Health and your kitten

Feeding your kitten with ADVANCE®

ADVANCE is a range of super premium foods for cats for all different lifestages, lifestyles and special needs.

All ADVANCE products in both dry and wet formats are made here in Australia and offer excellent digestibility, proven through non invasive feeding studies.

The recipes all deliver guaranteed palatability and contain no artificial colours. As additional proof of our confidence in the performance of our products, all the ADVANCE range offers an unconditional 100 per cent money-back guarantee.

Food requirements vary depending on a number of factors including your cats breed, sex, age and activity level. The ADVANCE feed guide table is provided as a guide only and actual feeding amounts should be based on your kitten's body condition, weight and level of activity. Always ensure that an adequate supply of clean, fresh water is readily available.

Until weaning, mothers milk will supply all the nutritional needs of kittens. After this time kittens begin to take an interest in other foods. Growing kittens have great demand for nutrients, especially when they are small, so it is important that their first foods are highly palatable, easy to eat and supply complete and balanced nutrition in a concentrated form.

Your kitten's health

The basis of good health is a sound diet, adequate exercise, and maintaining an ideal body weight and composition. You can assist your kitten's long-term health by consulting a vet who can guide you in nutrition, dental health, coat care and disease prevention programs as well as treat your kitten at the first sign of illness. Your vet will undertake a thorough health check, and show you how to examine your kitten's eyes, ears, mouth and coat.

Your kitten should have received the first of a series of vaccinations to protect them from potentially fatal feline diseases. Ensure you obtain a copy of your kitten's vaccination certificate to take with you when you first visit your own vet. If your kitten has not been vaccinated, you should have this done as soon as possible.

Preventing Parasites*

Cats need to be wormed regularly to remove parasitic worms which live in the intestine. Kittens should be treated for roundworm and hookworm every two weeks until three months of age, using drops or tablets. After this, all cats should be treated for roundworm, hookworm and tapeworm once every three months. We recommend consulting your vet to discuss a treatment regime best suited to your kitten.


Fleas and ticks are most prevalent during the warmer months and a combination of products is usually required to treat them. Your vet can recommend the most suitable approach for your situation. Attempts must be made to remove not only the adult fleas visible on the cat and any other pets, but also the flea larvae and eggs in the environment. While there are products which aid in the control of ticks, if you live in an area where they are a problem, your cat should be checked daily for ticks during the summer. If you find a tick, consult your vet immediately for advice.

* This parasite treatment information relates to Australian conditions only. We recommend consultation with you vet for individual requirements in other countries.

Grooming

To get the best results and help your kitten adjust to a regular grooming it's best to start early in life. This will help them adjust to regular brushing and it will make it easier for both of you. Usually once a week will be fine but if you have a long-haired breed you may need to groom on a more regular basis.

How to groom

Take the time to find out what your kitten likes and what annoys them. This way you can make them comfortable and they will become used to handling- Grooming will be looked at as something to look forward to and not a bad experience. Keep in mind that the ears and stomach are quite sensitive and may cause aggravation if they aren't handled with sensitivity.

Any loose or matted hair can be removed using a comb. This will help to remove tangles and help to reduce the amount of hair-balls. Hair-balls form in the stomach from hair that is picked up from the tongue, during grooming. This hair then forms furballs which can become a problem if it is excessive.

There is an assortment of brushes that you can buy. Fine-toothed combs are best for shorter coats, wide-toothed combs for long-haired cats and flea combs are very fine, helping to pick up fleas and flea dirt from the coat.

Bathing

You would be surprised to know that kittens can be bathed and will often enjoy it. Washing can contribute to reduced matting and tangling and a softer coat. If you are unsure how to bath your kitten and what to use, check with your veterinarian.

Desexing

Your kitten, male or female, should be desexed at around six months of age unless you intend for it to breed. There is little to choose between male and female cats once they have been neutered – both sexes will make affectionate, home-loving pets.