The Cat Group, which is made up of twenty organisations dedicated to feline welfare, has launched the Kitten Checklist, which the BVA is now urging all veterinary practices to share with their clients and breeders.

The Group says the new checklist has been developed to help potential new owners find a happy, healthy kitten, and to avoid the heartache and potential costs involved with taking on a sick kitten or one which is frightened of people.

The Kitten Checklist includes suggestions to view the kitten with its mother, tips on spotting signs of ill health or asking about inherited conditions, what to ask about the kitten’s breeding and history, how to assess its behaviour and judge how comfortable the kitten is likely to be around people.

BVA President Daniella Dos Santos said: "Buying or homing a new kitten is a huge decision but as vets we’re aware that many people may make it quite rashly, basing their choice on looks or emotion and not asking the right questions.

"Sometimes it will work out okay but the aftermath of poor decisions can range from frustrating and costly to completely devastating. No one wants to unknowingly take home a kitten that is suffering from a hidden health condition or that will be distressed or anxious in its new surroundings, and no vet enjoys breaking the news that a young animal may need extensive and costly treatment before it has even settled into its new home."

The Kitten Checklist can be downloaded from: http://www.thecatgroup.org.uk/pdfs/The-Kitten-Checklist.pdf.

If you'd like to share the Kitten Checklist on your practice social media page, right click on the image above, save to your computer, upload to Facebook with a comment about the new Checklist, adding the url it can be downloaded from to your post.

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