Lena Myrenius has been a veterinarian since 1990. She has been working in several animal hospitals and clinics in Sweden, the Animal hospital in Karlstad, Veterinarian for small animals in Söderköping, Blå Stjärnan in Gothenburg and Skövde Animal clinic to name a few. Lena’s specialty is the illnesses of cat and dogs and is currently working at Blå Stjärnans Animal hospital in Skara.
She owns two dogs, Tyson, a neutered mixed bred male and Asta, a Jack Russell female as well as three stable cats.
Does a kitten need special food?
When the kitten is growing it is good to give it a well-balanced complete food. You do not need to give the kitten extra minerals and vitamins as it is already in the food.
Cats can be extremely selective regarding the food they are choosing to eat and it is individual from cat/kitten to cat/kitten which flavours they prefer and also whether they prefer wet food or dry food. The benefit with a complete food is that your cat cannot just choose to eat fish or meat, instead he/she will get all the nutrients he/she needs through the complete food.
The dry food ranges today are also well-suited for neutered male cats, just remember to always give your cat free access to fresh water.
Already as a kitten your cat will develop an eating pattern. Therefore it is important to give your cat a high quality food, even if it means that you need to buy many different flavours within the product ranges for the cat to try. Do not worry if your cat only eats one of the flavours – all the cat need is in the complete food regardless of flavour.
Can a cat have food allergies?
If a cat has allergies it could have been caused by their food, or airborne allerdencity particles, so called allergens. With food allergies, cats may develop itchy skin, vomit or get diarrhoea.
Usually cats develop food allergies after year one, but very seldom after year ten. To determine if your cat has a food allergy all other illnesses must have been ruled out first, for example parasites.
There are no blood tests that show whether your cat has food allergies or not. Instead you need to give your cat a low allergen food during a longer period of time (approx. 6-8 weeks). After this period you should feed your cat the food or ingredients that you suspect is allergic to during a period of two weeks. When you know what food your cat is reacting against, read the nutritional facts. Also please consult: Bozita Food finder.
My neutered male cat is gaining weight easily, what do I do?
Both males and females gain weight after being neutered. The reason for this is that the hormones and metabolism change. To prevent your cat from gaining weight, you are recommended to give it a light food when it has stopped growing.
If you need to put your cat on a diet it is crucial that you do it under a long period of time. It can be harmful for the cat to lose weight too quickly. Also, overweight cats are more likely to get problem with their urinary tracts, develop diabetes and get skeletal and/or joint wear.
Cat owners are often worried about the little or large ”pillow of fat” that many cats, both male and female, get under their stomach. It is not dangerous, but it might be an indication that your cat has gained a little too much weight. Both male and female cats can be neutered, meaning that the testicles respective ovaries and uterus are removed.
My cat is vomiting and/or has diarrhoea – what should I do?
There are several reasons for your cat to vomit or have diarrhoea. One example is parasites. Outdoor cats may need to be de-wormed regularly for tapeworms if they are chasing mice that might be carrying it.
Remove their food for one or two days until the symptoms have decreased. Given that the cat is drinking properly and keeping its water without vomiting, if not you need to go see your veterinarian.
When your cat has ceased to vomit or stopped having diarrhoea, you should wait for a few hours or a day before feeding it, but always remember to give your cat free access to fresh water. Start by giving your cat small portions of easily digestive food such as white fish or low fat meat and gradually increase the portions. After a few days you can start mixing it with the normal food, then after another few days you can start giving the cat its normal food and normal portions.
How often do I need to de-worm my cat?
It is common that young cats get roundworms from the environment or from the cat mother. Young kittens have not yet a strong defence against parasites and therefore it is recommended to de-worm both the cat mother and the kittens.
An outdoor cat that is chasing mice is more likely to get tapeworms than an indoor cat. If your cat is losing weight and if you are finding visible worms or eggs in the cat’s faeces you should give it a de-worming treatment. There are two different de-worming medicines, one that you give the cat orally and one where you put a few drops in the neck of the cat.
A healthy indoor cat without any symptoms of losing weight, vomiting or having diarrhoea does not need to be de-wormed regularly. If you suspect that your cat has intestinal parasites you should send a stool test to a laboratory for analysis. To de-worm the cat too often may increase the risk of the parasites becoming resistant to the de-worming medicines.
My cat scratches him/herself – what should I do?
The most common reason for a cat to scratch itself is ear-mites. You can find the parasite with a microscope. The parasites are usually living in the ear canal, close to the eardrum, but it is also possible to find them in the skin on other parts of the body.
Not all cats that have ear-mites are showing the same symptoms. It is important that you are regularly checking your cat, especially if it is an outdoor cat even if it is not showing signs of ear-mites. Ear-mites is a more common disease with outdoor cats than with indoor cats, but even a kitten infected at a young age and living indoors can be carrying the disease and pass it on to the other indoor cats.
How often should I give my cat a vaccination and for what?
Give your cat a basic vaccination for Panleukopenia, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus. Panleukopenia is a serious intestinal illness that is developed rather quickly, and it needs an intensive treatment to be cured. The disease may even be fatal for the cat.
Various viruses and bacteria can cause Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis. There are vaccines for two of these viruses (herpes- and calicivirus). A serious infection with Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis can give serious consequences for a cat that have not been vaccinated. Although it is not as common for the cat to die from this infection as it is from having Panleukopenia.
One of the most common extra vaccinations for a cat is Chlamydia (if you have problems when you are breeding cats) and also vaccination against rabies when you are travelling abroad with your cat, in many countries the rabies vaccination is mandatory.
The kitten should be vaccinated from week eight to nine. Next vaccination should be done about three or four weeks later, around week twelve, about the same time as the kitten is leaving its mother for its new family. The kitten also needs to be vaccinated when it turns one year. The vaccination for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis is repeated every year, whereas the vaccination Panleukopenia is made every third year.
Can I clip my cat’s claws?
If you have an indoor cat you can clip its claws with specially designed scissors for cat claws. If you have an outdoor cat you should not clip its claws. The cat uses them to grip on icy roads, when climbing trees and also when defending themselves and their territory.
There are some exceptions when an outdoors cat’s claws should be clipped. Sometimes the claws on the front legs of the cat are not worn naturally; it can actually hurt the cat. Especially older cats get problems with one or two of their claws.
An unevenly torn or worn claw can be a sign that the cat has problem with a leg. Even cats can sprain a toe or other joints in their body. A cat can also get joint wear. Therefore it is important to regularly check your cat’s claws for uneven wear or tear.
How can I prevent plaque on my cat’s teeth?
It is not easy to brush a cat’s teeth, but if the cat has gotten a gum infection, you can brush their teeth with compress or gauze on your finger in order to save their teeth. You can also bath the infected areas with disinfectant klorhexidin (0,12 per cent is recommended).
Another option is to use special toothpastes for cats. Do not use your own toothpaste, as it contains too much flour.
Which temperature should a healthy cat have?
A healthy cats body temperature should be around 38–39,5° C. It is recommended to measure the temperature in the rectum of the cat. Although this is a treatment the cat does not like, it is likely that you need to be two persons to persuade the cat to go along with the treatment.