Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts

Sunday, 16 January 2022

Owner-surrendered cats find animal shelters harder to deal with than stray cats

This might be common knowledge among animal shelter workers but I think it's still worth repeating. A study published in 2007: Behavioral differences between owner surrender and stray domestic cats after entering an animal shelter, found that when a cat owner surrendered their domestic cat companion to a shelter the cat found the whole shelter experience more stressful than stray cats brought to the shelter.

Shelter tabby cat keen to be adopted
Shelter tabby cat keen to be adopted. Photo: Pixabay.

I can't read the detailed conclusion or the reasons behind this finding because I have to pay for access to the entire study but I think I can reasonably guess the reason why. 

Domestic cats are used to a friendly environment. Stray cats are used to a hostile environment. When a stray cat goes into a shelter there is perhaps not a lot of difference in the sense of hostility that the environment brings to them. But for a domestic cat it's a shock. They go from what should be a calm, pleasant environment to one which is noisy and where there are a lot of people coming and going and cats and dogs in cages making noises.

It is a foregone conclusion that an owner-surrendered cat is likely to feel stressed. The amount of stress they feel will depend upon their personality and their previous lifestyle.

In this study they examined 86 domestic cats (some of whom were stray cats). They measured their behaviour for the first three days after entering an animal shelter. They labelled the owner-surrendered cats as "OS" and the stray cats as "S".

The conclusion was:

"Results indicate that OS cats showed the greatest behavioral measures of stress and arousal compared to S cats."

They also found that the "mean behavioural stress rating" of cats that had been euthanised due to illness or disease was significantly higher in the OS group compared to the S group.

Further, when they examined archival data from 260 shelter cats that had developed an upper respiratory infection, the OS cats became ill much sooner than the S cats. They concluded that this was because they suffered from more stress than the S cats.

OS cats suffer from more stress than S cats when entering a shelter environment which impacts their behaviour, their health and general well-being. It can also lead to euthanasia as opposed to being adopted.

It's is a known fact that shelters can be very stressful places for cats. It makes them prone to behavioural problems and health issues. These include weight loss, self-trauma, over-grooming, aggression, withdrawal, bladder problems and upper respiratory infections.

A strong suggestion is that the best way to reduce stress in residents who are at a shelter in the long term is to remove them to a foster home which gets them out of the shelter environment. They should stay there until they are adopted. This should not just be a de-stressing tool. And foster carers should be trained and allowed to adopt out cats in their care.

The shelter can make arrangements to advertise the cats online and at their facility in the usual way and then refer potential adopters to the foster carer's home to meet the cat and discuss adoption.

An alternative is to divide shelter cats into two groups: one group is better able to deal with the shelter environment and are fast tracked for adoption while the second group may become more stressed and are therefore subject to more attention to alleviate stress and make their stay more acceptable to them. This should happen as soon as they enter the shelter.

Friday, 30 July 2021

Six diseases that can be avoided if a cat is vaccinated

I'm taking this direct from Dr. Yuki Hattori's excellent book titled What Cats Want. Dr. Yuki Hattori is Japan's leading cat doctor. The book is recommended for beginners and those with a fair knowledge of domestic cat caretaking. It is written and illustrated very cleanly; easy to read.

Tabby cat having a stretch. Photo in the public domain.

The diseases that can be avoided if a cat is vaccinated are as follows:

  1. Bronchitis/pneumonia: this disease develops from a cold but becomes more serious and requires urgent veterinary attention. The symptoms are breathing problems, fever and cough.
  2. Feline lymphoma: this is a type of cancer affecting lymphocytes. The symptoms are weight loss and lack of appetite. This disease is often detected late.
  3. Feline viral rhinotracheitis: this is a feline form of the common cold as I understand it. It is passed on through nasal secretions or saliva. When a cat contracts the disease, they become a carrier for their life. The symptoms may only present later on. The symptoms are, conjunctivitis (a secondary bacterial infection after the initial viral infection), fever, runny nose and sneezing.
  4. Feline panleukopenia: a very contagious disease which proves fatal, often. There is a reduced white blood cell count and intestinal inflammation. The symptoms are variously: bloody stools, vomiting and fever. Kittens can vomit violently and have diarrhoea.
  5. Feline calicivirus: another sort of cat cold described as a 'respiratory disease' transmitted through contact with an infected cat. The symptoms are sneezing, salivation, weepy eyes. There may be stomatitis or ulceration of the tongue. Younger and older cats are most at risk.
  6. Feline chlamydiosis: a disease which is transmitted through contact with a cat who carries the bacterium. The symptoms are: cough, sneezing, weepy eyes and conjunctivitis.

Feline vaccinations are recommended. See your vet please! :) Although the protocols of cat vaccinations have been pared back over the years as vets were overdoing it in the past because of a desire to bring clients into the clinic where they could be sold services and products. Boosters have been reduced in frequency.

P.S. The Russians have developed a vaccine against Covid-19. Some zoos are vaccinating their animals. I'd expect a Covid-19 vaccine to be developed in Europe and North America in due course as there is a fear of a reservoir of the disease being created among domestic animals.

Saturday, 17 July 2021

Can stress make cats sick?

Yes, stress can make domestic cats sick. It's the same with people which clearly supports the argument that stress makes domestic cats sick. The best-known sickness arising out of stress is feline idiopathic cystitis. This is cystitis with no known or obvious cause. 

Can stress make cats sick?
 Can stress make cats sick? Yes, but not in this cat. Photo: MikeB

It's ironic because the cause is often stress. The condition is better described as feline interstitial cystitis (FIC) which is a chronic pain syndrome of domestic cats. It is basically a recurring cystitis the symptom of which is peeing in small amounts around the home. Sometimes to pee is bloody. Cats with FIC have chronic, recurrent lower urinary tract signs and other associated disorders that are exacerbated by stressors.

SOME PAGES ON STRESSED CAT - CLICK TO READ THEM IF YOU WISH.

They did a study on this in 2013. The study was entitled: Effects of stressors on the behaviour and physiology of domestic cats. They employed 10 healthy cats and 18 cats with FIC. The study was conducted at the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Centre. They housed the cats in "enriched cages" for at least one year prior to the experiment! Comment: I don't like this experiment. It appears to be an abuse but it was done many years ago so there's no point in complaining.

All the cats were treated well in these cages with plenty of enrichment and interaction with people that they knew. They had food treats and were taken out of the cages sometimes. Then during the test days, they withheld all these pleasantries which made the cats' lives a lot worse. 

They tested the effect that this had on the cats. They found that sickness behaviours including vomiting, diarrhoea, anorexia or decreased food and water intake, fever, lethargy, decreased activity and a reduction in self-grooming occurred in varying amounts in both the healthy and the FIC cats.

However, in cats suffering from FIC they found that there were changes in lymphopenia and N:L (neutrophil:lymphocyte). Lymphopenia is a condition in which there are less than the normal number of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells in the blood. White blood cells are part of the immune system as they attack invading organisms. Therefore, a lowering of white blood cells will reduce the cat's immune system.

The neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio is a method, as I understand it, to measure stress. It is the number of neutrophils divided by the number of lymphocytes. Under physiologic stress, the number of neutrophils increases while the number of lymphocytes decreases.

Can stress make cats sick? Yes, as is the case in humans and the most commonly associated illness is feline idiopathic cystitis. You can read about that disease by clicking on this link if you wish. The main cause of feline idiopathic cystitis is conflict with another cat in a multi-cat home.

Sunday, 27 June 2021

Lucy the 'bat cat' nude kitten with hydrocephalus

Lucy is described by her owner as "the bat cat". Not a particularly flattering title I have to say. You might know me and that I dislike these sorts of Instagram accounts because you get owners of strange cats vicariously achieving some fame for themselves through their cat. 

Often these cats are misshapen through a genetic defect or in this instance this hairless cat suffers from hydrocephalus which is a buildup of fluid on the brain which puts pressure on the brain and which can damage it. It is treatable and for humans and the survival rate for treated hydrocephalus is high. 

Lucy the bat cat
Lucy the bat cat. Photo: Instagram

Sorry if I upset some people in disliking these sorts of social media accounts. The pics are from Lucy's Instagram page. They were taken by her owners.

Lucy is called 'the bat cat' because of the obvious reason: she looks a little bit like one of those strange bats. And the stranger the cat looks the better for the celebrity cats.

My research indicates that a cat suffering from hydrocephalus may be asymptomatic. Alternatively, the symptoms might include, wetting or soiling in the house, sleeplessness, blindness, seizures, excess globalisation, hyper-excitability, a large dome-shaped head which is due to intracranial swelling, walking abnormalities, cross-eyes, abnormal breathing, arching their head back and extending all four legs and coma.

Lucy the bat cat
Lucy the bat cat. Photo: Instagram.

There are various causes including, inherited (congenital), genetics, prenatal infection, vitamin A deficiency, intracranial inflammatory diseases, masses in the cranium, brain haemorrhage in newborn after a difficult labour, exposure to teratogens (these are drugs which interfere with the development), coronavirus. We don't know which cause is applicable for Lucy. My guess is that it was inherited.

Credits as per above.

Lucy is a Sphynx cat by the way. She has 35,400 followers on her Instagram page. Her birthday is on March 15. She was born on March 15, 2019.

Wednesday, 28 April 2021

How do I know if my cat has a cold?

This is an easy question to answer, at least at a fundamental level, because the symptoms of a cat cold are very similar to those of a human cold. Veterinarians call cat colds "upper respiratory infections" or URIs. So you only have to think about people when they are suffering from a cold to recognise one in your cat. Remember, though, that cats cannot catch colds from us and vice versa because the viruses that cause cat colds are not zoonotic.

How do I know if my cat has a cold?
 How do I know if my cat has a cold? Recuperating. Photo: Pixabay.

So what are the symptoms? Well the symptoms from the herpesvirus last from 2 to 4 weeks and include sneezing and a discharge from the nose. There may be conjunctivitis in the eyes (pink eye) which is a secondary bacterial infection and possibly corneal ulcers if the disease is untreated. There might be drooling from the mouth and a fever. Pneumonia is rare from this disease and your cat is likely to be lethargic.

The symptoms from another well known virus causing cat colds, namely the calicivirus, includes a discharge from the nose, a discharge from the eyes, chronic gingivitis, ulcers of the mouth, fever (sometimes), pneumonia (common), lethargy (mild) and lameness.

I have mentioned the two major viral groups which are responsible for the majority of clinical upper respiratory infections in cats (80% to 90%). There are considerable variations in the severity of the illness. Some cats have mild symptoms while others have rapidly progressing severe symptoms which can sometimes lead to death. What percentage of cats have herpes?

Antibiotics can deal with any secondary bacterial infections such as conjunctivitis. As for the viral component of the disease, the patient should be rested and the atmosphere humidified. The patient should be confined to a warm room with a vaporiser. Eating and drinking should be encouraged because dehydration and anorexia can weaken a cat. 

Highly palatable foods with a strong smell should be provided. You can dilute with water. Supplemental fluids can be given using a syringe (ask your veterinarian about this or look it up on the Internet). Once your cat begins to eat and drink again the worst of the disease is over.

It is advised to wash and disinfect bedding, bowls, cages and other items that the patient comes into contact with to prevent a spread of the disease to any other cat in the home. Human caretakers can also be part of the spreading process and therefore they should change their clothing, wear disposable shoe covers and wash their hands frequently.

There is no substitute for asking a properly qualified veterinarian for advice but on recognising a cold in a cat, think about people and the symptoms that they display under the same circumstances.

Sunday, 18 April 2021

Feeling your cat's shoulder blades, ribs and spine

Judging by searches on the Internet, there is a concern among some cat owners about the weight of their cat and the fact that they can feel their cat's shoulder blades, ribs and spine. I'm not necessarily referring to feeling these aspects of anatomy at the same time but all three bone structures can be felt when a cat is in good health and not necessarily underweight. The photo shows a slender stray cat. They are often slender because they eat less than domestic cats and move more! This cat is slightly underweight.

Image by Liselotte Brunner from Pixabay showing a slender cat

Shoulder blades

These invariably stick up when a domestic cat is in a certain position. They are quite prominent most of the time in a cat of the correct weight. There is quite a large depression in between them. It's all normal. Obviously there are various degrees of prominence of a feline's shoulder blades. No doubt when they are very prominent the cat is likely to be underweight. But when they are modestly prominent and can be felt by their owner and indeed are visible as well, the owner should not be concerned about their cat being underweight.

Ribs

They should be felt as if covered slightly or lightly by some fat when a cat is of the correct weight. It is notable that there should be some covering of skin and fat to take away some of that definition from feeling the ribs. Under these circumstances the cat will be of the correct weight. If they can be felt quite markedly and if the spine is also overly visible or can be felt too easily then I would suggest that the cat is underweight.

Spine

My cat is about the correct weight. He tends to be what I would describe as "fighting fit". That means slender. He is slender because he is active and does not overeat. I can just about feel his spine when he sits down in the upright position i.e. on his bottom in that familiar pose that we see in ancient Egyptian statues. Also when he is walking around on my lap. This is all normal. You can feel your cat's spine when he or she is within the normal weight range. But you might not which would also be in the acceptable weight range. 

Once again, the amount the definition that you can feel will vary and at one end of the spectrum where the definition is pronounced it is likely that your cat will be underweight. If the spine is visible then it is likely your cat is very underweight.

But the point here is that if you are able to feel your cat's spine by rubbing your hand along it with slight pressure, it does not mean that your cat is underweight. Although it might mean that he is underweight depending upon, as mentioned, the amount the definition of the spine that you feel or how pronounced the spine is. But you can't jump to an automatic conclusion that just because you can feel your cat's spine that he or she is underweight.

The reason why I am going on about this is because I sense that quite a lot of cat owners are concerned, because they can feel these bone structures of their cat, that there cat is underweight. And weight loss is a very general symptom for a wide range of illnesses. Illness leads to lack of appetite and of course lack of appetite needs to loss of weight.

How do I conclude this short post? I believe that if you want to assess a cat's weight you have to look at various visual aspects and the test does not exclusively include feeling for the bone structures mentioned.

Assessing weight

To be honest, I think people should take a commonsense approach to assessing their cat's weight. We all know what an overweight person looks like and we all know what an underweight person looks like. Use that basic common sense to assess your cat in the same way. There are many resources online as well if you are unsure. For example, on another website of mine you can have a look at some photographs or illustrations which may guide you by clicking here.

Senior cats

Senior cats tend to put on weight, the opposite problem. So unless maintaining a good body weight is a problem, senior cat should be on a reduced-calorie diet. There is an obesity epidemic we are told by the veterinarians. Obesity leads to illnesses such as diabetes. If your cat is overweight she should lose weight gradually to avoid fatty liver disease. You can read about that by clicking this link.

Featured Post

i hate cats

i hate cats, no i hate f**k**g cats is what some people say when they dislike cats. But they nearly always don't explain why. It appe...

Popular posts