Kitten Info

Helpful Information for Your Furry Friend

What Does My New Kitten Need?

Here is a summary of our current recommendations for kitten preventative health care. All of these components are included in our kitten pack other than worming, diet and flea preventatives.

Vaccines

Indoor-only cats
Cats and kittens which stay indoors are much less likely to be exposed to agents such as FIV (cat AIDS) and feline leukaemia virus. We recommend they are vaccinated with an F3 vaccine at 8 weeks old and 12 weeks old. We have also started to recommend a further vaccine at 16 weeks old due to the recent panleukopaenia outbreak in Australia:
Panleukopaenia Link
A booster is required at 1 year old.
Microchip

It is a government requirement that all kittens are microchipped for identification. It also helps to recover your kitten if it ever becomes lost or injured. The procedure involves injecting a small microchip under the skin.
Worming

Worm your kitten with an all-wormer(one that gets roundworm and tapeworm) every 2 weeks until 12 weeks old, then every month until 6 months old, and then every 3 months.
Heartworm and Flea Prevention

Use Advocate or Revolution spot-on treatment every month from 9 weeks old. (These products will also kill intestinal roundworms).
Desexing

Desex (Castrate or spay) your kitten once they reach 5 months old (This can be done earlier if required). This avoids adult behaviour such as coming into season or urine marking. It will reduce the size of the territory an adult cat wishes to defend, making them more sociable and less likely to fight and roam.
Diet

Cat diet is a controversial area with many differing opinions of the best food types. We recommend feeding a high-quality commercial kitten diet as at least 50% of your kittens intake as these foods are supplemented with essential nutrients. We recommend feeding male cats with some wet diet to increase their water intake and try to prevent urinary tract disease.

What Does My New Kitten Need?

Here is a summary of our current recommendations for kitten preventative health care. All of these components are included in our kitten pack other than worming, diet and flea preventatives.

Vaccines

Indoor-only cats
Cats and kittens which stay indoors are much less likely to be exposed to agents such as FIV (cat AIDS) and feline leukaemia virus. We recommend they are vaccinated with an F3 vaccine at 8 weeks old and 12 weeks old. We have also started to recommend a further vaccine at 16 weeks old due to the recent panleukopaenia outbreak in Australia:
Panleukopaenia Link
A booster is required at 1 year old.
Microchip

It is a government requirement that all kittens are microchipped for identification. It also helps to recover your kitten if it ever becomes lost or injured. The procedure involves injecting a small microchip under the skin.
Worming

Worm your kitten with an all-wormer(one that gets roundworm and tapeworm) every 2 weeks until 12 weeks old, then every month until 6 months old, and then every 3 months.
Heartworm and Flea Prevention

Use Advocate or Revolution spot-on treatment every month from 9 weeks old. (These products will also kill intestinal roundworms).
Desexing

Desex (Castrate or spay) your kitten once they reach 5 months old (This can be done earlier if required). This avoids adult behaviour such as coming into season or urine marking. It will reduce the size of the territory an adult cat wishes to defend, making them more sociable and less likely to fight and roam.
Diet

Cat diet is a controversial area with many differing opinions of the best food types. We recommend feeding a high-quality commercial kitten diet as at least 50% of your kittens intake as these foods are supplemented with essential nutrients. We recommend feeding male cats with some wet diet to increase their water intake and try to prevent urinary tract disease.

Introducing Our New Kitten Package

Your new kitten is an exciting new family member, but it also requires a range of preventative measures.

We are making it easy for you to give your kitten the essential items in its first year.

Our kitten package deal includes desexing surgery, microchipping and all the required kitten vaccines, including FIV vaccinations (if required). As a thank you for choosing this package, we will offer your kitten free veterinary consultations for 1 year after taking up the offer. Credit is also available on this package(through vetpay or Zip pay).

This package does not include worming and flea treatments as there are many different options depending on your cat’s situation and hunting habits.

Included value:

3 x kitten F3 vaccinations
3 x FIV vaccinations
1 x Microchip
Female cat neuter or Male cat neuter
Free veterinary consultations for your kitten for 1 year

PLEASE NOTE THE KITTEN PACK IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO OTHER CATS

Nia Beckett with a Kitten — Townsville, QLD — Tropical Queensland Cat Clinic

Surgery FAQ

What can I do to prepare my pet for surgery?
- Make sure your pet has not eaten anything (fasted) at least 12 hours before surgery. This prevents regurgitation of food and related complications during anaesthesia.
- Your cat can still have access to water until you leave for the clinic.
- Bring any medications your pet is taking (including herbal remedies). Ensure your cat has not had access to rodenticide (rat-bait) or rodents who have access to rodenticide in the 6 weeks prior to surgery.
- Ensure you inform clinic staff if your pet seems unwell prior to the anaesthesia or if they have had changes in their appetite or drinking.
- Consider taking along a favourite toy or blanket.
- Ask questions if you don’t understand what’s being done or why. Surgery can be complicated, so it’s important to know all you can about your pet’s health
Is there some risk associated with surgery?
- There are always risks associated with surgery and general anaesthesia but these disciplines are constantly evolving in an attempt to make procedures safer for the patient.
- The risks involved with surgery include adverse reaction to general anaesthesia, swelling, bruising, infection and excessive bleeding. Although you should be aware of the possible risks of any surgical procedure, you can rest assured that we do everything in our power to ensure the safety of patients under our care.
Why should my pet have a blood test before surgery?
(We will always offer you an optional blood test before dentistry or surgery).
- If your pet is having dental work or surgery, it’s important to run blood work primarily to ensure your pet can properly process and eliminate anesthesia.
- Preanesthetic testing helps us understand whether your pet’s vital organs are functioning properly, which can help us create an individualized anesthetic plan for your pet and avoid potential complications during or after surgery.
- Regardless of why your pet is being anesthetized, preanesthetic testing establishes a baseline for their individual health, which is helpful for future reference.
What information will the results of my pet’s blood work show?
- Kidney results and electrolytes indicate whether your pet is properly hydrated. Results will also reveal whether they have kidney disease, Addison’s disease, urinary obstruction and other related risks.
- Liver results can tell us if your pet has diabetes, hypoglycemia, Cushing’s syndrome, hyperthyroidism, metabolic disease and more. Liver results may also show if there’s any residual toxicity in your pet’s system.
- A Packed Cell Volume(PCV / spun HCT) shows if your pet has anemia or polycythaemia.
- Occasionally we may recommend an in-depth blood test which is sent away to Brisbane.