BRINGING THE NEW KITTEN HOME

Why am I insistent that the new kitten be isolated for a period of two weeks?

We all want to automatically walk in the door with our newest kitten and immediately introduce one and all to each other, but this is not advisable. Your new kitten is in excellent health, all the shots given, your current cats are all inoculated and in excellent health... so what possible harm can there be? Each environment carries its own little flora and fauna of the infectious disease world... and even though we cannot see any problems, moving to a new home away from siblings and known environment can sometimes be too much stress for the kitten. It is not common but also not unusual for a kitten to react to stress by having loose stools and upper respiratory infections. It is also not out of the ordinary for the resident cat to find the new kid a bit stressful... so the best advice is to allow a period of time to elapse that would allow any latent infections to come to the surface rather than expose the cats to possible infectious disease.

For a corollary think of a day care center and the spreading of germs... cats are much the same. In the two week period the cats are exposed to each other, under the doorways, by smell , and sound they gradually get to know that there are other cats . This allows for a smooth transition.

Do I insist that this be what you do?    I understand the temptation to not wait the recommended amount of time... but my guarantee of health is based on the isolation for two weeks, vet exam for health, and your confidence that everyone is in good health.

CATALOGS

Another toy source is cat shows. There are often vendors with creative toys at reasonable prices. This is also a good source for some of those climbing toys.

VET VISIT

I ask that this be done within the first seven days unless we have made other arrangements and it is in writing.   The main reason is your assurance  of the kitten/cat's health and if there is anything wrong that we did not pick up here.   Kittens in new homes often have changes that cause stress, stress tends to act on them as it does on us... so err on the side of caution and REMEMBER have your vet call mine with ANY questions.

The following are what the kittens have had:  A note here.  Vaccinations have become more controversial of late.  The idea of vaccines is simply to create an immune system that can handle exposure to disease.   So, I follow my veterinarian's advice and give the following... your veterinarian may be different, so speak to them about what they are doing and let me know. 

What my veterinarian checks for:

If all is well with a kitten.  It is simply not written up, sometimes you will see the PE WNL on the sheet ... meaning Physical Exam, Within Normal Limits.   The main things to note are given to you.  Weight, temperature, vaccine date and when the next vaccines are due. 

This  chart  will arrive with your kitten.  Take this to the veterinarian with you.  A post card is attached to the form for your veterinarian to fill out and send to me at the time of the first seven day health visit this post card activates the guarantee.

Take this record with you when your veterinarian sees the kitten. The kitten must be fully immunized and often, due to age, has not received all the series. This record will allow your veterinarian to clearly see what needs to be given. 

Attached to this record is a self addressed stamped post card that MUST be sent to me to keep your health guarantee.   This post card merely shows the kitten was seen, the date it was seen, who your vet is and what was found.  

VACCINES DUE:

The dates are noted for you. 

Note:  Feline Corona virus (FCoV).  The test for FCoV looks for  an exposure to a benign virus that has produced antibodies.   While up to 85% of all cats are estimated to have been exposed to Feline Corona virus (thus the test is positive for antibodies), it is understood that the corona virus mutates into Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) which is fatal, in only 1-5% of the positive cats for Corona virus.  The lack of a specific test and the inability to accurately diagnose FIP without an autopsy, leaves the breeder, the owner,  and the veterinarian with little to go on.   Understand.  The presence of a corona titer is not indicative of FIP, the mutation takes place in the individual cat and is not understood to be "transferable from one cat to another."   While corona viruses are shared, FIP is not something that is "caught."

My approach to cat breeding is to be as cutting edge with what is available as possible and to offer to you the best guarantees that I can.    Because of this, I can guarantee that I do everything possible to minimize exposure to Corona virus, make sure that there is little stress in the life of the kittens and cats,  select only strong, healthy breeding cats for my program and, if one should become ill from the virus, replace the kitten as soon as possible.  Even in sterile, clinical environments where extensive testing is done, Corona virus has been found after specifically selecting against it!  Because of the nature of the virus,  I cannot guarantee that any Akerrs  cats or kittens will not have Corona virus exposure but I will guarantee that I do all I can to minimize any and all health issues and respond appropriately should any problem occur. 

At this time I cannot recommend the FIP vaccines,  you must work this out with your veterinarian.   Most veterinarians and breeders do not  check for Corona virus titers because they are so ambiguous and can give both false positives and negatives.    The vaccine is relatively new and thus not tested over years.  This leaves us in a quandary... one of those situations where the more you know, the more you know you do not know.... 

I became increasingly aware of the need for more information through an email list  I co-moderated, this is a support list that advises on cattery management and with issues concerning Feline Infectious Peritonitis.   The more we understand the more effective we can be.   Because this is a virus that typically effects the young, under one year of age or the very old... (known as an opportunistic virus)  I searched out some options.    Thus,  the insurance option is offered to you.   See below:

Final note:

It is my goal to make sure you have the healthiest, well socialized and beautiful animal as possible.  I want to enhance your life... please know that you can ask me any questions and that your vet can contact mine for phone consultation.

Stay in touch!