Jun 30, 2010

Cats on the prowl

Male cats hit the tiles in late winter and spring looking for females and trouble.  Adrenaline levels rise and even the most placid felines - entire or desexed - will ready for a fight with intruders.
Already this winter we have seen a couple of cats with abscesses that have come up after a brawl in the backyard.  Sometimes the scratches and bites are obvious and carers bring their cat in for preventative antibiotics and pain relief.  More often the first sign is a swollen face, a lame foreleg or pus discharging from a soft lump.  If not treated with antibiotics and drainage of the pus, blood poisoning and infection of deeper organs develops.
Wandering cats cause anxiety in some inside cats, too.  We see cats marking doors and windows, passing blood in their urine and overgrooming because they are feeling anxious.  These behavioural problems are much harder to treat and it is almost impossible to prevent strange cats wandering through your yard.  Refer to the Indoor Cat link to the right of this blog for some suggestions to try at home.  Sometimes we have to supplement your efforts with calming medication (for the cat!).

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