Animal Talk – July 2019

q&a

CATSLIFE

I

t’s extremely important to ensure that your cat has multiple appropriate scratching options. There are

many different scratch posts and cat gyms available on the market, as well as DIY options online, but it’s

important to obtain or make one that is suitable for your cat’s needs:

• The vertical scratching surface must be long enough to allow your cat to stretch out to her full length.


• Some cats also enjoy horizontal surfaces, and these should be provided as an alternative option. Corrugated
  cardboard scratch pads are cheap and easily available for this purpose. And don’t throw out any suitable
  branches when you’re trimming the trees in your garden – place them in outside areas as a natural
  scratching pad.


• It must be stable, as a wobbly post could startle a cat.


• Texture is also important, and sisal is a commonly used material which most cats find tempting, and it is
  also effective at keeping claws healthy. Carpet materials are not as effective, as cats can get their claws
  stuck in carpeting.


• The position of the post or gym is a vital factor. Keep scratching options in high-traffic cat areas. Putting a
  post in a dark corner of an unused room is unlikely to attract your cat’s attention.
  Katherine Brown, behaviourist

I would like to get

my new kitten a

scratch post. What

should I consider?

Feline

leukaemia

Is there preventative

treatment against the feline

leukaemia virus (FeLV)?

T

here is an optional vaccine that is highly
recommended against this dreaded
virus. This vaccine is not given routinely,
mainly due to the increased cost involved, so
it is a good idea to specifically ask your vet
about it if they don’t mention it.
FeLV is a very common and highly contagious
viral disease for which no treatment exists,
and once infected a cat can’t be cured, only
medically managed. And most of these cats
will die from FeLV-related causes.
Some cats may become carriers of the virus
and never get sick, but are then able to infect
other cats. However, the majority of cats who
do become infected will become sick.
These vaccines can be given any time from
nine weeks of age and the initial vaccination
should be followed by a booster four weeks
later. Before your kitten is given this vaccine,
it is a good idea to have her tested to make
sure she hasn’t already been exposed to
FeLV. It is a fairly simple blood test that your
vet can do in-house before they administer
the vaccine.
Dr Le-Anne Kleynhans, veterinarian

Your cat’s paws act

as shock absorbers

and help her to have a

soft landing.

Ideal scratch

options