Cats are routinely vaccinated against Feline Enteritis and Cat Flu.

The feline AIDS vaccine is a new vaccine & is recommended in cats that will be going outdoors. Feline AIDS is transmitted mainly during cat fights (saliva to blood transmission). The large numbers of cats in the Inner West, both stray & domestic, make cat fights difficult to avoid. The Feline AIDS vaccine does not offer total protection against AIDS but given the seriousness if the disease it is worth giving. Discuss this new vaccine with the vet during your consultation. You cannot catch human AIDS or HIV from a cat.

The Feline Leukaemia vaccination is also available. The Leukaemia virus is transmitted via saliva (when cats groom each other or in a fight). Contracting the Leukaemia virus is always fatal. It can cause cancer (especially Siamese cats), but the virus is not common in Sydney. The vaccination is safe and will provide immunity against the disease.

As of the 1st of July 1999 all new cats and kittens must be microchipped and registered with the NSW Companion Animal Register. By law should do this done at the point of sale or transfer irrespective of the cat/kittens age. Desexed animals are cheaper to register with the council.

The best age to desex your cat is 5-6months. Most females do not come into heat prior to this and most males do not begin to spray or become territorial before this age. Please call to make a surgery appointment.

Both tinned & dry commercial preparations are fully balanced diets for kittens and cats. Stay away from the cheaper “No Name” brands as they may lack the essential nutrients. Never feed your cat or kitten only fresh meat, kittens especially grow very quickly and need a lot of calcium and vitamins. Fresh meat does not contain all the essential calcium and vitamins your cat or kitten requires. Giving your kitten cat milk cannot make up for the lack of calcium in fresh meat. Lack of calcium in their diet will lead to poor growth, and are more likely to fracture their soft bones.

In addition to tinned and or a dry food diet it is important to introduce chicken necks or wings to help keep their teeth clean. Chicken necks or wings should be given 2-3 times a week. if your kitten will not eat these or it is not practical the nurses can recommend a commercial dry food for teeth care.

Always provide fresh litter for your kitten. It is a good idea to use the same litter as the pet shop/breeder used as they will be familiar with this and less likely to go in inappropriate places.

Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitos, so your dog does not have come into contact with other dogs to become infected. The mosquito injects the heartworm larvae into your dog’s blood stream while feeding on its blood.

It is essential that all dogs in Sydney be on heartworm prevention. This will kill the larvae before they can mature. The mature adult heartworms live in the heart and major blood vessels and cause heart failure.

Puppies should start heartworm prevention at 12 weeks of age or earlier. There are many different heartworm preventative products, so you will need to discuss this with your vet and choose the product that suits your routine.

If your adult dog is not on heartworm prevention or has missed treatments you will need to speak to a vet about having a heartworm test. Heartworm disease is treatable if your animal is tested and diagnosed prior to the development of heart disease. If you forget to give your dog it’s tablets we recommend at his/her next yearly vaccination you change over to the heartworm injection. This is given yearly and saves you having to remember to give a monthly tablet.

Puppies learn ‘dog language’ between 8-18 weeks of age; this allows them to communicate and play well with other dogs. They can only learn this language if they mix with other dogs during this period – puppies that do not mix with other dogs between 8-18 weeks are more likely (for the rest of their life) to be aggressive when other dogs are around or bark at them continuously. It is important then that you introduce your pup to other dogs. Our Puppy preschool is fun and designed to help with socialization as well as help you to understand why your puppy behaves the way he does, also to help you teach him in a non threatening way to behave the way you want him to. Take your puppy, as long as he is vaccinated to meet friends (vaccinated) dogs. It is also good for your puppies to spend time with children.

Give your puppy lots of TLC and remember he /she is very young and learning all the time. Positive reinforcement – rewarding good behaviour and ignoring bad is the most effective way to raise a happy content, non-aggressive dog.

The best way to toilet train your dog is to use positive reinforcement. Take your puppy outside where you want him to go – if he goes in the correct area praise him and give him/her a treat, for example a liver treat or a piece of schmako.

Do this first thing in the morning, and last thing at night after every meal and every time he/she wakes up. If puppy goes inside, it does not help to rub puppy’s nose in it or smack the puppy as this will just make your puppy nervous .If you catch the puppy going in the house change your tone of voice say NO and put puppy outside. Be patient – some dogs learn quickly and others take longer but all will learn in the end.