Bringing your kitten in for veterinary checkups is an important part of caring for your feline friend's health. But what can you expect during their first appointment? In this post, our vets in Corpus Christi share the ins and outs of your kitten's first vet visit, including items to bring, questions to ask, and how to transport them safely.
Why are early veterinary visits important for kittens?
Our vets at Riverside Veterinary Clinic understand how excited it is to welcome a new kitten into your home. Of course, you adore your new four-legged companion, put while you are having fun getting to know each other, it's important not to forget to schedule your kitty's essential health checkups to help them get off to a healthy start in life.
While it's probably not something you want to think of as being possible, kittens often carry a variety of highly contagious parasites and infections. Bringing your new kitty to a veterinarian for an examination soon after you take them home will set your young pet on the path to optimal health while protecting other pets, animals, and people from any communicable diseases your kitten may be carrying.
We highly recommend scheduling your kitten's first vet appointment right away, especially if they are showing troubling signs like persistent scratching, labored breathing, poor appetite, or watery eyes.
When is a good time to take a newborn kitten to their first vet visit?
Booking a visit to your vet should be one of the first tasks on your to-do list after you bring home your new kitten. This will allow your vet to check their physical health and determine if they have any diseases that can be transmitted to other pets and people. If your kitten displays signs of illnesses, such as an inability to eat, difficulty breathing, sneezing, or watery eyes, a vet should examine your kitty as soon as possible.
What should I bring with me to my kitten's veterinary appointment?
You should bring a few items with you to the vet to help this first visit go smoothly, including:
- Any information or paperwork provided by the breeder or adoption shelter
- Notes of any health concerns you have about your kitten
- Stool sample for a fecal exam
- Cat carrier to transport your kitten in to and from the vet clinic
- Cat treats to reward your kitten and distract them while the vet performs the exam
Bring your kitten's adoption paperwork to the first veterinary appointment so the veterinarian can review your kitten's health status and any notes the breeder or adoption shelter has left. You should also inform your veterinarian about any previous treatments or vaccinations your kitten may have had. If you cannot do this, you may want to write down what the staff at the adoption shelter told you so you can inform your vet.
What will happen during my kitten's physical exam?
The veterinarian will ask about your kitten's health status and perform a physical examination to check for parasites such as ticks, fleas, and mites.
They will then examine your kitten's eyes, ears, skin, lips, coat, and entire body for any strange wounds, lumps, or bumps that may need further investigation before palpating the abdomen to feel the organs. Your vet will also listen to your kitten's heart and lungs with a stethoscope. We may also collect a stool sample to diagnose any underlying health problems during a fecal exam.
Kittens should be adopted when they are between 8 and 10 weeks old. By this time, they will have been weaned from their mother's milk and socialized. If your kitten is young, especially six weeks or under, the vet will discuss your kitten's nutrition and hydration issues with you and offer any necessary supplements you'll need to help support your kitty's health.
Will any diagnostic tests be performed?
Yes. Our vets routinely perform a fecal exam and blood test on all newly adopted pets.
Fecal Exam: Your veterinarian will almost certainly ask you to bring a fecal sample from your kitten for testing for parasites such as intestinal worms, giardia, and other possible issues. Your vet may administer deworming medication at each appointment because not all fecal tests detect all intestinal parasites, and a significant percentage of kittens have them. Humans can contract many parasites, so removing them from your cat is crucial.
Blood Test: The American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends that all newly adopted cats, regardless of age, be tested for FeLV and FIV. If your kitten is less than nine weeks old, your veterinarian may advise you to delay testing until at least nine weeks. If you have other cats in the house with your kitten, keep them separated until they have tested negative in case your new kitten has a transmissible disease.
What is the cost of a kitten's first vet visit?
When you bring your kitten for their first vet visit, the cost can vary depending on several factors. These can include the breed and age of your new furry friend, the expertise of the veterinary professional and what they have done during the visit.
What questions should I ask the vet?
You likely have several things that you want to ask the vet during your kitten's visit. Remember that you are welcome to ask any questions you may have that are not on this list.
Some questions that our team is commonly asked during a kitten's first vet visit include:
- Is my cat a healthy weight?
- Are they eating the right food and getting proper nutrition?
- Are they sleeping too much or too little?
- What resources are available at this vet clinic? (ex. X-rays, labs, etc.)
- Are there any common parasites or pests in the area? How can I prevent them?
- Is cat insurance worth it, and if so, who do you recommend?
- Do you have any grooming recommendations for my cat?
- Are there any vaccinations my cat needs?
- Where are the nearby emergency services for off-hours or holidays?
- What do you recommend for flea and tick prevention?
- How is my cat’s dental health?
- Any cat food label questions, such as how to read them, what to look for, etc.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.