When a client decides to get a kitten, will their choice be one based on cute and fluffy, or do they know what to look for? As their veterinarian, you can help guide them by offering tips that characterize an ideal kitten.

Finding the Ideal Kitten for Your Client

Age and Socialization
The best time to get a kitten is after they are weaned and eating on their own, usually between 10 to 12 weeks old. Waiting until they reach this age also gives the kitten a better chance of being properly socialized, which will help them fit in better with other family members and pets.
Socialized kittens are easy to detect. They are:

• Eager for your attention
• Relax when picked up
• Purr when stroked
• Playful

A less socialized kitten will be observed as one that may:

• Shy away from being picked up
• Appear tense and withdrawn
• Interacts poorly with littermates
• Seem timid.

If clients are choosing between the two types of dispositions, a shy and timid kitten may not be the best fit for a household with children.

• Nose should be cool and damp
• Watch for:
• Any type of nasal discharge which could indicate a respiratory infection
• Eyes should be bright and clear and look straight ahead
• Watch for:
• Any type of eye discharge which may point to a respiratory infection
• If the third eyelid is visible, it may indicate an eye condition or poor health
• Cross-eyed trait, which happens in Siamese breed
• Ears should be clean and have a sweet smell
• Watch for:
• Dark brown, waxy discharge in its ear canal which may mean kitten has mites
• Mites can be cleared up and should not be a disqualifier, but it does give an indication of how the kitten has been cared for
• Stomach
• Watch for:
• Swollen stomach, which may indicate poor feeding or worms
• Bulge at the navel, cause is likely an umbilical hernia
• Anus and vulva skin should be clean and look healthy
• Watch for:
• Any redness, discharge or hair loss which could indicate worms, chronic diarrhea, various infections, poor feeding
• Coat should look glossy, fluffy, and be free of matting
• Watch for:
• Moth-eaten or bare areas as they indicate ringworm and mange
• Skin should look and smell clean
• Watch for:
• Oily or dirty feel which could indicate poor feeding or dirty environment
• Dandruff-like flakes which indicate poor feeding
• Small black bits of dirt which mean the kitten probably has fleas and tapeworm
• Skeletal structure, when examined the kitten should have:
• Legs that are straight and well-formed
• Feet should be cupped and the toes arched
• Try to observe the kitten at play, it should be able to jump, pounce, and run easily
• Watch for:
• Kittens with uncoordinated movements with their front paws
• Kittens who limp, stumble, or sway when walking
• Weight
• At 10 weeks, a kitten should weigh about 2 pounds
• Watch for:
• Thin, bony, kittens who are underweight
• Overly fat kittens.

Informed clients that know what to look for, and also what to look out for, stand a better chance of choosing a kitten that will be healthy, not just as a kitten, but possibly for all of its life.

Contact your Covetrus representative at 855.724.3461 for more information on what a kitten needs to grow up healthy and happy!