Kitten Care Guidelines

Kittens should be seen between 6 and 8 weeks of age for an initial health exam and testing +/- vaccinations. The source and health of the kitten can make a difference in what care and diagnostics are recommended. Stray/feral or pound kittens are at higher risk for infection due to their unknown background.

Fecal Parasites: Approximately half of the stray kittens will carry some intestinal parasite. All kittens should be checked at least twice during the juvenile period due to the great variability in parasite incubation periods among various worms and microorganisms. An average kitten will be checked twice 4-6 weeks apart before 4 months of age. This can be extended if a parasite is found or appears thin and does not gain weight rapidly. Fecal checks are recommended annually thereafter for indoor cats to insure they are parasite free. Outdoor cats should be fecal tested at least twice each year due to their high exposure to many different parasites. For more information, see the document on this same webpage on internal parasites and fecal testing.

Toxoplasma: One major exception to routine testing is for cats where a female owner is, or may become, pregnant. An internal parasite called Toxoplasma gondii can cause a disease in humans known as toxoplasmosis. This is a serious threat to an unborn fetus. The parasite infects most warm-blooded animals, including humans, but the primary hosts are cats, especially if they roam or are found feral. Susceptible animals are infected by eating infected meat (mice, rats, etc), by contact with other cat feces, or by transmission from mother to fetus in utero. The most common means of transmission to humans is raw or undercooked meat. The illness is usually self-limiting in humans.

Between 30% and 60% of the world population is estimated to carry a Toxoplasma infection during their lifetime. During the first few weeks, the infection typically causes a mild flu-like illness or no illness. After the first few weeks of infection have passed, the parasite rarely causes any symptoms in otherwise healthy adults. However, people with a weakened immune system, such as those infected with HIV, may become seriously ill, and it can occasionally be fatal. The parasite can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or other neurologic diseases and can also affect the heart, liver, and eyes with chorioretinitis.

Pregnancy precautions:

Congenital toxoplasmosis is a special form in which an unborn child is infected via the mother’s placenta. This is the reason that both the cat in question and the pregnant woman should be checked for Toxoplasma antibodies. Cats testing negative at least one month after adoption are considered uninfected. Cats with a positive titer are retested in 30 days. A lower to negative titer is evidence of self-cure. A steady or rising titer is evidence for an active infection. A positive titer in women prior to anycurrent cat exposure indicates previous exposure and immunity and largely ensures the unborn baby's safety. If a woman receives her first exposure to Toxoplasma while pregnant, the baby is at particular risk. A woman with no previous exposure should avoid handling raw meat, exposure to cat feces, and gardening (cat feces are common in garden soil). Most cats are not actively shedding oocysts and so are not a danger, but the risk may be reduced further by having the litter box emptied daily with rubber gloves (oocysts require longer than a single day to become infective), and by having someone else empty the litterbox.

Fleas and Ticks: Fleas live on blood and the bites are painful, can allow blood cell infections to be transmitted to new kittens such as Mycoplasma bacteria and even leukemia virus, in rare cases. Flea bites can promote flea allergies and flea allergy dermatitis is a major problem in Southern California cats, including some indoor pets. Tapeworms can also be carried in fleas and will cause tapeworm infections if eaten by the cat. Routine flea control every month after the age of 8 weeks is highly recommended if outside, has contact with dogs going out or has contact with animals going outside (apartment neighbors that walk their dog and come to visit, etc). This should be done every month all year round at the current time due to the mild weather here. Different flea prevention topical applications are available based on the risk of tick bites, bath schedules as well as the risk of heartworm exposure.

See the document on this webpage for more information.

Vaccinations: All kittens should start vaccinations by 8 weeks of age and continue every 3 weeks until at least 16 weeks (4 months) of age due to the serious threat of many viruses. This generally involves 4 vaccination appointments of a single vaccine for indoor cats. Outdoor cats should receive additional protection for feline leukemia virus and rabies virus by 16 months of age.

Boosters are annually for all cats until 3 years old. Then, indoor cats are boostered at 3 year intervals with vaccine titers in between while outdoor cats are vaccinated every year due to their increased exposure to potentially lethal viral disease.

Viral Testing: Kittens may be exposed to the two retroviruses, Feline Leukemia (FELV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (aka FIV) from contact with cats, their mother or in the uterus. These viruses are passed by body fluids: Felv by saliva, grooming, cat bowls and cat boxes. FIV is passed by cat bites. These viruses have increased in outdoor cats from a low of approximately 1% in the mid-1980s to 15% of all outdoor cats for both viruses, based on feral cat surveys in the US. FIV kittens will nearly always become Feline AIDS victims later in life and must be kept isolated or only with FIV positive cats. Testing should start at 8 weeks of age and be repeated in 30 days, if positive for possible recovery and escape. Negative test results warrant a repeat test in 60 days (2 months). This is important because the FELV virus can hide in the intestine and/or bone marrow. The Feline AIDS test is not definitive for infection because it is ONLY AN ANTIBODY TEST, not a virus test. Some patients may require several tests to show positive results. Most truly positive Felv AIDS kittens will die in several months to 3 years, while Feline Felv positive cats can survive 8 years plus prior to becoming

AIDS patients when kept isolated and checked frequently. Lymphocyte counts via blood tests every 6 months are helpful in predicting the health status of FIV

Respiratory Viruses: Cats, and especially kittens from outdoor or high density conditions (catteries, rescue groups or shelters) are often exposed and infected with respiratory viruses or bacteria, These infections can be very serious where the patient stops eating, has difficulty breathing, coughs, has a constant runny nose and possible fever. A recent lab test using DNA analysis by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) has allowed us to accurately differentiate the many different agents responsible and then prescribe the correct therapy. The test is a simple swab of the eye, nose and throat and results are available in 1 to 3 days. New ant-viral drugs for the feline Herpes virus and other endemic pathogens, like Chlamydia and Mycoplasmas, have made a huge difference in the recovery and survival of our patients. These cats will typically relapse yearly during the winter months and an accurate diagnosis by PCR will allow us to better control future outbreaks. This is crucial in multiple cat households. We have found about 50% of the sneezing feral, shelter or rescue group cats are Feline Herpes virus carriers, along with a variety of other pathogens.

Neutering: All cats should be neutered at 6 months of age to control fighting, urine spraying, clawing, unwanted breeding and escape attempts. These behaviors often lead to serious injury by car trauma, dog attack, cat fights and wounds inflicted by non-cat friendly people. These are very expensive medical problems ($300-5000.00 each episode) and are primarily controlled by staying indoors.

Declawing: Cats can easily be trained to not claw furniture and drapes with spray bottles. Purchase a six-pack of spray bottles from Wal-Mart or the grocery store and keep one in every room full of water. Shoot the offender with a solid stream when scratching something forbidden WITHOUIT SAYING OR YELLING ANYTHING. Let the cat think the couch is making them wet. Usually 2 weeks will break the habit. Soft paws are on option that puts soft tips on the claws. We have them available. Remember that declawing is an amputation of the end of the finger/toe that is permanent. This can always be done when all else fails, but cannot be undone.

Diet: Infant kittens need to be fed every 3-4 hrs until 8 weeks of age to prevent low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). This means free feeding of dry kibbles and/or canned food 5-6 times per day as kitty stomachs empty every 3 hrs at first. See the document on “Care of Puppies and Kittens” on this same webpage for more information.

Some foods should never be fed:

- Onions/garlic can cause an anemia. - Chocolate can result in an “Amphetamine-Like” overdose reaction, and may include seizures or death. - Caffeine will mimic chocolate toxicity and is very dangerous.

Cats are routinely fed dry kibbles for convenience and assumed tooth cleaning benefits. Contrary to standard thinking, cats do not chew food like dogs and never get the

cleaning affect from commercial kibbles. Since cats drink so little fluid compared to dogs, canned food is far better for their long term kidney and bladder health. It just makes sense to feed a cat their natural diet, which is only small animal prey, and high quality canned food provides this. REMEMBER that cats often permanently imprint on the food types fed during their first 6-12 months of life and may refuse to change later. This is important medically for several body systems, including bladders and kidneys. Feeding a variety of foods will allow for diet flexibility for an unknown future that will cover up to 20 years for some cats.

Instead of specific recommendations by brand or company, we suggest the following dietary guidelines; 1) high protein (> 10 g/100 kcal or > 45%ME) and low carbohydrates (no set point here, but the lower the better)

2) high quality protein source (meat) not generic brown wrap types. 3) feed a variety of food types starting with kittens and continuing throughout life (canned and dry, and flavors) so they learn to accept multiple foods through their life 4) feed only meals - at least 2x/day more if possible (no free choice feeding - even for single cat households - this is usually a poor husbandry choice even if the cat is thin) 5) feed no more than 180-200 kcal/day to the average sized cat (less if they are gaining wt, more if they are too thin), but prevent obesity EARLY Two available brands of no-grain diets are Innova® and Evo®. Grains contain carbohydrates which promote dental plaque and diabetes in the cat, since they have no effective means of processing carbohydrates quickly and are really used as filler to cut manufacturing costs and help shape complicated kibble styles, like fish or stars. Feeding canned food with little or no grain is THE BEST WAY OF HELPING your cat’s urinary health. Kibbles are helpful as daytime snacks. These may be needed as an Rx diet for certain medical conditions later in life. If they are not recognized as food, they will not be accepted later. Therefore, feeding a variety of foods and snacks may help avoid refusal of medically prescribed diets or supplements in 10-15 years. Several excellent grain free canned lines are available locally, or online, and include Innova®, Blue Buffalo®, Wellness® (has probiotics and prebiotics included) and Evo® (includes a meat only kibble form also). Pets Naturally in Studio City and Petsdirect.com are good resources.

See the documents on Probiotics and prebiotics, Obesity, Vomiting and Diarrhea and Intestinal Parasites on this same webpage for more information.

Also, promoting water intake by using distilled water (neutral pH aka “sweet water”) or a high quality carbon filter will generally DOUBLE water intake. SoCal ground water is slightly alkaline and tastes bitter to cats that have sensitive taste buds. Organic debris and dust will also settle in bowls and lead to a foul moldy taste over 12 hours. This can be prevented when the bowl is scrubbed twice daily and distilled water purchased at the grocery store. A dedicated cat brush will cost a dollar but save hundreds in medical costs during later life.

Cat boxes: One more cat box than the number of cats. This lets everyone be a Lion King or Queen of their very own territory. Larger cat boxes over larger numbers can help in small apartments, when space is limited. Changing cat litter to reduce odor. Clay types are cheap but often need baking soda (Arm and Hammer) on the bottom to cover up urine odor and should be changed no less than once weekly. These must be scooped of stool and stirred daily. Clumping litter types are great if they are SCOOPED ONCE OR TWICE DAILY. No cat likes a dirty box. Alfalfa, corncob or herbal pellets are on accepted by some cats and others will urinate outside the box. Yesterdays News® paper pellets need to be dumped daily. Kidney failure and diabetic cats may need to be cleaned more often and changed twice weekly due to excessive urine making for wet litter faster. Pregnant owners should not change cat boxes without consulting their obstetrician (see Toxoplasmosis above).

Cat Entertainment: Keeping kittens indoors demands planned activities to replace the explorations of the outdoors. Cat nip, toys, stuffed mice, cat trees, hiding boxes, feather- on-a-stick, laser pointers and cat tunnels are great sources of time use. A cat that never goes outside will never know what there is to miss. Be aware that some kittens will get carried away and try to eat their toys. Plastic and string hold potential serious damage for the gut system. They can bite into the walls, cut the intestines or cause a full blockage requiring reconstructive gut surgery. Don’t leave these toys unattended with kittens if they can be chewed into pieces and swallowed. If this does happen, call us at the SOVG immediately for help.

Home Safety: Kitties are extremely curious about their environment. Since they lack thumbs, everything goes in the mouth. It is how they discover new information. From there, foreign objects often end up in the stomach where toxic chemicals cause poisoning and solid objects can plug up the intestines. Both of these conditions can result in death in the right circumstances. There is no limit to what may be eaten: rubber, plastic, bones, toys, coins, etc. Therefore, every new owner should get down on the floor (the same view point as the kitten) with a flashlight and look for lost items under beds, dressers, cabinets, etc. Then vacuum every where. If you don’t find them, eventually, the kitten will. If so, they may be eaten before you can witness it. Rubber bands, paperclips and erasers plug up intestines and require x-rays, optic scoping and/or surgery to correct. Dimes, nickels and silver coins have zinc coatings and will cause serious bleeding in the stomach. Thumbtacks, needles and bobby pins can poke holes in the intestines resulting in peritonitis and requires hospitalization. PICK THESE ITEMS UP if you see them on the floor. It only takes 10 seconds for them to get down a throat and out of reach OR into the trash, thanks to you. Think of it as putting $1500.00 in your pocket every time instead of just a toy car or paperclip.

Trash cans should be tall enough to prevent them being knocked over AND have a solid lid (step-type metal pails with a pedal) to prevent access to trash. Anything that touches

food smells like food and is tempting for kitties. Plastic bags, chicken bones, tin foil, etc do not pass though kitty intestines easily and may require surgery to get them out. Food poisoning is another risk when food scraps are eaten hours after being thrown away.

Electrical wires coated in plastic or rubber offers a great chewing source with kitties having teething pain. However, electrical shock can burn tongues, stop hearts and cause seizures or brain death. Coiling cords up and using self-locking hardware strips so that they can be hung up or taped out of reach is simple and cheap. Longer, heavy cords, like those for computers and refrigerators, can be covered with hollow plastic strip covers from the hardware store until the cat is around 12 months old and no longer interested. Masking tape can be used to hold the track down.

Toxic plants are often found in potted plants and yards. The petals, leaves, fruits, bark or roots may be toxic, and some are fatal in the right amounts. Consult the ASPCA website at the poison control center to see pictures of toxic plants plus their names, actions and care guidelines. Website is below:

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/

Microchipping: If your kitten did not come with microchip identification in place already, then consider getting one. It is inserted above the shoulder blades in a quick process that provides a permanent means of identification. This will be crucial in returning your kitty to you in case of theft, fires, break-ins or earthquakes. Some companies (Home AgainTM) also offer injury medical repair coverage, shipping fees back home and other benefits if your pet is lost and/or injured. It is important to register this chip number to you and your home so that you are contacted in the event that a kitty becomes lost. It is typically placed at the time of neutering or spay surgery at 6 months of age while under anesthesia.

See the document on this webpage for more information.

Health Insurance: Every owner should consider buying a health insurance policy before a kitty has been found to have a pre-existing condition. This allows for the full benefits of a policy to be used. Different companies offer various packages of coverage at different premium levels. Some have more preventive care and some less. Costs vary by breed, age and maximum coverage, just like for us. Catastrophic-only coverage is also available. This is not a third party program, as you will pay fees up front and your vet will help you get reimbursed. While many companies offer policies, some of the better companies for honoring claims are ASPCA and Best Pets. With veterinary costs rising during the life of your cat, this may help pay for routine and/or major medical care that would otherwise be a bigger out-of-pocket expense.

See the document on this webpage for more information.