Cat fight wounds

Bites from another cat during a fight cause abscesses and infection. Dog, rat and other rodent bites are rare.

Consequences:

Cat bites on the head, forelimbs or at the base of the tail leave lumps that swell and burst. Your cat is lethargic and goes off his food.

When a cat bites its teeth go through the skin leaving small puncture wounds which seal over, trapping bacteria under the skin of the victim.

A pocket of pus forms an abscess. In areas where the skin is tighter, such as on the foot or the tail, the infection spreads through the tissues causing cellulitis.

Rarely more serious consequences such as a septic arthritis (infection of a joint space) or osteomyelitis (infection of bone) result.

Treatment:

• Antibiotics by injection or mouth stop the spread of infection and development of an abscess.  

• Surgery to drain the pus.

Dr Kate injects Sam with an antibiotic after the Battle of Belconnen

Flea control

Cat flea in action

Because of the all the rain over the last 6 months and now the very warm days, fleas are hatching in unprecedented numbers  around Canberra.

Cat fleas hatch from flea pupae in your house in warm, humid conditions. Our carpeted, centrally heated homes are ideal for the year round development of fleas.

After feeding on a cat adult female fleas lay eggs that fall off onto couches, carpets and beds. The microscopic eggs develop first into larvae that migrate deep into carpets, furniture or cracks in floors away from the light, and then into pupae. The pupae contain adult fleas which lie in wait for the next cat or dog to pass.

Many cats show no signs of flea infestation until:

• They develop an allergy to flea bites. They groom or scratch excessively and develop ‘miliary’ dermatitis.
• The fleas cause anaemia in kittens and debilitated animals.
• They are infested with tapeworm ( Dipylidium caninum) from eating infected fleas during grooming.

Flea control

• Conquer fleas on your cat with long lasting flea control products (Frontline, Advocate, Revolution, Advantage) applied as a spot on. Flea collars, shampoos and powders kill fleas present on your cat at the time of application but have little residual effect. 
• Remove flea eggs, larvae and pupae from the environment with regular vacuuming of carpets, sofas and beds. Throw away or burn the dust bag to prevent eggs and larvae developing.
• Professional fumigation controls larvae and pupae. 
• Wash bedding in hot water or replace regularly.
• Spray garden sheds, cars and favoured outdoor sleeping spots.

New look web site

The Ohio State University has expanded its wonderful Indoor Cat site to include dogs. The importance of mental health to overall health and well-being has long been identified in human medicine. Poor welfare and chronic stress can also lead to mental and physical health problems in our pets.
The treasure trove of hints and help for keeping indoor cats is still there - just click on the pic of the cute kitten on the left.  I've found the problem solving section especially useful for stressed pusses.

The Indoor Pet Initiative

How old is my cat?

The old way of comparing a cat's age with a person's was to multiply by seven. Here is a more  accurate way that correlates better with the various life stages and growth rate of the cat:

The first year of a cat's life is equivalent to 15 human years. By 2 years old a cat is the equivalent of a 24 year old person. After that each year for a cat is the same as four human years. For example a 10 year old cat would be 24 + (8 x 4) = 56 human years.

A cat is middle-aged by about 8 years old (48 human years). When your cat is 12 he is equivalent to retirement age (64 human years).

If your cat lives past 16, each additional year is about three human years.

The average lifespan for a cat is around 14 years (72 human years), but many live to 17 (83 human years) and some to 20 (92 human) years old.

According to the Guinness World of Records the world's oldest cat is Creme Puff from Texas who was 37 in 2004!

Thanks to the fabulous fab cats' brochure for these interesting morsels!

Why do cats...?

Cat vaccination recommendations

Vaccination recommendations are in a state of flux at the moment. However, kittens must have their first check up and vaccination at 8 weeks of age. Boosters at 12 and 16 weeks protect against enteritis and cat flu for 12 months.
Feline Enteritis causes vomiting and diarrhoea and is usually fatal.
Cat flu caused by Feline Rhinotracheitis Virus and/or Feline Calicivirus is not often fatal. Early signs of cat flu are sneezing and watery eyes. Later, affected cats go off their food, lose weight and may develop chronic snuffles. Flu is contagious to other cats and cats with signs of flu cannot enter boarding catteries. Flu vaccination minimises signs of disease but does not guarantee full protection against infection.
Cats beginning the vaccination schedule after 12 weeks of age receive one booster a month later.
Your cat will need a booster vaccination 12 months after the initial course.
After that your vet will decide at your cat's annual checkup what vaccinations are necessary.
Vaccines work best in healthy cats, so a full examination is mandatory before each vaccination.

Simon's cat in Santa Claws

how do cats lap??

Some interesting research has just revealed what we already know - that cats are very mysterious and unique creatures!  The mechanism they use to lap water into their mouths is quite different from that of dogs or other animals.  This story comes from Scientific American online.

One morning scientist Roman Stocker was watching his cat Cutta Cutta drink, and began to wonder about the mechanism by which cats lap fluid into their mouths. He thought that there was an interesting biomechanical problem. The cat has a curious method of lapping, which involves bending the tip of its tongue downward toward its chin to pull liquid into its mouth


Stocker took high-speed movies of Cutta Cutta and found that she did not dip her tongue into the water and scoop it like dogs do. She touched her tongue, with tip bent downward, against the surface of the liquid before drawing it rapidly back into its mouth. Liquid at the surface rose with the retreating tongue, which pulled it up into a column of fluid. Cutta Cutta then trapped that liquid in her mouth, swallowing only after several laps had accumulated a significant volume of fluid in her mouth.

Fluid inertia is the prime mover in forming the column of liquid that rises with the tongue into the mouth. When the tongue leaves the liquid, adhesion pulls fluid with it from the surface, and inertia causes more liquid to follow. Gravity acts against the upward motion of the column, eventually pinching it off at a certain height. To trap the most liquid in its mouth, the researchers found, a cat should close its mouth around the column just before gravity pinches it off—a strategy that house cats, at least, seem to have internalized.

Amazing but simple research!
How do cats lap?