Cats
This week saw the third instalment of our recent live Q&A sessions on our Facebook page, as Cats Protection vet Vanessa Howie gave veterinary advice and feline healthcare tips.
Here are a few questions Vanessa was asked:
Question: I have recently got a kitten and he has got itchy ears. I think he might have mites. I have booked him into the vet on 1 October but is there anything I can do to help him until then? He is scratching quite a lot.
Answer: Your vet will be able to prescribe a treatment for you that will kill the ear mites. There is a spot-on flea treatment available from the vet that kills ear mites and often ear drops are needed as well to help clear the brown gunk out of the ears and soothe the inflammation. It's always best that your vet looks down your kitten's ears before using any drops, to avoid making things worse. If possible I'd bring your appointment forward with your vet, to try and make your kitten comfortable as soon as possible.
Question: How can I keep my cat's teeth healthy?
Answer: There are a number of things you can do to help keep your cat's teeth healthy. Brushing teeth daily with a toothpaste specifically designed for cats, will help to reduce the build of plaque and tartar and help to keep the gums healthy. There are a variety of toothbrushes to choose from; from finger brushes (microfiber cloths for your finger) to full length pet toothbrushes. There are specific dental diets available from your vets to help clean teeth, along with solutions and natural supplements to add to your cat's food and water which may help prevent dental disease. I'd recommend speaking to your vet for more information and you may find our Teeth and oral health leaflet useful.
Question: What can you do when two cats don't get on? I've got Feliway, they all have enough litter trays (one for each, plus a spare), separate food bowls at opposite ends of the room and yet one always attacks the other. He doesn't let her upstairs either. Any advice would be great!
Answer: Sorry to hear that your two cats aren't getting on that well. Unfortunately cats are naturally solitary animals and sometimes this means that sharing the same space may become difficult if they are not in the same social group. It's important to make sure you have enough resources in terms of food and water bowls, litter trays and sleeping areas for both cats and allow them to both have their own safe part of the house. Our leaflet Cats living together may give you some helpful tips on making life a little easier living together, along with our free e-learning Understanding Feline Origins course
Thank you to all of our Facebook supporters who took part in the Q&A with Vanessa. The next live Q&A is on 17 October with our Behaviour Manager.
If you have a cat care question, you can find lots of information and advice on our website at: www.cats.org.uk/cat-care
If you have any concerns for your cat's health, please do consult your vet.
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Cats
‘How do I eradicate my cat’s ear mites?’ and other veterinary FAQs
This week saw the third instalment of our recent live Q&A sessions on our Facebook page, as Cats Protection vet Vanessa Howie gave veterinary advice and feline healthcare tips.
Here are a few questions Vanessa was asked:
Question: I have recently got a kitten and he has got itchy ears. I think he might have mites. I have booked him into the vet on 1 October but is there anything I can do to help him until then? He is scratching quite a lot.
Answer: Your vet will be able to prescribe a treatment for you that will kill the ear mites. There is a spot-on flea treatment available from the vet that kills ear mites and often ear drops are needed as well to help clear the brown gunk out of the ears and soothe the inflammation. It's always best that your vet looks down your kitten's ears before using any drops, to avoid making things worse. If possible I'd bring your appointment forward with your vet, to try and make your kitten comfortable as soon as possible.
 |
| Photo courtesy of 50066720@N03 via flickr |
Answer: There are a number of things you can do to help keep your cat's teeth healthy. Brushing teeth daily with a toothpaste specifically designed for cats, will help to reduce the build of plaque and tartar and help to keep the gums healthy. There are a variety of toothbrushes to choose from; from finger brushes (microfiber cloths for your finger) to full length pet toothbrushes. There are specific dental diets available from your vets to help clean teeth, along with solutions and natural supplements to add to your cat's food and water which may help prevent dental disease. I'd recommend speaking to your vet for more information and you may find our Teeth and oral health leaflet useful.
 |
| Photo courtesy of pmarkham via flickr |
Answer: Sorry to hear that your two cats aren't getting on that well. Unfortunately cats are naturally solitary animals and sometimes this means that sharing the same space may become difficult if they are not in the same social group. It's important to make sure you have enough resources in terms of food and water bowls, litter trays and sleeping areas for both cats and allow them to both have their own safe part of the house. Our leaflet Cats living together may give you some helpful tips on making life a little easier living together, along with our free e-learning Understanding Feline Origins course
 |
| Photo courtesy of dorinser via flickr |
Thank you to all of our Facebook supporters who took part in the Q&A with Vanessa. The next live Q&A is on 17 October with our Behaviour Manager.
If you have a cat care question, you can find lots of information and advice on our website at: www.cats.org.uk/cat-care
If you have any concerns for your cat's health, please do consult your vet.
- ‘should I Clip My Cats’ Claws?’ And Other Veterinary Faqs
In our recent live Q&A on our national Facebook page, CP vet Vanessa Howie answered our supporters’ feline veterinary questions. Here are some of the queries that came up: Question: Is it possible to clip cats’ claws? We have two elderly cats...
- ‘why Don’t My Cats Get Along?’ And Other Multi-cat Household Faqs
As part of last week’s feline friend or foe campaign, behaviour expert Nicky Trevorrow hosted a very special live Q&A on our national Facebook page. Do you have more than one cat? Are you wondering if they’re friends or foes? Or are you looking...
- ‘why Do My Cats Attack Each Other?’ And Other Behaviour Faqs
It’s that time again: our Behaviour Manager, Nicky Trevorrow took to Facebook to answer your cat behaviour queries. The questions below are just a few that she answered in our most recent Q&A: Question: I have three cats: one mother and two daughters....
- ‘how Can I Stop My Kitten Biting?’ And Other Kitten Faqs
Last week vet Vanessa Howie hosted another live Q&A with our Facebook supporters. Vanessa took questions on kitten care – here are just some of them: Question: My kitten keeps sucking my ears and face. Why is he doing that? Answer: Kittens may do...
- ‘why Does My Cat Have Diarrhoea?’ And Other Veterinary Questions
Last week Cats Protection vet Vanessa Howie took over our Facebook page for an hour, answering live questions from our followers. Here are just a few of the questions she answered: Question: My cat has had diarrhoea for about a week now. He's eating...