What Vaccines Do Cats Need The Differences Between Core And Noncore Vaccines
AAFP offers two vaccine categories: Core and Noncore.
1. Core vaccines are those recommended for all cats. The AAFP Advisory Panel recommends that the following fall into this category:
2. Noncore vaccines should be administered to cats in specific risk categories on the basis of an individual risk/benefit assessment, based on:
3. Geography. The Advisory Panel believes that the following vaccines fall into this category:
Q How Old Do You Think Someone Should Be Before Theyre Not Allowed To Adopt My Mom Is 78 And Active But I Do Wonder If She Is Making A Good Decision Taking In A New Cat After Hers Died I Dont Want To Be Responsible For Another Pet If Something Happens To Her
A. The benefits of having animals in our lives are both scientifically proven and something we know in our hearts and souls. Animals are good for us, and thats undeniable. I do recognize, however, that we are not always good for animals, which is why shelters and rescue groups try so hard to screen out adopters who are not well suited to having a pet and why they work to find the perfect pet matches for those who are.
Ive written before about groups denying pet adoptions to families with children or not allowing small pets to be adopted to families with large ones, and in this case, my position is the same: I am not in favor of hard-and-fast rules when it comes to adoptions. I know that shelters and rescue groups have the very best of intentions in setting up their adoption policies, but I much prefer to see each pet and each potential adopter considered as an individual. I would rather see guidelines than rules, and thats because in my more than 30 years of practicing veterinary medicine, I have seen so many people who cared so much for their pets that theyd do anything for them. I know that among those people were pet owners who would not have been seen as ideal adopters in many cases.
Why Should Pet Owners Wait Until The Kitten Is Older
Many new cat owners are keen to get their kitten as soon as possible, and as early as possible. After all, who doesnt love a tiny little ball of fluff? However, adopting a kitten who is too young can have consequences that may last throughout the cats life.
- Kittens need their mother and littermates to teach them manners. As kittens will play with mum and their siblings, they learn cat socialisation skills. Picking up body language, boundaries and playing skills from the other cats.
- Kittens need time to build up a strong immune system. Mums milk is full of antibodies that help to protect your kitten from disease. Even after the kitten has started solids, he is still nursing from mum and getting the benefits of these antibodies.
- Kittens should not leave their home until they have had their vaccinations.
- Most breeders and cat shelters spay or neuter a kitten before it leaves for its new home. With shelters bursting at the seams with unwanted cats, taking this approach is the responsible way. Purebred breeders do not generally sell un-desexed cats unless you are a registered breeder.
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Things To Consider Before Adopting A Cat Or Kitten
General Considerations:
Housing:
- Most cats can live happily indoors for their whole lives and never need to go outside. With the proper enrichment, cats are happy, healthy and fulfilled with an indoor lifestyle.
- Consider the risks before letting your cat outside. Cats are at significant risk for exposure to disease, dangerous encounters with wildlife, vehicles and other hazards that could cause them harm and shorten their life expectancy.
- Kittens should never be let outside before they are at least 6 months old and are spayed/neutered. Kittens younger than 6 months are too young and vulnerable and may not have had their complete set of vaccines, so are at increased risk if let outdoors.
- If you choose to let your adult cat outside, always ensure they are spayed/neutered and microchipped. Always ensure that the contact information are kept up to date with the microchip company.
- Bring your cat indoors if there are any weather advisories, such as extreme heat or cold or storms.
- Cats are generally happy to share your home with you, but it is a good idea to have some special items just for them. Beds, hidey houses, cat trees and other items can provide a habitat for your cat so that they can engage in their normal behaviors.
Food & Water:
Litter:
Veterinary Care:
Enrichment:
Grooming:
Kittens Younger Than 8 Weeks With Their Mother
Leave Them Be! Kittens who are healthy and thriving with their mother outdoors do not need to be rescued.
Remember: Mother knows best. You cannot replace a mother cats instinctive care. Plus, neonatal kittens need round-the-clock care to survivewhich is challenging for humans to provide. These kittens are unweaned, meaning they still rely on their mothers milk.
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Do All Kittens Have Worms
Not all kittens have worms , but most of them do. The same milk that protects nursing kittens from disease and provides nutrition also carries intestinal worms, so drinking mothers milk can transfer worms to young kittens shortly after birth. Infection can occur even earlier before kittens are born because some intestinal parasites are transmitted to kittens through the blood stream while they are still in the womb. Since kittens can become infected so early and since intestinal parasites can cause severe illness, treatment needs to begin when the kitten is only a couple of weeks old.
A microscopic examination of a stool sample will identify which worms the kitten is infected with so a specific treatment plan can be prescribed. Since many kittens are infected with the more common intestinal worms, your veterinarian may routinely administer a broad-spectrum dewormer that is safe and effective against several species of intestinal worms. This medication, which kills adult worms, is given every 2-3 weeks to target the most susceptible stage of the worms lifecycle. For other types of intestinal parasites, different medications and treatment intervals are required.
Not all kittens have worms, but most of them do.
There are other less common parasites that can infect kittens, such as coccidia and giardia that require special treatment. Both of these parasites can be identified with a stool sample examined under the microscope.
Problems With Early Adoption
Kittens that are taken away from their mothers too early can suffer from a variety of psychological and health problems because they miss out on critical emotional, mental, and developmental milestones that occur at 6-12 weeks of age. The following are some common problems afflicting kittens that are adopted before 12 weeks of age.
Poor Immunity: A kittens immune system develops between 8 and 12 weeks, and a kitten less than 12 weeks old has not received its full set of required vaccinations. A mother cats milk provides antibodies that protect the health of her kittens.
If they are prevented from nursing before their immune systems have become strong, kittens are more likely to succumb to a wide variety of illnesses, particularly respiratory conditions.
Rushed Weaning: Kittens shouldnt be weaned suddenly. Rather, weaning should be a gradual process in which they alternate between nursing and eating cat food, slowly increasing the amount of cat food consumed and decreasing the nursing time until nursing ceases altogether.
At 6-8 weeks of age, kittens are not ready to stop nursing. Usually, a mother cat will begin denying opportunities to nurse between 8 and 12 weeks of age, and thus the kitten learns to deal with frustration in a natural way. Kittens that are taken from their mothers too soon miss out on this natural process and are more inclined to develop behavioral problems as a result of low frustration tolerance later on.
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Timeline For Weaning Kittens
Mother cats will typically start to wean their kittens off their milk at one month of age. This does not mean that this is the time that the kittens can go home, though. The next month of life is still full of essentials for a growing kitten, even if it isn’t consuming its mother’s milk all of the time.
The weaning process usually continues for about another month until the kittens are fully weaned between eight and 10 weeks of age. During this time, the kittens will still occasionally nurse on their mother but they will also start to eat liquid kitten food. The liquid kitten food should gradually get thicker until it is a watered-down canned kitten food or a moistened kitten kibble. Over the four to six week weaning period, the kitten will consume less and less milk from its mother. Getting a kitten used to eating dry food can take some time, so it should not be forced or rushed.
I Don’t Need Netflix Or Hulu Anymore
My partner and I adopted two brothers, Ramen and Stitch, who have taken up all our time and love. We love watching how much they’ve grown in the past couple months and watching them play together.
It is definitely recommended that you adopt two kittens together, especially if you are like my partner and me and work during the day. The two brothers keep each other entertained during the day and having a friend to play with helps with their social development.
As kittens, the two have lots of energy and love to wrestle and chase each other around the apartment.
Both kittens have completely different personalities Stitch loves to cuddle and play, while Ramen is more timid and independent.
What no one told me about kittens is how easy they are to take care of and play with. They can mostly entertain themselves and love to explore. My partner and I have built cardboard box and furniture forts for them. The cats also love climbing up an old carpet we have rolled up in the corner of the apartment.
Kittens also don’t have to be house trained. Even though these kittens were strays before living with us, they knew how to use a litterbox from day one. Most of the time the kittens use the litterbox and don’t give us any issues.
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Side Effects Of Spaying A Female Cat
The side effects of spaying cats are overwhelmingly positive, such as reduced disease risk and positive behavioral changes. However, no surgery is completely without risk, andalthough very uncommoncomplications can sometimes occur.
Herniation may result if there is a breakdown in the abdominal wall, although this is rare. Uterine infections can occur if an ovariectomy is performed, but the uterus is left behind. In some cases, small portions of the uterus may be left behind, even during an ovariohysterectomy, which can then cause an infection. However, uterine infections are extremely rare if both ovaries have been removed.
More commonly, minor complications can arise from cats licking at the wound site, and inflammation of fluid buildup can occur.
How To Adopt Kittens: 10 Kitten Adoption Dos & Donts
Kittens are rarely in short supply. With the current rash of kittens, summer break on the horizon, and the pandemic easing, kitten adoption may be in your future. But theres more to kitten adoption than bringing home your baby cat. Maybe youll want to foster a needy kitten . Learn how to adopt kittens, what to doand what NOT to doin this kitten adoption guide.
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Getting Your Kitten Vaccinated
We recommended bringing your kitten in for their first round of vaccinations when they are between six and eight weeks old. Below is a series of vaccinations your kitten should given in three to four week intervals .
First visit
- Vaccinations for chlamydia, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis and panleukopenia
Second visit
- Examination and external check for parasites
- Second vaccinations for calicivirus rhinotracheitis, and panleukopenia
Third visit
Spaying And Neutering Is Very Very Safe
Any loving pet owner is right to be concerned about putting their beloved cat especially a very young kitten through an elective surgery. What are the risks?
Science is as concerned with this question as you are. One study followed 263 cats who were over three years, comparing cats who spayed at less than six months of age to those who were fixed when they were six months or older. The study concluded that there was no increase in infections or behavior problems in cats who were spayed or neutered when they were younger.
Another study looked at complication rates from the surgery. It compared cats who were spayed or neutered at 12 weeks, at 12-23 weeks, and at 24 weeks. The rate of major complications was the same in all three groups. The oldest group had more minor complications . The youngest group had the fewest complications.
You might be concerned about the use of anesthesia with a young kitten. But you should know that anesthetic drugs are safe for use in kittens as young as six to 14 weeks old.
There are steps your vet can take to minimize the surgical risk to very young kittens. While it is customary for food to be withheld from a cat for a number of hours prior to any surgery, your vet might recommend that food is withheld for a very minimal amount of time from a young kitten to prevent hypoglycemia .
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The Ideal Age To Adopt A Kitten
Ideally, kittens should go to their new home around 12 weeks of age. While some kittens can go home earlier, the closer you wait until 12 or 13 weeks, the better off the kitten will be. Your cat’s chances of being healthy, well-socialized, and properly developed are dramatically increased by allowing it to spend extra time with its mother and littermates.
Do You Have To Be 18 Years Old To Buy A Cat
Most pet shops will allow you to buy a cat as long as you can prove that youre at least 18 years old. This applies to all pets as well. If youre below 18, an adult should be the one to get a pet for you. Most of the time, the pet shop will look for your guardian or parents to sign the purchase for you. Remember that a cat is a big commitment. Its not just a stuffed toy that you can leave in the corner when youre no longer having fun. This is why pet shops, shelters, and rescue centers are strict in age requirements.
If youre bent to get a cat but not at the right age to adopt or buy, you can unofficially adopt a stray. Training stray cats would be difficult and you may face escape attempts. If you have got a stray cat, the article what to do with a stray cat that wont leave can help you. However, youll need to register the kitty, especially if your neighborhood requires a license for every pet.
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Four Weeks Old Kitten
Its been one whole month! Its amazing how quickly these helpless kittens have grown up over a four-week period. Darling, Denby, Corduroy, Tweed, and Wembley are thriving babies, starting to explore the world around them and play frequently with friends and toys.
At four weeks old, Corduroy is ready to explore!
Abandoned Kittens Or Are They
Dont Kit-nap Kittens!
Mom will likely return. Please dont intervene.When we find a litter of kittens, our good-hearted instincts tell us to rush to the aid of these fragile felines. Thankfully, human intervention is typically not required. In fact, the best thing to do is leave the kittens alone. Mom will likely return shortly. Its critical that the kittens remain in her care, as she offers the best chance for survival. If you find kittens and are extremely certain that they are orphaned, you can then step in and help by caring for the kittens yourself until theyre old enough to find homes.
Thinking about Bringing Kittens to the Shelter?
During kitten season, shelters are overrun with kittens and dont have adequate resources to care for them. It is best to care for the kittens in your home until theyre 8 weeks old. TPAS does not have enough space to provide kittens the care they require, but our compassionate volunteers and staff came up with a solution!
Weve launched the Milk Man program designed to make it convenient for people who care for newborn kittens in their home. TPAS will provide all the necessary tools to ensure these little felines get off to a healthy start and help you find them forever homes when theyre ready.
What Do I Do When Ive Found a Litter of Kittens?
Here are five easy steps to help you navigate kitten season, while also making a difference in the lives of our feline friends.
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Pros Of Adopting A Cat From A Shelter
When you adopt a cat from a shelter, you know that they are healthy and you dont have to worry about vaccinations for a while. Kittens are sometimes more expensive to adopt than an adult cat, because they needed more care and vaccines during the first few months, just as a human baby does.
Another bonus? Cats adopted from shelters are already litter-trained. Youll have to get your adopted cat used to his or her new litter box, location, and type of litter, but that is easier than starting from scratch. Your shelter will likely be able to tell you what kind of litter your cat had been using, so you can continue with that or transition to one you prefer by mixing the old kind with the new until the box contains only the new brand.