Kitten Wellness 

Congratulations on your new kitten, they will bring you so much joy and laughter.  Kittens are a great addition to any family.  The first year of owning a kitten is not only fun, but there is a lot to learn about taking care of your new kitten. 
We are here to help you manage the first year of kitten parenthood, the first few months of you kittens life is so important as you want a well trained mannered addition to your family.  It is our goal to help you have the life long companion you want in owning a cat.  
To get you started check out this link 8 Helpful Kitten Training Tips

What to expect in your first year

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When you get your kitten it is important to understand what vet care they have already received, so we know where to start.  Keep in mind that your kitten will need multiple visits to the vet, so we can make sure that your kitten is healthy and does not pose a risk to your family.  There are many diseases and parasites that can be a risk to your kittens health as well as zoonotic to your family.  At Westmount we follow protocols for vaccines and deworming so they are fully protected as well as your family.   Often it is assumed that where you got the kitten from that they had their shots and dewormed that's all you need, viruses and parasites do not work on a one and done approach, here's what to expect and why:
Vaccinations: 
You kitten is susceptible to many serious but preventable diseases, this is what vaccinations protect against
  • ​Rabies - major concern and kills tens of thousands of people a year
  • Feline panleukopenia virus - biggest disease threat with high mortality rate
  • Feline herpesvirus virus - highly contagious virus that causes upper respiratory infections
  • Feline caliciVirus - highly contagious virus that causes respiratory infections, cat flu 
  • Feline Leukaemia Virus - causes the development of cancer tumors, persistently infected will cause clinic disease 
  • Based on your cats risks and lifestyle, our vets will customize a vaccine protocol which will be given at 4 week intervals to build up immunity and protection against these virus.  Just like COVID some vaccines need to be topped up annually or up to every 3yrs. 
  • It is also important at these 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age the vet would be performing a medical assessment (physical exams) making sure there are no underlying conditions like heart murmurs, skeletal issues like Hip/Elbow dysplasia. 
​Deworming:
Kitten have a high rate of being born with roundworms which is passed from the mother through the milk when they are feeding.  Depending on the lifecycle of the parasite we deworm in intervals in order to completely eliminate them.  Most deworming meds only work on the adult stage in the gut... parasite have immature stages which can be found throughout the body, where the deworming drugs have no effect.  Hence the reason for routine fecals and interval deworming, waiting for them to mature and move to the gut so we can eliminate them.
Deworming Protocols
Under 6 months of age
  • Deworming every 2-weeks until 8 weeks of age ( is this being done at breeder, a question to ask)
  • 1st vet visit depending on deworming from breeder, we will do a fecal to determine what worms we are dealing with and than administer 2 week interval deworming at 8,10,12 weeks
  • Fecals are very important diagnostic this tells us what type of worms we are dealing with and what meds and intervals to treat.  Even if the fecal is negative, it does not mean there are no parasites if they are immature and not shedding eggs, this can be missed on a fecal.
Over 6 months of age
  • annual fecals your pet can pick up parasite if they are high risk, outdoor cat and hunting 
  • Risk assessment of your cat's lifestyle so we can measure the risk and customize a protocol for you cat
  • Many parasites are what we call zoonotic to human which means they can be passed on to your family and cause harm or even death in some cases, so we take risk assessment of your pet and family situation very seriously.            To learn more about Zoonotic Parasites
  • ​Transition to monthly parasite prevention for Heartworm, intestinal worms, fleas and ticks.  These broad-spectrum products will protect you cat from all the parasite that they might come in contact with.  We recommend starting this early spring for 6-10 months depending on the risk.
Visit Canadian Parasite Expert Panel which is a group of veterinary parasitologist across Canada that evaluate the risk and protocol recommendations for vets to follow.

Ovariohysterectomy and Orchiectomy (Spay and Neuter)
Why:
  • Decrease overpopulation and unwanted litters
  • Eliminate bad behavior 
  • Decrease the risk of cancer
These surgeries are scheduled around the age of 6 months, as it is important to try and get them done before they go into their first heat.  Once they enter their first heat, it is difficult and more expensive to perform the surgery.
See these resources for more information Spay or Neuter ​