The information that is given regarding these questions are for an education basis only. You should consult your veterinarian before any action is taken. We appreciate your continued support for this program.

Q: Does a neutered male cat still spray and mark his territory?

A: Neutered male cats may still spray but if the neutering is done early in the cats life, before a hormone surge from sexual maturity, the chances of spraying greatly are reduced.

Q: Why do cats purr?

A: Cats purr for many reasons, one being it is a way for social communication between cats. Cats purr when they are happy, sad, experience trauma, anxious and sick. There is a theory that it helps them recover from injury faster. They purr for all kinds of reasons and all the time. Kittens begin purring when they are suckling for milk on their mom’s teat. It is also a way for mom’s to communicate to her kittens during the first days of their lives when the kittens can not see. The kittens sense the vibrations and are able to find their way to the teat. Purring in the domestic cats is commonly felt or heard when the cat is being petted or is content. In feral cats, purring is seen during sexual or social interactions.

Q: How do they purr?

A: The purring is caused when a nerve signals the vocal chords and which causes them to vibrate. This is a voluntary act, which means the cat purrs when it wants to. The diaphragm acts as piston pushing air in and out of the chords. The act of purring occurs as the cat is breathing and does not disrupt air traffic. The purr can be heard around 20 to 150 Hz and can be felt in forms of vibrations.

Q: Can cats contract blackleg?

A: Except for tetanus, cats can not contract blackleg. Cats have a natural resistance against the bacteria, except for tetanus.

Q: What is highly virulent feline Calicivirus Disease?

A: This is an increasing concern in cats because there are more virulent forms of Feline Calicivirus (FCV) disease emerging in U.S. cat populations. There have been about 6 outbreaks recently. These outbreaks have involved healthy, calicivirus vaccinated adults that were mainly affected. FCV outbreaks spread rapidly in cats owned by clients or employees of veterinary clinics; FCV disease spread was limited to affected veterinary practices or shelter with no evidence of spread to the larger community. They resolved themselves in 2 months.

FCV is a RNA virus in the Calicivirade family. These viruses have high mutation rates, with minimal repair. Some facts about the disease include:

· 33 to 50 percent mortality rate in adults more than likely kittens have severe disease

· Many affected cats were previously vaccinated.

· Bleach kills the virus

· Viral shedding last 16 weeks after recovery

· About 20% cats exposed had mild or no clinical signs.

Q: Is there a threat of mercury intake for cats that eat tuna?

A: As with humans, we are to watch the amount of mercury intake due to tuna in animals as well. The toxicity is dose related, meaning the amount consumed on body weight. There are no safe levels that are reported for tuna/mercury consumption in cats. The recommendation that I have is to limit the intake of tuna to cats.

Q: Are there any publications that list household hazards for pets?

A: The AVMA has a brochure that you can view that talks about the different household hazards for pets at http://www.avma.org/communications/brochures/hazards/household_brochure.pdf