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Index:

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Age:

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Working out an exact human age for your cat is impossible, but here’s a formula which will give you a pretty good idea of roughly how old she would be were she a person:

• The first year counts as 15 years
• The second year counts as 10 years
• All subsequent years count as 4 years
• So a ten year old cat is 15+10+(4 x 8) = 57
• And a fifteen year old cat is 15+10+(4 x 13) = 77

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Arthritis:

Just like older people, arthritis is very common in elderly cats, and can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. The main signs are a reluctance to jump up or run as much as he used to, especially in cold and wet weather, and changes in his personality such as increased aggression (caused by the pain and discomfort). Your vet can help by prescribing anti-inflammatory drugs and supplements such as glucosamine and chondritin, but there are also some things you can do at home to help ease the pain of his arthritic joints:

• A covered hot water bottle or special heated pad in his bed will help keep his joints warm and reduce the pain and swelling he feels
• Regular short periods of exercise such as encouraging him to trot around the garden or gentle play indoors will help keep him mobile
• Reducing his weight if he is overweight by feeding only Joe & Jill’s (with no tit-bits!) will reduce the strain on his joints

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Behaviour - understanding your cat:

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Cats are territorial animals and this fact is at the heart of all feline behaviour, from aggression to messing in the house, and it’s the main behavioural difference between cats and dogs. Whereas dogs are pack animals, cats are lone hunters by nature, and looking after their territory is often the single most important thing in their lives. If they don’t feel secure in this area of their lives, everything else can fall apart – often with disastrous results!

A cat’s territory is not just an area where they hunt. It is made up of three distinct zones, and understanding the different purposes of these zones can really help you sort out your badly behaved cat.

Zone 1 is the most important. This is the inner zone where they should be able to totally relax and feel safe from any threat. In most domestic cats, zone 1 is your house, and strange cats intruding into this area will cause immense stress to your cat – with the likely consequence of serious behavioural problems.

Zone 2 is your cat’s primary hunting zone, and is often made up of your garden. In this area cats will do their best to chase off intruders, and persistent rivals can cause stress and behavioural problems.

And finally, zone 3. This is the much wider area that your cat will wander though when he’s out on a hunting mission at night. Here he’s happy to meet and greet other cats, as long as they respect his scent marks and don’t try and muscle in on his patch!

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Behaviour - urine marking:

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This is one of the most common behavioural problems in domestic cats, and the cause is often territorial. Cats which are stressed because another cat is invading zone 2, or even worse, zone 1 of their territory, will be desperate to reinforce the scent marking in this area – and the best way to do this is to urine mark. Sorting the problem out can be tricky, but try these top tips and you should be able to keep your house smelling sweet!

1. Fit a magnetic cat flap which will only allow your cats in to the house. This will keep unwanted intruders out, and reduce your cat’s urge to urine mark as a result.
2. Cat-proof the garden by putting high fences and spiky plants around the perimeter. This should reduce the number of feline trespassers in the zone 2 of your cat’s territory.
3. Arm yourself with a water pistol and scare off any unknown cats that come into the garden or house.
4. Wipe a tea-towel on your cat’s paws and then rub this onto the area where he is peeing. His feet have tiny scent glands, and by wiping this around the house, your helping him reinforce his territory without resorting to peeing.
5. Use a pheromone diffuser. These plug-in devices from your vet release a calming cat pheromone which will help to relax your cat and stop the urine marking

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Bite wounds:

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Cat fights are one of the most common injuries sustained by cats, and generally require a visit to the vets to sort them out. But before you rush down to the surgery, check these common symptoms to make sure you’ve made the right diagnosis:

1. Limping with a sore leg when you touch it
2. Obvious swelling on the face, leg or tail
3. Miserable, off food and generally depressed
4. Tail hanging down and not moving normally
5. Nasty smelling ooze from an obvious wound

If you think that your cat has been bitten, follow the following three ‘A’s to sort out the problem:

Antiseptic. Clean the wound with a diluted antiseptic solution such as TCP or Dettol, and then head down to the surgery to see your vet

Antibiotic. Your vet will prescribe antibiotics to clear up the infection

Anti-inflammatory. Your vet will inject an anti-inflammatory drug to reduce the swelling and pain of the bite wound

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Diabetes:

Diabetes is a disease which interferes with the body’s ability to regulate the amount of sugar in the bloodstream, and it is another relatively common disease of older cats. The symptoms are very similar to those experienced by people with diabetes: weight loss, increased appetite, increased thirst and increased urination. Your vet will diagnose the disease using blood and urine tests, and treatment usually involves twice daily injections of insulin (much easier and less stressful than it sounds!) and strict dietary management, often using a prescription diet.

Once your cat has been diagnosed and stabilised, you could try out my home-cooked recipe for Sweet Potato and Tuna, which has been specially formulated as an occasional treat or regular ‘side dish’ which is fine for diabetic cats. The recipe makes a puree of sweet potato and beef, and is ideally used mixed in with your cat’s prescription diabetes diet from your vet. The sweet potato is a good source of fibre and is also know to be ‘anti-diabetic’ – it can reduce the amount of insulin required to treat the disease.

Make up a batch and store it in the fridge, adding a spoonful to her meals – it provides taste to get her eating her prescription food as well as a healthy balance of nutrients ideal for the diabetic cat.

For a week’s worth for one cat you will need:

• 1 medium-sized sweet potato
• 1 can tuna in oil
• 1 teaspoon all-bran cereal

Simply dice the sweet potato (just wash it, don’t bother to peel as the peel adds more fibre) and boil it for about 7-8 minutes, until soft. Then mash, adding in the tuna, complete with oil, and the all bran cereal. Mix thoroughly and store in the fridge, adding a small amount to each of your cat’s meals.

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Diarrhoea:

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Not a nice problem to have to deal with, but it’s important to sort out because diarrhoea lead to serious complications such as dehydration if left untreated. This is what you should do:

• Withhold food for 12-24 hours. This might sound cruel but resting the intestine is the best and quickest way to sort out the problem
• Offer plenty of water
• Make up a re-hydration solution by mixing a pint of warm water with a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of sugar. Offer him this to drink as well as water
• Cook him some plain white fish or chicken breast after the starving period and feed small amounts 3 or 4 times a day for a couple of days
• Gradually reintroduce his normal food over the next 3 days
• Take him straight to the vet if there’s no improvement

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Fleas:

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There’s nothing worse, for cat and owner, than a flea infestation – so it’s vital you protect your cat by using a good quality flea product from your vet on your cat. The best and easiest to use are the drops on the back of the neck, which spread out through the skin and kill off any flea that bites the cat, but there are also good products available that sterilise the fleas rather than kill them, and these are either given orally or by injection.

It is also worth treating the house with a special insecticidal spray if you have a serious problem.

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Fur balls:

Are a common problem for a lot of cats. They are literally great big balls of fur which form a solid, matted lump in the stomach, and they happen because when cats groom themselves they swallow lots of fur. Most of the time these fur-balls will pass out of the stomach and end up in the faeces, but sometimes they get too big and the cat has to retch them up. This can be a bit unpleasant (especially if you’re having dinner at the time!) but it’s not a cause for worry unless it becomes a persistent problem. If your cat is constantly retching then she probably has got a fur-ball stuck, and it’s time to take some action.

The best way to sort out a cat with a fur-ball is to buy a tube of special cod liver oil paste from your pet shop or vet. This helps the fur-ball slip through the intestines and out the other end! Simply wipe an inch or so of the paste on your cat’s paw and he’ll lick it off and swallow it. Within a couple of days the offending fur-ball should have been passed, and you can enjoy your dinner without the accompanying sound of a retching cat!

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Hyperthyroidism:

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What ‘hyperthyroidism’ means is an overactive thyroid gland. This gland controls the rate at which the body uses energy – a bit like the accelerator in a car – and hyperthyroid cats have swollen thyroid glands which make them burn energy at a massive rate. This causes the classic symptoms of weight loss despite massive hunger. Thankfully, it’s quite straightforward to sort out. Once the disease has been confirmed with blood tests, your vet can use tablets to control the condition, or he may choose to remove the offending thyroid gland all together. Whatever treatment option you go for, the outlook is usually really good.

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Kidney disease:

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One of the most common serious diseases suffered by older cats is kidney failure. It tends to creep up on cats as they enter their teens (or 60’s in human terms), causing gradual weight loss, dull coat, increased urination and drinking and general depression. Other symptoms can include vomiting, bad breath and a reduced appetite.

The diagnosis of kidney failure is made using a blood test, and once the disease has been confirmed, your vet will be able to advise on how best to treat and care for your cat to maximise his healthy life. Common treatments include tablets to increase the blood flow to the kidneys, and special prescription diets to reduce the strain on the renal system.

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Kitten care:

This is a summary of the key things you need to be doing for a new kitten:

7-8 weeks old – bring your kitten home and help her settle in with a comfy bed, clean litter tray, and fresh kitten food

9 weeks old    – your kitten should be settling in at home so it’s time for his first trip to the vets for a check over,vaccinations, worming and flea check

12 weeks old – second vaccinations, repeat worming, and start on routine preventative flea treatment. Also the best time  for microchipping and organising pet insurance.

13 weeks old – he’s now fully protected by his vaccinations so he can start to go out into the garden

16 weeks old – repeat worming, and then every 3 -4 months

17 – 20 weeks old – repeat flea treatment (exact frequency depends on the product being used, but generally once every 4 – 5 weeks)

6 months old – neutering

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Microchipping:

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If your cat is going to be an outdoor cat it’s vital he is permanently identified with a microchip. These tiny little chips – about the size of a grain of rice – are implanted by your vet under the skin of the scruff of his neck, and can be read by a special electronic scanner. They contain a unique number which is registered with your details, so your cat is always identifiable as belonging to you. All vets and rescue centres have these scanners, so if your cat were ever to get lost, or injured, he will be quickly identified and reunited with you.

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Neutering:

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Unless you’re planning on breeding from your cat, it’s vital to get him or her neutered. Un-neutered cats are responsible for untold numbers of unwanted stray kittens every year, as well as being at much higher risk of picking up nasty infections, getting into cat fights and disappearing off. It’s really not a big deal, just a quick operation at your vets. Most cats recover very quickly and are back to normal within a few days. The best time for the operation is when your kitten is about 6 months old, although cats as young as 3 months can be neutered, as can older cats.

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Re-unification services:

Losing your cat is a terrible experience, but luckily there is a now an organisation who can help protect your cat and re-unite you should the worst happen. The Missing Pets Bureau register your cat and then will help you recover him should he ever go missing – and that’s not all, they can also take a DNA swab from your cat’s mouth and this can be used to prove the identity of your cat in a court of law. Have a look at their website at www.missingpetsbureau.com or call them on 08701 999 000.

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Road traffic accidents:

Being hit by a car is an all-to-common cause of serious injury and death in cats. The best tip is to do everything you cat to prevent your cat from being the victim of an RTA (Road Traffic Accident) in the first place. Here are my five ways of keeping you cat safe from the roads:

1. Don’t buy a house near a main road if you own a cat – or get a cat if you live near a main road!
2. Never let your cat out of the front door if it leads directly onto a road – make sure he comes and goes straight into the garden
3. Fit him with a reflective collar that will shine brightly in a car’s headlights
4. If your garden borders a busy road, put up fencing or prickly bushes to try and prevent him wandering out onto the road
5. Neuter him or her at an early age as this reduces the desire to wander

If your cat has been hit by a car, these are the common symptoms to look for:

• Scuffed and broken claws – nails are often damaged as the cats is thrown across the tarmac and tries to dig his nails in
• Obvious lameness
• Blood or open wounds
• Laboured breathing

If your cat has obviously been injured, whether through an RTA or other accident, there are several key things to remember when deciding what to do:

1. Keep him indoors to make sure he doesn’t disappear off and hide somewhere
2. Call your vet for immediate advice, and to let them know to expect you at the surgery
3. Identify any obvious bleeding and apply pressure with a bandage if possible
4. Offer water to drink but no food in case he needs an anaesthetic
5. Wrap him in an old towel or blanket to restrain him and keep him warm
6. Move him gently to a cat basket and head straight to the vets

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Skin disease:

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Cats can suffer from all manner of skin problems, ranging from a few spots to full-blown skin infections. The key things to look out for include:

• Over-grooming – a cat which spends much more time than usual licking and grooming
• Rubbing – cats will often rub their backs against chairs and table legs if there are itchy
• Hair loss – check underneath, in the groin area, as this is where lots of cats tend to lose fur
• Gritty skin – if your cat feels ‘gritty’ when you run your hand through his coat, there’s definitely a skin problem going on

There are loads of possible causes of skin diseases, but the three most common ones are fleas, stress and allergies. It’s always worth ruling out fleas as a possible cause from day one – so use a good quality flea product from your vet and treat the house as well if necessary. Next, try and identify any new or unusual stresses which could be affecting your cat – such as a new cat getting into the garden, or a new baby perhaps? If you can do something about these stresses, such as keep then invading cat out, then do so, but if not, or if things still aren’t improving, you need to head down to the vet. He or she will work out what the most likely cause is, and treat the condition using antibiotics to clear up any infection, and possibly steroids to stop the itching and over-grooming.

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Urinary disease:

The most serious urinary condition afflicting cats is FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Syndrome - also often referred to as ‘blocked cat syndrome’), and it occurs when male cats are unable to pass urine due to a blockage in the urethra (the pipe connecting the bladder to the outside world). The blockage is caused by sludge and crystals in the bladder forming a plug in the urethra (the pipe to the outside world). When this happens, the bladder quickly fills up with urine, and unless the situation is sorted out, the consequences can quickly be life-threatening.
Here’s how to spot a blocked cat:

• A male cat who is constantly squatting and straining to pass urine but very little is coming out
• Licking around the back end
• Crying out in pain

If you suspect your cat might be blocked, get him straight down to the vets a.s.a.p. Here your vet will be able to unblock him using a special catheter, and
may keep him in for observation for a few days to make sure the condition doesn’t recur.

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Vaccinations:

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All cats need to be protected with regular vaccinations to prevent three really dangerous diseases – cat flu, feline infections enteritis and feline leukaemia. All it involves is two initial injections three or four weeks apart, with the second injection taking place when the cat is around 12 weeks old, followed by yearly boosters to keep the immunity up-to-date.

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Vomiting:

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Lots of cats will vomit or regurgitate their food occasionally, but if your cat suddenly starts to be sick more frequently, try these tips before you rush him down to the vets (as long as he is well in himself):

• Worm him with a good quality worming tablet from your vet
• Use a cod liver oil paste to shift any fur-balls
• Make him a special food bowl which slows down his eating – you could try putting his food in a deep, narrow food container
• Feed him small meals several times a day rather than one or two big meals

If he’s off colour, or the situation doesn’t improve, you should take him to the surgery for your vet to take a look.

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Worming:

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There are lots of different types of worms that can live inside your cat’s intestines – some are long and thin (roundworms), some are flat and segmented (tapeworms), but they all have one thing in common – they’re horrible and you don’t want them in your cat! Cats with worms can lose weight, suffer from poor skin and other health problems – and some worms can present a health risk to people as well, so it’s well worth making sure you cat is treated regularly.

To make sure your cat is a worm-free zone, your vet will recommend dosing him with a good-quality wormer every few weeks up to 12 weeks of age – and then every three to four  months after that.

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Worming - how to worm a cat without losing a finger:

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Sometimes it almost seems as if all cats have been taught 101 ways to avoid swallowing a worming tablet by their mothers when they were little kittens – they scratch, twist, wriggle, bite, and then spit out the tablet before disappearing up the curtains and staring back at the ruins of your living room with a triumphant meow!

Well, there is a way to give cats worming tablets (and any other tablet they need), which most vets use, and works in 99% of cases. Of course there are always one or two cats who absolute masters of the art of refusing tablets, but for the majority of cats, this technique is pretty much foolproof.

To do this you need a willing (and brave!) accomplice, a sturdy table, the worming tablet – and, of course, the cat. Sit the cat on the table and ask your helper to hold him firmly around the chest and front legs. In this position the cat is well restrained and can’t use his front claws to scratch you.

Next, you should take the worming tablet and approach the cat from the front. Reach you left hand behind his head and hold his head firmly by the cheeks, then tilt the head backwards until his throat is straight and he is looking up at the ceiling. Then comes the tricky part! With your right index finger, pull his mouth open and drop the tablet down into his throat.

The key is to drop the tablet so it lands right at the base of his tongue. Then, before he has time to react, give the tablet a quick poke with your finger so he swallows, and whip your finger back out and close his mouth firmly, holding it shut for a few moments until you’re sure the tablet has gone down.

Then finally, assuming you still have you fingers, release the cat, sit down with a strong drink, and allow yourself a smug, triumphant smile as the defeated cat slinks out of the cat flap!

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