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Cat Advice

Top tips on caring for your cat

  • Cat Vaccinations
  • Parasite Prevention
  • Microchipping
  • Dental Advice
  • Weight and Nutritional Advice
  • Neutering

Cat Vaccinations

At Wellpets, we highly recommend providing the best protection for your pet by means of regular vaccination against serious diseases.

Your pet will also receive a full and thorough health check with your vet before any booster or primary vaccination is given - this is all part of the service. It is essential to make sure your pet is in tip-top condition to have their injection, and it is a perfect opportunity to discuss any other issues like parasite control, diet, or any concerns you may have.
 
It is important to ensure you follow advice about when your pet is due a booster vaccination. Extensive research has been carried out to show how long immunity from vaccines lasts. If your pet is overdue, they are not protected and may need to have a restart course. Your vet will be able to advise you on this.

Vaccinations are included in The Pet Health Club, just one of the many benefits that The Pet Health Club scheme offers. 

 
Cats are vaccinated against:

  • Cat flu
  • Feline enteritis (similar to Parvo virus in dogs)
  • Feline leukaemia virus

Kittens start their vaccine course from 9 weeks old and have 2 injections (3-4 weeks apart). It is recommended not to let kittens go outside until after their vaccine course (or even better, until after they are neutered) as they can very easily pick up diseases early, especially cat flu.

Booster vaccinations are annual and highly advised. Catteries will often insist that cats are up to date with their vaccines, and some insurance companies do too.

Cats can also be vaccinated against Rabies, ask us to find out more.

Parasite Prevention

Regular parasite prevention is an important part of your pet’s routine healthcare, throughout their lives. Here at Wellpets, we provide a wide range of products which can be tailored to suit your individual pet’s needs.

Flea treatment for cats:

Fleas are the most common parasites caught by cats. They are small, wingless insects, with back legs that are modified for jumping. Fleas cause itching, they also transmit worms and will bite humans. The majority of a flea’s life cycle (approx. 95%) occurs away from the animal – in your home and environment. 

Adult fleas feed on your pet’s blood and lay thousands of microscopic eggs each, which fall off into the environment. It is important to understand the flea life cycle when choosing a flea product, to ensure it's targeted at treating both the pet and the environmental load.

You can help protect your cat from fleas with correct advice and treatment. We generally do not recommend non-prescription products as they are not effective. Speak to our friendly vets and nurses who can advise and provide you with safe, effective flea prevention and treatments for your cat.

Worming treatment cats:

As a caring pet owner, you will know that worms come with the territory. Pets can be suffering with worms without showing any obvious symptoms, so worming your pet is important. Worms carried by cats can pose a health risk, not just to the pet in question but to other animals, and to humans.
Worms sound unpleasant because they are. They are parasites that live in intestines, affecting how your cat digests its food. 

Tick treatment for cats:

Ticks are small, spider-like arachnid parasites that feed on your pet’s blood and can cause a lot of discomfort and more serious health problems if left untreated. If you find a tick on your pet, please book an appointment so our trained veterinary staff can remove the tick with the safest agents available.

You can spread the cost of your parasite treatment across the year with The Pet Health Club.

Microchipping

Why should I microchip my cat?

Microchipping has become a very popular and safe way to permanently identify pets - and owners - if they get lost. Every year, thousands of lost pets are reunited with their owners by having a microchip. 

Microchipping involves placing a small electronic chip, the size and shape of a grain of rice, just under the skin in the neck area.

If lost pets are found and taken to any veterinary practice or animal charity, they will be able to scan your pet for the chip and contact you, reuniting you with your beloved pet.

Microchipping is included in The Pet Health Club.

Dental Advice

Dental disease in cats is very common. Without adequate dental hygiene, cats' teeth will develop dental plaque, formed from bacteria. If left, plaque can form tartar. The acid created by the bacteria in plaque severely damages the surface of the teeth and irritates the gums; leading to inflammation of the gums, damage to the tissues around the teeth and, potentially, tooth loss.
 
Signs of dental disease can include:

  • Bad breath
  • Red or bleeding gums
  • Dribbling
  • Difficulty eating or reduced appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Pawing or rubbing at the face 

Looking after your cat’s teeth is just as important as looking after your own. It is an important part of maintaining their overall health. Dental issues often go unrecognised, but the pain they cause may have serious effects on your cat’s behaviour and general health. Like most things, prevention of dental disease is much better than cure.

Brushing should be introduced as young as possible. At Wellpets, we can provide special toothbrushes exclusively for cats, and meat or poultry flavoured toothpaste! You can make an appointment for a dental check with one of our nurses or vets; they can demonstrate how to brush your cat’s teeth, advise you on the best products and provide you with the correct diet to help maintain good dental health.

Additionally, we are fully equipped for any dental problem your cat may be suffering with. Our operating theatres contain compressed air dental machinery and manual dental equipment to enable efficient cleaning and removal of any damaged teeth.

Pet Health Club members also receive 10% off any dental treatment received. 

Weight and Nutritional Advice

Animals have various nutritional requirements depending on their age, breed and health status. Decisions regarding your pet’s nutrition should not be made without first consulting a vet.

Senior animals have significantly different requirements to young puppies or kittens. Animals with diabetes or kidney disease also have different requirements. One of our fully trained Wellpets vets can make informed decisions regarding your pet’s diet.

Neutering

Here at Wellpets, we recommend neutering for cats. Cats can be neutered from around 5 months of age.

There are many benefits of neutering which include:

  • Preventing unwanted pregnancies
  • Reduction of unwanted sexual behaviour (such as spraying and roaming)
  • For males, it can reduce the risk of testicular cancer and prostate disease
  • Reduces the risk of mammary gland tumours, ovarian and uterine cancer

For more information about neutering, please contact us.

Pet Health Club members will also receive 20% off when their pet is neutered at Wellpets.

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