Bringing a new kitten into your home is exciting, but it also comes with important responsibilities. As veterinarians, we see many puppies and kittens for their first vet visit and want to help new pet parents establish a strong care foundation from day one.
Just like with babies, the best way to ensure a lifetime of health and happiness for your kitten is through proactive preventative care, such as staying up to date on vaccines and bloodwork.
Your Kitten’s First Vet Visit
Most animal shelters, rescues and breeders begin vet visits for kittens before they go home to their new families. When you take your kitten home, you should receive paperwork that establishes what care has already been provided (including dates of visits) and when you should schedule your kitten’s next trip to the veterinarian.
Your first official vet visit will establish a positive care relationship with your veterinarian through a wellness exam and to begin vaccinations and preventative treatments. Whether the first visit takes place in a traditional veterinary clinic or in the comfort of home during a mobile vet visit, this time is important to establish trust and familiarity with your kitten and their veterinarian.
Every kitten should have a comprehensive nose-to-tail examination to make sure everything is working just right and establish a vaccination schedule. During the exam, the veterinarian will:
- Take your kitten’s vitals including weight and body temperature
- Examine your kitten from nose-to-tail including eyes, ears, nose, feet, teeth, nails, skin, coat and genitalia
- Open their mouth to observe their teeth, gums, tongue and jaw
- Check their eyes and ears with instruments that provide light and magnification
- Palpate (using hands to feel) the lymph nodes, joints and organs within the abdomen
- Listen to their heart and lungs via stethoscope
- Test for parasites like worms, fleas, and ear mites
Questions to Ask Your Veterinarian
As vets, we share in your excitement of having a new kitten to love and build a bond with! During new kitten vet visits, our best advice is to ask any and all questions, but make sure you walk away from the visit having discussed important aspects of cat care including:
- Breed-specific conditions and care
- Establishing a vaccination schedule for core and non-core vaccines
- Nutrition advice for daily meals, supplements and treats
- Reproductive health, including the best age to spay or neuter your kitten
- Prevention of intestinal parasites, worms, fleas and ticks
- Dental health including product recommendations and at-home dental care
- Guidance on litter box training and safe home environments
- Pet identification such as microchips
Kitten Vaccinations
Just like a newborn baby, kittens need vaccines because of how vulnerable they are to serious diseases at a young age. While they do receive some protection through antibodies in their mother’s milk, that protection is not long-lasting. Our Feline Vaccination Guidelines outline a recommended vaccine schedule established by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). This cadence of vaccines protects kittens early in life before they risk contact with harmful or life-threatening diseases.
The core vaccines we recommend for kittens – based on AVMA and AAHA guidelines – include:
- 6–8 weeks: FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia)
- 10–12 weeks: FVRCP + FeLV (feline leukemia)
- 14–16 weeks: FVRCP + FeLV + Rabies
After the kitten series:
- Rabies: Every 1–3 years, depending on vaccine type and state law
- FVRCP: Every 3 years
- FeLV: Annually for outdoor cats or those in multi-cat households
At your first visit your veterinarian will customize your vaccine plan based on your kitten’s lifestyle. Indoor-only cats may not need every optional vaccine, while adventurous outdoor cats may need more frequent protection.
Read more: Why You Need To Vaccinate Your Pet
Spaying or Neutering Your Kitten
A neuter is a routine surgical procedure done to remove a male cat’s testicles, thus making them sterile.
A spay is a routine, elective surgery for sterilization for female cats, meaning they won’t produce any litters of kittens.
By neutering or spaying your new kitten, you can curb the birth of unwanted pets. Plus, studies have repeatedly shown that spayed or neutered cats live longer on average than other cats. While having surgery performed on your kitten sounds scary, there are health and behavioral benefits of this routine, elective procedure.
- Health Benefits: Spaying your cat can prevent uterine infection and reduce the risk of breast cancer. Meanwhile, neutering males can eliminate their risk of testicular cancer and reduce their risk of developing enlarged prostate glands
- Behavioral Benefits: Spaying a female cat eliminates their heat cycles and reduces mating-related behavior that frustrates owners. Neutering a male cat and removing their testicles reduces their breeding instinct, resulting in less roaming and fewer urine-marking behaviors.
When Should I Spay or Neuter My Cat?
The AVMA, American Association of Feline Practitioners, Association of Shelter Veterinarians, and several cat advocacy groups support spaying or neutering of cats by 5 months of age. Thankfully, recovery is usually quick and your kitten can resume normal play within a few days.
Your Best Furiend + Your Vet
Raising a kitten is full of playful moments, late-night zoomies, and plenty of cuddles!
By taking care of your kitten’s health during development, you’ll be setting your best friend up for a healthy adulthood. And remember that from your kitten’s very first visit, you’ll always have a trusted confidant and advisor in your veterinarian. Part of our jobs is to support our feline-patients, and their pet parents – across every stage of life.
Book your first kitten exam today and discover the convenience of veterinary care in the comfort of your Dallas or Nashville home!
