Skip to main content

VETTING IN

People often ask why there is Vetting in for cats before allowing cats to enter shows.

There are many reason but generally it is to prevent spread of disease and also to ensure the cats/kittens brought to show are in good enough health and condition to be shown. Vets at vetting in may check for:

EAR MITES - these are easily spread from one cat to another, and if not treated can cause complications resulting in more severe infections of the ear. Lets face it, they must be very uncomfortable for the cat/kitten involved, and we don't want them to spread to our cats/kittens if we can prevent it.

FLEAS - Fleas easily spread from one cat to another and must be really uncomfortable for the animal. Fleas can spread without any contact with the other cat/kittens.

Fleas can also spread problems such as MYCOPLASMA which are small bacteria that can cause respiratory problems (sneezing, coughing etc) and genital, urinary problems. It is anaerobic (survives without oxygen) and is contagious.

Viruses - signs of these are checked for at vetting in as they are airborne and can easily infect many cats in a show, especially when the cats/kittens rub their faces on the wire mesh of the pens.

Internal parasites - it is often difficult to check for internal parasites as they cycle and therefore don't always have the trots, although it is possible to see the results of diarrhoea on the anus or feeling the abdomen. Isospra, Guardia, Worms, Tritric, Entomeba Histolytica, etc are easily spread when cats go into judging pens after a cat that has any of these problems - they don't have to defecate to spread as they spread problems by passing wind or rubbing their anus on the pen floor.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Stomach Problems

Mild stomach upsets in cats are not uncommon - a sudden change in diet, over eating, or an intolerance to a food not usually consumed can cause stomach upsets in cats.  Starving for a short time and giving a bland diet for 7 days before transitioning back onto their normal food is recommended.  Its important that cats should NOT be starved for longer than 24 hours and kittens NOT longer than 4 or 5 hours without contacting your vet for advice. Hairballs can also be a problem in some breeds of cats which can be a cause of digestive problems.  Having owned Bengals since the year 2000 we have never had a hairball from one of our Bengals.  Having owned Savannahs since year 2007, quarantined in our own cattery in 2008 and never had a hairball from any of our Savannahs, although Marguerites do produce hairballs as do many other breeds of cats. However, there may be more serious causes of acute stomach upsets in cats such as an intestinal obstruction, ingesting a toxic substance, parasites,

Arthritis in Cats

Arthritis is commonly first diagnosed in older cats during the winter months.  This is due to the lower temperatures in winter can seize up the limbs and make symptoms of Arthritis and stiffness more painful.  There are various things that you can do to make their lives more comfortable. When you first notice it they will have pain so anti-inflammatory and medications will help with immediate relief. Long term you will need to research for joint supplements which can be purchased on line as well as from your vet. Glucosamine can be purchased from Holland and Barrett or from the internet which can be of great help to your cat once it gets into their system which can take up to several weeks to show a difference.  This is a long term treatment and tablets can be crushed and simply sprinkled onto their food. Soft beds /blankets, pet friendly hot water bottles or heaters, or simply being able to curl up next to a radiator will make them more comfortable.

Cat/Kitten Pet Passports

If you are planning to take your cat/kitten with you abroad in the neat future you will need to plan a few weeks ahead. They will need a pet passport which your vet can issue: Make an appointment with your vet several weeks before you are due to travel to give plenty of time for your pet passport to become valid.  You will need to take all your cat/kittens details with you, and your details as their owner, so that they can be added to the pet passport. You vet will give your cat/kitten a health check and microchip your cat/kitten if they don't already have one.  These details will be added to your pet passport. Your vet will then take the vaccination details from your vaccination card and enter these on your pet passport - some countries insist on these details on your pet passport and not on a separate vaccination card. Your cat/kitten will then receive a rabies vaccination which will be recorded on their pet passport. Its worth mentioning at this time that a kitten canno