Ask Our Vet with Dr Michelle Coles  

Provided by Your Pet Magazine

Cats are beautiful animals, so it's no wonder that cats are one of the most popular pets in Australia. 

To give cats the best care, we should be aware that our feline companions can be prone to certain diseases and conditions.  Some of these diseases are preventable with proper preventative care.  Others, unfortunately, are not so controllable.

A cat's living environment is fundamentally important in determining the likelihood of it contracting a contagious disease.  A cat that is totally indoors will of course have less chance of ‘catching something' than an alley cat that is always outdoors (where it might be fighting or mating). Some of these behaviours, such as fighting, put the cat at great risk of catching diseases such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) which can be transmitted via the bite of an infected cat.

There are a number of viral diseases which have fortunately decreased in prevalence due to routine vaccination of domestic cats. Feline Panleucopaenia, Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus are three viral diseases that cats are vaccinated against these days.

FIV, Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) are all nasty viral diseases that you should discuss with your veterinarian to determine the best ways to try to prevent these viral diseases in your cat.

But not all feline diseases are bacterial or viral in nature.  There are a number of metabolic conditions which are also a concern.

I mentioned earlier that a cat's environment is very important in determining problems that it may encounter.  Owners are becoming more and more astute and caring and hence many cats live a leisurely life indoors.  This can have many advantages (less chance of road trauma, infections and fight wounds) but with this indoor life comes a few possible risks.  These are risks that we can identify and take measures to help prevent deleterious consequences.

Obesity is a problem in cats - especially indoor cats.  Obesity results from an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure.  Cats that are indoors may do very little exercise.  With excessive over feeding this energy balance can tip and the cat will start to put on weight.

Indoor cats are also more prone to urinary tract infections as they become lazy and hold onto their urine all day.  This can be conducive to the production of urinary crystals and can be especially common in cats that are desexed.  Desexed cats are less likely to want to roam and look for a mate, so they can start to lead inactive indoor lifestyles. 

There are cat food diets available on the market now which are specifically tailored to cats that are desexed.  These diets help prevent urinary crystals and also focus on prevention of weight gain.  You can ask your veterinarian about these diets.

Diabetes is another disease of concern in cats.  Obese cats are predisposed to diabetes. Diabetes is a condition where the animal has a reduced amount of insulin and as a result a high blood sugar level.  Diabetic animals show signs of increased thirst and drinking and subsequent increased urination.  If you ever notice that your cat is drinking more than normal you should definitely seek veterinary advice.  Increased drinking can also be an indication of other feline diseases such as renal disease and hyperthyroidism.  Hyperthyroid cats produce too much thyroid hormone.  These cats show signs of increased thirst, agitation, hyperactivity and marked weight loss even though the cat is incredibly hungry and eats.  This is a common condition in older cats.

The diseases discussed above are just a snapshot of the possible diseases a cat can be exposed to and this list is by no means exhaustive.  With regular check ups of your cat at your veterinarian you can help minimise the risk of your cat developing one of these problems.  Your veterinarian will also be able to help you with the signs to look for which may indicate a potential problem in your cat.   

Dr Michelle Coles is veterinary technical manager with Royal Canin Australia.

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