Bringing a kitten home is exciting, and a responsibility we are honored to help you with. At Haney Animal Hospital, we keep visits calm and positive, and tailor timing and care to your kitten’s lifestyle and needs. Because one size does not fit all, we will personalize timing and treatments after we examine your kitten and discuss options that align with your situation, priorities, and budget.

Bringing Your Kitten Home

• Start in one quiet room with litter, water, food, bed, and toys.
• Let curiosity lead. Open the carrier and allow voluntary exploration.
• Expand their world room by room over several days.
• Sit nearby, speak softly, and let them choose when to interact.
• Schedule your first vet visit within the first week if one has not already been booked.

At-a-Glance Vaccine Schedule

A simple series to build strong immunity. If your kitten is starting late or has missed a dose, we will tailor a catch-up plan by age.

Spay and Neuter: Why and When

• Helps prevent roaming, spraying, fighting, heat cycles, and certain reproductive diseases.
• We offer pre-anesthetic bloodwork to identify hidden issues early and improve safety and recovery.
• Recommended at 5 to 6 months. We may advise earlier or later in specific cases.
• Consider microchipping at the same visit.
• Home care: pain control as directed, e-collar if needed, activity restriction for 10 to 14 days. Monitor the incision. Call us if you see swelling, discharge, odor, or if your kitten will not eat.

Nutrition and Feeding

Wet and Dry Balance

Cats have a low thirst drive. Including wet (canned) food supports hydration and urinary health. Offer balanced and measured portions of dry food to complement wet meals.

Starting Point

• Aim for at least 50% high-quality canned kitten food.
• Feed a kitten-specific diet until 9 to 12 months.

How to Feed

• Small, frequent meals for growing kittens.
• Introduce new foods gradually over 7 to 10 days.
• Provide fresh water at all times. Skip cow’s milk.

A Few Rules

• Treats should make up no more than 10% of daily calories.
• Consider puzzle feeders or timed feeders for mental enrichment.
• We will help you set daily calories and track body condition at each visit.

Parasites: What to Know

Intestinal parasites including roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and coccidia are common in kittens. Signs can include diarrhea, vomiting, a pot-bellied look, and poor growth. Kittens can pick them up from their mother, the environment, fleas, or prey.

Can parasites affect people? In rare cases, yes. Good hygiene, regular deworming, and prompt litter clean-up help protect the whole family.

Deworming and Stool Sample Checks

• Deworming plan: every 2 weeks until approximately 12 weeks, then monthly until approximately 6 months. For adult cats: indoor cats need a yearly fecal; outdoor or hunting cats need one every 1 to 3 months or a fecal every 3 months with targeted deworming.
• Why stool tests? They find parasites even when no signs are present and confirm treatment worked.
• First-year fecals: plan 2 to 4 tests (at intake, after deworming, and again by 6 to 12 months).
• Consistent flea control helps prevent tapeworm infections.

Heartworm Advisory

Heartworm risk varies by region. If your kitten came from or you plan to travel to a heartworm-endemic area, ask us about testing and monthly prevention. We will tailor timing to your travel plans.

Home Hygiene Tips

• Scoop litter daily.
• Wash hands after handling litter or soil.
• Keep play areas clean.
• Pregnant people should avoid litter box duty.

Litter Box Success

• Use one box per cat plus one extra.
• Place in a quiet location away from food and water.
• Litter: unscented, low-dust clumping for kittens 12 weeks and older; non-clumping paper for younger kittens or homes with respiratory concerns.
• Depth: start at approximately 2 to 3 cm (about 1 inch).
• Size and access: box length should be at least 1.5 times the kitten’s body length. Use a low entry point. Avoid covered boxes early.
• Scoop daily. Wash the box monthly.
• Training: use praise only. Move boxes gradually if needed.

Kitten Gentling and Cooperative Care

• 30 to 60-second sessions 1 to 2 times per day: gently touch ears, gums, paws, tail, and collar or harness. Always reward.
• Touch then treat. Stop before the kitten pulls away.
• Practice exam positions: chin-rest, stand, and side-lie.
• Carrier as safe den: keep it out at home, add treats, and use pheromone spray before travel.
• Introduce new surfaces and sounds calmly.

Signs to pause: flattened ears, tail swishing, crouching, growling, hissing, or swatting.

Goal: a kitten who opts in to handling.

Introducing Your Kitten to Dogs, Cats, and Children

• Start with scent swaps: exchange blankets and towels, and feed on opposite sides of a closed door.
• First looks: use a gate or carrier. Keep dogs leashed. Keep initial sessions to 3 to 5 minutes.
• Watch body language: pause if stress signs appear.
• Go slowly: allow gradual supervised room sharing. Provide vertical spaces for cats. Keep separate resources including beds, litter, and food and water.
• With children: always supervise. Teach gentle petting and quiet voices.

Never force interactions. Short, positive sessions beat long, stressful ones. If tension persists, contact us for a tailored plan.

Family Consistency

• Use consistent cues and rules across the household.
• Supervise children and teach gentle handling.
• Keep training sessions short at 5 to 10 minutes, in different rooms to help your kitten generalize good behaviors.

Play, Enrichment, and Safety

• Predatory play: wands, toy mice, crinkle balls, and lasers (always end with a catch). Remove broken toys immediately.
• Avoid unsupervised string and ribbon. These are foreign-body risks.
• Climbing and scratching: provide cat trees and both vertical and horizontal scratching posts.
• Never use hands or feet as toys.
• Daily social play builds confidence and reduces anxiety.

Foreign-Body Ingestion Hazards

Items to keep out of reach: string, yarn, ribbon, hair ties, elastics, tinsel, thread and needles, small toy parts, and rubber bands.

Watch for: repeated vomiting, drooling, pawing at the mouth, loss of appetite, lethargy, a painful belly, or hiding.

Holiday and Household Hazards

• Lilies (highly toxic to cats, including pollen and water from the vase)
• Essential oils and diffusers
• Human pain medications: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen
• Onions and garlic
• Chocolate and xylitol
• Open-flame candles

When in doubt, keep it out of reach and ask us.

Grooming Basics

• Baths: not usually needed for most kittens, but helpful for long-haired ones. Use kitten-safe shampoo. Keep water away from ears and eyes. Keep first baths brief and positive.
• Brushing: short sessions build trust and prevent mats.
• Ears: check weekly. Clean only with vet-approved products.
• Nails: trim small amounts often. Reward calmly.
• Teeth: start early with cat-safe toothpaste and a soft brush or finger brush.

Maple Ridge Health Notes

Ear Mites

Look for head-shaking, scratching, and dark debris in the ears. Easily treated once diagnosed.

Upper Respiratory Disease (URD)

Signs include sneezing, nasal or eye discharge, and reduced appetite. Call us right away if you notice these symptoms.

Ringworm

A zoonotic fungal infection that causes patchy hair loss or crusting. Treatable with medication and hygiene measures.

Outdoor and Hunting Risk

Outdoor kittens face increased exposure to fleas, ticks, and rodents. Discuss parasite prevention with us at your first visit.

Low-Stress Vet Visits

• Use a sturdy top-opening carrier with familiar bedding.
• Leave the carrier out at home with treats inside. Use pheromone spray 15 to 20 minutes before travel.
• Practice short car trips. Ask about happy visits with no procedures.
• Pre-visit medication (gabapentin) is available for anxious cats. Ask us if your kitten is nervous.
• Prefer to wait in your car? Let us know on arrival and we will escort you directly to a cat-friendly room.

When to Contact Us

Call us at (604) 476-2525 if you notice any of the following:

• Poor appetite lasting more than 24 hours
• Repeated vomiting or diarrhea
• Sneezing, eye discharge, or nasal discharge
• Coughing or trouble breathing
• Lethargy or unusual hiding
• Pain or obvious discomfort
• Any change that worries you

Trust your instincts. Kittens can decline quickly.

Pet Insurance

Pet insurance helps cover the cost of accidents and illnesses. When comparing plans, review waiting periods, exclusions including pre-existing conditions, reimbursement percentage, annual and incident limits, and deductibles. Ask whether claims are direct-pay to the clinic or owner reimbursement, and about pre-approval for major procedures.

• Canadian providers to consider: Trupanion, Pets Plus Us, Fetch.
• Many families also set aside a small monthly pet-care savings fund for unexpected expenses.

We are happy to discuss what to look for at your first visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I bring my new kitten in for their first visit in Maple Ridge?

We recommend booking within the first week of bringing your kitten home, ideally when they are 8 weeks of age. At this first visit we will complete a full physical exam, start core vaccines, and discuss a deworming and parasite prevention plan tailored to your kitten. Call us at (604) 476-2525 to book.

How many vaccines does a kitten need in their first year?

Most kittens need three rounds of FVRCP core vaccines at 8, 12, and 16 weeks, plus the Feline Leukemia vaccine at 12 and 16 weeks, and Rabies at 16 weeks. A booster visit is then due at 12 months. We tailor the schedule to your kitten’s lifestyle and risk level.

When should I spay or neuter my kitten in Maple Ridge?

We generally recommend spaying or neutering at 5 to 6 months of age. This timing helps prevent heat cycles, spraying, and roaming before these behaviors become established. We may recommend earlier or later timing depending on your kitten’s individual circumstances. Ask us at your first visit.

How often does my kitten need to be dewormed?

We deworm every two weeks until approximately 12 weeks, then monthly until 6 months. We also recommend stool sample testing at intake, after treatment, and again by 6 to 12 months. This ensures parasites are fully cleared and catches any new infections picked up from the environment or prey.

Can I tell if my kitten is pregnant without a test?

Pregnancy in cats can be difficult to confirm by physical exam alone, especially early on. A blood test can be positive from approximately 25 to 30 days after mating. Ultrasound can detect pregnancy from approximately 20 to 25 days and assess viability. Radiographs are best for fetal counting once the skeletons are visible at approximately 45 days. If timing is unknown, we can plan a stepwise assessment and discuss your options. The most effective way to prevent unplanned pregnancy is spaying at 5 to 6 months.

Does Haney Animal Hospital offer anything for anxious cats who hate vet visits?

Yes. We offer cat-friendly handling, top-opening carrier access, and the option to wait in your car and be escorted directly to a private exam room. For very anxious cats, we can prescribe pre-visit medication such as gabapentin to take at home before the appointment. Ask our team when you book and we will make a plan that works for your cat.

What flea and tick prevention do you recommend for kittens in Maple Ridge?

We recommend vet-approved monthly prevention appropriate for your kitten’s age and weight. Outdoor kittens and those in multi-pet households are at higher risk from fleas, ticks, and associated parasites. We will recommend a product at your first visit and show you how to apply it correctly.

Contact Haney Animal Hospital

We are here to help every step of the way. Book your kitten’s first visit today.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this guide is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every pet is unique. Always consult your veterinarian regarding your animal’s specific health condition before taking any action or changing their care routine.