Author: catangel

QUESTION: I just rescued a four month old kitten from behind the building where I work. During his first vet visit, the kitty tested negative for Feline Leukemia but positive for FIV. He is a sweet gentle kitten, and I have already fallen in love with him. I have two FIV negative cats at home who get along well with each other, and I had planned to add this kitty as my third. I am getting some conflicting opinions about keeping this kitten because of his FIV status. Any advice?

ANSWER: How kind of you to take in this homeless kitty! After deciding to add him to your family, you must have been quite surprised to hear he tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), and your confusion about what to do next is a common feeling.

Cat Angel Network has often been in this same situation. A kitten or cat is surrendered, and the subsequent Combo test indicates an FIV+ response. When this first happened to us back in 1997 with a stray tortoiseshell kitten found in Pottstown, not much was known about this virus, but over the years the veterinary community has learned a great deal about it. And their latest information confirms what we have seen ourselves in over 18 years of fostering and adopting out FIV+ kitties. Here are the four guidelines we follow with cats testing positive for FIV, based on our experience and backed up by veterinary studies:

(1) All kittens under six months old need to be retested later because they often test a false positive. Cornell Feline Health Center (part of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine) reports in their online article “Feline Immunodeficiency Virus”:

“Infected mother cats transfer FIV antibodies to nursing kittens, so kittens born to infected mothers may receive positive test results for several months after birth. However, few of these kittens actually are or will become infected. To clarify their infection status, kittens younger than six months of age receiving positive results should be retested at 60-day intervals until they are at least six months old.”

(2) The virus is not as contagious as first thought, and properly introduced, friendly FIV positive kitties can live with negative cats with little risk. According to the Cornell Feline Health Center’s article:

“The primary mode of transmission is through bite wounds. Casual, non-aggressive contact does not appear to be an efficient route of spreading FIV; as a result, cats in households with stable social structures where housemates do not fight are at little risk for acquiring FIV infections.”

(3) The care recommended for these cats includes common sense practices that we have always advised for all our cats. The Cornell Feline Health Center recommends:

“FIV-infected cats should be confined indoors to reduce their exposure to infectious agents carried by other animals; FIV-infected cats should be spayed or neutered; They should be fed nutritionally complete and balanced diets.”

(4) It is wise to promptly take care of any health issues that are noticed in these cats. The Cornell Feline Health Center advises:

“Vigilance and close monitoring of the health and behavior of FIV-infected cats is even more important than it is for uninfected cats. Alert your veterinarian to any changes in your cat’s health as soon as possible.”

In our experience at Cat Angel Network with dozens of FIV+ cats, we have found that the vast majority of them live healthy and long lives. Almost all have lived to be over ten years old. The one health issue we have seen more frequently with these cats is a redness of the gums and mouth (stomatitis). This is a treatable condition that is best taken care of early (as it would be with cats who are FIV negative).
Our advice for your four month old kitten would be to have him retested after he is six months old. (All of the CAN kittens that were retested came up FIV negative on a later test). If your present two cats are not aggressive (typical play-fighting is not a risk, but only fights involving deep, penetrating bite wounds), and you introduce the new kitty slowly and carefully, with close supervision until all are comfortable with each other, we feel that you should not experience any difficulties.

We at CAN have a special place in our hearts for cats that test FIV+. They have lived for far too long under the stigma of these three letters, often the innocent victims of misinformation that has persisted from the past. One of CAN’s missions is to help spread the much more optimistic outlook presented by the latest results of veterinary studies. These cats need and deserve the same joys and comforts of life that rescue organizations like ours passionately seek for all of our feline friends!

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Quotes in this column are excerpted from the findings of the Cornell Feline Health Center (part of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine). The full article “Feline Immunodeficiency Virus” can be found online at http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc. Accessed April 2015.

QUESTION: I just adopted a kitty from your organization a short time ago. Although she snuggled with me and purred in the Adoption Center, now that she’s home she hides under the bed and hisses and growls at me. I am confused and upset by her behavior. I had hoped to have a loving, close relationship with my kitty, and she seems to want nothing to do with me. Help!

ANSWER: Your confusion and upset feelings are common and natural reactions for an adopter in the first days and weeks after adopting a new kitty. Expectations are high for the love affair to begin immediately or at least soon after the adoption. Cats, however, like many of us, need to have that love relationship built slowly, day after day, until they feel a safety in our presence that develops into trust and eventually blossoms into love.

There is a wonderful book for humans called “The Five Love Languages,” by Gary Chapman that provides understanding of what makes an individual person feel loved. Knowledge of what we can do on our part to have someone else feel safe, secure, and cherished improves relationships of all kinds, including with our pets.

We are often asked questions about how to do this by new cat adopters like you or those forming a relationship with a kitty who has little experience with humans. Each week we get phone calls about a newly adopted kitty or a stray. People ask how they can deal with a cat who is constantly hiding, hissing, or otherwise not “warming up” to his or her human. This is upsetting to the adopter or rescuer, as he or she will think, “She doesn’t like me,” or “He doesn’t like it here.” This is rarely the case.

Cats, as a species, are nervous about change. It is not the person or home they dislike but the unknown. They wonder, “Will I be safe here? Are the people and pets I am meeting friends or foes?” And we, on our part, are not really seeing the cats’ true personalities when they first enter our homes — we are seeing their fear. There are a number of things we can do to build a loving, trusting relationship with cats in this situation. So, based on our work with hundreds of cats, here is our version of Gary Chapman’s concepts, called “The Five FELINE Love Languages.”

One of Dr. Chapman’s human love languages is referred to as “Quality Time,” making sure you spend time doing things together that the other person enjoys. For a timid kitty, this translates to mean our spending quiet, calm time in her presence. This is not possible if the cat is given too much freedom at first and is running from hiding place to hiding place. A kitty suite should be set up before the cat’s arrival. This would be as small a room as possible, with a door, not gates. Powder rooms are ideal, though laundry rooms, offices, small bedrooms or even a large dog cage can be used. The important thing is that the cat has everything she needs in that space, including a hiding place that is readily accessible to you. We often use a cat carrier with a top that opens. Sitting in the room with the kitty while you are reading, knitting, etc., gets kitty used to your presence in a non-threatening way. Reading aloud in a soft voice is a great way to have kitty associate your voice with peace and comfort.

This leads into another love language. For humans it’s called “Words of Affirmation,” which involves speaking words of appreciation and gratitude. For cats, this affirmation can be non-verbal. Cats communicate with each other through eye contact. A stare is considered threatening, and if unbroken for a length of time, can result in one cat leaping on or attacking another because of the perceived threat. The opposite effect is achieved between cats by use of the “slow blink.” When one cat looks at another with soft eyes and slowly blinks, the other kitty often reciprocates with a slow blink. Try it with a nervous kitty – it works!

The third love language is called “Acts of Service.” Many spouses have discovered that anticipating the needs of the other and doing chores that need to be done, without being asked, is often the way to their mate’s heart! For cats, we know what they like and, for most cats, that’s interactive play. We may not always feel like waving that fishing pole toy around or flashing that laser light all over the room at the end of a long day, but we know cats love and need that outlet for their predatory nature. PLAY IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO BOND WITH SHY KITTIES! They forget their nerves and can’t resist getting involved with you. Each day brings more and more rewards as they look forward to the interactive playtime that they only get when you make the effort.

Love language #4 is self-explanatory — “Gifts.” With a new kitty, you want her to see you as the “bearer of all good things.” Every time you come into her room, good things appear. It is critically important that you bring her food to her in two separate meals so that she looks forward to its arrival (and yours!). The only exception would be if the kitty is underweight, ill, etc., and needs continual nourishment to build her up. Otherwise, she looks forward to getting her meal from you. Pick up uneaten food after a specified time so she is hungry and eager for your next appearance.

Gifts can also be anything from an elaborate cat tree because you know kitty likes to be “up high,” to toy mice and balls, down to the particular cat treats she can’t resist. Many a cat’s heart has been won through special foods or treats. Try tossing them within her grasp at first, and then throwing them closer and closer to you until kitty is voluntarily coming to your side. You may think of this as bribery or that the cat “loves the food and not me.” Consider the child whose grandmother always makes special favorite foods when the child comes over. Does the child just love the foods, or isn’t it true that the child adores grandma because he knows, through her gifts of food, that he is adored? ‘Nuff said — it affects cats the same way!

Last, but not least, is the language of physical touch. With a shy or frightened cat who is not yet touchable, slowly reaching toward the cat, with the palm of your hand facing downwards, gives the kitty a chance to gingerly stretch her nose toward your hand. If she is hissing or backing up instead, try leaving your hand next to her bowl when she comes to eat. Then try gently brushing the back of your hand against her cheek. A heavy duty pair of padded work gloves (cats love the feel of the suede ones) are invaluable in starting physical touch with a very scared cat who may bat at you. Once successful touching begins, you can progress to petting, scratches, brushing, etc. Your kitty will show you what she likes!

In the world of human relationships, we know that loving partnerships are built by our words and actions. “Love at first sight” tends to be “attraction at first sight,” and we learn that mature love requires effort. The same is true of our relationships with our pets. We may choose a pet because we are attracted to what he or she looks like, but love can’t grow until we get to know and trust each other day by day. Unlike dogs who may love people who neglect or mistreat them, cats are choosy about those they entrust with their love. We have to earn it, and by doing so, we find the love is all the sweeter for it.

And how do we know that our kitties love us in return? By their purrs (Words of Affirmation), wanting to be near us (Quality Time), rubbing, snuggling, and head butts (Physical Touch), keeping bugs and rodents under control (Acts of Service) and dead things left on our doorstep or the favorite toy dropped at our feet (Gifts)!

QUESTION: I consider myself to be a very responsible pet owner and try to give my cat the best of care. In the past I have sometimes rushed my cat to an emergency clinic only to discover that the problem was a minor issue. How do I know when my cat truly needs to be taken to the vet immediately, as opposed to waiting until the next day and seeing my regular vet? Going to an emergency vet clinic can be quite costly, but I don’t want to hesitate if there is a true crisis.

ANSWER: This is an excellent question and one that we often hear from our adopters and foster parents. Although minor ailments like the sniffles or sneezing can wait until the next day, some conditions need to be treated immediately, and hesitation of even a few hours can mean the difference between life and death. Knowing what signs to look for is crucial in determining when to seek emergency care for your cat. Below is a list of some of the most common cat emergencies and their signs. These “top five emergencies in cats” are condensed from an article on the website CatHealth.com.

1. Urethral Obstruction: This is a condition in which a cat, usually male, is unable to urinate due to a blockage in the urethra (the tube leading from the urinary bladder to the outside environment).

Cats will show a sudden onset of restless behavior which includes frequent trips in and out of the litter box. They will often attempt to urinate in unusual places such as in a bath tub or on a plastic bag. You may notice a very small stream of urine that contains blood. More often than not, despite a cat’s straining, there may be no urine or even just a drop produced. In later stages of the obstruction, cats may cry loudly, vomit, and become lethargic.

You should consider these signs a serious emergency and seek veterinary care immediately. There are reports of cats developing kidney failure and dying within 12 hours after the onset of signs. Expect your cat to be hospitalized at least 36 hours for treatment of this condition which may include a urinary catheter, intravenous fluids, and pain management. Female cats are less likely to become obstructed due to their wider urinary tract.

2. Toxicities (Poisoning): The combination of their curious nature and unique metabolism (the way their body breaks down chemicals) makes cats very vulnerable to toxins. Owners are often not aware that their home contains multiple products that are poisonous to their feline companions. The most common cat toxins include antifreeze, Tylenol, rat or mouse poison, and poisonous plants, such as lilies.
The signs your cat displays depend on what type of poison they have encountered. Antifreeze will often cause wobbliness or a drunken appearance first, and then progresses to vomiting/weakness as the kidneys fail. Tylenol may cause an unusual swelling of the head and changes the cat’s blood color from red to chocolate brown. Rat or mouse poison interferes with blood clotting so you may see weakness from internal blood loss or visible blood in urine or stool. Cats that are experiencing lily poisoning will often exhibit signs of depression, vomiting, diarrhea, and lack of appetite (anorexia).

3. Breathing Problems: Many times cats hide the signs of breathing problems by simply decreasing their activity. By the time an owner notices changes in the cat’s breathing, it may be very late in the progression of the cat’s lung disease. There are several causes of breathing changes but the most common are feline asthma, heart or lung disease.

4. Sudden inability to use the hind legs: Cats with some forms of heart disease are at risk for developing blood clots. Many times these clots can lodge in a large blood vessel called the aorta where they can prevent normal blood flow to the hind legs. If your cat experiences such a blood clotting episode (often called a saddle thrombus or thromboembolic episode), you will likely see a sudden loss of the use of their hind legs, painful crying, and breathing changes.

On arrival at the emergency room, your pet will receive pain management and oxygen support. Tests will be done to evaluate the cat’s heart and determine if there is any heart failure (fluid accumulation in the lungs). Sadly, such an episode is often the first clue for an owner that their cat has severe heart disease. In most cases, with time and support, the blood clot can resolve, but the cat’s heart disease will require life-long treatment.

5. Sudden Blindness: A sudden loss of vision is most likely to occur in an older cat. The most common causes are increased blood pressure (hypertension) that may be due to changes in thyroid function (hyperthyroidism) or kidney disease. There are some cats that appear to have hypertension with no other underlying disease.

Sudden blindness should be treated as an emergency and your veterinarian will measure your cat’s blood pressure, check blood tests, and start medications to try to lower the pressure and restore vision.

Anytime you notice a change in your cat’s eyes, whether they lose vision or not, you should consider this an emergency and have your pet seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Although these are listed as the “top five emergencies,” there are other conditions that can be life-threatening. Knowing your own cat and his or her typical behavior is the best way of ensuring that you will notice something that is outside the norm. Calling your vet with the symptoms will give you the proper guidance as to how you can proceed to safeguard the well-being of your beloved companion.