Category Archives: Cats

Momo’s war wounds

Momo’s had a bad week. His mum found him shivering under a bush on Thursday morning. When she coaxed him inside he didn’t feel much like breakfast and curled up in front of the fire. He’d eaten dinner on Tuesday and gone out for a stroll around his domain feeling as fit as a fiddle. By the time his mum found him he had a fever and was very miserable.
When she took him on her lap for a cuddle he snuggled up until she rubbed his head – OW!  He sprang onto the floor and under the couch.
His mum realised something was very wrong and whisked him in to see us. We found a tiny wound on his head and extracted a claw. Poor old Momo had taken on an intruder in his garden. No wonder he had a headache – an abscess was forming under the wound.
We started treatment straight away. Blood tests and observation proved that it was a fresh wound so we clipped and cleaned it, started strong antibiotics (cats’ mouths contain some very nasty bacteria that love the airless space under the skin) and gave him something for the headache.
Because Momo’s owner had found him soon after the brawl and the wound was fresh we didn’t have an abscess to lance. The earlier we can treat cats after a fight the less likely it is that a general anaesthetic and surgery will be necessary.
Cats are most active finding mates and defending their territory in late winter and spring. Poor old Momo had got caught up in the annual feline fight festival. His mum is going to keep him indoors after dinner and through the night to try and prevent another episode.

Herpesvirus for cats…

Yes – cats have their own herpesvirus, just as irritating as the human variety, and liable to flare up with stress just like it does in human sufferers. However cat herpesvirus mostly affects the eyes and respiratory system.
The great majority of cats suffer their first bout with herpesvirus when they are kittens. They get watery eyes, sneeze, snuffle, go off their food for a day or two and look very sad and fluey. Antibiotics to prevent secondary infections and good nursing pull nearly all of them through.
Although most infected cats then become carriers very few have any further trouble with the virus themselves.
A few poor cats go on to develop flu-like signs or various eye diseases whenever they are stressed.
Some just get watery eyes. Painful ulcers on the cornea, the window of the eye, and on the conjunctiva, make other cats very miserable. Occasionally a part of the cornea dies and turns black, or the eye perforates.
Any eye problem is an emergency. If your cat has watery or pussy eyes, is squeezing his eyelids closed, or the eye looks blue, red or black bring him straight in to the surgery.

How cats and dogs drink…

There has been some excitement in science circles recently about how dogs and cats drink.

In the November 2010 edition of Science, Pedro Reis et al. of MIT released an article showing high-speed camera observations of a domestic cat lapping water. Their claim is that the lapping mechanism is more about the column of water which follows the cat’s tongue, rather than the small amount scooped up by the (backwardly flexed) tip of the cat’s tongue. You can watch the videos and draw your own conclusions.

Miffed at aspersions cast upon dogs by the MIT researchers, A. W. Crompton and Catherine Musinsky from Harvard published in the Royal Society’s Biology Letters a letter, How dogs lap, complete with x-ray video, which showed the same mechanism in dogs.

Having viewed both sets of videos (cats and dogs), I’m still not convinced that they are actually taking up much of that column of water, and I conclude that the majority of what is lapped is still that scooped up – very deftly – by the backward pointing tip of their tongues. We invite you to watch the videos and draw your own conclusions.

A review of the new report is on ABC Science Online.

Permethrin flea products toxic to cats

Flea products containing permethrin are highly toxic to cats.

Products for dogs such as Advantix spot on for fleas and ticks and Permoxin, a spray, contain permethrin.  Do NOT ever apply them to cats.

Cats which groom or sleep with dogs treated with these products in the previous 48 hours can be poisoned also.

Signs of toxicity include: tremors, twitching, drooling, incoordination, convulsions, coma and death. Some cats flick their paws, twitch their ears, or are sensitive to touch or sound. Vomiting and diarrhoea are also common.

Signs start within 1 to 3 hours of ingestion or application but can be delayed up to 12 hours. Effects can last more than 3 days.

More than 500 cases of permethrin poisoning have been reported in Australia. A quarter of these cats died despite treatment.

Visiting the vet with your cat?

Veterinary visits don’t have to be stressful for you or your cat. Happy visits to the vet start well before the big day. Ideally we should acclimatise our cats to carriers and cars while they are still kittens.

How can we minimise these stresses here and now though?

  1. Ask reception to book you at a quiet time or when no dogs are around if possible
  2.    Socialise cats to the carrier and car:
    • Leave the carrier out permanently in your home.  Many cats will use it as a comfortable resting or hiding place or play around it, particularly if it has been about since they were kittens
    • Withhold food before travel to prevent travel sickness and consequent negative feelings about car rides
    • Short practice rides in the car followed by a good experience such as a favourite food help some cats to relax about cars
  3. Apply Feliway spray to bedding in the carrier regularly and just before transport. Feliway contains a natural pheromone that relaxes cats.  Familiar clothing from a favourite person before a visit or hospital stay may also calm your cat
  4. Cover the carrier with a towel or blanket or place one over the cat in the carrier so that she can hide if she needs to
  5. In the waiting room place the carrier up off the ground on a seat or bench and well away from dogs

Bored Cat Syndrome

Keeping cats indoors increases their life spans because they don’t become victims of cars, other animals, diseases or thievery. Unfortunately many cats are left alone without stimulation or a feline friend while their human companions are at work and school. Some of these cats develop behaviour problems or stress illnesses while others become dangerously obese from lack of exercise. Most of these latchkey cats suffer from Bored Cat Syndrome!

It is impossible for most people to stay home and entertain their cats all day. Enrich the home environment and give cats choices to avoid Bored Cat Syndrome:

  • Stabilise cat trees with lots of shelves by adding a larger base or fastening the tree to a wall or the ceiling. Position one next to a secure window and hang a bird feeder outside the window to maximize cat fun while preserving birds’ lives.
  • Carpeted shelving around walls at different heights give cats lots of opportunity for exercise and contemplation of their home comforts. Many access points to the shelves give cats choices and prevent them from being cornered without an escape route.
  • Wide window perches allow cats to scope out the neighborhood from the safety of their homes.

Fight obesity and stimulate your cat by making your cat work for his food:

  • Treat balls or shapes packed with healthy treats or dry food provide hours of chasing and playing fun. Make a puzzle out of a cardboard box with two to three holes in each side, just big enough for a paw to reach in for biscuits, but not big enough for a head to be caught in.
  • Play hide and seek with treats or dry food. Scatter them behind sofas, up cat trees or on shelves while your cat is otherwise engaged.
  • Many cats enjoy exercise wheels like these kitty treadmills

Other ways remedies for bored cats:

  • Videos made for cats keep them occupied and stimulated when they are left alone. Video Catnip and The Cat Sitter feature the sights and sounds of birds, fish, mice and other animals. Some cats are fascinated by these videos; others give a passing glance and continue with their own agendas.
  • Television talk shows or home and garden shows keep some cats fascinated
  • Some cats love to play in running water like the Drinkwell Pet, available from Hall Veterinary Surgery.
  • Many cats enjoy the company of other cats. Consider both cats’ personalities before bringing a newcomer into the house. Some cats do not adjust to another cat in the household. Proper introductions can take months even when two cats are well suited.

Help! My cat is urinating indoors

Marking or toileting?

Spraying small amounts of urine against vertical objects such as chairs or walls is a territorial marking behaviour.   Male and female cats urinate in a squatting position leaving a greater volume of liquid.

Why do cats spray?

  • Entire male cats are the most likely to spray
  • Medical problems such as cystitis, diabetes, kidney disease and obesity exacerbate abnormal toileting behaviour.
  • Anxiety and stress are the most common causes of spraying.  Cats are creatures of habit and like to have their own space and toys. Even though they are willing to share a house and bed with you they need places and things of their own to be happy. If they think that something that belongs to them is being taken over by someone else they feel threatened. They have to let everyone know that it is theirs. The natural way to stake their claim is to mark it with the facial scent glands or urine. This is like writing their name on their things. Putting urine or facial scent on a thing or place makes a cat feel secure, especially if they feel out of place, nervous or afraid.

What makes cats anxious?

  • A new cat or kitten.  Introduce a new pet into the household gradually.  Let them get used to each other through a screen or glass door.  Exchange their bedding and let them sniff and sleep on it. Remember to reassure and cuddle the established pet as well as the cute new one.
  • A new baby.  Let your cat hear the sounds and sniff the clothes of a new family member from a safe, private place. Give the cat lots of attention.
  • Changes in furniture or carpets and disruptions such as building or painting.  Lock your cat in a room well away from tradesmen and the strange sounds and smells associated with their work.
  • A strange cat wandering in the garden or even through the cat flap.
  • The loss of a human or animal companion.  Strongly bonded cats will need extra care and attention if mourning a friend who has moved or passed away.
  • Incompatible cats, especially if a lot of cats live together.  Determine which cats do not get along and keep them in separate parts of the home with their own litter and sleeping areas.
  • Stress.  Enriching a cat’s environment minimises stress.

Cat scratching posts, toys that mimic prey, tunnels, outside runs and a variety of high spots and hideouts will keep your cat happy and stimulated. Vertical space is often more important than horizontal space. Some cats appreciate an indoor garden sown with grass, cat nip and cat mint. Find several toys they like and rotate them regularly.  Your company is important.  Even an old cat will appreciate a game with a ribbon on a stick or a glittery ball. Make your cat work for food by hiding it in various locations around the house or in food puzzles such as plastic containers with holes cut in the sides. More stress-busting suggestions for the indoor cat.

Routine is important for some cats.  Ten minutes each day play and grooming your cat to provide regular predictable attention that helps reduce their anxiety. Feed them at a set time.

What if I can’t identify or remove the source of the anxiety?

If you cannot identify or remove the source of the anxiety then provide your cat with a safe haven. A room where your cat can safely retreat or relax without fear of disturbance is ideal.  A small, enclosed and elevated space lined with your worn clothes is also good.  Most cats will mark a limited space with facial rubbing and bunting only.

Clean urine marked areas with a special enzymatic cleaner like Urine Off that eliminates the scent. If your cat can smell urine he will mark it again. You may have to lock him out of the room for a while to help him forget it.

Protect a habitual spraying site by placing dry food or a bed at the base.  Cats are usually reluctant to spray their own key resources. Food and beds are also reassuring and may reduce anxiety.  However, a stressed cat may move to other areas and mark there instead.

A natural pheromone spray called Feliway calms some cats and reduces the urge to spray and mark. Spray it on previously marked areas or plug a Feliway diffuser in or near the area he most marks.

Never punish cats. If caught in the act they can be picked up and placed on the litter tray, stroked and calmed. Never “rub the cat’s nose in it” as this will make a nervous cat even more likely to toilet indoors.

Cats with anxiety related behaviours like spraying often need anti-anxiety medications in addition to the above changes to resolve the problem.

Flea control in cats

Because of the all the rain over the last 6 months and now the very warm days, fleas are hatching in unprecedented numbers  around Canberra.

Signs of flea infestation:

  • Cats develop an allergy to flea bites. They groom or scratch excessively and develop “miliary” dermatitis.
  • The fleas cause anaemia in kittens and debilitated animals.
  • Cats are infested with tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum) from eating infected fleas during grooming.

Flea control

  • Conquer fleas on your cat with long lasting flea control products (Frontline, Advocate, Revolution, Advantage) applied as a spot on. Flea collars, shampoos and powders kill fleas present on your cat at the time of application but have little residual effect.
  • Remove flea eggs, larvae and pupae from the environment with regular vacuuming of carpets, sofas and beds. Throw away or burn the dust bag to prevent eggs and larvae developing.
  • Professional fumigation controls larvae and pupae.
  • Wash bedding in hot water or replace regularly.
  • Spray garden sheds, cars and favoured outdoor sleeping spots.

Cat fleas hatch from flea pupae in your house in warm, humid conditions. Our carpeted, centrally heated homes are ideal for the year round development of fleas.

After feeding on a cat adult female fleas lay eggs that fall off onto couches, carpets and beds. The microscopic eggs develop first into larvae that migrate deep into carpets, furniture or cracks in floors away from the light, and then into pupae. The pupae contain adult fleas which lie in wait for the next cat or dog to pass.

Effective flea control depends on knowing the flea’s life cycle.

Fight wound infections

Bites from another cat during a fight cause abscesses and infection. Dog, rat and other rodent bites are rare.

Consequences:

Cat bites on the head, forelimbs or at the base of the tail leave lumps that swell and burst. Your cat is lethargic and goes off his food.

When a cat bites its teeth go through the skin leaving small puncture wounds which seal over, trapping bacteria under the skin of the victim.

A pocket of pus forms an abscess. In areas where the skin is tighter, such as on the foot or the tail, the infection spreads through the tissues causing cellulitis.

Rarely more serious consequences such as a septic arthritis (infection of a joi

nt space) or osteomyelitis (infection of bone) result.

Treatment:

  • Antibiotics by injection or mouth stop the spread of infection and development of an abscess.
  • Surgery to drain the pus.

Tooth decay

Plaque and bacteria mineralise on cat’s teeth to form tartar or calculus.

Tartar and red inflamed gums, or gingivitis, loosen teeth.

Holes in teeth at the gumline affect 80% of cats. These so-called neck lesions are intensely painful. Tartar builds on them and rubs the inside of the cheek. The only solution is extraction.

Cats with bad mouths show less interest in food or approach the food bowl eagerly then don’t eat.  They chew cautiously, drop food from the mouth, or swallow with difficulty. Dribbling, blood-tinged saliva, and bad breath are common. In some cases affected cats paw the mouth or shake the head. Reluctance to eat may lead to weight loss.

Many cats show no signs of bad teeth despite being in pain.  However after we clean their teeth they are obviously much happier and relaxed.

A scale and polish under general anæsthesia removes tartar and saves teeth.

Chunks of meat such as gravy beef or chicken thighs encourage chewing and prevent the build-up of plaque and tartar.  Greenies are a palatable treat that clean the teeth as well.  A bowlful of special dental foods such as Royal Canin dental or Hills t/d several times a week also prevent dental disease.  Chewing meat and dental biscuits stimulates the production of saliva, which contains natural antibacterial substances, and scrapes plaque and tartar from the teeth.

Calicivirus vaccination of kittens helps prevent gingivitis.