Kitten Care
or call us at (587) 507-3718
Kittens grow up fast and become fully-grown in under a year. The habits, health checks, and handling they experience now set the tone for a lifetime. Our kitten program bundles everything into a friendly, structured series of visits: staged vaccinations, feline leukemia (FeLV) and FIV testing, deworming and parasite screening, growth and nutrition checks, microchipping, and spay/neuter planning. Along the way we coach you on the things that make for the best life for your cat: litter box success, scratching outlets, carrier training, and play that channels their instincts.
Your Kitten’s First-Year Roadmap
We follow the AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines and AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines, with cat-friendly handling at every visit because a kitten who learns the clinic is safe becomes an adult cat who’s easy to care for.
Timing is individualized. Your veterinarian will confirm your kitten’s exact schedule at the first visit.
Book your First Visit-
8 weeks
First full exam; core vaccine series begins (panleukopenia, herpesvirus, calicivirus: FVRCP); deworming; fecal parasite test; FeLV/FIV testing discussion; litter box, scratching, and play guidance.
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12 weeks
Follow-up kitten exam; FVRCP booster; FeLV vaccine series begins (considered core for kittens).
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16 weeks
Final kitten exam; final FVRCP boosters; rabies vaccine; FeLV booster; spay/neuter consultation.
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5 months
Spay/neuter around 5 months is recommended for cats, before first heat cycles and unwanted litters; adult teeth check; adult diet transition planning.
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16 months
First adult wellness exam; boosters as due; transition to an adult preventive schedule.
CAT FRIENDLY® CERTIFIED
Personalized care for every purr-sonality.
Our Cat Friendly Veterinarians® are specially trained in feline medicine to support your cat’s unique needs and keep them healthy at every stage of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Within the first few days of coming home, even if vaccines aren’t due. We’ll screen for congenital disease, parasites, and infections common in young kittens, review any shelter or breeder records, and start building positive clinic experiences with treats, play, and unhurried handling.
Yes. The core feline viruses are remarkably hardy and can travel indoors on shoes, clothing, and visiting animals; panleukopenia in particular is dangerous and environmentally persistent. Rabies vaccination protects your household too in case your cat escapes or an unwanted animal, such as a bat, enters your home.
Feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus are lifelong infections that suppress the immune system, and kittens can acquire them from their mother or littermates before you ever met them. Knowing your kitten’s status early guides vaccination, future health monitoring, and decisions about adding other cats. The FeLV vaccine is considered core for all kittens under AAHA/AAFP guidelines because young cats are the most susceptible to infection.
Antibodies from their mother’s milk protect newborns, but also neutralize vaccines, and that protection fades at an unpredictable age. Repeating doses every 3–4 weeks until at least 16 weeks of age ensures your kitten receives the intended protection.
By 5 months of age for most cats—a timing endorsed by major veterinary associations. Spaying or neutering at this age prevents accidental litters, eliminates heat behaviours, sharply reduces mammary cancer risk in females, and curbs spraying and roaming in males.
Deworming is recommended for all kittens as they very commonly carry roundworms passed from their mother, and some feline parasites can spread to people, especially children. Ongoing prevention is then risk-based: an indoor Calgary cat’s needs differ from a catio user, an escape artist, or a household with dogs bringing the outdoors in. We’ll match the plan to your actual home.