Pet Care Products

Feeding kittens

what food
diet and urinary stones
people food
when to feed

Complications of immunization

local soreness
temporary signs of illness
sarcoma (cancer)

Intestinal Parasites

roundworms
coccidiosis and giardia
toxoplasmosis
tapeworms

Scratching Post

learning to use the scratching post
discouraging bad behavior

Poisons and Other Toxins

houseplants
medicines
automotive products
household products
insecticides
rat poison

Kitten care

Choose a dry food intended specifically for kittens, avoiding generic foods and those that sell for unusually low prices. We suggest dry food as your kitten's main diet because it helps keep the teeth clean and healthy. Dry food is also easier to use than canned food and doesn't spoil when left in the bowl. Switch to adult cat food at about ten months of age. Adult food is lower in calories, so plump kittens should change a month or two sooner, thin kittens a little later.

Diet and urinary stones

Many cats have a tendency to develop little gritty sand-like bladder stones which cause pain and difficult urination. In males these stones can obstruct the urethra, quickly resulting in kidney failure and death. (See the section on FLUTD) Today, most commercial cat foods are formulated to minimize this problem. Stay with nationally recognized brands and you can be reasonably sure of getting good food.

People food

Do not give milk to kittens. They don't need it and milk is likely to give them diarrhea.

If you begin with a balanced diet and add goodies from the table, the diet will no longer be balanced and your kitten will probably have more digestive problems.

When to feed

Kittens are usually happiest when they have dry food continually available. Although some cats eventually become overweight when allowed all the food they want, this can usually be avoided by choosing a reduced calorie diet. If your kitten tends to be a little chubby, avoid canned food and eliminate extra treats.

Immunization

Between nine and twelve weeks of age, kittens lose the disease protection they received from their mothers and develop the ability to form their own immunity. We like to start vaccinations when kittens are nine weeks old or as soon afterwards as possible.

Distemper

When we say "distemper shot" we are talking about a combination vaccine (FVRCP) which protects against a group of diseases:

Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) and Caliciviral disease (FCV) are two severe viral diseases that cause respiratory symptoms. Although most respiratory infections in cats are no worse than a bad cold in people, these two diseases can be serious or even fatal.

Feline Panleukopenia (FP) Usually called feline distemper, FP is a virus that attacks the intestinal tract and bone marrow causing a breakdown of the body's defense mechanisms. Particularly in young cats, the only symptoms noticed may be sudden illness and death.

The combination distemper vaccine is given at nine weeks of age or older, repeated in three to four weeks, one year later, and every one to three years after that, depending on your veterinarian's recommendations. Cat distemper, dog distemper, and horse distemper are entirely unrelated diseases.

Leukemia

Feline leukemia is caused by the leukemia virus (FeLV). It is a common disease of cats and preventable by vaccination. The vaccine provides good (not perfect) protection and we recommend it for all kittens who go outdoors or have exposure to cats that go outdoors. FeLV immunization is given at nine weeks of age or older, repeated in three to four weeks, one year later, and every one to three years after that, depending on your veterinarian's recommendation.

Rabies

Spread by bites or contact with the saliva of an infected animal, rabies is always fatal. In El Dorado county, we have lots of rabies. It is a real disease that poses a risk to you and your family.
Rabies is by far the most important immunization. Don't let your pets go without it. If you are hesitant because of the expense, low cost rabies vaccination clinics are often listed in the local newspaper.
Rabies immunization is given to kittens at twelve weeks of age, repeated in three to four weeks, one year later, and every three years after that. Unvaccinated cats that have been bitten or scratched by a skunk should be put to sleep. Vaccinated cats that have skunk contact should be given a rabies booster as soon as possible, regardless of when they were last immunized.

FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)

FIP is a slowly fatal disease that can attack almost any part of the body. It most often affects the peritoneum, a membrane lining the abdominal cavity. We see signs of depression, lack of appetite, and usually a high fever which does not respond to antibiotic treatment. Although laboratory tests can be suggestive of the disease, diagnosing FIP with certainty is nearly impossible. Since symptoms are subtle and variable, and because positive diagnosis is almost impossible, nobody really knows how many cats die from FIP. It is not a common disease. Many ill cats that may have FIP are never diagnosed with certainty. Unfortunately, FIP vaccine has not solved the problem. Recent work at U. C. Davis (Peterson) suggests that the vaccine is pretty much useless.

Complications of Immunization

Local soreness

Particularly in kittens, where the amount of vaccine is proportionately larger than for adult cats, the injection site may be sore for a day or two.

Temporary signs of illness

Most vaccines teach the immune system how to fight the real disease by creating a harmless infection which is close enough to the real disease that immunity against the harmless infection also works to prevent the real thing. For two or three days, while your kitten is fighting off the harmless infection, you may notice listlessness and lack of appetite.

Sarcoma (cancer)

In recent years, researchers have learned that about one in ten thousand immunizations causes development of a cancerous tumor called a sarcoma at the injection site. As far as we know, any feline vaccine given by injection can do this. The more vaccinations patients receive, the more likely the cancer. This leaves veterinarians in a quandary. Do we vaccinate, possibly resulting in fatal disease or not vaccinate, possibly resulting in fatal disease? It is clear that the risk of completely withholding vaccination is greater than the cancer risk. Kittens should be vaccinated, but once we have stimulated solid immunity in kittens and young cats, we want to keep the number of "booster shots" to a minimum. Also see feline sarcoma, a cancer that can be caused by vaccinations

Heartworms

Because of a mosquito that lives in oak trees at our elevation, Placerville has a serious heartworm problem. We know that many cats suffer from heartworm disease, but in cats, the condition is difficult to diagnose and impossible to cure. The symptoms (coughing, vomiting, wheezing) mimic many other diseases, or there may be no symptoms at all. The first and only sign may be sudden unexplained death. The reason you may not have heard much about feline heartworm disease is that until recently, there was nothing we could do about it. Heartguard for Cats is a good-tasting once-a-month kitty treat. Kittens should start at two or three months of age, and continue throughout their lives. Also see Heartworms and heartworm disease in dogs and cats.

Intestinal Parasites

Cats can harbor a variety of intestinal parasites, some of which are important to human health:

Roundworms and hookworms

Even if she has been wormed, the mother cat can transmit roundworms (ascarids) and hookworms to her kittens. Although these worms occasionally cause diarrhea or other symptoms of illness, most infected kittens appear normal. Because the worms cannot be reliably detected by laboratory testing, and since they can be harmful to children's health, we automatically prescribe worming medicine for all kittens.

Coccidiosis and Giardia

Coccidia and giardia are microscopic parasites that attack the lining of the intestine. Both are quite common and although capable of causing serious disease, they usually don't. Most of the time, the infection is self limiting and we never see any symptoms. If a kitten has persistent diarrhea, we check for these parasites and treat as necessary.

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis attacks many parts of the body, causing serious illness and death. It affects cats of any age and is particularly important because this organism is also a human parasite capable of causing birth defects and other problems.

Cats get Toxoplasmosis by eating rodents or uncooked meat of any kind. The parasites live mostly in the intestine and are spread from cat to human or other animals through the feces. You can reduce the possibility of transmission by wearing disposable gloves when cleaning the litter box and being careful to avoid fecal contamination of other objects. Since it takes one or two days for feces to become infectious, it's a good idea to clean the litter box every day. Pregnant women should let someone else clean the the litter box.

Tapeworms

If you see little short white worms (1/2 inch long or less), these are probably tapeworm segments. When the segments dry they look like grains of brown rice and may stick to your cat's hair. If you see anything like this, let us know and we will dispense medicine to use at home. We don't really worry much about tapeworms- unless a kitten is already weak from other disease or severely undernourished, tapeworms don't do much harm, and Dipylidium caninum, the common tapeworm of cats and dogs, is harmless to people. If you see segments under your cat's tail or in the litter box, let us know. Prescription tapeworm drugs are extremely effective and cause no discomfort whatever. Non-prescription tapeworm medications are unpleasant for the cat and don't work very well.

Fecal examination

Because we automatically worm all kittens, and since tapeworms do not show on fecal examination anyway, we no longer routinely perform a fecal exam. However, there are a few parasites which can cause diarrhea that are not eliminated by the usual worming medication. If your kitten has diarrhea, first try the dietary changes discussed under "common health problems" elsewhere on this page. If that hasn't solved the problem in a day or two, please bring a fecal sample. We will test it for worm eggs and protozoan parasites such as coccidia. Bring in a small sample, about the size of a marble, still reasonably soft and not more than a day old. If it is soft, scrape up what you can. It's ok if there is some kitty litter mixed in.

Although you may be seeing worms at home, our lab results will be negative if your cat has tapeworms. Since tapeworm eggs are found only inside worm segments, we almost never see them on a fecal exam.

Any time you see a worm or something you aren't sure about, put it in a baggie along with a piece of moist paper towel and bring it to the office.

Play Toys

Kittens love to play. Provide harmless outlets for all that energy by supplying toys that are safe. Select toys too large to be swallowed but small enough to bat around. A ping pong ball, crumpled wax paper or a toilet paper tube are all excellent choices

Don't let your kitten play with string or thread, and be careful not to leave threaded needles where cats can reach them. Any long string-like object, especially if there is a needle attached, can become trapped in the intestine and will eventually cut completely through the intestinal wall.

Aggressive play

Your kitten must always associate your hands with gentleness and kind attention. Never encourage biting or aggressive play by batting at kittens with your hands. When it comes time for grooming or administering medications, your cat must know that hands are not for biting and realize that you expect cooperation.

Scratching Post

Kittens need a place to scratch and sharpen their claws. This is such a strong instinct and so necessary for normal development, that unless there is a satisfactory alternative, no amount of scolding will keep your furniture from being torn apart. Buy or make a good scratching post. Old carpeting tacked to any sturdy object will do just fine. From your kitten's viewpoint, a more satisfactory scratching post can be made by tacking coarse burlap material over cotton padding. As he tears and rips this apart, your kitten will gain a warm feeling of accomplishment, and you will have the pleasure of periodically replacing the burlap.

Learning to use the scratching post

Along with the scratching instinct comes a need for occasional correction. If kitty is tearing the couch apart, and you have already provided a satisfactory substitute, gentle discipline is in order. Usually a sharp "no" will do. (A gentle "good kitty" is helpful when your kitten is using his scratching post.)

Discouraging bad behavior

When "no" doesn't work, the best alternative is a squirt bottle. Chasing your kitten, spanking, or throwing things may eventually accomplish your goal, but does not promote the warm kitty-person relationship you would like to encourage. Instead, get a spray bottle like those sold for misting house plants. When you adjust it to a single stream, you can probably get pretty good distance and accuracy. Now, when kitten is scratching at the couch, a sudden jet of water provides immediate and effective discouragement without being associated directly with you. You may need to get three or four sprayers and keep them in strategic locations throughout the house.

Grooming

Kittens with smooth shiny coats will grow up having short hair and need little or no grooming. Those with fuzzy hair develop longer coats requiring more attention. Although cats clean themselves, there are difficult-to-reach areas where hair mats tend to accumulate. Comb out little tangles before they become big hair mats. Getting them out later will be a tough project for both of you. Be gentle. If mats have already begun to develop, try doing just a little every day.

If your kitten shows signs of resistance, comb an easy area for a while and then stop. Finish each session on an up note, with you in control. If you stop immediately when your kitten tries to bite, she will learn that biting is an effective method of getting her own way.

Hairballs

As cats groom themselves, they accumulate hair in their stomachs and often regurgitate it. This process is usually accompanied by loud howling, gagging, retching, and gasping noises that can be very alarming. An occasional small hairball isn't much of a problem, but in long-haired cats, hairballs sometimes become quite large and cause trouble. Minimize the problem by grooming out loose hair before it can be swallowed and by using a hairball lubricant like Laxatone or Petromalt. Adult long-hair cats may be given a teaspoonful once a week. More frequent administration is not a good idea because these products can interfere with vitamin absorption. Giving mineral oil is not a good idea because it is tasteless and may be accidentally inhaled. Frequent vomiting, as often as once a week, requires veterinary attention, and is probably not from hairballs.

Nail trimming

Active cats and kittens keep their nails in condition by scratching. Nail trimming is seldom required, and because the nails grow so rapidly, trimming is not a useful way to avoid furniture damage.

When older cats' nails grow too long, or if you need to medicate your cat and wish to temporarily reduce her scratching power, it's easy to nip off the sharp toenail tips. Use a squeeze type human nail trimmer (the kind that folds up for carrying in pocket or purse), or pet nail trimmers. Cut only the clear translucent tip of the nail, staying away from the pink part.

Dental Health

As they age, nearly all cats have problems with their teeth, including gum disease and cavities, just like people. These problems soon become painful and expensive. Simple things that can be done in kittenhood which make a big difference later on.

Feed dry food. It helps keep the teeth clean and having something hard enough to chew keeps the teeth and gums healthier.

Treat your cat's mouth daily with an enzyme to control plaque formation. This is best done by brushing the teeth, and many cat owners do this successfully. An easier alternative is to give an enzyme chew treat every day. These are available from veterinarians, and are not the same as dental biscuits at the grocery store. We like to discuss dental health at the time of your kitten's second visit and will send home a sample of C. E. T. Chews for Cats.

Indoors or Outdoors?

Where your kitten should live depends on your own living arrangements and preferences. Cats can be perfectly content living indoors all their lives. Indoor cats should have their own places to climb and play, and are happier with the companionship of another pet or lots of attention from their owners.

The big advantage of indoor life is safety. Outside are dogs, automobiles, foxtails, fleas, and aggressive cats. Your own kitten, new to the neighborhood, will be moving into some other cat's territory and fighting is inevitable.

However, unless you have lots of time to spend with your kitten and are willing to tend a litter box, you will probably want him to live outdoors most of the time. When he is three or four months old, start letting your kitten out occasionally, under supervision at first. Kittens tend to stay nearby until they have learned their way around the neighborhood and seldom become lost. Because a kitten doesn't really present much of a threat, other cats are less hostile than they would be to an adult, and neighborhood relationships can be worked out gradually.

Litter box

Unless your kitten has easy access to the outdoors, you'll want to provide a litter box. It should be large enough for an adult cat to stand completely inside with room left over for digging, and deep enough to allow two or three inches of litter plus a rim that will prevent the litter from being scattered all over. A dish pan works nicely.

Old fashioned clay type litter is probably your best choice. The various deodorant kitty litter materials sometimes cause sneezing and allergies, so it's better to use regular litter and keep the box clean rather than depending on deodorants. A clean litter box is also important because kittens won't use the box if it's dirty, preferring their own little private spot behind the couch.

By not allowing fecal material to stay in the litter box longer than a day, the Toxoplasmosis risk, already small, is nearly eliminated. Keep your scooper clean and flush the kitty poop down the toilet.

Traveling with Kitty

Because they have a tendency to climb all over the driver or hide under the brake pedal, cats should be transported in a secure enclosure. Cats feel safer in a carrier, and however much they may complain about the car ride, it would be worse if they were loose. When you reach your destination and open the door, unrestrained cats sometimes jump out and run away.

Try to avoid the temptation of buying a cardboard carrier. They don't hold up well and aren't secure. Over your cat's lifetime, you will spend a lot more money on cardboard carriers than a good one would have cost in the first place.

Cats that aren't accustomed to riding in the car sometimes get upset and have accidents, so pad the carrier with a thick layer of absorbent material. An old towel works fine, or fold newspaper in half and tear into strips. Fill the carrier half full of fluffed up newspaper-it makes your cat's trip more comfortable and is fairly absorbent. Most carriers come with a nice little water dish, but use it only for long trips. On a trip to the animal hospital, your cat won't want any water, and it will probably spill. After rigorous scientific study, we have determined that dry cats are happier than wet cats.

Poisons

Cats are much more sensitive than dogs, and because they clean themselves, are likely to be poisoned by things they step in accidentally. Cats climb and explore, sometimes falling into open containers of used motor oil.

Houseplants

Cats like to nibble on plants, and unfortunately, many houseplants are poisonous to cats. If your cat vomits or doesn't want to eat, check the Philodendron for nibble marks. Poinsettias and mistletoe are especially toxic, but not eaten as frequently. Dieffenbachia (dumb cane) is very toxic, but because it causes an immediate burning sensation, cats rarely eat enough to do themselves any serious harm.

Medicines

Many medications we use for ourselves with little thought are poisonous to cats. Never give any drug you aren't sure about. Even small doses of aspirin can be toxic to cats. Tylenol and other pain killers are even more toxic.

Automotive products

Any liquid that comes out of a car is poisonous to cats. If you leave brake fluid, oil, gasoline etc. on the garage floor, cats will step in it, clean themselves, and get sick. Antifreeze tastes sweet and because cats like the flavor they frequently drink enough to cause fatal poisoning.

Household products

Cats are sensitive to many cleaning products. When you mop the floor or clean in the bathroom, let surfaces dry before letting your cat back into the room. Use only soap and water to wash out the litter box, and rinse well. Do not expose cats to Pine Sol, Hexol or cleaners that contain ingredients with "phenol" in their chemical names.

Insecticides

Most insecticide problems come from over-treatment with flea control products. This can easily be avoided by using one of the newer flea products available from veterinarians, but if your cat becomes suddenly ill after you spray for fleas, gently wash her with shampoo and warm water. Although flea spray problems rarely need any treatment other than bathing, pronounced symptoms like heavy salivation or jerking movements require emergency attention.

Rat poison

Even cats that are picky about their food may eat rat poison, just for a change of pace. We don't have good antidotes for some of the newer rodenticides, so the only way to prevent poisoning is to put rat bait where pets can't reach it.

Most fatal poisonings are caused by antifreeze or Tylenol.

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What food