What is the recommended feeding schedule for my cat?

Feed your pet 4 times per day until 12 weeks old, 3 times daily until 6 months old, 2 times daily until 1-year-old, then reduce to one meal per day for life. Feed your kitten medium priced brand name foods, making sure ingredients include calcium and phosphorus in about a 1 to 1 ratio. A mixture of canned or semi-moist food with dry food is also recommended.

How should I groom and trim the nails of my cat?

Groom your pet at least once per week. Use a brush and comb down to the skin. Trim nails with pet nail clippers when nails are visibly long or pointy. Cut off narrow tips anterior to blood vessel. If nail bleeds, pack cut surface with cornstarch or use our styptic powder or swabs.

What are the yearly checkups for?

Besides a physical exam, annual check ups include Feline Distemper and Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis-Corona-Calicivirus (FDV-FVR-CC). You may also consider vaccinating against feline immunodeficient virus (FIV) and Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) if your pet is exposed to other cats. If your kitten goes outside, a Feline Leukemia vaccination is also recommended. If there is any chance whatsoever that your pet may be bitten by another animal, rabies vaccines are given every three years, after your kitten has had a one-year rabies vaccination. Additionally, an intestinal parasite screen should be performed yearly and only requires a small fecal sample. Intestinal parasites can be harmful to your pet, but if detected, they are very treatable. If positive your kitten has a positive screen, bring another fecal sample 2 weeks after worming to ensure all parasites are killed. Heartworm tests are performed every spring using a blood test to ensure your pet is free of heartworms and preventatives are given.

My kitten is vomiting or has diarrhea. What should I do?

  • Give Kaopectate (the original formula which does NOT contain bismuth subsalicylate) , from 1 teaspoon for a small cat to 1 tablespoon for a large cat every 4-6 hours for a few days.
  • No food for 24 hours.
  • Then hamburger for a day or so (either boiled or fried with the grease poured off).
  • Gradually introduce canned or semi-moist cat food.
  • Lastly, add dry food to diet.
  • If you pet doesn’t improve or hold down medicine, please call for appointment

What is the best way to litter train my kitten?

  • Place the litter box in a clean, relatively quiet and accessible location. Keep it away from high-traffic areas and be sure your cat has access to it any time she needs it. Be sure to keep the litter box out of reach of children as well as the other animals in the household.
  • Show kitty where it is. Place her in the box and let her sniff. Some people have found it useful to rake their fingers through the litter to show their cat what they want her to do.
  • If you have more than one cat, consider a separate litter box for each. Cats generally don’t like to eliminate in the same place as other cats.
  • Keep the litter box clean. Scoop out soiled litter daily, and change the entire box every week, putting in fresh litter. You can wash out the box with a solution of water and vinegar to help reduce the odor, and then add a little baking soda to the litter itself. An inch and a half of fresh litter is usuall plenty.
  • Don’t place her litter box near her food and water. Cats don’t like to eliminate where they eat.

Why won’t my cat use the litterbox?

There are many different reasons for a cat to stop using the box. A bladder infection or inflammation should always be ruled out. Other causes include painful crystals or stones in the bladder, change in litter or litter pan, and behavioral problems.

When should I have a heartworm test done?

Heartworm testing must be done every spring for all cats over 6 months of age. Preventative medication is now recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as a year-round treatment (monthly oral or topical medication). Illness or death can occur when preventative medication is given to a heartworm-infected cat. Preventative medication must be given regularly to be effective. See our “Heartworm FAQ” page for more information.

What are the benefits of pet insurance and microchipping?

Pet Health Insurance and Microchipping are available to your pet. Pet Health Insurance can help defray the costs of future health care and special discounts are available to new puppies. Microchipping is a method of permanent pet identification. A small microchip is placed under the skin between the shoulder blades which, when scanned, provides a unique number. That identification number can than be traced back to your kitten via a national database. The chip allows veterinarians, animal control officials, or emergency clinics to quickly contact you in the event of an emergency or reunite you with your kitten if he/she is lost.

What do I do if I think my pet has eaten something poisonous:

Call us right away! Many poisons do not show signs immediately. Do not induce vomiting unless instructed to do so by us or another poison authority.

When will my pet have her first heat?

Most cats and dogs have a first heat period between 6 and 12 months of age. This heat cycle has the most profound influence on increasing her risk of later breast cancer. This is why, unless you are planning to breed her, we recommend spaying before 6 months of age.

If she has had a heat period, we recommend waiting 6-8 weeks before scheduling a spay. This allows her reproductive track to return to its quiescent condition, making the surgery easier on her.

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