Eagle River Animal Hospital


Cats & Kittens

Cat Facts

While kittens depend on their mother’s milk for their first few weeks of life, adult cats can become ill if they are feed large amounts of milk.

There are more than 100 different breeds of domesticated cats.

Neutering a cat lengthens it's life expectancy by 2–3 years.

Vaccines

We recommend your kitten be protected from infectious diseases through a series of vaccinations.  Vaccines are NOT life-long and will require regular updates throughout your pet's life.  Click here for more details about vaccines.

Parasites

Intestinal Parasites
Your kitten should have a stool sample checked for intestinal parasites at every kitten exam.  It is important to check multiple samples over a period fo time since eggs are not continually shed in the feces.

External Parasites
Your kitten will be examined for the presence of fleas, ticks, lice, and mites.  Ear Mites are a common problem in kittens, and can be spread to other cats as well as dogs.  We will recommend preventive products for kittens that may have potential exposure to these external parasites.

Heartworm Disease
Heartworms are parasites transmitted by mosquitoes.  Cats can be infected with heartworm, and it is recommended that cats at risk be on a heartworm preventive during the mosquito season (May through December in Northern Wisconsin).  The incidence of heartworm tends to be lower in indoor cats vs. outdoor cats, and yearly screening tests are not required prior to putting them on a preventive.

Spay/Neuter

Your kitten can be spayed or neutered at 6 months of age.  There are health benefits to having your pet spayed or neutered prior to sexual maturity.  Spayed females are less likely to develop mammary tumors, and will not develop a uterine infection called pyometra.  Other benefits include the avoidance of behavioral issues such as urine marking, the annoyance associated with heat cycles, and the prevention of unwanted litters.  Neutered males will be less likely to have unwanted behavioral issues such as urine marking, roaming, and fighting.  A neutered male will also tend to not have the strong smelling urine of unaltered males.

Declawing

Your kitten can be declawed at 6 months of age.  The decision to declaw is a personal one and may not be necessary for all cats.  We recommend cats that go outside NOT be declawed.  We also do not recommend that any cat be declawed on all four feet.  This would render them defenseless.  We understand in some situations four-foot declaw may be necessary for a cat to have a happy home.  The decision is ultimately up to the individual pet owner.

Diet

It is very important for growing kittens to be fed a nutritionally balanced diet.  We recommend NOT feeding generic brand pet foods.  A quality pet food should be meat-based, and is generally more nutritionally dense, thus requiring less volume fed, smaller stools, and better overall health.

Pet Health Insurance

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) is available for your pet.  This insurance will not cover all preventive health care expenses, but can give you peace of mind if unexpected health care problems should occur.  The Iams company, a national pet food company, will pay the first 2 months of premiums for all puppies you elect to sign up for VPI.  Pet insurance is also available through the ASPCA and other carriers.  Ask our staff for additional information.