Celebrate Adopt-A-Cat Month with Feline Care Tips

Celebrate Adopt-A-Cat Month with Feline Care Tips

Have you recently welcomed a new four-legged feline friend into your family? In honor of the American Feline Association’s Adopt-a-Cat month, our dog and cat veterinarian Dr. Soren is sharing his feline care tips for first-time cat owners. From yearly pet check ups to pet vaccinations, here’s what you need to know:

Top 4 Tips for First-Time Cat Owners

#1: Schedule a wellness exam. As soon as you have adopted your cat, we recommend immediately scheduling a wellness check-up with our dog and cat veterinarian. Dr. Soren and our team provide intestinal parasite and feline leukemia screenings as well as routine vaccinations.

#2: Vaccinate your cat against deadly illnesses. This wellness exam is an important opportunity to ensure your cat is healthy and up to date on all core vaccinations. In accordance with guidelines released by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) we recommend that all cats be vaccinated against panleukopenia (feline distemper), feline calici virus, feline herpes virus type I (rhinotracheitis), and rabies.

#3: Cat-proof your home. From remembering to not leave food on the counter to removing small items that your cat might want to chew, cat-proofing your home is important to creating a safe environment for your new feline friend. Remember that young kittens may chew on electrical cords or even smaller items like paper clips. If you are a first time cat owner, our dog and cat veterinarian will discuss with you the best ways to make your home cat-friendly. This includes a litter box, cat litter, food and water bowls, safe and stimulating toys, and a scratching post.

#4: Spay or neuter your cat. If your cat has not yet been spayed or neutered, we strongly recommend doing so. Not only does spaying and neutering help to reduce the unwanted animal population (and relieve over-crowding in shelters), but these procedures also offer important health benefits for your cat. Spaying and neutering reduces the risk for certain reproductive diseases and some cancers, including breast cancer in female cats and testicular cancer in males.

Cat care questions? Post them below for Dr. Soren.