Your New Cat Tips for ensuring a healthy and happy life for your new family member

THANK YOU

The Cat Protection Society of NSW thanks all our supporters – our members, donors, volunteers, those

who remembered us in their wills, our pro bono service providers, our sponsors and our adopters – for sharing

our vision and helping us care for cats.

CONTENTS

Page What you need for your new cat 4

Thefirstnightathome 5

Settlingin 5

Introducingyournewcattothefamily 6

Introducingyournewcattootherpets 6

Littertraining 7

Diseaseprevention- 8worms,fleas,vaccinations,skincancerandringworm

Feedingyourcat 11

Groomingyourcat 11

Keepingyourcathappyindoors 12-13

Goingonholidays 14

Identification 14

Safetyandfirstaid 15-18

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ThankyouforchoosingtheCatProtectionSocietyforyournewcat.Yournewfamilymemberisalreadydesexed,vaccinated,microchipped,wormedandfleatreated.

Welovetohearabouthowourrehomedcatsareenjoyingtheirnewfamily,sopleasedon’tbeshytosendusanupdatefromtimetotime.Youmayevenseeitinourjournal.Weareheretohelpandprovideyouwithongoingsupportsodon’thesitatetocallusifyouneedanyadviceonyournewcat.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR YOUR CATOnceyouhavedecidedacatisthepetforyou,youwillneedtohaveafewbasicsbeforeyoutakethemhome:

• Littertrayandkittylitter • Food(wefeedandrecommendHill’sScienceDiet) • Foodbowl • Waterbowls • Toys • Scratchpost • Catbedorigloo • Securecarrycage.

Alsobesureto:

• Checkallflyscreensandwindowstoensuretheyaresecureand your new cat cannot get out

• Blockoffallsmallspacestopreventyournewcatgettingtrapped. Catsliketohideinsmalldarkspaceswhenscared

• Providelotsofpatienceandlove.

Thank you for choosing the Cat Protection Society for your new cat. Your new family member is already desexed, vaccinated, microchipped, flea and worm treated, and has been registered in your name on the NSW Companion Animals Register.

We love to hear about how our rehomed cats are enjoying their new family, so please don’t be shy to send us an update from time to time. You may even see it in our journal. We are here to help and provide you with ongoing support so don’t hesitate to call us if you need any advice on your new cat.

THE FIRST NIGHT AT HOMEAnewhomecanbeveryscaryforyournewcat.Itisveryimportantthattheirfirstnightinyourhomeisasstress-freeaspossible:

• Setuponeroominyourhomewithalittertray,asmallamountoffood,wateranda catbed.Takeyourcatintotheroomandplacetheminthelittertraysotheyknow whereitis.Closethedoorbutstayintheroom.Spendsometimeintheroomwith themtoobservehowtheyareacting.Iftheyseemscared,leavethemforafewhours alonetosettlein.Whencatsarefrighteneditisnormalforthemtohide.Thismaybe underthebedorinabox,letthemcomeoutintheirowntime.Don’tbeupset,this canbeverynormalforsomecats.Ifyouhaveyoungchildren,letthemknowthecat isn'tusedtothehouseyetandneedssometimetosettlein

• Trytoavoidloudnoisesinthehouseasthesemayscarethecat

• Don’tworryiftheydon’teatonthefirstnightastheymaynotbefeelingwellafterthe cartrip.Offerthemthesametypeoffoodtheywerereceivingattheadoptioncentre asasuddenchangeoffoodcangivethemanupsettummy,orevendiarrhoea.Offer onlysmallamountsoffoodforthefirst12-24hours.

SETTLING INOverthenextfewdaysintroduceyourselftoyournewcatbyspendingsometimeintheirroom.Playwiththem,strokethem,andplacethemgentlyonyourlap.Allthesethingswillhelpthemlearntotrustyouandfeelsafe.

Onceyourcatisrelaxedandwantingtoexplorethehouse,introducethemtootherroomsslowly.Itisimportantyoukeeptheminsidethehouseforatleastonemonthevenifyouplantohaveanindoor/outdoorcat.

Afteramonthofhavingyourcatyoucanintroducethemtooutside.Wesuggestyoudothisslowlytoavoidstress.Supervisethematalltimesandstartwithshortintervalsoutside.Ifyouhaveakitten,trytakingthemforwalksonaharnesstopreventthemrunningaway.Eachtimeyougooutside,youcanincreasethelengthoftimeyouareout.Ifyoudecideyouwillbelettingthemoutalone,youwillneedtoestablisharoutinewherefoodisanincentivetocomebackinside.AtCatProtectionweadviseallcatownerstocurfewtheircatatnight.Thisprotectsyourcatfrombeinginjured,gettinginfightsandkillingwildlife.

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INTRODUCING YOUR NEW CAT TO THE FAMILYGrowingupwithpetscanbeagreatexperienceforchildren.Itisveryimportantthatparentssupervisetheirchildrenwhenevertheyareinteractingwithpetstomakesurethechildrenknowhowtohandlethepet.Thisensuresboththechild’sandthepet’ssafety.

Whenintroducingyournewcattochildrenyoushouldhavethechildsitonachairoronthefloorsothecathasafirmplacetosit.Youshouldholdthecatandgentlysitthemonthechild’slap.Letthechildgentlystrokethemwhileyouareholdingthecattoreassurethemtheyaresafe.Afterdoingthisafewtimes,showthechildhowtoholdthecatproperly.Thisisbyplacingonehandundertherumpofthecatandtheotherarmunderthecat’sfrontshoulders.Thiswaythecatwillfeelsecure.Askthechildtoalwaysrememberthatcatshaveverygoodhearingsoanyloudnoisesorvoicescanfrightenthecat.

Toavoidbeingbittenorscratchedyourchildalsoneedstounderstandthesignsyourcatmayshowwhentheyarefrightened.Theseinclude:

•Hissingorspitting •Earspinnedbackagainstthehead •Cowering •Furraised •Growling.

Provideasafeplaceforyournewcattoretreatiftheybecomeoverwhelmed.Thiswillhelpbothyourcatandyourchildrentodevelopatrustingrelationship.

INTRODUCING YOUR NEW CAT TO OTHER PETSYouwillneedtointroduceyournewcattoanyexistingpets.Whiletheyareconfinedtotheirroom,starttointroducethesmellofyournewpettoanyotherpetsyouhave.Don’twashyourhandsbetweentouchingthemtoallowthemtosmelleachotheronyou.Ifyouhaveagapunderthedooroftheroomletthemsmelleachotherthroughit.Placeyournewcatinacarryboxandintroduceyourotherpetstothemwithoutlettingthemout.Thiswaytheyfeelsecureandyourotherpetwillnotbeupset.Afterdoingthisafewtimesyoushouldbeabletosensewhentheyarerelaxedaroundeachother.Oncetheyseemcomfortablewitheachother’spresence,youcanopentheroomandletthemexploreeachother.Alwayssupervisethesevisitsforafewmonthsafterintroduction.

Don’texpectyourpetstogetonwelltogetherrightaway;somepetsneedtimetoadjust.Neverneglectthepetsyoualreadyhadwhengettinganewpetasthismaycauseproblems.Doexpectsomehissingorgrowling.Thisisverynormalbehaviour.

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LITTER TRAINING

• Provideyournewcatwithalitterboxthatistherightsize.Ifthelitterboxistoo small,yourcatmaymissthelitter;ifitistoobig,thecatmaynotbeabletogetin

• Trytousethesamelitterthecatisusedto. Ifyouneedtochangethetypeoflitter,introducethe newlitterintotheoldtypesoyourcatwillgetusedtoit. Youmayneedtotryafewdifferentlittersuntilyoufind oneyourcatlikes

• Removeallsolidwastedailyfromtray

• Emptyandcleanalllitterfromtrayasrecommendedonthepackaging.Ifyourcatis fussyyoumayneedtodothismoreoftenasacat’ssenseofsmellisbetterthanours

• Don’tusestrongdetergentswhencleaningthetrayasthismaydeteryourcatfrom usingthetray

• Alwaysplaceyourkitteninthetrayaftereatingtopromoteuse

• Provideatleasttwotrayspercat

• Placethelittertrayinaquietspotascatsliketheirprivacywhengoingtothetoilet. Don’tmovethetrayaroundoryourcatmaynotbeabletofindit

• Protectanyhouseplantswithpebblesorbarktopreventyourcatsoilingthedirt

• Alwayspraiseyourcatwhentheyusethetray.Thiswillmakeitapleasantexperience forthecatandpromotetrayuse.

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DISEASE PREVENTION• Worms Yournewcathasbeenwormed.Itisimportantthatyoucontinuewormingyourcat throughouttheirlife.Intestinalwormslikehookworm,roundwormandtapewormcan allbekilledbyusingawormingtabletorspotontreatment.Kittensneedtobewormed fortnightlyfrom2-12weeksoldandadultsmonthlytothreemonthlydependingonthe product.Humanscancatchwormsfrompetsandtheyfromus;soseeyourpharmacist aboutwhetheryoushouldtreatyourhumanfamilytoo.

• Fleas Yournewcathasalsobeenfleatreated.Youwillneedtocontinuethismonthlyto preventfleaeggshatching.Werecommendspotonfleaandwormproductslike Advocateforeasyapplication.Fleascannotliveonhumansbutcancauseallergic reactionsonsomepetsandhumans.Topreventthisremembertofleatreatyourcat regularly.AtCatProtection,weuseandrecommendBayerfleaandwormtreatments. Never use flea treatment products intended for dogs on your cat:thesecanbe verydangerous,evendeadly,tocats.

• Vaccinations YournewcathasbeenF3-vaccinated.Yourcat’sprofilewilltellyouwhenthevaccination wasgivenandthevaccinationcertificatewilltellyouwhenthenextoneisdue.Kittens requireboostersbeforetheirvaccinationcourseiscomplete.Somecatsmightneed annualoradditionalvaccinations.Pleasediscusstheappropriatevaccinationschedule foryourcatwithyourvet,takingintoaccountissuessuchaswhetheryourcatwill boardedregularlyorhaveoutdooraccess. •Skin cancer Manypeopledonotrealisecatscangetskincancer.Catswithwhitenoses,earsor lightcolouredpigmentationontheearsandnoseareespeciallyatrisk.Topreventyour catgettingcanceryoushouldkeeptheminsideforthehottestpartoftheday.Ifthisis notpossibleapplyapetsunscreentotheearsandnosewhentheyareoutdoors(never use human sunscreen as these are toxic to cats).Anysunburnonthecatshould beseenbyavetassoonaspossible.Kittensasyoungas12monthshavebeen reportedwithskincancerlesions.

• Ringworm RingwormisafungusNOTaworm.Itappearsontheskinasacircularmarkthatis inflamedanditchyforyourcat.Itiscarriedonhairfollicles.Humanscancatch ringwormandcangiveittocats.Itistreatablesoanysuspectmarksonyourcatshould beseenbyyourvet.

be

As the nutritional partner for the

Cat Protection Society of NSW,

Hill’s Pet Nutrition has provided

Hill’s™ Science Diet™ to cats

awaiting adoption for over 5 years.

By feeding Hill’s™ Science Diet™, the Cat

Protection Society of NSW ensures that cats

awaiting adoption have the special nutrition

they need to be healthy, happy and ready

to start their new life with you.

If you’re ready to bring a feline friend into

your life, why not consider adopting from

the Cat Protection Society? For more details

simply visit www.catprotection.org.au

For more information about Hill’s™ Science Diet™ visit www.hillspet.com.au

Join us in giving more cats loving homes

Hill’s™ & Hill’s Science Diet Pet™ are trademarks owned by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. © 2012 Hill’s Pet Nutrition Pty. Limited. ® Cat Protection Society of NSW trademarks are owned by Cat Protection Society Inc.

RDC3808 Hills Cat Protectrion ad.FA.indd 1 23/02/12 10:10 AM

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FEEDING YOUR CAT AttheCatProtectionSocietyyourcatwillhavebeenfedHill’sScienceDiet.Werecommendthisfoodasitprovidesyourcatwithallthenutrientstheywillneed.TheHill’srangeofcatfoodsarebalancedtomeetyourcat’sneedsateverylifestage,fromkittentosenior.Transitioningtotherightfoodwhenyourcatentersanewlifestagewillhelptomeetyourcat’schangingnutritionalrequirements.

Adultcatsneedtobefedtwiceaday.Kittenswillneedthreetofoursmallmealsadayastheyhavesmallstomachs.Yourkittenwillneedkittenfooduntiltheyare12monthsold.Followthefeedingguideonthepackagingasoverfeedingyourcatcanresultindiarrhoea,vomitingorexcessiveweightgain.

Alwaysprovideyourcatwithasupplyoffreshwater;twobowlsarebetterthanone.Ifyourcatdoesn’tdrinkenoughwater,theywillbecomedehydrated.Nevergiveyourcatorkittenmilkascatsarelactoseintolerantandcanbecomeverysickfromdrinkingmilk.Petonlymilkisavailablefromsupermarketsifyoufeelyoumustgiveyourkittenmilk.

GROOMING YOUR CAT Althoughcatsgroomthemselvesitisimportantthatyoubrushyourcatregularly.Groomingyourcatwillhelpformabondbetweenyouandpreventcathairsthroughoutthehouse.

Short-hairedcatsshouldbebrushedatleastonceaweekandlong-hairedcatsdaily.Concentrateonareasthatyourcatmayhavedifficultyreachinglikebehindthelegsandthebackoftheneck.Therearemanybrushesandcombsavailable;chooseonethat’srightforyourcat(long-,medium-orshort-haired).Groomyourcatforjust5-10minutesatatimeuntilitbecomespartoftheirroutine;theymaythenenjoylongerbrushingsessions.

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KEEPING YOUR CAT HAPPY INDOORS! Catscanlivehappilyindoors.Bykeepingyourcatindoorsyouarebenefittingyourcat,yourselfandtheenvironment.AttheCatProtectionSocietyweencourageallcatownerstokeeptheircatindoors.

Whenyoudecideyouwouldlikeyourcattobeanindoorcatyouneedtoremembertoprovideenoughstimulationforyourcatsotheydon’tgetbored.Althoughcatssleepalot,youwillneedtoprovideatleast30minutesadayofplaytimeforyourcat,evenoldercats.

Thefollowingpointswillensureyourcathasstimulationthroughouttheday:

•Toys Thereisahugevarietyofcattoysavailabletokeepyourcathappyforhours,even someyoucanenjoyaswell

•Hiding spots Catsneedaquietplacetheycanretreattoiftheygetstressed.Provideyourcatwithan igloobedoraboxtheycanhideiniftheyneedtimeout

•Greenery Provideyourcatwithsomecatgrassorcatmintinapot;yourcatcanchewonthe foliagetohelptheirdigestion

•An outside run Makeacat‘aviary’inyouryardsoyourcatcansitoutsidewithoutthehazardsofbeing onthestreet.Lookontheinternetforpatternsfortheseorcompaniesthatpre-make them.TherearefreeinstructionsontheCatProtectionwebsiteonhowtobuildcatruns andcatprooffencing

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•Walk your cat Catharnessesareavailableforallsizecats.Thesefitaroundyourcat’sbodyandattach toalead,soyourcatcanwalksafelyoutside.Remembertoonlydothisinsafeareas

•Scratching posts Catsneedtoscratchthingsinordertoshedthedeadnailsheathfromtheirclaws. Provideyourcatwithascratchpost,orafew,toprotectyourfurniture.Thereisahuge varietyavailable,evenwithcatactivitycentresattached.Topromoteuseofthepostyou canspraythemwithcatnipspray

•Windows Installawindowseatorplaceapieceoffurnitureunderawindowsoyourcatcanlook out.Catslovetosunthemselvesinthewindowandlookatlifeoutside.Rememberif yourcatislightcolouredtheycanstillgetsunburntthroughtheglass

•Clean the litter tray Catsareverycleananimalssoensureyouremoveanysolidwastefromyourcat’slitter traydailyandprovideyourcatwithacoupleoftraystoavoidanynastysurpriseswhen yougethome

•Get TWO CATS!!! Keepyourcatentertainedbygettingthemafriend. Thiswillensureyourcatisneverlonelyandalways hasaplaymate.

Ifyoudon’tintendkeepingyourcatindoorsduringtheday,youshouldALWAYScurfewyourcatatnight–foryourcat’ssafetyandtheenvironment.

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GOING ON HOLIDAYS Everyonelikestogoonholidaysanditcanbedifficultwhenyouhaveapet.Thisdoesn’thavetobethecase.Youcan:•Boardyourcatinacatteryorwithyourlocalvet.Yourcatneedstobeup-to-datewith allvaccinationstostayatacattery.AtCatProtection,wecangiveyoualistofboarding catteriesthatmaybeabletoaccommodateyourcat•Petminderscancometoyourhousetofeedyourcat.Thisoptionisgoodforcatswho areshyoreasilystressedastheydon’tneedtoleavehome.

IDENTIFICATIONYournewcatisalreadymicrochipped.Thismeansachipaboutthesizeofagrainofricehasbeenplacedundertheirskinjustbetweentheshoulders.Thischipcontainsanumberthatcanbescannedbyyourvet.Thisnumberisonadatabasewithyourdetails.Thisdatabasecanonlybeaccessedbyanauthorisedpersonforthepurposeofreunitingthecatwiththeirowner.

Afewweeksafteradoptingyournewcatyoushouldreceivealetterfromyourcouncillettingyouknowtheyhavereceivedyourdetailsandtoletyouknowhowtoregisteryourcat.Ifyoudonot,pleasecontactyourcounciltoinquireaboutregisteringyourcat.Itisveryimportantthatyouremembertoalwayskeepyourdetailsuptodateandchangethemwiththecouncilifyoumove.IfyourcatiseverlostthisissometimestheONLYwayofgettingthemback.

Youshouldalsoconsideracollarandanametagonyourcatifyourcatgoesoutside.

As Cat Protection Society is an authorised registration agent, we will register your new cat to you at the time of your adoption. Your cat’s microchip and registration papers are very important and should be kept in a safe place. It is very important to remember to keep your contact details up to date as if your cat ever becomes lost, that is the information relied on to return your cat to you. If you move or change phone numbers you can update your details with your local council or contact Cat Protection Society.

You should also consider a collar and a name tag on your cat if your cat goes outside.

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SAFETY AND FIRST AID Keep your vet’s phone number, as well as an after-hours emergency vet number, in a visible place and programmed into your phone.

Inanemergency,aswiftresponseisessentialandyoudon’twanttowasteprecioustimelookingupphonenumbers.Evenkeepingyourhomeaspet-friendlyaspossibledoesnotensureyourcatwillnotbecomesickorinjured.

Makesureallchemicalsarelockedaway;remembercatscanjumpupontohighareassoplacingthemonshelvesdoesn’tpreventyourcatgettingtothem.Catsalsolovetochewthingssomakesureanytoysyougiveyourcatarelargeenoughforyourcatnottochokeonthem.Ifindoubt,takethetoyaway.

Itisbeneficialforyoutoknowwhatis‘normal’foryourpet.Lookathowmuchtheyeat,drinkandgotothetoiletasthisallhelpsyouknowwhetheryourcatissick.Youshouldalsolookatyourcat’sgums.Thenormalcolourshouldbepink.Iftheyarepalepink,almostwhiteorred,youshouldseeyourvet.

DehydrationIfyourcatdoesn’tdrinkenoughwatertheywillbecomedehydrated.Dehydrationisespeciallycommoninthehotsummermonths.Alwayslookatyourcat’swaterbowlsandalwaysfillthemwithcleanwater.Youcancheckwhetheryourcatisdehydratedbygentlypullinguptheskinatthebackoftheneck;itshouldfallbackwithinoneortwoseconds.Ifthisisdelayed,takeyourcattothevetforacheckup.

BleedingIfyourcatisbleedingformorethan5minutesorbleedingheavily,youwillneedtotakeimmediateaction.Placeagauzepadonthewoundandapplydirectpressure.Maintainthepressureforacoupleofminutesuntilthebleedingstops.Firmlywrapthewoundwithabandageandseekveterinaryadviceimmediately.

ShockCatscangointoshockafteranyseveretrauma.Theywillappearweakandshakywiththeirbreathingandpulserateveryrapid.Shockisveryseriousandcanbelifethreatening.Ifyoususpectyourcatisinshock,coverthemlooselywithatowelorblanket,placetheminacarrycageandgetthemtothevetimmediately.

PoisoningPoisoningcanbeacommonailmentincats.Thiscanbetheresultoftoxicplants,chemicalsoryourcatingestinghumanmedications. Commonproductsthatarehighlydangeroustocatsincludechemicalsforcarsandcleaningproducts;medicines;mothballs;pesticides;snailpellets;fungicidesandratandmousekillers.Catscanalsobepoisonedfromeatingpoisonedrodents.Remembertoputallmedications,chemicalsandpoisonsawayinaclosedcupboardtostopyourcatgettingtothem.Neverleavecleaningproductsinbuckets–yourcatmaydrinkfromthem.

Manyplantsaretoxictocatsandit’sbesttoavoidthese.Avaseofliliesmaylookprettyonthetable,butifyourcatingestsevenasmallamountofthepollenorchewstheplant,itcouldleadtoseverekidneydamageorevendeath.Ifyouhaveacat,keepliliesoutofthehouseandoutofthegarden.

Othercommonplantsthataredangerousinclude:azalea/rhododendron;castorbean;cyclamen;dieffenbachia;ivy;kalanchoe;oleander;poinsettia;sagopalm;tulip/narcissus;andwisteria.

Ifyoususpectyourcatmayhavebeenpoisonedneverinducevomitingunlessadvisedbyyourvet.Signsofpoisoninginclude:

• Salivating • Vomiting • Diarrhoea • Foamingatthemouth.

Ifyouthinkyourcathasbeenpoisoned,phoneyourvetimmediately.Ifyouknowwhatyourcatingested,takeitalongwithyoutothevetasapositiveidentificationofthetoxinwillhelpyourvettotreatyourcat.

ChokingCatscanchokeonbones,toysandothersmallhouseholditems.Ifyourcatischokingtheywillgenerallypawattheirfaceandcoughtotrytoremovetheobject.Itmaybedifficultforyoutohelpasthecatwillbestressedandmaytrytobiteyou.Ifyoucanseetheobjectyoucantrytoremoveit.Ifyoucan’teasilyremovethehazard,oryouthinkyourcatmayhaveswallowedit,placetheminacarrybasketandtaketoyourvetwithoutdelay.

TicksInsummertickscanbeaveryseriousproblemforyourcat.Tickswillburrowintoacat’sskinunderthefurandsuckthebloodfromthecat.Tickscantransmitanumberofdiseasesfromanimalstohumansandcanbeverydangeroustoyourcat.Tickscanbefoundanywhereonthebody.Checktheears,insidelegsandtail.Runningyourhandover

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yourcat’sbodyregularlywillhelpyougettoknowhowyourcatfeels;thiswillhelpyounoticeanylumpsorbumpsthatmightbeatick.Ifyoususpectyourcathasatickseekveterinaryadviceimmediately.

Broken bonesNevertreatbrokenbonesyourselfasyoucouldcausefurtherinjurytoyourcat.Placeyourcatonatowelorblanketandplacetheminacarrycagetorestrictmovement.Takeyourcattothevetimmediately.

SneezingSneezingiscommonincatsasitisawayforthemtocleartheirnasalpassages.Persistentorexcessivesneezingcouldbeanindicationthatyourcatisill.Ifthesneezingisaccompaniedbyanasaldischarge,bloodorpusyoushouldseekveterinaryadvice.Makesureyourcatadherestotheirvaccinationschedule.

VomitingVomitingcanbecausedbyanumberofthings.Itisoftenthewayacatwillexpelaforeignobject,likestring,orcanbecausedbysomethingthecathaseatenthathasupsettheirstomach.Furballscanalsomakeyourcatvomit.Ifyourcathasvomitedremoveanyfoodfor12hoursaseatingmayupsetthecatmore.Ifthevomitingispersistentcallyourvetimmediately.

DiarrhoeaAswithvomiting,diarrhoeamaybeyourcat’sbodyexpellingaforeignobjectfromthebody,oryourcatmayhaveingestedsomethingthathasupsetthestomach.Givesmallmealsofonlydryfoodforadayortwoandresumenormaldietwhentheproblemstops.Giveplentyofwaterasdiarrhoeacancausedehydration.Ifthediarrhoeaispersistentorcontainsanysignsofblood,orpus,seekveterinaryadviceimmediately.

AbscessesAnabscessisaswellingoftheskinthatisfilledwithbacteriaandpus.Theyareverypainful.Ifleftuntreatedtheycancausesecondaryinfectionsandmakeyourcatverysick.Nevertrytoburstanabscessyourselfasthiscancauseseveredamagetosurroundingtissueandskin.Allabscessesshouldbeseenbyyourvetimmediately.Theyareusuallydrainedbyyourvetandyourcatgivenantibioticstotreattheinfection.

Asmostabscessesarecausedbycatfights,preventionisthebestmedicine.Ensureyourcatisdesexedandkeepthemcurfewedatnight.Ifyouhavemanystraycatsinyourareayoumayneedtomakeyourcatacatenclosuresotheycanbeoutsidesafely,orkeepyourcatindoorsatalltimes.Outdoorcatsareexposedtomanyriskssuchasinjuryanddiseases,includingFIV.

BitesCatscanbethevictimofdogandcatbites.Ifyourcatisbittenitisimportantthatyouseekveterinaryattentionasthewoundmaycontainharmfulbacteriathatwillcauseinfection.

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Giving your cat a pillGivingyourcatapillcanbeaverystressfulexperience.Togiveyourcatapillcorrectlyyoushouldholdtheirmouthopen,placethepillattheverybackofthemouth,holdthemouthcloseduntilthecatswallows.Ifyourcatdoesn’tliketakingpills,pillgunsareavail-ablethatholdthepillintheendandletyouinsertthepillintothemouthwithyourfingersatasafedistance.Ifyourcatisparticularlyrestlessyoumightwanttowrapthebodyinatowelwiththeheadpokingouttheend.Thiswillhelpyoutoavoidbeingscratched.Youcanalsocrushthepillintoasmallamountoffood,onlyaboutatablespoonfull.Makesureitisafoodyourcatloves,likewarmchicken,asthiswilltemptthemtoeatit.Watchthecattoensureallthefoodiseaten.

EmergenciesInanyemergencysituationyoushouldalwayscontactyourvetastoppriority.Initialfirstaidbyyoucanoftenpreventfurtherinjurytothecatandwillhelptominimiseanypainordiscomfortthecatisfeeling.Haveabasicfirstaidkithandyjustincase.Thisshouldcontainsuchthingsasscissors,bandages,atowel,aneyedropper,gauze,tweezersandanimalantisepticcream.Thickglovescanalsocomeinhandytopreventbeingbittenorscratched.Haveyourvet’snumberaswellasanafterhoursemergencyvetnumbersome-wherevisible.

Inthecaseofanemergencyyoushould:

• Getsomeonetoringthevetclinictoletthemknowwhathashappened andthatyouareonyourway.Askwhetheryoushouldbedoinganything inthemeantimeforyourcat • Remainascalmaspossible • NEVERgivemedicationforpeopletoyourcat • Controlanybloodloss • Checkthecat’sairwaystomaintainbreathing • Donotattemptfirstaidifyoucannotsafelyhandlethecat • Placethecatinacarrycage • Gotothevetassoonaspossible.

Ifyoususpectatoxicsubstanceisonyourcatyoucanrinsetheareathoroughly.Themoreinformationyouhave,thebetteryourvetwillbeabletotreatyourcat.Ifyouknowthatyourcathasswallowedapoison,carefullytakethecontainerwithyou(productlabelswillallowthevettoidentifythetoxicsubstance).

Therearebooksonanimalfirstaidthatyoumightfindusefulbutrememberthatthemostimportantthingtodoinanyemergencyistocontactyourvetimmediately.

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For more information on cat care and health, please refer to our website www.catprotection.org.au which includes

numerous factsheets as well as links to cat care tutorials on You Tube, and don’t forget you’re always welcome to phone

us on 9557 4818. Please like us on Facebook and keep in touch!

Asacharity,werelyondonations,bequestsandsponsorshiptodoourwork,whichincludesrehomingsurrenderedandabandonedcats,discountdesexing,andeducationon

responsiblecatcare.

IfyouwouldliketohelpfelinewelfareinNSW,youcanbecomeamember,makeadonation,volunteer,leaveabequest,buyyourcatfoodandaccessoriesatCatProtection,

donatetoorbuyfromourOpShop.

Caring for cats since 1958 ... because every cat deserves a loving and responsible home

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