POD CASTS FROM AVMA

     Those of you who are tech-savvy can now download weekly pod casts from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).  AVMA staff will be interviewing veterinary experts from around the country on topics ranging from pet health and safety to zoonotic diseases.  These pod casts are free and can be downloaded from www. avma.org or from i-tunes.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT HEARTWORMS

     Due to our increasingly mild winters, Dr. Sinclair recommends treating your cat with a heartworm preventative year round.  Options include a once-monthly beef-flavored chewable treat (HeartGard) or a once-monthly topical skin treatment (Revolution).  Please ask a Cat Sense staff member about protecting your cat today!

ASK THE VET

By Anne Sinclair, DVM, Diplomate, American Board of Veterinary Practicioners (Certified in Feline Practice)

Q:   My cat bites me frequently and I have never had a problem.  Why are you so concerned about cat bites?

A:  While people usually think that cat bites are less serious than dog bites, the opposite is true.  The potential for severe infection is much higher for cat bites than for dog bites, mainly due to the normal bacteria that are In a cat's mouth.  The infection rate for cat bites is somewhere between 30% and 50%.  Bites to the hand are more likely to become infected than bite wounds elsewhere on the body.  Two of the most common bacteria in the cat's mouth are Pasteurella multocida and Capnocytophaga canimorsus and they not only cause a local a local infection but are more likely to cause systemic illnesses.  They can cause osteomylelitis (infection of the bone), meningitis, endocarditis (infection of the heart valves), osteoarthritis, septic arthritis and septic shock.  Cat's can also transmit tetanus, rabies and tularemia.  I personally have known one person who lost the use of her hand due to cat bite and several people who have lost the use of a finger due to an infection in the joint.  This is what I recommend an immediate visit to the doctor for a person that has been bitten by a cat where the skin has been broken.  Usually antibiotics are prescribed to lessen the chances of an infection, but even with appropriate oral antibiotic therapy some people may still develop infections that require hospitalization, iv antibiotics and possibly even surgery.  Due to the public health risk of rabies, a physician is legally required to report a cat bite to the health department and a police report is usually taken.

ASK THE VET-TECH

By Amy Batchellor, LVT

Q:  Why is it so important to test and retest for Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)?

A:  FeLV and FIV account for the highest number of feline-related deaths from infectious diseases globally, affecting millions of cats each year.  FeLV and FIV testing provides a chance for infected cats to lead healthy lives with proper medical care, reduces transmission to other cats by identifying positive cats and provides peace of mind for the pet owner.  Fortunatley, only a small sample of blood is required to test for these infections.  An "in-house" test (ELISA by Idexx, considered to be the gold standard) is performed at Cat Sense.  It usually takes 10 minutes, allowing you to consult with the doctor before leaving the clinic.  To confirm a negative test, especially if your cat is suspected of exposure, the test should be repeated in 3 months.  It is important to realize that cats with a latent infection test negative, but may still develop FeLV/FIV later in life.  This is why it is very important to retest!  For samples that test positive it is necessary to send a follow-up test, called an IFA test, to a veterinary laboratory to confirm that the cat is truly positive.  The ELISA test does have a 10% false positive rate.  Results should be availbale in a matter of days.

Q:  What are FeLV and FIV and how can my cat get this infection?

A:  FeLV is a type of cancer caused by the Feline Leukemia Virus, a retrovirus which affects freely roaming or domestic cats.  A retrovirus contains RNA and many of them produce tumors.  FeLV is most commonly spread via tha saliva and nasal secretions of infected cats.  It is also shed in the urine, feces and an infected mother can pass it to her kittens during gestation and nursing.  Methods of transmission include: bite wounds, blood transfusions, mouth and nose contact, mutual grooming, nose to nose contact, sneezing and shared dishes and litterboxes.  Cats may not show symptoms/signs of this disease for months or years after being infected.  Symptoms depend on the type of virus and the stage of disease.  The most common are decreased appetite and weight loss, depression, chronic recurring infections, swollen lymph nodes, fever, poor coat condition and neurologic disorders.

     FIV, commonly known as Feline AIDS, is a lentivirus.  Alentivirus is a slow virus that causes disease, having an unusually long incubation period.  It is also a retrovirus, in the same family as FeLV and HIV in humansa.  FIV is NOT a zoonotic disease, meaning that it cannot be passed to a human.  It attacks the immune system and the cat is then unable to fight off varios infections and cancers.  FIV is not transmitted by prolonged close contact like FeLV.  FIV is shed in the saliva and then transmitted by bitewounds.  It is very important to have your cat tested for FIV afetr being bitten. Retesting at a later date is important to ensure that the virus was not incubating or latent at the time of the first test.  It can also be passed, though rarely, to kittens if the mother is infected during gestation or lactation.  The clinical signs of FIV are lethargy, decreased appetite and weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, chronic oral, skin, ear and eye infections, chronic respiratory disease, chronic diarrhea, or anemia or neoplasia (tumor growth).

Q:  How can I keep my cat from getting FeLV or FIV?

A:   Keep your cat indoors or supervise visits outside.  Do noy let your cat wander onits own.

     Only infection free cats/kittens should be adopted into a household of uninfected cats.  If you adopt a cat/kitten, make sure it is kept seperately until it can be tested.

     If you have a cat that contracts one of these infections, house infection-free cats seperately.  Make sure they do not share any bowls or litterboxes.

     If you are unable to keep your cat indoors, consider the FeLV vaccination.  This vaccination should be given for the life of your cat, if he continues to go outdoors unsupervised.

     If your cat is diagnosed with either FeLV or FIV, they should be kept indoors at all times to prevent them from spreading the infectious virus to other cats.

ENVIRONMENTAL 

  ENRICHMENT

     The average day for your cat's ancestor may have consisted of stalking, killing and eating more than a dozen small prey animals per day.  In between, he would have napped, marked some areas by either spraying or scratching, and perhaps tangled with another cat who dared to enter his territory.  If he was having a particularly good day, he may have gottten a chance to mate with a receptive female.  Compare that to an average day in the life of most housecats today.  He wakes to find a dish filled with food, sleeps, watches birds through the window, revisits the food dish and gets a few minutes of brushing/playing with his owner if he is lucky.

     Cats are highly intelligent animals who require mental as well as physical stimulation.  Cats who are bored may either become obese or may develop behaviors which owners find difficult to live with.

     But your cat need not be a couch potato or a delinquent. And you don't have to break the bank to provide him with a stimulating environment.

     ♥  Cats are all about vertical surfaces.  They need to be up high to visualize their environment.  Perches also provide them with a safe place to retire when they are feeling stressed.  You can purchase a sturdy cat tree or install a window seat.

     ♥  Provide lots of toys.  Some cats are "mouse" cats and some are "bird" cats, meaning some prefer to have their toys horizontally on the ground where they can bat them around and others prefer dangly, fishing pole type toys.  Experiment with your cat to see which he prefers.  Rotate toys to eliminate boredom.  Always check toys first to make sure parts cannot detach and become a hazard to your cat.     

     ♥  Just like kids, some cats just prefer the cardboard box!  Design your own cat playhouse by cutting out doors and windows.

     ♥  Manufacture your own toys by cutting paw-sized holes in a tissue box and placing toys or bits of dry kibble inside.  How stimulating for Kitty to try to get the prize out of the box.

     ♥  Purchase a cat video.  Not all cats care for multimedia but some cats are very intrigued by watching hamsters, squirrels and birds romp on TV.

     ♥   Hang a bird feeder just outside a window (especially one where a perch has been installed).  Prepare for squirrel antics as well as a bird show.

     ♥  Invest in a cat-safe fence, such as Purrfect Fence or Cat Fence-In.  These type of fencing allow a cat to go outside without allowing them to be free-roaming.  Outdoor cats should always have a flea/tickprevention applied regularly.

     ♥  Devise hunting games suchas leaving a few small bowls of dry kibble strategically placed around the house.  Start out with easy hiding places and then increase the level of difficulty.  Don't place too much food in the bowls or Kitty will start to pack on the pounds.  And don' t use canned cat food, just in case Kitty misses a dish!

     ♥  Provide different scratching options.  Scratching is a natural marking behaivor in cats, even for declawed cats.  Have sturdy carpeted posts, tall enough for a good strectch or sisal or corrugated cardboard scratchers, depending on your cat's personal preference.

     ♥  Check out the book The Cats' House and really go crazy by adapting your living space to create a wonderland of surfaces and stimulation for your cat.

     ♥  Train your cat.  No, that was not a typo.  Cat's can be trained to  perform tricks and some cats are even competing in agility contests!  Try training using a "clicker".

     ♥  And the best kind of enrichment for your cat is....YOU!  Talk to your cat, brush and pet your cat and play withyour cat!  He will reward you with years of enjoyment, entertainment and love.

Check out these resources for more information:

www.catvets.com (website of The American Association of Feline Practitioners)

The Indoor Cat Initiative of the Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine

The Cats' House by Bob Walker.

FUN FLEA FACTS
There are approximately 2000 species of fleas but the most common is the cat flea.

The average life span of a flea is anywhere from 2 weeks to 8 months, depending on conditions. 

Females lay 20-30 eggs a day. 

Fossilized fleas have been found dating to 100 million years old. 

Fleas cause a wide range of medical problems including flea allergy dermatitis, tapeworms, and in extreme cases, anemia. 

If a flea were the size of a human, it could jump the length of one and a half football fields from a standing position. 

Check your cat for fleas by using a flea comb.  If you discover a live flea or peppery specks (flea dirt, i.e. digested blood), treat your cat using a veterinarian product.  flea collars are not recommended as they are ineffective and highly toxic. 

A Vaccine Primer

     Vaccines are just as important for indoor-only cats as they are for cats who have access to the outdoors.  Kittens are initially protected by maternal antibodies they receive when nursing.  By two months of age though,  these antibodies are gone.  Kittens are first given a Feline Distemper shot (FVRCP) which protects them against "rhinotracheitis",  "calicivirus" and "panleukopenia".  This shot must be boosted 3-4 weeks later by another dose of vaccine for full protection.  At four months of age,  a kitten receives it's first rabies vaccination.  This is always a one-year vaccine.  Even though a cat may never venture outside and be exposed to foxes and raccoons,  the chance of a bat entering your house or escaping outside accidentally is very real.  We at Cat Sense have actually had two bat incidents.  Rabies vaccinations are required by Maryland State Law and authorities do have the right to confiscate your cat should someone be bitten and vaccinations are not current.  Vaccinations for Feline Leukemia are not recommended unless your cat will be going outside and coming in contact with other cats or if you will be bringing new,  untested cats into the house.  A feline leukemia test should be performed prior to vaccination.  

     Most cats tolerate their vaccinations very well.  They may temporarily be a bit more quiet than usual and may have some soreness at the vaccine injection site.  Very few cats may have a vaccine reaction,  which includes signs of:  trouble breathing,  vomiting,  diarrhea,  and/or facial swelling.  These cats need to be seen immediately,  either at Cat Sense or at the emergency hospital.  In very rare cases, cats may develop a vaccine-related sarcoma (cancer) at the injection site.  Cat Sense is proud to offer a "recombinant" vaccine called the Purevax,  specially engineered by Merial,  this rabies vaccination has less of a chance for a vaccine-related sarcoma to develop.  Please bring any unusual bumps to Dr. Sinclair's attention immediately.

     While there is a risk associated with anything,  it is far more risky to not have your beloved feline appropriately protected.

GOING ON VACATION?

Is your cat properly cared for while you're gone?  Options include:  boarding,  hiring a pet-sitter,  or having a friend or neighbor check in daily.  Cats should never be left alone for more than 24 hours--Cats do not know how to ration their food and water and a life threatening situation could suddenly occur!!  Treat your cat like a valued member of your family and make sure they are properly cared for when away for the holidays or on vacation.

Staff  Tips for Getting your Cat into a Carrier

• Close the cat in a small room,  such as a powder room,  before bringing the cat carrier in. 
• Stand the carrier up on it's end (door up) and lower cat feet first into carrier.  Quickly close door.
• Leave the carrier out in cat's favorite room all the time (with door open) so Kitty can get used to it.  Try putting in some catnip and/or toys.  
• Try backing Kitty into the carrier when loading rather than head first.
• Spray the inside of the carrier with Feliway spray to reduce anxiety.
• Slip Kitty into pillowcase first,  close the end,  then put the cat in the carrier.  Remove pillowcase.
• Condition Kitty into thinking the carrier is a positive thing.  Load Kitty in Periodically for very short periods (5 minutes) and then reward him with treats and praise upon release.

  TOP TEN SIGNS YOUR CAT IS OVERWEIGHT

1.  Fifteen month gestation period and still no kittens!!

2.  No longer cleans itself unless coated in whiz cheese.

3.  Cat door so large it needs a garage door opener.

4.  Waits for third bowl of food to get finicky.

5.  Only catches mice that get caught in his gravitational pull.

6.  Enormous belly keeps your hardwood buffed.

7.  Has more chins than lives.

8.  Always lands on his spleen. 

9.  Fewer calls to the fire dept., but a sudden upsurge in broken branches. 

10.  Confused guests constantly mistake for beanbag chair.

New Products: 

Ultimate Scratcher:   For the ultimate in scratching luxury for your cat, stop in and check out our Ultimate Scratcher scratching posts.  At a height of 32 inches, they provide a super stretch for kitty and the sisal covering is an excellent texture for your cat to condition her claws and remove old nail sheaths.  Situated on a sturdy, non-tip base, your cat can really get into stretching and scratching without the fear of the post tipping over.

L-Lysine Soft Chews:    Is your cat currently on an L-Lysine supplement? That supplemment is now available in a soft, moist treat from Vetri-Science Laboratories. The treats are chicken/liver flavored and each bag contains about 120 soft chews.

Hide, Perch & Go boxes:   Developed for use in shelters, these boxes provide 2 stimulating envirnments for your cat.  The lower portion is a multi-entrance hiding spot and the top portion is a perch. The box easily assembles in minutes and also converts into a sturdy cardboard carrier. The box can then be reassembled and placed in the cage with your cat to give him comfort while here. Please ask to view an assembled Hide, Perch & Go during your next visit to Cat Sense.

Stop in at Cat Sense today to view these excellent products!!