The outdoor cat

This gorgeous torti lives on the roofs and streets of Battambang, Cambodia - a precarious existence with the danger of motodops, bicycles, trucks, cars, starvation, street dogs and other cats.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is spread in cat saliva. If this torti is involved in a fight with another cat she risks infection with FIV and the later, sometimes much later, development of Feline AIDS.
Like humans with human AIDS, cats with feline AIDS get odd infections: including trench mouth, fungal infections, chest infections, toxplasmosis and demodex mites.
Although Australia has one of the highest rates of FIV infections in the world we have a vaccine against it.
If you have cats that enjoy the world outside your home, especially if one is a bit of a warrior, then consider vaccinating them against FIV at the next checkup and vaccination review with your vet.
When bringing a new kitten into your life consider confining her indoors to avoid FIV, cat fights, vehicles and dog attacks. We can choose to keep our cats in safer environs than their brothers and sisters in city Cambodia.

Cat fights

Cats typically have a hate-hate relationship with any strange cat in their presence, yard, or environment. When new cats meet, they fluff up, spit, hiss - more like scream! - and the fur soon goes flying. While the brawl may only last a few seconds, that’s enough time for a few diseases to jump bodies. 

Feline leukemia (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus or cat AIDS (FIV), infectious peritonitis (FIP), or nasty bacterial infections are transmitted from cat to cat in saliva.

Outside cats, particularly unneutered males, love to fight. Most times they will end up with a nasty abscess.

What exactly is an abscess? It’s basically a pocket of pus under the skin. It makes a cat very ill because of the bacteria and toxins it releases into the bloodstream. He is feverish, goes off his food, hides and sleeps a lot.

Treatment for abscesses involves a general anesthesia, clipping and cleaning the skin, lancing the abscess and flushing all the pus out, placing a drain to allow any remaining pus, antibiotics and pain relief. Some cats are so sick they need hospitalisation and intravenous fluids for a night or two.

How do we avoid all this??

Desex your cat if he is still entire. Keep him indoors, particularly in the evenings and at night when the brawling usually happens.

Keep other cats off your property. A dog on patrol will soon despatch an intruder. Otherwise keep an eye out for a few evenings and frighten strays off with a loud noise. 

Catch the infection as soon as possible. If your cat has been in a fight bring him immediately for an antibiotic shot and stop the abscess from forming.

Vaccinate your cat against FIV, Feline AIDS. There are three shots in the initial course. A booster at the annual checkup and vaccine review prevents the virus gaining a toe hold.

Cat fight wounds

Bites from another cat during a fight cause abscesses and infection. Dog, rat and other rodent bites are rare.

Consequences:

Cat bites on the head, forelimbs or at the base of the tail leave lumps that swell and burst. Your cat is lethargic and goes off his food.

When a cat bites its teeth go through the skin leaving small puncture wounds which seal over, trapping bacteria under the skin of the victim.

A pocket of pus forms an abscess. In areas where the skin is tighter, such as on the foot or the tail, the infection spreads through the tissues causing cellulitis.

Rarely more serious consequences such as a septic arthritis (infection of a joint space) or osteomyelitis (infection of bone) result.

Treatment:

• Antibiotics by injection or mouth stop the spread of infection and development of an abscess.  

• Surgery to drain the pus.

Dr Kate injects Sam with an antibiotic after the Battle of Belconnen

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!).