SimplyCats Vet Clinic Blog

Keeping your indoor cat entertained is often a bit of a challenge! I have three house cats who are perfectly happy inside, but keeping them all entertained can take a bit of thinking, it is important to keep their mind stimulated as their access to certain situations is limited, for example their hunting instincts are not used as much as they would be if they were outside.

Activities to stimulate your cats natural hunting instincts are vital, this can be done by providing a ‘vantage point’ such as a windowsill to perch on, providing cupboards or dark holes to explore and hide in, toys can be home made or purchased for your cat to play with, such as toy mice, fishing rod style toys.

This is a video we made of the SimplyCats in house cats playing with their new toy, CLICK HERE SimplyCats Toys

Your cat’s indoor environment should be as interesting and stimulating as possible.
There are many scratching posts available on the market, a scratching post will satisfy your cats desire to jump and climb and will divert claws from your furniture!

Cats like to have access to high places, if you own more than one cat, it is important that the cats are able to avoid each other.

Boredom can lead to negative behaviour such as spraying, aggression or depression. It is therefore vital to keep your indoor cat stimulated and motivated.

SimplyCats-cat-vets-cat-toy

10 tips for entertaining your indoor cat:

1.    If your cat is alone for a long period of time, try leaving a radio playing

2.    Obtain some toys your cat can play with by himself, such as toy mice, rattle balls, avoid toys with elastic or string for unsupervised play as your cat could get tangled up

3.    Try putting a ping pong ball in an empty bath for your cat to chase

4.    Rotate any toys your cat is given, to prevent boredom, remove toys for a couple of days then give them back.

5.    Cats love cardboard boxes, try making entrance and peep holes, try putting a ball inside or hide some treats inside.

6.    Bring items in for your cat to play with, fallen feathers, toilet roll tubes

7.    Try hiding some of your cat’s dry food around the house, your cat will enjoy the search and reward activity

8.    Set time every day to give your cat some attention, whether it be a grooming session or a game with a toy, you will both benefit from the bonding

9.    Ensure your cat has a varied play routine, one day try playing with a torch light for your cat to chase, the next day try playing with a toy mouse and the following day focus on a fishing rod style toy, for example.

10.    Try using empty toilet roll tubes to make a pyramid and hide objects in the tubes and between them, varying the location every time; this stimulates your cat to search for food.

Claire VN

We are surrounded by plants, whether wild or cultivated, and unfortunately a small number of these plants can poison your cat.

A vase of lilies may look attractive in your home, but if you have a cat, it’s deadly!

Cats are obligate carnivores, this means they must eat meat to survive, and will rarely eat vegetables, but cats often go outside and chew grass and other herbs. Cats often chew grass to enable them to regurgitate a hairball, however if grass is not available they may chew on other ‘alternatives’

There is a large, comprehensive list of poisonous plants available, however the ‘most poisonous’ are the following:
•    Mistletoe
•    Lilies
•    Foxglove
•    Poinsettia
•    Crocus
•    Azalea

If you have a house cat, remove all potentially toxic household plants. This is particularly important if you have a cat that is always kept indoors.
A list of the most common house plants known to be toxic to cats is below:
•    Amaryllis
•    Aphenlandra
•    Castor Oil Plant
•    Christmas Cherry
•    Chrysanthemum
•    Codiauem
•    Croton
•    Cyclamen
•    Dumb Cane
•    Devil’s Ivy
•    Elephant’s Ear
•    Ferns
•    Holly
•    Mistletoe
•    Poinsettia
•    Star of Bethlehem
•    Umbrella Plant
•    Zebra Plant

If you think your cat has been poisoned or consumed any of the above plants, please contact us at Simply Cats immediately. If you think your cat may have ingested something unsuitable please do not attempt to make your cat vomit, bring your cat and a sample of the plant (or even better, the plant label) directly to Simply Cats, make a note of the time of eating and any symptoms.

Signs of poisoning often include seizures, vomiting, skin irritation, collapse, diarrhoea, lethargy, reluctance to eat.

Cat Poisonous plants lilies

Claire Your VN

Laura the assistant nurse at ST Clair Pet Care has just uploaded a great blog post of her kittens. The images are just so cute

To see the post go to the St Clair Pet Care Blog Laura Kittens

Ragdoll Kittens and SimplyCats Vet Clinic

Paul and Sarah attended this years British Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress in Birmingham to see what was new in the vet world and what we could bring back to SimplyCats to improve the care we give to our clients and their cats. We managed to buy some very interesting cat only dental equipment that should improve the dental care for our cats by 100%

Just some things that came to light at BSAVA

1. Janssen have launched a new product Fidavet Perloquan – a non prescription neutraceutical containing green lipped mussel, omega fatty acids, glucosamine and chondroitin along with wild garlic, devil’s claw, willow bark and stinging nettle ie a one stop shop of all the extra things owners can add to their stiff dog’s diet! It looks like rabbit pellets and we’ve got a sachet to try on Chloe so will let you know re palatability! They may also be bringing something out for cats.
2. A new water additive for cats to improve dental health has been released by Gentrix, this looks very useful
3. VetEnvoy is a new concept in computer technology which will work between the practice computer system and insurance companies to allow paperless claims to be made.

4. catprofessional.com produce owner handbooks on caring for cats with various ailments ie blindness, kidney failure and LUTD. They are written by leading cat experts Sarah Caney and Danielle Gunn Moore

5. Purina diets have a higher meat content so improved palatability compared with Hills and Royal Canin.

6. Special Import Certificates from the VMD can be obtained for free online after an initial paper application eg Artuvetrin and Cisapride (yes, it really is still available – comes from Denmark)
www.vmd.gov.uk

7. Petporte is a catflap that orks by scanning your cat’s microchip – it can be programmed to allow up to 31 different microchip numbers if the client has many cats!

8. Krusse have a cat feeding ball called the CATMOSPHERE whichcan be filled with food and the cat rolls the ball to release individual biscuits – good for fat cats

9. Krusse also have a new concept in glucose monitoring for diabetics that is implanted in the animal’s skin for 7 days then removed to a reader which conveys information to the computer for analysis so 24/7 monitoring – price approx £1300. This will be especially useful for cats

Sarah Middleton BVSc MRCVS

Remember if any of this information is unclear just contact us at SimplyCats for more specific information as a kitten is for life and it is important you pick the right person to share your life with

Make sure you do your homework before you commit to a relationship that could last many years (many cats now live until 20 years old). Cat’s come in many different types, long hair, short hair, various colour combinations, purebred or crossbreed

It is possible to get a kitten from a variety of places, including a breeder or a rescue centre. It is important to see the kitten’s mother, to check her temperament and characteristics. The ideal age to get a kitten is between 10 and 12 weeks old

It is important to decide whether you want a purebred (pedigree) or a mixed breed kitten, this is a personal choice; currently around 90% of cats in the UK are moggies.

Purebred kittens can be expensive but it is easier to predict their appearance and personality. There are over 70 cat breeds to choose from so a lot of homework is essential to ensure you choose the right breed for you, when considering a purebred cat, ask about any inherited conditions the breed may exhibit in future and what/if anything you can do to reduce the risks.

Mixed breed (“moggies”) can be hardier, but their future appearance and characteristics can be difficult to predict.

If you are choosing your kitten from a litter, ensure you take your time and ask lots of questions.

• ‘Has the kitten been seen by a cat friendly veterinary surgeon?’
• ‘Have they been vaccinated, wormed and treat for fleas?’

Check the environment the kittens are kept in, ensure your kitten has had lots of human contact. Kittens have a short socialisation phase between 4 to 16weeks of age; ideally a kitten should be used to being handled from a very young age, preferably by several people.

When choosing a kitten you should ensure that

• There is no discharge from the nose
• The eyes are clear and bright, with little or no discharge
• The mouth should be salmon pink
• The coat should be glossy, no dandruff and check for fleas
• The kitten shouldn’t be too thin or pot bellied
• Check the kittens bum for any signs of diarrhoea

When choosing a kitten, it is important to ensure the kitten will suit your lifestyle; some of the following points should be taken into consideration

• Would you like a male or female kitten?
• Do you have the time to dedicate to a small kitten, socialisation, playing, litter training etc?
• Do you have any other pets in the household? How will they react, will your kitten fit in?
• Can you afford to own a kitten, think about food, insurance, veterinary treatment, toys, etc?

There are numerous places to get a kitten from; local animal shelters and charities often have kittens needing homes. Don’t be surprised when rehoming a kitten from a local shelter or charity if they ask lots of questions or want to check your home; they simply want the best for their kittens
If you have decided on a purebred kitten, try asking breed clubs for information about kittens

Some important tips to consider once you decided to get a kitten

• Buy complete kitten food, buy a food they have been fed at their previous home and introduce a new diet slowly (over 7 days)
• Book an appointment at simplycats for a complete health check and possibly vaccinations – depending on the kitten’s vaccination status
• Ensure you buy a cat bed, a litter tray, cat litter, food and water bowls
• Ask one of our vets about ‘Feliway’ diffuser, a pheromone diffuser that emits a fraction of the feline facial pheromone and by mimicking natural pheromones, it creates a familiar state and security in the environment, making the cat feel at ease and reduces stress

simplycats kitten

Claire York VN

All my memories as a child are of my family pets, having grown up with cats and numerous rabbits and guinea pigs, its not suprising that I wanted to work with animals, I used to horse ride when I was younger, and got my first dog 7 years ago.

I now own 3 cats (Boris, Mable & Zippy) and 2 west highland white terriers (Millie & Jack)

I re homed Boris & Mable when they were 10 weeks old and extremely feral, having lived outside and never had any human contact.

I decided to re home two feral kittens as the chance of them finding a home was unlikely as they were uncontrollable and not your “ideal” kitten, their first few weeks at home were challenging, they were reluctant to be handled which improved and eventually they were tame enough to handle, and infact now they are just like any other cat and you wouldn’t know they’d been feral.

I have a lot of experience hand rearing orphaned kittens, in my opinion it is one of the most satisfying experiences helping to rear orphaned animals then finding them a loving home

I was born and brought up in Whitley Bay, then moved away to gain experience working in several different veterinary environments. Having worked in a variety of veterinary practices, ranging from large referral practices to small suburban clinics all over the country, I decided to move back to my home – the north east!

The opportunity arose to work at Simply Cats, and I thought there couldn’t be a more perfect job than working with cats every day.

Claire