It is a great pleasure to own a kitten and a happy kitten will be a joy to the whole family, but owning a pet is also a responsibility. The Lost Dogs´ Home has some fundamental suggestions to help you enjoy looking after your pet correctly.

Health
A common health problems in kittens is gastroenteritis which may cause a variety of symptoms including: vomiting, diarrhoea, depression and the causes are numerous. Diarrhoea with an unwell or listless kitten, diarrhoea and vomiting or persistent vomiting on its own are cause for concern and the kitten should be checked and treated with your veterinarian.

Feline Respiratory disease (Cat Flu) is a contagious disease of kittens/cats, which can cause sneezing, coughing, running eyes etc. Should your kitten lose its appetite or thirst, become congested or develop runny eyes, examination and treatment will be required. If you have concerns with your kittens’ behaviour or health it is always best to contact your veterinarian.

Vaccination
Your kitten should be vaccinated against Feline Respiratory disease (Cat Flu) and Feline Enteritis. The level of protection depends on when the vaccination was given. It is not until your kitten has received vaccination boosters at 12 weeks of age and again at 16 weeks of age that the kitten will be well protected. Annual boosters are then required to ensure continued protection. Vaccination against Feline Respiratory disease does not guarantee complete protection against the disease. You should keep a record of the vaccination history of your kitten.

Worming
Worms can have a serious effect on the growth and health of your kitten. Your kitten can be wormed for the common intestinal worms on the same day as it receives its vaccination. We recommend that you worm your kitten regularly and with a broad spectrum worming preparation which are best obtained from your veterinarian.

Identification
A kitten from The Lost Dogs´ Home may have been lost, abandoned or simply unwanted. Adequate identification can come in many forms and is necessary to ensure that if your kitten strays or is injured while you are not present, you can then be contacted.

Identification tags can be obtained online, free of charge through The Lost Dogs´ Home’s National Pet Register.

An identification tag with the kittens name and your name, address and phone number; a microchip and an identification tattoo are all forms of useful identification. Here at the The Lost Dogs´ Home all our animals adopted out receive all three forms of identification mentioned.

Fleas
There are a vast array of flea products designed for flea control ranging from flea collars to shampoos to oral preparations. Be sure to check the flea preparation you choose is suitable for the age of your kitten. Your veterinary clinic will help you choose an appropriate preparation for your kitten.

Transportation
Transporting a kitten in your arms or loose in the car is inviting disaster. We recommend purchase of a durable sturdy wire or plastic cage. Failing this, a zip up sports bag or school bag with some ventilation is adequate. Kittens can easily destroy and escape from inadequate restraints. The aim is to make your kitten secure and comfortable and with this your kitten will feel much happier travelling outside the home.

House Training
When using a litter tray for house training, it must be kept in the same place, be kept clean and be easily accessible for the kitten. For the first few days it might be necessary to keep the kitten in a smaller area with the litter tray and its bedding so it doesnt have to travel far in search of the tray, lessening the chance for mistakes. Watch for signs of the need to use the litter tray such as digging, sniffing or squatting. When this is noticed, take the kitten straight to the litter tray. Your kitten will soon learn to make its own way to the tray.

Desexing
It is an excellent idea to get your kitten desexed for a number of reasons, including the animals health and to discourage the cat from roaming, fighting, spraying urine and to prevent the stray cat population from getting worse. A suitable age for desexing for both male and female cats is 6 months. See Desexing – (a separate topic) for more information.

Registration
It is now a legal requirement to register your cat at 12 weeks of age with your local council. The new legislation has a clause which states that cats are not permitted to cause a nuisance. Owners would be wise to train their cats to stay indoors of an evening.

Diet
Correct feeding of a growing kitten is essential to avoid growth disorders. Nutritionally balanced food should be feed. Good quality brands of canned and dry food are nutritionally balanced and do not require the addition of any vitamin or mineral supplements. It will be necessary to fed you growing kitten small meals often throughout the day. As a guide, kittens should be fed 3 times a day up to 12 weeks of age, twice daily from 12 weeks to 6 months and once to twice daily as an adult.

Meat may be given to older kittens and cats once or twice a week but should not be their sole source of food. Chicken wings may be given and are useful for dental hygiene.