The common term for collapse resulting from circulatory failure. The heart is unable to supply all the tissues in the body with adequate blood keep them oxygenated. Without adequate oxygen, those tissues cannot function normally.

Intestinal parasites (roundworms, tapeworms) are common in kittens unless the mother was wormed before pregnancy began. With abandoned kittens it is impossible to know whether the mother was wormed or not. Feral kittens almost always harbor worms.

At approx 3 days old, kittens gain the ability to vomit on a full stomach. Vomiting is a general sign associated with many different gastrointestinal (stomach and gut) problems.

This can occur before birth due to placenta problems. It also occurs in weak kittens e.g. runts or where the litter is too large for the mother to feed them all adequately. The runt is the first to suffer if there is a more general problem with lack of maternal milk supply.

Severe Diarrhea or severe Gastro-Enteritis is a serious inflammation of the stomach and intestine which causes abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and often vomiting. It quickly causes dehydration and electrolyte loss due to excessive fluid loss. The kitten may cry in pain if it has the strength to do so. Seek immediate veterinary help. Antibiotics may be required to combat infection. If and when the condition stabilizes, the kitten may be too weak to suckle and may require tube-feeding.

Kitten Glop is a suitable feed mixture for healthy kittens and is also good for lactating queens. Most recipes refer to American brand names which are not understood outside of the USA/Canada. I have converted these to generic terms and noted alternatives.

One of my cats is large, white and fluffy and is called Sheep. Well actually, she’s called Cindy but mostly she gets called Sheep. Not that this makes any difference to Cindy who doesn’t answer to either name unless food is involved. My friend Kate came to visit us one weekend and saw a large, fluffy white thing on the back lawn. "Ooh look – sheep!" said Kate. Kate was 39 years old at the time, but in her defence she’s the daughter of a sheep farmer and automatically identifies all fluffy white things seen against a backdrop of grass as sheep.

If you have ever lost your cat it can be an upsetting experience. Most cats don’t actually run away or stray from home. We all know cats like to explore new places, sometimes, though, this could end up with them getting trapped.

Lets not forget that our cats aren’t human, they can’t write ‘This Is The Property of Simba’ or ‘Please do not touch’, like we do with our property. The cat has a more, well how can I put it, a more natural way of declaring his intent to own something, it’s a simple method, the cat backs up to a vertical surface, holds up its tail and sprays urine in several short bursts.

Just as people are living longer than they did in the past, cats are living longer too. The percentage of cats over 6 years old has almost doubled in the last 10 years and the aged cat population is growing.

Your own observations and prompt veterinary attention when required prolongs healthy life. Early detection of illness and early treatment are important for older animals whose resistance is often reduced. There are many excellent books on cat care available from bookstores and libraries. Many rescue shelters, veterinarians and feed suppliers also produce leaflets on cat care. This supplemental information is geared towards older cats.

An adult cat adopted from a rescue shelter may already have been neutered (altered) or you must sign a contract to have it neutered. If you have adopted an unneutered stray, you should have it neutered. Neutered cats live longer. Neutering tackles feline overpopulation as well as antisocial habits. Neutered cats are at reduced risk from Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), mammary tumors (females), pyometria (womb infections) and injuries sustained through fighting. Even later neutering can prolong your cat’s life.

The ageing process increases susceptibility to certain disease. An older body is less good at repairing damage or repairs are incomplete or faulty. This results in degeneration. Some organs start to malfunction due to accumulated wear and tear or to cellular changes so diseases due to degeneration and dysfunction become more common as cats age. The age at which degeneration begins and the rate of degeneration is mostly genetically determined, but is influenced by the environment and slowed by early detection and medical treatment.

Unfortunately, there may come a time when the kindest and most caring thing you can do for him is provide a gentle exit from the increasing ravages of age. Ultimately it is not fair to prolong his life any longer. Degenerative changes are too far gone, a terminal illness has reached its distressing final stages or his behavior and habits are now unmanageable.

Your vet will usually ask you to sign a consent form giving permission for your cat to be euthanized (put to sleep). This is a legality required to show that you consented and that the vet did not act against your wishes.

There is an established link between the white coat color, blue eyes and deafness. The deafness is linked to the gene for blue-eye(s) and not to odd-eyed cats. Not all blue-eyed whites will be deaf since there are several different genes causing the same physical attributes (whiteness, blue-eyedness) so it all depends on the cat’s genotype (its genetic make-up) not its phenotype (its physical appearance).

Some breeds are based on their colors or patterns e.g. Siamese while others exclude certain colors. Some colors occur through careful selection, others appear out of the blue e.g. Lilac (Lavender) appeared in normally blue (gray) Korats due to mutation or recessive (hidden) genes. There are hundreds of possible color permutations; some are not allowed in pedigree cats but you may well see them in random-bred (moggy) cats. Some colors are rarely found in the moggy population as they only show up in selectively bred cats.

Flea infestation of kittens is especially serious because they have a low volume of blood and a heavy flea burden causes anemia which can lead to debility or even death.

This is a frequent cause of neonatal death. Kittens have no control of their body temperature at first. Their small size means they quickly lose heat. Their inability to store glucose for long means they run out of metabolic fuel which would generate internal heat (hypoglycaemia). Hypothermic kittens feel cold and limp. Their blood pressure drops, their circulation slows and their paws, abdomen, tongue and gums become pale (then bluish) due to reduced oxygen supply. The vital organs and digestive system cannot function at low temperatures or with reduced circulation. The kitten will become comatose if not treated promptly.

Caused by inadequate or infrequent feeding; also when abandoned kittens are found and have not been able to nurse for some time (e.g. mother killed or driven away). Kittens up to two weeks old can store very little glucose in their bodies. Small kittens are also at risk. Kittens with a septic infection need glucose in order to fight the infection; they will need feeding every 2 hours day and night. In general, feeding every 2 hours prevents hypoglycaemia.