|
|
|---|
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Friday, April 16, 2010
How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You
I think all cat owners can identify with this!
thanks Jimmy :)
http://www.catswhothrowupgrass.com/
Posted via web from Four Paws and Whiskers
How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You
I think all cat owners can identify with this!
thanks Jimmy :)
http://www.catswhothrowupgrass.com/
Posted via web from Four Paws and Whiskers
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Fat Cats
I just hope your cat doesn't look like this... one of mine has an eating disorder and could easily get this big!
If you do have an overweight cat at home, please talk to you vet and atrrange a prescription diet to elt it lsoe the weight slowly. There are health risks associated with this problem, particularly diabetes, let alown the fact they can't wash themselves.
However, if overweight cats are suddenly deprived of food, they can get severe liver damage, which can befatal. It is something vets have to take into account when obese cats become ill or injured, and is a big risk for the cat if they get trapped somewhere! Here is a good article about it:
http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/fatty_liver.htm
or here: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+1327&aid=217
I ran a boarding cattery for many years. The sight of these monster cats arriving was always a challenge...the stress of a changed environment often triggers a period of refusing food, and we had to really watch them.
If your cat is ever off its food, for any reason, try these tips to encourage eating:
Warm the food slightly,
Make sure it is strong smelling,
Stroke the cat above the tail and offer small pieces by hand.
Try something different - or just add something like beef stock, sardine oil etc.
It can be anything - the eating is the most important part to keep their nutrient levels up.
Always keep their fluid intake up too. A syringe is ideal but an eye dropper can also help.
Most importantly, talk to your vet - they will need to work ot why it has stopped eating and if the cat is this size shown, it is far more urgent. A well placed feeding tube or assisted feeding method can save their life. There are some great special prescription foods available that offer all they need in a palatable, concentrated form.
Read more here: http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/fatty_liver_2.htm
:)
Fat Cats
I just hope your cat doesn't look like this... one of mine has an eating disorder and could easily get this big!
If you do have an overweight cat at home, please talk to you vet and atrrange a prescription diet to elt it lsoe the weight slowly. There are health risks associated with this problem, particularly diabetes, let alown the fact they can't wash themselves.
However, if overweight cats are suddenly deprived of food, they can get severe liver damage, which can befatal. It is something vets have to take into account when obese cats become ill or injured, and is a big risk for the cat if they get trapped somewhere! Here is a good article about it:
http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/fatty_liver.htm
or here: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+1327&aid=217
I ran a boarding cattery for many years. The sight of these monster cats arriving was always a challenge...the stress of a changed environment often triggers a period of refusing food, and we had to really watch them.
If your cat is ever off its food, for any reason, try these tips to encourage eating:
Warm the food slightly,
Make sure it is strong smelling,
Stroke the cat above the tail and offer small pieces by hand.
Try something different - or just add something like beef stock, sardine oil etc.
It can be anything - the eating is the most important part to keep their nutrient levels up.
Always keep their fluid intake up too. A syringe is ideal but an eye dropper can also help.
Most importantly, talk to your vet - they will need to work ot why it has stopped eating and if the cat is this size shown, it is far more urgent. A well placed feeding tube or assisted feeding method can save their life. There are some great special prescription foods available that offer all they need in a palatable, concentrated form.
Read more here: http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/fatty_liver_2.htm
:)
South China Tiger Cub
All the chat on my comments about cougars recently made me notice this other big cat photo. I wondered why this cub was in an incubator - it looks large and healthy! But there is no story....
So i read a bit more from Dr Google and found they are very rare now, bred mainly in captivity.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia-pacific/7042257.stm
This cub is the first successful case of the group of multiple births due to artificial breeding in this center in four years...
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2010-01/02/content_9256430.htm
Now, on my next post.. I have another cat for you... one we need to avoid!
South China Tiger Cub
All the chat on my comments about cougars recently made me notice this other big cat photo. I wondered why this cub was in an incubator - it looks large and healthy! But there is no story....
So i read a bit more from Dr Google and found they are very rare now, bred mainly in captivity.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia-pacific/7042257.stm
This cub is the first successful case of the group of multiple births due to artificial breeding in this center in four years...
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2010-01/02/content_9256430.htm
Now, on my next post.. I have another cat for you... one we need to avoid!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Holidays.... loving it!
Been quiet on the blogging as been busy with the holidays... but the visitors have, sadly, all gone, so been forced to enjoy alternative activities, particularly today, falling asleep on my new swing chair :) We are left with great memories and a quiet home but it has been a wonderful Xmas and New Year. Not much more to add, but can leave you with a few photos.
Phoebe was her usual happy self....
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
Holidays.... loving it!
Been quiet on the blogging as been busy with the holidays... but the visitors have, sadly, all gone, so been forced to enjoy alternative activities, particularly today, falling asleep on my new swing chair :) We are left with great memories and a quiet home but it has been a wonderful Xmas and New Year. Not much more to add, but can leave you with a few photos.
Phoebe was her usual happy self....
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Dogs have got cats licked
Despite 30 years as a vet and 14 of them running a cattery, I still react badly if I get cat fur in my eyes. Perhaps this is why I see my cats as decorative rather than interactive; excessive stroking leaves fur on my hands.... so I don't handle them as much as I want to - but Bailey can still sleep cuddled close near my head, and I cope.
Shall I start on the vacuuming and hassles associated with keeping ahead of the fur mountain these all create?
Or all the costs?
I do feel sad that these might be the last dogs I own.. the thought of not being tied to kennels and walks and worries about leaving them for too long may mean I do not get another dog.. but then I think perhaps a small, maybe even a non-shedding dog, that can come with me everywhere, even to work, might be tempting. Perhaps I could do a Paris Hilton handbag job!
My friend is buying a Burmilla, which is the cat you can see in this picture. They look beautiful, and I am very tempted by them. More realistically, perhaps I need a hairless Sphynx cat... swap brushing for bathing and get more interactive. Maybe this would even replace the need for a dog in my life? One of my students brings her Sphynx up to polytech on a lead...
So, now, are you a cat person or a dog person...or both?
Dogs have got cats licked
Despite 30 years as a vet and 14 of them running a cattery, I still react badly if I get cat fur in my eyes. Perhaps this is why I see my cats as decorative rather than interactive; excessive stroking leaves fur on my hands.... so I don't handle them as much as I want to - but Bailey can still sleep cuddled close near my head, and I cope.
Shall I start on the vacuuming and hassles associated with keeping ahead of the fur mountain these all create?
Or all the costs?
I do feel sad that these might be the last dogs I own.. the thought of not being tied to kennels and walks and worries about leaving them for too long may mean I do not get another dog.. but then I think perhaps a small, maybe even a non-shedding dog, that can come with me everywhere, even to work, might be tempting. Perhaps I could do a Paris Hilton handbag job!
My friend is buying a Burmilla, which is the cat you can see in this picture. They look beautiful, and I am very tempted by them. More realistically, perhaps I need a hairless Sphynx cat... swap brushing for bathing and get more interactive. Maybe this would even replace the need for a dog in my life? One of my students brings her Sphynx up to polytech on a lead...
So, now, are you a cat person or a dog person...or both?
Monday, November 9, 2009
New Zealand's Oldest Cat
This lovely cat, Smokey, that reminds me of my own cat, Motley, is apparently 24 years and 9 months old, verified by vet records. That is equivalent to 111 human years and he has been confirmed as the oldest cat here in a recent competition.
So, can anyone overseas beat this?
My own Motley has been adopted by our neighbours.. which means they each get to call him either 'Bronski' or 'Henry', enjoy his company, entertain their visitors, and I get to pay for his food, vaccinations, flea treatments, worm tablets, and recently, because they asked me to do a house call when he was vomiting, his check up, meds and blood tests. In return he gets to wander here whenever he wants to see us, and get called 'Motley' again. However, my partner has now decided he suits the name "Douglas" better. Excuse me if I have problems keeping up!! He is about 15 now - wonder if he will make 24?
And just to let you know, after my recent post on our Guy Fawkes sagas, Saffy is now swallowing pills and sporting an enormous head collar... but her feet look much better.
Jess is braving the dark again...still a little anxious, but coping...
!
New Zealand's Oldest Cat
This lovely cat, Smokey, that reminds me of my own cat, Motley, is apparently 24 years and 9 months old, verified by vet records. That is equivalent to 111 human years and he has been confirmed as the oldest cat here in a recent competition.
So, can anyone overseas beat this?
My own Motley has been adopted by our neighbours.. which means they each get to call him either 'Bronski' or 'Henry', enjoy his company, entertain their visitors, and I get to pay for his food, vaccinations, flea treatments, worm tablets, and recently, because they asked me to do a house call when he was vomiting, his check up, meds and blood tests. In return he gets to wander here whenever he wants to see us, and get called 'Motley' again. However, my partner has now decided he suits the name "Douglas" better. Excuse me if I have problems keeping up!! He is about 15 now - wonder if he will make 24?
And just to let you know, after my recent post on our Guy Fawkes sagas, Saffy is now swallowing pills and sporting an enormous head collar... but her feet look much better.
Jess is braving the dark again...still a little anxious, but coping...
!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Kitten demand outstrips supply
You don't often read that headline... but as thr main kitten season in New Zealand has not been underway long, most of those available at this SPCA are too young yet to go to a new home.
By December there would be an abundance of kittens. "We'll be inundated, so please be patient. It's just a demand and supply issue."
If you are getting a kitten, especially a female one, please be responsible and have it speyed....before it has a litter! They can be operated on very young these days - usually when they reach about 1kg in weight as a rough guide. You don't have to leave it until they are 5-6 months old, but if you do, they are likely to be already pregnant.
Sad but true...
Kitten demand outstrips supply
You don't often read that headline... but as thr main kitten season in New Zealand has not been underway long, most of those available at this SPCA are too young yet to go to a new home.
By December there would be an abundance of kittens. "We'll be inundated, so please be patient. It's just a demand and supply issue."
If you are getting a kitten, especially a female one, please be responsible and have it speyed....before it has a litter! They can be operated on very young these days - usually when they reach about 1kg in weight as a rough guide. You don't have to leave it until they are 5-6 months old, but if you do, they are likely to be already pregnant.
Sad but true...
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Declawing - of cats and tigers and lions... oh my!
The continuing saga of the lions at the northern Lion Park in Whangarei continues. As a vet, I read today's news with some horror... ( as if the recent death of their Head Lion Keeper and strange business dealings aren't enough)..
Big cats featured on The Lion Man hit TV show are suffering after having their paws 'mutilated' so they could perform with their handlers, says the wildlife park troubleshooter now overseeing the animals’ welfare.Some 29 of the 37 lions and tigers at Zion Wildlife Gardens have been declawed - a practice condemned as 'barbaric' by consultant Tim Husband, hired after the fatal mauling of Zion ranger Dalu Mncube in May.and perhaps the saddest part of all for the veterinary profession - it was (surprise, surprise), all about money and increasing the public exposure of the lions for the tourists and television!
"One only needs to watch these animals trying to eat to see how they struggle to grip their meat without having the use of claws to hold it. To my mind it's absolutely barbaric,'' Husband told Sunday News.
The findings of a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry investigation into declawing at Zion is a 12-page report that considers the possibility of charges being laid over the declawing. But the fact most of the controversial operations, from 2000-2008, were supervised by MAF vets was "problematic to any prosecution".
"Front pad declawing was deemed necessary by Zion's principal veterinarian at the time in order to facilitate close interaction with both handlers and veterinarians, and the need for a commercial income stream to be generated by Zion."Claw removal ( Onchyectomy) in cats is one of the issues vets rank with tail docking and debarking in New Zealand. Cropping of dogs' ears is illegal here, but the rest falls in the category where it is encouraged that vets only consider performing these procedures when other measures have failed. In Vetscript, October 2008, the NZ Veterinary Association issued this, apparently specifically in response to the declawing of lions.
"Key drivers" given by the vet - whose name was withheld - behind his declawing of the big cats included "the animals were being used commercially to permit the financial survival of the zoo", and "close contact with handlers and film crews was required and personal safety was an issue".
The Animal Welfare Act 1999 defines declawing as ‘the removal from the foot of a cat by a surgical procedure of the whole or part of one or more claws of the cat’ and categorises this as a ‘restricted surgical procedure’. This means that it can be performed only by a veterinarian or veterinary student supervised by a veterinarian, and that the veterinarian, whether performing the procedure or supervising it, must first satisfy himself or herself that the declawing is in the interests of the animal.
is to be considered contrary to the welfare of large cats.
From The Facts about Declawing
Removal of the last digits of the toes of a cat alters the conformation of their feet and causes them to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes. In my experience on the few I had to do when in practice, they also bleed heavily and there are risks of post operative complications...
Contrary to most people's understanding, declawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus declawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person's finger at the last joint of each finger.
Complications of this amputation can be excruciating pain, damage to the radial nerve, hemorrhage, bone chips that prevent healing, painful regrowth of deformed claw inside of the paw which is not visible to the eye, and chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken.Don't forget, lions and tigers are heavier than domestic cats. They often require further surgery to correct the gait abnormalities and pad damage caused... and then there is the issue of how removing their nails makes it difficult for them to eat meat... with no grip.
This Lion Park recently lost their Head Ranger..sadly he was bitten in the head by one of the tigers while working with him in front of a group of tourists. But when I read this - I have to wonder what impact claw removal might have had on the personality of the tiger - if this is what is reported in domestic ones!
Some cats are so shocked by declawing that their personalities change. Cats who were lively and friendly have become withdrawn and introverted after being declawed. Others, deprived of their primary means of defense, become nervous, fearful, and/or aggressive, often resorting to their only remaining means of defense, their teeth. In some cases, when declawed cats use the litterbox after surgery, their feet are so tender they associate their new pain with the box...permanently, resulting in a life-long adversion to using the litter box. Other declawed cats that can no longer mark with their claws, they mark with urine instead resulting in inappropriate elimination problems, which in many cases, results in relinquishment of the cats to shelters and ultimately euthanasia. Many of the cats surrendered to shelters are surrendered because of behavioral problems which developed after the cats were declawed.and for those of you who own a furniture shredding feline... check out some alternatives, ( good article)
or learn to trim them yourself!
One popular, non-surgical alternative to declawing available through veterinarians is the application of vinyl nail caps (marketed in the US under brand names such as Soft Paws and Soft Claws) that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (usually every four to six weeks, depending on the cat's scratching habits).
Apparenly these have arrived in New Zealand - sigh... they do coloured nail caps...
and I am not commenting as I don't know enough about them - but please, think twice before asking for your cat to be declawed.
Declawing - of cats and tigers and lions... oh my!
The continuing saga of the lions at the northern Lion Park in Whangarei continues. As a vet, I read today's news with some horror... ( as if the recent death of their Head Lion Keeper and strange business dealings aren't enough)..
Big cats featured on The Lion Man hit TV show are suffering after having their paws 'mutilated' so they could perform with their handlers, says the wildlife park troubleshooter now overseeing the animals’ welfare.Some 29 of the 37 lions and tigers at Zion Wildlife Gardens have been declawed - a practice condemned as 'barbaric' by consultant Tim Husband, hired after the fatal mauling of Zion ranger Dalu Mncube in May.and perhaps the saddest part of all for the veterinary profession - it was (surprise, surprise), all about money and increasing the public exposure of the lions for the tourists and television!
"One only needs to watch these animals trying to eat to see how they struggle to grip their meat without having the use of claws to hold it. To my mind it's absolutely barbaric,'' Husband told Sunday News.
The findings of a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry investigation into declawing at Zion is a 12-page report that considers the possibility of charges being laid over the declawing. But the fact most of the controversial operations, from 2000-2008, were supervised by MAF vets was "problematic to any prosecution".
"Front pad declawing was deemed necessary by Zion's principal veterinarian at the time in order to facilitate close interaction with both handlers and veterinarians, and the need for a commercial income stream to be generated by Zion."Claw removal ( Onchyectomy) in cats is one of the issues vets rank with tail docking and debarking in New Zealand. Cropping of dogs' ears is illegal here, but the rest falls in the category where it is encouraged that vets only consider performing these procedures when other measures have failed. In Vetscript, October 2008, the NZ Veterinary Association issued this, apparently specifically in response to the declawing of lions.
"Key drivers" given by the vet - whose name was withheld - behind his declawing of the big cats included "the animals were being used commercially to permit the financial survival of the zoo", and "close contact with handlers and film crews was required and personal safety was an issue".
The Animal Welfare Act 1999 defines declawing as ‘the removal from the foot of a cat by a surgical procedure of the whole or part of one or more claws of the cat’ and categorises this as a ‘restricted surgical procedure’. This means that it can be performed only by a veterinarian or veterinary student supervised by a veterinarian, and that the veterinarian, whether performing the procedure or supervising it, must first satisfy himself or herself that the declawing is in the interests of the animal.
is to be considered contrary to the welfare of large cats.
From The Facts about Declawing
Removal of the last digits of the toes of a cat alters the conformation of their feet and causes them to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes. In my experience on the few I had to do when in practice, they also bleed heavily and there are risks of post operative complications...
Contrary to most people's understanding, declawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus declawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person's finger at the last joint of each finger.
Complications of this amputation can be excruciating pain, damage to the radial nerve, hemorrhage, bone chips that prevent healing, painful regrowth of deformed claw inside of the paw which is not visible to the eye, and chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken.Don't forget, lions and tigers are heavier than domestic cats. They often require further surgery to correct the gait abnormalities and pad damage caused... and then there is the issue of how removing their nails makes it difficult for them to eat meat... with no grip.
This Lion Park recently lost their Head Ranger..sadly he was bitten in the head by one of the tigers while working with him in front of a group of tourists. But when I read this - I have to wonder what impact claw removal might have had on the personality of the tiger - if this is what is reported in domestic ones!
Some cats are so shocked by declawing that their personalities change. Cats who were lively and friendly have become withdrawn and introverted after being declawed. Others, deprived of their primary means of defense, become nervous, fearful, and/or aggressive, often resorting to their only remaining means of defense, their teeth. In some cases, when declawed cats use the litterbox after surgery, their feet are so tender they associate their new pain with the box...permanently, resulting in a life-long adversion to using the litter box. Other declawed cats that can no longer mark with their claws, they mark with urine instead resulting in inappropriate elimination problems, which in many cases, results in relinquishment of the cats to shelters and ultimately euthanasia. Many of the cats surrendered to shelters are surrendered because of behavioral problems which developed after the cats were declawed.and for those of you who own a furniture shredding feline... check out some alternatives, ( good article)
or learn to trim them yourself!
One popular, non-surgical alternative to declawing available through veterinarians is the application of vinyl nail caps (marketed in the US under brand names such as Soft Paws and Soft Claws) that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (usually every four to six weeks, depending on the cat's scratching habits).
Apparenly these have arrived in New Zealand - sigh... they do coloured nail caps...
and I am not commenting as I don't know enough about them - but please, think twice before asking for your cat to be declawed.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Two faced cats and other conjoined animals
Every now and then we see reports of animals born with extra legs or heads... generally they are the parasitic remains of what would have been a twin, where the egg fails to divide cleanly, or the foetuses become merged in some way...Most of them die, but some of them do live.. adapting to having two heads or six legs or parasitic parts...
They have two mouths, two noses and two working eyes. "He" does have a third eye in the middle, but it is non-functional.
If you like this sort of thing - you can read more at Feline Medical Curiosities - Conjoined Kittens - or check out Feline Medical Curiosities- Facial Deformities
