GUIDE TO A HEALTHY CAT
CONTENTS CHAPTER WHAT IS A HEALTHY CAT?, CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY CAT, 1 • THE LOWDOWN ON ESSENTIAL CARE, 2 • THE SCOOP ON LITTER BOXES, 4 • KEEPING CATS INDOORS KEEPS THEM HEALTHIER, CHAPTER KITTEN DEVELOPMENT, BIRTH TO 1 MONTH, 10 • 4 TO 6 WEEKS, 11 • 6 TO 8 WEEKS, • 8 TO 16 WEEKS, 12 • 16 TO 28 WEEKS, 13 • PUBERTY, 13 • 6 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR, FELINE MENTAL HEALTH, KEYS TO GOOD FELINE MENTAL HEALTH, 17 • SIGNS OF STRESS, 18 • PROPER HANDLING KEEPS A CAT HAPPY, 19 • ADDING A NEW CAT, 21 • KITTY’S BEING MEAN!, 23 • HOUSESOILING, 24 • TURN IT DOWN!, GOOD GROOMING, START WITH THE CLAWS, 28 • SHOULD YOU COMB OR SHOULD YOU BRUSH?, 29 • WHAT ABOUT A LONGHAIRED CAT?, 31 • MATS AND THEIR PROBLEMS, 32 • BATH TIME, 34 • GIVE UP?, THE BEST NUTRITION FOR YOUR CAT, PICKING THE RIGHT FOOD, 39 • ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCES IN CATS, • VIVA VARIETY, 42 • FEEDING BY LIFE STAGE, 43 • DRINK IT UP, HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CAT IS SICK?, IS YOUR FELINE ANOREXIC?, 47 • DOES YOUR CAT HAVE A FEVER?, 49 • WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CAT IS ACTING FUNNY, • TYPICAL SIGNS OF ILLNESS, 52 • WHEN TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, 53 • CHECKING OUT YOUR MEDICINE CABINET, 54 • A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR HELPS THE MEDICINE GO DOWN, HOW TO CHOOSE A VETERINARIAN, SELECTION BASICS, 62 • FEELING COMFORTABLE, ANNUAL HEALTH CARE, DID YOUR CAT PASS HIS PHYSICAL?, 71 • VIRAL TESTING, 73 • WHAT ABOUT VACCINES?, 74 • A CHESHIRE CAT SMILE, 74 • PARASITE CONTROL, TELL ME ABOUT VACCINES, HOW DO VACCINES WORK?, 81 • WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT VACCINATING YOUR CAT, 83 • CORE VACCINES, 85 • NON-CORE VACCINES, 87 • KITTY NEEDS SHOTS, 91 • ADVERSE RESPONSES TO VACCINES, COMMON SURGICAL PROCEDURES, TELL ME ABOUT DECLAWING, 94 • PREVENT A PATERNITY SUIT, 97 • PREVENT UNWANTED PREGNANCY, 99 • HERNIAS IN CATS, PREGNANCY AND QUEENING, THE ESTROUS CYCLE, 103 • THE ACT, 104 • WHEN YOUR CAT IS PREGNANT, 105 • THE BIRTH OF KITTENS, 108 • RAISING AN ORPHAN, HOW TO CARE FOR A SENIOR CAT, HOW LONG WILL MY CAT LIVE?, 112 • SENIOR HEALTH CARE PROGRAM, 113 • WHAT MAY CAUSE YOUR KITTY’S DEMISE?, • KEEPING YOUR OLD FRIEND COMFORTABLE, 120 • KNOWING WHEN TO LET GO, THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM, SNEEZING, 126 • CATS DO CATCH COLDS, 127 • COULD YOUR CAT HAVE ASTHMA?, 131 • PNEUMONIA, THE GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM, IT ALL STARTS IN THE MOUTH, 135 • KITTY’S GOING TO BE SICK, • GETTING TO THE BOX, 140 • INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD), 142 • WHAT IS HELICOBACTER?, 143 • INTESTINAL CANCER, 143 • WHEN KITTY IS CONSTIPATED, 143 • IS YOUR CAT TURNING YELLOW?, 145 • PANCREATITIS, 147 • THE END OF THE LINE—ANAL GLAND PROBLEMS, SKIN AND DERMATOLOGY, ITCHY KITTY, 149 • KITTY IS BALD!, 153 • ZITTY KITTY, • RINGWORM IS NOT A WORM, 154 • LOOKING MITEY MANGY, 156 • INSECT AND SPIDER BITES, 158 • OTHER EAR PROBLEMS, • CATS CAN GET SKIN CANCER, 159 • INFECTIONS AND ABSCESSES, THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM, HOW THE HEART AND THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM WORK, 161 • BLOOD AND BLEEDING, 162 • IF YOUR CAT IS ANEMIC, 164 • BORN WITH A BAD HEART, 166 • LEAKY VALVES, 166 • HOW THE HEART IS EVALUATED, 167 • TREATING CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, • HEART MUSCLE DISEASE, 168 • HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, 169 • FELINE HEARTWORM DISEASE, THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM, IT’S HARD TO GET UP IN THE MORNING, 173 • IT’S BROKEN, • SPRAINS AND STRAINS, 177 • DO CATS GET CRUCIATE INJURIES?, 178 • BORN WITH UNIQUE BONES, 178 • SURGERY FOR BONE DEFORMITIES, THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM, IF YOUR CAT HAS A HYPER THYROID, 181 • FELINE DIABETES, • UTERINE INFECTIONS, 187 • CATS CAN GET BREAST CANCER, • ADRENAL GLAND DISEASE, THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE SENSES, THE EYES SEE YOU, 191 • THE EARS HEAR YOU, • KITTIES AND CONVULSIONS, 195 • BORN WITH NEUROLOGIC PROBLEMS, 197 • CATS WITH BAD BACKS, 198 • FELINE HYPERESTHESIA SYNDROME, THE URINARY TRACT, LOWER URINARY TRACT DISEASE, 202 • KITTY CAN’T PEE!, • STONES IN THE SYSTEM, 206 • WHAT ABOUT DIET?, 208 • KITTY’S KIDNEYS, THE DREADED VIRUSES, FELINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS, 214 • FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS, 216 • FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS, 218 • COULD YOUR CAT BE RABID?, 222 • FELINE PANLEUKOPENIA, UNDERSTANDING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, FECAL ANALYSIS, 224 • URINALYSIS, 225 • BLOOD TESTS, • X RAYS, 229 • ULTRASOUND, 230 • ENDOSCOPY, 230 • BIOPSIES, 230 • CYTOLOGY, 231 • ELECTROCARDIOGRAM, • BLOOD PRESSURE, 232 • CEREBRAL SPINAL FLUID TAP, • MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, 232 • COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, 233 • NUCLEAR IMAGING, 233 • TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES ARE AMAZING!, WHAT CAN YOUR CATCH FROM YOUR CAT?, GESUNDHEIT!, 235 • HONEY, IT’S YOUR TURN TO SCOOP, • CAT SCRATCH FEVER, 240 • OTHER ZOONOSES, 241 • WATCH OUT FOR PLAGUE, 242 • THE JOYS OF CAT OWNERSHIP,