~ BY JENNIFER HARRISON

In anything relating to medical care of your cat a veterinarian that you trust implicitly is imperative and his/her advice should be sought on what is best for any given circumstance.

VACCINES

Cats are affected by many infectious diseases and are generally vaccinated against the following:

• Feline Parvovirus; causes a severe and often fatal form of enteritis
• Feline Herpesvirus & Feline Calicivirus; both common causes of infections
• Feline Leukemia; affects the immune system thereby lowing the cats resistance to a variety of diseases/infections and becoming at risk of anaemia and cancer
• Feline Chlamydophilia; infectious conjunctivitis

Most vaccines are first given to kittens at around 9 weeks of age and a second dose at 12 weeks.  Regular boosters are required to ensure protection and ‘when’ this should take place needs to be discussed with your veterinarian as currently there is much variance on what timeframe is the best.

FLEA TREATMENTS

• There are several different types of fleas and as they are not ‘host specific’ they can be found on any living being.  Some cats can develop an allergic reaction to a fleabite, which will manifest itself as small crusty lumps on the body and irritation from this will cause much licking, biting and scratching from the cat.  A heavy flea infestation can also cause anaemia and as fleas are also hosts for tapeworm it is imperative your cat is regularly treated for fleas.
• There are many treatments available including flea powders, combs and sprays.  Flea bombs for the home can also be used if a heavy infestation is evident.  Holistic treatments can also be used from practitioners in this field and of course all vet clinics hold flea treatments as well.
• Your veterinarian’s advice should be sought on what is best for your cat.

WORMING TREATMENT

Kittens can become infected with worms through their mother’s milk and worming should start when kittens are 4 weeks of age and every 2 weeks thereafter until 12 weeks old.  Dosing for worms is recommended at 3 monthly intervals for the rest of the cat’s life.  A cat with a heavy infestation of worms will develop a potbelly and have very dull fur and as the worms eat most of the food the cat eats the poor animal will be very hungry.  The most effective treatment for worms is at a vet clinic and how big or little a dosage depends on the cat’s weight so once again, please seek your veterinarian’s advice.

Beautiful Crystal is the picture of health...

To say that Jennifer Harrison is passionate about animals is almost an understatement. In fact we are not sure a word actually exists that can describe how devoted she is to securing the health, happiness and well being of animals. A lifelong supporter of many humane organizations, Jennifer has been actively involved in many a good cause, but one cause in particular is very close to her heart; hand raising abandoned kittens. Driven by the reward of seeing each kitten survive to grow stronger everyday, Jennifer is more than happy to go without sleep to honor the 2 hourly bottle feeds, to move into the spare room to make sure she is able to respond to their needs in those crucial first few weeks and to do whatever else is needed to give them the very best start in life. Fortunately, she isn’t alone in her bid to help the weak survive, Jennifer is supported by another very special person, Trinette Anderson Head Vet Nurse of Bayfair and Papamoa Vets and what a wonderful team they make. Our world is made up of some amazingly good hearted and kind people and we feel Jennifer and Trinette lead the way. Pet Partners would like to say a very big thank you to both of them for everything they do, and on behalf of all the kittens they have saved and found loving forever homes – meow the good work continue and thanks for being such purfect people!