Many of us have heard about dilated heart disease in our daring dogs, a disease that is especially prevalent in giant breeds, but did you know that our cats also have a type of specific heart disease that is much more common to them and quite uncommon in dogs?

In dogs, the most common issue is that the heart has enlarged chambers and it compromises the normal rhythm of the heart and fluid dynamics in the circulatory system. In our cats however, it’s the heart muscle itself that gets too big. We call this the hypertrophy of the heart muscle and it usually happens on the left ventricle.

While it might sound like having a bigger heart muscle would definitely aid in the heartbeat, what really happens is that the wall becomes so thick it makes the flow of blood throughout the heart much more difficult.

We are not 100% sure why cats develop this sort of cardiomyopathy and several causes might exist but we do know that some breeds of cats like the Ragdoll and the Maine Coon are more predisposed to the condition. Research has revealed that it’s most likely a genetic deficiency in the protein of the heart muscle of these cats.

What to look out for in cats that might hint to a heart problem:

• Difficulty breathing due to congested lungs;
• Not wanting to play around or move much;
• Vomiting;
• Collapsing;
• Lack of appetite;
• Sudden paralysis of hindlegs due to embolisms in the arteries of the leg;

Clinical signs and severity of disease can vary a lot, some animals might never show any signs while others might suffer from sudden death due to heart failure.

As soon as you suspect something might be wrong, take your cat to your vet as soon as possible. There are several things that can be done to help them out and to lessen the progression of the disease.

Would you like to know more about cats? Check our Feline Courses:

Feline courses

Many of us have been in this very situation: your cat ran off for some unsanctioned outside fun, or they haven’t returned in a couple of days, or something spooked them and they escaped into the great outdoors and now, you don’t really know what to do.

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can try that will help improve the chances your feline friend will find you again:

• Tell your microchip database immediately;
• Post up posters in the neighbourhood with a good photo and ask people to check their sheds and garages;
• Contact vets and rescue centres as they may have picked up your cat;
• Speak to your closest neighbours personally and ask them to check their sheds/garages for you and keep an eye out;
• Keep the cat flap or other usual entry points wide open in case they try to return;

Scared cats, especially indoor only cats that ventured out into the great open world, might be holed up somewhere very silently in a panic and are not responsive when you call.

It might even happen they are right next door, squeezed into some quiet corner waiting for an opportunity to leave so don’t forget that direct searching, especially in neighbours’ properties, might make the difference between recovering your cat safe and sound or not recovering them at all.

Would you like to know more about cats? Check our Feline Courses:

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.

Would you like to know more about cats? Check our Feline Courses:

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!

Would you like to know more about cats? Check our Feline Courses:

Feline courses

It’s now (unfortunately!) late Summer and with the looming Autumn, a new parasite is very keen to join our outdoor parties.

Our incoming party crashers are none other than Neotrombicula (or just Trombicula) autumnalis, who go by the street name of harvest mites. These mites can affect cats, dogs and even an unwary human but they seem to love our purring pals a little more.

They are outside in the soil and plants, just hoping for a furry mammal to pass by them and then they can hitch a ride to latch onto skin. Only the 6-legged larvae cause issues, the nymphs and adults with 8 legs live in the soil and prefer to wait there for another host. They can be preferentially found on the head, especially around the eyes and ears.

Will you be able to see them on your cat? Adults are really small and while they are not microscopic and you might notice small, red clusters of dots on your cat that weren’t there before, it needs to be confirmed with a superficial skin scraping and a microscope.

Larvae feed on your cat’s tissues and, understandably, this causes a lot of damage. With itching, reddened skin, wounds, papules and hair loss we are looking at a nasty list of problems.

Worry not, these mites can be controlled and the problem can be solved but be aware that cats with easy access to infested areas may be frequently re-infested!

Would you like to know more about cats? Check our Feline Courses:

Did you know that only one in every 3000 calico cats are male? This is just another amazing and interesting fact about cats, in this particular case, about calico cats!

Calico is the name given to cats that have three colours on their fur. These gorgeous felines are basically white, with ginger and black patches of fur. There is a wide variety of calico cats since ginger can appear as yellow, orange or red and also because they can display diluted variations of their basic colours such as grey, reddish brown and cream. Their colours can also be distributed in a tabby pattern.

If you are familiar with ´torties` you may recall that tortoiseshell cats can also have ginger and black colours, although these cats don’t have any white in them, often presenting a mottled coat.

The mechanisms behind the way these genes express themselves, producing these particular fur patterns in cats is absolutely fascinating! Due to the genetic processes involved, the overwhelming majority of calico cats are female.

The manifestation of white is unrelated to the X and Y chromosomes which means both male and female cats can have white fur. On the other hand, the appearance of black and ginger in their fur is transmitted and entirely decided by the X chromosome. Since female cats have two X chromosomes they can manifest both colours on their fur, one colour coded by each one of their X chromosomes. Male cats, however, only have one X chromosome which means they can only display one of these colours, either black and white or ginger and white.

All the best rules have exceptions and as you can imagine, this is also one of them. Although it is rare, some male cats can display the calico pattern. Every now and then, male cats are born with a genetic disorder in which they gain an extra X chromosome. The condition is called Klinefelter syndrome and since these cats have two X chromosomes they can in fact display all three colours. As a result, approximately one in every 3000 calico cats are male.

Cats affected by the Klinefelter syndrome are sterile in most cases which means fertile, male calico cats are even harder to find!

Would you like to know more about cats? Check our Feline Courses:

Feline courses

Cats and their teeth sometimes might find themselves in adversarial positions and this issue is one that is a bit odd. Feline tooth resorption is also called odontoclastic resorption and it’s caused by the cat’s own cells deciding (somewhat unilaterally) that the teeth no longer needs to be there.

These cells are called odontoclasts and usually they are responsible for the normal eruption of adult teeth by removing the roots of the deciduous teeth through resorption. However, these cells continue to exist long past the eruption of permanent teeth and they might start damaging these teeth.

What makes these perfectly normal cells go off rails? We aren’t sure yet and it’s most likely of multifactorial nature, which makes it hard to establish a strong cause. That being said, several causes are under investigation.

It might stem from nutritional issues like too much vitamin D, might be a hereditary issue or even an exaggerated reaction to inflammation in the gums (due to excess plaque for instance).

It might affect just one tooth or several teeth and we believe that nearly 50% of animals older than 5 years will have at least one tooth with lesions. Most of these occur in the root and the odontoclasts cause tooth structures to dissolve, leaving behind visible gaps.

While many animals can have resorption lesions, it is usually not severe enough for our house felines to show clinical signs but when it does it manifests as:

• Hypersalivation while eating
• Dropping food from their mouths frequently, especially dry food
• Hissing while chewing
• Behaviour changes like increased aggression or reclusion due to pain

If you notice these in your fearsome furry, take them to your vet! While the cause is still unknown, there are ways to alleviate pain and manage this situation that we are sure will improve your cat’s discomfort.

Would you like to know more about cats? Check our Feline Courses: