Congrats on your new kitty. We wish you many happy years together.
Cats these days live 15-20 years. That's a whole lot of kitty love!
Reminders:
Kittens are cats under 12 months of age and should be eating Kitten Food. At the one year mark, slowly transition them to indoor adult food over the course of 10 days to not upset their tummies (mix new into the old).
Kittens need 3 boosters of FVRCP aka Feline Distemper. This prevents upper respiratory infection and other illnesses. Check your records email to see if all 3 boosters have been done already or if you need to finish the series with your vet. After series is complete, adult cats will only need one booster annually.
Litter boxes are the best indicators of health. Check your litter box at least once a month to see what's going on and know what's normal for your cat. Runny, smelly, off-color stools, pink or red urine and lack of litter box usage are all indicators something is wrong and you need to get kitty to the vet ASAP.
Skipping meals is a NO NO. People can usually afford to miss a meal or 2. Cats cannot! If your cat isn't eating or drinking, get them to the vet ASAP as it's an indicator something is seriously wrong.
Florida Law requires all cats are vaccinated against Rabies. There are one, two and three year versions. Consult with your vet to see what they recommend.
Annual exams are necessary for "healthy looking" cats. Cats are great at masking issues. Be sure to take them in for annual exams to catch and treat anything early.
Have a plan for if something happens to you or you pass away: https://animalcaretrustusa.org/
Emergency Vet Clinics:
Veterinary Emergency Clinic of Central Florida 407-644-4449
24/7 Animal Hospital of Orlando 407-298-3807
Transfer ownership of your microchip:
We use 24Pet.com for our microchips. All cats are linked under us. Once you adopt, you'll receive an email with info on how to transfer it over to you (check your spam folder if you don't see it). Be sure to check your chip annually to ensure your contact and emergency contact info is current. Keep Anita Sanders 407-460-2305 SpayTheStrays@aol.com as one of your emergency contacts as well. If your cat is lost and you are out of town, we will get and hold the cat for you.
Lost/Found Pets: We hope your pet is NEVER lost but if so, Petco has some great resources and info on their website, including Petco Love Lost, which is FREE and uses facial recognition to reunite pets and owners: https://lost.petcolove.org/
24PetWatch can help with lost pets too. www.My24Pet.com has lots of helpful info for you.
Feel free to call/text Anita at 407-460-2305 for help as well. She is great at trying to help get pets home as well.
Pet Insurance can help offset the costs of vet care.
Pet Supermarket offers Spot Insurance: https://spotpetins.com/sample-policy
Petco Vital Insurance: https://www.petco.com/shop/PetcoInsuranceView?cm_mmc=OTC-_-STR-_-NBU-_-INS-_-PET-_-AWE-_-InStoreVanityURL-_-Insurance-VanityURL-_-VanityURL-_-InsuranceLP
PetSmart Insurance options: https://benefits.petsmart.com/us/discounts-and-offerings/pet-insurance/
Here are some links as well:
10 Tips for New Cat Owners | PetMD
10 Tips to Help You Become the Best Cat Owner Ever | The Dog People by Rover.com
First time cat owner? Here are 10 things you need to know - Tractive
How to Avoid 9 Common Cat Owner Mistakes (thesprucepets.com)
Jackson Galaxy and Hannah Shaw are some great resources for all things cat:
Home - Jackson Galaxy
Kitten Lady