4-H LEADER GUIDE

YOUR CAT'S HEALTH Suggested for Year 5

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Washington State -~ University EM4285 CONTENTS ( Acknowledgments ...... 2

Learning Opportunities ...... 3

Preview ...... 3

Possible Demonstration Topics-Fifth Year ...... 3

Questions-Lesson 1 ...... 3

Questions-Lesson 2 ...... 4

Questions-Lesson 3 ...... 4

Questions-Lesson 4 ...... 5

Questions-Lesson 5 ...... 6

Questions-Lesson 6 ...... 7

Questions-Lesson 7 ...... 8

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 project.

We extend our thanks to John 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 Edminsters' club and took the time and effort to write the leader's guides and to compile the necessary pictures and materials.

We are also indebted to Shirly Reed of Renton and Jo Brown of Buckley for their guidance and advice in what material to use, where to find it, and encouragement to keep going.

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, former Ex­ tension Veterinarian. 3

r- LEARNING 0 PPO RTUNITIES QUESTIONS-LESSON 1 I II Telling the difference between a well and sick 1. Name five appearances of a healthy cat? cat. Sleek and well-muscled; soft, glossy coat; no excessive shedding; no mats or Telling the difference between the major parasites; skin clear of rashes, bald spots, diseases. . sores, or eczema.

To be better youth' through discipline of totally 2. Name ftve appearances of a sick cat? caring for our cat. Listless, poor appetite, parasites, poor skin or coat, soft bowel movements, Understand basic procedures of a cat show. painful urination.

Learning about career opportunities in cat 3. What type of ailments do you treat at home? science. Minor.

PREVIEW 4. What type of ailments do you take to the vet? You have learned how to care for your cat, tell Serious. if he's sick, and to be responsible for him in the community. Now we will look at the major 5. What is your responsibility to learn? diseases of cats, what causes them, and how to To distinguish between minor and cure them. We will look again at the breeds of serious ailments. cats, their show standards, major differences, how they have come to be established, and if 6. Name the four things you should be familiar possible, where they will go in the future. Each with? breed has a definite objective in mind. Have they Causes, symptoms, mode of arrived at that objective or how are they transmission, and treatment of diseases. working toward it? 7. When should you take your. cat to the POSSIBLE DEMONSTRATION TOPICS- veterinarian? FIFTH YEAR When in doubt or a minor condition persists. Appearance of a healthy cat. 8. Name the four causes of major cat diseases? Appearance of a sick cat. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and rickettsiae.

Show standards of any one breed of cat. 9. What is rickettsiae? Bacteria-like organisms. A home, ftrst-aid kit. 10. How is a cat immunized against a disease? How to use the first-aid kit. By recovering from the disease or by being inoculated. How to wrap an injured cat to take him to the veterinarian. ' 4

11. Is there any reason for delaying having your 12. Give three reasons a eat's vaccination might cat inoculated? fail. Only if the veterinarian makes the Cat already has virus in- body, cat is in decision that the kitten is too young or poor health, kitten still has inherited if the cat is already sick. immunity.

QUESTIONS-LESSON 2 13. What is the first thing to do if your cat is suspected of having feline enteritis? I. What is another name for feline enteritis? Take it to a veterinarian. Distemper or panleokopenia. 14. What good results from using antibiotics? 2. What is feline enteritis caused by? Wards off secondary infection. Filterable virus. 15. What should you do for the cat that has 3. What are two ways a cat can be infected? feline enteritis? Direct contact or being in a place where Make it comfortable, keep it warm, talk an infected cat was kept. kindly to it and love it, give it as much formula is it will drink every two hours. 4. How can you protect a new cat being brought in? 16. What three things does nursing a sick cat call Vaccination. for? Work, patience, and devotion. 5. Can you keep anything used by the infected cat? QUESTIONS-LESSON 3 No. Rabies is one of the oldest animal diseases and 6. What is the incubation period of feline there is no cure. It is therefore important that enteritis? the 4-H'ers know about it in detail and what to 4-10 days. do if they should happen to see it.

7. What are some symptoms of feline enteritis? There is not much that can be used as Sitting with head over water dish; demonstration material, but a short talk on vomiting; dull, lifeless hair; high fever; rabies could be worked up easily by the 4-H'er pain; diarrhea; no appetite; dehydration. to give others the basic information.

8. How high a fever may a cat run? They should be able to answer the following I 04 degrees F. questions on rabies before continuing on in the major diseases. 9. What happens to the white blood cells? Decrease. I. Is rabies a new disease? No. I 0. Is there any cure for feline enteritis? No. 2. Why do cats not often have rabies? They can escape rabid animals by ), 11. Is a feline enteritis vaccination permanent? climbing. No. 5

3. What is rabies caused by? 17. What are the two kinds of rabies vaccine? 1 A virus. Live and dead. l 4. How is the disease transmitted? 18. How often should your cat be vaccinated? By contact or bites. Yearly.

5. What part of the body does rabies affect? QUESTIONS-LESSON 4 · Nervous system. In this lesson we are covering the last of the 6. What is the incubation period of rabies in major diseases. It is important that the 4-H'ers cats? can tell them apart. 15 to 50 days. If after this lesson they are able to tell the 7. How is a positive diagnosis made? differences, they are ready to continue on. Microscopic examination of the brain. There are several topics in this series that could be worked into a good talk or demonstration if 8. What is one of the first signs of rabies? good pictures are available. Definite change in behavior. 1. Toxoplasmosis is caused by what? 9. What are the two kinds of rabies? A protozoan. Furious and dumb. 2. How is toxoplasmosis transmitted? 10. Does a cat with dumb rabies try to bite? Contact with infected nasal discharge, No. saliva, and feces.

11. What are some symptoms of furious rabies? 3. How is a positive diagnosis made? Oawing, biting, pupils dilate, difficulty Demonstration of antibodies and in swallowing, hiding, hoarse voice. isolation of toxoplasmosis organism.

12. How soon does the cat die after symptoms 4. What parts of the body are involved? appear? Nervous system, brain, blood, and eyes. 3 to 7 days. 5. What disease does pneumonitis resemble? 13. What is another name for rabies? Common cold. Hydrophobia. 6. What is pneumonitis caused by? 14. Does a rabid cat have a fear of water? Virus. No. 7. What is the incubation period? 15. When moving, what must accompany your 6 to 10 days. cat? Health certificate. 8. What are some symptoms of pneumonitis? Running nose, running eyes, sneezing 16. What should you do if bitten by a strange fits, salivation. cat? Wash with strong soap for at least 20 9. What is pneumonia caused by? minutes. Vints or bacteria. 6

10. What is the most common form? 3. What is shedding controlled by? Bronchopneumonia. Amount of light your cat receives.

11. What is the first noticeable sign? 4. How long ago did the first ancestor of the Heavy, harsh cough. cat live? 40 to 50 million years ago. 12. What are some symptoms of pneumonia? Thick n asllil discharge, abnormal 5. What does carnivorous mean? breathing with labor, and rasping sound. To eat meat.

13. What is feline viral rhinotracheitis? 6. What are the nerves in the nose called? Respiratory disease with symptoms Olfactory. similar to pneumonitis. 7. Name some of the major bones in the eat's 14. Does recovery mean immunity? body. No. Skull, spine, scapula, ribs, humerus, radius, ulna, carpus, metacarpus, femur, 15. What types of cancer are found in cats? tibia, fibula, tarsus, metatarsus, and All. digits.

16. What is cancer? 8. What are the major systems in the eat's An excessive growth of tissues. body? Respiratory, circulatory, digestive, I 7. What are some warning signs? reproductive, and nervous. Lumps on skin, bleeding from rectum or reproductive organs. 9. What is the normal gestation period of a cat? 63 to 65 days. 18. Do cats often get tuberculosis? No. I 0. What are some signs of a healthy cat? Sleek, well-muscled, glossy coat, no mats 19. How is tuberculosis transmitted? or parasites. Drinking infected raw milk. 11. What are some things that cause disease? 20. How is tuberculosis diagnosed? Bacteria, virus, fungi, and rickettsiae. X-rays and laboratory test done by a veterinarian. 12. What is a eat's normal temperature? I 01 to 102 degrees. QUESTIONS-LESSON 5: REVIEW OF CAR­ ING FOR YOUR CAT 13. What is bacteria? One-celled microorganism, chiefly I. What present-day cat resembles the ancient parasitic. Egyptian cat? Abbysinian. 14. What is a virus? Found in fluids of an organism that has 2. How many bones does the cat have? an infectious disease; smaller than 230. bacteria. 7 15. What is fungi? 7. Name five colors that associations allow. , Combining form of fungus, comprised of Lilac, chocolate, seal, blue, red, lynx, or the molds, dews, rusts, smuts, etc. tortie.

16. What is rickettsiae? 8. What color is a new-born kitten? Between bacteria and virus-not as White. complex as bacteria or as simple as a virus. 9. What shape and color should the eyes be? Bright blue, almond-shaped. 17. Name some of the major cat diseases. Feline enteritis or distemper, rabies, 10. Where are the color points located? toxoplasmosis, pneumonitis, pneumonia, Mask, ears, legs, feet, and tail. feline viral rhinotracheitis or VFR, cancer and tuberculosis. 11. Should there be a direct contrast between body and point colors? 18. What are the two kinds of rabies? Yes. Dumb and ferocious. 12. What type of coat should the Siamese have? 19. What diseases are caused by a virus? Short, fine in texture, glossy, lying close Pneumonia, feline enteritis, rabies, to body. pneumonitis. 13. Give the coat color, point color, nose leather 20. What is cancer? and paw pad colors of a Seal Point. An excessive growth of tissue. Pale fawn to cream with seal-brown points and slate-colored nose leather and QUESTIONS-LESSON 6 paw pads.

1. What kind of contact do Siamese depend 14. Give the coat color, point color, nose leather on? and paw pad colors of a Chocolate Point Human. Siamese. I vary-colored body with milk chocolate­ 2. How do Siamese explore an object? colored points and cinnamon-pink nose With their paws. leather and paw pads.

3. Where did the Siamese originate? 15. Give the coat color, point color, nose leather Siam or Thailand. and paw pad colors of a Lilac Point Siamese. Glacial white body with frosty-gray, 4. What was the Siamese cats' duty in the with pinkish tone points and mauve nose palaces? leather and paw pads. Guard the walls. 16. Should a show-quality Siamese have a 5. What year was the Siamese first seen by the kinked tail? public? No. 1900. 17. Give the coat color, point color, nose leather 6. What should the Siamese body type look and paw pad colors of a Blue Point. like? Bluish white coat, shading to white on Exotic or foreign. stomach and chest, deep blue points, slate-colored nose leather and paw pads. 8

QUESTIONS- LESSON 7 7. What country did the Burmese originate in? Burma or Thailand. In this lesson we are looking at two newer breeds, both short-haired brown cats. They are 8. What is the natural color of the Burmese? of medium build and muscular. It is important Rich, sable brown. for the 4-H'er to realize the differences in the color, body type, and eye color. The heads, 9. Name one other color the Burmese breeders eyes, and ears are shaped differently. are developing. j Blue and champagne. 1. What country did the Havanna Brown originate in? 10. What color is the Burmese cat 's eyes? England. Yellow to gold.

2. What two breeds did they cross to get the 11. What shape is the Burmese eat's head? Havanna? Round. Domestic and Siamese. 12. What breed was the original brown cat bred 3. What color is the Havanna Brown? to? Rich, warm brown. Siamese.

4. What color is the Havanna's eyes? 13. What kind of coat does the Burmese have? Chartreuse to green. Fine, glossy, close-lying, slight shading on the underside. 5. Can the Havanna be shaded or have any other color on him? 14. What kind of coat does the Havanna Brown No. have? Medium length, smooth, total cat one 6. When was the Burmese introduced into the color, no shading or markings. United States? 1930.

College of Agriculture and Home Economics, Pullman, Washington

Issued by Washington State University Cooperative Extension, F.L. Poston, Director, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in fur­ therance of the Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Cooperative Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, and gender preference. Trade names have been used to simplify information; no endorsement is intended. Reprinted May 1991 . A