If it's a routine procedure, they're generally able to go home that same night. There are certain circumstances with more involved surgeries where we like to keep them overnight, but the routine ones typically can go home a couple of hours post-surgery.

Yes. We recommend pulling your pet's food the night before surgery. They can eat dinner that night, but no food or treats after midnight is acceptable. They can have water up until the morning of surgery before you guys drop them off.

That's a great question. I definitely recommend spaying and neutering for every kitten that comes in. It improves their longevity and prevents any diseases or complications in the future. I recommend spaying and neutering kittens when they're around five to six months old.

I recommend using a monthly preventative for heartworm, fleas, and ticks, even for indoor kittens. I personally like to recommend using Revolution monthly, which also has a dewormer in it. For young kittens, testing fecal samples and ensuring they don't have any intestinal parasites, and if they do, we may need to deworm them, is also good preventative care for young kittens.

Yes. I still recommend vaccines, and I even give my own cats vaccines yearly, even though they are indoor cats. They could still be exposed to different viruses and diseases. Again, rabies is required by law, so that's also recommended for indoor cats.

There are a few core vaccines that you can discuss with your veterinarian, including rabies, which is required by law. There is a combo vaccine called FVRCP that protects them against a few different types of viruses. That is recommended as well. Then there is a FeLV vaccine. Based on your cat's exposure, your veterinarian will discuss those vaccines and recommend what's appropriate.

While they're young, around eight weeks, they will be going quite often, potentially every three to four weeks. We complete the series of vaccines in the first few months of their life. After they're fully vaccinated and if they get spayed or neutered, it'll usually be a yearly exam. But initially, there are quite a few kitten exams and visits to the veterinarian.

That's a great question. You can ask any question that you like or think of. I recommend asking about kitten behavior and what to expect as they grow in your house. You can also ask about the vaccines, when they will be due and why we give them. You can ask about spaying and neutering your kitten, as well as monthly preventatives. You can even ask how to introduce them to other pets that might be in your house or other family members.

At your kitten's first veterinary visit, you should expect that your veterinarian will perform a full exam on your kitten. We will also take their weight and temperature and listen to the heart and lungs. We might recommend some vaccines depending on age and previous medical history. We may recommend a fecal test or a FeLV-FIV snap test. So there may be some testing or vaccines recommended as well.