This is the time of the year in which shelters are flooded with kittens. The reason for this is that cat’s are more seasonal in cycling into heat (estrus) and thus have litters of kittens more commonly in the spring. Before you adopt a kitten there are a few health considerations which you should know. Vaccinations should begin as soon as you adopt your kitten or cat. For kittens they should receive a “Distemper” shot at 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks of age. This combination vaccine generally contains protection against Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Feline Panleukopenia. Feline Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus cause serious respiratory tract symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, watery ocular and nasal discharge and fever. Panleukopenia is also a virus and if contracted attacks the kitten’s white blood cells and damages their body’s ability to fight infection. The reason that we recommend a series of shots is that the kittens will acquire immunity from the mother cat’s milk until about 6-8 weeks of age. After this point and depending on the amount of immunity the mother cat gave the kitten, the maternal immunity will slowly dissipate and the kitten must develop its own immunity to disease. Just like in humans we give boosters in order to build immunity to reach antibody levels sufficient to fight the particular disease being vaccinated for. The second vaccine I strongly recommend is for Feline Leukemia. At approximately 8 weeks of age, your veterinarian can first test for Feline Leukemia and FIV (Feline Immunodefficiency Virus) via a bloodtest. If your kitten or cat is negative, then a vaccine for Feline Leukemia can be given and then boostered in 3 weeks. Feline Leukemia is transmitted from cat to cat through aerosolized discharge from the respiratory tract or from an infected mother to the kittens. It causes an elevation in white blood cells that are abnormal in function. Once infected the cats are carriers of this disease for life and should be quarantined from other non-vaccinated cats. Cats can also be carriers and not show symptoms. However at some point in the cat’s life, they often seroconvert to the active form and can die. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a virus that also attacks the cat’s immune system but in this instance the cat is unable to properly mount a normal response to infection. It is transmitted via cat bites and wounds in which the skin is punctured or cut or when blood is exchanged. It is prevalent in many feral and roaming tomcats and due to the fighting nature of toms is transmitted throughout the outdoor cat population. It behaves very similarly to human AIDS but is NOT caused by the same virus. The cat often loses much weight, is generally weak and easily acquires other infections. They may periodically run high fevers which come and go. Like Feline Leukemia, cats can be carriers of this disease without showing clinical signs, However, they also usually seroconvert to the active form of this disease at some time in their lives at which time it becomes fatal. These cats should also be quarantined from other cats. There is not an effective vaccine for FIV at this time. My recommendation is to test your kitten when you get it, then teach it to live indoors. My cats have never been outdoors and do not miss it. Indoor cats are safer and live much longer because they are not in danger of getting injured by dogs, wild animals or even other cats, they cannot get hit-by-cars, and they have little to no risk of getting into poisons and toxins. If you start letting your kitten or cat outside they will habitually try to go out after that. If they never get let out they dont know any differently and won’t bug you to go out. Plus roaming and feral cats are the number one predators of songbird species. Rabies is another vaccine that all cats should receive. All mammals are susceptible to rabies. Even if your cat/kitten is kept totally indoors they could acquire rabies through bats or accidental bites from an infected mammal. Plus if your cat/kitten were to accidentally slip outside sometime without the vaccine they would have no immunity to the disease. Rabies is given to kittens/cats at a minimum of 12 weeks of age. After they receive their first vaccine they can receive a 3-year vaccine in subsequent years. Counties, cities and municipalities often have differing requirements on registration for pets and rabies tagging. Check with your local Animal Control or government office to determine the law regarding licensing for your pet.
Other available vaccines include Chlamydia vaccine and FIP vaccine. Chlamydia is protozoal infection which results in respiratory symptoms in cats. FIP stands for Feline Infectious Peritonitis. It is fatal if acquired. There are two forms of the disease. In the “dry” form the cat/kitten runs a very high fever and dies suddenly without other noticeable symptoms. In the “wet” form the lining of the body cavity called the peritoneum becomes markedly inflamed and the body cavity, either chest or abdomen or both fill with a clear fluid. The pet generally runs a high fever with it. It also is fatal. Cats are also showing exposure and infection to Bordatella in some areas of the United States and vaccination is available. Check with your veterinarian to see whether you are in an area at high risk or increased frequency.
Parasites are the second thing which you should screen your new pet cat or kitten for. Intestinal parasites include roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms,coccidia and giardia. When you take your kitten in for its physical exam take a sample of its feces with you and your veterinarian will test it for parasites and treat according to the type of worms or parasites it has. Wormers available over-the-counter only cover for the most common worms and there are many worms they do not cover for. The only way to be certain your pet is parasite-free is through a microscopic examination of the feces and appropriate treatment. Several parasites are transmissable to humans and especially children. Children can acquire these parasites which can encyst in the central nervous system, brain, muscle, eye or internal organs.
Pregnant women should have another family member change the cat litter during their pregnancy due to the risk of Toxoplasmosis, a type of parasite. Testing of the cat/kitten for this disease is generally not recommended because many cats may have been exposed to this parasite at some time in their life and not necessarily have the infection any longer. I do not recommend getting rid of a cat when you are pregnant because the parasite is only transmissable after it sporulates in the stool after it sets for 24-48 hours. So you can simply have someone else in the household change the cat litter during this time period, or be more fastidious and punctual on cleaning the box out if you dont have anyone else to do it for you. Washing hands after handling any of the litter box tools or wearing gloves is recommended. Reducing the dust produced or wearing a dust mask while handling the litter are also recommendations.
External parasites include fleas, ticks, mites and lice. Flea preventatives available through your veterinarian are highly effective at eliminating fleas and ticks. Frontline, Frontline Plus, Advantage and Revolution are current external parasite treatments and are extremely easy to apply. Simply topically apply the premeasured vial onto the skin at the back of the neck or upper shoulders. Allow the medication to absorb into the skin and dry before touching that area. These medications when used according to the directions are very safe and effective. Owners should not have to treat the home if you continue to treat all the pets within the household since the fleas will have to come to the pet to feed and will be killed upon exposure to the medication which is formulated to distribute itself throughout the skin of the pet. Over-the-Counter flea medications have been found to be a bit more dangerous as they use an older form of insecticide which many cats can be very sensitive to. I have found them not to be as effective in killing fleas and ticks. Flea powders and collars are not consistently effective means of treatment. Young kittens which are too young to be treated with any medications can be bathed in plain sudsy pet shampoo without insecticide and then combed thoroughly with a flea comb. Also wash any bedding or pads the kittens are sleeping on. Ear mites are a small microscopic parasite which burrows into the ear canal of cats and kittens and feeds off the blood in the ear. You veterinarian will take a swab of the ear debris and examine it under a microscope to see if your cat or kitten has earmites. There are several available treatments for ear mites. Revolution Flea and Tick medication also treats for ear mites.
Spaying and Neutering of all cats or kittens is recommended. Your veterinarian will explain when their clinic recommends performing this surgery. All pets should be spayed before they come into their first heat cycle. There are several important reasons for this. First, cats are obligate breeders. That is they will continue to remain in heat (estrus) or will cycle over and over repeatedly until they breed. This is generally exhibited as frantic meowing and unusual aggressiveness or annoying behavior. Many cats will drive their owners crazy at night or to be let out during this time. This is one reason the cat population continues to remain high since owners dont realize their cat is in heat when it behaves this way and unknowingly let them out and they get pregnant! Also cats which are allowed to go into at least one heat cycle before they are spayed have a higher incidence of mammary gland cancers later in life. Cat or kittens which are spayed before their first heat rarely acquire this type of cancer. Cats that are intact can develop a highly dangerous infection of the uterus called “pyometra”. The infected uterus must be surgically removed. This is considered a high risk surgery and is much more expensive than a routine spay (ovariohysterectomy). Many clinics are able to spay and neuter kittens as early as 8 weeks of age. Check with your veterinarian to see at what age they perform spays and neuters.
Best wishes on a long life with your new kitten or cat. With proper health care you can expect your cat to live to teen years or beyond. I have had some owners whose cats have lived beyond 20 years of age with good care and nutrition!!!!
:-D,
Dr. Wilson
Cats and rabbits also need alternate means to cool themselves. Rarely will cats pant. In fact, if you see a cat panting it is probably extremely stressed and should be brought in out of the heat immediately. Rabbits also have very few sweat glands and are highly susceptible to heat-stress. They are only able to dissipate heat via their ears and by increasing their respiratory rate. Therefore, it is highly important to keep them out of the direct sun and provide ventilation and plenty of water. Cats can be finicky about drinking more water but you can supply more containers in multiple locations and add more water to their food to get them to drink more. Many cats enjoy to drink water which is dripping or moving, so placing a small garden waterfall in your landscaping may be used by outdoor cats. There are also commercial pet “fountains” available which run a trickle of water into a basin for cats. Or you can simply leave a faucet or sink at a slow drip with a catch pan for your kitty. Bunnies will often lay on a towel which has been soaked with water or then frozen in the freezer. However, remove it from the cage if your rabbit shows a tendency to gnaw on the cloth.
If you suspect your pet is suffering from heat-stress or heat stroke, you should immediately bring the pet inside out of the heat and contact your veterinarian. Do not dunk the pet in cold water or apply icewater because the cooling process must be done gradually. Doing so can induce shock or a condition called “DIC”, Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy, a toxic clotting of the blood. DIC is often fatal. If you have a spray bottle, you may spray the pet down with a light mist of water or apply cool (not ice-cold) compresses to the armpits, abdomen and head. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOT TO COOL A PET TOO RAPIDLY. COOLING SHOULD BE PERFORMED AND MONITORED BY YOUR VETERINARIAN. Only allow your pet to have a few sips of water initially. Vomiting is often a symptom of heat-stress and vomiting up a bowl of water will only worsen dehydration. It is best to transport your pet to the closest Veterinary Emergency Center for evaluation and treatment. Many times pets will require intensive care with oxygen, blood tests, and IV fluids to stabilize them and monitor for internal organ damage. Prognosis is guarded depending on the extent of internal injury and length of exposure and internal (core body) temperature reached. Pets which have experienced a heat-related illness often can have lifelong health problems from the incident and are often far more susceptible to future episodes of heat-stroke.
vaxin8n 