Kitten Questions?

Question

Had a few quick questions.

1. Just adopted a kitten. What shots does a kitten need right away, she was born on Feb 6, and has not had anything done yet.

2. Anything that actually works to reduce allergies? I don't want to get rid of her.

3. Her nails are so long. I don't want to get her declawed, anything that will help?

Oh yea, how much are these shots? so i have an estimate on what to budget

Answer 1

Looks like you have enough here for the shots question. but as for allergies:
People with cat allergies are generally allergic to their dander. which is effected by many other factors.
keep her inside to reduce other allergens
feed her dry food. wet food changes their saliva which gets on their fur and effects allergies
keep her brushed, to keep down on shedding fur and dander.

Good luck with your little baby, I think it is cool she was born on my birthday, she must be special then :)

Answer 2

1) shots at 6-8 weeks, 10-12 weeks, and 14-16 weeks. Distemper all 3 times (panleukopenia, chlamidia, calicivirus and rhinotracheitis), rabies the last time, and if she or any other cats go outdoors, feline leukemia the 2nd and 3rd time. Bring stool samples and have her dewormed until the stool is negative for worms twice. If any animals in the house go outside, a topical flea preventative (frontline revolution or advantage) beginning at 10 weeks.

2) frequent brushing, especially when done outdoors, with something like a curry comb or shedding blade designed to get rid of the undercoat.

3) you can trim them pretty easily, and you can use human nail trimmers. Gently squeeze the toe to expose the nail, and nip off the sharp end, being careful to avoid the pink "quick" inside the nail. If you start trimming when she's sound asleep, you should be able to do 1 or 2 feet before she's awake enough to realize what you are doing. Get her a scratching post, and whenever she tries to scratch anywhere else, pick her up, take her to the post, and rub her front feet on it while praising her. She'll get the idea.

It's also a good idea to have a feline leukemia/FIV test done right away, before you do anything else, as these 2 illnesses are always fatal, and a seemingly healthy kitten could be carrying them without any outward signs. The vet should also check her for fleas and ear mites on the first visit.

Answer 3

When you get the kitten, ask the person you're getting it from if the kitten was weened by the mother already (most people won't give kittens away untill then). If not, then you need to get the specific bottle for feeding a baby kitten, as well as the specific milk. The milk we humans drink is actually not good for cats, so it would be bad for your kitten to give it "regular milk". As for the food, you should get both dry and wet food that is labeled for young cats (a.k.a kittens), I suggest if you're getting a male kitten to get iams because iams dry cat food helps to prevent a mineral back up which stops the cat from being able to pee, and if is not treated immedeately, can kill it. So stick with iams for dry food. For toys, don't bother getting any toys with catnip just yet, cats do not obtain an interest in catnip until they are at least 9 months old. Instead, stick with simple things like something at the end of a string, a toy mouse, etc.

Answer 4

1. Take her to a vet. They will recommend everything and get you started on all vaccinations it needs.

2. Some pills can work, hystamine blockers... but I don't have allergies so I guess put up with it for the love!

3. You can clip her nails, but some cats don't take kindly to that... Get a scratching post, my cats love cardboard scratching posts the best, with catnip in them to attract them. They'll scratch that and kind of dull their claws. A big hunk of wood can also work well. Also an important note here, if you DO try to clip her nails, do not clip them too short, because there are blood vessles inside their nails that you can cut open and it will bleed/get infected/cause your cat a lot of pain. Just a littls snip to get rid of the very tip.

Tips- as a kitten keep her indoors all the time.. slowly introduce her to the outside if you want to let her enjoy outside too. Good luck!

Answer 5

The answer from Lizzy was dead on. Just wanted to add 2 things.

Each vet charges different prices. If there is more than one vet in your area, you could call around to see what the inital kitten vaccine series would cost. And feel free to ask various cat related questions you might have when you call. A vet that answers questions openly and honestly is one that you want to pick.

If you start trimming nails at this early age, than she has a much better chance of getting used to it. Kittens that are used to it, will often grow up to be cats that will roll over and let you do it without much, or no, fight.

Answer 6

She'll need a lot of shots... rabies, distemper, and feline leukemia to name a few. She will also most likely need to be dewormed and checked for ear mites.

Claritin 24 hour over the counter tablets work pretty well for allergies.

You can get her nails trimmed, but you should ask the vet about this to make sure it's done properly. If not done properly, you can hurt the kitty. Take her to the vet very soon. Within the next week for sure! Good luck!

Answer 7

1) take it to the vet, that way your kitten will get all the shot it needs and you'll have a relationship with a vet in the event that the kitten gets sick

2) Use a brush, you can get them at a pet store, so the cat doesn't shed all over the place.

3) Give her a scratching post and teach her not to scratch anything else, eventually she'll grow into them.

Answer 8

Call the vet to ask about the shots.

To reduce allergies you can install HEPA filters in each room, vacuum often and keep the cat out of your bedroom.

Get a claw scissors at the pet store. Just don't clip up as far as the vein in the claw.

Answer 9

If you have a Petco near you, they often do a ''low cost vaccination'' weekend, and that includes the kitten boosters. She'll need 2 rounds of that. Consult a vet to get dewormer and test for worms (it's very common for kittens to have it).

Where did you adopt this kitten, that they didn't provide vaccinations & spay/neuter?

Vacuum often, and groom her daily (or have someone else do it) to help reduce amounts of dander around the house. Talk to your doctor for potential allergy medications, also.

Trim her nails, and provide a scratching post for her. It's natural instinct for them to claw something to help their nails, so unless you provide something, they'll look at your furniture.

Also, there are ''Soft Paws'' nail caps, bu if you can train her to use the scratching post ONLY, then they're not needed. (Thanks for not wanting to declaw your kitten!!)

Answer 10

i think you need to bring her to a veterinarian.the doctor will tell you what kind of vaccines your cat needs.if you adopted her you will see in her record if the shelter gave her a vaccine before you adopt her.if you worrying about the cost,you can apply for a medical insurance for your cat.you can bring your cat to a pet parlor to declawed her.or use a nail pile? to reduce the sharpness of her nails. or you can declawed her while she sleeping. if you have an allergies,always clean the cat's place.always brush her hair to reduce falling hair that cause your allergies.and always clean the litter box of course.for more info about how you taking care of your cat,there are books about this.and never give your cats human foods.co'z this is one reason why they get sick.i also have cat and i adopted her last year.her name is destiny. i hope i answered your question.take care of your cat and love her as one of the member of your family...