This month Dr. Jacqui writes about Keeping Your Kitten Happy and Healthy

Caring for a kitten is fun and exciting. Take these steps to continue the joy for many years to come.

Select a veterinarian

If you have an established relationship with a veterinarian, contact him or her to set up your new pet's first appointment. If you don't have a veterinarian, ask your neighbors, colleagues, family and friends for recommendations and their reasons for that recommendation.

When choosing a veterinarian or veterinary hospital, look for the things that are important to you:

• Convenient hours
• Convenient location
• Clean facility
• Affordable prices
• Appointment length
• Continuity of care (seeing the same doctor)
• Advanced degrees
• Cutting edge technology
• Compassionate care

Visit the facility and/or schedule a tour to see if the fit is right for you and your kitten.

Provide Medical Care

Set up an appointment with your veterinarian for your kitten as soon after adoption as is possible. The following medical procedures are typical at the initial appointment:

• A comprehensive physical examination to screen for general health and any congenital abnormalities
• A blood test for viral infections (i.e. Feline Leukemia) that may have been transmitted to the kitten from its mother
• Examination/Treatment for external (e.g. fleas) and internal (e.g. roundworms) parasites
• Initial vaccinations against infectious diseases

You will need to visit your veterinarian every few weeks for the first few months of your kitten's life to complete the vaccination protocols. Your veterinarian will develop a vaccination plan tailored to your kitten, based upon its age, current health status, previous vaccine history, local regulations and environment.

Schedule the spay/neuter surgery. Surgical sterilization will reduce the incidence of behavioral problems such as urine marking and help to prevent pet overpopulation.

Create a Stimulating Environment

The safest environment for your kitten is indoors. So provide everything to keep your pet safe and happy.

Provide accessible litter boxes and consider using a litter with a maximum odor controlling ingredient, such as carbon, found only in Fresh Step® litter products.

As your kitten grows, the litter box should grow, too. Make sure that your cat has plenty of room to move around comfortably in the box.

Kittens like to play and explore. Well designed cat toys provide entertaining and safe play experiences.

Fishing-pole-style toys with the target toy (i.e. feathers) on the end of a string are great because they keep the focus away from your body parts and allow for rapid, enticing movements that will engage most kittens.

Other options include laser lights, balls and stuffed toys. Any toys that have parts that the kitten may chew or swallow, including yarn or string, should be used under direct supervision.

Several, 5–10-minute play sessions each day should keep your kitten happy. You can place paper bags (handles removed) or cardboard boxes in different spots each day to encourage exploration.

Offer a Balanced Diet

Food created specifically for kittens contains nutrients tailored for this rapid growth period of your cat's life. Consult with your veterinarian on the best kitten food for your kitten. Always have fresh, clean water available.

Provide Social Enrichment

Cats are social animals, so human affection and contact is important to them. Observe your pet to learn where and how long it enjoys being petted.

When your kitten is relaxed, engage in gentle petting.

• Most cats like the neck area scratched.
• Many cats enjoy a full body length pet from the head down the back to the tail.
• Most cats do not like their belly rubbed.
• Most cats do not enjoy having their hair ruffled against its natural direction.

Initial signs that your cat is no longer enjoying your attention include ears pinned back and tail tip flicking rapidly.If you see those signs, discontinue petting.

Expose your kitten in a kind and gentle manner to situations and experiences that you want your kitten to be comfortable with later in life. This may include exposure to children, other animals or certain situations (e.g. confined to a room, placed in a carrier, traveling in a car).