Do you mind getting your finger off of my throat?

Although it is not necessary to take your kitten to the veterinarian more that once every 12 months or so – unless your kitten is sick or injured, of course – there are some actions you can follow which will help to ensure your kitten’s health.

Once per week, take 5 to 10 minutes to visually examine your kitten – looking for anything that looks out-of-the-ordinary. 

Kitten Movement
Call your kitten to you – how is he moving?  How is his walk – is he favoring one leg over the other?

Kitten Eyes
Now look closely at your kitten’s eyes – are they healthy looking and clear?  They should not be cloudy.  Also, watch for any discharge from or around your kittens eyes – there should be none.  On the off chance that there is a discharge, clean the area and then check again in 24 hours.  If the discharge returns, then make an appointment with the vet.

Kitten Nose
Similar to the kitten’s eyes, the nose should be moist with no discharge.  If there is a discharge, clean the area and check it again in 24 hours. If the discharge returns, then make an appointment with the vet.

Kitten Ears
And similar to the kitten’s eys and nose, a healthy kitten’s ears should be relatively clean with no discharge.  If a dicharge is found, the clean the area and check again in 24 hours. If the discharge returns, then make an appointment with the vet.

Kitten Mouth
Normally a kitten’s teeth should be white.  Open your kitten’s mouth carefully to inspect this.  Also, look for missing teeth.

Kitten Body
Check for lumps and bumps on your kitten’s tummy and back.  If anything seems out of the ordinary, put a call into your vet.

Kitten Fur
Inspect the state of your kitten’s fur.  Is the fur healthly looking? Is some of the fur falling out?  Does the fur look dull or even greasy?  These symptoms can be caused from a nutritional deficiency.  Also, a problem with fleas can problems with fur falling out.  You can try bathing and regular brushing if you suspect it might help, other wise check with your vet.