Sweet, cuddly and playful kittens are a joy to behold and the right kitten can make your household feel complete. Taking care of a kitten is an enormous responsibility because several health risks can threaten his life. Bringing a new kitten to a vet for a proper examination and necessary vaccinations will help keep your kitten healthy and a part of your life for many years to come.
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Worms
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One of the very first treatments kittens receive is de-worming medication. This is because worms are a common health problem in kittens. Kittens can be infected by worms by their mother while still unborn and can also catch worms from their mother by nursing. They are also more likely to come in contact with the fecal matter of other kittens before they are litter box trained, increasing the risk of catching worms. Kittens can be infected by a wide variety of worms, including roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms. Worms can leech nutrition from the food a kitten eats or attach to the intestinal wall and draw blood from a kitten, both of which can affect the kitten's health.
Fleas
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A flea infestation is irritating for all pet owners, but there are special risks associated with kittens. Because of their small size, they are more prone to develop anemia from blood loss caused by fleas feeding on them. They can also contract parasites, such as tapeworm, from the fleas that bite them. Most products intended to kill fleas are too strong for a kitten's developing body, so use extreme caution when treating your home or pets for fleas.
Ear Mites
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Ear mites are very tiny bugs that can infect the ears of cats and dogs. They can cross contaminate between species and are passed from pet to pet. Ear mites can cause itching, bleeding and congestion in a kitten's ears. Intense scratching of the ears can cause a kitten to rupture an ear drum, creating a situation that may invite bacterial infection of the ear. A ruptured ear drum can also affect a kitten's balance and ability to walk or jump.
Malnutrition
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Kittens require their mother's milk for proper nutrition. Weaning a kitten too early can cause malnutrition and can stunt a kitten's growth. A mother cat will normally fully wean her kittens by eight weeks of age, although they can safely be introduced to kitten food from about four weeks of age. Kittens have different nutritional needs than adult cats and need to be fed food formulated to address those needs. If you have adult cats and kittens, you will need to separate their food until your kitten reaches 12 months of age.
Diseases
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Kittens are susceptible to the diseases their mother may have. The two most severe diseases passed on from mother to kitten are the feline leukemia virus and the feline immunodeficiency virus. Of the two diseases, feline leukemia virus is the more deadly. Kittens who contract feline leukemia virus rarely live beyond a few weeks. Fortunately, there are vaccinations available to prevent cats and kittens from contracting this deadly disease. Feline immunodeficiency virus has no vaccination available, but is less deadly to kittens. Some kittens may never show symptoms of the disease, but it does increase their risk for other types of infection throughout their lifetime.
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