Adopting a new kitty is always exciting, no matter if it was pre-planned or a spontaneous adoption or rescue.

Either way, along with shopping for all of the new necessities like food, dishes, litter boxes and all the shopping list for your new kitty you have to be prepared for that first veterinary visit. That first visit is crucial as it can reveal underlying issues that can affect your cat, your family, and other pets. Some illnesses can suddenly become serious, so it\’s important that you don\’t put this off.

Before You Go

There is no set age to visit the vet for the first time. Though it\’s recommended to have an exam within 24 to 72 hours after adopting the kitty. If you already have cats in your home, it\’s the best visit the vet before bringing the new kitten home as it might have an illness that is not obvious to you.

If it’s not possible to see a vet before bringing the kitten home you have to keep the new one separate from your other pets. Provide his own litter box and of course, food and water bowl so that you reduce the chance of spreading any disease to the other cats.

What you need

Your vet has to know if any and what types of treatments and vaccinations have been already given to the kitten. So, be sure to bring along any paperwork you got at the adoption. If that\’s not available, try to collect as much information as you can from the previous owner.

The Physical Exam

Your kitty will be weighted and may need a blood test to check for certain diseases. The vet will examine your kitten\’s eyes, ears, mouth, skin, and coat and will also look for other parasites such as fleas or mites. This includes palpating the abdomen to feel the organs and listening to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope.

Vaccinations

The first kitten vaccination is typically administered between the ages of 6-9 weeks. A healthy mother cat who is up to date on her vaccinations will provide her kittens the best start in life. If your kitten is sneezing or having any other health problems, the vet will wait to vaccinate him until it is healthy.

• Kitten vaccine boosters will need to be done at intervals of about 3 weeks until your kitten reaches age 16 to 20 weeks.
• The rabies vaccine is generally done once at the final kitten visit.

Your kitten will also be given a dewormer at several visits to treat common intestinal parasites like roundworms. Try to get these visits scheduled in advance so your kitten doesn\’t miss any of them.

If your kitten becomes sick at any point, it’s important to contact your vet without delay. Illnesses in kittens can become serious very quickly. Establishing a relationship with your vet and a new pet is always smoother in a non-emergency situation.

How was your first visit to the vet? Share with us in the comments below your thoughts and experiences…

Photoshoot: Tran Mau Tri Tam