Thursday May 17, 2012

SimplyCats October 2010 Mewsletter:

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Hello and welcome to our October 2010 Mewsletter!

By producing this Mewsletter we can reach and help so many more people to understand and care for their cats. This will go out to our cat loving clients at SimplyCats Veterinary Clinic and also to our clients who have signed up on our Cat Behavior Web Site. We apologise for the American spelling but 80% of the clients on this site are from overseas.

We hope to mail all SimplyCats subscribers monthly. Remember this mailing is totally free and you can un-subscribe at any time, using the link on the top of the page or at the end of this Mewsletter..

Please feel free to browse our website where you will be able to view our special offers. www.simplycats.net

The idea is to select a number of articles each month that we think our subscribers will be interested in and have a direct link to how your cat thinks and his / her wellbeing. We sincerely believe the most important aspect of living in harmony with your cat is understanding how he or she thinks. You have to get inside your cats mind. This was the real passion behind creating our Cat Behaviour Guide and SimplyCats.

"People who hate cats, will come back as mice in their next life."

- Faith Resnick.

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Being cat vets, feline behavior and cat medicine is an area of continuous interest to both of us and has a massive influence on the well being of cats and the humans owned by cats ;-). This is even more important when your beloved cat is ill or sick.

Knowing about cat behavior has been the centre point of the design of our cat only veterinary practice for example CAT ONLY, NO DOGS, all kept quiet and calm with places to hide in most of the hospitalisation cages. Also very careful use and selection of disinfectants etc. so as not to disturb the cats incredible sense of smell. Remember all these facts when you are trying to make your home cat friendly, though, do remember cats can get on fine with dogs once carefully introduced.

Your cat could feature in the next mewsletter...

We are looking for pictures to support our future mewsletter articles - cute - playing - sleeping - any pictures of your cat would be great for us to include - send your pics ( in ' jpeg' format - preferred ) to caroline.pallister@simplycats.net

Vaccination Information

This month at SimplyCats one of the main topics of conversation amongst the vets has been a shift in our approach to vaccination. In the ongoing battle to protect our pets against disease, our understanding of vaccination protection is constantly changing as new technologies emerge to combat new viral strains and their changing behaviour. To keep in line with the latest thinking we will now be using the PUREVAX feline vaccination range at SimplyCats.

We thought this would be a good opportunity to touch on the subject of what your vet is actually doing when you bring your pet in for a health check and vaccination.

Often referred to as a “booster”, we think it is important to impress that this annual visit to the vet is for more than just an injection. We should be thinking of it more as an Annual Medical Exam AND a vaccination.

Your vet does not get to see your cat very often (hopefully!) so this maybe the only opportunity to have face to face time with you and your pet and to perform a hands-on clinical examination.

This is important:

to detect the early signs of any health problems that your cat maybe hiding from you

to discuss any routine health issues commonly associate with ageing (such as weight gain and dental disease)

to monitor any ongoing health problems if your cat is under regular treatment

to allow your vet practice to dispense vet-only medicinal products (such as vet-only flea and worm treatments) throughout the year

It is also a great opportunity for you to bring up any issues or oddities concerning your cat’s well being or behaviour, that are maybe nothing to worry about, or that may require further attention.

Household plants which may affect cats

All plants, even grass, can have an irritating effect on a cat’s gastrointestinal system causing it to vomit. But, given the opportunity, cats like to nibble on grass. When not available, their attention may turn to less suitable household plants.
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Particularly dangerous are Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane), and lilies, which are popular in bouquets and flower arrangements.

Preventive action

Remove all potentially hazardous household plants to prevent unnecessary exposure. This is especially important for kittens and for cats kept indoors. A list of plants that are unsuitable for a house with cats is given below:

Amaryllis
Aphelandra
Castor Oil Plant (also see Ricinus)
Christmas Cherry (also see Solanum)
Chrysanthemum (also see Dendranthema)
Codiaeum
Croton (also see Codiaeum)
Cyclamen
Devil’s Ivy (also see Epipremnum aureum)
Dieffenbachia*
Dumb Cane (also see Dieffenbachia)
Elephant’s Ear (also see Alocasia, Caladium)
Epipremnum aureum
Ferns
Holly (also see Ilex)
Hypoestes phyllostachya
Hyacinthus
Ivy (also see Hedera)
Mistletoe (also see Viscum)
Nerium oleander
Oleander (also see Nerium oleander)
Ornithogalum
Senecio
Star of Bethlehem (also see Ornithogalum)
Umbellatum
Umbrella Plant (also see Schefflera)
Zebra Plant (also see Aphelandra

Cat Breeds: - The Persian

All Persian cats - known officially as Longhair Persian type - have the same basic physical shape and conformation. Their faces are flat with short noses and small ears.

Their bodies are broad-chested with sturdy legs and large paws, and they all have a soft, thick fur coat with a distinctive ruff around the neck, and a full, low-slung tail. Persian longhairs come in many different colours and patterns. In some countries such as the United States, the colour variations are considered as varieties of the same breed, but in Britain, each different colour is listed as a separate breed.

Persian cats are among the longest-known pedigree cats. Longhaired variations of wild species may have spontaneously occurred in colder regions in the heart of Asia, and then gradually become established with subsequent interbreeding.

The ancestors of today's Persians were probably stocky, longhaired grey cats brought to Europe from Persia (now Iran) in the 1600's and silken haired white angora cats from Turkey (a different type to the modern Angora breed). Today there are over 60 different colour variations of the Longhair Persian type - to mention a few: black, white, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, tortoiseshell, bi colour, tabby, and smoke .

We now have an online shop

You can now purchase food and toys from our online shop.

An excerpt from our Cat First Aid book

INJURY TO SKIN

If signs of shock are present seek immediate veterinary attention and assume greater trauma than that you can see.

If your cat is otherwise OK but resents you touching a particular area look for any visible signs of bruising, abrasion or puncture – phone your vet for advice but if you are worried seek veterinary attention the same day. If there is a small cut, ideally remove the surrounding hair with scissors and gently clean the area with salt water. Stop your cat excessively licking by applying an Elizabethan collar and monitor the area for signs of increasing redness or infection in which case you may need to see a vet to obtain treatment.

You must seek immediate veterinary attention if your cat has any of the following injuries:

· Wound caused by a knife, arrow, bullet or impalement injury
· Ongoing bleeding after three minutes of applied pressure
· Signs of shock
· Abnormal breathing
· Obvious pain and distress
· Bites by other animals

Never remove a penetrating object – either move the cat with the object in situ or in the case of impalement on railings get a veterinary surgeon to come out. Fatal consequences are unfortunately often inevitable when a cat is removed from an impaling object.

Serious deep injuries can often occur without any visible superficial damage. It is vital to perform a thorough examination if you suspect your cat has had a traumatic incident to identify any indicating factors so veterinary attention and treatment can be sought as quickly as possible.

We are now on Facebook and Twitter

Click here to view our Facebook page and click here to view our Twitter page.

Please feel free to contribute photos and comments to either page.

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Weightwatchers - dubby's diet - continued !

Caroline, one of the receptionists at SimplyCats has three cats. Two are an ideal weight but one called Sandy - nicknamed Dubby - (that's the word chubby in disguise) weighed in on the 6th May 2009 an (un)impressive 8.85kg (19.4 pounds).

He was weighed on the 24th September and had lost a further 70 grammes. Dubby has learned to beg with his right paw raised - it doesn't work, however - as his steady weight loss shows!

Another client's cat called Bobby has joined Dubby's 'fat club' and is starting to lose weight on the same diet. We can hopefully include some short stories and pictures to summarise his future progress.

Keep up the good work boys!

Calming your cat on Bonfire night

Zylkène is a natural product, clinically proven to help cats manage stress and facilitate adaptation to change. Many common situations and events can be stressful and many pets find change, however small, difficult to cope with.

Fireworks stress

Firework season is a very stressful time of year for many cats and owners – many react to sudden loud noises. If ignored, the problem tends to get worse over time and can expand to include fear of other loud noises, such as thunder, and eventually everyday noises such as doors slamming.

Cats show varied stress reactions to firework noise - they can withdraw into themselves and hide, soil in the house, and sometimes become destructive or even harm themselves whilst trying to escape from the noise.

To successfully manage firework-related stress it is important to consider the short-term problem, when fireworks will be heard, and also find a long-term solution.

Zylkène can help many cats at times when fireworks are heard - start a day or two before they are expected and continue throughout fireworks time. In some areas, the season now extends from mid October until after New Year rather than just a few days either side of November 5th. Zylkène can be used long-term, and can help your cat through Bonfire Night, Christmas and New Year celebrations.

What to do on the night

Provide a den or hiding place - Cats naturally hide when they are scared and it can help to provide a ‘safe place’ which they can squeeze into, like an understairs cupboard or an indoor kennel with blankets over the top and inside. An ideal place is somewhere near the centre of the house, or somewhere they have already hidden.

Muffle the sound of fireworks - Close curtains, shut outside doors and windows, and have your cat as near to the centre of the house as possible. Put on the TV or radio to mask the bangs.

Keep them inside – Don’t let cats outside when fireworks are likely or during a display. Lock the cat flap if necessary. A firework going off when they are outside can lead to a fear of going out.

Don’t over-fuss them – This can be difficult, but if they rely on you for comfort during scary events, they will be less able to cope when you are not at home and make matters worse in the long term.

Stay calm yourself - Most cats can sense when their owners are worried, and this increases their stress. Let them hide in the den, and leave them there until the fireworks have finished and they come out. You can give your cat lots of fuss once they emerge.

Don’t get angry - Although your cat's behaviour may be annoying, it is happening because they are scared and getting cross will only make them worse. Don’t try and take your cat out of its hiding place –this increases stress levels and could lead to aggression.

Prepare for unusual behaviour – Fear can make your cat behave out of character. For example, if they anticipate that going into the garden predicts a loud noise, they may hide or show aggression to avoid going outside.

Talk to your vet - They can advise short-term measures which may include medications, particularly if they don’t settle but pace around in distress. This will help reduce your cats stress during upcoming firework events and help prevent their fears becoming worse. Your vet can also advise a long-term preventative approach.

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Staff news

Last month we welcomed a new head nurse to SimplyCats called Penny Dyer. Here is a short biography from her:

"I started working as a veterinary nurse ten years ago. I have worked in both mixed and small animal practice and have enjoyed the experience of both. When the opportunity to work in a cat only practice arose I jumped at the chance. I love all animals but have a special place in my life for cats and kittens and will surely end up being a mad old cat lady! I am a mum to a 13 year old boy, called Connor, who is my pride and joy although he will not thank me for mentioning that!

At home I have an eleven year old cat called Farley Woo, who is very forgiving of my habit of bringing home waifs and strays and also two fantastic miniature long haired dachshunds who were both rescue dogs. .

My last pets are my small Herd of Dexter cows which are a traditional and small breed of cow. They live with my Dad on his farm and they give us lots of joy.

Well that's me - as you can see animals play a huge part I'm my life but so do my family and friends and I am lucky to have the best of both and there is nothing better than a night out, or in, with the girls or my family."

Further information

For further information on any behavioural problems please see our e-book 'Purrfect Cat Behavior'.

Paul and Sarah MRCVS

www.simplycats.net

www.purrfectcatbehavior.com

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The end...

It is very difficult to know how much to put into a newsletter but for the next edition we will continue to discuss the subject of feline chlamydophila disease, show you more from our new book on Cat First Aid and discuss more aspects of feline behaviour.

Be creative, live long, be happy and follow your own path.

...And the emperor said "Let the party begin!"

Paul and Sarah M's RCVS

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