 8 weeks of age. Boosters are given at 12 and 16 weeks of age. After that, they must be boostered (consult your doctor). Rabies vaccines are safe to give at 4 to 6 months of age, and then yearly (or less often) depending on the vaccine used and the state regulatory requirements. Vaccination for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) cannot be recommended at this time because of questionable efficacy of the available vaccine and potential side effects.

Your kitten should be tested for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV is similar to human AIDS). This can be done as early as 6 to 8 weeks of age. Your veterinarian may also recommend retesting your kitten at a later date to confirm the results. Keep your kitten separate from other cats until negative results are obtained, because both viruses are contagious to other cats. Neither of these viruses is transmissible to humans, however.

Grooming is an important part of your pet's health. A poorly groomed coat is a risk factor for external parasites and skin problems. Because cats like to groom themselves by licking, loose hair also contributes to hairball formation. Just a few minutes each day will reduce these risks before they become serious, and your pet will love the extra attention.

Neutering at an early age prevents unwanted pregnancies and protects your pet against tumors of the reproductive organs. Early neutering also improves behavior by reducing roaming, urine marking, and aggression between male animals. Because neutered pets generally live longer than non-neutered pets, failing to neuter is an important risk factor that can greatly affect the quality and length of your pet's life.

Environmental conditions can increase or decrease your kitten's health risks. Outdoor animals not properly socialized to their environments tend to disregard yard boundaries and the hazards of motor vehicles. They also are exposed to extreme weather conditions, infectious disease, internal and external parasites, accidental poisoning from plants or chemicals, and injury from people or from other animals.

As a responsible pet owner, there are certain good habits you need to develop. Keep your kitten's living and sleeping areas comfortable and dry at all times, and make plenty of fresh drinking water available each day. To help avoid obesity, encourage playful exercise with safe, enjoyable toys. Provide each cat in your household with its own litterbox, and remove soiled litter daily to reduce the risk of internal parasite reinfection or transmission.

Inappropriate behavior is an important risk factor because it produces undesirable pets and is the primary reason for euthanasia of pets. Look to your veterinary health care team to help solve your kitten's behavioral problems before they become unmanageable.