Over the next few months, you will receive a great deal of information about kitten care in Coffs Harbour, which might be daunting. So, the first rule is – don’t be afraid to ask. And ask again if you’re still not sure. The vet will give you a lot of information at the first vaccination consult. However, the nurses are a great resource of information on kitten care and behaviour and will be happy to talk you through anything you’re unsure about.
Your vet will recommend vaccination depending on the diseases prevalent in the area.
Our clinics recommend two kitten vaccinations, one at 6-8 weeks. The second vaccination should be at about 12 weeks of age. In addition, we recommend an “F3” (herpesvirus, calicivirus, panleukopaenia) in the Coffs Harbour area. In addition, for cats that spend any time outdoors unsupervised, the FIV vaccine is also recommended. This vaccination requires three initial vaccinations given every 2-4 weeks. Lastly, it is essential that you keep the FIV vaccination up to date every year to maintain protection, so please remind your vet if your cat requires the FIV vaccination. Another disease we can vaccinate against is the feline leukaemia virus; fortunately, we have not seen this disease in Coffs Harbour over recent years, so we do not routinely administer this vaccine.
If your kitten has not been microchipped already, you must do so as soon as possible. All of our vets are registered to perform this task. Please be aware that the cost of microchipping does not include council registration – the microchip details will be passed on to the council by the registered person, and you will receive a notification to register your pet from the council. The cost of lifetime registration of your cat varies depending on whether your pet is desexed.
Worming early is an essential part of kitten care. Intestinal worming should start at 2 weeks of age, so check with the previous owner when they last wormed your new kitten. After that, we recommend intestinal worming every two weeks until 12 weeks, then every month until 6 months.
Check your new kitten for fleas before taking it home if you can. Giving a fast-acting flea treatment such as Capstar before introducing it to your home can prevent flea infestations getting strated.
There are many tick and flea products on the market for dogs but only a couple for cats. Your vet or nurse can advise you on which is best for your needs. Currently the most reliable products are those that use chemicals in the isoxazoline group, for cats this includes Bravecto Spot On and Revolution Plus.
We recommend that all pet cats are desexed.
The cost of a desexing procedure is heavily discounted to encourage all owners to protect their pets against unnecessary problems.
Desexing male cats early can help prevent spraying, wandering and fighting, which in turn decreases the risk of being run over, having abscesses, losing your cat and contracting FIV. Not to mention reducing the risk of unwanted litters!
Desexing female cats early reduces the risk of spraying, wandering and contracting FIV. In addition once cats begin cycling, it is difficult to catch them not pregnant and not in season, both of which increase the surgical risk and cost.
The NSW Government requires all cats to be registered with their local council and they charge an additional fee for cats not desexed by four months of age. In fact, if you desex your male cat before he is four months of age the desexing procedure costs less than what you save in registration fees!
Many pet owners decline to take out pet insurance for their kitten or puppy. As a result, many owners do not have the money available for emergency treatment or an unexpected veterinary expense. These expenses can include being hit by a car, tick paralysis, a broken leg, or chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, or kidney disease. Unfortunately, these owners have to choose between paying out large sums or minimal care or, in some instances, euthanasia.
Although pet insurance plans may sound expensive initially, consider how much money your previous pet (or a friend’s pet) has cost in vet bills that a policy might have covered.
When choosing a pet insurance plan, consider whether the following things are important to you:
LIFELONG COVER – some plans will only cover your pet to a certain age. Cats can live up to 20 years, so it is a good idea to pick a plan that does not exclude pets once they reach a certain age. Old cats often have expensive problems!
CONDITIONS/EXCLUSIONS – consider that any problems that are excluded are the problems they are more likely to develop, so a Comprehensive Insurance Cover without exclusions may be a better choice.
DISEASE/ILLNESS COVER – some cheaper plans may only offer accidental injury cover. For example, if your cat is hit by a car or bitten by a snake, they will be covered. However, if your cat develops diabetes, ear infections, or kidney disease, they probably won’t be. It is also essential to choose a plan that covers your cat’s illness as some plans will only cover the first six months or a year after diagnosis.
TICK PARALYSIS – believe it or not, some pet insurance policies may not cover tick paralysis or have relatively low limits. However, this exclusion could be in the small print, so always check that tick paralysis is covered. After all, in the Coffs Harbour area, this is probably the most likely issue for which you will need to claim.
LIMITS AND EXCESS – this is really down to personal choice. The cost of your policy will often depend on how much excess you are willing to pay, and how much coverage you expect. Very high limits may only be necessary to cover referral to a specialist for expensive or complicated cases. Suppose you have a high limit on your policy. In that case, you may elect for some surgeries or cases to be tackled by a specialist rather than a first-opinion vet, so let your vet know if your pet is insured and ask whether a specialist opinion would be of benefit.
EXTRAS – this is a personal choice, but some plans offer money back on routine procedures such as desexing and vaccinations up to a certain amount per year. It is up to you whether you think you would rather pay for these things separately.
