More Q and A

Written by Melanie

Customers: Please note that the below is additional information on a variety of different topics that may be of use to you. Independent professional advice is advised, particularly with concern to medical matters. If you are concerned please take your cat to your vet.WHISKERS Q: Arrow has a lovely set of long whiskers but Oblios are only about 2cms long and very stumpy. I was wondering if you’ve come across this before and should I worry about it ? A: Yes I have come across this before and it is actually quite common in multi cat households where one cat is chewing/biting off the whiskers of the other. Certainly nothing to worry about as far as I know but maybe just mention it to the vet next time you are there. There is probably not much you can do…. You can try distracting the cat with the long whiskers with endurance toys or a game but obviously you can’t be there to do that 24 hours a day. If you are worried about it you could possibly try wiping the leftover stumps with a bitter tasting cat repellant that has no odour (you don’t want to repel the victim from his/her self!) If you find a solution to the problem please let me know but you may find that Arrow just grows out of it ….eventually! PERSONALITY/BEHAVIOUR Play v’s Affection Q: Our new kitten has settled in really well and after just a couple of days is running all over the place. He is active and eating well but I’m concerned he is not going to be an affectionate adult cat. He just seems to want to play and doesn’t seem to want cuddles all that often. A: He hasn’t been there a week yet so he will still be settling in and considering he is still just a kitten I wouldn’t stress too much at this stage. Have playtime for a good 30 mins to 1 hour or more with him every night before feeding him this will hopefully wear him out a bit and give him the attention/play time he needs. Then once you have fed him he will probably be more happy to just sit with you and chill out. Usually a cat that is going to be shy and timid as an adult will be the same as a kitten. These kittens will usually hide and be hard to catch or can sometimes even be aggressive with hissing and swiping can occur. Remember kittens are kittens and they will be playful – The fact that he is active and playing if anything is a positive thing as a really sick cat is lethargic, will just sit around all the time and often won’t eat. Keep persisting with the cuddles but you will find it easier when he has had his playtime. He is probably just excited to have someone to play with him. Remember he had plenty of other cats to play with him here and with you guys being out during the day he will just be really excited to have company again. Also keep in mind that he will relax with age as well. Chewing on Fabrics: Pica – when your cat eats non food material. Q: Melanie, Norsca is at the vets. She is really sick. We have noticed that over the past few days both the cats have started eating really odd objects including my sox, a blanket and even my hairbands. Why are they doing this and how do we stop it. Norsca is being operated on today and I am really worried about her. Please help us. NOTE: We have discussed this topic in further detail under the Stress tab in the User Menu. This is unusual – Usually this behaviour can be put down to some form of stress or boredom. In your case boredom is unlikely as you have two cats from the same litter. I would suggest it is probably stress related. I know you recently purchased your new home and have just moved in. This may be the cause of your problem. It is fixable and there is a few things your can do to assist. 1. If necessary limit the access to certain rooms in the house where there are fabrics that they can chew. 2. Make sure all fabric items are locked away safely. Don’t leave out baskets of washing at this stage. 3. Buy some endurance toys such as ‘Treat Balls’ and even a small ‘Kong’ can help. Fill these with treats they love such as dry fish, cubes of cheese etc. In the case of the Kong seal it up with a small amount of peanut butter or vegemite. Cats love salty things so vegemite usually does the trick. 4. Leave out things for them to gnaw and chew on like chicken necks, chicken wings and brisket bones. If you don’t want these items dragged around your house put them in a bath tub or shower cubicle. Put the cat in the laundry/bathroom for a few hours with a litter tray, water and bed and they will be fine. Obviously make sure all fabric items have been removed. We do have some other information on this problem so please let me know if you would like more info. NOTE: We have discussed this topic in further detail under the Stress tab in the User Menu. HEALTH – COLDS, FLU, EYES, SNEEZING ETC…. Q: I noticed my cat was sneezing yesterday. His vaccinations are completly up to date. Is this anything to be concerned about? A: I wouldn’t panic based on that. – Are there any other issues with the eyes, nose, breathing etc? Based on what you have said and considering the really BAD WIND that we have had I would suspect that he may have allergies! Heee hee – I always giggle when I think about cats having allergies considering how allergic I am to them. I wouldn’t bother with the vet at this stage based on what you have said. I assume they he is still very active and eating well?Cats can get allergies so I would just keep an eye on things and obviously see a vet if the circumstances change or if you are still concerned. (For information on flu please see the Flu section below) Q: I noticed my cat has a runny eye. What is the cause and should I take her to the vet? A: Cats can get watery eyes while eating and on other occasions and this can be quite normal and no need for concern if it is on the odd occasion and just watery. Tell me more though….. When you say “Runny eye” is it just watery or is it gunky/pussy? Are the eyes red? Are the third eye lids coming across at all? How is her breathing? Is her noses runny? What is her tongue looking like? (See the Flu section below for indications and info on CAT FLU) Q:I have noticed a black crusty thing in the corner of my cats eyes. What is the cause and should I take her to the vet? A: Cats, just like humans, can and do get sleep in their eyes. If it is dark, dry and crusty (Not pussy and yellow) there is no need for concern. Just get a tissue and remove it. Most breed of cats will get this and you may find that you are removing it every couple of days. Sometimes cats will remove it themselves during preening and grooming. Q:I have noticed a pussy yellow and gunky discharge coming my cats eye. Is this Cat flu? What is the cause and should I take her to the vet? A: It could be flu but it could also be a number of other things. No need to panic though! Whatever it is 9 times out of 10 there is a quick, easy and total solution. We do need to move promptly though and look at some other signs. Are the eyes red? Are the third eye lids coming across at all? How is her breathing? Is her noses runny? Does she sound snotty and or wheezy? What is her tongue looking like? Are there ulcer like sores on it? If all other signs are good and it is just a bit of a gunky eye there is a fantastic eye ointment called Opticin or Chloropt that you can get from us or from your vet. Apply as directed (usually twice a day) directly to the eye. It will usually start to clear up within 12 hours but continue treatment as directed (usually for about 5 days). This is usually most common in kittens just after a big change such as going home with a new owner. It is one of MANY stress symptoms that can arise. Nothing to worry about usually but getting onto the issue and starting treatment early is quite important.FLU Cats/Kittens with Flu can be treated and can usually recover completely but unfortunately I think a couple of these cats below that I found on the net have been left untreated for too long and I suspect there will be long term, ongoing problems for some of them. See images below – Three important viral diseases of cats are feline rhinotracheitis (herpes virus), calicivirus and panleucopenia with the first 2 viruses having the ability to produce what is colloquially referred to as cat “flu” and “snuffles” – a highly infectious upper respiratory tract disease. The classic signs of cat flu include depression, sneezing, conjunctivitis, nasal secretions, fever, sometimes ulcerations in the mouth and on the surface of the cornea and death (few cases). Clearly this disease is distressing for both the cat and the cat’s owner. As it is a viral induced disease, treatment is primarily supportive and most cases resolve in 3-4 weeks although mild signs may persist longer. The big concern with this disease however, is the ability of both viruses to produce a carrier state in the animal. Aside from the symptoms as seen below in regards to the pussy discharge from their eyes and as mentioned above…They often have a bad runny nose (See the fourth image below) and they usually wheeze in the struggle to breath and consequently sound really snotty. They usually sneeze constantly and are often lethargic and don’t eat very well. They can also have ulcer like sores on their tongue.A kitten that is sneezing doesn’t necessarily mean that it has cat flu. A kitten that has a pussy eye doesn’t necessarily mean that it has cat flu either but if all of these symptoms are present the chances are likely that he or she may have a cold or flu and the earlier the cat/kitten is treated the more likely a full recovery is possible. Unfortunately there are many viruses and many possible conditions that little furry critters can catch so please ensure that your cat/kitten is vaccinated and the vaccinations are kept up to date to try and limit any health issues. All information, photographs and graphics on this site are copyrighted 2004 by Catatonia. No warranty is proved for any omission, inaccuracy or otherwise of any of the data, information or opinions included in this site whatsoever. Independent professional advice is advised, particularly with concern to medical matters.