Marc the Vet answers your most asked pet parent questions
First time cat owners, we’ve got you covered
During lockdown it wasn’t just cute puppies that were purchased in the hundreds of thousands, but also our furry feline friends too. As first-time cat owners you’ve been sharing your questions with FRONTLINE® and the team at FRONTLINE® HQ have asked me to answer them. I’m Marc the Vet, a Veterinary Surgeon, Broadcaster, Author, and Animal Welfare Campaigner with over 25 years of veterinary experience. Above all I’m a massive animal lover who is passionate about helping animals get the support they need so I’m delighted to help you pet parents do just that.
- How should I prepare for my kitten's first trip to the vet?
New kittens are exciting whether purchased or adopted, but as well as your important shopping list of food, bowls, and litter trays, don’t forget your kitten needs to visit the vet for its first check-up and maybe more. Health checks are very important and should be booked within 24-72 hours after your kitten arrives home. Take with you all paperwork, invest in a decent cat carrier, bribe with cat treats, and consider using a pheromone spray to reduce anxiety. The vet will weigh your kitten, make sure vaccinations and preventative health treatments are up to date, answer questions, and examine your kitten's eyes, ears, mouth, skin, coat, and whole body.
- Are kitten vaccinations really that important?
Yes, they’re extremely important and sometimes the difference between a healthy happy life or suffering from an infectious, but preventable disease. If your kitten hasn’t had a vaccine before, they’ll require at least two injections 3-4 weeks apart (primary course), usually done at 9 and 12 weeks, giving them one year of full protection starting 3-4 weeks after their final injection, after which they’ll need annual boosters. If your kitten is unvaccinated or has only had their first set of injections, keep them inside, and remember to wash hands after going outside, especially if you’ve stroked other pets.
- When should I get my kitten neutered/spayed? And what's the problem if I don't?
Neutering is a very common, even routine, but still serious operation. However, unless you’re planning to breed from your cat, reasons for either castrating (male) or spaying (female) usually outweigh any arguments to keep their reproductive organs. For males, castration is usually encouraged at around 6 months to prevent urinating (spraying) around the home, aggression and territorial fighting, sexual activity, even disease transmission. With females (queens), spaying at around 6 months prevents unwanted litters, noisy on-heat calling, plus various life-threatening conditions requiring surgery when older, such as breast cancer and womb infection (pyometra).
- What are the dangers of fleas to new kittens? Can they get ill/allergies from these? And what do I do if they do?
Fleas may look small to the naked eye, but they can do serious damage, not only by making your kitten sore and itchy, but there’s a much more serious health risk you need to be aware of. High numbers of fleas or ‘infestations’ cause anaemia due to the sheer amount of blood lost to the parasites, in some cases proving fatal; easily one of the saddest diseases to diagnose and treat, as by the time the patient is in front of you, it’s often too late. Always choose safe, high-quality, and easy to apply flea treatments, even for very young kittens, and make sure other pets, and your home, are also kept flea-free.
- Can an intestinal blockage be anything other than a furball?
Yes, an intestinal blockage can be the difference between life and death. Furballs are common, especially with long-haired cats that overgroom (see question 7) and can usually be successfully treated with regular brushing and adding certain liquids to cat food. However, more serious conditions include lumps and masses, foreign bodies (such as toys), and ‘intussusception’ when part of the intestine slides into an adjacent part causing telescoping, blocking food or fluid from passing, as well as cutting off blood supply to that part of the gut. Symptoms of intestinal blockage usually involve abdominal pain and vomiting so make sure your kitten is checked ASAP by a vet.
- Is it cruel to keep an indoor cat?
More and more pet parents seem to be keeping their kittens and cats indoors these days, either to protect them from busy roads, or not wanting them to be stolen. For some cats, such as geriatric, blind, deaf, having other disabilities or medical problems living indoors is a much better option, as they’re kept safe. The downside for healthy active cats with lots of energy who love to explore, is that some indoor environments can become predictable and boring, leading to stress, inactivity and even obesity. You can enrich these cats’ environments and help them cope by employing scratching posts, indoor cat ‘trees’ for climbing, access to several rooms, enough toys and interaction, plus provide clean litter trays in quiet places.
- My house cat is constantly grooming, could there be an issue?
Excessive grooming is an abnormal behaviour caused by two main factors: behavioural (form of stress-relief called psychogenic alopecia), and medical (skin allergies or skin parasites). Overgrooming can also cause skin inflammation, sores, even hair loss, with extreme cases seeing skin biting. It’s important to quickly identify what’s triggering your cat’s overgrooming which may not always be obvious. Reasons include living in a multi-cat household, another neighbourhood cat, moving home, a new family member, or different routine. With medical reasons keep preventative flea and tick medications, as well as treating their environment, up to date. Pay attention to your cat’s behaviour and seek help ASAP.
- Why does my new cat meow so much?
There are many reasons for new cats to ‘meow so much’. Firstly, remember some breeds may be more vocal than others, so what you perceive as excessive meowing may in fact be totally normal. Obviously always make sure you feed your cat the right amount of high-quality food; as other reasons for insatiable hunger can be influenced by a number of common medical conditions, such as worms or overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism). Other causes of excessive meowing include pain, discomfort, neurological problems, hearing or vision loss, anxiety, aggression, frustration, cognitive dysfunction, or other behavioural issues. Whatever the reason, make sure your cat is checked over by a vet ASAP.
