Your Cat's First Veterinary Visit

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Your new cat's first veterinarian visit is of supreme importance. You'll want to assure yourself of his good health, and get his vaccinations and testing for FIV and FeLV (if not already done by the adopting agency). Also, unless this has already been performed, you need to set up an appointment for a spay or neuter of your new cat. Prepare in advance for the possible question, "Do you want a declaw with that neuter?" After you've read the section below, your reply with surely be, "No thank you. My cat needs his claws and I want him to keep them for life."

Your veterinarian will give your cat a complete physical exam, including, but not limited to the following:

• Rectal Temp Will be Taken
  Your cat's normal temperature is between 100.4°F and 102.5°F. Variations significantly lower or higher may indicate medical problems, when combined with other symptoms. Your vet will also check the cat's anal glands, and express them, if necessary.
• Ears Will be Checked
  Mites are fairly common among shelter cats, and are easily treatable. Your vet will also check for unusual drainage, or buildup of earwax.
• Eyes and Nose Are Checked
  The most common "red flags looked for here are those of URIs (Upper Respiratory Infections).
• Heart and Lungs Check
  Your veterinarian will listen to your cat's heart with a stethoscope, checking for both the heart rate and any unusual sounds, such as murmurs. His respiration will be checked for sounds of asthma, or fluid buildup.
• Organ Palpation
  Manual palpation will be done of your cat's reproductive organs, kidneys, bladder, and abdomen.
• Cat's Coat Will be Examined
  Your vet will examine the cat's coat for dullness or matting. Then he will run a fine-toothed comb through the coat, looking for flea dander.

Anything out of the ordinary will be followed up with further tests: blood panel, x-rays, or other lab tests. A fecal smear will be done to check for signs of worms, which are also common among shelter cats. (You may have been asked to bring a fecal sample with you.)

When the exam is complete, your cat will receive his vaccinations and be tested for two serious communicable diseases. He will also set an appointment for a future spay or neuter.

Vaccinations

The Vaccination Conundrum
If you adopted your cat from a shelter or rescue organization, he may already have received vaccinations. If your cat was a "door step" adoptee, he'll need vaccinations. However, if you bought a cat from a breeder they may have had you sign an agreement to avoid certain vaccines. Bottom line is, discuss it with your veterinarian. There are certain vaccinations that should notbe skipped.

Testing for FIV and FeLV

FIV in Cats
I can attest from personal experience that living with an FIV+ cat is a roller-coaster of emotions. Although FIV is not an automatic death sentence, if your new cat tests positive, you'll need to make some hard decisions. If you have no other cats in the household (and I assume you don't because this class is for first-time cat owners), you could still share many rewarding years with your cat. Bless you, if you make that decision!

More About FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus)
FIV is an immune deficiency disease, and is not spread by casual contact, although it can be transmitted to kittens in the womb by a positive mother. Normally, it is spread through "saliva to blood," i.e., deep biting wounds. These resources will give you loads of information about FIV, the testing procedures, and management of the disease.

Feline Leukemia Virus
FeLV is not as "benign" a disease as FIV. It passes from one cat to another through mutual grooming, sharing food, and other casual contact. Unless you are in a position to provide permanent separate quarters for an FeLV+ cat, he or she should be your only cat. (Or you could adopt other FeLV+ cats, if you can afford their vet care.)

Spay or Neuter

Compelling Reasons for Early Spay and Neuter
If you adopted a kitten 12 weeks or older, he is a candidate for an early spay or neuter. There are several reasons why this will benefit your kitten both health-wise and behaviorally. Ask your veterinarian if he or she practices early spay and neuter; if not, ask for a referral to someone who does.

The Importance of Spay and Neuter
If you are not convinced of the urgency of spay and neuter, read some of the articles referenced here. The procedures not only forestall potential health and behavioral problems in cats, but help relieve the already critical cat population crisis.

Veterinary FAQ - Neutering (Castration) in Dogs and Cats
Janet Tobiassen Crosby, D.M.V., About Guide to Veterinary Medicine provides basic terminology every pet owner should be come familiar with, a helpful FAQ on neutering, and describes what happens during the surgery and after.

Veterinary FAQ: Spay Operation in Dogs and Cats
Dr. Janet follows up with the same information on spaying (ovariohysterectomy) a female cat or dog.

A Note About Declawing

Do Your Homework First
Some veterinarians will offer declawing as a routine accompanyment to spay or neuter. Their reasoning is that "since you'll probably eventually want to declaw, there is less stress on the cat by performing both surgeries under one anesthesia." Declawing is irrevocable. Don't subscribe to it without doing your homework. We'll discuss this later in detail, but I wanted to give you a "heads-up" now.

Your next lesson will be about the importance of nutritious food and water for your cat.

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