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So you've welcomed a new kitten into your home! This is a very exciting time for everyone in your family, including your kitten! One of the first important steps that you can take to successfully integrate your new kitty into your lives is to visit your veterinarian.

So you've decided to welcome a new kitty into your home! Sometimes it seems that everywhere you look there are free kittens available for adoption - at a shelter, from a friend or neighbor, an ad in the newspaper, etc. If you choose to take advantage of one of these opportunities, or if you choose to buy a kitten, it can be a wonderful experience for you and your new cat for many years to come. However, before you welcome a new friend into your home, you should make some preparations so you can thoroughly enjoy the benefits of cat ownership.

Hairballs, or trichobezoars, can be a common occurrence when you have cats in the house. Cats ingest hair when they groom themselves. Usually this is not a problem because the hair is excreted in the feces gradually over time. However, in some cases, the hair may build up to a level where it cannot be excreted and must be vomited up. Sometimes, there may be so much hair that it cannot be excreted or vomited up, and can lead to an intestinal blockage.

Once you have welcomed a furry feline friend into your home, you will need to decide if you want to have your cat declawed. This is a very important choice, and lately there has been some controversy surrounding this topic. Some people feel that declawing is a necessary part of cat ownership, while others feel that it may be an unethical, unnecessary treatment. There are valid points to each argument, but it is a personal choice and whatever is best for the cat in each case is what should be done.