Caring For Your
Feline Friend
My cat is "spraying" everywhere !!!
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Cats
Anyone who has ever had a cat that urinated in the house could tell you how incredibly frustrating it is to deal with. It is so upsetting to people that in many cases, it results in the euthanasia of a family cat. However, it doesn't have to end that way. There are MANY reasons why a cat might urinate around the house. Many of them are a result of a medical condition. others are truly behavioral issues, that if dealt with early on, may be corrected.
If you have a cat that suddenly changes its urinary habits, it is VERY important that you make an appointment with your veterinarian ASAP. The sooner you discover and treat a medical condition, the better. Not only because you want your cat to feel better as soon as he can, but also because many inappropriate elimination cases start as a medical problem and BECOME a behavioral issue.
Cats can develop many medical conditions that result in inappropriate elimination. Diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, urinary tract infections, feline lower urinary tract syndrome, bladder stones and bladder cancer, are some of the conditions. After discussing your cat's symptoms with your veterinarian, they can recommend some diagnostic tests to determine the problem. Many conditions can be treated or managed.
After ruling out a medical condition, a behavioral condition can be diagnosed. Surprisingly, by recognizing that your cat HAS a behavioral issue and UNDERSTANDING why he is upset. many people can make changes in their cat's environment and decrease or eliminate the bad behavior. However, some cats are more challenging to deal with and may need an anti-anxiety medication to eliminate the stress in their life. Studies show that about 90% of all cats on "mood-altering drugs" quit urinating in the house. Some cats may be on the medication for only a few months, others may be on it for life. Most importantly, there is a good possibility you can stop or greatly diminish your cat's spraying in the house.
Overall, it is MOST important that as soon as you realize that you have an elimination problem with a cat. DON'T WAIT contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more difficult it is to treat. The sooner you go, the more likely you will be able to solve the problem.
Heartworm and Cats
Many people are surprised that heartworm can be a problem in cats. Just like dogs, cats can become infected with the disease. When an infected mosquito bites your cat, it injects a microscopic larva that migrates to their heart and blood vessels of the lungs. Once in the heart, they grow into long worms. These worms clog up the heart valves so that they cannot close properly which causes your cat to go into congestive heart failure and eventually die. The cat response to a worm is so severe, that just a couple of worms can cause significant damage.
Heartworm infections are very common in the warmer climate areas of the country, however we are seeing more and more cases in Northern Michigan. So, if your cat is an outdoor cat, you may want to discuss with your veterinarian, protecting them from this disease.
The symptoms of cats with heartworm disease are coughing, difficulty breathing and vomiting but, they can also include blindness, convulsions, diarrhea, fainting and loss of appetite or weight. The signs are often mistaken for feline asthma or other respiratory diseases.
Testing involves a simple blood test and prevention involves a monthly topical medication applied beginning in May and ending in November. For more information, please call one of our veterinary clinics.
Of all the heart conditions that a cat can develop, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common form. Surprisingly, in many breeds it is an inherited disease, too. With this condition, the muscular walls of the heart increase in thickness. It is not always apparent as an enlarged heart on radiographs because the walls get thick and grow inward which causes the heart chambers to decrease in size. Eventually it can result in congestive heart failure or even death.
One genetic mutation is found predominantly in Maine Coon cats and the second genetic mutation is found predominantly in Ragdoll cats. However, most-importantly, the absence of the mutation in a cat DOES NOT mean that it will never develop the disease. It just means that it does not have one of the only known mutations that can cause the disease in a cat. If a cat tests POSITIVE for the mutation, then it will most likely develop the condition in its lifetime. If a cat tests NEGATIVE for the mutation, then it just means it doesn't have that mutation but it can still develop the disease.
The symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are: coughing, breathing difficulties, exercise intolerance, poor appetite, lethargy or even sudden death. Sometimes it seems like a cat is perfectly normal and then it dies suddenly. If you see any of these symptoms, please call one of our offices to set up a physical exam appointment. We'll take it from there. In some cases, with medication, we can decrease the severity of the symptoms so that your cat can have a better quality of life and maybe a longer life, too.
Yes !! Due to the over population of cats and kittens in Emmet and surrounding counties, we believe that it is VERY important to spay or neuter your cat. If a cat is allowed to breed unchecked OR is a feral cat in the wild, this is what can happen:
An average female cat can produce 3 litters each year. At 4 to 6 kittens per litter, that same cat will produce around 12-18 kittens per year. Then, if her kittens reproduce and then her kitten's kittens reproduce, the numbers become staggering !! That one cat and her offspring could give birth to more than 400,000 cats in just 7 years !!
So, yes … spaying and neutering your cat is very important. There are not enough homes for all of the kittens born and many meet a very sad fate.
We recommend spaying and neutering cats around 6 months of age … or as soon as possible, if you just adopted an adult cat. When you are ready, please call one of our offices to set up a convenient surgical appointment.
If you cannot afford to spay or neuter your cat, the Little Traverse Bay Humane Society (LTBHS) in conjunction with our Pellston Clinic has a special program for cats. If you have a feral cat in your neighborhood, that belongs to no one, LTBHS can help with that, too. LTBHS provides live traps at no cost and can help you offset the expense of spaying or neutering a feral cat. Once the cat is altered, you can then return them to the wild. But, they will no longer be able to reproduce kittens.
For more information, please give us a call at any of our locations. For the LTBHS Feral Cat or Low-Cost Spay or Neuter Program call LTBHS at 231-347-2396. If you live in Charlevoix County, the Charlevoix Country Humane Shelter may be able to offer assistance also, but it is on a case by case basis. You may reach them at 231-582-6774.
Should I Spay or Neuter My Cat?
