New Kitten Care Guide
Giving Your Kitten the Best Start in Life
Congratulations on your new family member! Bringing home a new kitten is an exciting milestone, and we’re here to help you every step of the way. Our new kitten care guide covers everything you need to know, from feeding and nutrition to vaccinations, microchipping, desexing, and preventative healthcare, helping your kitten grow into a happy, healthy cat.
Introducing Your New Kitten to Their New Home
Bringing home a new kitten is an exciting milestone, but it’s important to remember that every kitten needs time to adjust to their new surroundings. Allow your kitten to explore at their own pace and provide a quiet, safe space where they can settle in comfortably. If you have existing pets, introduce them gradually and under supervision, giving each animal time to become familiar with one another. With patience, positive experiences, and a gentle approach, your new kitten will soon feel confident and at home.
Kitten Vaccinations
Kitten vaccinations are one of the most important steps in protecting your new kitten from serious and potentially life-threatening infectious diseases. Vaccinating your kitten helps build a strong immune system and provides long-term protection as they grow into a healthy adult cat. Vaccines contain safe, modified viruses that stimulate your kitten’s immune system without causing disease. This allows your kitten to develop immunity, so if they are exposed to these viruses in the future, their body can quickly recognise and fight the infection.
At Avonhead Vets, we use the Nobivac Tricat vaccine to protect against feline panleucopaenia (feline parvovirus), feline herpesvirus, and feline calicivirus. Your kitten’s vaccination schedule begins from 8 weeks of age, with a booster vaccination 4 weeks later (12 weeks of age). A further booster is given at 1 year of age, followed by regular vaccinations to help maintain lifelong protection. In the years between Tricat boosters, we administer the Nobivac Ducat vaccine to protect against herpesvirus and calicivirus, helping to reduce the severity of cat flu.
As part of our commitment to preventative kitten healthcare, all kitten booster vaccinations are eligible for a FREE Bravecto Plus Spot-On treatment during the appointment. Bravecto Plus provides up to 12 weeks of protection against fleas, ticks, ear mites, and intestinal worms, helping keep your kitten healthy from the inside out.
Parasite Control
Flea Treatment
Flea prevention is an important part of your kitten’s preventative healthcare. Young kittens can quickly become affected by fleas, and heavy infestations may lead to serious health issues such as anaemia caused by blood loss. Fleas are also one of the most common external parasites affecting cats and can spread throughout your home if left untreated.
At Avonhead Vets, we offer safe and effective kitten flea treatments and can recommend the best parasite control plan based on your kitten’s age, weight, and lifestyle. Our team is here to help keep your kitten healthy, comfortable, and protected from fleas all year round.
Worming Treatment
Protecting your kitten from intestinal worms is an important part of their preventative healthcare. If left untreated, worms can affect your kitten’s health, cause digestive issues, and impact their growth. We recommend kitten worming treatment with a broad-spectrum wormer at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of age, then every three months throughout their life.
Our team can recommend the best worm prevention plan for your kitten based on their age, weight, and lifestyle. Some parasites can also be passed from pets to people, so encourage children to wash their hands after playing with animals and handling pets.
Feeding Your Kitten
Kitten Nutrition & Dietary Information
Providing the right kitten food is essential for healthy growth and development. Kittens have different nutritional needs to adult cats, with smaller stomachs and higher requirements for energy, vitamins, and minerals. Feeding a high-quality, specially formulated kitten diet provides the nutrients they need during this important stage of life.
Young kittens should be offered small meals throughout the day and will often have a healthy appetite as they grow. A balanced kitten food should provide everything your kitten needs, meaning additional supplements are usually not required.
By around 4-5 months of age, most kittens can transition to two meals a day. At 12 months of age, your kitten can gradually move onto a suitable adult cat food diet. If you have questions about kitten feeding, nutrition, or choosing the right food, our team is happy to help.
Desexing Your Kitten
Speying & Neutering
Desexing your kitten is an important part of preventative healthcare and helps support a longer, healthier life. We recommend kitten desexing procedures, including spaying female kittens (ovariohysterectomy) and neutering male kittens (castration), around 5-6 months of age.
Desexing helps reduce the risk of reproductive infections and cancers, while also preventing unwanted pregnancies and litters. Neutering male cats can help reduce roaming behaviours, territorial behaviours, and the likelihood of fighting with other cats.
All kitten desexing procedures are performed under general anaesthetic by our experienced vets. Your kitten is closely monitored by our qualified veterinary nurses throughout their procedure, using advanced anaesthetic monitoring equipment. After surgery, your kitten will receive tailored pain management and be cared for in our warm, comfortable recovery area until they are ready to go home.
Microchipping Your Kitten
Helping Lost Kittens Find Their Way Home
Microchipping your kitten is a simple and effective way to help identify and reunite lost pets with their families. A microchip is a tiny device, about the size of a grain of rice, implanted under your kitten’s skin that contains a unique identification number registered to your pet.
The procedure is quick and can be performed during a consult. While cat microchipping is not legally required in New Zealand, we strongly recommend it as an important part of responsible pet ownership. Your kitten’s details can be registered with the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR) to help locate them if they ever become lost.
Feliway for Kittens
Feliway is a synthetic feline pheromone designed to help kittens feel calm, comfortable, and secure in their new environment. Available as a diffuser or spray, it can support kitten settling-in, reduce stress, and help existing cats adjust to a new family member.
Pet Insurance
Pet insurance helps provide peace of mind when unexpected health issues arise. As veterinary care can be unpredictable, insurance can help make treatment costs more manageable and ensure your kitten receives the care they need when it matters most. Speak with our friendly reception team for more information.
