The Purrfect Guide to Thinking Like a Cat Read online

  251.CLUES

  Flea dirt is a great clue to look for. Comb your cat’s fur over a white piece of paper towel. If you see black specks, moisten the paper. Normal dirt will not change, but flea dirt, which is made of dried blood, will make a red patch on the paper.

  252.FAVORITE PLACES

  Fleas tend to affect some areas of the body more than others. If your cat has a lot of scabs or bald patches around the back end, neck, and groin, then fleas are high on the suspect list.

  253.TREATMENT

  Fleas are easy to kill and prevent but, especially for allergic animals, you MUST make treatment as regular as you are advised to do it. You also need to periodically treat the house to get rid of fleas and larvae in the environment.

  254.DON’T BE ASHAMED

  There is still a stigma attached to fleas, and many owners are mortified if a vet hints that their animals may have fleas. Many animals get fleas. It’s just a fact of life and testament to what accomplished parasites fleas are.

  255.MITES

  Although less common than fleas and ticks, these parasites can still be a problem. Mange from mites is much less common in cats than in dogs but can still occur. Mange can be difficult to treat, depending on the type of mite. In some cases, mites cause intense irritation and skin damage.

  256.LICE

  Lice live on the skin of your cat and can cause itching but tend to be less irritating than fleas and mites. There are lots of different products available to treat them.

  257.WORMS

  Have a look back at the kitten section for a reminder of the different types of worms your cat might pick up. These will definitely vary, depending on where you live in the world and whether your cat hunts or not.

  258.WORMING ROUTINE

  Wormers don’t prevent or repel worms, but they kill any that are there. Worming regimes vary, depending on the types of worms you’re tackling and how often your individual cat may be picking them up. In general, adult cats should have worm treatments every one to three months.

  259.BE SURE

  There are now many sprays and spot-on treatments that are very effective for prevention and can cure these creepy-crawlies, whether they are inside or outside your cat. Always check with your vet to see what is safe to use, what the vet recommends, and how often to use it.

  260.SET REMINDERS

  Not all treatments are effective against all parasites, so making sure you have everything covered isn’t always easy. Nowadays, there are several apps available to coordinate control, and most vets will happily send reminders. Embrace the new technology!

  STRESS-RELATED DISEASE

  261.THREATS

  Cats often live with other cats or have lots of cats around them in their territories. Being solitary by nature, cats fiercely guard precious things, such as space, food, and water. Rather than liking other cats, they usually see them as a threat, and this leads to lots of stress.

  262.INDOORS

  Cats kept indoors can also have much higher stress levels. They may be bored or frustrated. Many cats like to relieve themselves outside rather than in a litter box, and this can lead to reluctance to urinate and other bladder issues.

  263.SUBTLE BEHAVIOR

  Cats are very subtle with their behaviors, and lots of owners think their cats get along because they don’t appear to fight, but in fact, their cats are silently bullying or being bullied.

  264.SLEEP STRATEGIES

  Some owners say their cats aren’t stressed because they sleep all day. In fact, some cats will actually pretend to be asleep to avoid conflict.

  265.LONG-TERM STRESS

  Being stressed over a long term can cause bladder disease, gut signs like diarrhea, over-grooming, and coat changes. Some people call these cats “Pandora cats” because they can display a multitude of signs caused by stress.

  266.EARLY DAYS

  The environment your kitten is raised in can affect its whole life. Stress at an early age can make cats more susceptible to lifelong issues. We now know that a stressed mother’s hormones can even affect a kitten in the womb!

  267.SOCIAL GROUPS

  Some cats will live together in the same social group. These cats will groom each other, rub against each other in greeting, and sleep cuddled up together. If your cats don’t do this, they are probably not friends!

  268.A HARD STARE

  You may have a cat that sits near the food and stares at another cat. Even this kind of presence can be enough to stop a cat from getting to food or to a litter box. Just because a cat doesn’t hiss and spit doesn’t mean it isn’t fighting.

  269.LOOK AGAIN

  Observe your cats with this new information. If they are in the same room, do they avoid eye contact and look in different directions? If they sit with you while you watch TV, are they always on opposite ends of the sofa? You might be amazed at what you’ve missed.

  270.BLADDER PROBLEMS

  When stress causes bladder changes, inflammation, high urine pH, and cystitis, cats can get crystals in the urine and sometimes stones. Male cats can easily get a blocked urethra and stop being able to pass urine. This is an emergency.

  271.SURGERY

  Cats that get blocked can go into kidney failure very quickly. Many cats will need surgery, hospitalization, and intensive care to nurse them through a blockage.

  272.DIET

  Diets that lower the urine pH have reduced protein and minerals to reduce the chance of crystals forming, and have fatty acids added to help inflammation. These diets can make a big difference to cats with these kinds of issues and can help prevent recurrence.

  273.WATER, WATER, WATER!

  Increased water intake is essential for stressed cats. Feed wet food if you can, and add water to it. Look into drinking fountains, and have several water bowls around the house. Anything you can do to encourage drinking will definitely help.

  274.FREQUENT URINATION

  The water going into a cat is important, but urine coming out is, too. Cats are great at holding it in. Offer litter boxes and access to the outside, if you can, to encourage frequent urination. This helps avoid urine stagnating in the bladder and crystals coming together to make stones.

  275.EXTRA RESOURCES

  Diet and extra water help, but if you don’t tackle the stress in the house, your cats may have repeated problems. You should have more resources than cats. There should be one more litter box, feeder, water dish, and bed than you have cats. The items need to be all around the house, so your cats can access these precious things without conflict with other cats.

  276.SHELVES AND LEDGES

  Cats will be much happier if they can avoid contact with each other. If you have narrow passages that your cats travel along, think about providing furniture, shelves, and ledges so that one can go high while the other passes along the floor.

  277.QUIET TIME

  Think about places your cats can go if they want to be alone. You can even put microchip-reading cat flaps in internal doors so that a bullied cat is the only one with access to a certain room.

  278.PHEROMONES

  You can get pheromone sprays and plug-ins that make a huge difference to many cats. The pheromones mimic those of the mother or of territory marking and make the cats feel safer and more content. Don’t worry, you won’t be able to smell them!

  279.SINGLE STRESSED CATS

  Some cats that live alone get bullied or worried by cats outside. Think about installing a microchip-reading cat flap so that no other cats can get in to bully yours.

  280.ROOM WITH A VIEW

  Think about covering windows if your cat is feeling threatened by cats that can be seen outside.

  281.CAT FENCES

  Having access to the outside might be difficult where you are, but cat fences can really help. You can have a safe haven that your cat can’t get out of, but that other cats can’t get into either.

  282.NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET

  Sadly, some cats simply can’t tolerate life in a multi-
cat house. You may sometimes need to consider rehoming cats. This may break your heart, but it can transform the lives of one and possibly many cats.

  COMMON POISONS

  283.CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT

  There’s a common saying about cats and curiosity. Cats are very inquisitive creatures and will get into trouble sometimes. Kittens are even more likely to try to go where they are not allowed. They can also squeeze into very small spaces.

  284.AT RISK

  Cats are certainly less likely than dogs to eat anything and everything, but this doesn’t mean they are free from poisoning opportunities. Every year, hundreds of cats are accidentally poisoned, and sadly, many die.

  285.ABSORBING POISONS

  Cats will eat and drink odd things that you may not expect. They can also absorb some poisons through the skin. Cats are fanatically clean. They commonly get poisoned as they groom substances off their coats and then accidentally swallow the substances.

  286.LETHAL LILIES

  Lilies are extremely poisonous to cats, and even a leaf can be deadly if eaten. Cats can also become ill if they groom pollen off their fur. Lilies cause rapid kidney damage, which can be irreversible and fatal in some cases. Be very careful about houseplants and cut flowers.

  287.HOUSE AND GARDEN CHEMICALS

  Cats are commonly poisoned or scalded by detergents, such as bleach, washing powders, and so on. Creosote is also a big problem. Antifreeze tastes nice to cats and will be lapped up if spilled. Keep chemicals locked away, and clean up spills.

  288.HUMAN PAINKILLERS

  Human painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin can cause kidney failure and gastric ulcers in cats, but paracetamol is absolutely lethal. One tablet can kill a cat through liver failure. Never use these medications on your cat, and keep them out of reach.

  289.OTHER HUMAN DRUGS

  Any human drugs could cause problems if eaten in large amounts. Some antidepressants are quite tasty to cats, and overdoses can cause vomiting, tremors, and diarrhea. Keep all medicines out of reach.

  290.SPOT-ON FLEA TREATMENTS

  Permethrin is a chemical found in lots of over-the-counter flea treatments for dogs. This is a big problem, because it’s not uncommon for the treatments to get incorrectly used on cats or to find their way to cats through grooming practices. These products cause salivation, tremors, and seizures in cats, and they kill many cats every year.

  291.RODENTICIDES

  Cats will sometimes eat poisons meant for rats and mice, but more commonly, cats end up being poisoned by eating dying rats or mice that have taken these poisons. Most poisons for rodents cause blood-clotting problems.

  292.OTHER PESTICIDES

  Your cat can accidentally eat slug, snail, and ant killers. It’s much more difficult to keep cats away from certain areas than you might think. Always make sure whatever bait you use for pests is pet-friendly.

  293.ANIMALS

  Depending on where you live in the world, your cat may catch or come into contact with poisonous animals, either through bites or stings. Try to know what your local wildlife is capable of and what signs to look out for.

  294.COMMON SIGNS

  Different poisons cause different signs, but many cause one or more of the following: vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, fits or tremors, salivation, excessive thirst or urination, drunken appearance, and abnormally fast breathing.

  295.GO, GO, GO!

  If you have ANY doubt in your mind that your cat has been poisoned, go straight to your vet, day or night. Many poisons have no antidote, but early supportive therapy can get many cats through the ordeal. Always take the potential poison with you, as this will help your vet enormously.

  SUPER SENIORS

  SENIOR CONSIDERATIONS

  296.GROOMING

  As cats age, they tend to get a bit stiffer, just like humans. This makes it more difficult for cats to groom, to reach those far-flung places, and to stay clean. You might need to help cats more as they age.

  297.ARTHRITIS

  A lifetime of jumping and climbing can take its toll on joints, and many older cats will have a little arthritis. You may need to put steps or furniture in place to help them reach their favorite eating or sleeping places.

  298.LITTER BOXES

  Older cats may not want to go outside to relieve themselves, so think about providing litter boxes if you haven’t before. If you have boxes, you may find your older cats would prefer lower sides or softer sand, to make it more comfortable for them.

  299.TEETH

  Unless you’ve been very diligent and cleaned your cat’s teeth for life, there’s a good chance the cat’s dental state will get worse. Talk to your vet about kibbles that can reduce plaque and tartar buildup.

  300.ORAL HYGIENE

  Your vet may recommend a clean and polish, and possibly extractions. Listen to this advice. Many animals suffer from gum pain and infections without showing obvious signs, and you often notice a new spring in their stride once their mouths are pristine again.

  301.NAILS

  Cats virtually never need their nails clipped because they are very good at keeping them conditioned through scratching. As cats get very old, they scratch less often and less vigorously. Their nails can get thick and even grow into their pads. Keep an eye out for overgrowth.

  302.SCRATCHING

  Older cats with arthritis sometimes find it more uncomfortable to scratch on vertical scratch posts, because of the position they have to hold. Try offering horizontal areas for scratching instead.

  303.BLOOD PRESSURE

  Cats can get high blood pressure. This is rarely for unknown reasons and is more commonly because of other concurrent diseases. High blood pressure can cause blindness, renal failure, and heart damage. Your vet may include blood-pressure checks in senior screening.

  KIDNEY DISEASE

  304.COMMON PROBLEM

  Kidney disease is one of the most common health problems in older cats. Too often, you won’t see signs of disease until the majority of kidney function is lost, because the kidneys have a great deal of reserve.

  305.SIGNS

  The most common signs of kidney disease are drinking and urinating more than normal, and weight loss. In the later stages you may notice very smelly breath because of the toxins in the blood.

  306.TOXINS

  The kidneys are a major organ for excreting toxins and the breakdown products of food. When they stop working, these things build up in the blood and make the cat feel ill.

  307.ANEMIA

  The kidneys are also involved in the making of red blood cells. Cats with chronic kidney disease can become anemic when this function stops working well.

  308.BLADDER INFECTIONS

  Cats are descended from desert cats, and as a result, their kidneys are excellent at preserving water. Their urine tends to be very concentrated. As the kidneys get damaged, the urine becomes more dilute, and the cats can be prone to bladder infections.

  309.STONES

  Cats with kidney disease are more likely to get calcium oxalate bladder and kidney stones. This is because the kidneys lose calcium into the urine, and this forms the building blocks for stones.

  310.SPECIAL DIET

  Changing to a kidney diet is proven to prolong life in cats with kidney disease. These diets have, among other things, lowered protein and phosphorous. This reduces the workload on the kidneys and slows down the disease.

  311.MEDICATION

  There are several different medications your vet may recommend for helping with kidney disease. Luckily, these days many of these medicines are much easier to give than they used to be!

  312.OUTLOOK

  With the right diet and support, many cats can live for years after they’ve been diagnosed with kidney disease.

  THYROID DISEASE

  313.WHAT DOES THE THYROID DO?

  A cat has two distinct thyroid glands that sit on either side of the windpipe, midway down its neck. They are usually small but very powerful. The hormon
e they produce controls metabolism and affects heart rate.

  314.OVERACTIVE THYROID

  When cats become hyperthyroid, it is usually because of a benign tumor that grows in the cells of the thyroid that produce the hormone. The glands produce more and more hormone, and the body works faster and faster.

  315.THE LOW DOWN

  Although hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid) is common in cats—having an under active thyroid is practically unheard of. The exact opposite is true in dogs.

  316.SIGNS

  Signs of thyroid disease relate to what the thyroid hormone does. Most cats lose weight, despite being ravenously hungry all the time. They can become grumpy or aggressive, their hearts race, they find it hard to settle down and sleep, and they can pace about as if they don’t know what to do with themselves.

  317.BLOOD DIAGNOSIS

  Your vet may be pretty sure what is going on, based on the signs your cat is showing. In addition, your vet may be able to feel a goiter, which is the enlarged gland. The final diagnosis is usually made with a blood test that looks at the hormone level.

  318.DON’T IGNORE!

  It’s not safe to leave a cat untreated. An overactive thyroid can lead to high blood pressure, blindness, heart failure, and uncontrolled weight loss.

  319.TREATMENTS

  There are four main ways to treat an overactive thyroid. All the options have pros and cons. Your vet will try to pick the one that best suits you and your cat, but make sure that you understand all your options.