Guide to a Healthy Cat

270 Pages·2004·5.428 MB·English

by  Elaine Wexler-Mitchell

Guide
to a
Healthy
Cat

Guide
to a
Healthy
Cat
Elaine Wexler-Mitchell, D.V.M.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.∞
Copyright © 2004 by Elaine Wexler-Mitchell.All rights reserved.
Howell Book House
Published by Wiley Publishing,Inc.,Hoboken,New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Wexler-Mitchell,Elaine.
Guide to a healthy cat / Elaine Wexler-Mitchell.
p.cm.
ISBN 0-7645-4163-3 (alk.paper)
1. Cats.2. Cats—Health. I.Title.
SF442.W455 2003
636.8’083—dc21
2002014825
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
All photos by Elaine Wexler-Mitchell
Contents
Preface,ix
Chapter 1 What Is a Healthy Cat?,1
•
Characteristics of a Healthy Cat,1 The Lowdown on Essential
• •
Care,2 The Scoop on Litter Boxes,4 Keeping Cats
Indoors Keeps Them Healthier,7
Chapter 2 Kitten Development,9
• •
Birth to 1 Month,10 4 to 6 Weeks,11 6 to 8 Weeks,12
• • • •
8 to 16 Weeks,12 16 to 28 Weeks,13 Puberty,13
6 Months to 1 Year,15
Chapter 3 Feline Mental Health,16
• •
Keys to Good Feline Mental Health,17 Signs of Stress,18
•
Proper Handling Keeps a Cat Happy,19 Adding a New
• • •
Cat,21 Kitty’s Being Mean!,23 Housesoiling,24
Turn It Down!,26
Chapter 4 Good Grooming,27
•
Start With the Claws,28 Should You Comb or Should You
• •
Brush?,29 What About a Longhaired Cat?,31 Mats and
• •
Their Problems,32 Bath Time,34 Give Up?,35
v
vi Contents
Chapter 5 The Best Nutrition for Your Cat,38
•
Picking the Right Food,39 Essential Differences in Cats,41
• • •
Viva Variety,42 Feeding by Life Stage,43 Drink It
Up,44
Chapter 6 How Do I Know if My Cat Is Sick?,46
•
Is Your Feline Anorexic?,47 Does Your Cat Have a
•
Fever?,49 What to Do When Your Cat Is Acting Funny,51
• •
Typical Signs of Illness,52 When to Go to the Emergency
• •
Room,53 Checking Out Your Medicine Cabinet,54
A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down,57
Chapter 7 How to Choose a Veterinarian,62
•
Selection Basics,62 Feeling Comfortable,65
Chapter 8 Annual Health Care,71
• •
Did Your Cat Pass His Physical?,71 Viral Testing,73
• •
What About Vaccines?,74 A Cheshire Cat Smile,74
Parasite Control,77
Chapter 9 Tell Me About Vaccines,81
•
How Do Vaccines Work?,81 What You Should Know About
• •
Vaccinating Your Cat,83 Core Vaccines,85 Non-Core
• •
Vaccines,87 Kitty Needs Shots,91 Adverse Responses to
Vaccines,92
Chapter 10 Common Surgical Procedures,94
• •
Tell Me About Declawing,94 Prevent a Paternity Suit,97
•
Prevent Unwanted Pregnancy,99 Hernias in Cats,101
Chapter 11 Pregnancy and Queening,103
• •
The Estrous Cycle,103 The Act,104 When Your Cat Is
• •
Pregnant,105 The Birth of Kittens,108 Raising an
Orphan,110
Chapter 12 How to Care for a Senior Cat,112
•
How Long Will My Cat Live?,112 Senior Health Care
•
Program,113 What May Cause Your Kitty’s Demise?,114
• •
Keeping Your Old Friend Comfortable,120 Knowing When
to Let Go,123
Contents vii
Chapter 13 The Respiratory System,125
• •
Sneezing,126 Cats Do Catch Colds,127 Could Your Cat
•
Have Asthma?,131 Pneumonia,133
Chapter 14 The Gastrointestinal System,135
•
It All Starts in the Mouth,135 Kitty’s Going to Be Sick,137
• •
Getting to the Box,140 Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• •
(IBD),142 What Is Helicobacter?,143 Intestinal
• •
Cancer,143 When Kitty Is Constipated,143 Is Your Cat
• •
Turning Yellow?,145 Pancreatitis,147 The End of the
Line—Anal Gland Problems,148
Chapter 15 Skin and Dermatology,149
• •
Itchy Kitty,149 Kitty Is Bald!,153 Zitty Kitty,153
• •
Ringworm Is Not a Worm,154 Looking Mitey Mangy,
• •
156 Insect and Spider Bites,158 Other Ear Problems,158
• •
Cats Can Get Skin Cancer,159 Infections and Abscesses,160
Chapter 16 The Cardiovascular System,161
•
How the Heart and the Circulatory System Work,161 Blood
• •
and Bleeding,162 IfYour Cat Is Anemic,164 Born With
• •
a Bad Heart,166 Leaky Valves,166 How the Heart
•
Is Evaluated,167 Treating Congenital Heart Disease,168
• • •
Heart Muscle Disease,168 High Blood Pressure,169
Feline Heartworm Disease,170
Chapter 17 The Musculoskeletal System,172
•
It’s Hard to Get Up in the Morning,173 It’s Broken,176
• •
Sprains and Strains,177 Do Cats Get Cruciate
• •
Injuries?,178 Born With Unique Bones,178 Surgery
for Bone Deformities,180
Chapter 18 The Endocrine System,181
•
IfYour Cat Has a Hyper Thyroid,181 Feline Diabetes,185
• •
Uterine Infections,187 Cats Can Get Breast Cancer,188
•
Adrenal Gland Disease,189
Chapter 19 The Nervous System and the Senses,190
•
The Eyes See You,191 The Ears Hear You,194
• •
Kitties and Convulsions,195 Born With Neurologic
• •
Problems,197 Cats With Bad Backs,198 Feline
Hyperesthesia Syndrome,200
viii Contents
Chapter 20 The Urinary Tract,201
•
Lower Urinary Tract Disease,202 Kitty Can’t Pee!,204
• • •
Stones in the System,206 What About Diet?,208
Kitty’s Kidneys,209
Chapter 21 The Dreaded Viruses,214
•
Feline Leukemia Virus,214 Feline Immunodeficiency
• •
Virus,216 Feline Infectious Peritonitis,218 Could Your
•
Cat Be Rabid?,222 Feline Panleukopenia,223
Chapter 22 Understanding Diagnostic Testing,224
• •
Fecal Analysis,224 Urinalysis,225 Blood Tests,226
• • • •
X Rays,229 Ultrasound,230 Endoscopy,230
• •
Biopsies,230 Cytology,231 Electrocardiogram,231
• •
Blood Pressure,232 Cerebral Spinal Fluid Tap,232
• •
Magnetic Resonance Imaging,232 Computed
• •
Tomography,233 Nuclear Imaging,233 Technological
Advances Are Amazing!,233
Chapter 23 What Can Your Catch From Your Cat?,234
•
Gesundheit!,235 Honey,It’s Your Turn to Scoop,237
• • •
Cat Scratch Fever,240 Other Zoonoses,241 Watch
•
Out for Plague,242 The Joys of Cat Ownership,243
Appendix A Glossary of Veterinary and Cat Terms,245
Appendix B Where to Learn More,251
Appendix C Pet Loss Grief Counseling Hot Lines,253
About the Author,256
Index,257
Preface
People often ask me why I became a feline-only veterinarian after I
started out working on both dogs and cats.I loved working with cats,
but had seen how they were often regarded as second-class citizens in
comparison to dogs in the veterinary world. I considered my options
and I decided to start my own clinic and go feline only so I could focus
my time and energy on becoming the best doctor I could possibly be
in the practice of feline medicine.
In this book I hope to share my knowledge of cats and their health
care with you. Each cat has an individual personality and touches us
uniquely. Anyone who has owned a cat knows about their special
charm as well as their idiosyncrasies.Are these not the aspects that cap-
tivate us as cat owners?
I think that people who do not like cats have,unfortunately,missed
out on the experience of these furry creatures.Every day that I spend
with cats,I learn something new about how they view the world and I
am fascinated by it. By understanding your cat and her health care
needs, you will have the tools to enable you to be a fabulous cat
owner—that is,if you actually believe you own your cat!
ix