Pets and Vets – Cat fights

Cat

Fights Wise Words By Deirdre Wilson

Autumn is here and vets can cells to the damaged area to engulf and destroy the expect to see an increase bacteria. It is a war, and many of the body’s cells are in fighting amongst cats and killed during it. The resulting debris on the battlefield is the eruption of abscesses. pus. As the pus builds up it forms a swelling under the Spring and autumn are the skin – the abscess – which may burst through the skin mating seasons for cats and releasing stinking yellowy/green pus. This release of the ‘entire’ tom cats are pressure actually reduces the pain and aids in clearing gearing up to defend their the infection, so vets will also lance ripe abscesses, territories. As cat ownership is on the increase, flushing it out and allowing air into the wound. the density of cats in an area also increases and this in turn makes cat fights more common. Abscesses tend to occur on the face, around the jowls when cats are fighting head to head, We rarely see cat fights, although we can so you often see one side of the face massively often hear them; the yowl of an angry tom, enlarged You probably will not see the cat bite as about to launch an attack, is one that brings the skin seals over it but your cats gives you lots of fear to the heart of any vet or vet nurse. warning if you try to touch the area! Lancing the If your cat has been bitten, you won’t necessarily see any wound. Instead, your cat may feel very tired, take abscess, possibly under sedation, and a course of antibiotics, usually clears the infection quickly. itself off to a quiet corner and sleep. If you try to stroke Cat bites can also transfer life-threatening viruses him, he may hiss or spit when you touch the sore area. such as Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Cat teeth are covered with bacteria and, when they bite with their fangs (the canine teeth), those bacteria get injected deep under the skin. They can circulate around your cat’s bloodstream and start a generalised infection with fever, inappetence (lack of appetite), and lethargy. Until your cat’s temperature reduces to normal, he will feel pretty rough indeed. Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), so trying to prevent cat fights is important but very difficult. Keep your cat in at night since cats are nocturnal and most fights occur then. Vaccinate your cat against FeLV (there is no vaccine against FIV) as it will provide a good deal of protection against this disease. And finally, always, always neuter your cats, both male and female. Not only will Over the course of the next few hours, the body it reduce fighting, it will also reduce the massive begins to fight the bacteria, sending its white blood number of unwanted kittens we have in the UK.

BOURNE

SPALDING t. 01778 422863 e. info@alder-vets.co.uk 15 Exeter Street, Bourne PE10 9NW

t: 01775 766646 e: info@alder-vets.co.uk 58 Bourne Rd, Spalding PE11 1JW