Judith Palm, V.M.D., is a semi-retired veterinarian of the Newtown Vet Hospital medical team at 107 Penns Trail, whose personal cat is named Smokey. Newtown City Lifestyle asked her about current recommendations regarding important cat care matters. Note: Her answers are for general information purposes only, and don't constitute veterinary medical advice, which should be obtained for cats during veterinary visits.
MANY PET FOOD COMPANIES SUGGEST RAW DIETS ARE BETTER FOR CATS. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Raw meat diets are extremely risky for cats and their owners. Raw meats meant for human consumption are frequently contaminated with unhealthy, possibly antibiotic-resistant enteric bacteria, which can infect and sicken cats, anyone who handles these cats, and transmit to more people by contact. I don't recommend these diets for that reason.
HOW MUCH EXERCISE DO CATS NEED?
Overfeeding, and offering no exercise outlet, are usual ways owners inadvertently contribute to portly pet cats. Getting body weight and condition analyses with veterinarians' assistance, and computing a calorie count recommendation, are two ways to obtain objective information on how much to feed. Calorie density and nutrition content of many cat foods can be found using references from food company manufacturers. Avoid dry food, as cats are obligate carnivores. Specialized low calorie foods are available for overweight cats and should be given in recommended amounts. There are specialized diets for kittens, healthy adult and elderly cats, and prescription diets for cats with medical issues, such as diabetes, food allergy, and intestinal disease. Always consult veterinarians about prescription diets.
WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO KEEP CATS AT HEALTHY WEIGHTS FOR THEIR AGE?
Cats don’t exercise like dogs, but they do need physical activity to keep fit. Little is actually known about exactly how much exercise is enough. Start slowly if your cat is overweight. Make sure, with a veterinary exam, your cat is healthy enough for increased activity. Provide activity opportunities: climbing trees with perches, window-view roosting platforms, step ladders, stairs and ramps, are all potential environmental perks that can induce indoor cats to explore. Entice them with low calorie treats. Many cats will play with toys on strings; a few minutes a few times a week appeals to their predator drive. Some chase small, wrapped balls of catnip or self-propelled mouse models. Varying toys is necessary to prevent boredom. Puzzle feeders help restrict overeating. Small, frequent meals are more natural for cats: remember, "meal feeding” didn’t happen in the wild, except perhaps between a queen and her kittens.
WHAT SHOULD CAT OWNERS LOOK FOR IN FELINE'S TEETH/GUMS?
Bright pink, moist gums and white teeth typify a healthy mouth. Kittens can be taught to tolerate gentle mouth handling, and eventually home teeth cleaning after their adult teeth come in. Dental care is lifelong, and could involve periodic dental cleaning under anesthesia. Bad breath and teeth heavily stained and caked with accumulated tartar/calculus, along with reddened, swollen gums signal dental disease, which is just as serious to cats as it is to people. Dental disease merits veterinary attention; it's often very painful, and cats are masters at hiding pain.
HOW OFTEN ARE BLOOD TESTS ADVISED FOR CATS?
Blood testing may be generally necessary for any ailing cat, elderly cats, cats about to undergo surgical procedures, and for traveling cats. For many cats, as they age, annual blood testing helps screen for common middle-age and geriatric problems, such as kidney or thyroid disease.
WHAT CONSTITUTES TRUE EMERGENCIES FOR CATS?
True emergencies for pet cats vary widely. But, the following are examples of true emergency situations: unconscious, can’t breathe normally, hit by car, bad fall, broken limbs, bleeding wounds, ocular injuries, persistent vomiting or GI distress, anything looking like a seizure, or continual sitting in a litter box, which can be a urinary obstruction for males or urinary infections for females. Not eating for just a few days can be an emergency in a cat. If your cat just "doesn’t look right," it should be examined by a veterinarian.
WHAT ELSE DO CAT PARENTS ASK ABOUT?
Most often it’s about weight; next about litterbox issues. TIP No. 1: Owners should take time to learn about cat behavior and try to offer an environment that honors cats' hereditary characteristics, such as predator drive/stalking, territoriality, solitary eating, their need for hiding places, their desire to climb, use scratching posts and litter preferences. It can be fun to set these up. TIP No. 2: Learn to clip kittens' toenails so it’s not so scary to them later on.
Dr. Palm offers two, trusted reference sites: VeterinaryPartner.com and CatVets.com.
Newtown Vet is a comprehensive small animal practice dedicated to offering the highest quality medical, anesthetic, surgical care and pain management. Overall, this animal hospital provides wellness services, integrated medicine, microchipping, dentistries, diagnostics/lab work, boarding for patients of the practice, genetics analyses and travel documents. They also are the official vet team of the world-famous Trenton Thunder Bat Dogs.
215.968.3895
NewtownVet.com
Judith Palm, V.M.D., is a 1990 graduate of University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She previously practiced at cat-only hospitals in Philadelphia/New York State, then New Jersey veterinary clinic.