Category: General Articles

A Startled Ball of Fur

Something was moving down in the tall river grass of the jungle. I looked at Pedro, but his wrinkled face showed he knew no more than I. Again those tasseled tops of grass waved curiously, but the brooding stillness of the Mexican jungle remained unbroken. Expectantly we waited. It might have been many things. It might have been wild pig; those fierce little fearless devils that once had kept me perched in a mahogany tree throughout a long, sunny afternoon. Or it might have been alligator, or tapir, or even one of those half pygmy people of the poisoned darts. And since in jungle wisdom the unknown lies always close to the realm of danger, we kept very still behind our screen of low bamboo. And now all movement had ceased, and suddenly a cry, a kitten’s cry, thin and wailing, rose to our biding place.

Downstream a lurking alligator heard and cruised hopefully toward us as again, plaintive and despairing, came that whimpering cry. In two strides I was beside the riverbank and looking down upon a small, spotted face, from which two blue eyes blazed up in mingled fear and defiance. Behind me came Pedro’s grunt of surprise. “Tigritol A jaguar kitten!” Then he looked about in quick misgiving. “A poor place to meet the mother, senor.” But I was watching that startled ball of fur and life at my feet. He couldn’t have been more than two months old, perhaps less.

Watching me narrowly, he tried to draw back his lips and snarl and look very fierce, but he wasn’t quite equal to it, and finally, giving it up, he sank back on his haunches. I knelt beside him and held out my hand, but he raised a diminutive soft paw to tell me he was not to be trifled with. Very slowly I moved my hand nearer, and after a time his gesture of defiance faltered. Instead a look of interest crept into his eyes, and the bewhiskered nostrils twitched. Now he took a step forward, another step, and at last I felt his cold, wet nose touch my palm. Then a rough, red tongue emerged and scratched eagerly over my hand and along my wrist. It was tempting to accept this as a gesture of friendship, but I knew it was the taste of salt that drew him, probably the first this kitten had ever known, for he was still too young to have tasted blood.

For a time we watched each other, then very slowly I reached forward with my other hand and lifted him from the ground. He gave a faint hiss of fear, and I felt his claws close over my arm, but beyond that he made no move, and in another moment I was carrying him back toward camp. Disconsolately the alligator returned to his nap downstream. All the way back I could hear Pedro grumbling. What would the senor be doing with a jaguar kitten?…

Deafness in Cats

The ears of cats are sensitive and delicate; as such, they are prone to being damaged or infected, sometimes leading to deafness. Cats can also be deaf right from birth through a genetic defect. Deafness in cats isn’t terribly common of course, but it is more common in blue eyed, white haired cats. Cats can be deaf in one ear or in both ears and your cat has to be tested in order to check for deafness and how prevalent it is. There are two forms of deafness in cats: conduction and neurologic.

Conduction

Deafness through conduction is caused by things like wax build up, infections and damage done to the delicate membranes in the ears. Conduction deafness usually comes about if the cat’s ears aren’t cleaned routinely, they come into contact with a lot of bacteria, which is transferred to the ears or if your cat gets sick and has a lingering infection in the ears.

Conduction deafness is, for the most part, temporary. The best way to deal with it is to clean out the ears and apply any antibiotics needed for any infections. Letting it go for too long though will result in damage that will be more long term and permanent, so make sure to keep your pet’s ears clean!

Neurologic

Neurologic deafness is more serious and long term. This form of deafness is caused by damage done in the sensitive parts of the ear, as an example, the cochlea or abnormalities found anywhere from the ear to the brain. This form of deafness can be inherited and is also caused by things like toxicity or simple old age. Neurological deafness cannot be cured or reversed and though hearing aids can help, most cats don’t want anything to do with them, so they simply put up with the deafness instead.

Diagnosing a Deaf Cat

There are a number of signs you’ll get that something is amiss with your cat’s hearing. The most obvious way is that your cat won’t respond to you when you call his or her name, but since some cats live to ignore you, this is not the best test used to determine deafness. Other ways to tell if something is awry is if your cat is sleeping more than usual, your cat not responding to a noise in another room, or shaking and pawing at ears in discomfort. These are all good indications that something is wrong with your cat’s ears.

Living with a Deaf Cat

If your cat is diagnosed with deafness, either in one ear or both of them, then your pet’s life need not be over; you just have to take special care of your furry friend. Make sure to carefully supervise any outdoor excursions of your cat because the slightest thing can cause injury to him or her. Also make sure to keep your cat’s ears clean no matter what the cause of deafness was because a build up of wax and toxins will make your cat even more uncomfortable and irritated. Finally, make sure to apply any antibiotics as needed.

Deafness in your cat need not be the end of the world for your pet. In fact, it takes little more than a lifestyle adjustment for your pet and for yourself. With some care and attention, your cat can go right back to living the life it always lived, deaf or not. As with anything, when you’ve got a chronic illness on your hands, it’s recommended that you maintain a good relationship with your Vet. New therapies are developed all the time for pets and your Vet can continue to advise you as your cat advances in age.…

About Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is not a well understood disease. It’s believed Feline Enteric Coronavirus (FECV) – (Felin Coronavirus FeCoV) mutates within the cat into Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus.

FECV infection – especially in multi-cat environments – is common but most infected cats don’t develop FIP. FIP shows a strong preference for immune weakened cats – kittens under 2 years, cats 12 years and older and cats who are immune compromised.

Technically speaking, Peritonitis is an infection of the abdomen – the peritoneal cavity. FIP actually can affect all body systems, tho it’s often recognized first (and most visibly) as fluid accumulation in the abdomen.

There are two forms of FIP:1. Wet – “effusive” – results from fluid in the chest and abdomen. If in the chest, the cat will have difficulty breathing. If in the abdomen, the cat will develop a “pot belly”.

2. Dry effects the same organs at wet, but without fluid accumulation. Dry is the more common form.

It takes about two weeks for the FIP virus to become widespread. Cats generally become symptomatic within two months following and often don’t live a year.

Symptoms include:- Fever- Vomiting- Diarrhea- Loss of appetite and weight loss- Anemia- Conjunctivitis- Jaundiced- Weakness- Seizures- Kidney failure- Liver failure

Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis is difficult. There are a number of different test but no single test gives a definitive result. Vets will often use a combination of tests as well as clinical signs and symptoms.

There is no cure for FIP. Treatment is for supportive care and discomfort.

Prevention

The only sure prevention is lack of contact with infected cats. Since infection alone is no guarantee FIP will develop, keeping your cats immune system strong is the best defense. Good nutrition and limited stress are immune supportive. This is especially true for kittens and seniors.

There is a vaccine for FIP but it’s not necessarily beneficial.

A study done at Cornell University showed the vaccine could in fact enhance the disease. There have also been reports of severe reactions to the vaccine. Also, the vaccine does not work with previously infected cats. Since corona virus infection is fairly common, many cats are already infected.

It’s always important to weight the risks and rewards for your individual situation.…

How to Choose The Perfect Ragdoll Kitten For You

Pet owners agree that taking care of an animal is quite a challenging task. One is never aware of this until you have experienced owning a pet. Much like rearing a child, you have to be responsible, nurturing and firm. When you’re looking for the ideal Ragdoll kitten to become your lifelong pet, there are some things to consider. Here are 3 factors that can help you find the ideal Ragdoll kitten for you.

Factor #1 – Your Personality

As a Ragdoll kitten owner, your personality is a factor because it can determine your pet’s reactions, habits and routines. Owning a pet demands interaction and mutual understanding and Ragdolls like owners that are open with their affections. They like to be close to you and will most likely find ways to make themselves endearing. In general, Ragdolls are indoor cats that are fairly docile and affectionate. They love to be petted and cared for. They are a laid-back breed and often mature to have a calm disposition. If you are not comfortable with a pet following you around or one that loves to be in your presence, then you should think of other breeds of cats or animals to have as a pet.

Factor #2 – Your Lifestyle

As a breed, Ragdolls make great housecats. They can live peacefully in your home without much trouble but due to their nature of being friendly and serene, they are not used to being outdoors. Although you can train them for this, most Ragdolls can’t defend themselves well against any attack. Ragdolls like curling up on your lap while you’re reading a book. So if you’re the traveling kind, going in and out of town on a regular basis, you might need to have someone look after your Ragdoll while you’re away because they can’t stand to be left alone for long periods of time.

Factor #3 – Where To Get Ragdoll Kittens

The final factor that you should consider is availability of Ragdoll kittens. You can check out your local animal shelter to see if there is an owner surrendered Ragdoll cat or you can also look up Ragdoll breeders in your area as well as Ragdoll rescues. Knowing where you can get one is important because that’s where you can also gather more information about Ragdoll cats in general. Take your time to research and learn more about Ragdolls before taking home a kitten. Ask questions and get in touch with other Ragdoll owners in your area to hear a first hand experience on how to take care of your own Ragdoll kitten.…

How to Introduce a New Kitten to Your Cat

So you decide your cat is lonely when you are gone all day. You think that you should get another cat so he will have company. Most people believe that cats just automatically get along. But cats are typically very territorial and will his and act in a negative way as soon as you bring that new kitten home.

Many times this invasion will cause fighting, going to the bathroom outside the litter box, the older cat bullying the younger cat and spraying if it is a male cat. This causes causes a lot of tension not only for the cats but the entire household.

The key is the proper introduction of the new kitty into the household.

Do not rush the introductions it will cause resentment on the cat that was there first. Cats are very in tune to changes in the household. Even a loss of a person in the household can bring on an emotional reaction from your cat.

Bring the new kitten in very gently, take your time and keep them separate from each other completely at first, sometime for up to 3 weeks. Give the new kitten a lot of attention but do not let the other cat see you give that attention and always have the door closed. Then each day let them spend a few minutes together 3 or 4 times a day, making sure you supervise this interaction. Gradually increase the time they spend together each day.

If there is hissing or fighting or if it escalates into a chasing and attacking scenario, separate the cats and try again the next day. If the behavior is extreme separate the cats for a couple of days, then try again.

When you start to observe positive interactions between the two cats then you can gradually increase the time they spend together.

Since the cats have been separated for a while and have separate litter boxes already I would continue this for quite a while, maybe even up to 6 months. In some cases you may need to keep two litter boxes forever. For some reason the litter box seems to be a very territorial issue.

Be sure to have one on one time with both cats each day. Sometimes the cite kitten gets all the attention and the older cat is left out, this will just reinforce the resentment and may make the older cat return to his bullying ways.…

What is Rhinotracheitis (FVR) – Feline Herpes Virus?

Rhinotracheitis (FVR) is caused by the feline herpes virus. It’s a common disease in cats worldwide and causes an upper respiratory infection.

The virus is highly contagious and can be cat-to-cat transmitted by nose, eyes and ingestion. In can be indirect contact such as food and water bowls, bedding, etc. Being among other infected cats, crowded conditions, physical or emotional stress can all increase the risk of infection.

In most cases it’s not lethal and tends to pass in two weeks. Immune challenged cats such as young kittens, ill or stressed cats are likely to experience more severe symptoms.

Rhinotracheitis creates respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, nasal discharge, inflammation of the nose (rhinitis), coughing, watery eyes, inflammation of the eyelid lining (conjunctivitis), fever, loss of appetite in part due to diminished smell. In some cases a cat may develop corneal ulcers on the eyes.

Approximately 80% of infected cats will become lifelong carrier of the virus and can become symptomatic numerous times.

Rhinotracheitis can be detected with lab tests, tho, often in milder cases, a Vet may rely on health history and symptomology.

Treatment

As far as treatment, there are a number of options. Your main goal is to keep the eyes and nasal passages clear. For eyes it’s mostly tending to the discharge using a clean cloth. For the nose, a nasal decongestant may be helpful. The easiest treatment (for you and your cat) is to increase the humidity. You can use a humidifier or simply bring the cat in the bathroom with you when you take a hot shower.

Make sure you cat gets enough food and water. This can be challenging since cats rely heavily on smell to get them eating. Since their sense of smell is diminished, you can make their food more “smelly”. So something like tuna. You can sit with and hand feed your cat but force feeding – while getting food in him – creates a lot of stress. You want to reduce stress as much as possible and keep your companion warm and quiet. Antibiotics are sometimes indicated to control secondary infections such as pneumonia. And Antiviral eye ointments or drops may be indicated if there are cornela ulcers. In most cases, the infection will run its course in a week to 10 days.

Prevention

Prevention from infection is a bit difficult since the virus is so common and easily spread. A cat can be infected with the virus and not develop symptoms. Good nutrition and a low stress clean environment lead to a strong immune system.

There is also a vaccine. It does not provide immunity against infection but seems to decrease the incidence and severity of disease. It should be received before any infection. It’s commonly given as a core vaccine – typically the “3-in-1” which includes Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitis and Calici Virus vaccines.…

Ferret Rescue

There are often many reason why ferret rescue is necessary. A ferret can accidentally get lost in the wild, or in a city. When such a thing happens it can be very stressful not only for the pet but for the owner as well. But even more tragic is when someone releases a domesticated ferret deliberately because they don’t want to care for it anymore. They probably think that the ferret is capable of surviving on its own, but this is almost never true.

Attempting To Rescue a Lost Ferret

If you find that your ferret has gone missing from you home, here are some steps to take to try to get it back.

Check everywhere you can think of that it might like to hide – both inside and outside of your home

Call your local ferret rescue agency and pet shelter (giving them a picture would be helpful)

Place an ad in your local newspaper and consider offering a reward for the safe return of your pet

Check with any vets in your area to see if anyone has dropped off a stray or injured ferret

Put up flyers around your neighborhood with a picture of your missing pet and contact information

How to Adopt from a Ferret Rescue Shelter

Most ferret rescue shelters are happy when they can place a rescued ferret with a loving family. But, don’t think that you can just go to a shelter and take one home. You will need to go through an application process to determine if your family and living environment is suitable for a pet ferret.

You will be required to show that you know and understand the basic requirements of ferret ownership and that you have the time and resources available to meet those needs.

Be prepared, also, to pay an adoption fee. Fees can vary widely, but as a rule of thumb you can expect to pay between $75 and $100. Fees are necessary as they help support the shelter in the terrific work they are doing.

Ferret Rescue Agencies and Shelters

There are an amazing number of agencies and shelters committed to ferret rescue. A good resource you might want to check out is The American Ferret Association’s Shelter List and the FML Shelter List in the United States.

You will find several ferret rescue shelters in the UK, Canada, Australia and lots of other countries, too. To find one near you, try an Internet search for “ferret rescue” in your area and you’ll find lots of resources.

Alternately take a look in the Yellow Pages of your local phone book. If they don’t have a section for ferret shelters, then look under “Animal Shelters.”

Surrendering Your Ferret to a Rescue Shelter

Unforeseen circumstances can sometimes force you into having to give up your pet. If you’re not able to find them a suitable home on your own, then you should seriously consider finding a shelter that knows how to care for them and may be able to find them a new home.

Never release a domesticated ferret into the wild. They have been a pet and simply won’t be able to adapt. Doing such a thing will only sentence them to a slow and lonely death.…