CARING FOR YOUR CAT a vet s essential tips. How to ensure your cat enjoys a long and happy life. Kathy Barcham

CARING FOR YOUR CAT a vet s essential tips How to ensure your cat enjoys a long and happy life Kathy Barcham

CARING FOR YOUR CAT a vet s essential tips How to ensure your cat enjoys a long and happy life Kathy Barcham

Copyright 2012 Kathy Barcham All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author(s). Edited by Will Smith Cover design and page layout by NABO Member of NABO To join visit: www.nabo.biz

Caring for your cat a vet s essential tips Introduction Intelligent, affectionate, good at keeping pests at bay and even able to lower our blood pressure, it is no wonder that cats are seen by many as perfect pets. Due to their independence, cats are often said to be somewhere between a flatmate and a pet. However, they still rely on us to provide food and shelter and to be able to detect when they are unwell. Cats are top predators, so they instinctively mask many of the early signs of illness. Thus it takes an observant owner to spot these subtle clues and take appropriate action. The following pages will take you through the different life stages of your cat and provide you with the information necessary to ensure that your cat enjoys a long and happy life. Kathy Barcham Green Pastures 3

Kathy Barcham Introducing your new cat/kitten into the home Although, obviously, everyone wants their new cat/kitten to feel at home instantly, this process takes time. When introducing your new cat to your existing pets, it is important to stay in control of the situation at all times, rather than letting the animals simply discover each other. Smell is a key communication sense for both cats and dogs, so introducing your existing pets to the scent of the new arrival is a good way to ensure a smooth transition. This can be achieved by swapping bedding and by stroking your new and resident pets without washing your hands in-between. Similarly, wiping soft tissues along the side of your new cat s face (where the scent glands are located) and leaving these tissues where your resident pets will find them also eases the new cat/kitten into the household. Providing your new cat/kitten with a large wire mesh crate with sufficient room for a comfortable warm bed and space for a litter tray and food bowls will also help with introductions and litter training. Plus, it is a good way to ensure the safety of your new cat when you are out. Kittens To allow your kitten time to bond with you and your home, it will be necessary to keep them indoors for the first few months. As well as making sure that all doors and windows are shut, it is important to check for and cover any crevices in which your kitten could hide. With regards to identification, I recommend the use of a microchip to identify your kitten. Microchip identification means that should your kitten get lost or injured, vet and rescue centres can easily check a national database and re-unite you with your pet. When compared with collars, which can break or get caught (potentially resulting in serious injuries), micro-chipping is both safer and more effective. Nutrition Kittens only have small stomachs and will need feeding throughout the day. In order to make the movingin process as smooth as possible, it is a good idea to continue feeding your kitten the same diet. Once it is settled in, you should gradually introduce a quality kitten diet. A veterinary-recommended dry food is a good choice because it is better for your kitten s teeth and digestion. Litter training As your kitten should be kept indoors until they are protected by vaccinations and identified by microchipping, litter training is very important. To ensure there are as few accidents as possible, it is a good idea to have one tray in the crate and another in a safe, quiet place. All trays should have the same litter and should be cleaned using diluted washing-up liquid. Travelling Travelling can be stressful, so it helps to get your kitten used to the travelling cage. A good way to do this is to leave it around the house and encourage your kitten to play and sleep in there. It is also helpful both to leave some bedding in the carrier and cover it when travelling. Further, the application of pheromones, such as Feliway, around the carrier and car can help to reduce the stress of travel. 4

Caring for your cat a vet s essential tips Vaccinations Kittens should be first vaccinated between 8 and 9 weeks and then again at 12 weeks of age. Vaccinations are extremely important for kittens and will protect your cat from a broad range of diseases. By providing your vets with an accurate description of your kitten s lifestyle (indoors or outdoors) and what vaccinations it has had already, they will be able to assess which vaccinations are necessary. I generally recommend a combination of Feline Enteritis, Feline Leukaemia, Feline Herpes and Calicivirus. Vaccines are also available in the UK against Bordetella and Chlamydia. Worms Kittens are particularly susceptible to both roundworms and, if they have fleas, to tapeworms. From 3 weeks, kittens can be wormed against roundworms, but from 8 weeks onwards, multi-purpose wormers can be given either by tablet or spot-on. I recommend using veterinary prescription wormers because they are licensed safe and effective. With regards to treatment timing, I recommend a monthly treatment until your kitten is 6 months old. The frequency of worming after that will depend on your kitten s indoor or outdoor lifestyle (see adult cat section). Fleas and mites Many kittens will arrive in their new homes with fleas and mites. There are several ways to tackle this problem, however. Ear mites can be treated with either ear drops or a spot-on product, while fleas can be treated with a spot-on treatment. Further, some veterinary-only products combine both worm and flea control. Another excellent option is an injection to prevent fleas breeding. This is particularly useful if your kitten is to stay indoors or is likely to be cuddled before spot-on products can dry into the coat. Grooming and dental care Looking after your kitten s coat, skin and teeth is very important. Many kittens are quite amenable to grooming and tooth-brushing, so it is a good idea to start early. A veterinary nurse can demonstrate proper grooming and dental care during your visits to the vet. Neutering Unless you intend to breed your kitten, I recommend neutering at 4-6 months of age. It is best if your kitten is over 2kg in bodyweight, as this allows for easier placement of an endotracheal tube (this enables gaseous anaesthetics to be used, which is the safest method of anaesthesia). Furthermore, each kitten I operate on has an intravenous catheter put in place and intravenous fluid administered. This may be routine surgery, but it makes sense to minimise risks. Insurance As your cat will almost certainly need treatment at some stage, it is a good idea to insure your kitten to cover vet s fees. I recommend a lifelong policy. However, there are a lot of different policies out there and it pays to do proper research. At Green Pastures, we allow a cat s treatment to be either completed or reach a certain stage before we make a claim on your behalf, so you don t have to worry about sorting out either the administrative details or your cashflow. 5

Kathy Barcham Adult cats Generally, the rules are the same when introducing an adult cat into your house as for a kitten. Annual health assessments and booster vaccinations Booking regular appointments is wise, as they help your vet to build a detailed history of your cat s health. The booster vaccination, in particular, is an excellent opportunity for your vet to thoroughly examine your cat and record weight changes. This information is extremely valuable should your cat become ill. There are two main types of housecat and different advice applies in each case: Outdoor cats. These are your archetypal cats coming and going as they please. With these cats, it is wise to assume that they hunt and either meet other cats, or roam where other cats have been. As such, annual vaccination is recommended against Feline Enteritis, Feline Leukaemia, Feline Herpes and Calicivirus. I would also advise monthly flea treatments and worming against both tapeworms and roundworms at least every three months. Indoor cats. True indoor cats spend all their time indoors they do not go outside for a walk with you and neither do neighbouring cats enter your home. If either of these activities occurs, when it comes to disease protection, you should treat your cat as an outdoor cat. For true indoor cats, there should be special provisions for interest and exercise. Further, I recommend annual vaccinations against Feline Herpes and Calicivirus, as humans can transfer these diseases from other cats. Fleas can also be inadvertently brought into your home on clothing, and thus should be managed by either monthly spot-on treatments or bi-annual injections. Similarly, worms can be picked up from fleas or remain in your cat s body from kitten-hood. In order to combat these I recommend twice-yearly worming veterinary tablets or spot-ons. Stress Although it may look like they have the easiest life in the world, cats often suffer from stress. This can take many forms but the most common manifestation of stress in a cat is via cystitis. Dental disease Dental problems are common in middle-aged cats. Caught early enough, most problems are reversible by cleaning under general anaesthetic, followed by a dental maintenance programme at home. Weight management Weight gain is an increasingly common and difficult condition to manage. Whatever you do, however, don t crash diet your cat, as this could trigger serious metabolic disturbances. Senior cats (10-13 years) Although a cat of this age is more likely to have problems than a younger cat, it is often difficult to detect a problem because your cat will mask the early signs of disease. Don t allow your cat to lull you into a false sense of security the earlier a problem can be identified, the better it can be managed. Booster vaccination and parasite prevention is still very important. In addition, I recommend a comprehensive health assessment looking for signs of common senior cat problems. 6

Caring for your cat a vet s essential tips At Green Pastures, this is our 10+ assessment. Signs we ask you to look out for include: A change in bodyweight or body shape, such as more prominent bones Lack of grooming/unkempt appearance Reduced mobility staying in the same place Inability to relax Changes in thirst or appetite Change in vocalisation (especially at night) or angry when moved or touched Vomiting, diarrhoea, increased urine or incontinence Common ailments in senior cats Arthritis. This affects around 90% of all senior cats, with the two main joints to be affected being the elbows and the hips. There are safe, effective lifelong medications available for your cat. Plus, you can reduce the stress on your cat s joints by placing the food and water sources low to the ground and ensuring your cat has easy access to a safe, warm bed. Kidney disease. This affects around 20% of cats. Once detected, kidney changes are irreversible. Kidney disease has four stages; your aim should be to keep your cat in the mild stages of the disease. By managing the disease in this way, your cat will live a much happier life than if the kidney disease is allowed to progress unchecked. Hyperthyroid. This is the most common hormonal problem in cats. With this illness, one or both thyroid glands become overactive, causing your cat s metabolic rate to increase. Left unchecked, the heart rate continually increases, causing an increase in blood pressure, which can lead to bleeding within the eyeballs, kidney damage, heart damage and weight loss. Fortunately, there are treatments to both manage and cure this condition. Dental disease. This is often advanced in senior cats, but this is no reason to avoid treatment, as dental disease can be very painful for them. General anaesthesia in elderly cats can be safely managed with careful drug selection. Diabetes. If diagnosed early enough, there is a 50% chance that your cat s diabetes can be managed without the need for insulin injections. Left unchecked, however, diabetes will cause weight loss, liver problems and, eventually, comas. Geriatric cats (13 years+) Although caring for any geriatric pet presents challenges, these years need not be difficult or painful for either you or your cat. The important thing is to be able to adapt how you treat your cat. The older your cat gets, the more you should be aware of its needs. For example, although playing can encourage mental stimulation for geriatric cats, forced play will cause anxiety if your cat is becoming senile. There are several things you can do as an owner to ensure your cat s final years are as stress-free as possible: Keep the same routine. This is very important for geriatric cats. If there are unavoidable changes, such as moving house, then use pheromone diffusers to minimise stress and anxiety. 7

Kathy Barcham Help digestion by feeding them small meals several times a day. Consider your cat s environment and ensure ease of access for a comfortable, safe sleeping place, litter tray, food and water. Gently groom your cat if they are unable to maintain their coat. It may also be necessary to clip the tips off their nails. Make sure your cat has some form of identification. Geriatric cats can wander away from home and get lost. As with all cats, I would recommend micro-chipping. Selecting a vet for your cat It is well worth exploring your options before committing to the closest vet to your home. Ideally, you should meet your vet before your cat is ill by arranging a health assessment. This way you can check out the car parking arrangements and assess how easy it is to carry your cat basket into the practice. You can also check out the waiting room. Is there a protected area for cats? Are there activities for children? Does the practice have any FAB accreditation (this indicates there are strategies in place catering specifically for cats)? When inside, you can get a feel for the vet s practice and assess how they will help you to look after your cat. Consider things like the information they provide, the extra cat-focused qualifications of their staff, their healthcare plans and how much help they provide when it comes to filling in your insurance claim forms. It may not be something that you want to think about, but imagine if your cat is ill or injured and needs emergency treatment does this practice provide out-of-hours care? How local is this service? What happens to cats that need overnight care? Who looks after them? Can you visit your cat during a hospital stay? Conclusion Although your relationship with your cat is a unique bond, it should never be forgotten that our feline friends rely on us for their wellbeing. Hopefully this guide has helped you to become aware of what to look out for and how, with regular visits to your vet, you can increase both the life expectancy and happiness of your cat. About Green Pastures At Green Pastures we are committed to providing your cat with the highest standard of care. To give you a little extra peace of mind, we hold RCVS and FAB accreditation. We offer feline-focused veterinary care because our staff have extra feline training. We nurse cats in a special feline ward which you can visit. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are always ready to see your cat at Green Pastures in case of an emergency. Feel free to visit our website to find out more about how we can help you to ensure your cat has a long, happy and healthy life. Further, as a special thank you for requesting this guide, we are happy to offer your cat a free veterinary health assessment. To book yours, simply call 01934 622022 or email us at info@greenpasturesvets.co.uk www.greenpasturesvets.co.uk 8