Some people don’t realise that kittens and cats need regular vaccinations just like puppies and dogs do. By getting routine vaccinations for your feline companions will greatly reduced their risk of getting several feline diseases.

A kitten should be vaccinated around nine weeks old and a second round of vaccinations should be given at 12 weeks. Then they should have a booster vaccination yearly. These regular boosters will give your cat protection against cat “flu”, feline parvovirus and feline leukemia.

Below are some of the diseases and vaccinations that your cat should have to keep them healthy and fit.

Feline infectious enteritis also known as FIE is a severe and often fatal internal infection. It is caused by feline parvovirus and this type of vaccination has been very successful in preventing this condition. This is a widespread disease and unvaccinated cats are at high risk of developing this disease.

Cat “flu” has two types of vaccinations which are to prevent feline herpesvirus also known as FHV-1 and feline calicivirus (FCV). These vaccinations help protect your cat from prolonged illness caused by the different kinds of “flu” that are commonly seen in your area.

Feline leukemia virus also known as FeLV vaccination is a must if your cat goes outdoors. It is not an airborn disease and can only be passed on via direct contact between cats. This disease is a lifelong infection which is usually fatal. It is very important to protect your cats from this very serious disease.

Feline chlamydophilosis causes conjunctivitis in cats. It is spread by direct contact between cats. If you have a multi-cat household or have kittens you should ask your vet if your cats should be vaccinated for this.

Once your cat has been vaccinated or receives a booster shot, you will be given a certificate stating that your cat has been vaccinated and for what. You should keep this certificate in a safe place and take it with you when you get your cat its yearly booster shots. Many animal boarding places won’t allow your feline companion to stay unless you have a certificate verifying they have up-to-date vaccinations.

Another thing to remember is that you should de-worm and use some type of flea application regularly on your cat. Depending on which products you choose to use will depend on how often you will need to do this. If you are unsure, ask your vet for suggestions on products to use and how often.

The average lifespan of a healthy indoor cat is 15 years. You might want to consider getting pet insurance on your cat or kitten incase their will be any unforeseen medical expenses in the years to come. You have health insurance on the rest of your family and for peace of mind you might want to consider getting cat insurance on your feline friend.

Ben Hewitt is a freelance author writes articles on pet insurance, pet insurance cover. To learn more about cheap pet insurance and cat insurance please visit www.animalfriends.org.uk

About the Author

Ben Hewitt is a freelance author writes articles on pet insurance, pet insurance cover. To learn more about cheap pet insurance and cat insurance please visit www.animalfriends.org.uk

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Cat Vaccinations

Kitten feeding can feel like a difficult process without a mother cat to do it for you. Newborn kittens are so tiny and fragile, and have to operate almost entirely by instinct. It may seem a daunting task at first, but the process of kitten feeding with a bottle is not so much from that of feeding a newborn human. Once they know what to do, they will do it all on their own. All you have to do is show them proper care and follow a few simple guidelines.

Step 1 Make up the bottle of formula. To do this, first sterilize the bottle and nipple in boiling water for several minutes and allow to cool thoroughly before adding the KMR (kitten milk replacement) formula. KMR is specifically formulated for kittens, and cow’s milk is not an adequate replacement. To avoid clumping, add just a little bit of water to the powdered mix and stir until thoroughly combined before adding the rest of the hot water. The final temperature of the formula should be about 95 degrees. If the bottle gets cold, just warm it up in a small bowl of very warm water, but always check the temperature before offering it to the kitten.

Step 2 Prepare the kitten. Place a warm, soft towel either on your lap or on the feeding surface, then place the kitten gently on top of it. When feeding newborn kittens, they will need to be lying flat on their stomachs. It is best if you can do this with the kitten gently cuddled against you, because you need to be sure that the kitten is warm before feeding. Cold kittens do not digest their formula well.

Step 3 Feed the kitten. Gently work the nipple against the kitten’s mouth. They will get the idea quickly and take it in. If not, very gently stroke the kitten until it gets the idea. You will need to do this six to ten times per day, around the clock, just like a newborn human. Newborn kittens will need a little over one ounce of formula per day, divided between feedings. Be careful to not overfeed them.

Step 4 Clean up and burp the kitten. While the kitten is still on the blanket, gently slip one hand under its belly and hold it while you very lightly pat its upper back. This will stimulate the burp response. Then, using a warm, damp, slightly rough cloth, gently clean its anal and genital area to stimulate urination and defecation.

Step 5 Put the kitten back to bed. It is worn out from its feeding and needs to rest.

About the Author

Learn more about newborn kittens and other aspects of kitten care by visiting the author’s website at http://newbornkittens.net.

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How to Be a Surrogate Cat Mother: Kitten Feeding with a Bottle

This topic has been discussed so many times by so many different people that it is quite difficult to sort through all the conflicting information. Fortunately, our experts have decided to sort the grain from the chaff and have come up with this article that offers a more objective perspective.

A vaccine is a substance that is made from dead or living pathogens. It is injected into the body through inoculation (intranasal versions have also recently been developed), which causes the body to create antibodies and, therefore, makes your cat immune to getting the disease in the future.

What vaccines does your cat motive, and on what timeline? What are the most common vaccines and what special vaccines may be needed? Find out more about common vaccines, some of the risks, and the recommended timeframe for getting vaccines to keep your cat healthy.

Vaccines
Several years ago, the VAFSTF (Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force) published a list of vaccines that were highly due for all cats. These included:

Feline Panleukopenia Virus Vaccine (aka “Feline Distemper”)

Feline Calicivirus

Rhinotracheitis AKA Feline Herpes Virus

Rabies Vaccine

While the vaccines above are recommended for the health of all cats, others are more dangerous and present a higher risk of adverse reactions. For this reason, they are recommended only in certain instances. These vaccines contain:

Chlamydiosis: Recommended for households with multiple cats or where chlamydiosis infections have been confirmed, after vet consultation.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP): A controversial vaccine, the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners) currently recommends against its use.

Bordetella: A recently-approved vaccine is not yet ready for common use, but may be used for multiple-cat environments on a case-by-case detail.

Gardiasis: This vaccine is in a similar state to that for Bordetella, being too new for general use but can be approved when exposure is clinically significant.

There are many different times when vaccination may not be appropriate, depending on your cat’s health situation. Cats that probably should not be vaccinated include: sick cats (particularly those with weakened immune systems or chronic disease), those receiving cortisone therapy, or kittens under six weeks unless in extreme conditions. Cats over 10 years old typically do not hanker booster shots. Finally, it is believed that pregnant queens may experience stillbirths as a result of some vaccines.

No feature what the situation, always consult a variety of sources and talk with your veterinarian before making vaccination decisions.

Timeline
Kittens are oftentimes first inoculated between six and eight weeks of age. This first round of shots consists of the FVRCP, which can be a three-in-one shot and vaccinates against feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR), calicivirus, and panleukopenia virus. A booster round of shots is administered three to four weeks later and booster rounds continue until twelve weeks of age. Rabies shots, however, are not given until twelve weeks of age at the earliest.

If you adopt an older kitten or cat, their initial vaccinations are normally given in one does or two doses that are three to four weeks apart. One dose is given when the vaccine is an MLV, or two doses of a killed virus vaccine are recommended.

Once your cat has been vaccinated, they are usually put on an annual schedule of vaccinations. It is important for you, the pet owner, to keep get over of vaccinations. Although your vet’s office itch keep records and do their best to remind you, it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure your cat’s best health.

More recently, pet owners and veterinarians have been forgoing an annual vaccination scheme, demanded to fears about Vaccine-Related Sarcoma. This condition is most regularly caused by the rabies or FeLV vaccines. Vaccine-related sarcomas occur when cancerous tumors grow at the site of a vaccination. A small, painless lump often develops at the site of a vaccination; in rare cases, however, it progresses to a sarcoma. Pet owners are encouraged to check a vaccination site for several months after the vaccination, and schedule a vet appointment if the swelling has become a solid lump.

If your cat is an animal that spends all his time indoors, forgoing annual vaccinations may be a possibility. However, in general this tactic is not recommended and should only be considered under extenuating circumstances. Even if your cat will not be getting annual vaccinations, you should still bring him in for a check-up and testing. Be sure to thoroughly research any vaccination-related decisions and discuss the advantages and disadvantages with your veterinarian.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About the Author: Michael Plante manages a series of sites related to cats and kittens information. See our extensive cat articles selection today! today.

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Know When to Vaccinate your Cat or Kitten

There’s no better way to spend an hour than to develop your mind, and through this article, youll find something interesting and entertaining to make that one of the best spent houis of the day.

In the first year of life, kittens develop at a rapid rate, both physically and socially. Learn about the major milestones in their development, and how you can help the process along.

First six weeks
For the first week of life, kittens live only to process food and gain nutrients. Their eye and ear canals voracity not yet be open, and the mother cat will take care of all their needs. By the end of week two, their eyes will be completely open. Throughout this week and the next, their senses of sight, smell, and hearing will be developing and they’ll become more aware of the outside world. During week three, kittens may start to purr and the mother cat may begin to wean them, as they can digest on their own.

Between weeks three and four, the kittens will start to stand and even pass over. In week five, the weaning process will start taking place in earnest. Owners should offer kittens’ well-balanced canned food especially formulated for kitten needs. As the kittens are slowly weaned, they will continue to nurse for up to eight or 10 weeks to satisfy their rapture to suckle. At five weeks, kittens will be more independent, can start to learn about the litter box, and socialize with their litter. During week six, socializing is the most important skill for kittens to learn as they play with each other and adjust to humans. If a kitten is not socialized to be handled by humans by six weeks, it is a very difficult skill to teach later in life.

Seven to Twelve Weeks
In this time period, the kittens’ socializing skills continue to grow. They will play with other kittens and humans, so motive this playful time. Physically, his motor skills will improve and he will start taking on adult sleeping habits. Typical play revolves around skills enforced for hunting prey: hide and seek, jumping, pouncing, and tracking a toy across the room.

Don’t forget to get your kitten her first round of shots by week eight. A booster round should follow three to four weeks later. If she has fleas, a topical treatment can be started at eight weeks.

Three to Six Months
During this time of growth, you may turn around one day and your kitten suddenly looks more like a cat. A round kitten may become do without and lithe before gaining his final adult weight. At approximately four months, a kitten will start losing baby teeth and adult teeth will come in. Although it may be a somewhat painful process for the kitten, it provides you with a good opportunity to massage his gums and begin a dental care regime. Throughout these months, continue to feed him kitten food, as he needs the additional nutrients.

Socially, kittens will find their social rank in the house, sometimes challenging the alpha cat and sometimes falling meekly into desire. These tendencies depend on personality and social position. Traditionally, kittens were not spayed or neutered until six months. However, many advocates of early spaying and neutering believe that having the procedure done between three and six months of age is more beneficial to the cat. Read up on the procedure and talk to your veterinarian to decide how to proceed.

Six Months to One Year
This time of development roughly equates to teenager status in human beings. For this reason, your kitten may sometimes rebuff your affections as he tests his boundaries or tries to establish dominance. Like with teenagers, continue to give your kitten unconditional love—but on his terms. As mothers have said for years, he’ll grow out of it!

By the end of her first year, a kitten will be almost fully grown and developed, although she will continue to grow for another year. (Some breeds may even not be fully developed until four years of age.) If you have given her love and attention throughout the growing process, you two will enjoy a wonderful relationship for many years!

Be sure to have the camera handy during this time of unequaled growth to capture all different parts of the growing process. Years later, it will be hard to believe the mature, sedate adult cat on your lap was ever a leaping little fur ball!

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About the Author: Michael Plante manages a series of sites related to cats and kittens information. See our extensive cat articles selection today! today.

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Major Milestones in Your Kitten’s Development