Kitten vaccinations routinely begin at 8 weeks of age. During the first examination,
a vaccination program will be developed to match your kitten’s individual needs.
For example, outdoor cats require vaccination against diseases that do not
affect indoor cats.
Spay is common term for an ovariohysterectomy, the surgical removal of your cat’s
uterus and overies. We recommend spaying at 6 months of age, after her adult teeth
have fully developed, but it can be done as early as 7 weeks of age.
Neuter is the common term for castration, or the removal of the testicles. We recommend
neutering at 6 months of age, after his adult teeth have fully developed, but it can be done
as early as 7 weeks of age.
An elasticized or breakaway identification collar should be worn at all times. Identification tags should be small, to prevent them from catching on bushes etc. Using permanent
marker to write your phone number on the collar itself is also a good idea.
Ear tattoos are also an excellent way to identify your cat. The tattoos we place can be used by any SPCA or veterinary hospital in British Columbia to determine your address and phone number. However, if your pet often travels out of province, a microchip may be a better identification form.
Microchips are painlessly implanted under the skin near the base of the neck and can be located using a scanner. Almost every North American animal shelter or veterinary hospital has a scanner. Special international microchips are required for overseas travel, and can also be read by most North American scanners.
The common parasites that we see here are not as dangerous as some of the ones that face cats in more southern climates. Generally, they cause digestive issues such as diarrhea, nausea, gas cramps, poor haircoat and decreased growth rates.
Of greater concern is the affect that these same parasites may have on people; the Centre for Disease Control has linked feline roundworms to retinal diseases and seizure disorders, and they are currently investigating whether they are linked to fevers of unknown origin and learning disabilities. Further, they are finding that human exposure to these parasites is greater than was ever suspected before. There is no treatment for many of these conditions, so the onus is on pet owners to prevent transmission through diligent parasite control.
Families with small children, pregnant women, or immune compromised individuals should be particularly aware of this issue. Please contact our office if you have any questions or concerns.
Certain parasites, such as tapeworms, are visible to the naked eye, but most worms only lay microscopic eggs. If you bring us a stool sample we will be glad to analyze it to see what parasites are present. Common parasites can be detected with a single stool sample, but certain parasites require the collection of multiple samples. If you are concerned about your pet’s parasite burden, please contact our office.
Cats with fleas or outdoor cats, especially hunters, are at greater risk for parasites. Certain feline parasites are of a particular concern to pregnant women.
Small white worms about the size of a rice grain are tapeworm segments. In cats, they result from either swallowing fleas or eating mice. If you see possible tapeworm segments, feel free to bring them in a ziplock bag for our technicians to confirm the diagnosis and dispense an appropriate medication.
Short haired cats that are known hunters and don’t use the litterbox should be routinely treated for tapeworms.
Yes. Depending on your situation, we recommend deworming as frequently as once a month to once a year. Indoor cats that were properly medicated as kittens are at low risk for developing worm burdens.
For cats with an unknown parasite status, faecal testing is available to determine if treatment is required
With the advancement of flea control products such as Advantage and Program, fleas are no longer the nuisance they once were. Advantage is a liquid applied to your cat’s back. It provides protection for a full month. Program is a liquid that is given by mouth every month with a meal and prevents the fleas from reproducing. It is also available as an injection that lasts for 6 months. Both products are safe for pets and the children that hug them.
There are a number of products available in pet or grocery stores that we do not recommend, from both a safety and an efficacy perspective. Some of these products can be lethal to cats. Cats have seizured just from being exposed to dogs that were treated with some of these products. Shampoos have limited usefulness, and flea collars or powders are now obsolete.
Indoor cats need fewer vaccines than outdoor cats, but they are still susceptible to distemper and several respiratory diseases that can be carried into the household on clothes or other objects. As part of an examination appointment, a vaccine protocol can be personalized to meet your cat’s needs.
Your new cat should be examined and tested for certain diseases before exposing it to your other cats. FIV (Feline Immunodeficiancy Virus) and FeLV (Feline Leukemia) are two deadly diseases of particular concern. Both diseases are present in this area.
Although rabies is a less common disease, it is fatal to people as well as pets. Consequently, we consider it a core vaccine. Bats are the most common rabies vector in BC. Rabies vaccine is required for international travel.
Cats have clusters of multiple heats approximately every 4 months. The first heat can happen any time after 7 months of age. Heat lengths vary depending on whether or not the cat successfully breeds.
Cats show heats by constantly talking, twitching their tails and backing up to anyone who will pay them attention.
Spaying is the best way to prevent heats, breast or ovarian cancer, and to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
A cat’s gestation period is approximately 65 days.
She can, but is best to delay surgery until the heat is finished. However, it is better to spay an in heat cat than a pregnant cat, so if your cat accidentally escapes while in heat, then it is better to perform a spay sooner rather than later. If your cat has already been pregnant or has experienced multiple heats before, then there is less of an advantage to waiting until the heat is finished.
Sexually mature cats, or cats actively in heat, experience more blood loss during the spay procedure when compared to sexually immature cats. For that reason, to maximize safety and improve post-operative recovery, we recommend that all sexually mature cats receive intravenous fluids during surgery
Early pregnancy cats can still be spayed, but advanced pregnancies pose a greater risk to the mother. We prefer to not spay cats in their last trimester.
Once the kittens have learned to eat something besides their mother’s milk, and once her mammory glands had dried up, she can be spayed.
Absolutely not – this is an urban legend that is completely unsubstantiated by any sort of scientific scrutiny. Repeated heats substantially increase the chance of breast cancer and other diseases.
A vasectomy, although it makes your cat incapable of breeding, does nothing to diminish testosterone levels or sexual drive. This means he will still be vulnerable to unwanted behaviours such as spraying, roaming, and fighting. He also remains a high risk for a number of prostate diseases.
No - spaying or neutering will not cause obesity. If you watch your cat’s diet and provide plenty of exercise, weight control should not be a problem.
Cats neutered at an early age almost never spray. Neutering a cat later, once he has started to spray will greatly improve the chance of eliminating this behaviour, but it may need to be coupled with re-training. The earlier your cat is neutered, the better.
Please note – not all cats that urinate outside the litterbox are spraying. Inappropriate urination is often a side effect of urinary disease such as crystals or infection.
Cats are very prone to a condition called “feline lower urinary syndrome”. In male cats this could indicate urinary blockage which left untreated, will kill him painfully over a few days. If you see your male cat straining to urinate but not producing any urine, presume that this is an immediate life-threatening emergency and call our office. If your female cat is demonstrating the same signs, you should still call our office; the condition is painful but not as immediately dangerous.
We see this condition more frequently in cats that eat dry food only, or cats on certain “grocery” brands of food. Please call our office if you would like to learn more about how to prevent this condition.
Cats have a higher body temperature than ours, which is why they sometimes feel ‘hot’ to the touch. Their normal body temperature is 38-39 degrees Celcius. The best way to see if your cat is running a fever is to take their temperature with a rectal thermometer. If you notice that your cat is lethargic and the temperature is above normal, you should contact a veterinarian immediately.
Most cats with a temperature above 40 degrees (severe fever) feel badly enough to stop eating. Above 41 degrees is very dangerous, and above 42 degrees means that they are already undergoing massive organ failure.
No. Cats ingest large amounts of hair while grooming, and long hair cats are prone to hairballs. Hairballs are irritating to the stomach lining and can lead to ulcers.
Brushing is an excellent way to prevent hairballs. Certain “hairball diet” foods are effective as well. Oral pastes can also be used to treat or prevent hairball issues. Please feel free to call our office if you have any hairball concerns.
This is too complicated a question to answer without knowing more about your cat. As a consumer, can be difficult to find salient information, especially, since the “guaranteed analysis” that the government requires producers place on the side of the bag is essentially useless.
Medi-cal is an excellent brand of food, which is why we decided to carry it. You can find out more information about this brand of food as well as up to date feeding guidelines at www.medi-cal.ca.
However, every pet has slightly different needs. We discuss nutritional issues a bit more under the “policies” section of the website.