Vaccinations –
Cats are vaccinated against viruses that cause severe flu-like symptoms, Feline Leukaemia virus – a cancer-inducing disease – and against Panleukopaenia virus – a fatal gastroenteritis. In kittens the initial course of two vaccinations is administered at 9 and 12 weeks of age.
Worm and flea treatment –
We recommend that kittens are wormed every 4 weeks until they are 6 months old. Adult cats should be wormed according to their lifestyle. We recommend worming every 3 months, however if they are hunters it may be better to worm more frequently. We know it can be a little distressing to worm cats so we are happy to administer worming tablets for free when booked in with one of our qualified nurses. We can also offer advice on topical wormers for cats if needed.
We strongly recommend preventative flea treatment. There are several different products on the market and we have researched the most effective and easiest to use. Every pet is different and we can tailor a protocol to suit their needs and personality. Please contact us to discuss further.
Neutering –
We recommend neutering cats from 6 months of age. There are several different reasons to get your cat neutered –
Cats are fantastic breeding machines! Cats can become sexually active at a very young age and can be pregnant before they reach six months. This in turn causes problems as they are sometimes too small themselves to sustain pregnancy or even give birth.
Female cats can have up to 3 litters a year if they are not neutered.
Female cats that are not neutered are also more likely to suffer from various medical problems such as pyometra (infection of the womb) and mammary tumours.
Queens can also pass on infectious diseases to their kittens.
Pregnancy and birth are also not without risk, some cats need emergency caesareans. If you plan on breeding your cat you will need to consider the added expense and risks of these procedures.
Male cats can have some very antisocial behaviour if they are not neutered. They tend to stray over a large territory and will mark their territory with a pungent spray.
They are also more likely to fight with other cats and can spread disease such as FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) and Felv (feline leukaemia).
They are also likely to suffer from injuries such as abscesses.
Because they wander over a large area they are at greater risk of suffering road traffic accidents.
We are happy to accept vouchers from the major charities to help in the cost of neutering
Micro chipping –
Every year, more than 6,000 pets go missing. There’s no guarantee that a collar and tag will stay with your pet but there are no such worries with a microchip. A microchip is a tiny electronic chip (the size of a grain of rice) which is injected into your pet as simply and quickly as any other injection. Stray pets are routinely scanned for the microchip by vets, rescue kennels, stray dog homes, etc – there are over 4000 scanners in the UK. This brings up the computer record with your details and in moments the pet’s owner and details will be known. We can microchip your pet and give you instant peace of mind
If you would like to discuss any aspect of Cat or Kitten care please call the surgery.
