For many pet lovers, there is nothing more exciting and fun than getting a new kitten! Your San Bruno Pet Hospital veterinarian is your partner in making sure your new friend gets the best kitten wellness care possible. Our kitten wellness care ensures your new friend starts off on the right paw. The first few months of a young cat’s life are critical to their development, future health, and well-being.
You should schedule your kitten to see the veterinarian as soon as possible after you adopt. Below is information on a few aspects of what you can expect when it comes to kitten wellness care!
Comprehensive Physical Exams
Is your kitten’s growth on track? Are there any telltale signs of current or future health issues? How large will my kitten get? Your San Bruno Pet Hospital veterinarian can answer all these questions.
FeLV/FIV Virus Testing
Every new kitten should be tested for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). If your kitten is carrying the FeLV virus, it can drastically affect their life, and it’s important to be aware of this infection. For kittens under 6 months who test positive for FIV, we recommend retesting when they’re older, as they may still be carrying their mother’s antibodies rather than having an actual infection.
Vaccinations
Just like newborn babies, the immune systems of young pets are not fully developed. This means they are more susceptible to disease, and vaccines are critical to the health of your kitten. Kittens need a series of vaccinations given at monthly intervals to be protected.
Our comprehensive vaccination program includes:
- FVRCP – a 3-way vaccine that protects against several components of the feline upper respiratory viral complex
- FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus) – recommended for all kittens initially; annual boosters may not be necessary for strictly indoor cats
- Rabies – required for kittens 16 weeks and older in California, recommended even for indoor cats due to potential bat exposure
Important Note: Please keep your kitten indoors until the vaccine series is completed.
Vaccine Safety: At San Bruno Pet Hospital, we take your cat’s safety seriously. Research has shown that injections, particularly FeLV and Rabies vaccines, can be associated with a rare risk of fibrosarcoma (tumor) development in approximately 1 in 5,000 cats. This risk may be linked to adjuvants (additives in vaccines that extend protection). To minimize this risk, we utilize non-adjuvant vaccines when possible and have adjusted the frequency and injection sites to maximize protection while reducing risk. If you ever notice a lump at an injection site that persists for longer than one month, please let us know immediately.
Intestinal Parasite Screening
It’s very common for kittens to have worms, and they can make your new friend very sick and weak. Some of these worms can also infect your human family members. We proactively deworm all kittens and recommend bringing in a fecal sample for special testing under the microscope, as the standard deworming medication doesn’t treat all types of parasites.
Spay & Neuter
We recommend spaying or neutering your kitten at 6 months of age. Spaying female kittens significantly reduces the chances of mammary cancer and uterine infections later in life. Neutering male kittens helps reduce the risk of spraying and marking behaviors. From a cat overpopulation standpoint, spaying and neutering is also the most responsible choice you can make!
Microchipping
One of the most important things you can do for your pet is to microchip them. Unlike collars, microchips stay with your pet for life and make it much more likely that your cat will return to you if lost.
First Doses of Heartworm, Flea, & Tick Preventative
Fleas and ticks are not only unpleasant, but they also carry disease and can be very detrimental to a young kitten’s health. Heartworm can be deadly, and while there is treatment available for dogs, there is no treatment available for cats. We’ll make sure your kitten is protected with their first doses of flea, tick, and heartworm preventive.
Heartworm disease in cats can cause Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD) with symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath, weight loss, vomiting, and lethargy. Since both indoor and outdoor cats can be exposed via mosquitoes, we recommend monthly heartworm prevention.
For flea protection in kittens over 7 weeks of age, we offer:
- Revolution Plus – topical treatment that controls fleas, protects against heartworm, most intestinal parasites, and ear mites
- Frontline for Cats – topical treatment that kills fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks, and chewing lice
Behavior Counseling
While it may be true that kittens don’t come with instructions, counseling with our veterinarians about litterbox training, the importance of socialization, and other basics will set your kitten up for success as a family member. We can also advise you on feeding schedules and options for optimum health.
Kitten Nutrition
We recommend feeding kittens a high-quality kitten food from reputable brands such as Science Diet, Iams, Eukanuba, Royal Canin, or Purina from weaning until 1 year of age. Look for foods with an AAFCO label, which certifies that the food meets established nutritional standards.
Ideally, train your kitten to be meal-fed rather than always leaving food out. This helps control problems with obesity that could develop later in life. Dry foods are recommended over wet foods to help reduce the accumulation of plaque on the teeth.
Schedule Your Kitten’s Visit
To schedule your kitten wellness care visit, call us at (650) 583-5039.
For more information, please visit our Tips for Cats section, where you can find resources about how to acclimate your cat to the carrier, give cats pills, brush their teeth, and much more!
