The World of Computer Software/World_Of_Computer_Software-02-387-Vol-3of3.iso/c/catfaq.zip/CATFAQ.TXT

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Subject: rec.pets.cats FAQ (part 1/4)
From: [e-mail] (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Date: 19 Feb 1993 06:02:21 GMT
Followup-To: poster
Summary: This is a periodically posted FAQ on the care and handlingof cats.  It
is in three parts.
Lines: 1339

Version: 1.7
Last-modified: 21 January 1993
Periodicity: 20 days

This is the first part of the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) List
for rec.pets.cats.  It is posted every twenty days: updates,
additions, and corrections (including attributions) are always
welcome: send email to one of the addresses below.

Copies of this FAQ may be obtained by anonymous ftp to pit-manager.mit.edu
(18.172.1.27) under /pub/usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/*.  Or send email to
[e-mail] with

send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part1
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part2
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part3
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part4

in the body of the message to have all parts emailed to you (leave the
subject line empty).

Substantial changes.

^L
--MORE--(2%)                              TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Part 1)
   Prologue.

   I.  GETTING A CAT
       A.  What Kind of Cat?
       B.  Where?
       C.  Veterinarians.
       D.  Young Kittens.
       E.  Introducing Cats to Other Pets.
       F.  Handling Your Cat.

  II.  BASIC CAT CARE
       A.  Cat Food.
       B.  Diets, inc. Vegetarian Diets.
       C.  Litter.
       D.  Dental Care.
       E.  Trimming Claws.
       F.  Grooming.
       G.  Bathing.
       H.  Pills, Dosing, and Medication.
       I.  Worms.
       J.  Fleas.
       K.  Poisons.
(Part 2)
       L.  Vaccination and Worming Schedule.
       M.  What Your Vet Should Check.
       N.  My Cat is Sick, Should I Take It To the Vet?
       O.  Disease Transmission (Zoonoses).
       P.  Toxoplasmosis (when you are pregnant and own a cat).

 III.  MEDICAL INFORMATION
       A.  In General.
       B.  Aging.
       C.  Cat Allergies.
       D.  Declawing.
       E.  Diabetes.
       F.  Diarrhea.
       G.  Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV, Feleuk).
       H.  FIV.
       I.  Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).
       J.  Feline Rhinotraecheitis.
       K.  Feline Urinary Syndrome (FUS).
       L.  Neutering.
       M.  Skin Problems.
       N.  Thyroid Problems.
       O.  Vomiting.

(Part 3)

  VI.  PROBLEM BEHAVIORS (INSIDE)
       A.  In General.
       B.  Plants.
       C.  Spraying.
       D.  Scratching.
       E.  Housebreaking.
       F.  Escaping.
       G.  Drape/Curtain Climbing.
       H.  Cord (and Other) Chewing.
       I.  Biting.
       J.  Garbage.
       K.  Counters.
       L.  Early AM Wakeups.
       M.  Toilet Paper.
       N.  Splashing Water.
       O.  Ripping Carpet.
       P.  Closet Antics.

   V.  PROBLEM BEHAVIORS (OUTSIDE)
       A.  In General.
       B.  Noise.
       C.  Your Garden.
       D.  Local "Attack" Cats.
       E.  Your Birdfeeder.

  VI.  ENTERTAINMENT
       A.  Scratching Posts.
       B.  Catnip and Valerian.
       C.  Other Toys.
       D.  Playing.

 VII.  CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS
       A.  A New Baby.
       B.  Travel.
       C.  International Travel.
       D.  Moving.
       E.  Vacations.

VIII.  OTHER TOPICS
       A.  Removing Urine Odor.
       B.  Cat Owner Allergies.
       C.  Cats and Water.
       D.  Indoor and Outdoor Cats.
       E.  Catching Feral Cats.
       F.  Finding a Home for a Cat.
       G.  Dealing with Landlords.
       H.  Pet Insurance.
(Part 4)
       I.  Cat Genetics and Coloring.
       J.  Cat Safety in the House.
       K.  Pet Identification.
       L.  Do All Cats Purr?
       M.  Other Cats in the Cat Family.
       N.  Clever Hiding Places At Home.
       O.  Invisible Fences.
       P.  Non-Poisonous Plants.
       Q.  Finding a Lost Cat.
       R.  Cat Static.

  IX.  RESOURCES
       A.  Electronic Mailing Lists.
       B.  Literary.
       C.  Books.
       D.  Articles.
       E.  Catalogues.



Prologue.

Rec.pets.cats is a newsgroup devoted to domestic feline issues.  The
group has been characterized as friendly and helpful.  Flamewars are
limited to two, possibly three, topics: cats on vegetarian diets,
declawing cats, and sometimes whether to keep cats indoor only or
allow them outdoors as well.  New readers are advised against starting
these topics up.  The facts pertaining to each of those topics, as
well as many others, are in this document.

This newsgroup was formed in the summer of 1991.  It is a splinter
groups from rec.pets, which originally carried the feline topics.  Adi
Inbar and others initially proposed the split, and Inbar collected the
votes, which proved enough for its official creation.

My thanks to Robin Bush for providing the initial push to put this FAQ
together.  My thanks also to the following people who contributed
topics and material to put this FAQ together: Ann Adamcik, Annick
Ansselin, Rona Bailey, Michael Barnett, Kathy Beatty, Sally C. Bemus,
Jon Berger, Lisa Berkenbilt, Harlan B. Braude, Carol A. Buckner, Robin
Bush, Jack Campin, Barbara Carlson, Teresa C.D. Carstensen, Mark
Chadwick, Catharine Chalek, Paul Chapin, Gayle Chidester, Janet
Christian, Joni Ciarletta, Linda Cornell, Ruth Croxford, Carol C.
Denehy, Diana (CatWoman), Jean Marie (Ambar) Diaz, Denise DiGiovanni,
Debbie Douglass, Pam Draper, Dick Dunn, Ann-Cathrin Englund, Nancy
Feagans, Karen Fegley, Sandra F. Feldman, Jamie Ferguson, Cristina
Ferla, Ted Feuerbach, Sandy Fifer, Cliff Frost, Chris Galas, Michael
Gemar, Sally George, Michael Gerlek, Margaret D. Gibbs, Kathleen
Gittel, Diane Gibson, W.K. Gorman, Caroline Granzeau, Jerome Grimmer,
D. Dale Gulledge, David H., Pam Hassell, Leslianne Heimbeck, Ceci
Henningsson/Klussmann, Marsha Jo Hanna, Patty Hansen, Vicki Holzhauer,
Sharon Hope, Stephen Hutchinson, Marianne S. Jocha, Deirdre A.
Johnson, Jennifer L. Johnson, Laura Johnson, Valerie Johnston, Jay
Kadis, Kate (and Ebony), Teresa C. Kelly, Joyce L. King, Ms. Kitty,
Kay Klier, Eunyoung Koh, David Kosenko, Jon Krueger, Karen Kruger, Amy
Kurtzman, Angi Lamb, Marie Lamb, Tracey Dianne Layng, Jane Lecher,
Kristen Lepa, Dave Libershal, Ann Lindstrom, Betty R. Lipkin, Joann
Loos, Sandra Loosemore, Terry Lundgren, Jill McAllister, Bill
McCormick, Rudolph T. Maceyko, Steven Matheson, Chris Mauritz,
[e-mail], Debbie Millard, Carol Miller-Tutzauer, Ruth Milner,
Anne P. Mitchell, Don Montgomery, Pauline M. Muggli, Linda Mui, J.B.
Nicholson-Owens, Carla Oexmann, Didi Pancake, Jeff Parke, Pamela
Pincha-Wagener, Randy Price, Lisa Purvis, Thomas Oates, Lianne Raley,
Steve Reinhardt, Eric D. Remington, Elisabeth Riba, Aristea Rizakos,
Ann Roberts, Roger Rosner, Gary Sarff, Jane Schreiber, Jen Schmidt,
Deb Schwartz, Elizabeth Schwartz, Paul Silver, Maureen Smith, Michele
Smith, Steve Snyder, Debbie Spark, Paul Spencer, Catharine (Cat)
Stanton, Larisa Stephan, Sheryl Stover, Lon Stowell, Cyndie
Sutherland, Lilly Tao, David Thomas, Kristin J. Thommes, "Trish,"
[e-mail], Carolyn Waite, John Werner, Ferrell S.
Wheeler, Christine White, Robyn E. Williamson, Jean Wilson, Julie
Wolfenden, Pamela Blalock Wybieracki, Frank Yellin, Rich Young, and
Cindy Zimmerman.

Extra thanks to Jon Krueger for extensive editorial comments with the
first version.

NB: Some common abbreviations:

DSH: Domestic Short Hair (just about any short haired cat)
DLH: Domestic Long Hair

I.  GETTING A CAT

A.  What Kind of Cat?

There are many kinds of cats, but cats are unlike dogs in that the
amount of variation in breeds is small.  There are some (occasionally
stereotypic) characteristics of some breeds, such as Siamese cats
being noisy and Maine Coon cats being big and friendly.  By and large,
however, cats will vary independently of their pedigree in
temperament.

Some people wonder whether they should get a kitten or an older cat.
There are advantages with older cats.  Kittens require more care and
watching over, they may not have the litter box down yet, and they go
through a wild phase at around 6 months of age when they are
unstoppable bundles of energy.  Since kittens are terminally cute,
prospective cat owners often choose a kitten for a new cat.
Nevertheless, do not overlook the benefits of an adult cat.

Many people recommend getting two cats instead of one.  A single cat
can get lonely and bored.  Two cats keep each other company,
especially during the day while you're away.  They tend to get into
less trouble.  And they're fun to watch together.

B.  Where?

1.  Animal shelters

The animal shelter is a good place to pick up a cat and save it from
death in the bargain.  Look for a clean, healthy cat.  Look for signs
of friendliness and liveliness.  Talk with the people caring for the
animals for any information on a particular animal they can give you.

2.  Private parties

People who have unplanned litters will advertise their kittens in the
paper.  These can be another good source.

3.  Breeders

If you plan to show your cat, find a reputable breeder.  Do not use
newspaper recommendations.  Attend cat shows instead and talk to the
owners there.  Or look for breeder advertisements in magazines like
Cat Fancy.  When you meet breeders, look for people that seem more
concerned with the welfare of their cats than the amount of money
they're making.  Look for ones raising the kittens "underfoot" and
around people.

4.  Pet Stores

Don't buy pet store animals.  These are often obtained from "kitten
mills", where animals are poorly treated and bred (and bred and bred)
for profit.  By buying from the store, you are supporting these mills
and adding to the pet population problem.  Pet store employees are
commonly instructed to tell customers that the kittens were obtained
from local breeders when they were not.  It is further suggested that
you don't even patronize such stores.  Take your business to stores
that sell pet supplies only, no puppies or kittens.

C.  Veterinarians.

1.  Why you must have a vet

Before you even bring your new cat home, take it to the vet you have
already selected.  Never, never, never get a cat without prior
budgeting for vet visits.  Do not think that you can get a cat and
never see the vet.  Annual shots and examinations are a must for
keeping your cat healthy; certain vaccinations are required by
law in different areas.

If you cannot afford veterinary care for a cat, you should not get
one.  Normal veterinary care: yearly shots and boosters, initial tests
for worms, and examination for typical diseases as needed will run
about US$100 a year.  This, of course, depends on your vet and on the
health of your cat.  Preventive and consistent care is less expensive
in the long run.

2.  Choosing a vet

Choose a vet who you are comfortable with and who will answer your
questions.  Check out the office: do animals seem just frightened or
are they also out of control?  Is it bedlam, or reasonable for the
number of different animals there?  Do you have local recommendations
from friends?  Does the vet specialize in small animals as opposed
to, say, livestock?

3.  24 hour emergency care

A good vet will either be associated with a 24 emergency care plan or
be able to give you the number of a good place in your area.  Keep
this number on your refrigerator and check with your vet when you
visit that it's still up-to-date.

4.  Fecal samples

Any time you bring your cat to the vet, try to bring a fresh fecal
sample.  Put a small, fingernail-sized sample into a plastic bag, or
ask your vet for a supply of fecal samplers.  The vet cannot always
get a fecal sample from the cat, and this saves you extra trips to
return the sample and then bring the cat in if the tests are positive.

5.  Cat reactions

Cats largely dislike being taken to the vet.  They hate riding in the
car, and the smell of fear and other animals in the office will
further distress them.  Get a pet carrier.  A plain cardboard one will
do for infrequent trips; get a stronger fiberglass one for more travel
or destructive cats. Carriers keep your cat under control at the vet's
and prevent accidents in the car en route.  Popular suggestions to
reduce your cat's anxiety during vet visits:

  * Make sure to drive your cat around (WITHOUT going to the vet) to
    get it used to the car.
  * Use the relaxant acepromazine.
  * Find a "cats only" vet.
  * Find a vet who will make housecalls.
  * Keep your cat away from dogs in the waiting room.
  * Keep your cat in a pillowcase rather than a carrier or box.

6.  Further steps

From kittenhood, accustom your cat to being handled.  Look into its
ears (clean, white and light pink), eyes (clear, no runniness, inner
eyelids may blink but should remain open), nose (clean and pink (or
its normal color) and mouth (clean, light pink gums) regularly.  Hold
it still and look at its anus; pick up its paws and look at the pads
and claws.  This will have the added benefit that you will notice any
changes from normal quickly and be able to call up your vet if
something is wrong.

Do arrange for the kitten to meet plenty of people; this will
socialize your cat and it will not hide from people when adult.

7.  Vet bills

You should be prepared to handle routine costs from year to year
incurred by yearly physical exams, occassional fecal samples (and
worming medication), plus yearly vaccinations.  However, accidents and
major illnesses can happen.  Sometimes, pet health care insurance
is one way people use to control these costs.  Other times you might
try vet schools which may give you reduced rates for their students
to have the opportunity to work with your cat, especially if the
problem is rare or uncommon.

You might be able to negotiate a monthy payment toward a large bill,
or a slightly reduced one in exchange for a bit of labor or other work
(for example, one accountant prepared his vet's taxes in exchange
for reducing the cost of surgery that his dog had had).

The humane society may know of lower-cost clinics or vets who are
prepared to cut prices for people who are not particularly well off.
It can't hurt to call around and ask.

But as other posters have mentioned, being a vet is a business, too,
and vets tend not to have high incomes.  They also have many of the
same expenses as an MD (equipment, office staff) and the additional
expenses of running their own pharmacy (and animal medicine is just
as expensive as people medicine).

D.  Young Kittens.

They need shots for distemper, rabies, FVRCP (Feline Viral
Rhinotracheitis, Calici, Panleukopenia -- various respiratory
diseases) and tetanus at an early age.  They should also be tested for
Feline Leukemia and given vaccinations for that, especially if they
will come into contact with other cats.  Generally, a very young cat
doesn't need the full run of an entire house.  Use your judgement, but
leaving it in one room until it is a little older can save both of you
some anxiety.  A kitten will need a different diet than an adult; most
brands of cat food will give you "kitten food" versions.

Ideally, kittens should not be separated from their mother until they
are at least 8 weeks old. In other countries, such as Sweden, the
recommendation is that the kittens be at least 10 and ideally 12 weeks
old before separation.  This has to do with getting passive immunity
from the mother's milk and psychological readiness to leave the
litter.

Most kittens will understand how to use the litter box.  Usually their
mother teaches them, but they will pick it up easily on their own.  If
you have a too-young cat, you can teach it by confining it to one room
so that access to the litter box is easy and putting it in the litter
box after feeding.

You might wind up with kittens too young to have been separated from
their mother for whatever reason.  Consult your vet for advice and
help.  You will need to provide a warm draft-free area and use
something like KMR (kitten milk replacement) for food, using an
eyedropper.

E.  Introducing Cats to Other Pets.

You may need to introduce a cat to other pets.  The key to this is
patience.  It may take several weeks to a month to achieve desired
results; it may take overnight.  Do not give up and don't lose your
temper.

It depends on the temperament and ages of the animals involved.  In
most cases, you can simply introduce them, let them work it out, and
after a week or so, things are fine.  However, sometimes this is a
lengthy process that you will have to work through.  In general,
this will work:

  Put the cat in its own room, where the original pet can smell it,
  but not see it. After a day or so of this, remove the cat from the
  room and let the original pet smell and explore the room thoroughly.
  Put the cat back in.  Depending on the reactions involved, let the
  cat out and meet the original pet under supervision.  If there is
  some hostility, separate them while you are gone until you are
  certain that they get along.  It is best if you can arrange a
  "retreat" for each animal.

You can modify the length of time and amount of supervision as you see
how two cats react.  Some forms of cat playing can appear hostile but
are not.  Look at the ears for a clue (standing up or forward when
grappling is trouble, flat back when standing and staring is also
trouble).  If the fighting immediately stops when one yelps or
squeaks, they're OK.

A puppy introduced to a cat will quickly view it as another sort of
dog and leave it alone or, more often, want to play with it.  The cat
will view the dog as a nuisance for some time, but will eventually
learn to ignore it or even to play with it.  Introducing a kitten to
an older dog will depend on the dog's temperament.  Many dogs are good
with cats, such as Labs or Newfies, and will present no problems
whatsoever.  Other dogs may need to be taught to leave the kitten
alone.  Soon enough, the kitten will be able to get up out of the
dog's reach when it wants to be left alone.  Providing the cat with a
place the dog can't get to is always helpful.  This can be achieved by
placing a childproof fence in the door of a room high enough for the
cat to get under but not for the dog.  Do trim the cat's claws to
minimize damage to the dog's nose.

According to humane society studies, some combinations of
animals that tend to work best:

  * two kittens
  * a mature kitten and a puppy
  * a pair of mature neutered animals
  * two cats
  * two dogs

The humane society discourages introducing a male cat into a household
of two or more female cats.  Even if all the animals are neutered, you
could have problems.  Never try to introduce two un-neutered male
cats.  Female animals tend to be more gracious toward any newcomer,
especially if they are spayed.  Introducing a puppy or kitten into a
household with an elderly animal already present can be stressful to
the older animal.

F.  Handling Your Cat.

1.  Normally

Never lift your cat up by the scruff of the neck, even when it is a
kitten.  Leave that to the mother cat.  When you pick up a cat,
support its hind legs with one hand and hold the chest with the other
hand.  This is a stable position that affords the cat some purchase
with its feet.  In general, let go of a cat when it wants down; by
doing so you teach it that being held is not being trapped and you
will soon have a cat that does not mind being held.  (Laps work the
same way; don't try and hold a cat to your lap and it will eventually
enjoy lying there.)

2.  To restrain it

Sometimes you will want to restrain it.  There are a number of ways to
do this, but most of them focus on keeping the claws out of your way
and require a helping hand.

You can lay the cat on its sides and hold each set of legs with each
hand.  Elevate the legs slightly (as if you were rolling it on its
back).  You may need to watch for biting.  Roll your hand or arm under
its chin to prevent this.  This may loosen the grip on the front
claws; you'll have to decide which presents more danger.  A helper can
now look at the cat.

You can wrap the cat in a towel (but this presents difficulties if you
want to get at part of the cat covered by the towel).

You can utilize the reflex triggered by firmly holding the scruff of
its neck (do NOT lift it up!).  This will cause most cats to sit very
still, but may not be sufficient for some cats or for high stress
situations.

You can also get a cardboard cat carrier and (if possible) put the cat in
the carrier and brace the carrier against your knees.  The cat will back up
to the corner in the carrier; grasp the cat firmly on the nape of the neck
and hold on (if someone can help you, have the person grasp the nape and
the butt of the cat, holding it in the box).


II.  BASIC CAT CARE

A.  Cat Food.

1. Premium cat food

Although more expensive than average brands, these foods are often
better for your cat.  They are low-bulk, which means that cats will
digest more of the food, thus eating and eliminating less.  They
contain little or no dyes, which can be important if your cat vomits
regularly (easier to clean up); probably also good from a diet
viewpoint.

Examples of these kind of brands include Hill's Science Diet, Iams,
Wysong, Nature's Recipe (Optimum Feline), and Purina (One).  These
foods are also beneficial for the cats coats and many readers have
attested to their cat's silky fur on these diets.

2. Cat food composition

The Guaranteed Crude analysis provides more nutrition info than you
can get on the vast majority of human foods.  If you want more, ask
the vendor.  E.g. Purina is 800-345-5678.  Any major commercial cat
food is formulated with either natural ingredients (including meat
byproducts which supply nutrients to cats that meat itself doesn't
since cats in the wild eat the whole animal) or are supplemented with
the required nutrients to make them balanced diets for cats.

3.  Wet foods

Canned foods contain quite a bit of water.  It is expensive. Tartar
build-up may be a problem.  Smell (of the food, the cat's breath, or
the cat's feces) and gas may be a problem.  The food can spoil
quickly.  The dishes will have to be washed every day.  Stools will be
softer.  On the other hand, cats that have medical conditions
requiring higher water intake may benefit from the water in these
products.

4.  Dry foods

Cats will require more water on this kind of diet, but tartar-buildup
may be lessened as a result of crunching on the kibble.  Generally
less expensive and less smelly.  Dishes will remain clean and food
will not build up nor spoil quickly.  Stools will be firmer.

5.  Moist foods

These are "soft kibble".  The benefits are difficult to ascertain.
They are more appealing to humans than anything else.  There is no
anti-tartar benefit and not much difference from canned food.  They
are fairly expensive.  Some are actually bad for your cat: proylene
glycol found in these products (as a preservative) can damage red
blood cells and sensitize the cats to other things as well.  (Source:
August 1992 edition of _Cats Magazine_.)

6.  Snack foods

Many snack products are out there for cats.  Most are fine as
supplemental feeding, but of course they should never take place of
regular food.  In addition, these products can be useful in training.

7.  Milk

Most adult cats are lactose intolerant and drinking milk will give
them diarrhea.  Otherwise, milk is a nutritious snack.

Cream is even better than milk -- most cats can handle the butterfat
just fine and it's good for them.  A small serving of cream will
satisfy the cat more than a saucer of milk and will contain less
lactose.

8.  Homemade Food.

Check Frazier's _The New Natural Cat_.  She gives a number of recipies
and general information on making your own catfood and on what foods
are good for sick cats.

A number of cat books contain recipies for making your own
supplemental snack food.  These can be fun to make and give to your
cat.

9.  "People Food."

It is a poor idea to feed cats table scraps or food from your own
meals.  First, table scraps do not meet your cat's nutritional needs
and only add unneeded calories or undigestibles to its diet.  Second,
you risk having your cat become a major nuisance when you are eating.
Stick with prepared cat treats.  Any food you give it should be placed
in its food dish, or you can give it treats as long as you are not
eating or preparing your own food.

That said, there is a pretty wide variety of food that cats will eat
and enjoy.  Rec.pets.cats abounds with "weird food" stories ranging
from peanut butter to marshmallows.

10.  "Cat Grass."

Cats benefit from some vegetable matter in their diet.  When devouring
prey, the intestines, along with anything in them, will also be eaten.
Many owners grow some grass for their cats to munch on, both for a
healthy diet, and to distract them from other household plants!

In general, seeds that are OK to grow and give to your cats (but do
not use treated seeds, identifiable by a dyed red, blue or awful green
color): oats (cheap, easy, big), wheat (not wheatgrass) Japanese
barnyard millet, bluegrass, fescue, rye (but beware of ergot, which is
a fungal infection and produces LSD-like chemicals), ryegrass (annual
ryegrass is cheap and easy to grow, but small), alfalfa sprouts or
bean sprouts in SMALL amounts (these have anti- protein compounds that
reduce the protein value of other things fed to the animal (or
human!)).

Seeds that are NOT okay: sorghum or sudangrass, which have cyanogenic
glycosides, and can cause cyanide poisoning.  These are commonly found
in bird seed and look like smallish white, yellow, orangish, or
reddish BB's, or the shiny black, yellow or straw colored glumes may
be intact.

11.  Dog food

Dog food is not suitable for cats since it does not have the correct
balance of nutrients.  Cats need much more fat and protein than dogs
do.

B.  Diets, inc. Vegetarian Diets.

You can feed your cat in one of two ways.  One is to put down a set
amount of food at specific times of the day.  This is necessary if the
food will spoil (canned food, for example) or if your cat will
overeat.  Some cats *do* overeat, do not be surprised if this is your
situation.  Put it on a fixed schedule to avoid weight problems.  Do
*not* assume a cat will only eat what it needs: if it starts putting
on too much weight (check with your vet), give it two feedings a day,
putting down half the recommended daily amount each time.  The other
method (called "free-feeding") is to leave food available all the
time.  The food must be dry to avoid spoilage.  There is no preference
between the two; it will depend on your cat and the food you give it.

You may need to change your cat's diet for any number of reasons.
Often, you will find that your cat refuses the new food.  Don't worry.
Leave food out and keep it fresh until your cat is hungry enough to
eat it.  Your cat will not be harmed by several days of low food
intake: as a carnivore, it is biologically adapted to going without
food for several days between kills.  If you give in to its refusal to
eat the provided food, your cat has just trained *you* to feed it what
it wants.

If you need to decrease the total amount of food the cat normally
eats, the best way to do this is to reduce the amount of food
gradually.  This way, you don't have an upset cat after it's meal.

If you have a cat that bolts its food down (and throws it back up),
you can slow its eating down by placing several one to two inch
diameter clean rocks in its food bowl.  Picking the food out will
slow it down.  Be sure the rocks aren't so small it could eat them
by accident.

If you have multiple cats, and one of them requires special food (from
medical to weight-loss diets), then you must go to a fixed feeding
schedule to ensure that that cat not only gets the food, but doesn't
get any other food.  If you have been free-feeding, switch them over.
Don't put out any food the first morning; that evening, put out the
dishes and supervise the cats.  They will most likely be hungry and
eat most of the food.  Take the dishes up after 1/2 hour or so and
wait until morning.  Thereafter, remain on the morning/night- or even
just night- scheduled feedings and your cats will adapt quickly
enough.  If you have trouble with one cat finishing quickly and going
over to feed on other cats' food, you will have to put them in
separate rooms while feeding.

As for vegetarian diets, cats require the aminosulfonic acid taurine,
which is unavailable in natural vegetable except for trace
concentrations in some plant sources like pumpkin seeds; not enough to
do a cat any good.  Lack of taurine can cause blindness or even death
by cardiomyopathy.  There are also a few other similar nutrients, such
as arachidonic acid (a fatty acid only found in animals), but taurine
is the most widely known.

Some small manufacturers claim to have produced synthetically-based
supplements that when combined with an appropriately balanced
all-vegetable diet will provide the complete nutrition required by
cats.

No one has been able to find studies which demonstrate that cats which
eat such a diet over the long term stay healthy.

Some references (books, articles, and mail-order companies) are
included at the end of the FAQs.

C.  Litter.

1. Kinds of Litter

There are various kinds of litter available.

  * The traditional clay based litter is the most common.  This is
composed of clay particles that will absorb urine.  In general, you
need to scoop out solid matter regularly, and change the litter
entirely once a week or so.  Variations on clay particles include
green pellets (resembling rabbit food) or shredded cedar (like hamster
bedding).

  * There is an expensive cat litter available that solidifies urine
    into little balls.  This way, the urine can be scooped out along
    with the feces.  In theory, you never need to change the litter
    again, you only add a little more to replace the loss to cleaning
    out the urine and feces (which offsets the initial cost).
    Sometimes the clumps break apart and there are some "extra strong"
    varieties to address this problem.  The litter is sandy and tracks
    rather easily.  Some cats seem to develop diarrhea with this
    litter; some people are rather allergic to the very fine dust from
    this type of litter.

  * There is a non-sandy clumping litter called "Booda's Ultra Clump";
    a drawback includes the clumps sticking to the pan itself (baking
    soda, pan liners, or small amounts of sandy clumping litter will
    remedy this).  But it eliminates the tracking problems of the
    sandy kind of clumping litter.  (It looks like regular clay-based
    litter.)

  * 4060 grade sandblasting grit made out of corncobs is an
    inexpensive alternative to clay-based clumping litter.  It clumps
    as well as the flushable kind of clumping litter, and also smells
    better. It isn't available in all areas.  In Ohio, The Anderson's
    General Store chain carries it for around US$10 for a 50 lb.  bag,
    comparable to plain clay-based litter.

  * Coarse corncob litter (commonly sold as "animal bedding and
    litter" by pet suppliers) about the size of peas, can be used.
    This is used in conjunction with a litter pan that has a screen
    and a drain pan underneath, into which the urine drains (and feces
    are removed as normal).  It is almost completely dust free, unlike
    clay-based litters.

  * "Good Mews."  It is pelletized organic cellulose fiber ("scented
    with cedar oil--a natural flea and tick repellent"). It absorbs up
    to 1-1/2 its weight in water.  According to reports, it is not
    dusty, sweeps up/cleans up easily, does not track, and does not
    cling to the tray when moist.

  * There is at least one brand of litter that is intended for
    multiple cat households.  This is Max Cat's Multi Cat.  Reports
    are that it pretty much works as advertised.  This is a clay-based
    litter. Another way to control strong ammonia smells is to mix
    baking soda in with the litter.

  * A litter called "PineFresh" is a natural pine wood litter that
    comes in little pellets.  The pellets disintegrate in the urine
    and solid waste is scooped out.  It's a bit expensive, plusses are
    described as: you don't have to change the litter as often
    provided the solid waste is cleaned out daily and the
    disintegrated stuff is sifted out twice a week.  There is
    virtually no odor and no dust and it comes with a money back
    guarantee.  It flushes just fine down non-septic systems.  The
    product is manufactured by: Cansorb Industries 555 Kesler Road
    Cleveland, NC 27013.

  * Plain sawdust or wood shavings can be used as litter.  Some cats
    may not like it, since it doesn't absorb as well and may feel wet.
    But it is very cheap.  Take care not to use cedar shavings.

Some cats seem to prefer certain kinds of litter over others, you may
need to experiment.

3.  Disposal

When disposing of litter, it is best to wrap it up in two bags and tie
securely, for the benefit of the garbage collectors.  For disposal of
solid matter, it is best to put it in the trash in a bag as well.
Some people flush solid matter, but be aware that septic tanks will
not do well with clay litter pieces (even the small amount clinging to
scooped items).  Clumping litter is supposed to be flushable, except
with septic tanks.

Do not use kitty litter as a fertilizer in your garden.  It is not a
manure since cats are not vegetarians and should not be used as such.
It can be incredibly stinky, can attract neighborhood cats, and
there's a chance that it would be unhealthy for your plants and for
you (if you eat fruits/vegetables which were fertilized by it).  Keep
in mind that when an outdoor cat "uses" your garden, it usually
varies its poop-place and so there's not a concentration of feces,
whereas if you dump litter, it's usually concentrated in a single
spot.

4.  Litter boxes

Cats can be fussy about the cleanliness of their litter box.  Many
people scoop solid matter out on a daily basis.  If a cat is
displeased with the litter box for a variety of reasons ranging from
cleanliness to the type of litter used, it may well select another
spot in your house more to its liking!

Litter boxes are shallow plastic pans.  Some cats have a tendency to
scatter litter outside the box when they bury their stool.  This can
be solved by getting a cover for the cat box, commonly available at
pet stores.  Another way to minimize litter tracking is to put a rug,
especially a soft rubber one, just outside the litter box.

For easier litter-changing, some owners will use litter box liners.
Some cats rip these while burying their feces; if the problem
persists, just don't use liners.

To contain litter tracked outside the box, it is often worthwhile to
put the litter pan in a larger shallow cardboard box that will collect
most of the litter stuck to the cat's paw pads when it jumps out.
Keep the area around the litter box as clean and free from spilled
litter as you can.  This helps the cat distinguish from outside and
inside the litter box.  Guess what can happen if this distinction is
not clear.

If you have multiple cats you may have to put out several litterboxes.
If you have a young cat and a large house, you will either need to
place several litterboxes down so that there will be one near enough
at any point or you will have to confine the young cat to an area of
the house within easy reach of the litter box.

Disinfect the the litter box and top (if any) on a regular basis to
prevent illness and disease.  Bleach is a good disinfectant around
cats, although you should be sure to rinse thoroughly and air out all
the fumes.  Do NOT use pine-oil based cleaners as these are toxic to
cats.

5.  Toilets

It is possible to train a cat to use the toilet rather than a litter
box.  One book is _How to Toilet Train Your Cat: 21 days to a
litter-free home_ by Paul Kunkel, published by Workman Publishing, 708
Broadway, New York, NY 10003, and simultaneously published in Canada
by Thomas Allen and Son Publishing (no address given).  ISBN no.
0-89480-828-1.  Cost, $5.95.

The cat must be well trained to the litter box first.  Move the litter
box into the bathroom next to the toilet.  Little by little (2 inches
every two days) raise the litter box until the bottom of the litter
box is at the level of the toilet (seat down, lid raised).  Then
slowly move the litter box over to the top of the toilet.  This
accustoms the cat to jumping UP to the toilet to eliminate.  When the
cat is comfortable with this, cover the toilet (under the seat) with
strong plastic wrap like Saran wrap and fill the middle with litter.
Decrease the amount of litter until the cat is peeing into the plastic
and then make a hole in the middle of the plastic so the cat gets used
to the sound of urine and stool hitting the water.  Sooner or later
you eliminate the plastic.

6.  Placement of litter box

Beyond making the litter box readily accessible to your cat, there is
some consideration as to an aesthetically pleasing placement.  Utility
closets that the cat can always access are useful.  Laundry rooms work
well, bathrooms less well (especially in guest bathrooms).  One
suggestion was to build a chest with an entrance at one end big enough
to contain the cat box.  The chest can be displayed like furniture and
yet be discreet.  If you can't build a chest yourself, it should be
relatively easy to saw an opening in the side of a pre-made chest.

D.  Dental Care.

1.  Tartar buildup

Cats, like humans, have tartar buildup on their teeth called plaque.
An accumulation of plaque can lead to peridontal (gum) problems, and
the eventual loss of teeth.  Plaque is a whitish-yellow deposit.  Cats
seem to accumulate plaque primarily on the exterior face of their
upper teeth.  Reddened gum lines can indicate irritation from plaque.

Some cats are more prone to plaque buildup than others. Some never
need dental care, others need to have their teeth cleaned at regular
intervals.  Many vets encourage you to bring your cat in annually for
teeth cleaning, using a general anesthetic.  The cost, which can be
considerable, and the risk of the anesthesia itself are both good
incentives for doing some cat dental care at home.

If you must have the vet clean your cat's teeth, see if your vet is
willing to try a mild sedative (rather than putting the cat under
entirely) first when cleaning the teeth.  If your cat is an older cat
(5 years or more) and it must be put under, see if the vet will use a
gas anesthesia rather than an injected form.

What you can do:

  Brush your cat's teeth once a week.  Use little cat toothbrushes, or
  soft child-size toothbrushes, and edible cat toothpaste (available
  at most vets or pet stores). Cats often hate to have their teeth
  brushed, so you may have to use a bathtowel straightjacket and a
  helper.  If you are skilled and have a compliant cat, you can clean
  its teeth using the same type of tool the human dentist does.

2.  Rootwork

Cavities in cat teeth often occur just at or under the gum line.  If
your cat has an infected tooth, you will have to have root work done
on it.  It is typical to do x-rays after such a procedure to ensure
that all of the roots have reabsorbed.  If the roots haven't done so,
then the infection can easily continue on up to the sinus and nasal
passages and from there to the lungs.  Such infections require
long-term antibiotics.

3.  Smelly breath

If your cat has smelly breath, there are various possible causes.

  * Teething: at about 6 months of age, cats will lose their baby
    teeth and get permanent ones.  If the gums are red and puffy and
    you can see the points of teeth breaking through here and there,
    the cat is just teething and the odor will subside as the teeth
    come in.

  * Gingivitus: if the gums appear red and puffy and you've ruled
    teething out, your cat may have a gum infection of some sort.
    Take the cat to the vet.

  * Diet: certain foods, usually canned foods or prescription foods,
    can make your cat's breath smell.  If possible, try changing your
    cat's diet.

  * Abscessed tooth: may show no symptoms other than smelly breath.
    Drooling sometimes occurs in conjunction.  The cat must be taken
    to the vet to have the abscess drained and possibly the teeth
    involved removed.  If this is not done, the infection can easily
    spread to the sinuses and cause the face to swell, especially just
    under the eyes.

E.  Trimming Claws.

As an alternative to declawing and to help stem the destruction from
scratching, many cat owners keep their cats' claws trimmed.  This is
easiest if you start from the beginning when your cat is a kitten,
although most cats can be persuaded to accept this procedure.

Use nail clippers available at pet stores.  Look for the guillotine
type (don't use the human variety, this will crush and injure your
cat's claw) and get blade replacements as the sharper the blade is the
easier this procedure is.

There are also clippers that look like scissors with short, hooked
blades.  These may be easier for some people to handle.

Set your cat down securely in the crook of your "off" arm, with the
cat either in your lap or on the floor between your knees, depending
on the size of your cat and your own size.  Pin the cat to your side
with your arm and hold one of its paws with your hand (this is
sometimes a little much for an "off" arm, you may wish to practice).

With its back away from you, it cannot scratch you, or easily get
away.  With your "good" hand, hold the clippers.  If you squeeze your
cat's paw with your off hand, the claws will come out.  Examine them
carefully (you may want to do this part before actually trying to trim
them, to familiarize yourself with how the claws look).

If the claws are white (most cat's are), the difference between the
nail and the quick is easy to see (use good lighting).  The quick will
be the pink tissue visible within the nail of the claw at the base.
This is comparable to the difference between the nail attached to your
skin and the part that grows beyond it.  DO NOT CUT BELOW THE QUICK.
It will be painful to your cat and bleed everywhere.  When in doubt,
trim less of the nail.  It will just mean trimming more often.

Clip the portion above the quick for each nail and don't forget the
dewclaws.  On cats, dewclaws are found only on the front paws, about
where humans would have their thumbs -- they do not touch the ground.
Some cats are polydactyl, and have up to seven claws on any paw.
Normally there are four claws per paw, with one dewclaw on each of
the front paws.  Rear claws don't need to be trimmed as often or at
all; they do not grow as quickly and are not as sharp.  You should be
able to hold any of the four paws with your off hand; it will become
easier with practice.

If you have too much trouble holding the cat still for this, enlist
someone else to help.  You can then pick up a paw and go for it.  Be
careful; this position often means you are in front of its claws and a
potential target for shredding.  Older cats generally object more than
younger ones; this means you should start this procedure as soon as
you get your cat if you intend to do this.

Trimming claws should be done weekly.  Different claws grow at
different rates; check them periodically (use the same position you
use for clipping: it gives you extra practice and reduces the cat's
anxiety at being in that position).

Claws grow constantly, like human nails.  Unlike human nails, however,
to stay sharp, claws must shed outer layers of nail.  Cats will pull
on their claws or scratch to remove these layers.  This is perfectly
normal and is comparable to humans cutting and filing their own nails.
You may see slices of claws lying around, especially on scratching
posts; this is also quite normal.

F.  Grooming.

Start early with your cat.  The younger it is when you begin grooming
it, the more pleasant grooming will be for it.  A cat that fights
grooming may need sedation and shaving at the vets for matted fur; it
is well worth the time to get your cat to at least tolerate grooming.
Start with short sessions.  Stick to areas that it seems to enjoy
(often the top of the head and around the neck) first, and work your
way out bit by bit.  Experiment a bit (and talk with your vet) to find
the brush and routine that seems to work best with your cat.  Even
short-hair cats benefit from grooming: they still shed a surprising
amount of hair despite its length.

1.  Thick, long fur

Inexpensive pin-type (not the "slicker" type) dog brushes work well.
You may choose to followup with a metal comb; if you use a flea comb,
you will also detect any fleas your cat may have.

2.  Silky long fur

Soft bristle brushes work well.

3.  Short hair

Try an all-rubber brush, often sold as kitten or puppy brushes.

G.  Bathing.

You should not ordinarily need to bath a cat.  Cats are normally very
good about cleaning themselves, and for most cats, that's all the
bathing they will ever need.  Reasons for giving them a bath are:

  - The cat has got something poisonous on its fur,
  - It doesn't take care of its coat as normal cats do,
  - You are allergic and need to bathe it to keep allergens down,
  - The cat is a show cat and about to be shown,
  - You are giving it a flea, tick, or lice dip,
  - It is unusually dirty for some reason (perhaps bad weather).

If you just trimmed your cat's claws, now is a good time.  Having
someone help you hold the cat definitely helps.

If your cat is long haired, groom it *before* bathing it.  Water will
just tighten any mats already in the coat.

Bathing methods:

  * Get everything ready.  Warm water, selected bathing place (you
    might consider the kitchen sink as being easier on your back and
    facilitating control of the cat).  Having water already in the tub
    or sink reduces the potential terror to the cat at the sound and
    sight of the water coming out of the faucet.  Put a towel or
    rubber mat on the bottom of the tub or sink to give your cat
    something to sink its claws into.  If you have spray attachments,
    either to the sink or the tub, those will help you soak the cat
    efficiently.  You want to use soap formulated for cat skin, as
    human-type soaps will remove all the essential oils and leave the
    cat's skin dried out and susceptible to flea infestations or skin
    breakouts.  There are some soaps formulated for allergic pet
    owners.  Use sparingly and rinse well after working through coat.

  * The garden sprayer can also be used.  Fill an ordinary pressurized
    garden sprayer (try a hand-pumped type that does *not* hiss) with
    warm soapy water, put cat and sprayer in empty bathtub, and use
    the trigger wand to soap the cat with one hand while hanging on to
    the scruff with the other.  Put the sprayer wand down and work the
    soapy water into the fur, and finally follow with a bucket of
    water as a rinse.  This procedure results in low moans from the
    cats, but no shrieks.

To dry the cat, towel dry first.  You can try hair dryers on low
settings depending on your cat's tolerance.  Otherwise, keep them
inside until they are fully dry.  If your cat is longhaird, you will
want to groom it as the coat drys.  Give the cat a treat after the
bath, this may help them tolerate the process.

If the problem is greasy skin, you may wish to try a dry cat shampoo
instead.

If you are attempting to remove grease, oil, or other petroleum
products from your cat's fur, try using Dawn brand detergent first to
remove it, and follow up with a cat shampoo.  Dawn is used by
volunteers who clean up birds after oil spills.

H.  Pills, Dosing and Medication.

1.  Methods

Kneel on floor and put cat between knees (cat facing forwards).  Cross
your ankles behind so cat can't escape backwards; press your knees
together so cat can't escape forwards.  Make sure your cat's front
legs are tucked in between your knees so it can't claw you.  Put the
palm of your hand on top of its head and thumb and index finger on
either side of its mouth; the mouth will fall open as you tilt the
head back.  You may wish to stop at this point and use a flashlight to
examine the cat's mouth to see what you are doing.  You want to drop
the pill in on *top* of the tongue as far *back* as you can.  Keep the
head tilted back, hold its mouth closed, and stroke its throat until
pill is swallowed.  Then let your cat escape.

Another trick is to buy a bottle of gelatin capsules.  Take the
capsule apart, dump the contents, put the pill in the empty capsule
(in pieces if it won't otherwise fit) and reassemble the two capsule
halves.  Some places, especially natural food stores, will sell empty
gelatin capsules, try and get size "00".  This makes the
administration of small pills much easier, and can also allow you to
give more than one pill at one time, if they're sufficiently small.
The capsule itself just dissolves away harmlessly.  Do NOT use
capsules which have been filled with any other substance but plain
gelatin, since the residue may not agree with your pet!

You can try babyfood as a deception: get some pureed baby food meat,
dip your finger in the jar, and sort of nestle the pill in the baby
food.  Offer it to your cat and it may lick it up.  Be warned, some
cats are very good at licking up everything BUT the pill.

You can get a pill plunger from your vet.  This is a syringe-like tool
that takes the pill on one end and lets you "inject" the pill.  You
can insert the pill deep down the cat's throat this way.

To administer liquid medication if the cat will not lick it up: use
the same procedure for pilling, but (using a needle-less syringe that
you can obtain from your vet) squirt the medicine down its throat
instead of dropping the pill.  Cats do not choke on inhaled liquids
like humans because they rarely breath through their mouths.

Cats can vomit easily, so keep an eye on them for a while after
they've been dosed: it's not impossible that they'll run off to a
corner and upchuck the medicine.  Giving them a pet treat after dosage
may help prevent this.

If your cat has an affected *area* that you must clean or swab or
otherwise handle, try this strategy, especially if the cat is
uncooperative:

Start with lots of handling.  At first don't handle the affected area,
at all or for long.  Gradually increase the amount of handling of the
affected area.  Move closer to it day by day, spend more time near it
or on it.  Talk to the cat while you're handling it.  At the same time
you're handling the affected area, pet the cat in an area it likes to
be handled.  After handling the affected area, praise the cat, pet the
cat, give the cat a food treat, do things the cat likes.

As long as the medical problem you're treating isn't acute, don't
restrain the cat to apply treatment.  Gradually working up to a
tolerable if not pleasant approach is much better in the long run.

If you must restrain the cat, grab the fur on the back of the neck
with one hand, holding the head down, and clean/medicate with the
other hand.  Have your vet show you how.  Sometimes wrapping the
cat in a towel helps too.

I.  Worms.

This information is condensed from Taylor.

  * Roundworms: can cause diarrhea, constipation, anemia, potbellies,
    general poor condition.  They are present in the intestines and
    feed on the digesting food.

  * Whipworms and threadworms: fairly rare, can cause diarrhea, loss
    of weight, or anemia.  Whipworms burrow into the large intestine;
    threadworms into the small.  Both may cause internal bleeding.

  * Hookworms: can cause (often bloody) diarrhea, weakness and anemia.
    They enter through the mouth or the skin and migrate to the small
    intestine.

  * Tapeworms: look for small "rice grains" or irritation around the
    anus. They live in the intestines and share the cat's food.

  * Flukes: can cause digestive upsets, jaundice, diarrhea, or anemia.
    They are found in the small intestine, pancreas and bile ducts.

If you suspect worms in your cat, take it (and a fresh fecal sample)
to the vet.  Do not try over the counter products: you may not have
diagnosed your cat correctly or correctly identified the worm and
administer the wrong remedy.  In addition, your vet can give you
specific advice on how to prevent reinfestation.

General tips on preventing worm infestation: stop your cat from eating
wild life; groom regularly; keep flea-free; keep bedding clean; and
get regular vet examination for worms.

J.  Fleas.

Actually, you can have fleas and ticks in your home even without
pets.  But having pets does increase the odds you will have to deal
with either or both of these pests.  There is a FAQ on fleas and
ticks available via ftp to pit-manager.mit.edu (18.172.1.27) under
pub/usenet/news.answers/fleas-ticks or if you do not have ftp access,
send email to [e-mail] with "send
usenet/news.answers/fleas-ticks" in the subject line (leave the body
empty).

K.  Poisons.

The information in this section is mostly condensed from Carlson &
Giffins.  The list of poisons is not intended to be conclusive.  Nor
are the treatments intended to be sufficient: call your vet in the
event of any internal poisoning.

1.  Treatment after ingestion

To induce vomiting in cats:
   * Hydrogen peroxide 3% (most effective): One teaspoon every ten minutes;
     repeat three times.
   * One-fourth teaspoonful of salt, placed at the back of the tongue.
   * Syrup of Ipecac (one teaspoonful per ten pounds of body weight).

Do NOT induce vomiting when the cat
   * has swallowed an acid, alkali, solvent, heavy duty cleaner,
     petroleum product, tranquilizers, or a sharp object
   * is severely depressed or comatose
   * swallowed the substance more than two hours ago

You will also want to coat the digestive tract and speed up
elimination to help rid the cat of the substances:

To delay or prevent absorption
   * Mix activated charcoal with water (5 grams to 20 cc.).  Give
     one teaspoonful per two pounds body weight.
   * Thirty minutes later, give sodium sulphate (glauber's salt),
     one teaspoon per ten pounds body weight, or Milk of Magnesia,
     one teaspoon per five pounds body weight.
   * In the absence of any of these agents, coat the bowel with milk,
     egg whites, vegetable oil and give a warm water enema.

If your cat has a poisonous substance on its skin or coat, wash it off
before your cat licks the substance off and poisons itself.  Use soap
and water or give it a complete bath in lukewarm (not cold) water.

2.  Greenhouse plants

Plants from commercial greenhouses may be sprayed with systemics to
control pests.  Some are fairly nasty and long-lasting.  More
enlightened greenhouses use integrated pest management techniques and
vastly reduce the costs of pest control, and costs to the environment.

You'll need to ask about what the sprays are, how often, etc.  They
should have MSDS (material safety data sheets) on hand for everything
they use.   Many greenhouses also buy foliage plants (esp.) from
commercial growers in southern states, rather than raising their own
plants, so you need to ask about that too.


3.  Household plants

  * Gives a rash after contact: chrysanthemum; creeping fig; weeping
    fig; poinsettia; pot mum; spider mum.

  * Irritating; the mouth gets swollen; tongue pain; sore lips --
    potentially fatal, these plants have large calcium oxalate
    crystals and when chewed, esophageal swelling may result,
    resulting in death unless an immediate tracheotomy is done:
    Arrowhead vine; Boston ivy; caladium; dumbcane; Emerald Duke;
    heart leaf (philodendrum); Marble Queen; majesty; neththyis;
    parlor ivy; pathos; red princess; saddle leaf (philodendron);
    split leaf (philodendron).

  * Generally toxic; wide variety of poisons; usually cause vomiting,
    abdominal pain, cramps; some cause tremors, heart and respiratory
    and/or kidney problems (difficult for you to interpret):
    Amaryllis; azalea; bird of paradise; crown of thorns; elephant
    ears; glocal ivy; heart ivy; ivy; Jerusalem cherry; needlepoint
    ivy; pot mum; ripple ivy; spider mum; umbrella plant.

4.  Outdoor plants

  * Vomiting and diarrhea in some cases: Delphinium; daffodil; castor
    bean; Indian turnip; skunk cabbage; poke weed; bittersweet; ground
    cherry; foxglove; larkspur; Indian tobacco; wisteria; soap berry.

  * Poisonous and may produce vomiting, abdominal pain, sometimes
    diarrhea: horse chestnut/buckeye; rain tree/monkey pod; American
    yew; English yew; Western yew; English holly; privet; mock orange;
    bird of paradise bush; apricot & almond; peach & cherry; wild
    cherry; Japanese plum; balsam pear; black locust.

  * Various toxic effects: rhubarb; spinach; sunburned potatoes; loco
    weed; lupine; Halogeton; buttercup; nightshade; poison hemlock;
    pig weed; water hemlock; mushrooms; moonseed; May apple;
    Dutchman's breeches; Angel's trumpet; jasmine; matrimony vine.

  * Hallucinogens: marijuana; morning glory; nutmeg; periwinkle;
    peyote; loco weed.

  * Convulsions: china berry; coriaria; moonweed; nux vomica; water
    hemlock.

5.  Chemical substances

  * Strychnine, Sodium fluoroacetate, Phosphorus, Zinc Phosphide:
    rat/mouse/mole/roach poisons, rodents killed by same.  Phosphorus
    is also found in fireworks, matches, matchboxes, and fertilizer.

  * Arsenic, Metaldehyde, Lead: slug/snail bait; some ant poisons,
    weed killers and insecticides; arsenic is a common impurity found
    in many chemicals.  Commercial paints, linoleum, batteries are
    sources of lead.

  * Warfarin (Decon; Pindone): grain feeds used as rat/mouse poison,
    Also used as a prescription anti-coagulant for humans, various
    brand names, such as coumadin.  The animal bleeds to death.
    Vitamin-K is antidote: look for purplish spots on white of
    eyes and gums (at this point animal is VERY sick).

  * Antifreeze (ethylene glycol): from cars.  Wash down any from your
    driveway as this is "good tasting" but toxic to most animals.

  * Organophosphates and Carbamates (Dichlorvos, Ectoral, Malathion,
    Sevin (in high percentages) etc), Chlorinated Hydrocarbons
    (Chloradane, Toxaphene, Lindane, Methoxychlor: flea/parasite
    treatments, insecticides.

  * Petroleum products: gasoline, kerosene, turpentine.

  * Corrosives (acid and alkali): household cleaners; drain
    decloggers; commercial solvents.

  * Many household cleaning products.  Pine-oil products are very
    toxic (especially to the cat's litter) and should be avoided or
    rinsed thoroughly (bleach is a better alternative).  In
    particular, avoid items containing Phenol.

  * Garbage (food poisoning): carrion; decomposing foods; animal
    manure.

  * People Medicines: antihistamines, pain relievers (esp. aspirin),
    sleeping pills, diet pills, heart preparations and vitamins.
    Anything smelling of wintergreen or having methyl salicylate
    as an ingredient.  Tylenol (acetominophen) will kill cats.

6.  Food

Chocolate: theobromine, which is found in chocolate is toxic to cats.
The darker and more bitter the chocolate is, the more theobromine it
has.  More information can be found in the Summer 1992 edition of _Cat
Life_.

Caffeine: can cause problems for your cat.  Do not feed it coffee,
Coco Cola, or other foods containing caffeine.

(continued)

Subject: rec.pets.cats FAQ (part 2/4)
From: [e-mail] (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Date: 19 Feb 1993 06:02:39 GMT
Supersedes: <cats-faq/[e-mail]>
Lines: 1285
Version: 1.7
Last-modified: 21 January 1993
Periodicity: 20 days

This is the second part of the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) List
for rec.pets.cats.  It is posted every twenty days: updates,
additions, and corrections (including attributions) are always
welcome: send email to one of the addresses below.

Copies of this FAQ may be obtained by anonymous ftp to pit-manager.mit.edu
(18.172.1.27) under /pub/usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/*.  Or send email to
[e-mail] with

send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part1
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part2
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part3
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part4

in the body of the message to have all parts emailed to you (leave the
subject line empty).

^L
--MORE--(2%)
L.  Vaccination and Worming Schedule.

Preventative health care schedule for cattery cats and pet cats.  From
John R. August, 1989.  Preventative Health Care and Infectious Disease
Control, pp.  391-404 in Sherding, Robert H. (ed) The Cat: Diseases
and Clinical Management, v1.  Churchill-Livingstone Inc, NY.

All cats should be vaccinated, even strictly indoor ones.  Cats may
escape.  Some diseases use mice, fleas, or other insects as vectors
and do not require the presence of other cats.  Natural disasters:
consider earthquakes, hurricanes, etc., may let your cat out of the
house.

3 weeks          fecal exam

6 weeks          fecal exam

9-10 weeks       FRTV/FCV/FPV vaccine
                 ELISA test for FeLV
                 FeLV vaccine
                 fecal exam

12-14 weeks      FRTV/FCV/FPV vaccine
                 FeLV vaccination
                 Rabies vaccine
                 fecal exam

6 months         FeLV vaccination
                 fecal exam

12 months        fecal exam

16 months        FRTV/FCV/FPV vaccine (repeated annually)
                 FeLV vaccine (repeated annually)
                 Rabies vaccine (repeated according to manufacturer's
                                 instructions)
                 fecal exam (every 6 months)

FCV= feline calicivirus
FRTV= feline rhino-tracheovirus
FPV= feline panleukopenia virus = distemper
FeLV = feline leukemia virus.

FIP is a yearly vaccination, but it is new and may not always be
available, or advised for your particular cat.  Talk with your vet.

M.  What Your Vet Should Check.

On a standard annual physical/examination, your vet should check:

  * teeth for tartar/gum swelling
  * ears for ear mites and other fungus problems
  * body for ringworm (with black light)
  * standard bloodwork
  * fecal exam for worms
  * booster shots for rabies, FeLV, panleukopenia, rhino&co, etc.
  * eyes for normal pupil response and normal retinal appearance
  * weight, heart rate, temperature

N.  My Cat is Sick, Should I Take It To the Vet?

1.  Asking on the net

Frequently there are postings such as: "My cat is doing <this>, should
I take it to the vet?"  Or even, "I can't afford to take my cat to the
vet, he is doing <this>, what can I do?"  The usual answer will be
TAKE IT TO THE VET!  It is an irresponsible owner who does not consult
the vet, even by phone, at the first opportunity.  And if you take on
the responsibility of owning a cat, you must budget for the vet visits
to keep it healthy.

On the other hand, if you already have a vet appointment, or have had
the vet look at it and be stumped by the symptoms, rec.pets.cats is a
valuable resource of tips on what might be wrong, or reassurances that
the cat is not at risk of immediate death, so do not hesitate to ask
the group under these circumstances.

2.  Home vet books

A low-cost method to ease anxieties over non-emergency kitty problems
is to get a home vet book.  (See Literature.)  These books also help
explain what sort of "deviant" behaviors are actually relatively
normal for cats.  However, unless you yourself are a vet, these books
should never substitute for having a vet for your cat.

O.  Disease Transmission (Zoonoses).

Some diseases can be transmitted from cats to people (zoonoses).  Most
cannot.  For example, you absolutely cannot contract AIDS from a cat
with FIV or FeLV, although the diseases are related (all are
retroviruses).  This misconception led to the tragic deaths of
hundreds of cats as panicked owners got rid of them.

Anyone with an impaired immune system is at risk of exposure to germs
and other things from cats that healthy people would not contract;
this is regardless of the health of the cat.

You are more likely to contract diseases from other people than your
pets.  Transmission of disease generally requires close contact
between susceptible people and animals or their oral, nasal, ocular or
digestive excretions.  Use common sense and practice good hygiene to
reduce your risks.

From the Cornell Book of Cats:

  * Viral diseases transmitted by cats are rabies and cowpox, usually
    through biting or direct contact.

  * Ringworm is a fungus infection affecting the hair, skin, and
    nails.  Humans contract it either by direct contact with the cat
    or by the spores shed from an infected animal.

  * Cat bites can cause a variety of diseases and infections,
    including pasteurella and tetanus.

  * Campylobacter enteritis, a disease of the small intestine, can be
    caused by contact with contaminated cat feces.

  * Cat scratch fever is an infection caused by a bacterial agent
    transmitted to the human via a cat scratch.

  * Conjunctivitis in humans can be caused by contact with the nasal
    and ocular discharges of cats infected with feline chlamydiosis.

  * Humans can become infected by Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain
    Spotted Fever when a cat brings home ticks.  If the cat becomes
    infected with plague, it can also infect humans directly.

  * Salmonella organisms, which are shed in discharges from the mouth,
    eyes, and in the feces, can cause intestinal disease in humans.

  * Toxoplasmosis is transmitted by contact with the feces of an
    infected cat. Although it is well-known that cats can transmit
    toxoplasmosis, many do not know that humans are more commonly
    infected by eating incompletely cooked meat.

  * Other parasites which can be acquired by humans are hookworms,
    roundworms, and tapeworms: usually by direct or indirect contact
    with contaminated feces, or ingestion of contaminated fleas.

P.  Toxoplasmosis (when you are pregnant and own a cat).

Toxoplasmosis is a disease that can be picked up by handling
contaminated raw meat, or the feces produced after ingestion of such
meat.  It takes between 36 and 48 hours for the eggs shed in stools to
reach the infective stage, so if you remove stools from the litter box
every day, the chances are slim that you could contract toxoplasmosis.
(Nomenclature: Toxoplasma gondii is the organism, toxoplasmosis the
disease, and Toxoplasma is a protozoan.)

In theory, you can catch it by cleaning the litter box or by
working in a garden used as a litter box.  Most commonly, people catch
it by handling raw meat or eating undercooked meat.  Many cat-exposed
people have had toxoplasmosis; the symptoms are similar to a mild
cold.

The problem occurs when pregnant women contract toxoplasmosis.  This
will severely damage the fetus.  Simple precautions will prevent this
problem; unfortunately many doctors still recommend getting rid of
cats when the woman is pregnant.  A good idea is to get tested for
toxoplasmosis *before* you get pregnant; once you've had it, you will
not get it again.

You should note that there has yet to be a proven case of human
toxoplasmosis contracted from a cat -- the most common sources of
toxoplasmosis are the eating or preparing of contaminated raw meat.

To prevent human contraction of toxoplasmosis:

  a) Cook any meat for you or your cat thoroughly.
  b) Use care when handling raw meat.
  c) Wear household gloves when handling litter.
  d) Use disinfectant to clean the litter pan and surrounding area.
  e) Change the cat litter often.
  f) Keep children's sandpits covered when not in use.
  g) Wear gardening gloves when working in the garden.

To be on the safe side, the litterbox and meat-chopping chores should
go to someone else if you're pregnant.


III.  HEALTH/MEDICAL

A.  In General.

Your cat can't tell you how it's feeling so you must familiarize
yourself with its normal behavior.  A healthy cat maintains normal
body weight, level of activity, and social behavior.  A significant
change in any of these is a warning sign.

Getting regular, accurate weights can detect problems early.  You can
weigh yourself on a bathroom scale with (holding) and without the cat
and subtract.  This is accurate only to about two pounds on most
bathroom scales.  For better accuracy, modify a kitchen scale by
mounting a bigger platform on it.  Train your cat to get on the
platform by placing a Pounce or similar treat on it.  Any sudden
weight change, especially loss, probably means your cat is feeling
sick.

Medicines for humans are often used for cats, both prescription and
non-prescription drugs (phenobarbitol, lasix, amoxicillin, cold
medications, etc.).  When you hear that you should never give human
medicines to cats, it means that you should NOT give them without
first consulting your vet.  Certain very common human drugs like
aspirin and especially tylenol are DEADLY to cats, so DON'T give them
ANY kind of medication unless recommended by the vet (note that
aspirin can be given in very small doses, but you need to check
correct dosage and frequency of administration).

A final cautionary note about this section.  This is not meant to be a
complete treatise on these various diseases.  It is intended to
familiarize you with the various major diseases your cat can develop.
If your cat has any of these diseases, you should be in close contact
with your vet, who will provide you with all the information you need
to deal with your cat's illness.  Further information on any of these
diseases may also be found in the books listed in the Literature
section.

Furthermore, while vaccines exist to prevent many of these diseases,
be aware that vaccines do not always work 100% of the time.  Variables
can include the cat's own ability to "take" the vaccine, the proper
administration of the vaccine, and whether or not the cat has already
be exposed to the disease in question.

B.  Aging.

Most cats will reach about 11 or 12 years of age.  Some make it 18 and
very few to 20 and beyond.

According to material provided by the Gaines Research Center, cats
will age 15 years in the first year (10 in the first six months!) and
4 years for every year after that.  Other vets will say 20 years for
the first year, 4 years for each year thereafter.

C.  Cat Allergies.

Here are some highlights from the article in
CATS Magazine, April 1992, pertaining to cats with allergies.

  * Cats can suffer from a wide range of allergies.
  * A cat with one allergy often has others.
  * 15% of all cats in the U.S. suffer from one or more allergies.
  * Cats' allergies fall into several categories, each with a parallel
    complaint among human allergy sufferers.  Inhalant allergies are
    caused by airborne articles, such as pollen, that irritate the
    nasal passages and lungs.  Contact alllergies manifest themselves
    when the cat has prolonged contact with a substance that it just
    cannot tolerate.  Cats have allergies to foods as well -- not so
    much to the chemical preservatives but to the grains, meats and
    dairy products used.  Some cats react badly to certain drugs, such
    as antibiotics or anesthesia.
  * Flea allergy is the most common of all allergies.  As cats age,
    their sensitivity to flea bites increases.  Prednisone (oral or
    injection) is commonly used for a bad reaction.
  * Between 5 & 10 percent of allergy cases are caused by food. Like
    contact allergies, food allergies will show up as dermatitis and
    severe itching but in some cases will also cause vomiting and
    diarrhea.  Also, the cat may have excessively oily skin, ear
    inflammation, or hair loss (which can also be a sign of hormone
    imbalance).
  * A food allergy doesn't show up overnight.  It can take from a week
    to 10 years of exposure to show itself; more than 80 percent of
    cats with food allergies have been eating the allergen-containing
    food for more than two years.

Studies are being done to determine possible connections between food
allergies and FUS, with some success in eliminating foods and cutting
down on FUS symptoms.  Results are still experimental.

Food allergies are treated with a bland, hypoallergenic diet -- rice
with boiled chicken or lamb, and distilled water is commonly used.
Two weeks is the longest it usually takes for the bland diet to work.

Causes, symptoms, and treatments of some types of allergies:

  * Plants, especially oily-leafed ones, such as rubber plants, that
    might be brushed against.  Other contact allergens include: carpet
    fresheners, wool, house dust, newsprint, cleansers and topical
    medications.  Even the carpet itself.

    Signs of contact allergens: dermatitis, pigmentary changes or skin
    eruptions.  Most noticable on the chin, ears, inner thighs,
    abdomen, underside of the tail, armpits and around the anus.

    Skin patch tests are used to determine cause of contact allergies.

  * Medications that commonly cause skin eruptions: penicillin,
    tetracycline, neomycin and panleukopenia vaccine.

    Each drug causes different symptoms, but the symptoms differ from
    cat to cat.  There is no way to predict how a cat will react.

    Antihistamines or steroids may be used to eliminate symptoms
    (after ceasing administration of the drug)

  * Kitty litter - when new brands of litter come out, vets frequently
    see a number of cats that have reactions to it.  Other inhalant
    allergies can include: dust from the furnace esp. when it is first
    turned on; cigarette smoke; perfumes; household sprays and air
    freshners; pollen.

    Inhalent allergies can also result in skin loss, scabbing
    pustules, or ulcerated areas on the skin.  This in addition to the
    asthmatic symptoms.

    Treatment uses...antihistamines, such as chlortrimetron..  More
    severe cases are treated with systemic steroids, which can have
    drawbacks.

D.  Declawing.

Declawing is the surgical removal of the claw and the surrounding
tissue that it retracts into.  Usually the claws on the front feet
only are removed, but sometimes the digits are as well.  This is
sometimes used as a last resort with inveterate scratchers of
furniture, carpet, etc.  However, if trained in kittenhood, most cats
are very good about scratching only allowable items such as scratching
posts (see Scratching).  Britain has made declawing illegal.  Show
cats may not be shown declawed.  Many vets will refuse to do this
procedure.

Declawed cats often compensate with their rear claws; many can still
climb well, although their ability to defend themselves is often
impaired and they should not be allowed outside without supervision.
Many declawed cats become biters when they find that their claws no
longer work; others develop displays of growling.  Scratching is one
way of marking territory (there are scent glands among the paw pads),
so declawed cats will still "scratch" things even though there are no
claws to sharpen.

Alternatives are trimming the claws (see section on Trimming Claws) or
"Soft Paws".  These are soft plastic covers for the cat's claws.
Generally, the vet will put them on, but cat owners can do so
themselves if shown how.  They will last about a month despite efforts
to remove them.  Check the July 1992 issue of _Animal Sense_.  There is
an informative article titled "Fake Fingernails for Felines?" by Dr.
Marilyn Hayes at the Rowley Animal Hospital in Rowley, MA.  They can
make a useful training tool if used in conjuction with techniques to
redirect clawing and scratching to approved items.

E.  Diabetes.

Diabetes occurs when the cat cannot properly regulate its blood sugar
level.  Symptoms may include excessive thirst and urination; it may
lose weight or develop diabetes because of obesity.  Older cats are
more likely to develop diabetes than younger ones.

Treatment may consist of a carefully regulated diet to keep blood
sugar levels consistent (especially if the diabetes was triggered by
obesity).  In most cases, daily injections of insulin are needed.
Regular vet visits are required to determine the proper dosage.  In
between visits, using urine glucose test strips available from the
pharmacy helps you determine whether the dosage of insulin is
sufficient.

A bottle of Karo syrup or maple syrup kept handy is essential for
bringing the cat out of dangerously low blood sugar levels.  Diabetic
cats should be kept indoors to prevent accidental feeding (and thus
disturbing the regulation of blood sugar levels).

F.  Diarrhea.

If your cat has persistent diarrhea, take the cat to the vet if
symptoms have continued for more than 2 days.  Bring a stool sample
with you and have the vet check for parasites and/or fever.

You can try changing (temporarily) the cat's diet to one or more of
the following (depending on the cat's preferences):
  * boiled rice
  * cottage cheese
  * bread
  * plain yogurt
  * boiled chicken
  * chicken broth
  * baby food (strained meat varieties)
The emphasis on the above being as BLAND as possible. No spices
allowed as they tend to aggravate the stomach.  This procedure may be
advisable to reduce the possibility of dehydration from the diarrhea.

The vet may or may not prescribe medication.  One-half teaspoon of
kaopectate (NOT peptobismol, it contains asprin) usually works pretty
well too.  The vet may recommend withholding food for 24-48 hours
to give the GI tract a rest before starting with some bland food.

Usually diarrhea lasts only a few days. If it lasts longer than that,
as long as the cat does not have a fever, it USUALLY does not mean
anything serious, but you must protect the cat from dehydration by
making it take in plenty of liquids.

1.  Possible causes for diarrhea.

From: Colin F. Burrows.  1991.  _Diarrhea in kittens and young cats_.  pp.
415-418 IN J.R. August.  Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine. WB
Saunders Co., Philadelphia.

Causes of acute (sudden onset) diarrhea

Infections
  Viral
    Panleucopenia (distemper)
    Feline Leukemia Virus
    Coronavirus
    Rotavirus
    Astrovirus
  Bacterial
    Salmonella
    Campylobacter
    Escherischia coli (not documented in cats)
  Parasitic
    Roundworms
    Hookworms
    Coccidia
    Giardia
    Toxoplasma

Diet esp. dietary change or raid on the garbage

Toxic or drug-induced
   Acetominophen (tylenol)
   antibiotics

Miscellaneous
   partial intestinal obstruction

Most common causes are viral infections and dietary changes.

2.  Causes of chronic diarrhea

Viral and Bacterial
    FIV
    FeLeuk
    Salmonella
    Campylobacter
    Clostridium
Parasites
    as above, except Toxoplasma

Dietary sensitivity

Miscellaneous
  Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  Drug Sensitivity
  Inappropriate use of antibiotics
  Bacterial overgrowth??
  Partial intestinal obstruction
  Idiopathic (no known cause)

You should enlist the help of your vet if symptoms persist for more
than a few days, or if your kitten is weak or listless, or refuses to
take fluids.  Dehydration can rapidly kill a kitten.

G.  Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV).

Also a retrovirus, Feline Leukemia is fatal and usually fairly
quickly, within three to four years and often less.  There is a small
percentage, ~4%, who are apparently immune and live with FeLV with no
side effects (except that they are carriers and may infect other
cats).  There is a vaccination for this disease.

FeLV is spread mainly by saliva, nose mucous and maybe urine.  It is
fairly fragile away from cats' bodily fluids,,so transmission by
humans (on boots, etc.) are not likely.  A latent cat probably needs
to become viremic (positive test) before it can infect other cats,
*unless* it is a queen nursing kittens.  The ELISA test has a
significant false postive rate, depending on fluid tested.  The IFA
test correlates better with actual virus isolation from tested cats.
The best way to reduce risk is to keep negative cats away from
positive cats.

The virus can affect a lot of tissues, but tends to be most notorious
for causing cancer of lymphocytes, neutrophiles, platelet precursors,
in fact nearly all cellular constituants of the blood.  These cancers
arise from the similar ability to hide out for a long latency in the
body, but the FeLV virus "irritates" blood forming cells, causing them
to do strange things (become cancerous).  Very generally, symptoms of
FeLV infection can range from none (some few recover) to very sick.
The symptoms depend on which cell line is being attacked.  Treatment
is similarly complicated, ranging from antivirals to anticancer drugs,
and other drugs thrown in to manage infections and side effects.

Immunoregulin has been used with some success in treating cats with
this disease.

H.  FIV.

There is no vaccine for this.  FIV is passed through open wounds, such
as cat bites.

This disease impairs the cat's immune system and it will often fall
prey to some other opportunistic disease.  While the virus is related
to HIV, it is NOT possible to contract AIDS from a cat with FIV.

FIV-positive cats should be kept inside and away from other cats.
With this and other precautions, they may live a fairly long time.
Because of their subsceptibility to secondary infections and
complications, these cats are rather vet-intensive.

They do not often die directly from FIV, but rather one of the
diseases that they can get when their immune system is impaired.  FIV
appears to involve three stages: acute (swollen lymph glands, fever,
depression, bacterial infections); latent (apparent wel being, can
last months to years); and chronic (cat is susceptible to all kinds of
other viruses, fungii, and bacteria).  Survival over two years is
rare.

I.  Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) is a viral infection of cats that
is considered essentially fatal.  Now there are blood tests that can
help determine whether a cat is infected, and there is a new vaccine
available to prevent FIP.

1.  Course of the disease

Weiss (1991) presents a flow-chart of possiblities for FIP infections;
the pathways presented here are probable, not proven.

                             FIPV carrier
                                  |
                               virus shed,
                         ingested by another cat
                 __________________/\
                /                    \
Inadequate exposure; no infection     \
                                      infection
                                          |
                                      replication of virus
                                          |
                                      macrophages (white blood cells)
                                        "eat" virus, are infected
                                           |
                                       transport to lymph nodes, persistent
                                       viral infection establishes
                                           |
                                       dissemination of virus to liver,
                                          lymph nodes, spleen
            _________________________________/\__________
          ?/                                             |
    With strong cell-                            With antibodies and partial or
  mediated immunity                              no cell-mediated immunity
  and good antibodies                                     |
            |                                   persistent secondary viremia
       NO DISEASE                                         |
       /        \                               circulating immune complexes
complete     persistant subclinical                       |
recovery         infection                      inflammation of vascular system
                  |                             tissue death in eyes, brain,
             carrier cat w/o symptoms?          lungs, kidney, mesentery
                  |                                       |
              immune system supression                    |
              due to drugs, stress, aging                 |
                  |                                       |
              FIP infection reactivates?                  |
                                                          |
                          _______________________________/ \
                          |                                |
     with partial cell-mediated immunity?      with no cell-mediated immunity?
                          |                                |
          NON-EFFUSIVE (DRY) FIP DEVELOPS           EFFUSIVE (WET) FIP DEVELOPS


2.  Symptoms

General symptoms early in the course of the disease are mild digestive
or respiratory symptoms, vague malaise and lethargy, poor appetite,
and progressive debility with fever.  Abdominal enlargement,
neurological symptoms and ocular symptoms are present in 30-40% of all
clinical cases.  The fever may fluctuate until later stages, when it
subsides and body temperature becomes subnormal.

The effusive form of FIP includes fluids building up in the peritoneal
or pleural cavity or both.  The cat becomes pudgy, is not in pain when
touched, and may have sudden trouble breathing if the pleural cavity
is affected.

The non-effusive form of FIP often has associated neurological or
ocular symptoms, including nystagmus, disorientation, lack of
coordination, paralysis, seizures, and various eye problems that can
be seen on eye exams.  Enlarged lymph nodes and kidneys can be felt.

3.  Diagnosis

Diagnosis of FIP will probably include a coronavirus titer of 1:128 or
more, but this is not diagnostic, since there can be cross-reactions
with FECV.  The vet will probably want samples of any fluid
accumulations, and may want to take needle-punch biopsies of kidney,
liver or other organs for microscopic exams.

The vet will have to make sure s/he is not dealing with a number of
other diseases, including cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure,
infections, cancers, liver problems, kidney disease or toxoplasmosis
or systemic fungal diseases.

4.  Prognosis and course of treatment

Once FIP is apparent, most cats die within 5 weeks, though some
animals may survive up to 3 months.  Corticosteroids will slow the
disease, but may also stir up latent infections; this seems to be
the most common treatment offered, along with good nutrition, and
perhaps antibiotics for bacterial secondary infections.

Though it seems odd to try to supress the cat's immune system, it
seems that most of the disease symptoms are caused by damage caused by
some of the immune reactions.

UC Davis has used a treatment protocol of high amounts of predisone or
prednisolone with cytotoxic drugs like cyclophosphamide or
phenylalanine mustard, together with intensive supportive and nursing
care.  Cats are kept on the regimin for 2-4 weeks, then re-evaluated;
if there is no improvement, euthanasia is recommended.  If there is
improvement, drugs are continued for at least 3 months, then slowly
withdrawn.

Even after treatment, recurrences are common, and reports of spontaneous
remissions are few.

Abstracts of recent journal articles indicate that interferon as a
treatment for FIP is being explored: interferon, alone or in
conjuction with a bacterial extract that tends to "kick up" the immune
system seems to be showing promise.

Other labs are working on cytotoxic agents coupled to FIPV-specific
monoclonal antibodies: this is very exciting, but probably a long way
off.

Antiviral drugs like AZT, Ribavirin, Suramin, and Foscarnet are also
possibilities for FIP treatment.  The ones that look most promising are
these and Inosiplex.  Interferon and drugs that promote interferon
synthesis are also possibilities.  Not all of these drugs are approved
for use in animals, but the FDA has not yet objected-- though there
may be some legal complications possible for the vet who uses antivirals.

5.  General information

Summarized from Pedersen, 1991:

FIP (feline infectious peritonitis, sometimes also called feline
peritonitis) is a fairly recently recognized disease in the US.  It is
caused by one of the coronaviruses (which are RNA viruses, like HIV),
not the ordinary DNA viruses that often affect animals.  FIP is most
decidedly NOT RELATED to HIV (AIDS virus)-- just has some of the same
structural components.

FIP was first recognized in the 1960's, about the same time as
transmissible gastroenteritis in pigs, a closely related virus.  FIP
is now worldwide in distribution.  It is also closely related to
canine coronavirus, and the three viruses have been described as
strains of the same species.  FIP appears to be a mutant of the FEC
(feline enteric coronavirus).  In fact, some consider the two be
almost the same, with a great deal of the difference in how they cause
disease stemming from how individual cats' immune systems react to
infection.

FIP infects mainly domestic cats, but has also been seen in lion,
mountain lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, lynx, caracal, sand cat and
pallas cat.  Incidence peaks in cats 5-6 years old, but it is seen in
all ages.  There is no correlation with the animal's sex, but
purebreds and multiple cat households seem to be more affected than
single cat households with "just plain cats".  FIP is apparently on
the rise in the colder areas of Europe.

Apparently, "healthy" cats can carry and shed FIPV (FIP virus), and it
may also be shed by FECV carriers.  Kittens may be infected before
birth, or within the first five weeks of life; route of infection can
be oral, respiratory, or parenteral.  There is a highly variable and
lengthy period between the time of infection and time of disease.

Apparently there are some highly virulent (deadly) strains of FIP
virus that can kill high numbers of cats quickly, but the ordinary
strains of the virus are less deadly: the majority of FIP infections
probably go unnoticed due to the low virulence of most of them.

What happens after a cat is infected with FIPV depends on what strain
of virus, the cat's natural resistance, and the cat's immunologic
response to the virus.  The virus probably multiplies in white blood
cells in the lymph nodes, or the intestinal lining.

The hallmark of all systemic viral infection is that they replicate in
macrophages or sometimes lymphocytes.  Their nastiness and ability to
spread around the body is expressed in their ability to infect the
very mobile cells of the immune system that are out there trying to
destroy them.  FECV infections, on the other hand, do not succeed in
infecting cells beyond the intestinal epithelial cells.  Thus FECV is
considered a localized infection.

Also, regarding transmission, FIP is considered to spread primarilty
by a fecal-oral route, or also by wounds inflicted in cat fights.  In
other words, it is not a virus with long life floating around in the
air, so requires fairly close contact with infected cats to be
transmitted.

Since FIP is a corona virus, it is sensitive to destruction by the
environment.  Coolness and dampness promotes survival, heat and
dessication will not.  This means once a household has had a cat with
FIP, all areas of the house should be cleaned with bleach and
detergents where appropriate and dry them thoroughly.  In addition,
laundering all bedding and other launderables the cat may have come
into contact with, and thorough vacumming (and disposal of the
contents) of the carpet and upholstered furniture is advisable.  Areas
the cat defecated or voided on should definitely be disinfected or
disposed of.  Replacing the cat toys is also recommended.  This should
Reduce or eliminate the risk to a new cat.

6.  References

Pedersen, N.C.  Common Infectious Diseases of Multiple-Cat
Environments pp. 163-288 _in_ Pedersen, Niels C.(ed) 1991.  Feline
Husbandry: Diseases and manangement of the multiple cat environment.
American Veterinary Publications, Inc.  Goleta, CA.  ISBN
0-939674-29-7

Weiss, Richard C.  Feline Infectious Peritonitis and other
Coronaviruses.  pp. 333-356 _in_ Sherding, Robert G. 1989.  The Cat:
Diseases and Clinical Management.  Churchill-Livingstone, New York.
ISBN 0-443-08461-0

J.  Feline Rhinotraecheitis.

Feline rhinotracheitis is a contagious disease that is spread either
horizontally or vertically.  (They can get it from either direct
contact with moist mucosal surfaces, or they can also get it from
their mother's milk or through the mothers placenta).  In young cats,
it is often seen as causing acute upper respiratory diseases or
conjunctivitis, or corneal ulcers, and rarely oral ulcers.  In the
adult, you may see recurrent subclinical infection due to the virus
being reactivated from a latent state.  There is a vaccination for
this disease, but no real cure for it, just management of it.

The most important thing for you to do is try to keep your cat from
getting stressed (when that's possible) because if he is under stress,
he can begin to shed the virus again without showing any signs of
being sick himself, and if he is around other cats who aren't
vaccinated, he can then give it to them.  Most cats who have had
rhinotracheitis are 'sick' more while they are kittens, but then when
they get older you wouldn't know that they have the disease.
Herpesviruses are almost always present for life once an animal has
been infected.  But, it probably doesn't mean that your cat will live
a short life, just that you need to be careful not to have him around
other nonvaccinated cats or kittens who may get the disease from it.

K.  Feline Urinary Syndrome (FUS).

Feline urinary syndrome or FUS is the name given to a group of
symptoms that occur in the cat secondary to inflammation, irritation,
and/or obstruction of the lower urinary tract (urinary bladder,
urethra, and penile urethra).  A cat with FUS can exhibit one, some,
or even all of the symptoms.

FUS is NOT a specific diagnosis: there are many known and some unknown
factors that may cause or contribute to FUS.  Any cause resulting in
particulate debris in the urine is capable of causing obstruction in
the male cat.

Males are much more likely to get this disease than females.  There is
no known means of prevention.  Treatment can vary from diet to
surgery.  Cats usually recover if the disease is caught in time; often
the cat must be watched for any recurrence of FUS.

1.  Symptoms

May appear periodically during the life of the cat.

  * Females: straining to urinate, blood in the urine, frequent trips
    to the litter box with only small amounts voided, loss of
    litterbox habits.

  * Males:  In addition to the above symptoms, small particles may
    lodge in the male urethra and cause complete obstruction with
    the inability to pass urine-this is a life and death situation if
    not treated quickly.

Obstruction usually occurs in the *male* cat and is most often
confined to the site where the urethra narrows as it enters the
bulbourethral gland and penis; small particles that can easily pass
out of the bladder and transverse the urethra congregate at the
bottleneck of the penile urethra to cause complete blockage.  (note
that the female urethra opens widely into the vagina with no
bottleneck).

Symptoms of obstruction are much more intense than those of bladder
inflammation alone; this is an emergency requiring immediate steps to
relieve the obstruction.  Symptoms include:

  * Frequent non-producing straining-no urine produced, discomfort,
    pain, howling.
  * *Gentle* feeling of the cats abdomen reveals a tennis ball size
    structure which is the overdistended urinary bladder.
  * Subsequent depression, vomiting and/or diarrhea, dehydration, loss
    of appetite, uremic poisoning, and coma may develop rapidly within
    24 hours.
  * Death results from uremic poisoning; advanced uremic poisoning may
    not be reversible even with relief of the obstruction and
    intensive care.  Bladders can be permanently damaged as a result.

2.  Causes of FUS

In general: any condition that causes stricture, malfunction, inflammation,
or obstruction of the urethra.  In addition, any condition that causes
inflammation, malfunction, or abnormal anatomy of the urinary
bladder.

Known causes:

  * Struvite crystals accompanied by red blood cells-generally caused
    by a diet too high in magnesium relative to the pH of the urine.
      * Fish-flavored foods tend to be worse
      * The ability of a given diet to cause problems in an individual
        cat is highly variable: only those cats with a history of this
        kind of FUS may respond well to strictly dietary management.
        Many cats do not have problems with a diet that may produce
        FUS in some individuals.
      * Bladder stones, may occur from struvite crystals, or be
        secondary to bladder infections.  There are metabolic
        disorders (not all are understood) that result in a higher
        concentration of a given mineral that can remain in solution;
        hence stones are formed.  Diet may greatly modify the
        concentration of a given mineral in solution in the urine.
        Water intake may modify the concentration of all minerals in
        the urine, and bacterial infection increases the risk of stone
        formation.
      * Anatomical abnormalities such as congenital malformations of
        the bladder and/or urethra (early neutering is NOT a factor)
        OR acquired strictures of the urethra and/or scarring of the
        bladder.
      * Trauma.
  * Neurolgenic problems affecting the act of urination (difficult to
    diagnose except at institutions capable of urethral pressure profiles)
      * Primary bacterial infection-RARE!
      * Tumors (benign/malignant)
      * Protein matrix plug (generally urethral obstruction of males);
        can be from non-mineral protein debris, viral-based, other
        causes are unknown.
  * Suspected or unknown factors include non-bacterial infections,
    toxins, stress, and seasonal influences.

3.  Management of FUS

Obstruction of the male cat is a medical emergency.  The obstruction
must be relieved immediately.

Failure to produce a good stream of urine after relief of obstruction
is indicative of urethral stricture and/or stones or matrex plugs.
Failure of bladder to empty after relief of obstruction suggests
bladder paralysis (usually temporary unless present prior to
obstruction).  In either event, a urinary catheter must be placed to
allow continual urination.

Treatment of uremic poisoning requires IV fluid therapy with
monitoring of blood levels of waste products until uremia is no
longer present.

Permanent urethral damage with stricture, inability to dislodge a
urethral obstruction, or inability to prevent recurring obstructions
are all indications for perineal urethrostomy (amputation of the penis
and narrow portion of the urethra to create a female-sized opening for
urination).  This procedure is usually effective in preventing
reobstruction of the male cat, but this procedure should be a last
resort

If FUS is indicated without obstruction, 75 to 80% of FUS cats without
obstruction may be sucessfully managed by diet alone if urine reveals
typical crystals and red blood cells.  Unobstructed male cats or
non-uremic obstructed males who have a good urine stream and bladder
function after relief of an early obstruction may be managed as above
initially.  Cats who are symptom-free after 7 to 10 days of dietary
management and who have normal follow-up urines at 21 days, may be
maintained indefinitely with dietary management only.

DL-Methionine is often prescribed for cats with FUS.  Most commonly,
FUS-specific diets contain this acidifier.  Antibiotics may be used.
Distilled water for FUS-prone cats is often recommended as well.

L.  Neutering.

If you are not planning to breed your cat or put it to stud service,
you will want to neuter it.  Technically, the general term for either
sex is neutering; female cats are spayed and male cats are castrated.
However, general usage is that female cats are spayed or neutered and
male cats are neutered.

1. Castration

Male cats are castrated. A local anesthetic is administered and
several stitches are used to close it up.  You will want to neuter the
male cat after its testicles descend but before its urine odor
changes.  This is typically around 6 months of age.  By neutering
earlier, you prevent spraying (if it has started spraying, it may not
stop after neutering, even though it is no longer hormonally driven).
By neutering later, you allow the testicles and urinary tract full
development; this is thought to reduce the chances of contracting FUS
(growth will stop after neutering or puberty; be aware that the jury
is out on this one).  If surgery must be done on an undescended
testicle then the cost and risk increase.

An intact male cat (a "tom") will spray a foul-smelling urine to mark
his territory, he will roam widely, and he will be involved in more
fights.  Often, he will be more aggressive.  He will be at higher risk
for certain diseases, such as cancer; he will also be more prone to
infection from the injuries in fights.  A neutered male cat will lose
the foul-smelling odor in his urine (but may still spray); he will not
roam as widely nor fight as often.  You will be able to keep him
indoors if you wish.  Contrary to popular opinion, he will not become
more lazy or fat.  Laziness and fatness depend on cat temperament and
how much you feed him.

2. Spaying

Female cats are spayed; this is an ovario-hysterectomy (uterus and
ovaries are removed).  There are two methods: ventral entry which is
through the stomach muscles in the belly (where a large patch of fur
will be shaved to prevent later irritation of the incision), and the
lateral entry which is through a small incision in the cat's side.
Ventral entry is less expensive, lateral entry has a quicker recovery
time.  You may have to bring your cat back in after ventral entry to
remove stitches; lateral entry uses internal sutures which dissolve.
Ventral entry is much more commonly employed; lateral entry is
relatively rare, and not all vets may know how to do it.

The cat must be put under general anesthesia.  There is always an
element of risk in general anesthesia and while it is rare, a few
rec.pets.cats readers have had their cats die under anesthesia.  The
earlier the female cat is spayed, the better.  Any time after four
months or once the heat cycles have started is good.  Spaying when the
cat is in heat or already pregnant is possible, although some vets
refuse to operate under these circumstances.  On occasion, a female
cat will not have all of her ovaries removed.  The ovaries produce the
hormones that induce heat: if your cat still goes through heat after
being spayed, you may have to take her in for exploratory surgery to
find the missed ovary, or even piece of ovary.

An intact female cat (a "queen") will go through heat which can be as
frequent as one week in four.  You must keep her indoors to prevent
breeding, and she will do her best to escape.  She will spray a foul
smelling substance.  Many cats will meow loudly for long periods of
time.  She will twitch her tail to the side and display her vulva.  If
she becomes pregnant, she will undergo all the risks and expenses
associated with pregnancy (extra visits to the vet and extra food).
Male cats will try very hard to get at her; there are documented
cases, for example, of male cats entering homes through the chimney.
Medication is available that will delay heat; breeders use this to
control the number of times their queens are bred and to work around
cat show schedules.  An unbred, unspayed cat has a much higher risk of
developing cancer of the reproductive system.  Again, spayed females
do not lose their energy or change their personality after the
procedure.

Female cats may come into estrus within a few days of giving birth.
If you have a mom-cat that you want to stop from having more litters,
try to get her spayed as soon as possible after the kittens are born.

3.  Post-op recovery

You will need to watch to make sure your cat does not try to pull out
its stitches.  Consult your vet if your cat starts pulling at its
stitches.  You might, in persistent cases, need to get an elizabethan
collar to prevent the cat from reaching the stitches.  Puffiness,
redness, or oozing around the stiches should be also reported to the
vet.

Some stitches "dissolve" on their own; others require a return to the
vet for removal.

You should note that male cats will take some time to flush all
testosterone and semen out of their systems.  There have been recorded
cases of "neutered" cats impregnating female cats shortly after their
operation.  Three to four weeks is sufficient time for neutered toms
to become sterile.

4. Cost

The cost can vary widely, depending on where you get it done.  There
are many pet-adoption places that will offer low-cost or even free
neutering services, sometimes as a condition of adoption.  Local
animal clinics will often offer low-cost neutering.  Be aware that
spaying will always cost more than castrating at any given place since
spaying is a more complex operation.  Vets almost always charge more
than clinics, partly because of overhead, but also because they often
keep the animal overnight for observation and will do free followup on
any later complications (a consideration in the case of missed
ovaries).

In the US, there is at least one group, "Friends of Animals"
(1-800-321-7387) that will give you information on low-cost
spay/neutering places, or do it themselves.  They often have
price-reduction certificates that your vet may accept.

Quoting actual prices may or may not give you an idea of the cost for
you in your area.  Costs can range from US$10 for castration at a
clinic to US$100 for spaying at the vet's.  This is money well spent.
One pair of cats, allowed to breed, and with 2 litters a year and 2.8
surviving kittens per litter, will account for 80,000 cats in 10
years!

M.  Skin Problems.

1.  Matted fur

Matted fur is a perfect breeding ground for parasites and encourages
inflammatory skin diseases.  If your cat has matted fur, do not try to
cut it off as you may injure the cat.  Mats are difficult to comb out
and may be painful.  You may have to have the vet sedate and shave the
cat.  Do groom it regularly.

2.  Bald patches

Often caused by itching and irritation of some sort.  Fleas,
allergies, eczema, and ringworm are all possible culprits.  Sometimes
it is simply stress; Vets may prescribe hormone shots or even
tranquilizers to control the scratching.

If ringworm is indicated, you must take care not to get it yourself.
It is a fungus just like athletes foot.  Tresaderm and similar
medications are used to treat this.  Since ringworm spreads by
spores, you can reduce transmission and spreading by cleaning
everything you can with bleach (save the cat itself), and washing
bedding and clothing in hot water.  It may take some time (like
several months) to get ringworm under control.

3.  Scratching

If the cat is scratching its ears and you can see black grit, that's
probably earmites.  Consult your vet for appropriate ear drops.  Ear
mites stay in the ears, but can be passed from cat to cat, especially
if they groom each other.  The life cycle of an ear mite is entirely
within the ear, so you do not have to worry about ridding your house
of them the way you do fleas.  Cats typically shake their heads when
given the medication; unless the medication actually comes back out,
that is OK.  An additional step to take is to soak a cotton ball or
pad in mineral oil (baby oil is fine), and clean out the outer ear (do
not poke into the canal).  That rids the upper ear of any ear mites
lodged higher up than the canal, and makes it difficult for the ear
mites to reestablish themselves.

Scratching and a discharge from the ears means a bacterial or fungal
infection and the vet should be immediately consulted.  Other possible
causes of scratching include fleas, lice, eczema, allergies, or stud
tail (in male cats).

4. Feline Acne

Cats can develop acne just as humans do.  Usually it is only on the
chin.  It will appear as small black spots.  The reasons for feline
acne are as complex as it is for humans.  Sometimes a food allegery
(such as chocolate with humans or milk with cats) can cause it or
sometimes the cat does not clean its chin properly.

1.  Tips on caring for feline acne

It is important to keep food dishes clean.  Acne has bacteria
associated with it. The cat's chin comes in contact with the edge of
the food/water bowl, leaving bacteria.  The next time the cat uses the
bowl, it can come in contact with this bacteria and spread it on the
chin.

  * Use glass or metal food/water dishes.  It is next to impossible to
    remove the bacteria from acne from plastic dishes.

  * Wash the food and water dishes daily.  This removes the bacteria
    from the dishes and helps to keep the problem from getting worse.
    Also, in multi-cat households, it will help reduce the chance of
    others breaking out with it.

  * Bathe the cat's chin daily with a disinfectant soap/solution from
    the vet.  Nolvasan, Xenodine, Betadine soaps are a few of the ones
    to try.  More severe cases may need to be washed twice a day. DO
    NOT USE HUMAN ACNE SOLUTIONS, these are too strong for cats and
    may cause serious problems.  Don't try to pick the spots off, just
    clean it well.

Visit the vet if you can't get the acne to clear up within a week or
two or if the acne is severe or infected.  The vet may prescribe
antibiotics for these cats or other acne treatments.

Once the acne is cleared up, keep an eye out for reoccurances.
Washing the cat's chin once a week is a good preventative measure.

N.  Thyroid Problems.

Treatments:

1)  Regular doses of Tapazol.

2. Surgery to remove most of the thyroid.
This is a difficult and potentially dangerous operation (especially
for an older cat), and it is not necessarily effective.  That is, it
will reduce the thyroid activity, but not necessarily stop the runaway
thyroid growth--it may only reduce or delay the problem and you'll
have to give Tapazol anyway.  At the other extreme, you might also end
up having to give the animal thyroid supplements...

3. Radioactive Iodine treatment of thyroid.
This is reported to be very effective in _solving_ the problem.  The
troubles are it is very expensive, and it means leaving your cat at
the facility where it is done for up to two weeks (they have to
monitor the cat to make sure all the radioactivity is gone before
letting it go home).  Leaving a cat at a facility where there are
other cats can expose it to the health problems of the other cats
there.

O.  Vomiting.

Some cats vomit all the time; other cats do so relatively rarely.
Vomiting is not a sign of the same sort of distress as it is in
humans.  Because they are carnivores, they need to be able to vomit
quickly and almost at will without feeling sick.

On the other hand, a cat that suddenly starts to vomit, or vomits more
than usual or in some way demonstrates a departure from its normal
habits should be checked by the vet.

1.  Reasons

Most commonly, a cat vomits because it has hairballs.  To check for
this, examine the vomit carefully for small grayish pellets or lumps
(it doesn't matter what color your cat's hair is).  If these are
present, then hairballs is the problem.  Hairballs occur even with
shorthair cats.  All cats benefit from regular brushing to help
minimize shedding and ingestion of hair.  If your cat is vomiting
because of hairballs, its normal behavior is not affected.  That is,
it will be its usual self immediately before and after vomiting.

To help prevent this kind of vomiting, feed your cat on a regular
basis some petroleum jelly (aka as Vaseline).  If they don't like it,
you can try Petromalt, a malt-flavored petroleum jelly.  Pats of
butter will also work.  To give it to them, if they won't eat it of
their free will, smear some on top of their paw and they will lick it
up as they clean it off.  Be careful to rub it in thoroughly,
otherwise when they shake their paw, you'll have gobs of vaseline go
flying onto the walls or carpet.  Give it to them daily for a few days
if they've just upchucked or are in the midst of dry heaves; go back
down to a weekly dose once they've gotten rid of existing hairballs
and this should keep them hairball free.  Frequent brushing also
helps; every bit of hair on the brush is less hair in your cat's
stomach.

Another common reason for vomiting is overeating, particularly dry
food.  The dry food absorbs water and swells, and then they have to
throw it back up.  If the vomit looks like a semi-solid tube of
partially digested cat food, that's probably what it is.

A cat may vomit when it is allergic to its food.  You can check this
out by trying another brand of food with substantially different
ingredients and no food colorings.

Sometimes cats vomit when they have worms.  Consult your vet for a
worming appointment.

If the vomit is white or clear, that can be one of the symptoms of
panleukopenia, feline distemper.  If such vomiting occurs a coule of
times over the course of a day or night, a phone call to the vet is
in order.

If cats eat something that obstructs their digestive system, they may
try to vomit it back up.  If you can see some of it in their mouth, DO
NOT PULL IT OUT, especially if it is string.  You may just cut up
their intestines in the attempt.  Take the cat to the vet immediately.

If the cat displays other changes of behavior along with the vomiting,
you should consult the vet.  Eg. listlessness, refusing food along
with vomiting may indicate poisoning.

Periodic throwing up can be a sign of an over-active thyroid.  This is
particularly common in older cats.  Your vet can do a blood test and
find out the thyroid level.  It can also be indicative of a kidney
infection: something that your vet can also check out.

In general, as distasteful as it may be, you should examine any vomit
for indication of why the cat vomited.

Summary:

Dietary problems include:
  * sudden change in diet
  * ingestion of foreign material (garbage, plants, etc)
  * eating too rapidly
  * intolerance or allergy to specific foods

Problems with drugs include:
  * specific reactions to certain drugs
  * accidental overdosages

Ingestion of toxins:
  * Lead, ethylene glycol, cleaning agents, herbicides, fertilizers,
    heavy metals all specifically result in vomiting.

Metabolic disorders:
  * diabetes mellitus
  * too little or too much of certain hormones, trace elements, etc.
  * renal disease
  * hepatic disease
  * sepsis
  * acidosis
  * heat stroke

Disorders of the stomach:
  * obstruction (foreign body, disease or trauma)
  * parasites
  * assorted gastric disorders
  * ulcers, polyps

Disorders of the small intestine:
  * parasites
  * enteritis
  * intraluminal obstruction
  * inflammatory bowel disease
  * fungal disease
  * intestinal volvulus
  * paralytic ileus

Disorders of the large intestine:
  * colitis
  * constipation
  * irritable bowel syndrome

Abdominal disorders:
  * pancreatitis
  * gastrinoma of the pancreas
  * peritonitus (any cause including FIP)
  * inflammatory liver disease
  * bile duct obstruction
  * steatitis
  * prostatitis
  * pyelonephritis
  * pyometra (infection of the uterus)
  * urinary obstruction
  * diaphragmatic hernia
  * neoplasia

Nerologic disorders:
  * pain, fear, excitement, stress
  * motion sickness
  * inflammatory lesions
  * head trauma
  * epilepsy
  * neoplasia

Misc:
  * hiatal hernia
  * heartworm


2.  Vomit stains

You may now have stains on the carpet that you want to get rid of.
Spot Shot, and other stain removers, work well at removing stains.  If
you're having trouble with bright red or orange stains, you may want
to invest in a cat food that doesn't use dyes.  That can help
considerably in reducing the stain factor.

(continued)

Subject: rec.pets.cats FAQ (part 3/4)
From: [e-mail] (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Date: 19 Feb 1993 06:02:44 GMT
Followup-To: poster
Supersedes: <cats-faq/[e-mail]>
Lines: 1234
Archive-name: cats-faq/part3
Last-modified: 21 January 1993
Periodicity: 20 days

This is the third part of the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) List
for rec.pets.cats.  It is posted every twenty days: updates,
additions, and corrections (including attributions) are always
welcome: send email to one of the addresses below.

Copies of this FAQ may be obtained by anonymous ftp to pit-manager.mit.edu
(18.172.1.27) under /pub/usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/*.  Or send email to
[e-mail] with

send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part1
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part2
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part3
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part4

in the body of the message to have all parts emailed to you (leave the
subject line empty).

^L
--MORE--(3%)

IV.  PROBLEM BEHAVIORS (INSIDE)

A.  In General.

You cannot discipline cats as you would dogs.  Dogs form social
hierarchies that you can take advantage of by placing yourself at the
top.  Cats form social groups only by necessity and the arrangement is
based on respecting territory, not by respecting the "top dog".  Many
mistakes made with cats are due to thinking that they will react like
dogs.

**Do not *ever* hit a cat or use any sort of physical punishment.**
You will only teach your cat to fear you.

  * You can train your cat not to perform inappropriate behavior by
    training your cat to perform other behavior alternative to or
    incompatible with the inappropriate behavior.

  * Since cats hate to be surprised, you can use waterbottles,
    clapping, hissing, and other sudden noises (such as snapping,
    "No!") to stop unwanted behavior.  However, be aware that these
    tactics will not work when you are not present.  In addition,
    immediacy is key: even seconds late may render it ineffective.
    You must do it as soon as the cat starts the behavior.

  * The face-push has been described by various readers.  This
    consists of pushing the palm of your hand into the cat's face.
    This is best used when discouraging something like biting.  Don't
    hit the cat, simply push its face back gently.  You might
    accompany it with a "no!"

  * Making certain behaviors impossible is another tactic.  Think
    "childproofing": keep food in containers; keep breakable and/or
    dangerous objects out of reach; make sure heavy objects, e.g.
    bookshelves, are stable.  Look for childproofing gadgets and hints
    and think how you can apply them to preventing cat problems.  Even
    when the analogy isn't perfect, physically preventing problems is
    still a good guide.  E.g., defrosting meat?  Put it in the
    (unheated) stove, not out on the counter.

It is always best to train your cat away from undesireable behavior as
soon as possible, as young as possible.  You will have the most
success training your cat when it is young on what is acceptable to
scratch and what is not.  Never tolerate it when it is "cute" since it
will not always remain so.

B.  Plants.

Cats are frequently fascinated with houseplants.  However, you may not
appreciate the attention, which can range from chewing on the plant
leaves to digging or peeing in the plant soil.

For chewing, try spraying Bitter Apple or Bitter Orange on the leaves.
Dusting cayenne pepper on them may also help.  You may wish to grow
some grass or catnip for them as an alternative; plants do provide
them with needed nutrients (the absence of which may be causing their
grazing).

For digging or urinating, cover the dirt with aluminum foil or gravel.
If the plant needs it, add some vinegar to the soil to counteract the
ammonia in the urine.

C.  Spraying.

Some cats start spraying in the house.  You will want to first rule
out any medical causes, such as FUS or cystitis.  Sometimes it is
useful to distinguish between *spraying* (which winds up on walls) and
*urinating* (which is generally on the floor).  Spraying is more often
a behavior problem and urination is more often a medical problem. It
is best to check with a vet first.  If the problem is medical, then
you will need to simply clean up the odor after the problem is
treated, otherwise you will need to try some of the behavior
modification outlined below (and you'll still need to clean up the
odor).

You must remove the odor from items that the cat sprayed on to prevent
the cat from using the same spot again later.  The ammonia smell tells
the cat that this is an elimination spot, so never use ammonia to try
and "remove" the odor!  See (Removing Urine Odor).

Cats sometimes spray to mark their territory so sometimes an area for
your cat that other animals cannot go to will help.  Keeping the
litterbox *immaculately clean* will help in other cases.

Sometimes cats pick small throw rugs with non-skid backing to urinate
on.  This is caused by an odor from the backing that somehow tells
the cat to urinate there (probably an ammonia-like smell).
Cat-repellent sprays or washing the rug *may* help; you might just
have to get rid of that rug.

For persistent spraying after the above steps, try the procedure
outlined in (Housebreaking).

C.  Scratching.

For unwanted scratching, provide an approved scratching post or other
item.  Issue firm "no!"s on unapproved items.  You may wish to spray
Bitter Apple or Bitter Orange (available at most pet stores) on items
that they are particularly stubborn about.  Praise them and give a cat
treat when they use the approved scratching material.  Demonstrate how
to use the post by (yes) going up to it and scratching it like your
cat would.  They will come over to investigate your scent and then
leave their own.

Pepper (black, white, or cayenne) can be applied to furniture and
plants to discourage scratching.  This does not deter all cats.  You
can also cover areas with double-sided tape (sticky on both sides) to
discourage unwanted scratching.  (Always be sure to provide an
alternative scratching item.)

In general, cats will either use a post a lot or never use it.  The
deciding factor can be the material that the post is made out of.  It
has to be fairly smooth (cats usually don't like plush carpet) and
shouldn't be a material that their nails get stuck in.  Once that
happens, they may not use the post anymore.  Natural fiber rope
wrapped tightly around the post appeals to many cats.  Some cats like
plain wood; a two-by-four made available may work well.  Other cats
prefer the kind of "scratching posts" that are horizontal rather than
verticle.

E.  Housetraining.

It is possible for cats to stop using the litter box or to have
trouble learning in the first place.

Do NOT *ever* try to discourage a cat's mistakes by rubbing its nose
in it.  It never worked for dogs and most certainly will not work for
cats.  In fact, you wind up reminding the cat of where a good place to
eliminate is!

Potential CAUSES for failure to use litterbox:

  * MEDICAL PROBLEMS:
    1. diarrhea (many causes)
       a.  small intestinal- soft to watery
       b.  colitis (inflamed colon)- mucus in stool, blood, straining

    2. urinary bladder inflammation
       a.  FUS
       b.  Bacterial infections
       c.  trauma
       d.  calculi (bladder stones)
       e.  tumors

    3. polydipsia/polyuria
       (excessive water volume consumed and urine voided: upper water
       intake for cats is 1oz/lb; most cats drink considerably less
       than this)
       a.  diabetes insipidus
       b.  diabetes mellitus
       c.  kidney disease
       d.  liver disease
       e.  adrenal gland disease
       f.  pyometra (pus in the uterus)
       g.  hypercalcemia (high blood calcium)
       h.  others

  * TERRITORIAL MARKING:
    1.  intact female in heat
    2.  intact male spraying
    3.  marking of peripheral walls particularly near windows may be
        from presence of outdoor cats
    4.  may be triggered by over-crowding of indoor cats
    5.  previously neutered cat has a bit of testicular or ovarian
        tissue remaining, possibly resulting in a low level of hormone
        which could trigger marking
    6.  neutered male with sexual experience exposed to female in heat

  * LITTER BOX PROBLEMS:
    1.  overcrowding:  too many cats using same box
    2.  failure to change littter frequently enough -- some cats won't
        use a dirty box
    3.  failure to provide constant access to litterbox
    4.  change in type of litter used
    5.  change in location of litterbox
    6.  unfamiliar, frightening, or loud objects near box: dishwasher,
        etc.
    7.  food and water too close to litterbox
    8.  objectionable chemical used to wash or disinfect litterbox
    9.  location preference: your cat may want the box in a different
        location
    10. texture preference: your cat doesn't like the feel of the
        litter
    11. failure to cover litter:  learned process from parents
        a.  use of litterbox is instinctive
        b.  cats that don't cover litter may be more prone to
            litterbox problems
        c.  your cat may be indicating texture preference problem

  * PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS:
    (most common manifestation is inappropriate urination)
    1.  addition or subtraction of other pets in household
    2.  visitors, company, parties, redecorating, construction, or any
        type of commotion
    3.  a move to a new environment
    4.  change in routine or schedule:  a new job or working hours
    5.  their return from boarding or hospitilization
    6.  interaction problem with other pets or cats
        a.  cats are asocial rather than antisocial; in the wild each
            has a territory and period of contact with others in the
            group (and only one male per group)
        b.  a closed environment will create a greater degree of
            interaction than some cats prefer.  The more cats in a
            household, the greater the degree of interaction

  * CHEMICAL ATTRACTION OF PREVIOUS "ACCIDENTS:"
    1.  likely to produce repeated visitations to the same spot
    2.  may induce urination by other members of a multi-cat household
    3.  you may have moved to a residence previously occupied with
        other dogs and/or cats

Treatment:

  * Rule out medical problems FIRST
    1.  complete history and physical
    2.  stool/GI workup for diarrhea (if needed)
    3.  urinalysis for inappropriate urination to rule out an
        infection
    4.  workup for polydipsia/polyuria
    5.  important to check all cats of a multi-cat household
        a.  last cat seen misbehaving may be responding to chemical
            attraction and not be an instigator
        b.  more than one cat could have problem
    6.  treat/correct medical problems first.  Behavioral problems can
        only be diagnosed in a healthy cat

  * Territorial marking:
    1.  neuter all cats (check history of neutered cats; retained
        testicle in male or signs of heat in female)
    2.  prevent other cats from coming around outside of house, close
        windows, blinds, and doors
    3.  prevent overcrowding in multi-cat households

  * Litter box problems:
    1.  provide a box for each cat
    2.  change litter daily
    3.  provide constant access to a box
    4.  go back to previously used brand of litter and/or discontinue
        new disinfectant
    5.  move box to where it was previously used
    6.  eliminate new or frightening noise near litterbox
    7.  move food and water away from litterbox
    8.  if cat is only going in one spot, put the litterbox at the
        exact location and gradually move it back to where you want it
        at the rate of one foot per day
    9.  if there are several places, try putting dishes of cat food in
        those areas to discourage further elimination there
    10. experiment with different textures of litter (cats prefer
        sandy litter)
    11. use a covered litterbox for cats that stand in box but
        eliminate outside of it

  * Psychological Stress:
    1.  eliminate if possible
    2.  try to provide each cat at home with its own "space"
        a.  use favorite resting areas to determine
        b.  provide separate litterboxes near each space if possible
        c.  cubicles, boxes, shelves, crates are effective for this
    3.  tranquilizers sometimes work well in multicat situations

  * Chemical attraction:
    1.  dispose of all soiled fabric or throw rugs if possible
    2.  50% vinegar or commercial products may be used
    3.  steam cleaning may help
    4.  repellants may help
    5.  do not replace carpeting until problem entirely solved or it
        may start all over again on your new carpeting

  * Confinement:
    (In portable kennel with litterbox, (with appropriate corrections)
    to stop further inappropriate behavior while medical and/or other
    problems are being treated.)
    1.  particularly beneficial for transient stress induced problem
    2.  may allow acclimation to stress situation where source of
        stress cannot be eliminated
    3.  procedure:
        a.  choose an area that can be a permanent location of litterbox
        b.  keep cat confined to this area 4-6 weeks when not under
            your direct visual supervision (if your cat attempts
            elimination outside of kennel when you are watching,
            squirt with water pistol as soon as elimination posture is
            attempted and put cat back in kennel)
        c.  if cat is using box regularly for 4 to 6 weeks when not
            under your gradually give access to larger and larger
            areas of your home, one room or hallway at a time
            (1) allow 1 week of good behavior in the new area before
                adding the new room
            (2) never increase access area until you are 100% certain
                cats use of litterbox is 100%
            (3) if accident occurs, re-evaluate this material to make
                sure litterbox problem or something else didn't
                trigger
        d.  begin confinement over again and double intervals for
            relapses

  * For inappropriate urination problems in which all else fails and
    the alternative is euthanasia, hormone therapy may be attempted.
    1.  only for neutered cats
    2.  only 50% effective
    3.  side effects may include increased appetite (common),
        depression or lethargy (less common).  Long term use might
        have side effects such as: mammary enlargement, adrenocrotical
        suppression, and diabetes mellitus.
    3.  usually requires lifelong maintenance on regular intermittent basis
    4.  very dangerous drug; use borders malpractice -- should be
        reserved for cats who will be put to sleep if problem is not
        solved
        a.  immunosuppressive
        b.  weight gains predisposing to obesity
        c.  mammary gland development
        d.  feminization of males
        e.  may induce latent diabetes
    5.  dosage is initiated daily for 7 day trial; if effective, then
        dosage is tapered to least effective amount given every other
        day every one to two weeks
    6.  relapses may be expected when drug is discontinued


F.  Escaping.

The best way to discourage running to the door is never to let the cat
succeed!  After a history of unsuccessful attempts, the cat will stop
trying.  After even one success, the cat will try hard and for a long
time.

Tip: don't arrive at the door with three bags of groceries in hand and
expect you'll be able to keep the cat in.  Instead, put down all but
one bag and use that bag to block the floor level when you come in.
After you're in, bring in the rest.  In general, spend the time to be
in control whenever the outside door is opened.  Kids will need to
learn how to keep the cat in too.  A waterbottle may help with
persistent cats.  It will pay off later when the cat stops trying to
get out.

To turn a formerly outdoor cat into an indoor one (or to discourage a
persistent one, you might try this, recommended by the San Francisco
SPCA: Enlist the help of a friend to hide outside the door with a
hose and spray attachment and have her or him spray the cat when you
let it out.  This may take several applications, over several days.

Some cats *are* remarkably persistent, and never seem to give up.

G.  Drape/Curtain Climbing.

If possible, use tension rods instead of drilled into the wall rods.
The tension rods will simply fall down on top of the cat if it tries
to climb them.  Otherwise, take the drapes off the hooks and thread
them back up with thread just barely strong enough to hold them up.
When the cat climbs up, the drapes will fall down on it (be sure that
the hooks aren't around to potentially injure the cat).  After the
drapes have remained up for some time, re-hook them.  These methods
have the advantage of working whether you're home or not.

Vertical blinds can work very well; cats cannot climb up them, cannot
shred them, cannot shed on them, cannot be bent the way horizontal
blinds.  It is furthermore easy for cats to push them aside to look
outside.  Vertical blinds are usually vertical strips of plastic, but
they can also come covered with different fabrics to match your decor.
These kinds are still pretty indestructible.

H.  Cord (and Other) Chewing.

Put something distasteful on the cord to discourage chewing.
Substances to try: tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, Bitter Apple/Orange,
nail-biting nailpolish, orange/lemon peel.  If you cannot find a
substance that will repel your cat, you may wish to use duct tape to
secure exposed cords.  Duct tape comes in a variety of colors and you
will probably be able to find something relatively inconspicuous.

This will work on other chewed items, as well, although you will need
to check the compatibility of the chewed item with the substance you
put on it.

I.  Biting.

Give a sharp, plantative yowl, like the sound a hurt cat will make.
Pull your hand back (or if that would score furrows down your hand,
let it go completely limp), turn your back on it, and ignore it for a
few minutes.  People are divided on the issue of whether to allow hand
attacks at all or to allow limited hand attacks.  You can train the
cat to do either with the same method.  For the former, always wail
when attacked and then offer a toy to play with instead; for the
latter, wail whenever the claws come out, but allow attack of the hand
up to that point.  Be aware that a cat trained not to use a person as
a toy at all will be more trustworthy around a new baby (see A New
Baby).  You may try hissing at a cat that persistently attacks you.

J.  Garbage.

The best way to prevent this problem is to get a garbage container
with a firm lid.  Do NOT start with container that's trivial to get
into, then gradually move to harder and harder containers: this just
trains the cat to get into the harder container.  A hospital type of
container that opens the lid with a foot pedal is effective and
convenient.  Another is the kind with metal handles that swing up to
close the lid. The important thing is the lid is tight and secure.

Another way to prevent this is to store the garbage can out of reach,
such as in the cabinet under the sink or in a pantry where the door is
kept closed.  If the cat can open the cabinet door, get a childproof
latch for it.

If the problem is one of tipping the container over, several bricks in
the bottom of the container may help stabilize it.  Once the cat is
convinced it can't be knocked over, you can remove the weight.

K.  Counters.

It's not a good idea to let your cat on your kitchen counters or
tabletops.  There are several ways to prevent this.  Leave a
collection of poorly balanced kitchen utensils or empty (or with a few
pennies inside) aluminum cans on the counter near the edge, so the cat
will knock them off if it jumps up.  Cats hate surprises and loud
noises.  Leave some ordinary dishwashing liquid on the counters, or
some masking tape (or two-sided carpet tape) arranged gummy side up.
Don't leave things on the counter that will attract the cat (like raw
meat).

These same techniques will work for other surfaces like dressers,
TV's, etc.

L.  Early AM Wakeups.

Cats are notorious for waking their owners up at oh-dark-thirty.
If you wish to stop this, there are several steps to take.

The cat may simply be hungry and demanding its food.  By feeding it
when it wakes you up at an ungodly hour, you are simply reinforcing
its behavior.  If this is why it's waking you up, you can handle this
either by filling the bowl just before you go to sleep so it will not
be empty in the morning, or by ignoring the cat's wakeups and feeding
it at the exact same time convenient to you every morning.  The cat
will adjust fairly quickly to the second.

If it is trying to play, there are again several tactics you can try.
If you make a practice of tiring it out with play just before bedtime,
you can reduce its calls for play at dawn.  What works in some cases
is to hiss gently at the cat.  You can also try shutting it out of the
bedroom.  If it pounds on the door, put it in a bathroom until you
wake up.

In persistent cases, try the vacuum cleaner, eater of noisy kitties.
Go to bed, leaving him out in the hall.  Position the vacuum cleaner
next to the door, inside it.  Plug the vacuum in, and arrange things so
you can switch the vacuum on from your bed (eg, wire a switch into an
extension cord).  Wait for the scratching and wailing at the door.
Turn the vacuum cleaner on.  If cat comes back, turn it on again.
The cat will eventually decide to stop bothering you in the morning.

M.  Toilet Paper.

Four ways to prevent cats from playing with toilet paper:

  * Hang the roll so that the paper hangs down between the roll and
    the wall rather than over the top of the roll.
  * If the cat knows how to roll it either way, then you can get a
    cover that rests on top of the toilet paper and this will work.
    You can make your own by taking the cardboard core from an empty
    roll and slitting it lengthwise and fitting it over the roll.
  * You can balance a small paper cup full of water on top of the roll.
  * If you are unwilling or unable to use the cover, then close the
    door to the bathroom.

N.  Splashing Water

Some cats like to tip the water dish and empty it all over the kitchen
floor.  You can try placing it on a small rug.  There are large
"untippable" (pyramid-shaped) dishes available at the pet store.  If
the cat then paddles the water out, you may just want to put the dish
in the bathtub.  Cats should always have a source of fresh water
(except for pre-op surgery or prior to a car ride), so removing it
while you are not at home is an unsatisfactory solution.  If the cat
is indoor/outdoor, you may want to put the water dish outside.

O.  Ripping Carpet.

Some cats may develop the annoying and expensive habit of ripping up
carpet.  There are several possible reasons behind this, listed below.
In all circumstances, be sure that there is plenty of items that the
cat *can* scratch.

  * Other "approved" scratching posts may be made of carpet, confusing
    your cat.  Switch to scratching materials that do NOT use carpet.
    Common alternatives include sisal rope, corrugated cardboard, or
    carpet turned wrong-way out.  Retrain your cat onto these items.

  * Some cats rip at doorways that are closed, trying to get through.
    You can put down plastic carpet covering, securing it with nails
    if necessary, through the doorway so that it sticks out on both
    sides.

  * A particular spot may be favored, for no apparent reason.  There
    may be some odor at that spot.  Try cleaning it thoroughly with an
    enzyme-based cleaner like Nature's Miracle and then spraying a
    touch of Bitter Apple or the equivalent on the spot.

P.  Closet Antics.

Cats love closets, since they're dark hidey holes full of fun stuff.
But you may not want your cat to swing on your good silk clothing
or rearrange your shoes.  Conversely, you might want your cat to be
able to get into the closet and keep larger pets out.

If you have a swing-and-shut door, you might try a cat door to allow
the cat access.  A child-barrier that lets the cat jump over but not
the dog is another possibility.  Or a chain (like the chain some front
doors have) might work.

A solution with closets that have double sliding doors is to drill a
hole through the area of overlap, with the doors positioned closed or
partially opened as you wish.  Then you can use a nail or a peg in the
hole to keep the doors in position.


V.  PROBLEM BEHAVIORS (OUTSIDE)

A.  In General.

Outside cats, especially those not your own, can present you with
difficult problems.  Cats are not regarded the way dogs are under law:
there is nothing that says you have the "right" to keep cats out of
your yard, for example (whereas dogs can be required to be kept
confined or on leash, for example).  There are historical and
practical reasons for this -- but there are still practical steps you
can take to resolve several problems.  This section is written
primarily for people who want to stop other cats (i.e., not their own)
from being a nuisance on their property.

B.  Noise.

Mating cats can make an unbelievable amount of noise under your
window.  If these cats are feral, check with your local animal clinic
about trapping and neutering these cats.  Many will do them at little
or no cost, depending on how many cats you're willing to bring in for
the procedure.  Eliminating the breeding stock in feral cats as much
as possible will also help reduce the stray population in your area
over time, and reduce similar problems like cat fights and spraying.

C.  Your Garden.

Between digging and eating in your plants, cats can do considerable
damage to a garden.  There are a number of ways to keep cats from
digging in, chewing on, or eliminating in your garden.

Some people have successfully used the "diversionary" tactic by
planting catnip in another corner of the garden entirely, confining
the destruction to one spot.

If you have not yet started your garden, put chicken wire down and
plant between the wire.  Cats dislike walking on the chicken wire and
most plants (unless they grow too big) do just fine growing between
the wire.

Other people have reported success with different sprays, gels, and
products specifically formulated to keep animals out of your yard.
Check your local pet store.

Lemon peels, soap slivers (use biodegradeable soap) dipped in cayenne
pepper and other organic materials have also been reportedly successful.

Cats hate water: surprising them with a squirt gun (or turning your
sprinklers on) can discourage specific cats from returning.

D.  Local "Attack" Cats.

Sometimes there is a problem with a particular cat that fights with
other cats.  If it is feral, try to make arrangements to neuter it, if
possible.  If it belongs to a neighbor, try to discuss the matter with
your neighbor, and avoid being "threatening."  When approached
reasonably, most people can be reasonable in turn.  Sometimes your
neighbor just doesn't know his cat is bothering you.

If the cat actually follows your cat through the pet door, you might
try an electronic pet door to keep it out (see Pet Doors).

E.  Your Birdfeeder.

Locate your birdfeeder in an area where the ground is clear, affording
cats no cover.  At the same time, try to locate it *under* something,
like a tree, to provide refuge from attack by other birds.

F.  Keeping your cat in your yard.

Cats are very good at scaling fences.  But if you have a yard that is
otherwised fenced in, you can try keeping your cat from going over the
fence by attaching corrougated fiberglass to the top of it.  There is
then no purchase for the cat to pull itself up.  It is even possible
to find different colors of the fiberglass to keep it inconspicuous.
Keep in mind, though, that many cats are clever climbers and high
jumpers and may circumvent anything short of a yard totally enclosed
and roofed over with chicken wire.


VI.  ENTERTAINMENT

A.  Scratching Posts.

You can order a large catnip tree from Felix (1-800-24-Felix),
especially if you cannot make one on your own because of lack of
skill, time, or workspace.  Cats especially enjoy being able to climb
up and down these structures.  Big ones should be bolted to the wall
for stability.  Most pet stores sell these things.  Expect to pay no
more than US$100 for a good sized one.  Look for sturdiness and balance.

Sisal has been recommended over carpet for a scratching post cover.
Cats seem to like the texture better, and it helps avoid confusion
over which carpet is the "right" carpet to scratch.

You can also buy rectangular chunks of catnip-treated corrugated
cardboard scratching 'posts', available at pet supply stores for
about US$8 each.  They can be either hung from a door, tacked to a wall
or just laid flat on the ground.  You might have to "show" them how to
use them.  Most cats love the texture of the cardboard (as well as the
'nip).

You might try used automobile tires placed upright and tied securely.
Cats that like horizontal scratching posts jump up on it and scratch
and cats that like vertical scratching posts stretch up and scratch.
The tires can be bare or themselves covered with scratching material.
In addition, cats have fun going through and around the tire.

Other readers have reported using wooden boards wrapped several times
around with burlap.  The burlap can be replaced as it is shredded.

B.  Catnip and Valerian.

Catnip is a plant that causes various reactions in cats.  Very young
cats and kittens will not be affected by catnip.  About 20% of cats
are never affected by catnip.  It is not known why or how catnip has
the effect it does on the rest of the cat population.  It is a
non-addictive "recreational drug" for cats with no known harm to the
cat.  There was an article in _Science_ [exact reference?]  on the
neurological effects of catnip on cats.  It seems to stimulate the
same pleasure centers in the feline brain that orgasm does.  Most cats
"mellow out" and become sleepy and happy, others start acting very
kittenish.  A small percentage will become possessive of their catnip
and may snap or hiss at you.

You can find wild catnip plants in most weedy areas, and harvest the
seed.  Or you can buy seed from companies like Burpees or Parks or
Northrup King -- most garden centers have catnip seed this time of
year -- check the "herb" section.  Or even seed racks in the grocery
and discount stores.

Catnip is easy to grow.  You will need to keep the plant itself out of
the reach of the cats as catnip-lovers will quickly destroy it.  The
best strategy is to get some growing, and then pinch and prune it
regularly and give the harvested leaves to your cat.  Keep it in its
own pot, as it will spread rapidly.  Cats will tend to dig up
transplanted catnip and eat it roots and all, but are much gentler on
plants started from seed.  The leaves have to be bruised to release
the odor, and transplanting seems to be enough bruising...

Nepeta cataria is the common catnip; other Nepeta species have varying
amounts of "active ingredient".  A good one is Nepeta mussini, a
miniature-leaved catnip that makes a good rockgarden plant.  Nepeta is
a genus of the Lamiaceae (=Labiatae), the mint family.  There are
about 250 species of catnip, plus a bunch of hybrids between species.
Only about 10 are available in this country, though.

You can order from Burpee (215-674-9633)
 Nepeta cataria  B61424  $1.25
 N. mussinii   B38828  $1.45

Valerian root is an herb with effects very similar to catnip and
generally makes cats a bit nuts.  It is however not as readily
available as catnip and perhaps a bit more potent than catnip.

Catnip and Valerian both act as sedatives on humans.

C.  Other Toys.

In general, cats perversely favor the cheap homemade toy over the
expensive supermarket toy.  Toys commonly mentioned foil or paper
balls, superballs, little plastic rings from milk jugs, ornaments on
christmas trees, pencils, paper bags, cardboard boxes, Q-tips, cat
dancers ... the list is nearly infinite.

A new "cat toy" seems to be the production of videotapes for your
furry feline.  Tapes of birds and mice complete with intriguing noises
have kept several reader's cats entranced.  If your cat seems to like
watching TV (some do), this might be fun for your cat.  Don't give it
access to your remote, though.

Take sensible precautions with toys that can injure the cat: avoid
toys small enough to be swallowed or choked on; avoid toys with loose
or potentially sharp parts; avoid toys that can strangulate the cat or
shred the intestines if swallowed (including string and rubber bands).
Put strings away when you are not at home.

D.  Playing.

Most cats will love playing with you.  There is the usual string or
ball chasing; a few will even retrieve thrown items.  "Hide and seek"
and "Peekaboo" are also popular.  Cats commonly display interest by
dilating their pupils; look for this to see what catches its
attention.

Cats will often display behavior commonly called "elevenses," since it
seems to occur most often around 11PM.  This consists of the cat's
eyes dilating, its tail poofing out, and alternating between hopping
sideways and racing all over the house.  Your cat wants to play.  Take
it up on the challenge.  Chase after it, play hide and seek.  This can
also be useful; playing with a cat just before bedtime reduces the
chances of your cat wanting to play with you at 3AM.


VII.  CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS

A.  A New Baby.

Cats can become jealous upon the arrival of a new baby.  Reassure the
cat that you still love it by paying it plenty of attention.  In the
exhaustion and turmoil of a new baby, the cat is often neglected, and
this will add to its resentment.

There is a myth that cats will kill babies.  The superstition is that
they'll "steal" the baby's breath; the latter day explanation is that
they will lie on babies and suffocate them.  While cats may like the
baby's warmth and may curl up next to it, it will not often lie on the
baby and in any case will move when the baby begins to flail its arms
and legs.

Most cats are trustworthy around babies after getting over any
jealousy, especially if it is trained not to use people as toys;
however babies should *never* be left unsupervised around *any*
animal.

B.  Travel.

1.  Cars

Cats generally don't like travelling in cars.  For short trips, put
them in carriers to prevent accidents such as getting in the driver's
way, or escaping when the door is opened.  Some cats are more calm if
kept in a pillowcase or a soft gym-bag type of carrier.  For long
trips (all day or more), use cat carriers, minimize food intake
beforehand, and give water every time you stop.  Consider getting
harnesses and leashes for when you stop.  Most motels allow cats.
Sometimes you can use temporary fencing to block off the back of your
car to give them a roomier "cage"; you can usually then put
litterboxes down instead of keeping them for pit stops.  Tranquilizers
can be obtained from the vet, but not all cats react well to them, and
they may make a trip worse than it would have been otherwise (test the
cat's reaction to them beforehand).  Many cats will sack out after a
few hours on the road.

For long-distance trips, make sure the motels take cats beforehand.
Some do not, and are very nasty about it if you try to beg a room.
AAA lists motels that accept pets.

You might want to carry along water from your home, especially if you
are traveling between states.  Ice cubes in the water dish allow your
cats to have water without it spilling while you're driving (and helps
if its hot, too).

If you're traveling in the summer, make sure the cats get lots of air
or air conditioning in the car. carry an umbrella or other
shade-making device in case you have a breakdown.  Keep alert to where
the sun is shining in your car (i.e., is it beating down on the back
seat where the cats are?)

2.  Trains

Trains vary widely whether or not animals are allowed on passenger
cars.  Amtrack does not.  British Rail permits cats in a basket or
cage placed on the floor, seat or luggage rack.  The Swedish railway
company allows pets in the smoking section of the car, although
pet/non-smoker compartments have been recently introduced.

3.  Planes

All major airlines allow cats that fit with carrier underseat
according to the same dimension limits as for underseat baggage.  Most
airlines will tell you the cat has to be able to stand up in that
carrier but won't enforce this.  The pet area is not cargo, it's
pressurized but possibly not heated or cooled.  Get nonstop flights
since the airplane has little climate control for pets or passengers
while on the ground.  Airlines aren't permitted to take more than one
cat per carrier except for kittens.  You must call ahead, usually only
one carrier is allowed in the cabin, the rest must go into the pet
area.

Tips:

  * Try not to travel when temperatures are outside the 40-80 degrees
    F range at either end of the flight or at any stops in between.
  * Try to travel at off-peak times to minimize delays.
  * Use a sturdy kennel with proper ventilation and room for your
    cat to stand, turn around, and lie down.
  * Try not to tranquilize your cat unless absolutely necessary.

Some airlines are better than others.  Delta and United have failed to
follow standard procedures to protect animals in inclement weather and
as a result many animals have died on their flights.  They are being
fined $300,000 for this negligence by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.
American, Continental, Pan Am, and TWA have also been fined.  The
ASPCA has brought charges in about 50 cases in the past five years.
Much of this information can be found in "Pets on Planes: Too Often
it's a Rough Ride," _Conde Nast Traveler_ magazine, June 1992.

C.  International Travel.

A partial list: most states require a health certificate and proof of
rabies vaccination for pets crossing state lines.  Most airlines will
require this regardless.  Hawaii and Britain have a 6 month quarantine
for all pets entering either island (the chunnel may change Britain's
policy in a few years).  Canada has a 4 month quarantine [I think?],
except from the US, where rabies vaccination documentation is
sufficient.  Scandinavian countries have a three month quarantine,
with exceptions for animals from rabies-free countries such as Britain
and Australia.

Australia accepts animals only from rabies-free places and even these
animals have a four month quarantine.  Some sources have cited
different lengths of time from different acceptable countries, eg, six
months if from Britain, but this is unverified.  There is unrestricted
travel between Australia and New Zealand if the animals have been in
New Zealand for at least six months.  It is unclear what New Zealand's
policy is.

US to Australia: The key to bringing cats into Australia is that you
cannot bring cats from mainland US *directly*. You must go through an
intermediate stop, London or Hawaii.  Hawaii is more popular, it has a
shorter quarantine and makes a warm vacation spot.  In Hawaii, the cat
must be in official quarantine for 4 months, followed by another 30
days in a commercial kennel/cattery. The cat can then be brought into
Australia, but faces another 4 months of quarantine here. So the total
takes 9 months (and a fair investment).

D.  Moving.

Again, there are a variety of responses to a change in home location.
Some cats do well, others are a nervous wreck for several weeks.

By keeping your cat at someone else's home during the actual move-out,
you will keep it out of the way, prevent accidental escape or injury,
and spare the cat the trauma of seeing its world picked up and carried
out.  Once at the new place, keeping it for a day or so in one room of
the new place before allowing it out to explore will alleviate its
anxiety.  In any case, be prepared for up to several weeks of
"slinking" and hiding until becoming accustomed to the new place.

If you have an indoor/outdoor cat, you will want to keep it indoors
for about a month before you let it out.  Cats have a homing instinct
that takes about a month to "reset".  If you let it out before this
time, the cat may become disoriented and get lost, or make a beeline
for the old home.

E.  Vacations.

When you go on vacation or otherwise will be absent for some period of
time, you must make provisions for your cat.

It is a good idea, whichever solution you use, to inform your vet that
you're on vacation and to take care of your cats in any case that
comes up and you will settle the bill when you get back.  Let the
sitters know, too.

1.  Leave at home

In most cases, you will be able to leave your cat alone for three to
four days with no supervision provided that it has an adequate supply
of food and water.  If your cat does not free-feed, this may not be at
all possible.

2.  Pet sitters

Find a friend (or a company that provides this service) who will drop
by your house at least once a day to feed it, water it, and generally
check up and play with it.  This is the least traumatic method for the
cat since it will stay in familiar territory and has the added bonus
of your house looking occupied.  Check to make sure that the
professional service you use is bonded, and interview the person
beforehand.  Check references that they supply.

You can call the local humane society, animal rights groups or vets to
find a recommended sitter.  These groups can often recommend good
sitters, and just as important, warn you off particular companies that
have had complaints.

3.  Kennels

Experiences have ranged from good to satisfactory to terrible with
kenneling cats.  It will depend a good deal on your cat's personality
and the kennel.  Look for a kennel that is clean and is attentive to
its boarders.  Look for personnel that like playing and otherwise
caring for animals.  Be wary of kennels that are not clean and
cheerful.  Some have reported that their animals came home with
diseases; check the kennel's policy regarding these matters.  Some may
involuntarily dip their clients; check for this also.  Check for
noise, too.

4.  Take Cat With You

See Travel.

5.  Leave with Someone Else

Find someone willing to take your cat in while you are gone.  Your cat
will have to stay somewhere new for a while, but this can be
convenient, and especially if it always stays with that person while
you're gone, its adjustment can be quick.


VIII.  OTHER TOPICS

A.  Removing Urine Odor.

For fresh urine: clean the spot with any good carpet shampoo (Spot
Shot is one).  Then soak it with plain old club soda, leave it for
about ten minutes and blot it up.

If the urine has soaked the pad and the floor below that, it will be
difficult to remove the odor regardless of what you use.

To find spots if you're not sure where they are, get a UV lamp that
has the filter built in (to eliminate any remnant visible light).
Urine fluoresces in "black light."  You can get them at hardware
stores.  There are also UV lamps in hobby stores and places that cater
to spelunkers and rockhounds, but they're more expensive.  The UV
source is safe as long as you use the longwave lamp and not the
shortwave lamp used for tanning.

1.  Enzymatic products

Products that remove odors: Nature's Miracle (carpet, has 800 number);
Simple Solution (carpet and other items); Outright! (carpet); Resolve
(carpet, perhaps other items); Odor Mute (originally for deskunking
dogs, has other applications, leaves white residue, works on
concrete).  Odor Abolish, by Endosome Biologicals, may also be useful.
These products use enzymes to break down the odor causing compounds in
urine and feces, and are quite effective.

When using enzymatic products, it is important to use freshly diluted
enzymes, let it soak in as deeply as the urine has penetrated, and
*keep the area warm and wet for 24 hours*.  Chemical reactions,
including enzymatic reactions, go faster at higher temperatures.
Unfortunately, most enzymatic reactions don't do well much over 102F
(38-39C)-- so not TOO hot.  Try covering the area with towels soaked
in plain water after applying the enzyme, then a shower curtain or
other plastic over that to make sure the area stays moist.

The enzymes in laundry products are the same as those in the expensive
odor-killing products, but they cost less than 1/3 as much.  They work
just as well.  Biz is one product.  You'll find it in your grocery
laundry section with the pre-soak laundry stuff.  Remember, you have
to SOAK the area and then cover it to keep it from drying out.  The
smelly area must be WET with the enzyme for 24 hours or more.

2.  Launderable items

On launderable items: put in the washing machine with a cup of vinegar
and no detergent, then wash again as usual.

3.  Concrete

If you have concrete (eg, in the basement) into which urine has been
soaked, this can be difficult to remove, as unsealed concrete is very
porous.  You will have to neutralize the urine and then seal the
concrete properly.  A specialty cleaning service is probably the best
way to properly neutralize the urine in the concrete.  Vinegars and
other cleaners may help, but only temporarily.  Odor Mute is reputed
to work on concrete.  Improving the ventilation may also help.  In
extreme cases, pouring another 1/4-1/2 inch layer of concrete over the
original concrete will solve the problem.

4.  Hardwood floors

Hardwood floors that have been stained with urine can be difficult to
clean.  First treat with an enzyme-based product such as Nature's
Miracle to remove the odor.  You can find wood bleaches and stains at
your hardware store: you may want to consult with one of the employees
on what is available.  You will need to remove any varnish or
polyurethane from the area, sand it down a bit, bleach and/or stain
it, and then apply the protective coat.  There are also professional
companies you can consult.  In severely stained cases, you may have to
replace the wood.

B.  Cat Owner Allergies.

In general, keep the cats out of the bedroom.  If cats can be trained
to keep off the furniture, that also helps.  Substances like Allerpet
C can be used on cat's fur to dissolve some of the dander and protein
from the saliva that people are allergic to.  Long haired cats have
more area to deposit their saliva on and they have to be brushed
(putting more dander in the air), so short haired cats are better for
people with allergies.  Clean and vacuum often; groom and brush the
cat (outside if possible) often so its hair-shedding around the house
is minimized; and bathe the cat regularly.

1. Kinds of allergies

Some people are simply allergic to new cats.  This kind of allergy
means that it will diminish with repeated exposure.  Thus you will not
be allergic to cats that you are exposed to regularly; and actually
become allergic to your own cat if you're away from it for some time.
Washing hands frequently helps with this type of allergy.

Other people are allergic to the saliva on the cat's fur.  A remedy
for this is to bathe the cat once a month.  No soap is needed, merely
soak the cat thoroughly.  Done on a monthly basis, it seems to keep
the saliva levels down to a tolerable level.  This was reported in a
scientific journal somewhere; Cat Fancy covered it a few years ago.
[exact reference?]

You may be allergic to cat hair, in which case you may want to get one
of the breeds of cats with short, little, or no hair.  There is a
hairless cat, the Sphynx, and there are breeds of cat which are
entirely lacking in the kind of hair (cats have four kinds of hair)
most people are allergic to.  These are the Cornish Rex or Devon Rex
breeds, and their fur is short and curly.

You could go to an allergy specialist and get shots to help you with
specific allergies.  This can be expensive, but worth it, especially
if you have other allergies as well.  They'll test you for the things
you're allergic to, and then give you periodic shots to help you
develop an appropriate immunity to them.  Be sure to find a specialist
familiar with cat allergies: many will simply recommend you get rid of
pets.  Also, don't expect miracles.  They can do a lot for you to
reduce your allergies, but sometimes they can't track down a
particular one, and sometimes it takes more than "just shots" to
deal with an allergy.

The magazine _New Woman_ (October 1992) has an interesting article
about a cat-allergy vaccine.  Catvax is being developed by the
Immulogic Pharmaceutical Corporation (I.P.C.)  in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, and is now being tested on humans at Johns Hopkins
University.  Tests on animals indicate that Catvax is different from
traditional cat-allergy shots in two ways. First, unlike conventional
allergy therapy, which involves biweekly or weekly injections for up
to a year, the vaccine may be able to completely prevent allergic
reactions after just a few injections.  Second, studies suggest that
the vaccine will not produce allergic side effects, such as asthma,
that traditional shots often do.  I.P.C. hopes to complete its human
studies and have the vaccine on the market by 1996 or 1997.

There is an informative article "When Humans Have Allergies: Ways to
Tolerate Cat Allergies," in _Cats Magazine_, April 1992.  The August
1992 issue of _Cat Fancy_ contains an informative article; the
September 1992 issue has a survey of people's experiences with
allergies and what worked for them.

C.  Cats and Water.

There are breeds of cats with an affinity for water.  There have been
reports from rec.pets.cats readers about cats getting into showers
with them; other anecdotes have been very entertaining to read.

Most cats, whether or not they like to get wet, will be fascinated
with watching water drip out of faucets or drain out of tubs, sinks,
and toilets.

Reports of cats drinking from the bottom of the shower, from the sink
and other unlikely places are common.  Some cats can be fussy
about water; they seem to like it as fresh as possible, preferably
still moving.  You may be able to stop some of this behavior by
changing the cat's water every day and moving it some distance away
from the food dish.  In general this habit will not hurt your cat,
however unpleasant it may look to you.  Toilet water drinking *should*
be discouraged, but this is easily done by leaving the lid down.

D.  Indoor and Outdoor Cats

1.  Pros and cons

There are a good many arguments for keeping them inside.  They will
live longer since the chances of being hit by a car, hurt by other
people or animals, or infected with contagious diseases from feral
cats will be minimized.  On the other hand, cats derive much pleasure
from exploring around outside.

2.  Compromises

Often, a satisfactory compromise is to allow the cat out under
supervision.  This can be done by either letting them out into a
fenced yard (although if you leave them out there, they will probably
eventually climb the fence), or using a harness and leash.  To use the
latter, accustom them to the harness first, in the same way as a
collar.  Then accustom them to the leash by leaving it on for short
periods of time.  Then take them outside, and follow them where they
go (do not try to take them "on a walk").

2.  Pet doors

Pet doors are a good solution for people tired of letting cats in and
out.  There are many kinds of doors, including those that fit into
patio doors without requiring a hole cut through the wall or door.

You may have trouble with other animals coming in the door, or want to
let your dog but not your cat use the pet door.  The solution is an
electronic pet door. The door has a lock that is deactivated by a
magnet that selected pets wear on their collar. Look under Pet
Supplies in the yellow pages. If you can't get one locally, call
"America's Pet Door Store" toll free at 1-800-826-2871 for a catalog.

Electronic pet doors are installed much like a regular pet door, but
you plug them in.  The door itself needs a firmer push to open than
most.  A great feature is the 4-way lock. The lock can be set so the
cat can 1) go both in and out 2) go in only - great if you want to
catch them 3) out only 4) totally locked.  Doors cost about
US$80-US$90.

E.  Catching Feral Cats.

On occasion, you may want to catch feral cats.  They can be very
difficult to catch.  When it seems to be impossible, call your local
humane society or SPCA to see if you can borrow a humane animal trap.
Some places allow you to "check out" such traps, just like books from
the library.  A little food for bait, and you've got 'em.

F.  Finding A Home for a Cat.

For whatever reason, you may need to find a home for a cat.  List
everywhere: newspaper, bulletin boards, computer bulletin boards,
newsletters, anywhere you like.  But limit sharply: don't adopt out if
they don't meet standards.  Minimal standards: will neuter as soon as
the cat's old enough, committed to a 20 year responsibility, they have
a home or apartment that permits pets, knowledgeable about cat health
and behavior or committed to become so.  Do charge a nominal fee, at
least US$10, unless you know the adopter well; this keeps away those
collecting animals for research.  (You can donate all or part of the
money to animal causes if you like.)

G.  Dealing with Landlords.

A number of landlords initially say "no pets" but change their minds
when assured that the cat was well-behaved and assured of an extra
damage deposit if necessary.

Also, it seems like many landlords are more likely to approve of a cat
if you make it a condition of signing the lease, rather than if you
ask if it's OK to get one after you've already moved in, or if you try
to sneak one in without asking.

Try to prove that you are a responsible owner (photos of last house,
references, vet records, etc.) to help win your case.

For more ideas and tips, look up
        Dog Fancy, Volume 22, No. 8, August 1991, "Breaking Barriers:
           How to find an apartment that allows dogs," by Amanda Wray.

H.  Pet Insurance.

In the August issue of Cat Fancy, there is an article discussing
health maintenance plans for cats that is set up between your vet
and yourself and then administrated by this HMO company.  The
company is called RLI Planned Services in Peoria, Illinois.

The article included a sample plan.  For $75 a year, your cat
receives:

BASIC HEALTH CARE:
        1 physical exam, no charge
        1 FVRCPC booster, no charge
        1 Rabies booster, no charge
        1 FeLV test, no charge
        50% off FeLV series
        Fecal analysis, ear flush, worming, no charge
        1 Pedicure, no charge

MAJOR ELECTIVE PROCEDURES:
        Spay or Neuter, 40% off
        Declawing, 20% off
        Dental Prophylaxis, 50% off
          (anesthesia included)

HEALTH SURVEY:
        Radiographs, 20% off
        EKG, 20% off
        Chemistry screen profile, 20% off
        Complete blood count, 20% off

All other medical, surgical and hospital services (except
prescriptions and diets) are 10% off.

(All of these things are included in this HMO for $75/year.
OR $125 for two years.)

Here's the company's address:
        RLI Planned Services Inc.
        Dept. CF
        9025 N. Lindbergh Drive
        Peoria, IL  61615

The article says to ask your vet about this program.  If he/she
isn't familiar with it, they should contact the company and see
about setting up the HMO plan.

Vets also may be able to direct you to other pet insurance plans that
they know about.  You may want to consider that $100/year over an
expected 15 to 20 year lifetime is $1500 to $2000.  Plus whatever you
have to pay for excluded costs, coverage limits, deductibles.  Pet
insurance will help with major medical problems such as FUS, cancer,
etc, or emergency care.  If your pet is basically healthy, you will
pay about as much either way, for insurance or for preventative care
that keeps it healthy.

(continued)

Subject: rec.pets.cats FAQ (part 4/4)
From: [e-mail] (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Date: 19 Feb 1993 06:02:52 GMT
Followup-To: poster
Supersedes: <cats-faq/[e-mail]>
Lines: 792

Archive-name: cats-faq/part4
Last-modified: 21 January 1993
Periodicity: 20 days

This is the fourth part of the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) List
for rec.pets.cats.  It is posted every twenty days: updates,
additions, and corrections (including attributions) are always
welcome: send email to one of the addresses below.

Copies of this FAQ may be obtained by anonymous ftp to pit-manager.mit.edu
(18.172.1.27) under /pub/usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/*.  Or send email to
[e-mail] with

send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part1
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part2
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part3
send usenet/news.answers/cats-faq/part4

in the body of the message to have all parts emailed to you (leave the
subject line empty).

^L
--MORE--(5%)
I.  Cat Genetics and Coloring.

A cat with patches of red and black is a tortoiseshell, or 'tortie'.
Add white, and you get a calico.  A tortoiseshell that is homozygous
for the recessive 'dilution' gene is referred to as a blue-cream, and
that's what color it is: patches of soft grey and cream.  This is the
same gene that turns black cats 'blue' (grey), and red cats cream.  A
blue-cream and white is generally referred to in the cat world as a
dilute calico.  The pattern of black/red or blue/cream can either be
in big dramatic patches, brindling, or some of both.  Having more
white seems to encourage the formation of the big patches.

Red in cats is a sex-linked color, carried on the X gene.  Therefore,
a male cat whose X carries red will be a red tabby.  A female cat who
carries one red and one non-red X will be a patched tabby, a
tortoiseshell, or a calico (if she also has the dominant gene for
white markings).  A female cat who is homozygous for red (has it on
both X genes) will be a red tabby.  This is why you see more male red
tabbies than females.  This is ALSO why male calicos are so rare: you
have to have two X genes to be a calico.  Male calicos have genetic
aberrations of various sorts, of which XXY is most common.  While they
are most commonly sterile, there *are* documented cases of fertile
male calicos.  However, the generalization that "all calicos/torties
are female" is true 99.999 percent of the time.

The reason red females are "uncommon" is that, statistically, the
number of red males is equal to the number of tortoiseshell/calico,
patched tabby, AND red females.  Red males and tortie/calico/patched
tabby females can be produced when only ONE parent has the red gene,
but to produce a red female, you must cross a red male with a
red/tortie/calico/patched tabby female.  THAT is why red females are
uncommon.  But not "impossible", in the sense that a male calico is
"impossible."

A "solid red" cat will always display the tabby pattern (although it
may be very slight or even undetectable without brushing the fur back
to check).  There's another gene at work which controls "agoutiness"
(whether individual hairs are banded or solid).  Cats who are
non-agouti will not generally display the tabby pattern, except in red
areas.  The non-agouti gene does not affect phaeomelanin, the red
pigment, so red cats always show their tabby pattern.

The red gene "overrides" the solid gene, making the tabby pattern
visible again.  (And on other solid colors, you can sometimes notice
the underlying stripes, especially in strong light.)  Solid red cats
at cat shows MAY or MAY NOT be genetically solid--they are (generally
longhairs) bred for the "blurring" of the tabby pattern, producing a
cat that doesn't have dramatic markings.

Solid           Tabby
-----           -----
black           brown tabby
blue            blue tabby
red             red tabby
cream           cream tabby
chocolate       chocolate tabby
cinnamon        cinnamon tabby
fawn            fawn tabby

The colors a calico will produce depend on the color of the sire.  But
at minimum, she can produce red and non-red sons, and patched
tabby/tortoiseshell/calico daughters, as well as non-red daughters.
Whether she will produce tabbies or not depends on the genetic makeup
of the sire.  And *any* of the kittens could have white markings, or
not.

Basic cat colors:

Color                   Dilute form
-----                   -----------
black                   blue (a grey color)
chocolate               lilac (a pale pinkish-grey)
(chocolate is a recessive gene which changes black to brown)
cinnamon                fawn (a very pale pinkish-tan)
(a light reddish brown, found mostly in Siamese and Abyssinians)

red                     cream (ranges from yellowish to tannish or buff)
(red and cream are sex-linked, on the X gene, and mask the previous
colors.  Actually, there's a separate shade of red/cream to match each
of the previous colors, but it's hard to tell them apart, unless you're
dealing with a tortoiseshell or patched tabby, which has the non-red
areas to give you a hint.)

white
(Here we refer to the dominant form, which is masking over the previous
colors.  It has no dilution.)

Everything else is a modifier!

Modifier                        Dominant/Recessive
--------                        ------------------
white spotting (paws, etc)      dominant
polydactyly (extra toes)        dominant
manx (taillessness)             dominant
silver (inhibits hair color at roots)   dominant
white locketing (small spots on chest and/or groin) recessive
dilution (black->blue)          recessive
chocolate dilution              recessive
cinnamon dilution               recessive
bobtail (partial taillessness)  recessive
solid (no tabby markings)       recessive
long hair                       recessive

Some genes are incompletely dominant to each other, and are part of a
series.  For example, the siamese/burmese genes, from most to least
colored:

Burmese/Siamese/blue-eyed white/pink-eyed white (albino)

The coloring of the Burmese and the points of the Siamese is
temperature sensitive.  The cooler extremities of the Siamese are
darker; a Burmese that has had a fever may grow in lighter fur for a
while!  Such changes are usually temporary, but may take some time to
grow out.

All cats (even those homozygous for solid) have a tabby pattern.  There
are different tabby patterns, from most to least dominant:

Mackerel/Classic/Ticked.  The spotted tabby pattern is thought to be a
variant of the Mackerel pattern, not genetically distinct, but the
jury is not yet in.

Smokes and Chinchillas.  This is the combination of the expression of
the silver gene (a dominant), and the gene for solid color (a
recessive).  Other modifiers account for whether the cat is a referred
to as a smoke, a shaded, or a chinchilla.  From most to least colored:
a "smoke" has white roots, a "shaded" has about half and half white
and color along the length of the hair, and a "chinchilla" has color
only on the very tips of the hair.  If the cat is a tabby instead of a
solid color, that is a silver tabby.  And if the base color is not
black, that would be added to the name as well: blue-cream smoke, red
silver tabby, etc.

J.  Cat Safety in the House.

Besides some of the more obvious things like electrical cords, here
are some other things to watch out for:

  * Recliner chairs.  Many cats will go underneath these chairs as a
    hiding or resting place.  Cats that are caught in the mechanism
    when the chair is opened or closed can be seriously injured or
    killed.

  * The dryer.  Many cats find the small enclosed space with warm
    clothing especially inviting.  Check your dryer before turning it
    on; your cat can be killed this way.  A little aversion therapy:
    if you see your cat slip in, close the door and bang on the top of
    the dryer for a few seconds.  Let the cat back out.

  * Drapery and blind cords.  Most cats love to play with the cords;
    unfortunately it is easy for cats to be entangled and
    strangulated.  Coil the cords up to the top of the window and pin
    it there with a clothes pin or clip.

  * Bags with handles.  Cats can become stuck in the handles and
    panic.  If this happens when you are not at home, the cat may
    injure or kill itself.  Keep such bags out of reach of the cats,
    or cut their handles off.

  * Stove tops.  Gas or electrical stoves can present problems.  One
    preventive measure is to obtain burner covers, available for both
    kinds.  Most cats will stay away from anything that is actively
    hot, but you may wish to train them away from the stove by
    spraying with water, or trying other measures used to keep cats
    off the counters.

K.  Pet Identification

Every cat should wear ID tags. A "strangleproof" or "breakaway" cat
collar with elastic section is safest; tags attached with small
keyrings won't fall off and get lost.

When a kitten gets a new collar, it should be put on tighter than
usual until she/he gets used to it.  You should be able to slip 1 or 2
fingers under the collar, but it shouldn't be loose enough for the
kitten to get its jaw hooked.  Of course, this means the kitten also
won't be able to get the collar over its head if it gets caught on
something, so you need to supervise more closely - especially outside.
Kittens grow fast, so you need to check the fit often.  Once the kitty
is quite used to the collar and no longer tries to play with it or get
it off, you can loosen it up a bit.  It usually doesn't take very long
for a kitten to get used to a collar.

Commonest way to get the tag: mail order services that advertise at
pet shops and vet waiting rooms.  Prices go from $3 to $8 per tag.
The cat's name is the least important thing on the tag.  The most
important is your name and phone number.  Home address and work number
are desirable.  Some areas offer cat licensing; consider it as another
way of getting a tag.  Another alternative is to write the name and
phone number on a flea collar or on a cloth collar.  Don't forget to
update the information on the tag when you move!  Tabby Tags offer a
way to attach information to the cat's collar without dangling tags.
Inquire at Tabby Tags, 4546 El Camino Real, B-10, Suite 340, Los
Altos, CA 94022

ID's should be worn for the following reasons:
  * In case the cat, even an indoors one, gets lost or strays.
  * If your cat is injured outside and a kind stranger takes it to the
    vet, the vet is more likely to treat the cat if it has tags.
  * People won't think your cat is a stray and take it home and keep it.
  * Let your neighbors know whose cat is whose, and what their names are.

You can get your cat tattooed in the ear or the leg and register the
tattoo number with a national registry.  The basic problem with this
approach is that few people will look for a tattoo and know where to
call.  Vets, though, usually know about this.  Microchips are being
increasingly used, but you need a scanner to be able to read this
(although vets and animal shelters will check for these).

If you have found a stray cat that you are not sure is really stray,
put a plastic collar on it and write your phone number and any
message on it.  If it has an owner, the owner may call you or at
least remove the collar.

L.  Do All Cats Purr?

Most domestic cats purr.  But do the big ones?  Most people say not,
but from _The Big Cat_:

  "Assertions have been widely made that the roaring cats above are
  not able to purr, assertions that have now been disproven.  George
  B. Schaller reports purring in the lion, tiger, and leopard, as well
  as in the cheetah, but remarks that in the lion the sound is
  produced only during exhalation and appears to be a much less common
  vocalization than in the domestic cat [160].  Snow leopards purr,
  like the house cat, during both exhalation and inhalation [60].
  Others have reported that tame, young adult tigers, leopards,
  jaguars, and cheetahs purr in response to petting.  Finally, purring
  has even been reported in five species of viverrids, as well as
  suckling black bear cubs and nursing spotted hyenas [36]. These
  observations are interesting when compared with Gustave Peters'
  comment that there is still some question about the occurrence of
  purring, in a strictly defined sense, in the wild cats [178].  He
  questions whether the noise identified as a purr from the big cats
  is pthe same in detail and manner of production as the purr of a
  domestic cat.  Of the seven large cats he studied (he did not
  consider the cheetah), he observed true purring only in the puma,
  but considered it probable that snow leopards and clouoded leopards
  also purr.  Thus there is still some doubt about the distribution of
  the ability to purr among the wild cats."

  [36] Ewer, R. F. 1973. THE CARNIVORES.  Ithaca, NY: Cornell
       University Press.

  [60] Hemmer, H. 1972. UNCIA UNCIA.  MAMMALIAN SPECIES No. 20, 5 pp.

  [160] Schaller, G. B. 1972.  THE SERENGETI LION.  Chicago:
        University of Chicago Press.

  [178] Stuart-Fox, D. T. 1979.  MACAN: THE BALINESE TIGER. _Bali_Post_
        (English edition) July 23, 1979, pp. 12-13.

M.  Other Cats in the Cat Family.

Other cats in the cat family are not suitable as domestic cats.
Generally, they are too big, strong, and destructive.  In addition
many states have strict regulations about keeping wild animals as
pets.  It also appears cruel to have to defang and declaw these
animals to make them safe.

If you have the overwhelming urge to be around wild animals, your best
bet is your local zoo.  Many zoos have volunteer docent programs and
you will not only be able to spend time with the various animals, but
also learn a lot about them and have the opportunity to educate the
public while conducting tours or participating in other public
relations programs.

N.  Clever Hiding Places At Home.

Cats are extremely good at finding hiding places.  If your cat is
missing, but you're sure it hasn't gotten outside, check these places:

  * All drawers, even the ones that are too small for your cat and
    haven't been opened in the last hundred years (they can get behind
    the dresser, underneath the partition and climb up the back of the
    drawers).
  * In and around file cabinets.
  * Inside suitcases.
  * Behind the books in a bookcase.
  * Boxsprings and mattresses: if there is a small hole or tear in the
    lining, they can climb in and be nearly undetectable.
  * Anywhere they might be able to get into walls/floors/ceiling (eg,
    forced-air ducts, plumbing, etc).
  * Behind and under appliances, such as the refrigerater or stove.
  * All cabinets; cats can often open them and slip inside.
  * Inside the refrigerator (this can happen!).
  * Closets, even closed ones.
  * Inside reclining chairs.  They often have a ledge that supports
    the footrest when its out, so you have to look inside it, not just
    check for kitty paws on the floor under it.

Cats can squeeze themselves into spots you'd never think they'd fit,
so don't overlook any spots that you think are "too small."

O.  Invisible Fences.

Used most often with dogs, there are some invisible fence systems
made for cats.  These systems use a special collar, a buried wire,
and a beep tone to warn the cats they are approaching the boundary
(indicated by the wire).  A mild shock, adjustable in intensity, is
administered if the cat continues to approach after the warning beep.
According to people who have used it, it works fairly well -- the
cats learn quickly to avoid it.  It is NOT recommended that the cats
be left unsupervised on this system for long periods of time.  The
people who use this system generally are outside with the cats as
well; they simply don't have to worry about chasing after the cat.
Note that this system will not prevent your neighbor's cat from
coming into the yard unless it has a collar too!

P.  Non-Poisonous Plants.

So what plants can cats nibble on with abandon?

To start with, you can assume anything with square stems (in
cross-section) and opposite leaves is OK.  That's the hallmark of the
mint family, which includes catnip, _Nepeta_ and _Coleus_.  Catnip
can be grown in a bright window in the winter, but the cats may knock
it off the sill.  Coleus is easy, and kinda bright and cheerful with
its colored leaves.  Swedish Ivy, _Plectranthus_, is also in this
family and incredibly easy to grow.  Good hanging basket plant.
Tolerates kitty-nibbles well.

Tulips are OK, daffodils and lily of the valley are not.

Miniature roses.

Cyclamens, the genus _Cyclamen_, seem to be OK.

African violet, _Saintpaulia_; Hanging African Violet (=Flame Violet),
_Episcia_; gloxinia, _Sinningia_; goldfish plant, _Hypoestes_; and
lipstick vine, _Aeschynanthus_ are all members of the african violet
family, the Gesneriaceae.

All the cacti are fine -- but not all succulents are cactus.  Make
sure it has spines like a prickly pear or an old-man cactus.  There
are some look-alike foolers that are not good to eat! (But they don't
have spines).  (One cactus, _Lophophora_ (peyote) will get you
arrested.)

Airplane plant, also called spider plant, _Chlorophytum_, is pretty
commonly available and easy to grow.  They come in solid green or
green and white striped leaves, usually grown in hanging baskets.

Wax begonias, _Begonia semperflorens_ are easy and non-toxic.  These
are the little begonias you see in shady areas outside now in the
north; in the southern states, they're often grown as winter outdoor
plants.  The other begonia species are OK too, but tougher to grow.

Sweet potatoes, _Ipomoea_, if you can find some that haven't been
treated to prevent sprouting!  Looks like common philodendron at
first glance.

Shrimp plant, _Beleperone guttata_.

Prayer plant, _Maranta_ (needs humidity).

Burn plant, _Aloe vera_.

Grape ivy, _Cissus_  (several different leaf shapes).

Asparagus fern, _Asparagus_ (several species).

If you've got the humidity, any of the true ferns are OK, including
maidenhair, _Adaiantum_, Boston fern (lots of variants!)
_Nephrolepis_, Victorian Table Fern, _Pteris_...

Wandering jew, _Zebrina_, and its close relatives that are often called
"Moses in the boat" -- the flowers are in a pair of boat-shaped bracts.

Impatiens, or patience plant, _Impatiens_.

Common geranium, _Pelargonium_, in any of the many leaf forms and scents.

AVOID anything with a milky juice or colored sap.  Almost guaranteed
toxic (wild lettuce and dandelion are the two major exceptions).

Q.  Finding A Lost Cat.

Things to try when the cat is lost outside.

  * Make up flyers with picture(s) and description.  Rubberband them
    to the doors of the houses in the immediate area.  Use a radius
    that it twice as far as your cat has wandered before.
  * Take the flyers to local vets, feed stores, and animal shelters,
    and any other likely place, like the laundromat or the local Y.
  * If there are other cities close, don't forget their shelters.
    Check with the shelters that you know about to see if there are
    others that you don't know about.
  * Flier copies on trees/telephone poles within an extended radius
    ( 2-3 miles ).
  * Check the local streets every day and and ask the garbage men and
    mailmen for the neighborhood if they've seen anything.
  * Ad in the paper
  * Regular checks of the animal shelters near you.
  * Register with Pet-Track
  * Check out any "closed" spaces : were you in the attic ?  the shed ?
    could she have gotten into the neighbor's garage ?
  * Long walks through the neighbor, calling the cat.  Look carefully,
    as the cat may be hiding, lost and unwilling or too scared to move.
  * Leave used articles of the cat's favorite person's laundry outside
    to let the cat know that this is "home" : if the previous step
    above didn't convince your neighbors that you were weird, nailing
    your dirty socks and teeshirts to the fence definately will.  A
    pile of the kitty's used litter might also let the cat know this
    is *it*.
  * As soon as you're sure that the cat is lost, go for a long
    barefoot walk : out and back, out and back, out and back, to leave
    scent trails leading to home.
  * Contact relevant breed organizations, if applicable.
  * Visualize the cat returning.  Light candles to the deit(y,ies} of
    choice.
  * Rent a humane trap and bait it with the cat's favorite foodstuff.
    You may wind up trapping other peoples' pets or stray wild
    animals, but one poster caught their own lost and terrified cat.
  * Don't give up right away: one person had success running an ad for
    4 weeks.
  * Collar and tag the rest of the wanna-be escape artists, even if
    you don't think it could ever happen to them.  Your cats may be
    indoor only, but what would happen if the screen came out on a
    sunny day?

R.  Cat Static.

During winter or other dry seasons, cats may pick up static and
discharge it every time you pet them.  One solution is to rub them
with a fabric softener sheet.  The chemicals in fabric softener are
not a problem for cats, although some of the more heavily-scented ones
may be objectionable to the cat.

Some people invest in humidifiers for the house, and that reduces the
static in a cat's fur as well.


IX.  RESOURCES

A. Electronic Mailing Lists.

There is a electronic mailing lists for vets, vet students and people
otherwise involved with the veterinary profession.  Send email
inquiries to [e-mail] for details.

There is a feline-l mailing list.  To subscribe, send email to
[e-mail] with
subscribe FELINE-L <your name>
in the body of the message, where <your name> is your own name, not
a login or email address.

B. Literary.

1. Jellicle Cats

This poem is often requested, sometimes indirectly when people ask
"what is a jellicle cat?"  This is a portion of T.S.  Eliot's poem for
your edification.  The entire poem is not quoted due to copyright
laws and space considerations.

THE SONG OF THE JELLICLES
...
Jellicle Cats are black and white,
Jellicle Cats are rather small;
Jellicle Cats are merry and bright,
And pleasant to hear when they caterwaul.
Jellicle Cats have cheerful faces,
Jellicle Cats have bright black eyes;
They like to practise their airs and graces
And wait for the Jellicle Moon to rise.
...
                      ---T. S. Eliot
                         "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats"

2.  The "mousies" Poem

Another oft-requested poem.

Love to eat them mousies
Mousie's what I love to eat.
Bite they little heads off...
Nibble on they tiny feet.   -- B. Kliban

C.  Books.

_Other Cats_, Stone Street Press, 1 Stone St., S.1., NY 10304 USA
(212-447-1436).
  A handmade boxed set of cat poems and stories from all over the world.

Bard, E.M.: _The Cat IQ Test_.  Doubleday, 1980.
  Gives you various ways to evaluate the intelligence of your cat.

Becker, Suzy: _All I Need to Know I Learned from my Cat_.  Workman
Publishing, c1990.
  Humorous book, illustrated by the author.

Camuti, Dr. Louis J.  _All My Patients are Under the Bed_, with
Marilyn and Haskel Frankel; Simon and Schuster, NY ISBN 0-671-55450-6.
  Entertaining descriptions of a house-call cat veterinarian's
  experiences.

Caras, Roger.  _Roger Caras' Treasury of Great Cat Stories_.
  Includes short stories written by many authors, including, Mark
  Twain, Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe, etc.

Carlson, Delbert G. DVM and James M. Giffin, MD: _Cat Owner's Home
Veterinary Handbook_. Howell Book House, NY ISBN 0-87605-814-4.
  Emergencies, diseases, biology, medications, symptoms.  An excellent
  home-vet reference for the concerned cat-owner.

Corey, Paul: _Do Cats Think?_.  Castle Publishers, c1977.
  Deals with cat communication and learning.  Debunks many myths:
  neutered males do not become fat and lazy, a well-fed cat is the
  best hunter, cats can be trained, and they do give and receive
  affection.

Edney, A.T.B, ed. _The Waltham Book of Dog and Cat Nutrition_. Second
edition.  Pergamon Press, 1988. ISBN: 0-08-035729-6 (flexicover).

Fogle, Bruce. _The Cat's Mind_. Pelham Books, 1991. ISBN 0-7207-1996-8.

Fox, Michael W. _Supercat: Raising the Perfect Feline Companion_.
  Topics include cat communication, decoding cat behavior, training
  your cat, IQ tests.

Frazier, Anitra with Norma Ecktroate. _The New Natural Cat: A
Complete Guide for Finicky Owners_.  1990.
  Overview of the cat and its habits, strong holistic approach, good
  recipies.

Holland, Barbara. _Secrets of the Cat_.
  Sensible, sensitive and entertaining.

Hollander, Nicole.  _Everything Here is Mine: Sylvia's Unhelpful Guide
to Cat Behavior_.
  A collection of Sylvia comics featuring her cats.  Hilarious.

Kliban, B:  _Cat_.  Workman Publishing Co., NY, 1975.  ISBN 0-911104-54-2.
  Kliban had an exceptional understanding of cats, and this cartoon
  book is well worth acquiring.

Loeb, Paul and Josephine Banks: _You CAN Train Your Cat_.
  A valuable compendium of information on how to train your cat.

McHattie, Grace.  _The Cat Lover's Dictionary_.
  Cat owners and lovers will find everything they need to know to
  maintain the health and happiness of their pet.  Thoroughly
  assesses the characteristics of over 30 breeds, describing ailments
  and problems and matching cat types with owner life-styles.  Color
  photos.

Moyes, Patricia: _How To Talk To Your Cat_.  Henry Holt Publishing.
  Includes some folklore but also lots of useful information and
  suggestions for how to develop a real conversational rapport with
  your cat.

Mu:ller, Ulrike. _The New Cat Handbook_, translated from the German
_Das Neue Katzenbuch_ by Rita and Robert Kineber; Barron's Educational
Series, Inc., NY ISBN 0-8120-2922-4.
  Sections on: choosing a cat; care & feeding; health; breeding;
  showing; cat "language" & behavior.

Neff, Nancy A., forward by Roger Caras, paintings by Guy Coheleach.
_The Big Cats_.  Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 1982.  ISBN: 0-8109-0710-0.
  This is a wonderful book, although it may no longer be in print, and
  is probably expensive if it is.  It's a collection of the most
  beautiful artwork I've ever seen of the big cats, accompanied by
  some of the more scholarly, and WELL-REFERENCED text I've come
  across.  It's actually a bit of a shock to see such scholarly text
  with such incredible art...I expected the usual, "Oh, aren't they
  wonderful," dreck, so this was a real surprise.  Both the text and
  the paintings are reproduced on 40 or 50 pound glossy stock, so each
  page is heavier than the cover of most paperbacks.

Neville, Peter.  _Do Cats Need Shrinks?_.  Contemporary Books. 1991.
ISBN 0-8092-3935-3.
  He is a British pet psychologist to whom vets refer their problem
  cases.  (American readers should check the glossary at the back of
  the book, to help translate terms like "moggy".)  He gives very good
  explanations of why cats do things, and how to work within their way
  of thinking to convince them to do otherwise.

Peden, Barbara Lynn.  _Dogs & Cats Go Vegetarian_. Harbingers of a New
Age, publisher, 12100 Brighton Street, Hayden Lake, ID 83835 USA; Katz
Go Vegan, publisher, Box 161, 7 Battle Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea, East
Sussex, TN37 7AA, UK.  ISBN 0-941391-01-6.
  Discusses the develpment of Vegecat supplement, a source of taurine
  derived from petroleum.

Robinson, F. _Cat Genetics for Breeders_.
  For people seriously interested in how genetics work in cats.

Siegal, Mordecai, ed. _The Cornell Book of Cats_ (by the faculty and
staff of Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University; Villard
Books, New York, 1989).
  This is an excellent reference book for the owner who wants detailed
  medical information. It is more sophisticated than popular/consumer
  type books; it is more like a veterinary textbook, but you don't
  have to be a vet to understand the material.

Siegal, Mordecai, ed. _Simon & Schuster's Guide to Cats_.  Originally
in Spanish, Arnoldo Mondadori.  Fireside Book, Simon & Schuster.
1983, ISBN: 0-671-49170-9.

Stephens, Gloria. _Legacy of the Cat_ (photography by Tetsu Yamazaki,
San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1989, ISBN 0-87701-728-X/0-87701-695
pbk).
  Dense cat genetics information w/pictures.  37 breeds then described.

Taylor, David. _You and Your Cat_.
  Lots of useful information.  A (slightly incomplete) breed
  summary complete with color pictures.  A trouble-shooting guide
  for sick cats.

Tellington-Jones, Linda, with Sybil Taylor.  _The Tellington Touch:
A Breakthrough Technique to Train and Care for Your Favorite Animal_.
Viking Penguin.  1992.  ISBN 0-670-82578-6.
  Some of what Linda does is clearly helpful in dealing with problem
  dogs and cats, but there are parts of her presentation of her ideas
  that may turn people off because they seem to be a little too
  far out of the mainstream.  Good massage tips.

Thies, Dagmar. _Cat Care_.  TFH Publications, 1989.  ISBN 0-86622-776-8.

Turner, Dennis C. and Paterick Bateson, eds: _The Domestic Cat: The
Biology of its Behaviour_.  Cambridge (UK) University Press, 1988.

Wright, Michael and Sally Walters, eds. _The Book of the Cat_ (New
York: Summit Books (Pan Books, London), 1980, ISBN
0-671-44753-X/0-671-41624-3 pbk).
  Includes a good discussion of genetics and cat breeds.  Lots of
  detail, but very accessible, a good way to get started once you're
  past the first stage of learning about cats.

White and Evans. _The Catopedia_. Henson 1986(?).

D.  Articles.

August, John R., 1989.  Preventative Health Care and Infectious Disease
Control, pp.  391-404 in Sherding, Robert H. (ed) The Cat: Diseases
and Clinical Management, v1.  Churchill-Livingstone Inc, NY.

Barlough, JE and CA Stoddart.  Feline Coronaviruses: Interpretation of
Lab- oratory findings and Serologic Tests.  pp. 557-561 _in_ August,
J.R. (ed) 1991.  Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine.  WB
Saunders Co., Philadelphia.  ISBN 0-7216-2226-7

Booth, Dawn M.  Antiviral Therapy.  pp. 577-582  _in_  August, J.R.
(ed)  1991.  Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine.  WB Saunders
Co., Philadelphia.  ISBN 0-7216-2226-7

Burrows, Colin F.  1991.  _Diarrhea in kittens and young cats_.  pp.
415-418 IN J.R. August.  Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine. WB
Saunders Co., Philadelphia.

Lewis, Ricki.  1988.  "The cat's meow (taurine deficiency causes eye
and heart problems)."  _Health_ (Ny, NY) 20:18, March 1988.
  Probably more popular citation on taurine in cats diets.

Pedersen, N.C.  Common Infectious Diseases of Multiple-Cat
Environments pp. 163-288 _in_ Pedersen, Niels C.(ed) 1991.  Feline
Husbandry: Diseases and manangement of the multiple cat environment.
American Veterinary Publications, Inc.  Goleta, CA.  ISBN
0-939674-29-7

Pion, PD; MD Kittleson and QR Rogers.  1987.  "Myocardial Failure in
cats associated with low plasma taurine: a reversible cardiomyopathy."
_Science_ 237:764-768.  14 Aug 1987.
  Note: This one is rather technical.

Povey, R. Charles.  1985.  Infectious diseases of Cats: A clinical
handbook.  Centaur Press, Guelph, Ontario C85-098602-8

Stoddart, Cheryl A. and Jeffrey E. Barlough.  Feline Coronaviruses:
Spectrum of Virus Strains and Clinical Manifestations.  pp. 551-556
_in_ August, J.R. (ed) 1991.  Consultations in Feline Internal
Medicine.  WB Saunders Co., Philadelphia.  ISBN 0-7216-2226-7

Weiss, Richard C.  Feline Infectious Peritonitis and other
Coronaviruses.  pp. 333-356 _in_ Sherding, Robert G. 1989.  The Cat:
Diseases and Clinical Management.  Churchill-Livingstone, New York.
ISBN 0-443-08461-0

E.  Catalogues.

Cats, Cats, and More Cats
2 Greycourt Ave, PO Box 560,
Chester, NY, 10918
  Fast shipping, donates percentage to animal causes.

Cat Claws, Inc.
P.O. Box 1774
Des Plaines, IL   60018
Phone: [phone]
FAX:   [phone]
  Cardboard scratching posts, flea remedies/combs, toys, cat trees.

Dad's Cat Action Toy Shop
c/o SunRae Products P.O. Box 84
Redwood City, CA 94064.
  They have what they call a "Cat'alog" and also a Hall of Fame your cat
  can join (you receive a newsletter "The CAT-Aerobics Exercise Mews."

Doctors Foster & Smith
2253 Air Park Road
Rhinelander, WI  54501-0100
tel: [phone]
  Canine, feline, and equine vaccines, medications, and grooming
  preparations.  Cat toys, beds, furniture, collars.  Most of the
  other stuff is for dogs.

Evolution K-9/Feline Vegetarian Dog/Cat Foods
Dr. Eric Weisman & Assoc.
815 S. Robert St.
St. Paul, MN  55107
[phone]
[phone]

Master Animal Care
Lake Road
P.O. Box 3333
Mountaintop, PA  18707-0330
tel: [phone]
  For cats and dogs--fold-down cages, cat doors (10 different types),
  vaccines and syringes (limited selection), lots of grooming
  supplies, dog breed books, gift items for people.

Pedigrees
1989 Transit Way
Box 905
Brockport, NY  14420-0905
tel: [phone]
  This is RC Steele under another name -- no $50 minimum order
  requirement & higher prices.  Ask for "The Pet Catalog"--this is
  stuff for dogs and cats.  Cat doors (incl. electromagnetic), beds,
  bowls, collars, toys.  Stuff for people, too: sweaters, T-shirts,
  gift items.

RC Steele
1989 Transit Way
Box 910
Brockport, NY 14420-0910
tel: [phone] orders
     800-872-4506 customer service
  Lots of discount items.  Minimum $50 order.  Watch out for
  shipping costs on oversize items.

Vet Express
655 Washington
P.O. Box 1168
Rhinelander, WI  54501
tel: [phone]
  Widest selection of canine, feline, and equine vaccines,
  medications, and grooming preparations.  Serious stuff.

Wow-Bow Distributors
309 Burr Road
East Northport, NY  11731
[phone]
[phone]
  Supplies supplements for vegetarian animals.

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This article is Copyright (c) 1993 by Cindy Tittle Moore.  It may be
freely distributed in its entirety provided that this copyright notice
is not removed.  It may not be sold for profit nor incorporated in
commercial documents without the author's written permission.  This
article is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Cindy Tittle Moore
Internet: [e-mail]  UUCP: ...!ucbvax!ucivax!tittle
Bitnet  : cltittle@uci        USmail: PO BOX 4188, Irvine CA 92716
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