Vaccines explained: core, lifestyle

A kitten changes more in twelve months than a cat does in the ten years that follow. This guide walks through the year in three stretches, so you know what is normal, what is due and what is worth a call.

Every kitten is different. Use the months as a rough map, not a timetable.

Weeks 8 to 12: settling in

The first month at home is about feeling safe. Give them one quiet room to start with, the same food the breeder or shelter used, and a litter tray they can reach without crossing the dog.

Book a first check-up in the first week. We look at weight, eyes, ears, teeth and tummy, and start the vaccine course.

• First vaccines at 8 or 9 weeks, second round at 12

• Worming every two weeks until 12 weeks

• Microchip at the second visit

Months 3 to 6: vaccines and the zoomies

Confidence arrives around month three, usually at 5am. Play is how kittens learn to hunt, so short sessions with a wand toy twice a day will save your ankles and your furniture.

Adult teeth come through between months four and six. A little chewing is normal. Dribbling, a bad smell or going off food is not.

• Final kitten vaccines at around 16 weeks

• Neutering from 4 months, earlier than most people expect

• Switch to monthly flea and worm treatment

Months 6 to 12: growing up

By six months your kitten looks like a small cat but still eats like a growing one. Stay on kitten food until their first birthday, and weigh them monthly so you can spot a trend before it becomes a problem.

This is also the best time to practise the things they will need for life: the carrier, having their paws handled and a quick look in the mouth.

When to call us

Most first-year worries turn out to be nothing. These are the ones we would always rather hear about the same day.

• Not eating for more than 24 hours

• Vomiting or diarrhoea that lasts longer than a day

• Straining in the litter tray

• A swollen tummy, or sudden hiding and quietness