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Visiting Us?
Here are some great tips we advise to prepare yourself and your kitty cat for their visit with us.
- Acclimate your pet to the carrier. Approach this by bringing the carrier into the home a couple of weeks prior or permanently, leaving the door open or the lid removed. Offer bedding, play, encouragement, and treats to create positive interactions and a good overall experience.
- Use of synthetic feline pheromones like 'Feliway', in the household and carrier a day before or day of the veterinary visit should provide a calming effect.
- Keep the carrier warm, covered by a towel or blanket, and quiet in the vehicle. Reduce stress from loud noises, bright lights, strange smells, and rapid changes in environment.
- The bottom of the carrier should have a blanket or towel for cushioning, as well as a pee pad, absorbable material, or raised carrier grate to reduce the chance of soilage.
- Whether your kitty is transported by a car or another mode of transport, it is important to keep driving steady and even, take shorter routes. The temperature inside the car should reflect the cat's needs. Strong smells should be avoided along with loud noises, i.e radios or music unless cat-specific.
- One of our vets may recommend calmative or sedative medications for your cat to reduce stress. Our team will provide information regarding the use of medications prior to a visit.
"Cats are a predatory and prey species with unique resource and territory needs that are easily disrupted by events such as veterinary visits. Disruptions increase protective emotions in the cat, leading to negative behavioral outcomes during the visit."
"Stressor stacking describes the cumulative stress resulting from numerous disruptions to the cat’s routine and territory in preparation for the veterinary visit. These cumulative changes increase fear-anxiety and frustration, predisposing to negative behavioral outcomes during the veterinary visit. Adapted from International Cat Care." Kelly St. Denis, MSc, DVM, DABVP (Feline Practice), 'From the Cat’s Point of View: Creating a Cat-Friendly Veterinary Environment' Issue: March/April 2024. https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/behavior/creating-a-cat-friendly-veterinary-environment/
Once in the clinic, our customer service team will greet you and usher you to our 'cat parking stations' which are up from the ground. We have Feliway spray and blanket covers at your convenience.Â
Dietary History
Please fill this form in if you have made an appointment for your cat to see us. If you are bringing more than one cat please fill out and submit a form for each of them. Thank you.
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1 December 2016
RIP Spunky
Spunky was a big boy and aptly named. He ruled the house and his carers' day centred on his every need - because he wouldn't let them forget his standards and requirements.
He often brought up a furball, so often that his carers just thought it was normal for him to bring one up every week or so. Six months ago it became more frequent and he started bringing up food as well. He seemed as bright, happy and demanding as ever so at first they thought nothing was wrong. After talking to us they tried out a few different foods, including a hypoallergenic diet, thinking that maybe something was interfering with his delicate digestion.
He vomited all the more and started to lose weight despite appearing normal. We tested him for all the usual causes of vomiting in cats - kidney disease, liver disease, pancreatitis, hyperthyroidism - but everything came back normal. Something nasty was going on. Dr John recommended biopsies of his stomach and intestines. His carers were reluctant to go so far and played with his diet a bit more. Eventually they decided that something must be done and he came in to hospital for an anaesthetic and investigation. Samples were sent to the pathologist.
The result was a diagnosis of low grade lymphoma of the intestines. This is the end result of chronic inflammation of the stomach and bowel. The good news is that it can be controlled with low grade medication if caught early. Spunky lived another healthy 5 months, but the lymphoma spread to his stomach at the end. Many cats live much longer than 5 months. Some, especially if the lymphoma is advanced on diagnosis, have a more limited time to live.
If we diagnose the inflammatory bowel disease in the early stages we can prevent it from developing into lymphoma all together. Spunky's carers urge everyone to take notice of any 'furballs' or vomiting early on. Furballs are simply a sign that the stomach or intestine is inflamed - they are usually not because of the fur. If you see them more than once a fortnight, discuss it with your vet.
17 November 2016
A kitten will spend the next 16-20 years with you so it is important to select your new friend with care. A visit to the breeder's quarters will greatly enhance your chances of selecting an outgoing, emotionally stable and well-socialised kitten.
Kittens prime socialisation period is before 7 weeks, which means that you rely heavily on the breeder of your kitten to socialise your kitten. When you visit see if the kittens are encountering the sort of things they would in your home. They must have negotiated with other cats in a non-threatening way. If you have a dog they should have met a dog. They also benefit from gentle, brief handling by a variety of men, women and responsible children.
A good breeder will have gently examined their paws, mouths and ears in a friendly, non-threatening environment for a short time each day. This gets them used to the handling that they will have to tolerate for interaction with humans and for preventative health measures like worming and flea treatments.
If possible meet both the mother and the father of the kittens. A bold outgoing tomcat is the greatest influence on breeding resilient kittens with less problems with stress and anxiety as adults. The mother has more control over raising and training kittens. Kittens hand-raised by humans often have unique behavioural problems as adults because they have not had a mother's firm paw as youngsters.
17 November 2016
Have you bought your tickets for the Cat Film Festival yet? It's this Saturday so don't delay! All proceeds go to the RSPCA pet shelter here in the ACT.
Canberra Cat Vet will have a stall at the Depot, too. Call in and say hello!
10 November 2016
Cats and humans are very different. We're pretty intense in company, talking, hugging and kissing, but don't see our friends and family very often. Cats are much cooler. They prefer frequent check-ins but not a lot of prolonged physical interaction. Many cats regard our hugs and need for touch as oppressive and only just put up with it. They would rather be close by, reassured by a frequent word or stroke.
Better if we allow our cats to initiate physical interactions. Studies show that cats that jump up on laps and curl up stay much longer than cats picked up and placed there. The little grey cat above chose that lap and looks perfectly relaxed - and in for the long haul - there.
Cats appreciate minimal restraint and prefer to be in control at all times. They will enjoy our company much more if we respect their wishes.
8 November 2016
This cat is marking his or her territory. A cat squatting to urinate outside the litter box is more likely to have a medical problem like a bladder infection but could also be stressed. As Dr Helen told us last Thursday night at our indoor cat night, urine marking is normal behaviour in cats, particularly if they are anxious about other cats in their environment. To avoid increasing our own stress levels it is vital to reduce this anxiety as much as possible.
Household cats must have their own separate resources ie their own food and water bowls, and litter trays. These should be in quiet, non-trafficked areas.
Ensure that your cat cannot see or smell other cats in your yard. Even if your cat doesn't venture out he or she will be stressed by seeing other cats out of the window. One of our clients came up with the idea of these attractive decals - the light can get in but their cat cannot see out. Every cat is an individual and trying to work out what is stressing him or her can take some detective work. Dr Helen and Dr Georgia at Canberra Cat Vet are available to help you through the maze. In the meantime more information on urine spraying is available at iCatcare.
4 November 2016
At our information night Dr Kate talked about the benefits of food puzzles for indoor cats. These stimulate your cat intellectually, prevent boredom and induce exercise. Indoor cats are rather prone to obesity so more activity is vital to keep those kilos off.
Food puzzles mimic a cat's natural day - hunt, eat, rest, hunt some more, eat or not, rest etc etc etc.
Information on introducing food puzzles to your cat can be found at food puzzles for cats