Hello again, fellow felines. I know vaccinations and veterinary visits in general are something that you’d probably rather not talk about. In fact, they’re probably something you wish your human would forget. But don’t make that decision so quickly because those pesky vaccines and other veterinary visits are actually necessary to keep all of us furry felines healthy.

The video above, provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association, explains what vaccines are designed to do and why we need them. It explains the difference between “core” vaccines and “non-core” or “lifestyle” vaccines. It also talks about the risk of sarcoma formation, a type of tumor that has been linked with vaccine injections.

It’s worth five minutes of your human’s time to watch the video but here’s the bottom line. All of us need vaccines but we don’t all need the same vaccines. Vaccination protocols should be individualized to meet our individual needs. While I don’t recommend the outdoor life for cats, if you do live part of your life outdoors, you probably need a different vaccination protocol than a cat that lives indoors exclusively. Your human should discuss your individual risks and needs with your veterinarian and establish a vaccination schedule that suites your lifestyle.

One of the things that our humans frequently ask our veterinarians is whether indoor cats need vaccinations at all. The answer in most cases is yes. An indoor cat may still be at risk for certain diseases and may need protection against them. Your veterinarian can help your human decide.

In the case of rabies, though an indoor cat may not have a significant risk of contacting rabies, accidents do happen. We cats can be pretty sneaky when we want to be and sometimes we sneak outdoors when nobody is looking. Sometimes wild animals find their way indoors too. Some indoor cats have been exposed to rabies by bats that found their way indoors. In the unlikely event that one of us is unvaccinated and exposed to rabies, the consequences can be dire. We might be quarantined or even “put to sleep” as a result of the exposure. So tell your humans that you need vaccinations even if you are an indoor cat.

Humans, your veterinarian is always the best source of information about your cat’s health. If your cat is not already vaccinated, talk to your veterinarian about establishing an appropriate vaccination schedule for your cat and be sure you follow through. Even if a visit to the veterinarian isn’t your cat’s favorite thing to do, your cat will still thank you for caring enough to keep him/her healthy.

I know choosing a cat food for your four-legged furry friend can be confusing. There are so many types of food available. Grain-free foods seem to be one of the more popular options available right now. But is grain-free really the best way to go for your cat?

The answer depends largely on your cat. Some cats do very well on a grain-free diet. Other cats don’t do so well as illustrated by the two examples in this post about grain-free foods for cats written by feline veterinarian Dr Dale Rubenstein.

Is there anything inherently wrong with a grain-free diet? No, absolutely not. A grain-free diet is a perfectly acceptable option for some cats. But it’s important to understand what grain-free foods are and, equally important, what grain-free foods are not.

As all of you probably already know, cats are carnivores. As a result, many pet owners and veterinarians prefer to feed their cats a high protein low carbohydrate diet. It’s easy to assume that because there are no grains in the diet the food is a low carbohydrate food. In some cases, that may be true. However, in many cases, the grain has been replaced with another carbohydrate-laden ingredient. For instance, potatoes or sweet potatoes are used in some grain-free diets, both of which are high carbohydrate ingredients. I’m not necessarily saying that makes the food “bad”. I’m only saying that this is not the diet you should be feeding if you’re looking for a low carbohydrate diet.

Another reason some cat owners elect to feed a grain-free diet is the belief that grains are a common cause of allergies or other gastrointestinal sensitivities. While some cats may have problems with grains, grains are not the only ingredient to which a cat might develop an allergy or sensitivity. Allergies and sensitivities to ingredients such as beef and fish are at least as common and probably even more common than allergies and sensitivies to grains.

As Dr. Rubenstein concludes in her post, “if the food your cat is eating leads to a shiny, soft coat, an alert, comfortable cat of normal body weight, with no abnormal stool, skin or other problems, then the food is fine for your cat.”

Please remember that no one food is perfect for all cats. There are many factors involved in choosing the right diet including your cat’s age, body condition, reproductive status, and health. If you have questions about your cat’s diet or which food is best for your cat, your veterinarian is your best source of information. Your veterinarian will be happy to help you choose a diet that is appropriate for your individual cat based on your cat’s unique nutritional needs.

With Easter right around the corner, Easter lilies are the current threat. But all lilies in the true lily family are toxic for your cat. In fact, all parts of these lilies are poison; the leaves, the flowers, the pollen, all of it.

And it’s not just live plants that pose a poison threat either. Cut lilies too are toxic. Bouquets of flowers containing lilies are just as dangerous as a potted plant or a lily plant growing in your garden.

Lilies are so deadly for your cat that even if your cat were to brush against one of these plants or flowers getting pollen on his or her fur and then were to ingest that pollen while grooming, a poisoning could occur. The pollen from lilies is that yellow or orange colored stuff that gets all over everything. You’ll find it on the tabletop where your lilies are perched, on your skin, on your clothing, and unfortunately on your cat’s fur if your cat gets too close.

We don’t know specifically what it is about lilies that makes them toxic but we do know they affect your cat’s kidneys causing kidney failure.

You’ll usually see the first signs of poisoning within 6-12 hours after your cat ingests any of the plant or flower. The initial signs will be vomiting, depression, lack of appetite, tremors and seizures. These symptoms will be followed by signs of kidney failure usually within the next day or two. These symptoms will include dehydration, increased water consumption and, at first, increased urine volume. As the symptoms progress, your cat’s urine output will drop and will eventually stop as the kidneys fail all together. Eventually, without veterinary intervention, death will occur.

Treatment is most successful if began soon after ingestion. Waiting will decrease your cat’s chance of survival. Aggressive treatment with intravenous fluids will be necessary. Your cat will probably need to be hospitalized, sometimes for several days.

If you suspect or know that your cat has ingested any part of a lily, seek emergency veterinary care. Don’t wait for symptoms to occur or wait to see how your cat does. By that time, it may be too late.

The best way to protect your cat is to avoid exposure to lilies all together. Keep your cat indoors and consider banning lilies from inside your home. Though lilies are beautiful plants and they are quite fragrant and enjoyable for you two-legged creatures, is it really worth risking the health of your four-legged furry friend to keep them in the house?

This language thing was supposed to be a secret but it seems the cat is out of the bag. Okay, I just couldn’t resist that pun. But seriously, it’s true. Take a look at this article on the Feline Docs blog written by Dr. Cathy Lund that talks about what your cat’s meow is really saying.

I won’t repeat everything that Dr. Lund talks about in the article. You should go read it yourself because it’s fascinating. Of course all things feline are fascinating, right?

This is a quote from the article. In case you need clarification, they’re referring to cats when they say “our favorite species.”

“Sometime during those thousands of years of domestication, our favorite species has evolved a highly-sophisticated secondary speech that is reserved only for its communication and interaction with humans. When your cat meows at you, she is actually “managing” you, and generally making a request or a complaint.”

I will confirm that we meow just for you. We have other ways of communicating with our fellow cats. They’re very effective too but much different than the way we communicate with you. Being the highly intelligent creatures that we are, we learn pretty quickly what works best for us. After all, our goal is usually to get you to do something for us.

“The tone of your cat’s meow is carefully calculated to be at a frequency that is most likely to elicit a response.”

Most of us have gotten pretty good at getting you to do our bidding. I’ve heard that some of you even refer to yourselves as our servants, slaves, or staff. That’s as it should be, isn’t it?

Of course, we reciprocate by providing companionship. There’s also the fact that interacting with us provides many health benefits for you. It seems to me that it’s only right for us to expect your immediate attention in seeing to our needs. So we’ve developed this secondary language to make sure that happens.

How well does your cat communicate with you? Don’t be shy. Tell us about your cat’s demands and how he/she makes them known.

Being a responsible cat owner may mean different things to different people. To set the record straight, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has established guidelines for responsible pet ownership. As a cat, I’m in full agreement with the AVMA about these guidelines. I think each and every cat owner needs to be following these guidelines.

I won’t go through all of the guidelines. You can read them yourself. I will touch on a few of the high points though.

• “Committing to the relationship for the life of the pet(s).” Please don’t throw us out because you’ve gotten tired of us. We grow fond of our people and being displaced from our home and the people we love is traumatic for us. If you can’t commit to more than just a short time, don’t bring us home at all (unless of course you’re fostering a homeless cat until a furr-ever home can be found.)
• “Keeping only the type and number of pets for which an appropriate and safe environment can be provided, including appropriate food, water, shelter, health care and companionship.” Yes, we require food and water but there’s much more we need as well, including regular veterinary care.
• “Controlling pet(s)’ reproduction through managed breeding, containment, or spay/neuter thereby helping to address animal control and overpopulation problems.” With few exceptions, most of us should be spayed or neutered. At the very least, we shouldn’t be creating kittens that end up in shelters and rescues needing homes.
• “Establishing and maintaining a veterinarian-client-patient relationship.” “Providing preventive (e.g., vaccinations, parasite control) and therapeutic health care for the life of pet(s) in consultation with, and as recommended by, its veterinarian.” These are two separate guidelines but the bottom line is that we need regular veterinary care to stay healthy.
• “Preventing pet(s) from negatively impacting other people, animals and the environment, including proper waste disposal, noise control, and not allowing pet(s) to stray or become feral.” For cats, this means keeping us indoors or allowing us supervised time outdoors on a leash or harness or in a cat-proof enclosure (i.e. a catio).
• “Advance preparation to ensure the pet(s)’ well-being in the case of an emergency or disaster, including assembling an evacuation kit.” Please don’t leave us behind if you have to evacuate our home in an emergency. What if you can’t get back to the house right away? What will happen to us?

These are only a few of the guidelines. There are many more. Please read through the rest of them. You can find them here: AVMA’s Guidelines for Responsible Pet Ownership.

So, do you pass the test of being a responsible pet owner? Don’t despair if you don’t. But do work toward correcting the areas that need correcting. What things do you need to work on? Do you think anything else should be on the list? Feel free to share your thoughts.

This snow storm serves to remind all of us of the need to be prepared for an emergency. That preparation should include plans for your pets. We hope you never need to implement your emergency plan. However, if the worst happens, you’ll be glad you have a plan in place.

What should you do to prepare for an emergency? The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has prepared a brochure that provides lots of information about disaster preparedness. It’s available here: Saving the Whole Family.

Here are some of the highlights.

• If you need to evacuate, even for a short period of time, take your pets with you. Disasters can sometimes have unforeseen complications and you may end up being away from your home longer than anticipated.
• Make sure your pet has some form of identification. For a cat, identification tags and microchips are good choices.
• Consult your veterinarian for assistance in formulating a suitable emergency plan.
• Be certain you have a cat carrier available for each cat in your household. Provide bedding in the carriers for our comfort. Make sure we’re acclimated to our carrier also.
• Make sure you have up-to-date copies of your cat’s medical records, including the vaccination history. (Is your cat up-to-date on vaccinations? Has your cat had a veterinary examination recently? If not, you should schedule a visit with your veterinarian as soon as possible.)
• Keep a list of important phone numbers.
• Have an evacuation kit and first aid kit packed and accessible.

You’ll find lots of information, including a list of phone numbers you should have handy and a list of items you should include in your emergency and first aid kits in the AVMA’s disaster preparedness brochure. Be sure to review it and take the steps necessary to be ready should a disaster strike.

Being prepared for a disaster can make the difference between life and death for both you and your cat. You should know where you will go if you need to evacuate your home. Do you have a friend or family member nearby that would be willing to take you in with your cat? What about if you need to evacuate the neighborhood? Is there a hotel you can retreat to that is pet-friendly? Perhaps there is a boarding kennel or veterinary facility willing to board your cat. You should know where you need to go and have the corresponding phone numbers available.

CATalyst Council Responds to Controversial Media Coverage About Cats as Predators

Recently, a study published in the journal Nature Communications reported on the impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife in the United States. The study concluded “that free-ranging cats cause substantially greater wildlife mortality than previously thought and are likely the single greatest source of anthropogenic mortality for US birds and mammals.”

The publication of this study resulted in a flurry of controversial media coverage calling cats murderers, serial killers and worse. This coverage raised concerns within various animal health and welfare organizations, CATalyst Council included.

CATalyst Council expressed our concerns about the media coverage in this press release: CATalyst Concerned About Consequences of Media Commentary. In the release, our executive director Dr. Jane Brunt stated that “the study and corresponding articles may hamper the ability of shelters to place cats in adoptive homes.”

Please read the press release for more information, including a list of observations offered by CATalyst Council in response to the disparaging articles.

February Is Responsible Pet Owners Month

The recent study and negative media coverage highlight the importance of responsible pet ownership. Part of responsible cat ownership involves keeping your cat indoors. Indoor cats cannot pose a danger to wild birds or other wildlife. Keeping your cat indoors also keeps your cat safer and healthier.

Naturally, being a responsible pet owner means doing everything you can to keep your cat healthy. That brings me to my next point.

February Is Also National Cat Health Month

There are many facets to keeping your cat healthy. A good diet is necessary. Keeping your cat indoors is important. Keeping your cat well-groomed is critical. Veterinary visits are also essential.

Cats need to have regular veterinary examinations. These examinations can detect illnesses and diseases that might not be easily noticed at home. Cats are masters of disguise when it comes to sickness. They can easily mask their problems and even the most observant of cat owners may find it difficult to notice subtle changes that may be indicative of a problem that needs attention. Many of these problems are easily treated if detected early but can lead to unnecessary pain and other complications if not addressed. Your veterinarian is an expert at locating and treating problems before they become serious.

February Is National Pet Dental Health Month

One of the diseases most frequently diagnosed in cats is dental disease. Keeping your cat’s mouth healthy is part of being a responsible pet owner as well as an essential element of keeping your cat healthy.

Unfortunately, dental care is also often overlooked. Seven out of ten cats show evidence of dental disease by three years of age. Some cats develop problems at an even younger age. Dental disease is painful and can also affect your cat’s entire body, including the heart and liver.

The veterinary care that your cat is receiving on a regular basis should include dental care. Veterinary dental care is required to diagnose and treat existing dental issues and to keep your cat’s mouth, teeth and gums healthy. Home care such as tooth brushing is also an important part of keeping your cat’s mouth healthy.

You can find more information about improving your cat’s oral healthcare in Give Your Cat Something to Smile About. Be sure to follow the link to the Cornell University’s Partners in Animal Health video to learn how to brush your cat’s teeth.

So, there you have it. There’s a lot happening in February. If you haven’t taken your cat to the veterinarian for an examination in a while, do your cat a favor and go schedule an appointment right now.

Do cats need to be microchipped? A microchip provides the best chance of getting your cat back home again if he or she gets lost. It provides a permanent form of identification for your cat.

Let’s face it. Accidents happen. Sometimes cats can simply sneak outside unnoticed. Sometimes natural disasters (fires, hurricanes, floods, etc.) result in cats getting lost. Whatever the reason, if your cat gets lost, a microchip might be the thing that brings your pet back to you.

Is it painful for a cat to have a microchip implanted? No, it’s just a little pinch much like an injection. The video below (provided by Steve Dale’s Pet World) shows Dr. Shelly Rubin placing a microchip in one of his feline patients. You’ll notice that the cat barely reacts when the procedure is performed. It was the same for me when I had my microchip implanted.

How big is the microchip? A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice. In the video below (provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association), you will be able to see what a microchip really looks like. Though this particular video features a dog, the information presented is applicable to cats also.

Just like the dog in the video, your cat can be microchipped without surgery or anesthesia. The procedure takes only a moment and can be done during a routine veterinary visit.

Does an indoor cat still need to have a microchip? Yes. Indoor cats can sneak outside on occasion. It’s a good idea for all cats to have a microchip.

What about a collar with an identification tag? Isn’t that as good as a microchip? Not really. Collars and tags can fall off or be removed. Ideally, your cat should have both a collar with an identification tag and a microchip.

What if my cat’s microchip is not registered with a database? A microchip is useless if it is not registered. It is the registration that links your contact information with the microchip and ultimately to your cat. If the chip is not registered, there will be no way to find you if your cat is located. Be sure to keep your contact information up-to-date if you move or change your phone number.

How long does a microchip last? In most cases, the microchip will last the lifetime of your pet.

Does a microchip function like a GPS device? Can it track my cat’s activity and movements? No, microchips are useful identification devices but they do not utilize GPS technology and cannot be used to track your lost cat. A scanner is necessary to read the microchip. Unidentified pets found or turned into shelters or animal control facilities are typically scanned for evidence of a microchip. If a microchip is found during the scan, the owner will then be contacted via the information provided through registration of the microchip.

So how about it? Does your cat have a microchip? Is the microchip registered? If not, there’s no time like the present.

Let’s take a look at the most basic of questions about cat food. Dry food or canned food? Is one better than the other? Let’s take a look at the arguments on both sides. I’m just going to present the facts here. You’ll have to decide for yourself which is best. From my perspective as a cat, I haven’t turned down a meal yet. I like both types.

We’ll talk about dry food first. It’s easy for you humans to feed. Just pour the food in a bowl, put the bowl on the floor and you’re done. What’s easier than that. It seems that lots of you don’t really like handling wet food. It’s smelly and it takes more effort to feed. But then, in my view, the smellier the better.

Dry foods can be more effective in keeping our teeth and gums healthy too, according to some cat owners and veterinarians. In fact, some dry foods are even marketed as dental diets to reduce plaque, tartar and gingivitis.

On the other hand, most dry foods are higher in carbohydrates than some wet foods. There are plenty of pet owners and veterinarians that advocate a high protein, low carbohydrate diet for cats. It’s tough to get that combination in a dry food. Carbohydrates are used in the manufacturing process to help the kibble keep its shape.

One of the arguments offered by the proponents of a high protein, low carbohydrate diet is the fact that this type of diet is often recommended for cats that are diabetic. In fact, some (but certainly not all) diabetic cats fed a high protein, low carbohydrate diet actually improve to the point that their blood glucose stabilizes and insulin injections become unnecessary.

Those who believe that it’s okay to feed a dry diet point out though that there is no evidence that feeding these high protein, low carbohydrate wet diets to cats that are not diabetic actually prevents diabetes. They believe that the number one predisposing factor for developing diabetes for a cat is being overweight, not the diet the cat is eating.

But there’s another side to that coin also. (You knew it was coming, didn’t you?) Many cats that are fed free choice have a tendency to overeat and gain weight as a result. This is particularly true of altered (i.e. spayed/neutered) cats. Proponents of feeding wet food point out that it is easier to overfeed using dry food because it is so easy to just pour the food into the bowl without measuring. Of course, dry food can be measured and cats can be put on a regular feeding schedule even with dry food. It just takes a little more effort to stay away from the “pour it in the bowl when the bowl is empty” trap.

Then there’s the issue of moisture content. (You didn’t really think we were finished talking about the great cat food debate, did you?) Getting cats to drink enough water can sometimes be problematic, depending on the cat. There are conditions in which you might want to increase your cat’s water intake also. For instance, cats with chronic kidney failure can benefit from increased water consumption as can cats with lower urinary tract disease.

There’s no doubt that wet food contains far more moisture than dry food. For many cat owners and veterinarians, that alone tips the scale toward feeding wet food.

Opinions on this topic vary widely and many of you humans have passionate beliefs about which is best. I’ll end by mentioning that the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) have stated in their 2010 Life Stage Guidelines that healthy cats do just as well on dry food as wet. In fact, here is a direct quote from the Guidelines:

“Satisfactory diets for cats contain all the required nutrients in proper balance, are palatable and digestible, and are free of spoilage and contaminants. The specific source of nutrients in feline diets is irrelevant when these criteria are satisfied. Both canned and dry food have been found to support health during all life stages. The presence of a label guarantee that the food was tested using feeding trials provides the current best initial evidence that a diet is satisfactory.

The panel examined published peer-reviewed evidence-based studies in healthy, client-owned cats for any significant health effect of: feeding canned versus dry food (including contribution to dental health); providing a variety of foods versus a consistent diet; feeding high protein, low carbohydrate versus lower calorie and high fiber diets; feeding raw diets; providing dietary supplements, or access to grass or plants. Based on the available data, specific recommendations in favor of any of these practices cannot be made.

Despite the concern surrounding the effects of carbohydrate in dry foods, current evidence suggests that housing and activity (which may be a marker of welfare) are more significant predictors of health. Evidence does not support the carbohydrate content of foods as being harmful or an independent risk factor for diseases such as obesity or diabetes.”

So, what have you decided? It’s a complicated choice, isn’t it? And we’ve just scratched the surface of the cat food debate. For instance, we haven’t even talked about raw food diets and home cooked diets.

Luckily, you don’t have to make the choice alone. Your veterinarian can help you sort through all the differing opinions and choose the diet that’s right for your individual cat. Remember, your veterinarian is the best source of information about all things cat. Diet is something you might want to talk about with your veterinarian the next time you take your cat in for one of those important regular examinations.

In other news, the American Pet Products Association (APPA) tells us that 72.9 million households in the US own pets. Of those, 38.9 million own cats. The total number of cats kept as pets in the US, according to APPA, is 86.4 million. That means there are more of us kept as pets than dogs. The total number of dogs kept as pets equals only 78.2 million. These statistics are courtesy of APPA’s 2011-2012 National Pet Owners Survey.

Similarly, the American Veterinary Medical Association released their own Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook. Here are some of their findings released in a sneak peak of the publication:

“Results of the survey indicate a slight decline in household pet ownership over the past five years, down 2.4 percent from 2006 to 2011. This trend includes household ownership of dogs and cats, which were down 1.9 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively.

The 2012 sourcebook will also show that dogs are still the most popular pet in America, as 36.5 percent of all households in the United States own a dog, compared to 30.4 percent owning cats. But cats are still the most common pet, with the total U.S. population hovering right around 74.1 million, compared to 70 million dogs. Cat owners are more likely to own multiple cats – 2.1 per household – compared to dog owners, who average 1.6 dogs per household.

The study also revealed trends in veterinary spending. Of the two most popular pets in America, dog owners were revealed to be more dedicated to providing their beloved pets with appropriate veterinary care. In fact, total veterinary visits for dogs in 2011 increased to 130.4 million, a 9.2 percent increase from 2006. Veterinary visits for cats were down 4.4 percent from 2006 to 2011, when there were 60.5 million visits.

The amount of money dog owners spent on veterinary care for their pets increased to $19.1 billion in 2011, up 18.6 percent from 2006. Veterinary expenditures for cats remained comparatively flat, rising only 4.2 percent from 2006 to 2011 to $7.4 billion.”

Though the numbers differ a little bit between the two reports, it’s still clear that we cats are popular pets. It’s disturbing though that many of us don’t receive the same quality of veterinary care as dogs.

In their own State of Pet Health 2012 report, Banfield Pet Hospital notes that Domestic Shorthair, Domestic Medium Hair and Domestic Longhair make up more 85% of cats seen by veterinarians but exotic breeds are increasing in popularity. Specifically mentioned were the Siamese, Bengal, Manx, Himalayan, Persian, Russian Blue, Maine Coon and Ragdoll breeds.

Chronic diseases were spotlighted in the Banfield report, including heart disease, thyroid disease, kidney disease, arthritis and obesity. All of these conditions can affect cats and veterinarians are seeing these diseases more frequently than previously.

Disturbingly, this report finds that:

• “At least 3 in 4 cat owners are not aware that vomiting, dental disease or weight loss can be associated with heart disease; over half (54%) of cat owners are not aware that aging can also be associated with heart disease.”
• “More than 2 in 3 cat owners are not aware that weight gain or obesity are associated with arthritis; 38% are not aware that aging is also associated with arthritis.”
• “At least 3 in 5 cat owners are not aware that diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy or weight loss can be associated with kidney disease.”
• “4 in 5 cat owners are not aware that changes in a cat’s coat or unusual urination habits are highly visible signs associated with hyperthyroidism. Less than half of cat owners (45%) realize that changes in appetite can also be a sign of this condition.”

Cats, please tell your people about these issues. Let your two-legged friends know that the best way to keep you healthy, happy and comfortable is to get you to the veterinarian to be checked out regularly.

Another thing that I’m finding particularly alarming is the increase in girth many of us cats are experiencing. The Banfield report talks about this also. Many of you will remember my friend Meow who passed away earlier this year, essentially killed by too much kindness in the form of far too many cat treats! When your people do take you to the veterinarian, make sure the veterinarian evaluates your weight.

That brings me to my New Year’s resolutions for this year. I address the weight issue and much more in them so take a look. I think you’ll find them entertaining and informative.