Should cats be indoor or outdoor pets?

Consider these life-threatening dangers should you allow your cat to roam free:

Car accidents - They may get hit or get hurt when they climb up inside the car's engine to get warm.

Traps - They may get caught in leg traps or snares set for other animals. Poison - They may get poisoned by ingesting lawn chemicals or pesticides sprayed outdoors, rat poison, antifreeze, discarded household chemicals, and motor oil. To protect your cat indoors, keep poisons out of reach.

Disease and Parasites - Cats allowed to roam are exposed to a variety of viruses (i.e. Feline leukemia, Feline Infectious Peritonitis, Rabies, and bacteria). There are not vaccinations for all these diseases. Parasites such as worms, Hemobartonella, fleas, ticks, and mites may also be acquired.

Other animals - Cats may suffer bites, scratches, and other wounds from dogs, cats, and wild animals which require emergency veterinary care.

Exposure and starvation - Cats which are outdoors may get lost and suffer from lack of proper diet and from exposure to the elements.

We feel that our feline patients that live indoors have a longer, healthier existence. One can still take their pet outside, if they are closely supervised. Spaying and neutering are essential to the well-being of the animal.

What are the recommendations to promote health and prevent disease in cats?

KITTENS

• 7 weeks (6-8 weeks)
     Physical exam
     Temporary vaccine
     Fecal analysis for intestinal parasites, worming program
     Lab tests for viral screening test


• 10 weeks (9-11 weeks)
     Physical exam
     Combination vaccine and Feline Leukemia (1 of 2)
     Viral screening test if not previously done
     Fecal analysis for intestinal parasites and worming program


• 13 weeks (12-14 weeks)
     Physical exam
     Combination vaccine and Feline Leukemia (2 of 2)
     Fecal analysis for intestinal parasites and worming program


• 19 weeks (19-21 weeks)
     Physical exam
     Feline Infectious Peritonitis vaccine (1 of 2)
     2nd Viral Screening test if indicated by doctor
     Rabies vaccination
     Stool analysis


• 20-24 weeks

   FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) vaccine (2 of 2) by technician or with
   neuter or ovariohysterectomy (spay)

ADULT CATS: (Annually)

• Rabies vaccine to protect against a fatal virus that affects humans as well as animals



• Combination vaccine to protect against:
     Feline Panleukopenia (cat distemper, cat parvo), a potentially fatal    gastroenteritis caused by a virus. Very contagious to other cats.
  
     Two Upper Respiratory diseases - (Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus),     which are contagious and can lead to chronic respiratory and eye diseases.
     Chlamydia Psittaci (pneumonitis) - typified by chronic conjunctivitis and mild rhinitis.



• Feline Leukemia Vaccine to protect against an often fatal, highly contagious virus that results in cancer or severely lowered body resistance



• Feline Infectious Peritonitis Vaccine to protect against fatal, untreatable viral disease most commonly seen in cats that go outside.



• Stool analysis for Intestinal Parasites - common worms, such as:
• Hook or Roundworms diagnosed by finding the ova (eggs) upon microscopic examination.
• Tapeworms are common in both "mousers" and/or cats with fleas. This is diagnosed by observing objects that look like rice grains in the stool.



• Blood Screen: suggested yearly for older animals.

NEUTER:

• Females (Ovariohysterectomy) at 6-7 months of age
• Males (Orchectomy) at 6-9 months of age

What is Feline Leukemia and How can I prevent it?

Feline Leukemia (FeLV) is an often-fatal, highly contagious virus, that results in cancer or severely lowered bodily resistance to disease. There is a vaccine that protects against FeLV, and can be given annually to at-risk cats. Those cats that are considered to be especially at-risk are outdoor cats, stray cats, and cats in multi-cat household where FeLV status is unknown.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners and Academy of Feline Medicine recommend the following when screening for FeLV:

• New cats or kittens should be tested before introduction into a multicat household.
  
  
• Test newly adopted cats or kittens, even if they are the only cats in the house. The strong emotional bond that forms between pet owners and pets justifies knowing FeLV status. Also, most cats do not remain the only cats in the household, so future exposure is likely. Even indoor cats may escape and expose other cats.
  
  
• Test cats in households where the FeLV status is unknown due to possible dormant status.
  
  
• Always test cats with potential exposure, regardless of previous test results, because the FeLV status can change.
  
  
• All ill cats should be tested, because FeLV has been associated with a variety of illnesses.
  
  
• Cats presented for FeLV vaccination should be tested beforehand because vaccination does not affect the carrier state or the development of the disease in cats with existing infection. Existing carriers remain an exposure risk after vaccination; an existing carrier can become ill and appear to be a vaccination failure.
  
  
• All FeLV-positive cats should be kept strictly indoors. This will avoid transmission of the virus to other cats.

Kittens can be tested at any age. FeLV vaccination does not interfere with FeLV diagnostic testing. No test is 100 percent accurate at all times; therefore, a critical decision about the care of a patient, whether healthy or ill, should never be based solely on a single test result. Any positive tests should be rechecked and confirmed before euthanasia is considered. FeLV-positive healthy cats may live for months or years.

All FeLV-positive cats should be kept strictly indoors. This will avoid transmission of the virus to other cats.