Kitten health advice
If you're adopting a baby kitten (8 to 16 weeks) you need to know about the kitten immune system, and what to watch out for in its first weeks and months in your home. Ignoring this could be fatal!
Like any baby, a young kitten is vulnerable to illness and disease. A baby kitten obtains its immune system from mother’s milk up until 6-8 weeks of age, although even then the slightest virus can cause problems.
As it starts feeding on its own, from around 6 weeks of age, a kitten's immune system drastically reduces in effectiveness. It's at its lowest ebb until the first vaccinations can be given at 12 & 15 weeks. The kitten's immune system will then be assisted, and build naturally approximately 1 week after it has its second first-year vaccination.
So, because vaccinations cannot be given until they are 12 weeks old, and because it takes time for the immune system to develop, kittens under the age of 16 weeks are VERY prone to minor illnesses and conjunctivitis.
[Interestingly, in the National news 30/04/08 was mention of children boosting their immune system by having a cat or dog in the home! ]
What to look out for
What this means is that you have to be extremely careful and watchful when you adopt a baby kitten (8 weeks). The first week is the most risky time, with the extra stress of a kitten moving into its new home and moving into a new enviroment.
As the stress of moving subsides and the kitten is away from other cats, the risk decreases. And when you bring the kitten back to us for its vaccinations, at 12 weeks of age, the process of building its immune system can begin. Even so, throughout the first weeks and months of its life, your kitten is relying on you to spot any potential problems and have them treated as soon as possible.
- Dehydration can be a MAJOR problem. This is often caused by diarrhoeah, which in turn can easily be caused by a change in diet after weaning off Mum's milk (or simply from the stress of a new home). Dehydration can take hold very quickly, and can be fatal if not treated by your Vet within 24 hours.
- Eye infections are another common problem, and need vetinary attention to prevent more serious problems developing.
If your kitten has an obvious problem or just doesn't seem well - for example, it isn't playing, eating or drinking normally - you should IMMEDIATELY take it to your Vet. All kittens adopted from Chestnut Cat Sanctuary come with 6 weeks insurance from Pet Plan, which may cover the cost of treatment (minus the usual excess - see your policy for details).
What we do to avoid kitten health problems
We have a huge volume of cats and kittens passing through our doors. That makes it likely for kittens to come into contact with viruses carried by other cats. We will never knowingly home a kitten with an illness, but there is still a chance that a kitten will go home with a virus without us being aware of it. That's why it's so important that
you stay alert.
We go to great lengths to maintain the well-being of all our cats and kittens. With good housekeeping, care and attention we ensure the risk is minimised as far as possible (short of keeping every animal separately, in a completely sealed pen, which would be impractical for our carers and visitors, prohibitively expensive and very distressing for groups of cats). We can accept no financial liability if a kitten you take home becomes seriously ill, or worse.
What you can do to keep your kitten healthy
Apart from staying alert and reacting early to a sick kitten, the advice here is that the yearly vaccinations really do work and will protect your cat in the years to come. As an adult, your kitten will meet other cats in the garden and could catch a virus if it hasn't been vaccinated. An adult cat's immune system will naturally act as a barrier, so it is much less likely to succumb to disease than a kitten - but it is still possible without a vaccination.
So keep your cat safe, have a yearly booster and keep your vaccination record! That's particularly important if you need to put your cat in a cattery so you can go on holiday - you'll need an up-to-date vaccination record to do so at a cattery like the Chestnut Boarding Centre.
It's better to be safe than sorry. Most kittens will be fine while they're waiting for their injections if you keep an eye on their health, and most problems can be solved quickly with no long-lasting effects. And remember, we're here to advise you if you're worried (Phones answered 9am to 2pm). Click for telephone number.
Kitten Care page updated 01/05/08
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