Caring for Your Feline Friend
What follows is some basic information for the new kitten owner. It is meant
as a guide only. There are many books available on cats and cat care, as well as breed specific
books. The internet is also a good information source.
Remember:
If you are worried about your kitten's health, don't surf the net, see a vet!!
Worming
Vaccinations
Feline Leukemia Virus
Feeding
Grooming
Fleas
Breeding
Desexing
Bedding & Housing
Identification
Poisons
Cat Fight Abcesses
Worming
Intestinal worms are a common problem of all cats. The majority of kittens are born with Roundworm, regardless of whether the dam has been wormed or not. This is due to the lifecycle of the roundworm. Hookworm is also a common "kitten worm" in other parts of Australia, but is rare in our area.
We recommend worming kittens with piperazine for roundworm every 2 weeks between 2-12 weeks of age, then every month till 6 months of age. Worming for tapeworms can be given from 8 weeks of age if fleas are a problem, as these transmit tapeworms.
Cats over 6 months of age should be routinely wormed for roundworm, hookworm and tapeworm.
Frequency of worming differs according to the age of the cat, the climate, and which worms are prevalent in the area. Most adult cats in the Bunbury area only require worming every 6 months or so. Note that re-infection can occur from the garden and other cats, so keep an eye on the cat's motions from time to time. If worms or tapeworm segment are seen, an additional worming dose will be required.
Worming summary
Ask YOUR vet:
1. Which worms are prevalent in your area;
2. Which worm treatment he recommends for your area;
3. How often your cat should be wormed.
Vaccinations
Vaccination schedules differ radically throughout the world so it is most important that you contact YOUR vet for advise on which diseases to vaccinate against, and when!
In Australia, all kittens should be vaccinated against the major infectious diseases of cats. They are Feline Enteritis and Cat 'Flu. Like human 'flu, there are many different strains of cat 'flu present. The vaccination protects the cat against the two most common ones.
Young kittens are temporarily protected against many diseases by antibodies received through the mother's milk. Maternal antibodies decline to low levels anytime from weeks of age. Kittens should have their first vaccination between 6-8 weeks of age. This is a temporary vaccination against Feline Enteritis and Cat 'Flu.
The next vaccination can be given from 12-14 weeks of age, and a further vaccination may be deemed necessary at 16 weeks of age. These provide your kitten with protection for his first year of life.
Vaccination can take up to two weeks to take full effect, so isolation is recommended for your cat's health's sake.
A booster shot each year will provide your cat with ongoing protection.
There is a third Feline disease that threatens our cats but which is not commonly routinely vaccinated against.
This disease is Feline Leukemia. It is caused by a virus (The Feline Leukemia Virus or FeLV) that is
very similar to the human AIDS virus. However, humans cannot catch Feline Leukemia from cats.
FeLV acts by destroying the cat's immune system, making him more susceptible to other diseases.
Symptoms, therefore, are varied. Late in the course of the disease, tumours may form and the
animal will die. It is possible for some young cats to "throw off" the virus and become immune to it
but most older cats that are affected will die from the disease.
Cats become infected with FeLV either before birth (through their mother), by mutual grooming
with an infected cat, cat fights, mating with an infected cat and activities such as sharing food
bowls.
A vaccine is available to protect cats against Feline Leukemia but the cat should be tested for the
virus first as giving a vaccine to an infected cat will be a waste of time and money - the vaccine
will not cure an infected cat. In uninfected cats, two injections are given 2-3 weeks apart,
followed by an annual booster shot.
Feed young kittens 3-4 times a day. Always include a meal of milk food into your kitten's
diet. This provides the calcium he needs for healthy bone growth. If milk gives him diarrhoea,
there are some very good 'cat milks' available from the supermarket (eg. Whiskas Milk Plus)
which most cats tolerate well.
Encourage your kitten to eat table scraps, including vegetables which contain trace elements and vitamins. It also makes for a
less-fussy eater in the future! Include a complete and balanced commercial food in the diet. Raw meat alone is unsuitable
for cats as it is not a balanced diet. It can cause bone problems if fed to excess.
Always ensure the cat has access to clean, fresh water to drink should he want it.
Most shorthaired cats never require any grooming as they have no problem in keeping themselves
looking sleek and shiny. On the other hand, if you acquire a longhaired kitten (either a Persian or
a longhaired domestic, for example), you MUST accustom the kitten to being combed from an early age.
Kittens who are not used to being combed will bite and scratch when you try to remove the knots at a
later date. Badly neglected coats will require a trip to the vet where the cat will need to be
tranquillised and have his coat clipped off to the skin. Badly matted coats make an excellent
hiding place for fleas. They also make the cat uncomfortable when he lies down and the cat may
injure himself trying to pull the mats off himself.
If you do not have the time or patience to care for a longhaired cat's coat, do not get one.
During summer, grass seeds can become caught up in a longhaired cats' coat, working their way into the cat's skin and causing
small, painful abcesses. Regular grooming attention should mean that these are removed before becoming
embedded in the cat's skin. If abcesses do occur, take the cat to the vet and have the cause
diagnosed and the seed (if present) removed.
Never use flea collars or strong chemicals on young kittens under 6 months of age.
The most popular flea treatment on sale at the clinic RIGHT NOW is Frontline. Frontline
is a spray which can safely be used in kittens from 7 weeks of age. It is very safe and works by
interfering with the flea's nervous system. It is sprayed onto the cat as a measured dose where
it binds to the oils in the coat, killing all fleas which come into contact with it within 24
hours. It only needs to be applied every 6-8 weeks. Washing (if not done within 2 days of
spraying) does not seem to diminish the spray's activity noticably. There is also a spot-on version
for cats that are difficult to spray.
Also available is Program, a once-a-month oral treatment which is also very safe.
Program is given with food. It does not kill adult fleas, but works by rendering any flea that
bites the animal sterile. Any eggs that are laid are sterile and will not hatch. This means that
once the adult flea dies, there are no replacements coming up behind. Over a period of 3-6
months (depending on the numbers of flea eggs, larvae, & pupae already in the environment), the
flea population is reduced to such a degree that they cease to be a problem. All dogs and cats in
the household should be treated simultaneously with Program, throughout the year, for full
benefit.
Unless your cat is a purebred with papers, you should not breed from your pet. This is due
to the fact that all female cats that are old enough, breed at the same time of the year. This is
called the 'breeding season' and occurs during Spring and Summer. What this means is that during
this time, there are literally thousands of kittens all looking for homes. The chances of finding
good homes for all the kittens in a litter (there are usually 4 or 5, but may be as many as 7) is
remote. Anyone who wants a kitten can usually get one from a neighbour or a friend.
For owners of purebred cats, females who are over 5-6 months of age during the breeding season,
will come 'on heat' at this time. A female on heat will behave very strangely - rolling, crying out,
arching her back with her tail to one side and becoming very affectionate. If she is an inside cat,
she will want to go outside. If you have not seen this behaviour before, you may think she is ill.
Unlike dogs, there is no bloody discharge.
If you wish to mate her, you should take her to the stud cat's residence for mating. The cats
will perform the act when they are ready and then she can be returned home. A pregnancy test can
be carried out after four weeks and the kittens should arrive after nine weeks (63 days). Your veterinarian
should be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the birth process and raising of the
kittens.
All domestic cats (ie. moggies) should be desexed as should any purebred cats not required
for breeding. This operation can be performed from 6 months of age.
Male cats who are not desexed are a public menace - roaming (literally miles), spraying urine,
fighting, and often disappearing for days or weeks in search of female friends. Most undesexed
tom cats either get killed on the road, die as a result of cat fight wounds, or die of kidney
failure before 3 years of age. They are also at a high risk of contracting Feline
Leukemia Virus. Many tom cats are destroyed by neighbours who are tired of paying endless
vet bills as a result of other people's intruding, fighting tom cats.
The desexed tom cat, on the other hand, is a much nicer cat. He does not spray, he tends to
stay home and will only defend his territory, not the entire neighbourhood. In short, he is a loving
family pet.
Female cats who are desexed do not behave much differently to undesexed cats. They too tend
to stay home but otherwise there is little difference. Desexing is desirable, though, in that no
unwanted kittens will be produced and the cat will generally live longer than if she was not desexed.
It is preferable that you keep your cat inside at night, if possible, as this is the main hunting
time for cats. In Australia, the destruction of native wildlife by cats is of major concern to many people
and you can do your bit to help by keeping your pet in at night. Provide him with a warm bed,
a clean litter box for his toilet, and a fresh bowl of water. Toys such as furry mice are also
good for passing the time.
An ID Tag is the most popular way to provide identity for your kitten and any other pets you own, should
they become lost. The tag shoud include the cat's name, address, phone number, and your name. The
vet's phone number is also a good idea.
Excellent new technology in the form of microchips is also available. Contact your vet to see if they
have the necessary equipment. A small microchip containing a number which is linked to a computer
database is injected under the skin on the neck. This can be read by any vet or shire council with
access to a microchip scanner. It is a permanent way of identifying your pet.
Household, garage and garden chemicals can be extremely dangerous to your cat or kitten. Ensure he has
no access to poisoned areas or packets of poison. Most cats are fussy about what they eat and so are
rarely poisoned this way. Exceptions occur with antifreeze, which cats find very tasty, and substances
that make their way onto the cat's coat These are swallowed during grooming. If you suspect your cat has been poisoned, seek veterinary help
IMMEDIATELY. If possible, you should take the packet/label from the poison with you to help
the veterinarian identify the poison and treat it.
One insidious poison that all cat owners should be aware of is rat poison. Cats rarely eat this
product on purpose, but often acquire it by eating rodents that are sick from eating it. The majority
of rat poisons are anticoagulants. That is, they prevent the animal's blood from clotting, causing
internal bleeding, followed by death. Because of this, the effects are not immediately noticeable.
Days later, you may notice that the cat is a little lethargic, he is reluctant to walk and eat. There
may be blood in the urine and faeces, pale gums, bleeding from the gums and bleeding from the paws.
As the poisoning progresses, the cat will collapse and die from severe blood loss. If you know that the
cat has eaten rat poison, he should immediately be taken to the vet who will make him vomit. He will
be sent home with Vitamin K1 tablets to prevent bleeding. Likewise, if your cat begins to bleed as
described above, he should be taken to the vet immediately for treatment. If the cat is presented
early enough, treatment is usually successful.
The most common injury of cats is the cat fight abcess. These occur most commonly during
the breeding season when tom cats are roaming and fighting for territory. The injury occurs as a
result of a cat fight, when bacteria present on one cat's teeth/claws are deposited under the skin
of another cat. The wound immediately closes over and the bacteria fester under the skin. 24-48
hours later, the cat will have a large, hot swelling at the site of the puncture wound. As time progresses,
the swelling will get larger and the cat will run a fever. Some cats become quite ill and will go
off their food. Eventually, the abcess will burst, leaving a smelly, pussy, gaping wound. Owners
often think the cat has been run over, shot, broken his leg or cut himself. It is unwise to leave
the abcess in the hope that it will clear up by itself. Some do, but most will recur in a slightly
different place each time as the bacteria tracks along under the skin. It is best to take the cat
to the vet to have the abcess lanced, drained and treated with antibiotics.
Feline Leukemia Virus
Feeding
Grooming
Fleas
Breeding
Desexing
Bedding & Housing
Identification
Poisons
Cat Fight Abcesses
