May 31, 2009

Dear Obie,
My vet just diagnosed my cat, Humphrey, with an upper-respiratory infection. What is that and how does a cat catch it?
Signed, Garry
Salem, OR


Dear Garry,
Upper-respiratory infections are awful! Trust me, I know! I had a bad one when my humans first adopted me and I was on medication for several weeks before I finally got rid of it. I know how poor Humphrey feels! I hope he gets better soon.

An upper-respiratory infection is generally caused by one of two invasive agents: feline herpes-1 virus or the calici virus. Just about 90% of upper-respiratory infections can be traced to one or the other of those two nasties. Feline upper-respiratory disease is very contagious, and can easily be passed from cat to cat in a shelter or in a multiple cat household, and that was my problem. When I was at Salem Friends of Felines, we kitties just kept passing the disease around in spite of all the efforts made by our caretakers to cure us! The disease can also be passed by humans who pet an infected cat and then pet a cat that is not yet infected, or through the sharing of toys or food bowls.

The most common symptoms you will see displayed by an infected cat are sneezing, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, runny eyes, fever, and a loss of appetite. If you see any of these, do like Garry has done and get your cat to the vet right away! Your vet can run a series of tests to determine which virus is causing the infection and treat directly, and once the cat is away from the source of the infection healing is fairly rapid, and complete. It is important to keep the eyes and nasal passages cleared, and many vets will prescribe a nasal decongestant. Placing a vaporizer in the room with the cat to increase humidity also helps.

It is very important to keep your cat fed and hydrated. As simple as it sounds, many cats stop eating just because their poor noses are so full of gunk that they can't smell their food! In some cases, force-feeding is necessary to keep your kitties strength up so its body can fight the infection. If you have other cats in your house, keep them separated from the sick kitty! In most cases, your other cats will already be infected by the time the disease becomes apparent, but you never know!

Once a cat has been infected, it can be a carrier for the rest of its life yet not show any symptoms. Please stay in continuous contact with your vet and make sure your kitty receives regular check-ups to make sure the symptoms don't recur.

Garry, give my best to Humphrey. I hope he feels better soon!
Your friend,
Obie

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Dear Obie,
My cat, Roger, used to hiss and yowl whenever another cat came anywhere close to our house in Spokane. If he even saw a cat from across the street, he would tremble and chatter and get very aggressive. We recently moved to Bakersfield, California, and there are several neighborhood cats that walk right beneath Roger's favorite window. When they do, he does nothing, just watches them go by. Why is his behavior different now than it was in Spokane?
Signed, Katie
Bakersfield, CA


Dear Katie,
Never forget that everything your cat does in life is based on one instinct; survival. The way he acts, eats, sleeps or walks can be traced back to survival. And one of the main ingrained rules in a cat's psyche is that he or she must defend their territory in order to survive. Once Roger had determined that his house in Spokane was his territory, he was bound by his instincts to defend it. By moving to a new house and city, his natural instincts have altered slightly. He is a strange cat in a strange land, and to Roger, those other Bakersfield cats were there first, and now he is the interloper in their territory. As such, he must lay back a little, assess the situation, and gain his own sense of territory back. Give him some time. Once Roger adopts your new home as his, you might see those old territorial instincts come back to the fore. Or not. Who knows? We cats like to stay mysterious!
Your friend,
Obie

*****

"A cat sees no good reason why it should obey another animal, even if it does stand on two legs."
-Sarah Thompson, Countess Rumford - 1774-1852 (the first American Countess)

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Hi, folks! When you read my column, please remember that I am a cat. I am not a vet. Always consult with your vet before diagnosing or treating your cat! Thank you! Obie