4-H MEMBER MANUAL YOUR CAT'S HEALTH Suggested for Year 5 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Washington State ~ University - EM4290 CONTENTS Acknowledgments . 1 Lesson 1 .. ........................................................................... 2 Lesson 2 ............................................................................. 4 Lesson 3 ....... ). 6 Lesson 4 ............................................................................. 8 Lesson 5 ............................................................................. 10 Lesson 6 ............................................................................. 13 Lesson 7 ............................................................................. 16 The Cat Associations .................................................................. 18 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to give our sincerest thanks to the Purina Cat Care Center for allowing us the privilege of using their Handbook of Cat Care in our 4-H cat project. We extend our thanks to 1 ohn and Sandy Edminster, now in Olympia, for starting the cat project and getting us excited enough to continue and get our 4-H books printed. Our thanks also go to Mary Smith in Auburn, who took over the Edminster's club and took the time and effort to write the leader's guide and to compile the necessary materials. We are also indebted to Sue Hall of Renton, and her club, who wrote the study questions for the leader's guide. Our thanks also to Shirly Reed, Renton, and Jo Brown, Buckley, for their invaluable advice and guidance in putting the information together. Also, we wish to thank the author, J.J. McCoy, for permission to use information from the Complete Book of Cat Health and Care (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1968). Compiled by_Mary C. Smith, Auburn 4-H leader. Contents reviewed by Roy I. Hostetler, Extension Veterinarian. 2 LESSON. I The Sick or Injured Cat Very few cats go through life without some kind Once you learn to recognize the signs of a of ailment or injury. Unfortunately, your cat healthy cat, those of the sick or injured cat will cannot tell you when it is ailing or injured. It is stand out by contrast, and, although you wi ll up to you to detect when the animal is ailing, have to train yourself to be observant, you will whether it is merely "off its feed" or is seriously be armed with a standard of comparison. ill or injured and in need of veterinary care. The sick cat will lie around listlessly or sit in a The Healthy Cat hunched position, staring into space. Or it may slump down with its head hanging over the Before you can decide whether your cat is water pan. Perhap-s the cat will lie still with its injured or ill, or how severe its ailment may be, head sunk on its chest, eyes closed. An ailing you should know the signs of a healthy cat. cat has a poor appetite or none at all. Remember- a refusal to eat one or two meals A cat in good health is alert, active, playful, does not mean a cat is ill , but a prolonged fast bright-eyed, and responsive. It will show does indicate that all is not well. considerable curiosity about everything around it. A dull, dry, and listless coat also indicates that something is wrong. Metabolic dysfunctions, When properly fed , a cat should be sleek and poor diet, internal or external parasites, skin well-muscled, but no fat. Its coat should be diseases, and allergies- all these affect the glossy and soft to the touch, with no excessive condition of the eat's skin and coat. shedding except in spring. And when groomed regularly, it will have no matted hair or Soft bowel movements, diarrhea, or bloody parasites. The eat's skin also will be clear and stools are symptoms of disorders or disease, free of sores, rashes, and eczema. as is a straining movement while trying to urinate. Cats suffering from cystitis or urinary The cat 's bowel movements are regular and stones urinate frequently and wih difficu I ty. formed. One solid movement a day- kittens will The urine may be tinged with blood and the cat have more. The normal rectal temperature will may cry out with pain. If the urinary tract is range from 10 1 to 102 degrees F. blocked, the eat's abdomen will be distended and painful. Cats with urinary trouble may A well cat usually has no breath odor except vomit. Vomiting also is a sign of certain other after eating fish or other aromatic foods. It will diseases and of poisoning. be free from chronic coughs or sneezing, although it may do them occasionally when A rise in temperature means that something is exposed to dust, smoke, soot, or other foreign wrong. Although it isn't necessary to take a eat's matter in the air. temperature every day, it should be checked when you suspect that the cat is ill. The eyes of a healthy cat are bright and free of redness or discharge. Its nose also is clean and The sick cat may have an offensive breath. free of discharge except for the normal, colorless Mouth odors may be caused by certain foods, mucus. Its mouth will have no sores, ulcers, or but urinary ailments and decayed teeth also other irritations. Finally, the healthy cat has an cause bad breath. If your cat has a persistent air of contentment which shows through the breath odor and you have eliminated offensive animal's aloofness. foods as the cause, it is time to consult your veterinarian. 3 Chronic coughing and sneezing, particularly What Should Be Done About the Sick or Injured when accompanied with a heavy nasal discharge Cat or eye discharge, are symptoms of serious respiratory diseases. Continued redness of the The chances are your cat will need treatment eyeballs, conjuctiva, or nictitating membrane all some time during its lifetime. There will be point to some ailment. minor ailments which you can treat at home, but more serious conditions should be referred What to Look For in the Ailing Cat to the veterinarian. It is your responsibility to learn to distinguish one from the other and to Following is a list of symptoms that may be act accordingly. caused by disease. We will discuss the diseases in more detail in the next few lessons. Familiarize yourself with the causes, symptoms, mode of transmission and treatment of the • Refusal to eat or half-hearted eating for various diseases (see the next four or five more than one or two meals. lessons), as well as the symptoms of injuries and • Inactivity, listlessness, or a tendency to lie first-aid measures required. You should have a around more than usual. working knowledge of the various cat diseases • Dull, dry, lifeless coat. and injuries and be able to judge whether your • Excessive shedding of hair, bare spots, and cat should be taken to the veterinarian. You sores on skin. should also be able to describe the eat's • Constipation, diarrhea, bloody stool, or condition intelligently. Also you may, in many difficult bowel movements. cases, have to nurse the cat back to health, • Frequent urination, straining while reporting symptoms and progress to the urinating, and dark or blood-tinged urine. veterinarian. You will also better understand the • Inability to urinate. veterinarian's objectives and be able to follow • Temperature above or below the normal his instructions. When in doubt or a minor range. condition persists, take your cat to the veteri­ • Persistent breath odor, after offensive foods narian! have been eliminated. • Excessive sneezing and coughing. How Cat Diseases Are Transmitted • Heavy, thick, and discolored mucus from eyes and nose. The major cat diseases are caused by bacteria, • Bleeding. viruses, fungi, and rickettsiae. (The latter are • Anemia or pale gums. bacteria-like organisms.) Before your cat can • Pawing or scratching at the head and ears. contract a disease, it must be exposed to the • Vomiting between meals, especially a yellow organism causing that disease. This exposure fluid. Cats have a quick reverse action and may consist of direct contact with an infected may vomit for a variety of harmless reasons. animal, eating infected foods or inhaling air But prolonged vomiting with a yellowish infected by organisms. Also, minute droplets of discharge is indicative of serious trouble. water or rnucus from a sick cat may contain Vomiting may be caused by poison. types of viruses or bacteria which find their way • Excessive intake of water. into the respiratory systc;In of another cat. • Sitting with the head hanging over the water Rabies, a virus disease, is transmitted through bowl. the bite of a rabid animal, and fungus infections • Swellings or abscesses on the face, legs, or are spread by direct contact, wind, or water. tail. Cats contact ringworm and favus, both fungus • Wounds, cuts, or contusions. diseases, by rubbing against infected dogs, cats, • Stiffness or inability to use a leg or paw. or human beings. • Fractures. 4 Some Safeguards for Your Cat's Health 5. What is your responsibility to learn? The most important safeguard for the cat is 6. Name the four things you should be familiar immunization against those diseases for which with. there are vaccines. At the present time there are vaccines for feline enteritis, rabies, and 7. When should you take your cat to the pneumonitis. Immunization is also achieved if veterinarian? the cat recovers from one of these diseases with the exception of rabies which is always fatal. 8. Name the four causes of major cat diseases. The buildup of natural immunity is a gradual process and requires the presence of disease 9. What is rickettsiae? organisms. A cat that has been medicated, especially with antibiotics, may not develop I 0. How is a cat immunized against a disease? sufficient antibodies to protect it against the same disease later on. Also the inherited 11. Is there any reason for delaying having your immunity of kittens sometimes interferes with cat inoculated? the development of antibodies when a young kitten is vaccinated, so they sometimes fail to LESSON 2: MAJOR CAT DISEASES-FELINE take.