Selecting A Healthy Cat

A kitten from a responsible breeder will have had trips to the vet for inoculations against cat flu, feline infectious enteritis, and possibly Chlamydia and feline leukemia.

It will have been wormed and its coat will be free from parasites, such as fleas, and fungal lesions or ringworm. The queen passes on natural immunity to the diseases to which she is herself immune, through colostrums first milk during the kitten’s first few days of life.

This immunity is effective until the kitten is six to ten weeks of age, when it must be replaced by the artificially acquired immunity provided by inoculations.

Before the age of eight or nine weeks, it is best not to interfere with the immunity acquired from the mother. It is not advisable to take the kitten home before inoculations start if you have other cats.

They might be carriers of feline diseases to which the mother of the kitten is not immune and against which, therefore, the kitten has no protection.

The certificate from the vet confirming first or complete vaccination carrier with it the important implication that the cat is in good health, otherwise the inoculation would not have been administered.

A kitten ready for handing over to a new owner should have been gently weaned and introduced to a suitable diet of fresh, canned and dry foods.

It should have been registered with one or more of the many registering bodies worldwide and the registration documents and pedigree should be ready to take away.

There may also be a health insurance policy that lasts about six weeks, enough time to let the new kitten settle into its new home. The cost of a pedigreed kitten depends very much on the breed; seek guidelines from the individual breed clubs.

It is possible to spend a great deal of money on rare, new varieties while the well established, popular varieties are less expensive. Kittens of show quality are priced more highly than those of lesser quality.

Kittens are being prepared to leave their breeders for a new home. If they have become used to a friendly family environment from birth, they should settle down quickly.