Cats
Vaccinations
All kittens should be vaccinated against Cat Flu and Feline Infectious Enteritis. These diseases are extremely infectious and can affect even indoor cats that do not go outside. The initial vaccination course consists of two vaccinations, three to four weeks apart. The minimum age for starting the course is 9 weeks. Your cat is not fully protected until ten days after the second vaccine dose. Proof that your cat has received these vaccinations will be required if you wish to take your cat to a boarding cattery.
One year later, a full “booster” vaccination is recommended to ensure that immunity to the above vaccinations is maintained.
Following this, your cat should return for booster vaccinations every year.
It is also possible to vaccinate cats against Feline Leukaemia Virus. Feline Leukaemia Virus is passed on by close contact between cats such as fighting, sharing food bowls, mating, and mutual grooming. If your cat is a house cat and will never have physical contact with another cat the risks of him or her contracting Feline Leukaemia Virus are very low. For cats that go outdoors we strongly recommend vaccination. The leukaemia vaccination is given at the same time as the basic vaccination course, and also requires annual boosters.
Because cats infected with Feline Leukaemia Virus may show no symptoms for months or years it is sometimes advisable to perform a blood test to look for Feline Leukaemia Virus infection. We may suggest this if you have taken in a stray cat with an uncertain background. Any of our vets would be happy to discuss this with you.
Other Vaccinations
It is possible to vaccinate your cat against rabies, if you are considering taking your cat abroad. Please ask any of our staff if you require further information about the PETS Travel Scheme.
Worming
Almost all kittens are infected with roundworms as they are passed on from mother to kitten. We recommend worming against roundworms between 4 and 12 weeks of age. There are a variety of different products available (pastes and granules to mix with food, tablets, “spot-on” preparations) and your vet will advise you as to which is most suitable for your kitten.
Your kitten should also receive treatment for tapeworms - this is usually given at 12 weeks of age. We usually recommend a single tablet that treats both roundworms and tapeworms in one go.
Following this, you will need to discuss and decide upon a permanent worming strategy for your cat. Roundworm eggs are very prevalent in soil and because they are microscopic and sticky, they are easily carried into the house on your shoes, or your animal’s fur. When your cat licks himself he swallows these eggs and is infected with roundworms. One type of roundworm, Toxocara, can spread from animals to people and is very occasionally responsible for health problems in people, including blindness. To protect against roundworms your cat should be treated either with “Stronghold” spot-on every month (this treatment also provides excellent protection against fleas), or should be wormed with a combined tapeworm/roundworm tablet every six weeks.
Tapeworms are less common in animals, and are not dangerous to humans. However, they can cause irritation to the cat’s bottom and in extreme cases can cause weight loss and diarrhoea. Cats catch tapeworms either by eating fleas (fleas often contain tapeworm segments) or by eating mice/birds/raw meat. If your cat is treated for fleas and roundworms, and does not eat any of the above then you will probably not need to worry about tapeworms. If your cat is a hunter then we recommend worming with a tapeworm medication every three to six months.
Your vet will be happy to discuss your cat’s individual situation with you and help you decide on a worming regime.
Flea Treatment
Fleas commonly cause itchiness and annoyance to cats (and can also bite people!). Some cats become allergic to flea bites and this can lead to very severe skin damage, even if only one or two fleas are present. It is quite unusual to find live fleas on your pet as fleas only spend 5% of their time on the cat, and the other 95% in the house. However, it is common to find flea dirts in the coat of a cat with fleas – these are tiny, dark, crumbly particles that may fall out of your cat’s coat as you brush it. The faeces contain dried blood that has passed through the flea and will produce a red streak if dropped onto a sheet of wet paper.
Fleas are usually caught from grass/vegetation, carpets/furniture, and from other animals (dogs, cats, hedgehogs, rabbits). If you find fleas on your cat we recommend a good flea product such as Frontline (available as a spot-on or a spray) or Stronghold (spot-on). Frontline is also effective against ticks, and Stronghold treats roundworms (see above). Pet shop flea products are not very effective and we do not recommend their use. Frontline and Stronghold are only available from veterinary surgeries but registered clients can purchase them at Reception without seeing the vet each time. If you have seen fleas on your cat then it is very likely that there are fleas in the house. In these situations we recommend that you purchase a house spray to treat the carpets and furniture.
However, we strongly believe that prevention is better than cure, and recommend the regular use of flea control products to prevent your cat ever picking up fleas and bringing them into the house. Again, Frontline and Stronghold are the most popular products to use. Frontline requires application every two months, and Stronghold every month.
Microchipping
It is possible to inject a tiny microchip into the scruff of your cat’s neck. This can be done at any age. Microchipped cats are given a collar tag to show that they have been microchipped - this acts as a deterrent to thieves. If your cat goes missing and is taken to a veterinary surgery, police station or rehoming centre, staff will scan the cat and read the unique microchip code. This identifies your cat on a central database so that you can be contacted and your pet returned.
Insurance
Unfortunately cats suffer from accidents and illness just like us. We are very proud to be able to offer our patients a very high standard of care and have a well staffed and well equipped surgery. However there is no NHS for animals and the cost of treatment has to be met by the animal’s owner. These costs can really add up – for example a cat involved in a road accident may require emergency attendance by a vet and nurse in the middle of the night, Xrays, medication, a drip, intensive nursing care, and complicated operations to mend broken bones or repair other injuries. The cost of this sort of treatment can easily run into thousands of pounds. Equally an older cat may develop a chronic illness such as diabetes requiring medical care and treatment for the rest of his or her life. We strongly recommend that pet owners take out insurance so that if your cat is unlucky enough to become unwell, we are able to offer the best possible care without you having to worry about how to pay for it!
There are lots of different companies offering pet insurance. You can obtain information about these from the leaflets available in Reception and advertisements in the Yellow Pages, in cat magazines and on the Internet. Make sure that you read the small print carefully when deciding which policy to choose. Some insurance companies will cover any condition for the rest of the cat’s life, whilst others will only pay out for the first 12 months of each condition. Some policies cover a cat for several thousands of pounds each year, whilst others stop paying after a few hundred pounds, so check this as well!
Teeth
Cat’s teeth accumulate tartar and become infected and/or loose just like people’s teeth. To some extent it is possible to slow down the development of these problems by providing crunchy biscuits in addition to tinned food. However, the best way to protect your cat’s teeth is by brushing them every day. Not all cats will tolerate tooth brushing, and not all owners will be prepared to carry it out. However if you would like to give brushing a try, many cats will accept it if you start whilst the cat is still young. You can purchase special pet toothbrushes that fit over the end of your finger, or use a soft, child’s toothbrush. Do not use human toothpaste as the minty taste and foaming effect are not suitable for cats! Non-foaming, poultry and meat-flavoured toothpastes are available at Reception and in pet shops. Any of the vets or nurses will be happy to demonstrate how to brush your cat’s teeth, please ask for further information.
A second best option is to purchase one of the enzymatic pet toothpastes such as “Logic”, from Reception. These toothpastes do have some effect on preventing tartar even if they are just squirted into the mouth of the cat, or applied to a paw to be licked off.
Neutering
See our information on Neutering
Diet
We are fortunate in the UK in that there are very strict regulations regarding the manufacture of pet foods and there has been a lot of research into developing foods which are nutritionally balanced for cats. For this reason, any commercial complete food should be suitable for your cat. Dried food tends to be help reduce tartar accumulation on the teeth, but a completely dry diet has been associated with a higher incidence of urinary problems. It is probably best to include some dried and some tinned food in your cat’s diet for these reasons. Some individual cats can develop digestive, urinary or skin complaints which mean that some foods are more appropriate than others – your vet will advise you if this is the case.
Kittens should be fed 3 or 4 times daily up until 6 months of age when 2 meals daily are appropriate. Many cats are sensible about the amount of food they eat, and can usually be allowed access to dried food on an ad lib basis, with tinned food offered once or twice daily. However, some cats are too greedy and will become overweight if allowed unrestricted access to food. Keep a close eye on your cat’s weight (either at home, or by weighing at the surgery) and seek advice if you are concerned. Kittens can suffer from diarrhoea and/or colitis if they are suddenly changed from one diet to another. Try to find out what your kitten was fed by the breeder and either continue with this diet or change it very gradually over a week or so.
Going Outside
Vaccination protection is complete ten days after the second vaccination, so technically it is safe for your kitten to go outside and have contact with other cats from this point onwards. However there are other points to consider when deciding whether to let your cat out or not:
- Bullying – a young, small kitten is vulnerable to bullying from other cats
- Traffic – all cats are at risk from road traffic accidents. The risk is higher if you live very close to a busy road. Younger cats are likely to be less “traffic-wise”.
- Other infections – Vaccinations only protect against the specific diseases described at the start of this booklet. Once your cat is going out and about he or she will come into contact with more bacterial/viral infections and also parasites such as fleas and worms, than they would if they stayed indoors
It is sensible to consider your kitten’s situation (size/age/general health) and your home situation (Enclosed garden? Busy road nearby? Other cats nearby?) before deciding when and how to allow your cat to go outside. One good idea is to allow your kitten outside in the garden for a few minutes just before feeding time – hopefully he will not be tempted to stray very far if you are about to feed him! Try to get him used to being in the garden for short periods under your supervision and perhaps do not allow unsupervised trips outside for several weeks or months. Some owners will take their young cats outside on a harness for greater control.
Most road traffic accidents and cat fights occur after dark, so many cat owners prefer to keep their cats indoors once darkness falls.
Kennels
It may become necessary for your cat to stay at a boarding cattery at some point. Local catteries are listed in the Yellow Pages. We recommend that you visit the cattery and speak to the owner/manager before booking your cat in. It is sensible to check the sizes of the pens, type of sleeping area, and feeding arrangements. Catteries should be designed so that your cat does not have direct contact with any other cat, as this reduces transmission of disease. Check what the arrangements would be if your pet became ill whilst in kennels (does the cattery have insurance to cover the vet bills or would you be liable? Would the cattery bring the animal to the veterinary surgery or would you have to pay for a veterinary visit out to the cattery? Is the cattery willing and able to administer any medication that your dog may require?). Boarding catteries require that your cat’s booster vaccinations are kept up to date.
Feline Advisory Bureau
We also would suggest looking at the Feline advisory bureau website (www.fabcats.org) which provides excellent information.