New Kitten & Cat Care
Owning a cat provides companionship, loyalty and affection for people of all ages and is an invaluable addition to families and individuals.
As your vet, we are willing to discuss the many aspects of cat care, including breed-specific information and routine health care such as vaccinations, flea and tick control, desexing and worming.
Kitten
- Insure your new cat
- Routine vaccinations: the first at 6-8 weeks of age, the second at 10-12 weeks of age and the third at 14-16 weeks of age
- Fea, tick and worming control: every 2 weeks until 2 months, then every month until 12 months
- Diet: Kitten diet – Hills or Royal Canin, feeding 2-3 times per day
- Microchipping – it is a legal requirement in NSW to register all pets with your local council – FINES APPLY
Adult cat
- Insure your new cat
- All pets require a minimum of one health check a year – prevention is better than cure!
- Vaccinations every 1-3 years
- Flea, tick and worming control
- Microchipping – it is a legal requirement in NSW to register all pets with your local council – FINES APPLY
- Nutrition is an important part of your cats care. A healthy and balanced diet is essential. This will provide protein to build the body; fats for skin and coat health; carbohydrates for energy; and minerals and vitamins for good bone development and healthy tissues.
- It is essential to keep your cats’ teeth clean. A regular dental care routine will minimise tartar build-up on your pet’s teeth.
Environment – Indoor vs Outdoor
More and more people are electing to keep their cats indoor only to reduce wondering, fighting, disease, wildlife destruction and tragic accidents (hit by car). It is important to discuss changes in your cats environment with your veterinarian and different diseases prevention techniques between indoor and outdoor cats.
Indoor cats need a place to feel safe and away from high traffick areas – a dark place to hide and a place high in the air to escape (especially from little children). Scratching posts help to reduce furniture destruction and more litter trays than cats help to reduce unwanted innapropraite toiletting behaviours and diseases such as feline cystitis (FLUTD). A good rule of thumb is one tray for each cat plus one extra. Play with your indoor cats to encourage exercise and avoid obesity. It is important not to feed indoor cats ad libitum – indoor cats have far less energy requirements than outdoor cats, and their diet needs to reflect this! Grooming assitance with regular burshing helps prevent hairballs.
Our staff are always keen to discuss routine health care for your current or future pets. For further information about pet care, please phone our helpful staff during business hours.