Not all cats out there are looking for a comfortable lap, a spot of sunshine or to serenade their humans with cheerful meows. Some of our feline friends prefer a more distant relationship with people, so they aren’t suitable pets to keep in more restricted home environments but they still need a safe space to live.

Feral or semi-feral cats in rescue centres, shelters or just out on the street need a home as much as the fully house bound kitties and one good way to provide for their needs of low human contact while still having a support structure is by finding them a nice farm to live on.

It’s a literal millennia old tradition! Scientists believe that our agricultural roots (which attracted plenty of rodents) in the Crescent Valley about 8000 years ago were what made their wild ancestors join our lives. So, if it worked for the wild cat, it could also work for the feral cat.

The goal is to provide these cats with warm and cosy shelters, a stable supply of food, parasite control and veterinary help if needed but at the same time give them the space to approach the friendly, resident humans on their own terms.

It’s very important that these kitties are neutered and be on the lookout for issues like feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) infections, which are typical of outdoor cats and multicat situations.

Everyone wins! Cats who would otherwise never find homes will be lovingly cared for and in return, you might just see vermin issues on your farm resolved!

Is it your farm (or stable or garden centre! They aren’t picky) that could make a feral or semi-feral cat a certified farm cat? Contact your local rescue centre or shelter and inquire about cats that can’t be rehomed to normal domestic homes.

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We’ll come right out and say it: Feline Infectious Peritonitis is bad news for your fabulous feline.

This disease is called by a virus called Feline Coronavirus, a very common virus in cats, especially in multicat situations like catteries or households. Fortunately, while many cats are infected with Coronavirus a large majority will not have the virulent version of this virus. However, the ones that do are most likely to die and these number around 5% of all infected animals.

One of the main difficulties of Feline Infectious Peritonitis, (FIP), is that it’s diagnosis is not straightforward. The vague clinical signs, the fact that the virulent and non-virulent version cannot be distinguished with tests used routinely in practice and that blood and biochemical parameters have non-specific alterations make it quite hard for vets to diagnose FIP.

Why is it so lethal then? What happens is actually an issue of the cat’s own immune system reacting to the altered Coronavirus that lodges in macrophages. This enormous and destructive immune response will attack the host’s own tissues and cause clinical signs to occur.

There are two major forms of the disease: ‘effusive’ and ‘dry’. The difference here is that the ‘effusive’ version causes a fluid buildup in several cavities (though it is more usual in the abdomen) and the ‘dry’ version has little to no fluid buildup but you can generally see signs of the failure of various organs like kidney, liver or lungs.

Because it has no cure, prevention and good hygiene are paramount in minimising the damage this disease might have on your cat colony. Good faeces management and knowing which cats might be shedding the virus at any given time is very important to stop Coronavirus from spreading.

If you have a cattery, shelter or even just several cats on your home ask your vet about the best way to prevent this deadly illness!

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