Cats

Kittens

How exciting! You have welcomed another family member into your home with the addition of a cute little kitten! To ensure your pets health you should schedule appointments when your kitten is 6, 9, 12, and 15 weeks old. This is a crucial time for your kitten to gain immunity to many various diseases. At the appointment your new pet will receive a thorough check up, deworming, and vaccinations. The first vaccination helps build your pet’s immunity to Panleukopenia, Calicivirus, and Herpesvirus. This shot is commonly referred to as FVRCP and will be repeated at the next three appointments. Once your kitten comes for his/her 9 weeks appointment they will also receive the first of two Feline Leukemia vaccinations or FeLV. We also recommend testing your kitten for this disease as it is lethal and cannot be detected without the test. At 12 or 15 weeks your kitten will receive their Rabies vaccination, which is required by law. During one of the appointments one of our veterinarians will discuss with you the importance of heartworn, flea, and tick prevention for the lifespan of your cat. If you have any questions or concerns during any of you and your pets visit please feel free to ask us!

At 6 months we highly recommend spaying or neutering your pet! This prevents unwanted litters, and helps decrease roaming, fighting (decreasing potential exposure to Feline Viral diseases), and certain infections and cancers.  Usually it will prevent or greatly decrease ‘spraying’ behavior in males.

Adult Cats

You’ve had your friend for awhile now, but a yearly check-up and vaccinations are still vitally important for your cat’s health! Every year your cat should have a Rabies vaccination and an examination. Depending on the lifestyle of your cat the veterinarian will decide how often your cat needs to receive booster vaccinations of FVRCP and FeLV. If your pet is at risk we also recommend doing baseline bloodwork including an FIV/FeLV test every other year.

Senior Cats

We recommend bringing your senior cat in twice a year for a physical examination and so that we can discuss pain relief options, diet, and potential need for bloodwork.