New kittens 'should be isolated from older cats for two weeks'

Tuesday, 9 March 2010 19:54

Animal lovers considering adopting and insuring kittens may be interested in hearing one veterinarian's recent advice to keep your new baby cat separate from other adult felines who may share your house.

According to Reena Shah, an animal advice columnist for North Jersey, kittens can pose a health risk to other moggies as they are often unvaccinated and have not developed immunity to minor illnesses.

"A new kitten can be a lot of fun, but not at the expense of your older companions. Routine health care is paramount at every life stage," the pet health care expert testifies.

She suggests isolating the kitty for a few weeks and allowing older cats and other pets to slowly become accustomed to the new arrival in this manner.

Furthermore, ensuring your new kitten gets checked thoroughly for intestinal parasites, respiratory infections and more serious viruses like FIP - a terminal and untreatable disease which affects the nervous system and can in some cases lead to the kitten's body filling up irreversibly with fluid.

Animal Friends are a specialist pet insurance company providing dog insurance and cat insurance to British pet owners since 1999 and we now offer horse insurance too.

Posted by Angela