Animal Care information

KITTEN HEALTH PROGRAM AND VACCINATION SCHEDULE

Congratulations on the new addition to your family! There's nothing like the love of a warm, fuzzy kitten. We want to help you keep your kitten healthy and happy. Regularly scheduled vaccinations are important for building your kitten's immunity to several serious cat diseases. The examination we perform at each visit will also help us detect any common kittenhood problems or illnesses. Remember that we are always pleased to answer any questions about raising your kitten. Please feel free to bring a list with you or call at any time. Here's a schedule of visits and vaccinations that we recommend you follow:

AGE OF KITTEN:                                               VACCINATION / PROCEDURE
6 - 8 weeks	First examination, first(of3) FVRCP vaccinations. This is the distemper multiple vaccine. It protects against Feline Distemper (panleukopenia) Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Chlamydia psittaci. Bring a stool sample so we may check for intestinal parasites.
9 - 12 weeks	Second FVRCP booster and exam. This is done 3-4 weeks after the first vaccine. A second fecal exam should be performed.
12 +   weeks	Rabies vaccination. This first rabies vaccine lasts for 1 year; subsequent vaccinations last for 3 years.
12 - 16 weeks	Third (and final) FVRCP booster and exam. This is done 3-4 weeks after the second booster. This vaccine will last for 1 year and will then need to be boostered annually. This booster concludes the series of routine kitten vaccinations. If a kitten starts the vaccine series at a later age, only two vaccines may be needed in the series.

Felv/Fiv Testing
We recommend that all kittens have their blood tested for Feline Leukemia Virus (FELV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) (sometimes known as feline AIDS). These are two of the most serious illnesses that can infect cats. Kittens can be infected before or at birth and may be asymptomatic carriers. Screening your kitten's blood during one of the above visits will tell us whether we need to be concerned about either of these viruses and whether your kitten can be vaccinated against leukemia.

Feline Leukemia Vaccine
If your kitten has tested negative for Feline Leukemia, it may receive the vaccine to protect against it. This vaccine may be given to any kitten over 9-10 weeks of age. The initial vaccine is followed by a second booster in 3-4 weeks. Immunity lasts for 1 year and annual re-vaccination is required. We especially recommend this vaccine if you plan to let your cat outdoors since many stray cats are infected with the disease and may pass it to your cat.

Spayinq/Neutering
We recommend that if you don't plan to use your kitten for breeding purposes in the future that you have it surgically altered. Please see the flow chart to the right to see if your kitten is breeding material (Click image to see full size). This should be done once the kitten has reached 6 months of age. Spaying or neutering your cat at this age will help prevent many health and behavioral problems later in life.

We also want to let you know that there are insurance companies that provide pet insurance. For more information, you can contact Veterinary Pet Insurance at (800) 872-7387 or PetsHealth Insurance at (800) 799-5852. They'll be glad to send you information!

We hope you find this information helpful. Keeping your pet healthy is important to us. We will help you keep track of your kitten's vaccination schedules; we'll send you a reminder when a vaccine is due. Please remember that we are available to help you in any way we can with your new kitten. We love to answer questions.

Best of luck with your new kitten!