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It can be difficult to tell the difference sometimes between cat play or fighting. The following are a few general guidelines to help you determine which is which: Play fighting is often silent - no yowling or screaming should be present in play. Cats who play with one another tend to take turns in the offensive and defensive postures. While engaged in fighting, there’s usually no role reversal. The biting is gentle and causes no injury or pain to the recipient and the claws are usually retracted. There is no reason to break a play fight if it continues at this level. When cats are playing, they may each hiss once or twice, but if your cats hiss several times, most likely they are fighting. Cats should not get hurt during play, unless it’s by accident. Cats fighting may give or receive bite or scratch wounds. When your cats are done playing there will be a rapid recovery to normal and no obvious tension between the pair. They should be acting normally with each other, not avoiding each other. After fighting, one or both of the cats will tend to stay out of each others way. If you have cats who don’t tend to get along with each other and they look like they’re playing, they may actually be fighting. If you are not sure, try to distract them with a positive noise, like the can opener or shaking the treat box. Be sure to keep it positive; you don’t want to discourage a possible friendship if they really are playing.

Many kittens develop diarrhoea especially in the first week or two in their new homes. Often it is due to the big changes in their lives - a new family, leaving mum, new surroundings, but most often it is because of the new diet. Even good quality kitten food causes diarrhoea in a kitten that is not used to it. Find out what the breeder or foster carer fed your kitten and feed some of the new food mixed in with some of the old food. Gradually increase the proportion of the new food over a couple of weeks. Kittens lose the enzyme for digesting milk very quickly so avoid dairy products. Kitten foods contain all the calcium and protein that a kitten requires. Check when the kitten was last wormed. Worm young kittens every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old to avoid diarrhoea from worms. If your kitten develops diarrhoea switch to just cooked white chicken for a couple of meals and deworm with a reputable wormer like Milbemax. Do not use a wormer based on piperazine. If the faeces does not firm up within 24 hours or your kitten is lethargic, vomiting or not eating consult a vet immediately. Kittens quickly dehydrate and become very ill because of fluid loss. More serious causes of diarrhoea include enteritis (also known as panleukopenia), giardia, coccidia, cryptosporidium, trichomonas,clostridia, salmonella and campylobacter. Take a sample of the diarrhoea to your vet so that we can check for them if necessary.

Canberra Cat Vet has launched a new dental program to catch dental disease in the early stages. Dental disease prevention in cats is a high priority for us because cats rarely show us the full extent of the pain and discomfort they suffer because of tartar on their teeth and gum disease. It is only after we have treated the dental disease and our cats return to their playful, happy former selves that we realise how much pain they were in. Cats enrolled in the dental program receive: A free dental check up every 6 months Advice on minimising plaque and tartar buildup A discounted scale and polish if we find your cat has early stage dental disease You can enroll your cat in the program at the annual check up or vaccination, or just phone for an appointment for a free dental check at any time on 6251 1444. Smokey has a lot of tartar on his molars, infected gums and osteomyelitis. This is what Canberra Cat Vet's dental program wants to prevent!