|
Who can resist? They are
cute, cuddly, funny and
entertaining! One
kitten alone is
adorable. Two kittens
together are double the
fun! Cats are easy to
housebreak and do not
require a large amount
of space so they are
easy for everyone to
invite into their lives.
Even though there have
been great strides over
the past number of years
in educating people to
the benefits of spaying
and neutering, there
never seems to be a
shortage of kittens.
Why not visit a local
shelter to see who is
there and needs to come
home with you?!
The Mt Washington Valley
area has two exceptional
shelters. Conway Area
Humane Society in Conway
and Harvest Hill Animal
Shelter right up the
road in Fryeburg Maine.
They would both be more
than happy to help you
choose the right animal
for your personality and
lifestyle. The staff and
volunteers work
tirelessly to make sure
that all the animals get
every possible chance
for a new life. Stop in
to either shelter to
introduce yourself and
see what a wonderful job
they are doing. They
always need support
whether it’s through
adoption or donations.
Donations can be
monetary or perhaps some
greatly needed supplies.
Maybe just volunteer a
bit of time to help care
for the animals until
their new owner picks
them out of the crowd to
love them and take them
home.
If you have never had a
cat before, it is always
helpful to do a little
research. Although cats
have their own health
issues, completely
separate from dogs, they
also have their own set
of behaviors that can be
quite different from
dogs as well. Cats have
their own language and
they don’t always speak
as clearly as a dog
might. They have their
own subtle ways of
rewarding and punishing
their owners and it will
do anyone well to be
familiar with the feline
personality before
bringing one home.
For those of you who
have already had the
privilege of a cat in
their lives, GOOD FOR
YOU!
“ Every
life should have nine
cats”
Feline Vaccinations
FVRCP
Commonly known as feline
distemper, this vaccine
actually covers more
than one feline disease.
Feline Respiratory
Disease can be the
result of two different
diseases that are easily
transmitted. Feline
Viral Rhinotracheitis (FVR)
and Feline Calicivirus (FCV).
They both cause diseases
that appear similar.
Signs can be discharge
from the nose and eyes,
conjunctivitis, mouth
ulcers, not eating,
depression and
congestion. The FVRCP
vaccine also covers
Panleukopenia which is
extremely contagious and
often fatal. The virus
is quite hardy and can
survive in the
environment for some
time. Signs can be
fever, loss of appetite,
vomiting, diarrhea,
apparent pain and
appearing to be
uncoordinated.
The FVRCP vaccine is a
two shot series in the
first year beginning at
8 weeks of age. It will
be followed up with a
second vaccine in 3-4
weeks. After that the
vaccine should be given
yearly.
Rabies
Rabies is a fatal viral
disease that can affect
all warm blooded
animals, most
importantly humans.
Rabies is transmitted
through the blood and/or
saliva of an infected
animal. Because dogs can
easily come into contact
with animals in the
wild, it is imperative
that your dog not only
be vaccinated as early
as possible, but also to
keep their rabies
vaccine CURRENT
throughout their life.
An unvaccinated pet that
comes into contact with
rabies or a SUSPECT
rabies case may require
strict confinement for a
period of time or even
euthanasia.
There is NOT
a test that can be
performed on a live
animal to detect rabies.
Feline Leukemia/Feline
Immunodefficiency Virus
Also known as FeLV/FIV,
the feline leukemia and
Feline Immunodefficiency
virus are fatal
diseases. They can cause
an initial
immunosuppressant
infection that can be
followed by other
debilitating diseases
like upper respiratory
infection and anemia.
Cats that can endure
these diseases may
likely develop some form
of cancer at some point.
It is spread by direct
contact with an infected
cat or with contaminated
food or litter areas. It
has an extremely high
instance in stray cat
populations all over the
world. It has become
quite commonplace for
cat owners to vaccinate
against Feline Leukemia.
The FeLV vaccine begins
as a two shot series,
3-4 weeks apart. It will
then be boostered
yearly.
All vaccination
frequency is dependant
on your pet’s lifestyle,
age and risk of
exposures. Your
veterinarian will help
you decide what the best
schedule is for your
pet.
Feline Infectious
Peritonitis
This disease is spread
through direct contact
with other infected
cats. Signs can begin as
an upper respiratory
infection that spreads
to inflame other tissues
and organs. This
includes peritonitis
which is the
inflammation of the
abdominal cavity. The
abdomen becomes swollen
and fluid filled. By the
times these symptoms
come about the fatality
instance is nearly 100%.
The disease is probably
seen most often in the
stray cat population
with the most likely
affected being young
cats under 2 years of
age and elderly cats.
|
