Cat Care

With proper care, it’s not unusual for an indoor cat to live 20 years or more. Many veterinarians consider a cat between 9-10 years old to be a “senior”. A cat is considered to be “geriatric” after age 12.

As cats become older, they are more likely to develop diseases that require medical attention. Many of the negative behavior changes we see in older cats can be the result of medical conditions. Some of the more common disorders affecting older cats include heart disease, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), arthritis, and cancers.

Regular visits to a veterinarian are essential to early diagnosis and establishing treatment to improve quality of life.

Urinating outside the litter box is a common feline behavior problem which if not resolved, can ruin a cat’s relationship with its owner and can lead ultimately, to banishment to the outdoors or even euthanasia. Fortunately, in most cases, the problem behavior can be eliminated if the veterinarian and pet owner work together to identify and resolve the underlying cause.

First, it is important to differentiate urine spraying from litter box rejection. Urine spraying, which is a form of scent-making, is a normal feline behavior that is generally repressed in the neutered household cat. But should the cat become uncomfortable with its surroundings for any reason such as overcrowding, less attention, punishment or change in routine or the introduction of a new cat, this behavior is likely to manifest itself. If we can eliminate the environmental source of the problem, the behavior will generally go away.

On the other hand, many cases of house soiling can be traced back to the litter pan (litter box rejection). Due to the fastidious nature of most cats, it is imperative that the litter box situation suits your cat’s particular needs. This is especially important if it is shared by more than one cat.

I remember one feline patient of mine insisted on two boxes, one to urinate in and the other to defecate in. It is always important to rule out a physical basis for house soiling as cats can associate pain or discomfort with the litter box if there is, for example, cystitis occurring.

Particular attention should be given to litter texture. For instance, some cats prefer fine sand-like texture over larger clay granules.

Lastly, if we have ruled out litter box rejection, a physical cause and if either an environmental basis can be identified or corrected, medical treatment can be considered. One drug in particular, Buspar, a non-sedating anti-anxiety drug, has proven to be quite helpful in many cases and appears to be well tolerated by the cat.

A pet cat should never be given up or relegated to the outdoors without first seeking professional help. Your relationship with your cat is important to us, so please call for an appointment if you are experiencing this problem behavior.

Cats are strict meateaters (carnivores), so foraging on plant material has no nutritional value for them. It is probably done to stimulate the vomiting reflex as a means to get rid of hairballs. There are exceptions to the rule … my cat Jackson, for example, loves to eat cantaloupe.

Most houseplants, if foraged on by cats, produce nothing more than a simple stomach upset. Some houseplants, however, are toxic, especially those that we may bring into our homes around the Holidays – particularly mistletoe and the poinsettia. Mistletoe contains a substance that can cause severe nausea, cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea. The poinsettia plant produces a milky sap that is a chemical irritant. Direct contact with the sap can cause stomatitis, gastritis, as well as conjunctivitis.

Of the common household potted plants found in the home, those in the family Araceae, such as philodendron, dumb canes, and elephant ears, can cause histamine poisoning. Clinical signs would include intense salivation, breathing difficulties, and loss of voice due to edema of the vocal cords.

As you know, most cats, being both playful and predatory in nature, love to play with string. Although this can be a fun way for us to interact with them, string can be quite dangerous for cats if it is ingested. Linear foreign bodies can be difficult for the veterinarian to diagnose and a delayed diagnosis can have a poor outcome in this situation.

Routine x-rays often are inconclusive and exploratory surgery is generally required to save the cat’s life. String will usually not pass through a cat’s digestive tract and, if not surgically removed, bowel penetration or peritonitis can result. So please, if your cat plays with any linear string objects, make sure it is supervised play.

Can cats catch a cold from a human? Are there any diseases that humans can get from their cats?

As far as strep throat goes, it is actually the human that can infect the animal. The cat or dog, once infected, however, can in turn infect another human.

When I attended the Feline Infectious Diseases Symposium in Washington, D.C., an entire day was spent discussing feline zoonoses (diseases that can be transmitted to humans). Although there are a lot of potential zoonoses, the typical healthy urban pet cat presents minimal risk to its owner.

The primary zoonoses of concern from a household pet would be ringworm, pink eye (chlamydia), roundworm larval migrans, giardia, and cat scratch fever. Most of these are preventable. Cat scratch disease is caused by a small bacterium, Bartonella henselae. Kittens are more likely to harbor this agent and fleas may be capable of transmitting it to other cats and possibly to humans. Clinical signs in people include regionally swollen lymph nodes and the condition is usually self-limiting. This disease, however, can be quite serious in immunosuppressed people or people with AIDS. Infected cats usually show no clinical signs, but blood testing is available to determine carriers. Routine testing is not being advocated, however, unless there is concern on the part of the owner.

Other gastrointestinal zoonoses include cryptosporidium and toxoplasmosis. Both are microscopic protozoal organisms. Clinical cryptosporidiosis is generally a self-limiting gastrointestinal disorder, but it can be fatal in AIDS patients. Overall incidence in the household pet population is low, however.

Likewise, the incidence of toxoplasmosis is also low in household pets. If a cat were to become infected, it is only capable of shedding the organism for a very brief time period (approximately two weeks). Repeat shedding is rare.