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Our Mews Bulletin

Tackling the “Feral Problem”

2/3/2020

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Feral felines are domestic cats that have reverted to natural hunting instincts. They are cats that have persisted with limited to no human contact, and survive on their carnivorous diet of birds, lizards, rabbits, frogs, and insects. According to Pest Smart, feral cats can ‘take down prey matching their own body size’ and can easily adapt to many different habitats.

Feral cats are one of the main stressors that affect Australia’s native wildlife. Some figures in 2014 have reported that feral cats have contributed to the deaths of over 20 billion Australian native species a year. This was proven to be ‘unverifiable’ by the ABC News Network:
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‘There is no consistent figure on the number of feral cats in Australia, but estimates range from 5 to 23 million. Experts say the number is impossible to calculate because of density variation…the way the population fluctuates with prey availability and climate.’

Furthermore, recent research published in a new book, Cats in Australia: Comparison and Killer (2019), has compiled findings across hundreds of studies that suggest that feral cats could kill ‘more than 3 million mammals, 2 million reptiles and 1 million birds every day.’ Domestic cats are also not excused from the equation, as they can roam and track down prey to satisfy their own natural hunting instincts. Many cat owners have the misconception that their own beloved companions do not kill wildlife, yet GPS trackers suggest that cats can roam further than originally thought. Domestic cats that are allowed to roam have reportedly been able to kill more than 75 animals a year. 

In 2015, the Australian Government enacted a target to cull 2 million feral cats by 2020. It was reported that 211, 560 cats were culled during the first 12 months of the plan. This plan was met with some criticism and remarks of animal genocide. 
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Nonetheless, the feral population is a result of human behaviours. The topic of feral cats have particularly made a strong reappearance due to the recent Australian bushfires, as many native species are currently under threat.  The message of responsible pet ownership, including desexing and keeping cats indoors, has become significant now more than ever. 

Organisations such as the Australian National Desexing Network have initiatives that give pet owners access to low-cost desexing. This not only is beneficial for the environment and the economy, but also addresses the huge pet overpopulation problem within our own pounds and shelters. Desexing is the single most humane thing we can do for the cat population in Australia.

Written by Claudine Prior for FFARQ.
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Visiting the Vet: How One Trip Can Improve Your Cat’s Life

19/1/2020

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By Tyler Smith for FFARQ 
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While a human can pick up a phone and book a doctor’s appointment to have their medical concerns taken care of, our feline companions lack the ability to easily access healthcare this way. By taking your cat to the vet every year for a check-up from nose to tail, you can help them live a long and healthy life purring beside you. Here are some things that make this trip important:

Teeth
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Wild cats take care of their teeth by eating meat from carcasses, the bones of their prey acting like a toothbrush and removing debris and plaque from their mouths. However, domestic cats’ diets of biscuits, wet food and treats often forget to take care of their teeth. Providing cats with dental treats and brushing their teeth regularly can prevent your cat from developing dental problems, but it is always best for a professional who sees kitty teeth every day to check them and make sure your friend’s teeth are ready for more food.

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Vaccinations

Keeping your cat’s vaccinations up-to-date is vital to ensuring preventable diseases don’t stop your cat from chasing their favourite toy. Top-ups of cats’ vaccinations are needed to keep them effective. Whether your cat spends their time inside your home (as we recommend) or outside, vaccinations can save your cat’s life and your bank account from the expensive vet bills associated with treating diseases. Furthermore, most boarding facilities require up-to-date vaccination records of your cat before you go on your holiday. So if you plan to take a trip this year and send your cat on a vacation of their own, make sure they’ve had their shots. 

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Weight
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Keeping a cat on the scales in the vet’s examination room long enough to weigh them often proves a challenge, but the task is just as important as everything else in the check-up. Most cats love food and find it easy to overeat and become overweight, however if too much weight is gained they can find it difficult to move and have issues breathing. Underweight cats often have an underlying health issue that is decreasing their appetite, and a visit to the vet can ensure that nothing sinister is going on under your cat’s fur. 
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Coat 

Almost every breed of cat is covered in a coat of fur. This seemingly mundane part of your cat’s body can actually hold a great deal of insight into your cat’s wellbeing. A coat that is dirty, full of loose hair and hasn’t been cleaned in a while by your cat can indicate that your cat is feeling down, while anxiety and boredom can lead to an overgroomed coat with bald spots. Having a vet check over your cat’s coat can show them what’s going on in your cat’s mind and can help you discover how you can improve their happiness just by paying a little more attention to their coat. 
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Dental Care for Cats

2/9/2019

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Dentists recommend humans brush their teeth twice a day and to have at least one dental check-up a year. Tooth decay, gum disease, and plague build-up are just some of the problems that are easily prevented by a dental hygiene routine – and it is the same for cats.
The seriousness of maintaining dental hygiene cannot be ignored. According to the team at Flinders View Veterinary Surgery, all cats from the age of three are “80% more likely to develop a serious dental disease.” Tartar on the teeth is the main problem vets attribute to these high figures. When tartar or plague is left on the surface of a cat’s teeth the feline’s gums can swiftly become inflamed with a condition more commonly known as gingivitis. Left to further develop gingivitis can result in periodontal disease, which can result in bleeding gums or the loss of teeth. Eventually if bacteria is left unchecked it can spread from the teeth to your cat’s kidneys, heart, lungs, or liver causing irreversible damage.

There are thankfully several points where an observant cat owner can intervene before such damage takes place. Noticing the signs of dental disease is the first line of defence against it. Symptoms include bad breath, drooling, pawing at the mouth, red gums, or a change in eating patterns such a refusing or dropping food.

Vets also recommend a regular hygiene routine that includes brushing your beloved pet’s teeth. It is also important to ensure you do not forget to massage their gums in order to reduce the risk of gum disease.

Brushing your cat’s teeth can be difficult, as cats are usually reluctant to let owner’s do so. It is best to introduce brushing slowly to your pet: start by simply using your finger to ‘brush’ your pet’s mouth. Once they appear willing to allow this you can begin adding tooth paste and eventually a brush – a cat toothbrush or a child’s toothbrush can work well given their size.

It is important to remain patient throughout. Be gentle and reassure your pet whenever possible.
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If tartar remains present on their teeth booking a professional descale and polish is the best course of action in order to prevent both pain and further dental disease. Many veterinary practices have free dental checks or discounted cleans for such a purpose. Further recommendations include dental toys and a dental diet with dry biscuits both designed to remove tartar and maintain teeth cleanliness. Please remember that all dental diets should be given only at the advice of your vet.
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Heartworm in Cats

12/8/2019

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​Heartworm can infect many different species including lions, foxes, sea lions, dogs, and cats.
 
With a simple mosquito bite larvae or microfilariae transfers into the animal's bloodstream. In a process that can take 6 months, the larvae matures, and then finds its way to the infected animal’s heart. By mating the adults continue the cycle, which can result in heart and lung disease for the host animal. Mosquitos can flourish in warm weather making many Australian pets high risk candidates for insect bites.
 
Although heartworm is more common in dogs than in cats the feline species can still contract the disease. The unfortunate side affect of this misconception is that many cat owners are not aware of the acute dangers heartworm can have for their felines.
 
One reason dogs have a greater risk of contracting heartworm is that a cat's immune system is extremely good at defending itself against heartworm larvae.
 
A cat's immune system naturally attacks heartworm larvae meaning it does not have the opportunity to grow and infest other parts of the cat's body. The problem with this is that if a cat does have heartworm proteins—that alert vets to the presence of heartworm in the blood stream—are often absent, which can mean an infected cat’s condition goes undetected until it is too late to act.
 
Surgery to remove heartworm from an infected cat is dangerous and often impossible. There is no current approved treatment for the removal of heartworm in cats making preventative measures—such as heartworm tablets and spot-on applicators—one of the only defences against the disease.
 
While there is a large market for dog heartworm preventatives the market for feline equivalents is considerably less. Administrating cat tablets and other treatments can also be difficult for owners. Unlike dog heartworm treatments those for cats are usually difficult for the unwilling cat to swallow, and are usually unpleasant in appearance and odour.
 
Due to the difficulties and lack of options available to cat owners vets recommend routine examinations, consultations with a regular vet, and taking the time to observe your pets.
Symptoms can present in cats in the following ways:
• Increased thirst.
• Lethargy.
• Nosebleeds.
• Respiratory distress such as coughing or difficulty breathing.
• Weight loss.
• Sudden collapse.
 
Vets can assist not only in the administration of heartworm preventatives, but can complete tests to ensure a cat has not been infected. While a blood test can prove ineffective vets can complete x-rays and ultrasounds instead.
 
Hopefully with time researchers can achieve a better understanding of heartworm in cats, and create better products and methods for not only preventing but treating the disease. For now at least it is the cat owners vigilance that will best protect their pets against heartworm.
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Keep your cat cool in summer

14/12/2018

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While everyone loves warm and sunny weather, extreme heat is not a welcome feature of the Australian summer. So how can you keep your furry friends cool and comfortable?

Splish splash – it’s easy to dehydrate in heatwaves. Make sure your cat has access to fresh water at all times, and provide extra bowls in case. Ice cubes in the water bowls will help cool them down. Many cats like drinking running water – consider investing in a water fountain or leave a tap dripping slowly for them to drink from. Freezing canned cat food or tuna into ice cubes will also provide a delicious summer treat.

Grooming – matted hair can trap body heat. Make sure you brush your cat frequently in summer to help them shed that extra hair. Brushing with a moist washcloth or paper towel will help cool them down too. If your cat has long hair they may benefit from trimming their belly fur.

Limit activity – Exercise will raise your cat’s core temperature. Play with your cat in the early morning or late afternoon, when its cooler. 

Make a cool room – use a cardboard box to create a dark cool spot for your furbabies to hide in. Line the box with dry towels that have been in the freezer overnight. Include bottles of frozen water in the box. They will act like an evaporative cooler and reduce the air temperature.

Airconditioning – if you have air conditioning you may want to leave it running – both for you and your furry friends! If you want to limit the expense, use thermal-lined curtains to keep the heat out, and fans to increase air circulation. ​

​Symptoms of heat stress
As cats aren’t very good at cooling themselves down, heatstroke can rapidly become an emergency condition. Look for these symptoms to tell if your pet is overheating:
Distressed and restless; excessive drooling and panting; unsteady on their feet; lethargy; vomiting and fever. Act fast to cool them down if you see any of these symptoms, and take them to your vet if they don’t improve.

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Tick off flea protection

23/10/2018

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Spring brings the warmer weather but it also comes with less welcome guests – ticks and fleas. You may think that your cat being indoor-only would be protected from parasites but this is often not the case.

Feral cats and other animals, such as rats and dogs, roaming through a neighbourhood can easily spread fleas and ticks through backyards and under your home. Even human visitors can bring them in on their clothing or shoes.

To reduce the risk of infestation, make sure you keep your garden tidy and consider using beneficial nematodes or pyrethrum to reduce fleas outside. Make sure your cat can’t reach or eat any plant that has been sprayed. Non-toxic treatments for inside your house include dusting, vacuuming, mopping and regularly washing your pet’s bedding. Spraying the inside of your vacuum cleaner with tea tree oil will help kill any fleas you vacuum up and keep your pets safe from exposure.

If you want to reduce the use of chemical insecticides, a cheap and effective way is using aluminium barbeque trays. Fill the trays halfway with soapy water and put a tealight candle on a stand in the middle. Place these trays in various rooms overnight and light the candles. The candle light attracts the adult fleas who drown in the water. Make sure you don’t have children or inquisitive pets who can disturb the trays!

​Finally treat your cat with a flea treatment or comb them daily with a flea comb. You can find effective flea and other parasite treatments at pet stores or your local vet. 
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    • Sponsors
    • Mews Bulletin!
  • Adopt us
    • EOI Adoption Form
    • Post Adoption Information Guide
    • Why Desex?
  • Foster For Us
    • Foster Carer Guide
    • Foster a Cat
    • Home Tour Info
    • Safe Cat Transfers During Covid-19
    • Arrival and Quarantine
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    • Cat Nutrition & Food Standards
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    • Adoption Process for Foster Carers
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