Cat Medical

1. Watch your cat closely. Become familiar with his normal habits and patterns of activity. The slightest variation may indicate the beginning of illness or disease.

2. Learn to monitor your cat's heart rate and respiratory rate and to take his temperature. Normal is 101.5 degrees F.

3. Listen to his chest with a stethoscope placed on his rib cage, behind the front leg, noting his normal resting heart rate of 100 to 200 beats per minute.

4. Observe his normal respiration at rest: 20 to 60 breaths per minute. Cats rarely pant unless they are in extreme heat, overly excited, unduly stressed or in pain.

5. Groom him daily (cats love this), checking for masses, swellings and sensitive areas.

6. Take note if your cat refuses food or water, is lethargic or seems reluctant to play. These are often the first symptoms of illness. Sick cats become dehydrated quickly, so a prompt response is essential.

7. Take your cat's temperature if he seems listless. Even the slightest elevation in temperature can account for a change in behavior.

8. Call your vet for advice if you notice symptoms such as sneezing, runny eyes or nose or labored breathing, which can indicate a respiratory illness.

9. Be alert to coughing or hacking. These symptoms could mean just a hairball, but if they persist, call your vet.

10. Know that straining to urinate, especially in male cats, is considered a sign of urinary-tract obstruction. Get medical help immediately, as this can be life-threatening. This is often accompanied by deep vocalization or howling and licking at the genital area.

11. Be aware that violent retching, attempting to vomit or unusual panting are symptoms of serious illness or pain in cats, so call your vet right away.

12. Call your vet as soon as you think your cat is sick. Delaying the call often leads to greater risk for the cat, prolonged recovery and increased expense.

Cats

Have your kitten examined by a vet to ensure that it has no major health problems. Your kitten will need a series of vaccinations. Vaccinations are usually given at 3 week intervals from approximately 6 to 15 weeks of age. At 15-16 weeks old, the kitten can receive its rabies vaccination. Kittens should be checked for intestinal parasites (2 stool samples 3 weeks apart), fleas, and ear mites and appropriate medications given for these problems. Your vet may also recommend a preventative for heartworm disease, which is more commonly associated with dogs, but can also affect cats. These are general guidelines. Remember, your kitten is an individual and need for specific vaccinations, timing of boosters, and risk factors for disease are best assessed by your vet.

The decision to breed a cat is not one to be taken lightly. Thousands of cats are euthanized each year simply because there aren't enough homes for them. If you don't plan to breed your cat as an adult, spay or neuter your kitten. Spaying and neutering decrease incidence of some tumors and reproductive infections, both of which require more serious (and costly) surgical procedures. A male cat must be neutered if it will be a housepet because the strong urine odor of unneutered males will make your cat an unacceptable housemate. Discuss with your vet the most appropriate time to spay or neuter your kitten.