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 such as Feline Leukemia,
Feline Infectious Peritonitis, Rabies, and bacteria.
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.
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6-8 weeks a Physical exam, 1st FDRC vaccine, fecal analysis for intestinal parasites, and begin a deworming
program. Lab tests for viral screening is also recommended.
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10 weeks (9-11 weeks) a Physical exam, FDRC vaccine series and 1st Feline Leukemia vaccine. Viral screening
test is recommended if not previously done along with a fecal analysis and deworming.
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13 weeks (12-14 weeks) a Physical exam, FDRC and Feline Leukemia vaccines.
Also, a fecal analysis for intestinal parasites and a dewormer.
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19 weeks (19-21 weeks) a Physical exam, FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) vaccine, and a 2nd
Viral Screening test if indicated by the doctor. Rabies vaccination and fecal analysis.
- 20-24 weeks FIP vaccine (2nd of 2) by technician or given while here for spaying or neutering.
Rabies vaccine to protect against a fatal virus that affects humans as well as animals
Combination vaccine to protect against:
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Feline Panleukopenia (cat distemper, cat parvo), a potentially fatal gastroenteritis caused by a virus. This
virus is very contagious to other cats.
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Two Upper Respiratory diseases, Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus. These are contagious and can lead to chronic
respiratory and eye diseases.
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Chlamydia Psittaci (pneumonitis), which is typified by chronic conjunctivitis and mild rhinitis.
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Feline Leukemia Vaccine to protect against an often fatal, highly contagious virus that results in cancer
or severely lowered body resistance.
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Feline Infectious Peritonitis Vaccine to protect against fatal, untreatable viral disease most commonly
seen in cats that go outside.
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Stool analysis for Intestinal Parasites - common worms are Hookworms and Roundworms. This is 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 Screening is suggested yearly for older animals.
For females we recommend spay surgery at 6-7 months of age, and males may be neutered at 6-9 months of age.
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 recommends the following when screening for FeLV:
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New cats or kittens should be tested before introduction into a multicat household.
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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.
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Test cats in households where the FeLV status is unknown due to possible dormant status.
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Always test cats with potential exposure, regardless of previous test results, because the FeLV
status can change.
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All ill cats should be tested, because FeLV has been associated with a variety of illnesses.
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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.
