lecture Flashcards
role of cats (5)
- pet
- rodent control
- showing - pedigrees
- commodity - breeding
- strays
3 ways they may maintain/mark territory
- rubbing
- spraying
- claws
attitudes towards conflict and stress
prefer to avoid conflict
very good at hiding stress
socialisation period in cats:
2-7/8 wks
(dogs = later and longer - 5-16wks)
what is the socialisation period?
- defining normal
- good and bad experiences which will impact cat’s behaviour and outlook
- likely to be fearful of new experiences
- broader range and greater no of experiences during this period = more adaptable cat as adult (all situations)
categories that are a part of socialisation period for cats:
Gentle handling – holding, stroking; ears/paws/nails/mouth, grooming, in carrier, in car
People - different ages + genders
Other pets
Surfaces – carpet etc.
Sounds – household
Scents – household
Litter – diff types
Food – assortment of flavours/types e.g. kibble and pouch
Scratching post – diff types
Toys – diff types
Outdoor environment – variation: grass/concrete/cars etc.
key behavioural characteristics: 3
- territorial
- predator (innate hunters - obligate carnivores)
- prey instinct? (natural fear of unknown, run away + up high to escape danger, aggression as last resort - not good survival tactic)
factors that influence sociability of cats:
- genetics
- kitten soc.
- social mature yet? (1.5-4yrs)
- prev experiences
- relatedness
- see each other as in same soc. group
indicators of being in same soc. group: 4
- mutual grooming (allogrooming)
- mutual rubbing (allorubbing)
- sleeping together touching
- communal nursing of young (feral cats)
cats and soc groups: points to note (3)
- same family ≠ same soc group
- NOT hissing/fighting ≠ enjoy spending time together
- WILL tolerate each other for a valued resource (e.g. sleep spot - on same bed but not together)
cat handling - 3 things to do:
- work from behind/side
- calm with rubbing/stroking
- invite to approach you (as opposed to other way around)
what if a cat has had enough/has become aggressive and unable to handle?
- dark quiet place to calm down, at least 30mins
- give up and try another day (with medication prior e.g. gabapentin – THINK OF KIKI teehee)
zoonotic disease transmission from cats (5 types)
- bites and scratches
- fleas/flea dirt
- ringworm
- toxoplasmosis
- roundworms
one thing you can assess by looking at cat whilst still in carrier:
resp. rate and pattern (NOT HEART - YOU CANNOT SEE THIS)
CLINICAL EXAMINATION: looking at…
Head to toe
Facial symmetry
Ear, nose and throat
Eyes
Open mouth
Neck
Anterior chest spring
Abdominal contents
Legs
Claws
Coat
Tail
Sex
Anus & genitals
Auscultate (stethoscope to listen to organs)
Respiratory rate
Palpate pulses
temp:
36.7 - 38.9 °C
(THESE are the most up to date values from SVMS so ignore others)
heart rate:
110-180 bpm
resp. rate:
20-30 breaths/min
handling during exam: 3 things that will serve you well
- LESS IS MORE
- 4 ON THE FLOOR (PAWS)
- LITTLE AND OFTEN (contact/handling?)
5 ROUTES of medicine administration (not sites):
- topical
- oral
- subcutaneous
- intramuscular
- intravenous
5 SITES of medicine administration (includes routes first so you know which site is for which routes):
- topical - skin (spot on), eyes, ears
- oral - worming tab?
- SC - between shoulders usually, can be anywhere where skin loose enough
- IM - quads, lumbar
- IV - cephalic (front legs), or jugular (?)
3 sites of blood sample collection
- jugular (preferred)
- cephalic (front legs)
- saphenous (back legs)
administering spot on medication:
- Cat’s rear end to your body (cat is facing away)
- One hand in front of shoulders
- Other hand to part fur behind the neck to expose skin
- Use same hand to squeeze liquid onto skin
administering eye medication:
- may need to cleanse eye before
- position cat so you behind/to side
- tilt head back (thumb on top of head and fingers under the chin)
- other hand (with bottle in), place curved little finger on top of head to steady hand
- drops from approx. 1 inch above eye
- do not touch eyeball
- wipe away XS using cotton wool
administering ear medication:
- cleanse ear
- hold ear flap in upright position or fold back (onto head) to expose ear
- medication into the ear canal
- massage outside of ear canal for a minute or so
- allow the cat to shake head
- wipe away dirt/discharge with cotton wool
- wipe nozzle clean + replace lid
administering oral medication: see ON for photo
- place hand across back of skull and hold zygomatic arches with thumb and middle finger
- tip head upwards
- hold the tablet in other hand between thumb and index finger (/pill popper with soft tip)
- middle finger to open mouth by gentle pressure over lower incisor teeth
- place pill as far back in mouth as poss and close mouth
- keep head tilted and stroke cat’s throat to encourage swallow
(licking lips = likely swallowed) - follow with small vol of water/wet food to keep down
SC injections:
- lift skin to create little tent
- restraint normally more trouble than worth (just do it if cat seems calm enough?)
jugular venepuncture: (not step by step moreso points to watch)
- control claws and teeth (nurse - holds paws with one hand, head held up with other) see ON for photo
- may need to drop forepaws off table (try to avoid)
- may need to wrap in towel for effective restraint
IM injections:
- restraint
- where (+why?)
- light restraint via shoulders/towel/blanket
- lumbar muscles (fillet steak)
OR - quadriceps (prefer cranial->caudal NOT lat. - avoid sciatic nerve)
veterinary input to shelter cats:
Clinical examination
Treatment of illness
Blood testing (FeLV & FIV)
Vaccination
Flea/worm treatment
Neuter
Microchip
Dentals
Infectious disease management (e.g. ringworm)
Euthanasia
are most tortoiseshell and calico cats male or female?
FEMALE (see ON for why)
why is breed important?
- What is ‘normal’? (e.h. physical ch.)
- Management (?)
- Congenital/genetic diseases (predisposition
3 +’ves of grooming:
- Reduces hairballs
- Improve skin and hair quality
- Owner/cat bonding
6 common pedigree shorthaired breeds:
Siamese
Burmese
British Shorthairs
Rex
Abyssinian
Bengal
4 common pedigree longhaired breeds:
Persian
Birman
Maine Coon
Ragdoll
Choosing a cat - factors to consider?
Pedigree vs non-pedigree
Longhair vs shorthair
Male vs Female
Adult vs kitten
How many?
Where from? (socialisation)
Single person/couple/family
Working vs non-working
Location/environment
Size of home
Other pets
Financial status
how many litter trays?
one per cat PLUS 1 (AT LEAST)
ideal feature for a collar:
- QUICK RELEASE!!!
define obligatory carnivores:
obligatory carnivores (essential components only found in food of animal origin)
DIET: essentials
- amino acids - taurine + arginine
- vitamins - A+D
- essential fatty acids (EFAs) - linoleic + arachidonic
diet: important point to note!
- highly protein dependent
- high and constant rate of protein metabolism
- quickly go anorexic/into stage of deficiency
- particularly important in sick cat (48 hours max in a cat not eating before big metabolic changes occur)
bowl size - why it matters
whisker fatigue
type of diet may depend on: (2)
- life stage
- medical condition
types of prescription diet (3):
Weight control
Dental
Therapeutic (kidney disease/bladder stones etc.)
overweight vs obese:
Overweight up to 20% above ideal weight
Obese is >20% above ideal weight
obesity: ^ risk IF (4)
Indoor cat
Male cat
Middle-age
Owner also obese
obesity: ^ risk OF (4)
Diabetes (Type II)
Arthritis
Hepatic Lipidosis
Urinary tract disease
mistakes in cat diet:
Vitamin A toxicity (high liver diet)
Vegetarian diet
Human products – onions - toxic
Cow’s milk – become lactose intolerant
Overfeeding
bowls in vet practice (point to note)
do NOT swap between cats (also applies to litter trays)
2 functions of scratching:
- nail conditioning
- scent marking (territory)
vertical scratch posts: point to note
height and strength of post should allow cat to fully stretch against
CATNIP: scientific name and name of component responsible for effects
Nepeta cataria
nepetalactone
(do we actually need to know??)
common illnesses/causes of injury:
- cat flu
- dental disease
- cat bite abscess (CBA)
- RTA
- FELINE LOWER URINARY TRACT DISEASE
- hyperthyroidism
- chronic kidney disease
- toxins (e.g. onions)
cat flu symptoms
-Rhinitis and nasal discharge
- Conjunctivitis and ocular discharge
- Sneezing
- Fever
- Caused by a variety of bacterial and viral pathogens but NOT INFLUENZA!!!!
dental disease symptoms:
- Halitosis
- Hypersalivation
- Inability to eat/pain when eating
- Tartar
- Gingivitis
- Fractured or missing teeth
feline lower urinary tract disease symptoms:
- Frequent urination of small volume (or none)
- Blood in urine
- Pain on urination
- Urinating in wrong place
- Repeated licking of perineum
- Repeated episodes
- If completely unable to urinate, quickly life threatening
- Associated w stress
hyperthyroid symptoms:
- Older cat
- Goitre
- Thin
- Polyphagic
- Altered behaviour
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
chronic kidney disease:
- Kidneys no longer able to excrete nitrogenous waste from the body
- Electrolyte and acid/base imbalance
- Older cat
- Thin
- Polyuric/polydipsic
- Inappetant
- Vomiting
5 types of preventative healthcare: (think routine procedures)
- vacc
- flea treatment
- worming
- neutering
- microchipping
most common vaccines given:
Cat ‘flu’ – mainly viral
Feline herpesvirus (FHV)
Feline calicivirus (FCV)
Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), aka enteritis/Feline Parvo virus/
Feline Leukaemia virus (FeLV)
vaccination - when?
Start at 8-9 weeks of age
Kitten course – 2 injections 3-4 weeks apart
First annual booster is important (i.e. at 15 months)
Followed by annual vaccination
fleas can carry…
tapeworm
microchipping
- Injected under the loose skin around the neck near the area of the shoulder blades
- Databases of owner and vet details
- NOW LEGAL REQUIREMENT (JUNE 2024)
REPRODUCTION: general info
Seasonally polyoestrus
Induced ovulators
Cycle is ~ every 2-3 weeks
Oestrus lasts 7-10 days
Oestrus can be very obvious – behaviour can be bizarre!!
Inexperienced owners can call as an emergency
“my 5 month old female cat is in pain – she’s rolling on the floor yowling!”
Puberty/Sexual maturity – from 4 months of age
Pregnancy is ~63 days (61-70d)
Parturition is generally uneventful for most queens
gestation
around 63 days
do cats need to be sexually mature before neutering?
NO
