Kittens: funny, cuddly, cute little balls of fluff. They keep you and your staff glued to their cage laughing and watching their antics with awe. They're better than Saturday morning cartoons. Should you board them? What could go wrong?

Young kittens that are still nursing and come in with the mother cat are fairly safe to board. They are still getting protection from disease from the mother's antibodies they consume while nursing. Care should be taken that these little ones are not exposed to any upper respiratory infections (URIs) that other cat boarders in your kennel may be harbouring. At any sign of illness in the kittens, get them prompt veterinary attention. While mother's milk is giving some protection, the kittens may still be susceptible to a URI, and their immune systems haven't had a chance to develop enough to ward off all diseases. Remember, the very young kittens (under 6 to 8 weeks of age) haven't yet been vaccinated.

Kittens 6 to 8 weeks old that come in without the mother cat should have had at least one vaccination prior to boarding. This first injection offers some protection against URI's and distemper, but may not provide enough protection to keep the kitten healthy in a multi-cat environment. If you must board these little ones, make sure your staff members wash their hands before they handle, feed or change litter boxes.

Older kittens, 10 to 12 weeks old, should have had at least two vaccinations against URIs. If you choose to board kittens, it's best to wait until they've received at least two of the series of vaccinations. Their own immune systems are beginning to kick in and they are getting better protection from the vaccinations. Again, make sure your staff enters the kittens' environment with clean hands.

By 12 weeks of age, they are old enough for the first of the feline leukaemia FeLV) vaccinations, if the owner chooses to provide this protection. I suggest that the FeLV vaccination be given as part of the kitten series in order to provide as much protection as possible, and then the owner and veterinarian can decide whether to include it again as part of the regular adult vaccination regime.

At 16 weeks, kittens are old enough to get vaccinated against rabies. Most, if not all, states require that rabies be given to cats and dogs. If the owner plans to allow the kitten to go outside, this vaccination is very important. Kittens this age are as safe to board as adult cats as long as they've been fully vaccinated.

When boarding the small kittens and/or the mother cat, try to provide them with a cage that is isolated from the main boarding area. This will help to protect them from contracting URIs while their immune systems are building. Always impress upon your staff that the kittens are to be handled only with clean hands in order to help negate passing along URIs.

Toys

With kittens, everything is a toy. They go into the litter box to use it and a grain of litter moves. Suddenly, they are in a maelstrom of little moving things that need to be attacked and caught - which delights the kitten, because when it catches one, others move and must be attacked, and the reason it went into the litter box is forgotten.

Providing toys for these little ones is important. While they can make anything a toy (their imaginations are superb at creating toys out of nothing), giving them a furry mouse, a rolled up paper towel, a crumpled piece of newspaper, or a ping-pong ball will keep them occupied for hours. And, provide you with hours of fun watching them. Give them a small box to hide in, too. The more timid ones will appreciate this.

If you let kittens out of the cage to play, keep a very close eye on them. They can get into places you only though were kitten proof. Should they get someplace where you can't reach them, use a laser light, a string, or feather toy to lure them out, but don't allow them to play with string unless you are at the other end. Unless they are terrified, they can't resist going after something that moves, and they're focused that they don't pay attention to hazards. So, watch tem carefully.

As long as you exercise appropriate care and hygiene, and provide the best protection possible for kittens, board them and enjoy them.

Source: Pet Services Journal November / December 2008

By Susan Edwards