Why is your kitten sneezing?

Always consider the conditions from which you got your little kitten; if he / she was living in cold or draughty conditions or in contact with many other cats this may be a case of flu. Kittens are normally vaccinated against this with a course of injections at about 10 and then 12 weeks old. This is followed by a yearly booster vaccination. If your kitten has the flu (Feline Influenza virus), this is a very serious condition! Whilst this could be a harmless allergic reaction or just a normal cold, it is certainly only responsible that your kitten should see your local vet as soon as possible to guard against further complications, and even fatally as cat flu certainly is not to be messed around with! Indeed, whether or not it is a case of the flu, it is vital to seek prompt veterinary treatment to ensure good kitten health.

Handling Newborn Kittens

Many people are not sure how old a newborn kitten should be before it is handled. This as much depends on the mother as it does their age. As with dogs, your relationship with her is very important. If she is comfortable for you to be in the vicinity of the nest you can safely try to stroke the kittens. Under normal circumstances you should avoid too much handling but just enough to make them used to human contact from as young an age as possible. Never move them out of sight of the mother and if she behaves abnormally or over-anxious try again in another few days. To begin with, you may like to hold one for her to lick (as if you are assisting her with her duties) and it may also be useful to help them arrange themselves at milking or, when they are slightly older, to stop them from being so aggressive with their mother!

May Cats eat Chocolate?

Even in relatively small amounts chocolate is poison to cats and dogs. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, two different types of stimulants that affect the central nervous system and the heart muscle, as well as increasing the frequency of urination. For a cat or dog to lick the remains of an ice cream from a bowl is unlikely to cause any harm at all unless the animal has a specific medical condition already. However, if the animal was to eat a larger quantity of chocolate he may become very sick indeed and develop vomiting or diarrhoea. When the amount of chocolate eaten is excessive, symptoms can include restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination and/or excessive panting. White chocolate has the least amount of stimulants and baking chocolate or cocoa beans have the highest. A better idea is to buy chocolate drops which are made specifically for pets, as they will not harm your pets' teeth.

Siamese if you please?

Siamese cats are famous for their unique personality, and many owners often think their Siamese kitties act more like dogs than cats, especially when the household includes dogs. The Siamese cat reached highest popularity in the 1970s, and since then many Siamese breeders in the UK have created clubs to maintain their "old-style" Siamese cats, believing that US breeders have produced an "over-type" which may suffer from health problems as a result, in other words there may be two ‘variations’ on the breed, particularly to those in the know. However, there are few records of breed-specific illness in the Siamese cat. They are very susceptible to upper respiratory diseases prior to adulthood, so make sure your cat always has a warm, dry resting place as an option to snuggle up on. There has also been some evidence of cardiomyopathy (the deterioration of the actual heart muscle) and sensitivity to anaesthetics.

Why does your cat have bad breath?

There is a multitude of possible causes for bad breath in cats, with many reasons being the same as in humans. Primary causes of bad breath are infections of teeth or the gums, a foreign body stuck in the mouth, and ulceration of the mouth. However, there are also more severe causes such as lung diseases and kidney disease. It is therefore very important that you visit your vet with your cat, not least to rule out the more serious conditions. When you visit your vet, he will also want to know if any other symptoms have been reported, such as oral discharge, change in feeding or behaviour or perhaps any other sensory changes. If it turns out that there is no detectable cause of your cat's breath, you can consider changing his diet or using a feline finger toothbrush to freshen his mouth every day or every other day.