Cats settle better when they have a quiet, defined space to start with rather than the run of the whole house on day one. Set up a small room or large bathroom with a litter box, food and water bowls, a comfortable bed, hiding spots, and a scratching post. Remove or secure anything that could be chewed and swallowed, especially string, ribbon, hair ties, and rubber bands.
Choose a veterinary clinic before pickup day so you have somewhere to call with questions. We recommend booking your kitten’s first wellness visit within 72 hours of bringing them home. Schedule your kitten’s first visit at Daly City Pet Hospital.
Let your kitten set the pace of exploration. Most kittens spend the first day or two hiding, then begin venturing out as they realize the space is safe. Resist the temptation to pull them out from under furniture. Quiet observation, food at predictable times, and gentle play sessions help your kitten settle within a week.
During this first week, watch for signs that warrant a same-day call to our clinic: refusing food for more than 24 hours (kittens can develop a serious liver condition called hepatic lipidosis very quickly when they stop eating), repeated vomiting, watery diarrhea, or any straining to urinate. Male kittens straining to urinate is a particular emergency.
Below is the core vaccination schedule we follow for kittens in Daly City. FeLV is recommended for any kitten with current or future outdoor access, and rabies is required by California state law and San Mateo County licensing.
| Age | Vaccine | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 to 8 weeks | FVRCP (rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia) | Core | First in series. Important for indoor and outdoor kittens. |
| 9 to 12 weeks | FVRCP booster, FeLV (if outdoor access) | Core + lifestyle | FeLV given in two doses for the initial series. |
| 12 to 16 weeks | FVRCP final booster, FeLV booster | Core + lifestyle | Completes the kitten series. |
| 14 to 16 weeks | Rabies | Core, legally required | Required by California state law and San Mateo County licensing. |
| 1 year | FVRCP booster, Rabies booster, FeLV booster if applicable | Core | First annual booster. Adult vaccination schedule begins. |
We discuss every vaccine at your visit and answer questions about why each one matters. Learn more about pet care and vaccinations at Daly City Pet Hospital .
For kittens, the most important lifestyle vaccine is FeLV (feline leukemia virus). FeLV is spread between cats through saliva and close contact, and it is one of the most common causes of serious illness in outdoor cats.
Spaying and neutering your kitten reduces the risk of certain cancers, prevents life-threatening uterine infections in females, eliminates the risk of unwanted litters, and reduces unwanted behaviors like spraying and roaming. Most kittens are spayed or neutered between 5 and 6 months of age.
Daly City Pet Hospital performs spay and neuter surgery on-site with pre-surgical bloodwork, IV fluids, full anesthesia monitoring, and pain care for recovery. Learn more about surgical services at Daly City Pet Hospital.
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they require nutrients that come from animal sources, particularly taurine. The right food is one that meets your kitten’s specific developmental needs.
If you have questions about feeding your kitten, our team is happy to help. Talk to us about nutrition counseling at Daly City Pet Hospital.
Kittens in Daly City need parasite prevention from their very first wellness visit, even if they are strictly indoor cats. The mild Bay Area climate means fleas and intestinal parasites are active year-round.
Most litter box problems are not behavioral. They are a sign that something about the box, the litter, the location, or your cat’s health needs attention. Setting up the box correctly from day one prevents most issues.
Important: a cat that suddenly stops using the litter box is often telling you something is medically wrong. Painful urination, urinary blockage (a serious emergency in male cats), constipation, kidney issues, and stress-related cystitis all show up first as litter box changes. If your kitten or cat suddenly avoids the box, strains, or shows blood in the urine, call us at (415) 859-5676 the same day.
The kitten socialization window is shorter than for puppies. The most important sensitive period is roughly 2 to 9 weeks of age. After that, ongoing daily handling continues to shape your cat’s confidence and behavior.
Kittens need play, mental stimulation, and safe ways to express natural hunting behavior. A well-enriched indoor cat is a healthier, happier cat.
Cats and children can be wonderful together with the right structure. Teach children that cats are not toys: no carrying around the house, no chasing, no disturbing while eating or sleeping. Show children the cat’s calming signals (slow tail flick, ears back, hiding) and respect them. Give your cat a high, child-free space they can retreat to whenever they need a break.
If you already have a cat at home, the introduction needs to be slow. Resident cats often need 2 to 4 weeks to fully accept a new cat. Start with a separate room for the new kitten. Swap bedding between the cats so they get used to each other’s smell. Use a baby gate or cracked door for the first sight-and-smell meeting before allowing direct contact. Rushing introductions often creates lasting tension between cats.
If you have a resident dog, give your kitten control over the timing of every interaction. The kitten should always have a high spot to retreat to where the dog cannot reach. Keep the dog on leash for the first several meetings. Reward calm dog behavior generously. Most dogs and cats learn to coexist, but a few never fully settle. We can talk through specific household dynamics at your kitten’s wellness visit.
Cats and especially kittens are extremely vulnerable to a specific category of foreign body called a “linear foreign body.” String, ribbon, dental floss, yarn, hair ties, and tinsel can lodge at the base of the tongue or in the stomach while the rest threads through the intestines, causing them to bunch up. This is a true surgical emergency.
Never pull on a string you see hanging from your cat’s mouth or rectum. Doing so can cut the intestines from the inside. Call us at (415) 859-5676 immediately.
Other common foreign bodies in cats include:
Signs of intestinal blockage: repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy, painful or bloated belly, no bowel movement for more than 24 hours. Same-day urgent care is available seven days a week.
Cats are especially sensitive to certain household toxins. Keep these out of reach:
If you suspect your kitten has been exposed to a toxin, call us at (415) 859-5676 or contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 immediately. Do not wait to see if symptoms develop.
Most cats groom themselves well, but some grooming support helps every cat stay comfortable and healthy. Start grooming routines early so handling is positive for life.
Our medical grooming services include medicated baths, dematting, and sedated grooming options for cats who need additional care.
Daly City and the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area have specific environmental and wildlife risks that every new kitten owner should know.
The carrier is the single biggest factor in low-stress veterinary visits for cats. Leave the carrier out as a regular piece of furniture, not only on appointment days. Place a soft blanket inside, feed occasional meals near or inside it, and reward your kitten for entering on their own. A cat that sees the carrier as a safe place will travel much more calmly.
Place the carrier in a quiet area at least 30 minutes before leaving so your kitten can enter on their own time. Spray the carrier with a synthetic feline pheromone (a calming product available at most pet supply stores) 15 minutes before placing the carrier in the car. Drape a towel over the carrier in the car so your kitten feels enclosed.
Our Daly City Pet Hospital team uses low-stress feline handling techniques designed specifically for cats. We give your kitten time to come out on their own when possible. If your cat is shy, we do part of the exam inside the carrier with the top removed, which feels safer than being lifted onto a table. Tell us what your kitten likes and dislikes so we can adjust.
Schedule a happy visit between wellness appointments. These are short, no-procedure visits where your kitten comes in just for treats and gentle attention. Happy visits build positive associations and make future medical visits dramatically easier. Call us at (415) 859-5676 to set one up.
Call Daly City Pet Hospital at (415) 859-5676 any time you have questions about your kitten’s health. We are open seven days a week, 8 AM to 7 PM, and can usually see urgent cases the same day.
The following signs warrant a same-day call:
These are typical wellness or non-urgent reasons to book:
For after-hours emergencies outside our open hours, contact Ocean Avenue Veterinary Hospital at (415) 586-5327, located at 1001 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA.
We recommend purchasing pet insurance before your kitten’s first appointment, ideally within the first week of bringing them home. Insurance is most valuable when started before any health issues are documented, because pre-existing conditions are typically excluded once a policy begins.
Several pet insurance providers operate in the United States. The following list is provided for educational purposes only and is not an endorsement of any specific provider:
Compare deductibles, reimbursement rates, annual coverage limits, and exclusions before choosing a plan.
Kittens in Daly City should start their core vaccination series (FVRCP) at 6 to 8 weeks of age, with boosters every 3 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks. Rabies is given around 14 to 16 weeks and is required for San Mateo County licensing. FeLV is added for kittens with current or future outdoor access. Call Daly City Pet Hospital at (415) 859-5676 to schedule your kitten's first wellness visit.
Most kittens are spayed or neutered between 5 and 6 months of age, before sexual maturity. Spaying females before the first heat dramatically reduces the risk of pyometra and certain cancers later in life. Neutering males before maturity reduces spraying, roaming, and fighting. Early spay/neuter (as young as 8 weeks) is well-tolerated by healthy kittens. We will recommend a specific timing at one of your kitten's wellness visits.
Yes. We recommend FIV and FeLV testing at every kitten's first wellness visit, regardless of where they came from. Both viruses are present in Bay Area cat populations and can have major implications for long-term care, household planning, and introduction to other cats. The test is a simple blood draw and results are available the same day.
Litter box avoidance is often a medical sign, not a behavioral issue. Urinary tract issues, urinary blockage (especially serious in male cats), constipation, and stress-related cystitis all show up first as litter box changes. Call us the same day if your kitten suddenly avoids the box, strains, or shows blood in the urine.
We strongly recommend keeping cats indoors. Outdoor cats in Daly City face significantly higher risks from cars, predators (coyotes are documented at Mussel Rock Park and the Daly City coastal bluffs), and infectious disease from other cats. A catio or harness training offers safer outdoor enrichment. If your kitten will have any outdoor access, FeLV vaccination is strongly recommended.
No, not even temporarily. Cats are obligate carnivores and require taurine, an amino acid that cat food includes but dog food does not. Taurine deficiency can cause heart disease and vision problems over time. Always feed a kitten food specifically formulated for kittens with an AAFCO statement for growth or all life stages.
Female cats can become pregnant as young as 4 to 5 months of age, sometimes earlier. This is why we recommend spaying before 6 months and ideally before the first heat cycle. Until your kitten is spayed, keep her strictly indoors and away from any unneutered male cats in the household or neighborhood.
