Basic Feline Medical Information
Feline Normal Values:
Normal Temperature range - 100.0 to 102.5
Average weight range - 6 to 14 lbs
Heart rate - up to 250 beats per minute
Pulse rate - 110 to 130
Respiration - 20 to 30
Gestation - 62 days give or take a few days
Estrous Cycle - as often as every 15 to 21 days
Estrus - 2-4 days
Average lifespan - 10 to 18 years
Comments about Spaying, Castration, and Declawing:
Please go to our page about surgery
Cats that are just not feeling well:
Just not feeling well is a common complaint in cats and naturally the problem might be minor or catastrophic, but here's what to expect if you bring in a feline patient for just not feeling well.
The first step is narrowing the problem down and a good vet can often get a pretty good idea with just a pertinent history and a hands on exam. What's important in the history is age, sex, recent heat or pregnant?, duration of the problem, and obvious observations such as diarrhea, no stool, gagging, vomiting, not eating, straining to urinate, not using the litter box, limping, energy level and so on.
During the exam, we will be listening to heart and lungs, looking closely at the mouth, eye, gums and ears, and feeling the lower abdomen, bladder, and lymph nodes. We will get a temperature, palpate the spine, go over the joints ,and ask a lot of questions. Usually this will allow us to get a good idea whether the problem is respiratory, abdominal, urinary, neural, a bite wound abscess, a suspected hair ball, parasites, a tooth or ear infection, a suspected poisoning, or any number of other things that can go wrong.
If the problem is pretty obvious on exam...say a bite wound abscess with high fever or a hair ball clogging up the lower bowel without tell tale gagging (both these problems are very common without the owner realizing it)...then we usually just go ahead and treat the obvious problem. Go to the different sections on treating different problems such as wounds, Intestinal problems, urinary tract problems etc. for more information on how we are likely to treat each of these problems.
If the problem is not obvious or we suspect there's more going on than meets the eye; then we're left with two basic choices which each vet deals with differently based on the situation and their experience. This is where the "art" of veterinary practice comes into play. Anyhow, the two basic choices are to either treat by trail and error based on the veterinarian's instincts for a day or two or to try to narrow down the possibilities and rule out possibly hidden problems with blood work, radiographs, and so forth.
I give each owner the option of going either way and try to recommend the path I would chose for my own pet, and for me, that means treating by trail and error if I think I know what the problem is and the cat's condition is not too serious. This has the advantage of usually being much less expensive and is often successful. Another advantage is that the treatment itself is a sort of test...we learn a lot about a patient when we keep it in the hospital for a day or two and we learn a lot if the problem doesn't respond to the treatment we chose. The key to treating by this method, though, is choosing appropriate cases for trail and error treatment in the first place (this is where you need to trust your vet and expect an occasional mistake) and the obvious; be ready to switch gears and start a more aggressive diagnostic approach if your trail and error treatment isn't working well.
At any rate, if the case is serious, not obvious, or not responding to initial treatment, then here's what to expect:
Laboratory Work Up Options:
Fecal Exam: if diarrhea, anemia, or wasting away are parts of the problem
Urine Analysis: if urinary tract disease is suspected from either the history or by the veterinarian.
Blood work to rule out or confirm infectious diseases such as Leukemia, Feline Aids, Infectious Peritonitis, Heartworms, and other blood borne parasites and diseases.
Blood work to check on the kidneys, liver, pancreas, electrolytes, and the blood itself: many people are familiar with these tests as most humans have them done fairly routinely...they are called a CBC (complete blood count) and Chemistry. We learn a lot from this combination of tests and you should expect them to be done in many cases. As an aside, these tests have become much more accurate and easy to perform in recent years. And much less blood is needed which is especially nice when working with cats.
Cultures: Some vets like to culture the discharge from infections before using antibiotics and others culture only if their first choice antibiotic isn't working. In some parts of the country, discharges and abscess' are sometimes fungal and not bacterial, so your vet may want to do a fungal culture.
In our area of the country, the only common fungal problem is "ringworm" of the skin. Interestingly enough, many people think of ringworm as being an obvious disease since it often leaves circular patches of dry, crusty, hairless skin...but it turns out that a fair percentage of not-obvious cases of skin inflammation and irritation culture positive for ringworm.
Whether or not the culture is for bacteria, fungus, or ringworm; cultures are a nuisance in that they are yet another expense and require 3-21 days to get results back. On the other hand, cultures are often invaluable in finding or confirming the diagnoisis as well as in choosing the most appropriate treatment. They are also useful to insure at the end of treatment that the treatment was successful or not.
Radiographs: What a great invention! Radiographs and other newer forms of what is known as "Imaging Techniques" such as Ultra Sound , MRI, thermography, and Cat Scans are becoming more and more available in veterinary medicine. In addition to broken bones and joint diseases, all kinds of information about the heart, lungs, liver, and other internal organs. Unfortunately, while I have an adequate x-ray machine for basic use (fracture identification, bowel obstructions and foreign bodies, arthritis, etc), I am not an expert at reading more subtle radiographs nor do I have any of the newer, fancier machines such as an Ultra Sound. Your vet might be proficient at using them, but if not, that's what specialists are there for.
Endoscopy: You know, where we send a little flexible fiber optic tube into various openings and can look around and even take samples. Used in the lungs, stomach, colon, etc. Your vet may have this equipment and be proficient with their use, but if this type of testing is appropriate, at our hospital you would need to go to a specialist in nearby Greenville.
After re-reading about all the lab tests above that MIGHT be recommended I realize that you could be overwhelmed thinking about how expensive diagnosing and treating a cat who just isn't feeling well might be, and you're right, it can, occasionally be expensive...but don't worry too much...most cases are solved successfully without resorting to excessive tests or specialists and most vets will try very hard to give you an honest idea of what to expect in your cat's situation during the initial exam.
Cat Scratch Fever:
This disease is caused by a germ (Bartonella henselae) spread by either a cat bite or scratch. About half of the wild or feral cats in the SouthEastern part of the U.S. have been exposed to this germ and may be carriers. In other parts of the country the disease is not prevalent. Transmission from cat to cat is believed to be from fleas. The disease in humans is usually moderate but it can be long term and serious...especially in HIV patients. Symptoms include local swelling and swelling of the lymphatic system and flu like malaise. The very temporary swelling and irritation that most people experience for a day or two after a cat scratch is probably not true cat scratch fever but rather a simple inflammatory reaction. If scratched or bitten, first wash the wound out with any good antiseptic (I like to apply a little Bag Balm ointment on afterwards...it seems to work better than anything I've used. Bag Balm is sold to treat chapped and sore cow udders and is available in feed stores, pet and animal catalogs, and at many vet clinics including ours.) Don't encourage cats to play rough and don't allow children to tease and annoy cats. And keep fleas under control. And if you're sick enough to go to a physician, don't forget to tell him or her that you were bitten or scratched by a cat.
Visit our CATS; Page 2 to read about government programs to exterminate cats in Australia. Click Here
ACETAMINOPHEN (Tylenol) is Poisonous to Cats
Cats have less of the enzyme required to detoxify acetaminophen. As a result, there are many dangerous metabolites, or break-down products of this medicine that bind to red blood cells and other tissue cells, resulting in the destruction of these cells. There may also be direct damage to cells. As little as one regular strength tablet (325 mg) can poison a cat to the degree that it can develop noticeable clinical signs of illness. Two extra-strength tablets are likely to kill a cat.
Caring for Orphaned Kittens
A list of sites
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about caring for orphan kittens. Includes EVERYTHING you need to know to serve as a kitty's Mama (except how to purr)!! Includes info on evaluating the kitty's condition, feeding and elimination, etc.
Sharon Talbert
Jeri Dopp's informative article includes everything you need to know to successfully serve as a foster mom or dad.
Great suggestions for fostering or rescue work; includes: What to do first, recipes for emergency kitten formula, the basics of cat care, as well as how to maintain the health of cats and kittens who are already healthy.
These tips for orphaned kitten care are provided by FFGW, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the rescue, care and adoption of homeless cats and kittens in the metropolitan Washington DC community.
A FEW CAT FACTS:
Total U.S. owned cat population 71 million
Of the 71 million, 87% are already neutered or spayed by their caring owners
Total unowned/feral cat population est. 25-40 million
Number of cats *and dogs* entering shelters annually 8.3 million
More than half of cats entering shelters are relinquished by their owners for reasons such as: a) moving b) landlord won't allow pet; c) too many animals in household; d) cost of pet maintenance; e) owner's personal problems; etc.
Approximately half of the cats entering shelters are unadoptable because they are too old, sick, have serious behavior problems, or are unweaned litters of unowned/feral cats.
Less than 1% of cats entering shelters are purebred
A short History of Cats
The history of the cat is an interesting tale with twists and turns at every few hundred years. The cat has been worshiped, adored, loathed, and persecuted by humans throughout time. To understand cats' place in todays society, it is important to know how the relationship between cats and humans began.
It has been 5000 years since man domesticated the cat. The first cat made tame was the African Wildcat. The cat wasn't domesticated to make a pet or companion; the cat was domesticated by accident.
In the Valley of the Nile (which is now Sudan, but then was Upper Egypt), the cat was first domesticated. The people in Egypt at that time consumed large amounts of grain, and they stored this grain in large storage rooms. Many rats would draw to these rooms to eat the grain and breed. The rats attracted cats who would eat the rats, thus helping to eliminate Egypt's rodent problem. People recognized this fact and left food out for the cats to encourage them to "hang around." It worked. Many cats bred and lived happy lives in Egypt destroying the plentiful rats.
Now the Pharoah had much grain that needed protection from vermin. He wanted to consficate all of the cats in Egypt and keep them near the palace graineries, but he couldn't. Cats were so popular among his people that to remove all the cats from all the people in Egypt would have caused a revolt. So, instead he cleverly declared all cats "demigods." This means that they weren't gods equal to the Pharoah's status, but they certainly were more valuable than the average person. With this plan, people could care for the demigods (cats) while they remained the official property of the Pharoah. The status of the cat shot up overnight. If anyone killed a cat, they were sentenced to death. If a house caught on fire, the cats were pulled to safety first. If a cat died of natural causes, the family had to bring the dead animal to the priest to make certain the cat's death was natural. People would sob for their cat with outwardly displays of sorrow. Shaving their eyebrows or beating their chest was a good sign of this sadness.
In time, the cat became known for health, fortune, and marriage. To have many cats meant you were very lucky.
Cats spread to other parts of the world by ship. The crew members would always keep extra cats aboard the ship to kill any mice that might be aboard. Cats spread quickly, and soon were part of many religious beliefs and dieties. One such goddess, Freya, a Norse goddess during the middle ages, had the head of a cat and the body of a woman. The inclusion of cats with religious gods became the cat's downfall. When Christianity spread, it condemned false gods, and cats were viewed as a manifestation of the devil. This led to 100 years of pure torture to the cat. Many were killed, tormented, burned at a stake, or else roasted alive. Consequently, the cat population declined tremendously, and cats became scarce.
It is supposed that domestication of cats took place not only in Egypt but in other regions on the globe. The remains of animals discovered when excavating the ancient settlements of the Bronze Age and even late Stone Age on the territory of the Caucasus, Central Asia, India confirm this idea. At the beginning of AD a cat as a domestic animal, appeared in Roman Empire and according to Plutarchus, in I century AD, it was found in Europe. In the XIth century domestic cat spread over the whole Europe and became an ordinary domestic animal used in household first of all for catching rodents.
At the same time the spreading took place in Russia. According to excavations cats come to us not only from the west but also from the south. There were discovered the remains dating from the VIIth-VIIIth centuries AD in the south of Ukraine, and in central and northern regions of Russia (Moscow, Novgorod) - dating from the Xth-XIVth centuries.
Cat become the favorite domestic animal because of its features and habits, very specific, different from the features of other domestic animals: meowing resembling the crying of the child during the heat, changes of pupils of the eyes depending on the power of light, soft, noiseless step etc. And simultaneously it was chased and driven away. In convents cat was the only animal allowed to keep. In the Xth century in Great Britain cats were worshiped; for theft or killing of the cat one could be sentenced to death. In other countries, in France, for example, at the same time cats was considered to be a Satan, a monster. Often the owners of black cats were accused of agreement with a devil. In the Middle Ages many people were burnt with their cats. That's why in the ancient pictures cats are depicted together with the warlocks. The same image of this animal one can find in fairy-tales, but absurd and invented superstitions about cats have fallen into oblivion.
In other countries where Islam ruled, cats were held in respect. The legend says that Mohammed adored cats. When one of them was sleeping on his sleeve and he had to go out, Mohammed supposedly cut off the sleeve not to disturb his pet.
The cat was also common in China by 500 BC. At first the cat was given as gifts to Emperors. As time went by the nobility were allowed to own them, then the priesthood, and finally the commoners. A lot of the cats interbreed with the local wild cats and created some of the breeds we know today. The fluffy Persian came from the country of its name. Now called Iran. The Angora from Turkey. The Siamese from Siam, now Thailand. The Burmese from Burma, now Myanmar and the Bobtail from Japan. In Japan, cats are seen as lucky. One of the most known cat is the 'Beckoning Cat'. This cat is seen with one paw held up, and brings good luck to Japanese and Chinese homes and businesses that have one displayed. The story goes that a cat used to stand out the front of the Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo and hold up its paw and beckon people in. Due to the cat the temple became very rich. The temple still exists today and cat lovers go there to pray for the good health of there pets.
Speaking of Islam, they may love and respect cats, but many muslims sure treat dogs terribly; check out our story about this topic on the Dog Page
In Europe the cat was seen as evil and disciples of the Devil. By 1400 the cat was almost extinct due to bad press from the Church. This was because the Church felt that the cat had to much connection to Pagan churches and beliefs. This is one of the main reasons that The Plague got out of hand.
At first the People thought that cats and dogs were the bringers of plague. This led to the anilination of both animals. Later it was discovered that there was less of a problem with plague if there was a lot of cats around. This encouraged people to start keeping cats again.
The above from CatQuotes.com This is an interesting site full of cat humor, facts, myths, movies, books, and information.
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