Summary
Confining newly arrived kittens during a quarantine period, typically 10 to 14 days, is essential as they may be incubating a disease or shedding pathogens but not be showing outward signs of a disease. This article outlines the benefits of a quarantine period for kittens in your care.
Minimizing Disease Transmission with Quarantine
Be aware that kittens may be incubating a disease or shedding pathogens but not showing outward signs of a disease. This is why a quarantine period, typically 14 days, is so important. If there is more than one group of kittens in the location, a heightened awareness of potential disease transmission is even more important. See Basic Space Needs of Kittens.
Ideally, the quarantine space and everything in it should be capable of being effectively cleaned and disinfected. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to clean and disinfect carpeting, upholstered furniture and cat trees. See Minimizing Disease Transmission by Cleaning, Sanitation and Disinfecting article. Therefore, avoid having these items in the quarantine area. If kittens break with a highly contagious disease during the quarantine period and have been exposed to these items, you may need to discard them as they cannot be adequately cleaned and disinfected.
All items and cleaning supplies used in a quarantine area should be restricted to that area and not shared with other areas, as pathogens can be transmitted on the items. See Minimizing Disease Transmission via Fomites.
