This is a time to be patient as the first few hours after bringing your kitten (or cat) home can have a big effect on how he accepts his new life.

Set aside a room for your cat that he feels secure in. Territory is very important to cats, give him space to play and plenty of toys. He needs an area for food and water that should be far away from his litter tray. If possible put his litter tray in a private location.

He needs a scratching post and a place to sleep in as well as a hiding place, this can be a cardboard box or a space under a bed.

Cats feel more relaxed if they can look around from a height so make use of shelves or a chest of drawers.

For the first few days it is advisable to feed your kitten the same food it is used to and at the same times. When he has settled in you can gradually change the diet. At PowisVets we recommend feeding a high quality kitten food such as the Royal Canin VCN diets which we sell in reception.

These are designed to satisfy all your cat’s needs from the beginning of his life to the end. Come in and ask one of our team about the range.

Cats like to eat little and often. You can feed food in feeding balls or scattered around the house to help alleviate boredom and mimic his natural hunting behaviour.

Your kitten needs a set of vaccinations at 9 weeks and 12 weeks old These will help protect him against viral cat “flu” a widespread and highly infectious disease, feline leukaemia a relatively common disease that is potentially fatal and panleucopaenia an uncommon disease in the UK which is potentially fatal.

Adult cats need a booster vaccination once a year.

Your kitten needs worming once every 2 weeks until he is 3 months old and then once a month until he is 6 months.

Afterwards regular worming at least every 3 months is recommended to protect your cat and your family. If your kitten becomes a prolific hunter he will need worming more often. Our staff can advise you on the correct amount of times to worm him.

Fleas and ear mites are common in kittens and cats. Fleas can cause severe itching and allergies in cats. Fleas also transmit tapeworm.

There are a range of different types of treatment for fleas and worms we can help you find the best product for your kitten. Effective, safe veterinary products for fleas and worms can be purchased from reception, provided cat has been seen by one of our vets within a reasonable period. This is a legal requirement for all prescription medicines.

Kittens reach sexual maturity from around the age of 5-8 months and therefore can breed and produce kittens themselves. There are many unwanted cats and kittens already looking for homes and most people do not want to add to this so they will have their cats neutered. Male cats are castrated (removing the testes) and female cats are spayed (removing the ovaries and uterus). We recommend booking your cat in to be neutered when he/she is 5-6 months old.

The female cat’s first season occurs at about 6 months old but can be sooner, she can have up to three litters a year. It is important to neuter her before she can have kittens. When she is in season she will “call” about every three weeks. This will attract all the entire male cats in the neighbourhood to your house where they are likely to spray, fight and caterwaul to get her attention! Many unwanted kittens are not cared for and likely to suffer from diseases. Female cats that are not neutered are more likely to suffer from pyometra (an infection of the womb) and mammary tumours.

Unneutered male cats are normally roam over a large area; they mark their territory with a very strong smelling spray and are more likely to fight. Fighting can spreads diseases such as FeLV and FIV to other cats; it can cause injuries and abscesses. Also because they are wandering a large area they are more likely to have a road traffic accident.

An unneutered cat is more likely to wander from home and not come back, he may spray in the house and be aggressive to owners. One male cat will mate many females in the area producing a lot more unwanted kittens. It is best to neuter kittens early enough to prevent these problems occurring.