New Kitten Vet Care, Shelbyville Road Veterinary Hospital

Congratulations on your new kitten!  

Congratulations on your new kitten!  We love kittens and we just can’t wait to meet the newest addition to your family.  Please bring your kitten to us as soon as possible after you bring him or her home so that we can examine him/her, discuss food and nutrition choices with you and get your kitten started on a vaccination schedule.  We offer a popular Kitten Package covering your kitten’s first three visits (totaling over 50% savings) so that your kitten will get a great healthy start. 

Your investment in early kitten care will reward you with the companionship and affection of a healthy cat for many years to come.

Your kitten will need to be vaccinated at around age two months, three months and four months.  Vaccines are not a treatment, they are preventative.  Vaccines are not 100% effective, but will give your kitten a good degree of protection against feline leukemia, respiratory diseases, flu type viruses, feline panleukopenia, feline rabies and others.

We strongly recommend an annual wellness visit so that your kitten's health and vaccination schedule can be maintained.  In general, we recommend all young kittens receive the second shot series of FeLV (feline leukemia) vaccine.  Cats are extremely susceptible to feline leukemia at an early age, and even if you do not plan on letting your cat outside, the FeLV vaccine will protect your cat during if he or she accidently got out and was exposed.  All cats (indoor/outdoor and outdoor cats) should get the FeLV vaccine boostered annually to prevent infection with the leukemia virus.

What to bring with you:

• Your kitten in a pet carrier
• Whatever health information the seller or shelter provided to you, such as history of vaccines or dewormings
• Fecal sample less than 24 hours old

Our initial exam includes:

• Complete physical exam.  We will check your kitten’s weight and temperature.  We will listen to his/her lungs and heart and examine the other internal organs by palpating them.  We will check your kitten’s ears, eyes, nose, skin and teeth.  
• Flea/tick control.  We will discuss the best options for your new kitten.
• Heartworm preventative
• Fecal examination for intestinal parasites and appropriate deworming
• Necessary vaccine boosters
• We will test your new kitten for Feline Leukemia Virus FIV and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.

Vaccination Schedule:

Visit 1:     FVRCP #1

Visit 2:     FVRCP #2 | FeLV #1

Visit 3:     FVRCP #3 | FeLV #2 | Rabies

The following are signs that your kitten needs immediate care:

• Signs that the kitten has swallowed something poisonous such as mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting, seizures, or fever
• Bleeding
• Difficulty breathing
• Unconsciousness or lethargy
• Staggering or seizures
• Blood in urine or feces
• Straining in the litter box with no results
• Repeat  vomiting in a short time or diarrhea with vomiting
• Signs of pain, such as swelling or inability to use his/her leg