Found a stray kitten. What health steps before bringing it home?

You may want to call around . I’m our area many practices will do a new pet exam at no fee, then you can schedule for vaccines and such for next week. If you don’t plan to keep the kitty you can take to the humane society or animal control. If the kitten seems bright and alert and healthy then waiting a week for an exam and vaccines is probably ok as well. Regardless you should have her scanned for a microchip as she may be lost and her family may be looking for her. Any veterinary hospital can do this at no charge. Good luck and thanks for using Pet Coach.

Congratulations on your new cat! The things you need to do are get all the vaccines (boosters included), a Feline Leukemia and FIV test, treatment for fleas and worms, and have his feces checked for parasites. Other potential actions are a microchip and a dental cleaning. Your veterinarian will do a physical exam and then let you know what else may need to be done. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Congratulations on your new kitties! I would recommend taking them to the vet for a check-up when you're able to. The vet will listen to their heart and lungs, and will also check for fleas, ear mites, and other problems that are common in stray cats. Usually, a fecal exam for parasites and FeLV/FIV testing would also be recommended. If they seem healthy, your veterinarian will probably also recommend having them vaccinated for feline distemper, feline leukemia, and rabies.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is certainly possible depending on her behavior towards you. If she is friendly then yes it should be ok. I would highly recommend that you take her to your veterinarian to check her pregnancy status and also at least run some general labwork to check on her general condition. They can also start her on preventative care. Best of luck!

It would be helpful to know how old your kitten might be - if it is very young the feeding and care are very different when compared to an older kitten that has already been weaned. Below are a couple of websites that have lots of good information on general cat and kitten care. I would recommend taking it to a veterinarian promptly to establish care and to make sure there aren't any health concerns since it was a stray kitten. You can also discuss a vaccination and deworming schedule depending on its age. https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/cat_care_essentials.html

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Congratulations! I recommend at 5 months for the first visit to consist of: fecal test, deworming even if the fecal test is negative, feline leukemia and FIV testing, the FVRCP vaccine every 3 weeks for a total of 2 and the Rabies vaccine. I also recommend spaying and neutering after 6 months of age. I recommend feeding ahigh quality kitten food like Purina Proplan, Hill's Science Diet or Royal Canin until 1 year of age. To watch the weight after 6 months I recommend meal feeding. I wish you the very best!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Depending on her age, the kitten may not be able to break down the milk sugar called lactose much like people with Lactose Intolerance. I wouldn't advise giving milk since it can cause cramping, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal upset. I would advise getting her to your veterinarian right away for an examination. Depending on her age they will advise you on pertinent testing (Feline Leukemia, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), vaccinations, and deworming to get her off on the right track. Great job saving her and good luck