The way your kitten experiences veterinary care in the first months of their life creates associations that carry forward for years. A positive first visit sets the foundation for a lifetime of lower-stress care.
What Happens
Building trust from the very beginning.
1
Behavioral & Developmental Assessment
We observe your kitten’s comfort level, handling tolerance, socialization stage, and response to the environment before any examination begins. Always at their pace.
2
Full Physical Examination
Weight, body condition, eyes, ears, heart and lungs, abdomen, oral cavity, skin and coat, musculoskeletal assessment. We establish a baseline that makes change detectable across every future visit.
3
Individualized Vaccination Planning
We build a schedule based on your kitten’s specific age, risk profile, and any prior vaccination history. We explain every recommendation before we make it.
4
Parasite Screening & Nutrition
Intestinal parasites are common in kittens regardless of origin. We test and treat appropriately, and discuss nutritional needs based on their growth stage.
5
Spay/Neuter Planning & Year-One Roadmap
We map out the recommended care timeline for your kitten’s first year, follow-up vaccines, spay or neuter timing, and behavioral milestones to support at home.
The Critical Window
The first months shape the whole cat.
Kittens have a primary socialization period that closes around 7 to 9 weeks of age, but positive early experiences continue to shape behavioral flexibility through the first six months. Every novel, safe experience during this window builds emotional resilience that persists for life.
Come Even When Nothing Is Wrong
Wellness visits during kittenhood, even when your kitten is healthy, matter. Familiarity with the environment, the team, and the handling process reduces fear at every subsequent visit.
Carrier Tip for Kittens
Start carrier training from day one. Use a feline pheromone product rather than a specific brand, the principle matters more than the label. A kitten who grows up comfortable with their carrier becomes a Cat who travels without dread.
What to Bring
Records from the breeder, rescue, or shelter, vaccines and deworming dates especially
Your kitten in a secure top-loading carrier with familiar bedding and a feline pheromone product applied 30 minutes before
Know the food you are currently feeding, brand, type, and any treats given (you do not need to bring it)
Notes about your home environment: other Cats, outdoor access, general temperament
Your questions, this visit is explicitly designed for them
“Kittens who have positive early veterinary experiences consistently show lower Fear-Anxiety-Stress scores throughout their lives.”
CatsOnly Clinical Team
Questions before your visit?
Our Feline Experience Specialists are available to take your calls during clinic hours.
