Health

Blood in a cat’s urine is a worrying sight. Also known as ‘haematuria’, it can be a sign of a few different urinary tract conditions which is why it’s important to get your cat checked by a vet. Our article covers what other symptoms to look out for, what it could mean for your cat and ways to prevent it.

Just like their personalities, each cat’s dietary needs are slightly different – and sometimes, this means they need an altogether different kind of food. Luckily, there are lots of options to choose from. Over the past twenty years some great high quality, specialised pet food formulas have been created for animals with particular needs. For example, Purina has its own range of prescription diets that your vet might recommend if your cat has a condition that would benefit from dietary management. Whatever you go for, some of these pet foods support treatment over a limited period of time (until the condition is resolved), whereas other special food for cats are designed to help your pet for life (for example, if they have a chronic condition). From cat weight loss formulas to diets for cats with sensitive digestion and more, there’s plenty out there to meet their special requirements.

After your cat's had an operation they might be out of sorts for a while, but with a bit of extra love and care from you, they’ll soon be back to pouncing, exploring and playing as normal. Collecting your cat from the vet When your cat is ready to come home, your vet will give you some advice for looking after them until they’re back on their feet. This advice will depend on your cat’s specific treatment, and should include check-up dates and any medicine your pet needs to help them recover. Each cat is different, so follow your vet’s advice and give them a call if you think your cat isn’t recovering properly; even if you’re just not sure what to do, they’ll be happy to help. Even if your cat is usually an energetic bundle of fun, they’ll probably feel quite dozy after their anaesthetic, so don’t worry if they’re a little sleepy for a while. Despite this, check they’re eating enough to help them get better, and look out for any signs of pain.

Did you know that eight out of ten cats over the age of three have tooth and gum problems? Just like our own teeth, your cat’s teeth accumulate plaque and if this isn’t kept under control, it can lead to tartar and even periodontal disease. You know how important it is to look after your own teeth, so make sure you give that same care and attention to your furry friend’s dental care. Dental disease in cats Warning signs of dental problems Cats accumulate plaque on their teeth just like we do. If left, this hardens to form tartar, which irritates the gums causing gingivitis and can ultimately lead to tooth loss. If your cat has severe dental disease and it’s not dealt with, the build-up of the bacteria in the mouth can lead to further complications such as heart and kidney issues. So what signs do you need to look out for and how can you help to keep your feline friend’s teeth in tip top condition? The first unusual thing you’ll probably notice is your cat’s bad breath – it can be hard to ignore! This is a sign of advanced dental disease. Other symptoms include reddened gums, yellowish-brown tartar on teeth and drooling. Have you noticed your cat dropping food from their mouth, chewing only on one side or losing weight because they’re unable to eat?

Just like us, cats can put on a few extra pounds, especially as they get older and become less active, or if they spend too much time indoors. However, it’s important to try and prevent your cat from putting on excessive amounts of weight as overweight cats can face many health problems that can prevent them from enjoying a happy and healthy lifestyle. Cat obesity affects around one in three adult cats in the UK population. That’s a lot of porky pets! The good news is that you can do a lot to help your feline friend keep their weight under control. By monitoring your cat’s weight and body condition, you can help reduce their chances of developing health issues that are common in overweight cats such as diabetes, osteoarthritis, lower urinary tract problems, and constipation. How to tell if your feline friend needs to go on a diet It can be tricky to tell if your cat is overweight, particularly if they’re longhaired. Some cats are also naturally stockier than others, depending on their breed. Even so, our body condition tool only takes a few minutes to complete and quickly gives you a good idea about the shape your pet is in. If you’re still not sure, or you think you might have an overweight cat, have a chat with your vet. If you think your cat is overweight, it’s important to speak to them before you make any changes to their diet because their weight gain could be caused by an underlying illness, rather than an over-active appetite. For more information before you talk to your vet, take a look at our ‘assessing your cat’s body condition’ article. Cat obesity risks When a cat is starting to gain excessive weight, their internal systems and joints can become overloaded, and this can potentially lead to some serious health risks. While cat obesity significantly reduces your cat’s quality of life, it can also put them at a higher risk of health conditions like diabetes, urinary disease, arthritis, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Skin problems are also common in overweight cats because the more weight they gain, the more difficult grooming becomes. How to weigh your cat Weighing your cat at home is a simple way to monitor their weight. Simply hold your cat as you stand on a set of weighing scales, and then subtract your weight from the final figure to find your cat’s weight. However, don’t rely on this method alone because a proper body condition check will give you a much better overall picture of your cat’s health. How to encourage weight loss in cats If you’re already feeding your cat a diet recommended by your vet, speak to your vet again before you switch to another food. If you don’t, it could stop your cat from losing weight, or even worse, it could have a negative effect on their health. To deal with cat obesity, it’s best to start by cutting out all treats and titbits, including cat milk, for two weeks. You might feel like you’re being unfair but it’s the kindest thing to do in the long run if you have an overweight cat. Also, make sure everyone else in the family knows the rules so that there’s no affectionate cheating! If you’ve got several cats, it’s best to feed your overweight cat separately to prevent them stealing any leftovers.

As well as lots of love and attention, you’ll want to give your cat the best protection possible if they are lost or missing. By microchipping your cat, you’re giving them the best chance of being found and safely returned to you if they should wander off. Why microchip? There are all sorts of reasons why your cat might go missing. They might get spooked by something and run off, or maybe become disoriented or distracted in a new environment if, for example, you’ve just moved house. Of course, your cat may well be wearing a collar and an identification tag but these could get lost or removed, whereas a microchip will always stay safely in place. As well as helping to reunite you with your lost pet, a cat microchip can also help if you ever get into a dispute with anyone about who the animal’s rightful owner is. What is microchipping? Microchipping a cat is a simple and fast procedure that could help reunite you with your four-legged friend. If your cat is found, a vet or animal shelter can scan your cat’s embedded microchip to find your details, and your cat’s details, from the microchip database. It really is as simple as that!

As a loving pet owner, you’re bound to want the absolute best for your cat, and this all starts with making sure that they are as happy and healthy as possible. Health check list Every month you should “play vet” and conduct a careful check up on your cat to make sure that all is well. By following our checklist, you have the opportunity to spot any unusual signs early on, meaning that you can seek treatment as soon as possible, if necessary. Not only does this help you keep your cat in tip-top condition, but also allows you to spend more hands-on quality time with your feline friend.

Even if you keep a close eye on your cat's health it’s a good idea to take them to the vet for an annual wellness and cat health check-up. Looking after cats is fun but it's also full of responsibilities, including taking your pet to the vet. Sometimes it takes a professional eye to detect subtle changes in your pet’s health, especially as cats are very good at hiding their illnesses. Luckily, your vet will be very good at detective work. General cat health You already take your fluffy friend to the vet when they’re sick or injured but those appointments tend to focus mainly on one particular issue. ‘Check-up’ visits, on the other hand, work on the principle of ‘prevention is better than cure’ and they’re important to keep your cat healthy and prevent certain diseases. Your vet will want to check your cat over thoroughly at least once a year and more frequently as they get older or if they have special medical needs. This appointment will take an all-inclusive approach, making sure your cat is examined from their whiskers to the tip of their tail. Another advantage of these annual check-ups is to get your cat used to visiting the vet surgery when they’re well and this can help them form a bond with your vet. If they only visit when they’re hurt or ill they can become nervous, associating their trips with bad times or stressful experiences. It’s a good idea to pop into the vet practice every so often, even if it’s just for a flea check. The receptionists and vet nurses will always welcome a stroke as you pass by, and it will create a positive memory with no prodding and poking involved!

As a responsible cat owner, it’s important to keep up to date with your kitten’s vaccinations to protect them from a range of diseases. Read about when to vaccinate your cat or kitten and what to expect here. Cat vaccinations are vital to help protect them from common illnesses and to help keep them healthy. Additionally, kitten vaccinations are a condition of boarding for most reputable catteries and they are completely necessary if you want to travel abroad with your cat or kitten. Cat vaccines can be divided into two different types: core and non-core. Core vaccines are recommended for all kittens, and non-core vaccines are given depending on the risk to an individual cat. Discuss with your vet which vaccines are best suited to your cat. How kitten vaccinations work? The aim of the kitten vaccine is to immunise your cat against certain illnesses and diseases. The vaccines will help your cat’s immune system to recognise certain viruses and get to action quickly to fight the infection, before the disease can take hold. What are the core vaccinations for cats? Core vaccinations are those recommended for all cats. They’re designed to keep your pet safe and free from some very serious conditions, so it’s very important you get your cat vaccinated against these conditions as soon as possible. By vaccinating against these core diseases, you can also help to protect other cats living in your environment by helping to establish ‘herd immunity’. The more cats that are vaccinated in any one place, the harder it is for viruses to become established in a population. If too many cats are not vaccinated then those viruses become more of a risk to all the cats living there. Core vaccinations are those recommended for all cats. They’re designed to keep your pet safe and free from some very serious conditions, so it’s very important you get your cat vaccinated against these conditions as soon as possible. By vaccinating against these core diseases, you can also help to protect other cats living in your environment by helping to establish ‘herd immunity’. The more cats that are vaccinated in any one place, the harder it is for viruses to become established in a population. If too many cats are not vaccinated then those viruses become more of a risk to all the cats living there. Kitten vaccinations include: Feline Panleukopenia Virus (Feline Infectious Enteritis or Feline Parvovirus) This is a highly contagious virus and can often be fatal, particularly for young kittens. The most common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, dehydration (even if they keep drinking), loss of appetite and, less commonly, nervous signs associated with brain damage. Feline Calicivirus This virus causes cat flu (sneezing, nasal discharge, mouth ulcers and excess salivation/dribbling). Affected cats may be reluctant to eat and have a temperature. Feline Herpesvirus This also causes cat flu, fever, sneezing and nasal discharge as well as ulcers on the eye. Chronic infection can result in nasal diseases.

Do kittens teeth? All kittens go through a teething process – it’s a natural part of growing up. But whilst some kittens deal with teething well, others may need a little reassurance from you. Whatever the case, rest assured that teething is completely normal. Keep reading to find out more about the process of kitten teething. When do kittens start teething? Just like humans, kittens do not have visible teeth when they are born. Your kitten’s 26 ‘baby teeth’ only start to appear at around three weeks of age. Once the baby teeth start to break through and pierce the gums you may start to see your kitten behaving differently – for example, they might begin to chew things. Don’t worry, this is completely normal. By about six weeks of age most kittens will have grown all of their ‘milk teeth’ (or ‘baby teeth’). If your kitten hasn’t grown all of their teeth by this stage, don’t worry. Not all kittens’ teeth grow at the same rate. However, if there are a number of teeth missing once your kitten reaches nine or ten weeks, you may want to contact your vet to check everything is okay. At around six months of age most cats should have lost their baby teeth to make way for their adult teeth. As the baby teeth are slowly replaced by 30 adult teeth, this is when the majority of kitten teething issues begin. The new teeth that are beginning to poke through will replace the baby teeth and will be the final set of teeth your cat will have, so it’s particularly important to take care of them. If you find your kitten’s baby teeth on the floor during this time, don't worry – kitten tooth loss a natural part of the growing-up process. Kitten teething symptoms When your kitten is teething, they may be experiencing some discomfort. The most obvious signs of dental discomfort are: • Your cat has started to eat less. If they are chewing slower than usual, or more tentatively, it could be a sign their gums are hurting. It may be a good idea to pay a visit to your vet, just to be on the safe side, particularly if they also lose weight. • Urgency to chew. Another sign that your kitten is teething is excessive chewing. If your cat or kitten is chewing everything in sight including its bed, your furniture and its toys it may be a sign that teething has begun. • Inflamed or sore gums. As their adult teeth erupt, kittens may experience mild gingivitis, which can lead to inflamed gums and bad breath. If this is down to teeth erupting, it will usually resolve itself. • Other signs of dental discomfort are drooling, bleeding gums, and pawing at the mouth. These can also be signs of other dental conditions, so see a vet for a check-up. • Increased irritability. This is most likely due to sore gums and a sign that your kitten is teething.

Keeping your cat at a healthy weight is important for their wellbeing. But sometimes it is difficult to tell what that ideal weight should be. Discover an easy, step-by-step tool to check your cat’s current and ideal size. Cats come in all shapes and sizes so it’s sometimes tricky to determine whether yours is the right weight or not – after all, you love them regardless of any extra kilograms! But size does matter when it comes to health, and excess weight on your cat can cause problems. So, what is a healthy cat weight? What is the average cat weight? The ideal cat weight varies from breed to breed. According to Web MD, the average cat weight is about 4.5 kilograms, but while smaller breeds can be happy and healthy while weighting as little as 2 kilograms, larger breeds such as the Maine Cooncan be 9 kilograms and happy. This is where cat weight charts and body condition tools come in handy for checking the healthy cat weight for your pet. Why is keeping a healthy weight for a cat important? A healthy cat is a happy cat, and one much less prone to illness and health problems. If yourcat is overweight, they may not live as long as their healthy counterparts, and they’ll be less able to enjoy themselves when they’re exercising and playing, because of potential joint problems.

When it comes to living with a cat allergen sensitivity, it’s not easy, but it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Some of the practices and advice you may find suggested online aren’t feline-friendly and can negatively affect your relationship with your cat. For example, bathing your cat can be a really stressful experience, for both of you. Although bathing will lower the levels of allergens present on your cat's hair, the effect is short-lived with the levels returning to baseline within 24 hours of bathing. Similarly, keeping a cat outside, particularly one that has been used to living indoors or keeping them restricted to a certain part of the house, can also result in increased levels of stress for them. Love finds a way and there are safe, easy and feline-friendly steps you can take to help manage cat allergens in your home, while also maintaining your close bond with your cat.