A kitten is a jumping, snoozing, rolling, playing ball of fun that can provide hours of entertainment. But kittens also need proper care and attention to ensure they grow up happy and healthy. So WebMD asked Drew Weigner, an American Board of Veterinary Practitioners certified specialist in feline medicine and a past president of the Academy of Feline Medicine, how to avoid kitten pitfalls.
Q: Can my kitten get diseases from her mother?
A: Most definitely. They can get feline leukemia, FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), and any number of parasites. The list goes on and on.
But because the test for FIV detects antibodies, kittens will sometimes test positive from the antibodies they receive from their mother, without actually having the disease. When they’re retested at six months of age, most will be negative.
A: We tell our clients to bring any new kitten in within 24 hours of being adopted, just so we can make sure it’s healthy and we can help them get it started on the right foot.
Kittens are actually more fragile than they appear, and problems can arise quickly. The big three things that I see are hypothermia, or low body temperature, hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, and dehydration. When a kitten isn’t doing well, those are the three reasons we usually see. And they’re easy to keep at bay, by keeping them warm and being sure they’re nursing or, if they’re no longer nursing, being sure they’re eating. And that’s a problem we see. People give kittens dry food when they’re very young and they don’t have any teeth. They need canned food.
Q: At what age should my kitten start his vaccinations? Why is this important?
A: The first round of vaccinations should be given at about eight weeks of age, because that’s when the immunity a kitten gets from its mothers starts to wear off.
Q: What are some diseases that could harm my kitten, and what can I do to prevent them?