The first checkup is short, friendly and easy to waste. Owners arrive holding a new kitten, answer whatever the vet asks, and remember their own questions in the car park afterwards. Writing your questions down before you go, grouped under feeding, litter and socialisation, turns the visit into the planning session it should be, because the advice the vet gives for her age, her weight and her condition will shape her first months at home more than any general kitten guide can.
What the Vet Checks, and What to Confirm
Ask the vet to confirm her age and sex, since kittens are occasionally mis-sexed by sellers and rescues, and an age estimate guides everything from feeding amounts to the timing of later discussions. Ask the vet to check her weight and general condition in front of you, and to talk you through the findings: her eyes, ears, mouth, coat, tummy and heartbeat are all being assessed, and hearing what the vet is looking for teaches you what to watch at home.
Use the visit to start her record properly. Ask what the vet has recorded, what the vet wants to see at the next visit, and which subjects should be planned together over her first year, including parasite protection and neutering, in the order and at the ages the vet advises for her. The vet's plan governs here, not a timetable copied from elsewhere, because a tiny, underweight or unwell kitten may need a different sequence from a thriving one of the same age. Ask, too, what signs at home should prompt a call to the practice between visits, so you leave knowing which worries are urgent and which can wait.
Feeding and Litter Questions to Ask
On feeding, ask what to feed her now, how much each day, how meals should be divided, and how to move her gradually from the food she arrived on to the food the vet suggests, since an abrupt swap commonly upsets a kitten's stomach. Ask how her weight should progress, how to tell whether she is gaining as expected, and whether treats have any place in her day yet. Ask about water, too: where bowls should sit, and whether the vet has any view on the type of bowl for a kitten of her size.
On litter, ask how many trays a kitten in your home should have, where they should stand, and what depth and type of litter suits a young kitten. Ask what normal tray habits look like at her age, how often she should use the tray, and which changes in toileting are worth reporting. Vets hear every household's early mistakes, from trays beside noisy appliances to one tray expected to serve a whole house, and a two-minute conversation now prevents weeks of puddles and frustration later.
Socialisation Questions to Ask
On socialisation, ask what she should meet now, in what order, and in what size of dose: household sounds, visitors, gentle handling by children, the carrier, short car rides, and any resident pets all belong on the list. Ask how to judge whether she is coping, what a kitten who has had enough looks like, and how long to rest her between introductions. Ask how handling practice should be built into her day, touching her paws, ears and mouth briefly and kindly, so future examinations and grooming stay calm events rather than battles.
Finally, ask the vet to glance at your written list and tell you what you have missed. Who fed her, cleaned her tray, or practised handling can be recorded plainly in Care Teams, while KinsLe timestamps every finished duty so gaps show up before they confuse her routine.