December 2011
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In this issue:
2011 - What a great year
Christmas opening/closing times
Tips for getting you & your cat to the Vet
Ordering Medications and repeat scripts from The Cat clinic
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Cats don't like change without their consent.
- Roger A. Caras
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Cat whispers is a special e-mewsletter for our valued clients. Each edition we bring you up to date on what's happening at the hospital as well as interesting information and facts on pets and pet healthcare.
Visit our website at www.catdoctor.com.au
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 2011 – what a great year
As we approach the end of 2011, everyone at The Cat Clinic wishes all our valued client’s season’s greetings and a happy and safe new year. We have had the pleasure of welcoming new staff, Sarah, Audra and Natalee, but also said fond goodbyes to Faye and Louise to motherhood, and Jackie to sunny Queensland. We have also said sad goodbyes to some of our very special patients, but met some charming kittens that we look forward to getting to know over the coming years.
Congratulations are in order for Sarah, Audra and Melissa for becoming engaged to their respective partners. Wishing them all the happiness in the world!
2011 has been an exciting year for the vets at The Cat Clinic, with Richard and Amy having part of their research interests published and attending several international conferences. Richard was fortunate enough to be invited to present lectures in China, Hong Kong, Spain and here in Australia. Amy has been kept very busy as secretary of the Australian Veterinary College chapter of Feline Medicine. Amy will be travelling to the UK to be an examiner for the College exams in Feline Medicine. We wish Sally the best of luck with her studies as she sits these same exams next year. Thank you to all the wonderful cats that make our job so rewarding & enjoyable.
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Christmas opening/closing times
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 The clinic will be closed on all public holidays and open usual business hours at all other times.
CLOSED: December 25th, 26th, 27th +
January 1st & 2nd.
We hope you and your fabulous cats have a safe and festive holiday. Below is a list of after hour and emergency clinics – we hope none of you require these services, but it is always better to be prepared.
Southern Animal Emergency Centre – HIGHETT – www.sarc.com.au
Animal Emergency – MOUNT WAVERLEY, HALLAM – www.aecvets.com.au
Advanced Vet Care – KENSINGTON – www.advancedvetcare.com.au
For non-urgent enquiries, you can still email us here
Feel free to post your cat’s Christmas photos to our facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cat-Clinic/152417744581
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Tips for getting you & your cat to the Vet
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 For some cats the trip to the vet is scarier than the actual examination.
Loud vocalising, panting, growling, hissing, shivering, sweaty paws, urinating, defecating and vomiting are common signs of anxiety that some cats exhibit on their journey to and from the vet clinic. Many cats thoroughly enjoy the ride, experiencing new sights and smells & taking it all in their stride. So what is the best way to transport your cat and assuage any fears & anxieties?
As it is now law to have cats in a carrier while travelling in a car, using a sturdy carrier when transporting your cat is important. Driving with a loose cat roaming around the car may seem like a fun idea, but in actuality it is quite dangerous. There is the possibility of the cat wedging itself under the pedals, as well as the distraction of a free cat, that can cause accidents in seconds. Being secure in a cage will also prevent any escapees jumping from your arms or from the car into the traffic and out of your life. Some cats do fantastically on a harness and can be kept secure during travel. If the harness is fitted correctly, then they are unable to escape.
The best carriers are inexpensive and hard sided, with openings at the front and top and are also able to be taken apart from the middle. A quick release removable top is perfect for a fearful or agitated cat that will prefer to remain in the base of the cage during examination. Newer cat carriers can be made of soft fabrics and are collapsible for easy storage.
What if my cat doesn’t want to get into the cage?
This is a very commonly asked question as many cats will dash under the bed at the first sound of a cage being opened. It’s almost as if they heard you making the appointment with the clinic – they just know! Leaving the cage around the house so it is a familiar item can really help. Putting a towel over the cage or a couple of sprays with the cat pheromone Feliway can sometimes convince your cat that it is a good place to hide, as it’s nice and dark. If not, try closing the cat into the bathroom or another room where there are no tricky hiding spots. Then quietly bring the cage covered in the towel into the bathroom. If the cat still resists being placed in the cage, turn the cage up on its back end so the open door is facing upwards. Take a light scruff at the back of your cat’s neck (just like their mum would have done) and with the cat facing away from you, gently lower it into the open mouth of the cage – let gravity help your kitty into the cage. Leaving the towel covering the cage can reassure anxious, fearful cats – see no evil, hear no evil.
Though your cats may be best friends at home, the stress of visiting the vet or the cattery can sometimes bring on inter-cat aggression. The fear and anxiety makes them act and respond differently than at home. This can unnerve some cats and when their sibling sees this “different” cat, they can retaliate and feed off the other’s anxieties. This is something we see at The Cat Clinic quite often and is why we feel that most cats will benefit from having their own secure carry cage instead of sharing with their siblings.
Lining the cage with newspaper, a thick towel or a blanket is the best idea for cats that are prone to “accidents” on the way to and from the clinic. The nurses at The Cat Clinic will be happy to clean the cage out as accidents do happen with nervous kitties. Overall, the vet experience can be a stressful one for you and your cat, so preparing well at home is part of making this as pleasant as possible. You know your cat’s personality and what works best for them.
http://catvets.com/uploads/PDF/2011FelineFriendlyClientHandout.pdf
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Ordering Medications and repeat scripts
from The Cat clinic
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 There are many options when it comes to medicating cats. Medications can come in tablets, pastes, liquids, capsules, as well as gels that can be absorbed through the skin. At The Cat Clinic, we understand that medicating cats can be difficult. That’s why we offer some medications as “compounded” medications. This means that we can send a prescription to a special type of pharmacist, who can make most medications into more palatable forms, such as pastes or liquids. Often these forms of the medications also have a flavour that makes them tastier to cats, such as anchovy or chicken. They can also make the “transdermal” gels that were mentioned earlier, so you simply have to place some of the gel on to the cat (often on the inner ear tip) and it is absorbed through the skin. If your cat has an ongoing medical problem that requires medication, and you find medicating your cat difficult, please talk to our vets about the possibility of compounded medications.
In the case of repeat prescriptions for compounded medications, we do require that you call the clinic a few days in advance, as we don’t make the medications on site. This gives us time to write and send the prescription, and then time for it to be made and sent back to us. We will give you a call once it arrives. If your animal is on a regular medication long term and you need a repeat of that medication, please also ensure that you call us at least a couple of hours before you arrive to collect it, to ensure that we have it in stock and that there is a veterinarian available to dispense it. This means we can also ensure that one of our veterinarians has approved the dispensing of a repeat prescription, as in some instances your cat may need to be re-examined prior to another repeat of the medication in order to comply with the veterinary dispensing regulations. We will let you know when this is necessary through our reminders system.
There are obviously legal requirements when it comes to dispensing medications for animals, just as there are for humans. The animal must be under the direct care of the veterinarian and must have been seen by that veterinarian recently. No one else (such as veterinary nurses) other than the veterinarian is able to dispense the medication, unless under direct supervision. There must also be a label attached to the drug outlining several things, including the name of the animal and owner, the name of the drug and detailed directions on how to administer the drug. This is one reason why if you need to request a repeat prescription for your cat, we will ask you how much and when the medication is given. This is to ensure that the correct dose is being given and that this is recorded correctly on the label.
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