Nine Lives Cat Rescue

Registered National Charity 1051280
Dedicated to rescuing, caring for and re-homing cats in Romsey, Winchester and Southampton

Cat Care Tips

Your cat needs caring for just like any other member of the family. If your cat is in any form of distress you should seek advice and care from a Veterinary Surgeon as soon as possible.

The following are some general hints and tips for your guidance:

Housing

Every cat needs its own toilet, and some finicky felines even demand two!

Litter trays should be placed in a quiet part of the house, where the cat will not be disturbed, and cleaned after every use.

Personal food and water bowls are also needed if you have more than one cat, as cats can smell immediately if someone else has used their dish and may refuse to eat or drink as a result. Cats also insist on fresh water, so the water bowl must be regularly emptied and refilled (preferably with rainwater).

Although they are carnivores, cat digestion benefits from a little vegetable matter. Many house plants are poisonous to cats, so should be placed out of reach, but a tray of grass grown for the cat to nibble will fulfil its requirement for greenery.

Feline Infectious Anaemia (FIA)

For some reason feline infectious anaemia seems particularly to affect young male cats. It is a bacterial infection and is thought to be transmitted by flies and mosquitoes. Symptoms include lethargy and loss of appetite, and those normally pink coloured areas such as lips, gums and mouth will be noticeably pale.
The disease can be confirmed by blood analysis. If this is the case, further tests for Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) will be carried out. If only FIA is present, and it is diagnosed at an early stage, it is treatable. If it is found to be combined with FeLV the prognosis is not so optimistic.

Fits

You will be in little doubt if your cat is having a fit, it will fall over, salivate and probably twitch.
This requires immediate veterinary assistance as a fit can have many causes. If you suspect that your cat has swallowed some form of toxic poison act quickly. Make up a strong solution of salt and water. Force it down the cat's throat to make it sick. This will get rid of as much poison as possible from the stomach before it gets ingested. Never induce vomiting if a caustic substance is the suspected poison. If you have to handle a cat whilst it is having a fit, protect yourself with thick gloves and wrap the cat in a towel or blanket.

Fur balls

Cats are very clean creatures and spend much of their time grooming. This leads to a certain amount of fur being swallowed. Fur is indigestible and, if quantities are allowed to build up in the intestines, a blockage known as a fur ball will result. Fur balls will probably make the cat cough and may well cause discomfort and constipation.
In the wild a cat would rid itself of fur balls by eating grass, which acts as a natural emetic. Modern housebound cats may need to have hair balls expelled with a dose of liquid paraffin - in an adult one teaspoon, twice a day for three days and less for a kitten. The prevention is to groom your cat regularly with a brush and comb so there is less fur to be swallowed.

10 April 2006

Find a Vet for Your Cat

Registering with a vet in your area who you can contact for advice on the health of your pet is one of the most important things you can do as a cat owner.
Regular contact with your vet will ensure your cat's health is professionally monitored and that a 'Pet Care programme', which will include vaccination, worming and neutering regimes, plus diet, fitness, behaviour and training tips, is discussed.

Regular trips to the vet are essential to identify health issues that owners simply could not be aware of.
Personal recommendation is often a good starting point in identifying a new vet. So talk to other cat owners before making a decision on where to register. You can also carry out research on the internet to find local practices within a sensible distance of your home. Things to consider when looking at practices are:

Costs- what are charges for routine procedures such as worming and vaccinations
Facilities - are there special services such as kitten clubs and weight clinics. What happens if your cat should need to be referred to a specialist for treatment?
Location - the practice should be within easy reach of your home.
Opening times and emergencies - keep a note of the practice phone number and opening times handy at all times. It's also useful to find out what you should do in an emergency outside of normal opening hours.

Once you have chosen a vet you should make an appointment to get your cat checked over. You and the vet can then decide upon a suitable care programme. It is sensible to take the time and trouble to find the right veterinary practice as it may well be the one that looks after your cat for the whole of its life.

Why worm??

Even the best groomed and cared for cats are at risk of developing a worm infection. Although difficult to prevent it is relatively easy to protect your cat against the effects of infection, by simply killing worms before they are able to cause serious damage to the cat's health.

Sometimes there are no obvious signs and owners tend to assume that the cat is fit and healthy. However a suitable worming and regular worming regimen is essential to avoid a worm infection that has the potential to lead to serious health risks for both cat and owner.

There are many internal parasites that can infect your pet. In moderate numbers these worms usually cause few visible effects; it is when they are left untreated that they can cause real problems such as anaemia, diarrhoea, pneumonia and poor weight gain.

The adverse impact of worms is generally greatest in younger animals, as older animals develop some immunity to infection. That said, the major health problems that worms cause normally result from the worm entering the wrong host (such as a child) where severe consequences, such as blindness can occur.

Vets are increasingly looking to prescribe worming treatments on a case by case basis, with the choice of treatment and frequency reflecting the lifestyle and individual needs of your cat. A cat that regularly hunts and brings home mice and birds is at a high risk of tapeworm infection.

Remember, not all worming treatments work in the same way - so speak to your vet, who will be able to advise on what is best to protect your cat and your family.

Cat Collars- F.A.B. Report

The Feline Advisory Bureau has recently carried out a nationwide survey on injuries to cats from wearing cat collars. The main causes of injury is the cat getting it’s front leg through the collar and sustaining lacerations to the ‘underarm’, sometimes resulting in the leg being amputated or having to receive plastic surgery to repair the wounds. It is advisable to fit your cat with an elasticated or ‘quick release’ caller and to ensure it is neither too tight nor too lose, you should be able to slip two fingers through the collar. Also remember to fit an ID tag.

WARNING!
Teresa Bougard, a volunteer, recently had a frightening experience involving her cat and a new cat collar and bell. Her cat's claw became caught in the groove in the bell and had to visit the vet to have the bell removed from his paw. Teresa was extremely lucky that Sooty was indoors at the time and she was able to deal with it so quickly.

Teresa asks that cat owners be vigilant with collars that have these bells on, or better still remove the bells altogether. She has also contacted the manufacturers to let them know what had happened to her cat.

Parasite Control!

The most common intestinal parasites of cats in this country are roundworms and tapeworms. Lungworm infection is rare but can be a problem in some areas. Cats taken abroad by their owners may be at risk from other internal parasites that do not occur in the UK such as heartworm, hookworm and the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis.

Adult cats commonly pick up both roundworms and tapeworms and should be treated for both types of worm every three to four months. Kittens are likely to be infected with roundworms but are unlikely to carry tapeworms. Kittens should be treated for roundworms every two weeks between the ages of four and sixteen weeks old.

Wormers are effective against some types of worm but not others. The most commonly prescribed wormers are (in alphabetical order):

All these products have a UK veterinary licence for use on cats and are of proven safety and efficacy when administered correctly. Other worming preparations are available from non-veterinary suppliers but they may be less effective than the products listed.

Feeding times

Cats are creatures of habit, and they prefer regular mealtimes in a familiar feeding place where they can eat undisturbed, preferably twice a day.

The usual practice is to give a light meal in the morning and a larger one in the evening, but the cat's appetite s the best guide here.

In the case of canned or fresh food, the entire day's ration should not be put out at one time, because what is left over will become stale and vulnerable to contamination by flies. Leftovers should be taken away when the cat has finished and the food bowl cleaned ready for the next meal.

Fleas and Ticks

Fleas, ticks and cats - yes even in the cleanest of households these go together - so don't start scratching or getting yourself in a state. All you need to do when making that 'awful' discovery of the dreaded pest is to draw breath and plan a course of action.

Ticks can be removed with specialist tick removers or killed by applying an appropriate insecticide safe for use on cats. It is important to remove the mouthparts, which are embedded in the cat's skin. Do not pull it straight off as this often leaves the mouthparts and may result in an infection. DO NOT use a cigarette to burn them off as this is extremely dangerous!

To eliminate fleas remember that you must treat the whole house and not just the cat! That includes skirting boards, carpets, base of curtains and furniture as well as the cat and its bedding. It will take some time but all that hard work will help to break the cycle and keep you flea free.

There are a host of treatments available from both vets and pet shops. However, we strongly advise that you only purchase these treatments from your vet.

Holiday Tips

In an ideal world cats should never be left alone for a weekend as they're much happier with human company. But in an emergency try to arrange for someone to visit your home regularly (good for security anyway!) Ask your friend to try and spend some time talking and stroking your cat.

Before you leave check the following list:

Is the cat's litter tray clean?
Are there bowls of fresh water available?
Are favourite toys handy?
Are all windows and doors closed?
Are all detergents, cleaners, paints and varnish locked away?
Are any other pets (such as fish, hamsters and birds) taken care of or protected from your cat?
Does your neighbour or friend have all relevant phone numbers in case of an emergency?
Do you know where the cat is? (Hopefully not locked in a cupboard or in your suitcase!!)

Remember that when you return home your cat will probably ascend to the top of the nearest tall tree or fence and ignore you completely - in the hope that you will feel very guilty and never go away again. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Gardening & Cats

After gardening clear away hedge trimmings or uprooted plants immediately as the sap from damaged stems may cause skin irritation and this is far more likely to happen that poisoning. In some cases the bulbs or roots may be the most toxic part. If chewed the plants may cause blistering or itching of the mouth and gums. Sneezing and eye problems can also be due to contact with leaves.

The following list gives just a few examples of plants to watch out for:

Indoor plants
Amaryllis
Chrysanthemum
Cyclamen
Dieffenbachia
Hyacinth
Ivies
Poinsettia
Solanum (Winter Cherry)
Umbrella plant

Garden plants
Aquilegia
Azalea
Clematis
Delphinium
Hellebore
Laburnum
Lupins
Oleander
Sweet pea

The fact that some very common plants are poisonous should not cause you to panic. Most of these plants will taste bad and therefore cats are unlikely to eat them in sufficient quantities to cause permanent damage. Tender houseplants pose a far greater risk than more woody garden plants.

If you suspect poisoning contact the vet for immediate advice. Do not make your cat vomit - it may happen automatically. If you can identify the plant that has caused the problem then take a sample of the leaf, bulb or flower with you, as it will save time.

As with children remember the golden rule - prevention is better than cure!

Long Haired Cats

If your cat's name is Fluffy, the chances are that he or she will be one of the longhaired variety. Being the proud owner of a longhaired cat brings its own unique set of responsibilities.

Because of the sheer density of the undercoat longhaired cats such as Persians cannot keep their coats tangle free with normal grooming. They need the daily assistance of their owner armed with a brush and comb to smooth away the tangles before they turn into matted hair.

The ungroomed hair forms a solid clump, which looks unkempt and is also the perfect environment for parasites. Prevention is better than cure as matted hair is very difficult to remove. Trying to pull a comb or brush through a mat will hurt the cat and may damage the skin. You should never try to cut off matted hair, as it is easy to cut the skin underneath.

Once a cat has had a bad experience with the brush and comb it becomes very reluctant to be brushed and in some cases will even run away at the first sight of a comb! When buying brushes and combs for use on your cat, first try them out on your own hair - if they hurt your scalp, they will almost certainly hurt the cat!
Always start off gently with a soft brush and try to make the experience a pleasurable one for the cat making encouraging noises as you stroke the cat gently with the brush. Never tug at the coat and never reprimand the cat for resisting.

Sometimes, a little dusting of unperfumed talcum powder can help minor tangles be brushed free.

British Quarantine Law - Update

Quarantine laws throughout the EU countries have now changed dramatically for many domestic pets and their owners. It is now possible to acquire a 'pet passport', which enables you to bring your pet into Britain without them spending 6 months in kennels.

The passport requirements are very stringent and include a full healthcheck by a vet, up-to-date immunisations against cat 'flu, enteritis, FeLV and rabies, as well as having an identification chip inserted and a photo and current certificates and pet insurance.

The pet is also checked by a vet on entering the country. Hopefully this will ensure that less pets are abandoned abroad or have to endure the suffering and misery of 6 months captivity.

QUARANTINE - A READER'S EXPERIENCE

During my ten year marriage, I have moved several times from UK to Germany and back, and throughout this time I have always had a cat. My first cat was Katie, a sweet black and white girl rescued in Germany after some children threw her out of a window, she had several injuries and had pins inserted in her back and legs, but was a good natured puss! In all she endured two set of quarantine, the second resulted in her having un-diagnosed bowel cancer.

She had been home with me for only a few weeks, and she became progressively more poorly, so took her to the vets. She was operated on, but the vet telephoned me to advise euthanasia due to the severity of the problems. I rushed from work to the vets, but Katie never regained conciseness. I was devastated, absolutely heartbroken, but never received explanation or apology from the cattery.

After a couple of years I kept seeing a white thin cat around my garden, and after a few weeks of trying to establish whether he had a home, we decided to take him in. He was un-neutered and no one seemed to own him. We whisked him off to the vet for the once-over, neutering, worming, flea treatment etc, and he soon settled in.

We had occasion to move again, but this time, because of the changes in law, all I needed to do for my cat was get a thorough health check, current inoculation certificates, we had him tested for the ‘nasties’, obtained a passport and we can now bring him straight into the country and with us!

The procedure was very stringent and quite expensive, but worth all the effort and more, because there is just no comparison with what my poor Katie went through, I still feel very strongly that if she were not subjected to those six months of neglect and unhappiness she may still be here today. It cost us over £800 for her 6 month stay and there is just no way that can ever be justified. To apply for the passport is about £200, but safeguards not only my cat, but the animals of the UK.

Arthritis

Most common in the older cat but, as with human arthritis, it can strike at any age. In younger cats it can be related to calici virus, one of the forms of cat flu. Arthritis affects skeletal joints resulting in swelling, inflammation, pain and (if in a limb joint) lameness.

Contact your vet for a correct diagnosis and discuss which of the treatments currently available are most suited to your cat. Heat is a good soother and a hot water bottle or heated pad will give much relief to this painful complaint. Massage is often beneficial but should be administered with care. Applied correctly this can alleviate some of the pain and increase mobility in the affected limb. Arthritis can be encouraged by obesity and it is a good idea to keep your cat at the correct weight for its size and build.

Asthma

Cats can show allergic reactions to many environmental agents and these cause the respiratory distress commonly called asthma. The symptoms can be snuffles, sneezes, weeping eyes and difficulty in breathing, but these could equally be indicative of cat flu.
It is important that your vet examines the cat to make the right diagnosis. If the vet thinks that asthma is the cause it might be suggested that your cat is confined indoors, with the windows closed when the pollen count is high.

Constipation

Usually caused by an unbalanced diet and so can quite often be cured by adding roughage, such as bran, to the food. A constipated cat will have an 'open' (out of condition) coat, appear lethargic and will strain on its litter tray without passing a motion. The occasional hard stool may be blood-spotted, caused by a ruptured capillary.

A constipated cat may be treated at home by giving a little liquid paraffin. If symptoms persist consult your vet as there may be a more serious underlying cause, such as an intestinal blockage caused by fur balls.

Dandruff

This is not a life threatening problem but does look unsightly. Dead flakes of skin, or dander, build up in the fur and tend to accumulate if the cat is not regularly groomed. Dry skin can aggravate the situation and this may by caused by diet, so a change to a more oily food such as sardines or pilchards may hep to clear it.

An application of fur conditioning lotion will give a rapid, but temporary, improvement. If the condition persists, there may be a dermatological problem for which your vet will be able to prescribe suitable treatment. Also consult your vet if you find yourself with a skin rash on your chest or arms, as this may be an indication of skin mite infection transferred from the cat.

Diabetes

This can affect a cat at any age, but is usually seen in older or overweight animals. The symptoms are an increase in thirst and appetite, but with marked loss of weight. Your vet can make a confirmed diagnosis of this condition after blood and urine samples have been analysed.

Treatment of diabetes, as with humans, is with daily injections of insulin; your vet will show you how to do this and, once you have mastered the technique, it is not difficult. It is important that a diabetic cat receives meals at regular intervals, and that the diet should not contain carbohydrates or sugar. Once the treatment has begun and the condition stabilised, there is no reason why the cat should not live for many years providing the correct medication and modified diet are followed.

Diarrhoea

Many cats have the occasional loose motion. In most cases this is caused by eating something too rich or perhaps not as fresh as it should have been.

Starve the cat for 24 hors, giving it only still mineral (not tap) water to drink, and a teaspoonful of plain, live yoghurt three times a day. This will help to readjust the natural bacterial balance in the intestine. If the diarrhoea persists for more than 48 hours, or the condition worsens, seek the advice of your vet.

Pets and poisons

An easy reference guide from the British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation (BVA AWF) on the dangers of harmful substances found in and around the home.

Members of the public can request a copy of the leaflet from the BVA AWF on tel: 020 7636 6541 or bva-awf@bva.co.uk quoting 'Poisons leaflet'.

The leaflets are available free of charge however a contribution to the BVA AWF, which is a registered charity, would be very much appreciated

Quit smoking for your cat's sake

'The 2007 Smoking Ban won't just benefit the health of people but our pets' lives too' says the PDSA. Elaine Pendlebury, a senior veterinary surgeon, said that the effect of passive smoking on humans is well documented but pets are also affected by breathing in second-hand smoke.

Cats exposed to cigarette smoke are twice as likely to develop feline lymphoma, a type of cancer which can be fatal. Plus it is also one of the most common causes of respiratory allergies in our feline friend which make them cough, sneeze and wheeze.
If giving up is completely out of the question there are ways to lessen the effect of smoke on pets. Try not to smoke near them, keep all rooms well ventilated and encourage visitors to smoke outside.

Remember a pet can't tell us if cigarette smoke is affecting them but over time their health will suffer.
Visit www.pdsa.org.uk for information on how to quit smoking. Free local help is available from the NHS.

Lost Your Cat?
What to do if your cat goes missing:

We all know how distressing it is when puss does not show up for dinner - but instead of panicking and thinking the worst there are a few things you can do to try to pre-empt its safe and speedy return;

• Check indoors - you would be surprised how many 'lost' cats turn up safe and well in airing cupboards, behind chairs and under beds!

• Ask the neighbours to look in sheds, garages and greenhouses.

• Phone the local vets, council refuse collectors and cat rescue groups. These will need a description of puss, colour, collar and ID details, sex, distinguishing marks or scars etc., and also mention if puss is microchipped.

• Advertise by posters, on bus stops, gates, lamp posts, local shops etc., a description of puss with your address or phone number and the area and time she went missing.

• Contact local press and radio, they often advertise lost and found free of charge.

Don't forget that when your cat has either come home or been returned to let all the relevant authorities know, so they can take her off their lost and found lists!

Back to Top

Please feel free to E-mail any enquiries to us: cats@nine-lives.org.uk

Help us even more by becoming a Member of Nine Lives just click here for more details