Care information for cats
Care advice
Whether you’ve had your cat since it was a kitten, or just re-homed it from a rescue centre, they will need regular check-ups with us to keep them in optimal health. We advise that all cats have annual vaccinations, and each year we will talk to you and carry out a risk assessment so that we can tailor any vaccinations to your cat’s specific needs.
We advise that all adult cats are fed a complete balanced good quality food (such as Hills Science Plan), appropriate to their lifestage and health status. We know there is a bewildering array of commercial diets available nowadays, but our qualified and experienced veterinary nurses are always more than happy to discuss your pets requirements with you if you need a little more information.
One of the most important pieces of advice we can give to anybody with one or more pets, is to take out pet insurance. This provides peace of mind that in the unfortunate event of an accident or illness, the costs of any investigations or treatment will be covered by your insurers. Even if your pet needs referral to a specialist for a complex operation, or for critical care, you don’t need to worry about whether you can afford it or not. The fact that the majority of our vets and nurses insure their animals with Pet Plan should give you some idea of how vitally important pet insurance is. We can provide you with four weeks free insurance from Pet Plan to get you started, which gives you immediate cover from the minute you walk out of our door!
We recommend that your cat is regularly treated with a product to prevent fleas – there are lots of different injections, liquids, spot-on preparations, and sprays available, so come in for a chat with us to decide which preparation is most suitable for your cat. Please please never give your cat a flea product designed for dogs that you’ve bought from a pet shop – they often contain a compound called permethrin which is highly toxic (often fatal) to cats.
We also advise that adult cats are wormed four times a year with a safe, effective multi-wormer (more frequently if they are avid hunters, and regularly bring you ‘presents’ into the house!) We strongly believe that the products you can buy in pet-shops are often not as effective, or as good value as the Milbemax range of tablets and the Profender range of spot-ons that we sell.
|
|
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions that we are most commonly asked about caring for your cat:
1. Do you offer grooming?
2. Do you stock pet food?
3. Help – Bonfire Night is fast approaching, and I’m really worried about my cat going outdoors. What can I do?
4. I know I should worm my cat regularly, but I really struggle to give him tablets. What should I do?
5. I think my cat might be overweight because his belly hangs down between his legs and swings from side to side as he’s walking! What should I do?
6. I’ve just got a new kitten who is eight weeks old. When should I bring him in for a check up?
7. Is it true that lilies are poisonous to cats?
8. I've found fleas on my cat/dog/rabbit - what should I do?
9. My cat doesn’t jump up like she used to, but that’s just old age, right?
10. My cat has been sick on and off for the last week and really isn’t eating very much. What might be wrong?
11. My cat has come in and isn’t putting any weight on her front leg, what should I do?
12. My cat has funny extra eyelids that I can see at the corners of her eyes – what’s happened?
13. My cat has got a swelling on her back – do I need to get it checked?
14. My cat is going bald on her tummy and her back legs, should I be worried?
15. My cat keeps peeing on the doormat / in the laundry basket / behind the TV, is there something wrong?
16. My cat keeps scratching round her ears and is starting to get lots of scabs on her head. Will she stop by herself?
17. My kitten swallowed a piece of string, do I need to worry?
18. My old cat keeps dribbling and is a sloppy eater, what’s wrong?
19. What happens if my pet needs to stay overnight?
20. What is microchipping, and does it hurt?
21. When should I get my kitten neutered?
|
|
New Kitten
Are you thinking of buying a new kitten? Have you already chosen one from a litter? Are you worrying what to feed, how to train them to use a litter tray, or when to vaccinate? Whatever stage of the process you’re at, please feel free to call us for some advice. We’ve put below some of the most important information you should know.
When choosing a new kitten, try to make sure you see the whole litter and the mum. If the mum is semi-feral, it’s likely to be harder to socialise the kittens to be purring contented house-cats. Make sure the mum and all the kittens seem healthy, and aren’t riddled with fleas or ear-mites.
You can take your kitten home any time from six weeks old – but bring him/her in to visit us for a check-up as soon as you can!
We advise feeding a good quality kitten food for at least the first six months. We believe that the higher quality ‘Premium’ foods such as Hills Science Plan really are better for them. We will advise on whether to feed purely dry biscuits, with fresh water available or to have a balance between dry and wet food, that seems to be more appropriate for some cats.
Your kitten needs worming with a good-quality (ideally fenbendazole) wormer, every two weeks until they are three months old, then every month until they are six months old. Thereafter they should be wormed every three months. They should also be treated with a product to prevent fleas.
We usually vaccinate your kitten at nine and twelve weeks of age, against two different forms of cat flu, a feline infectious enteritis, and feline leukaemia virus. We generally advise that you don’t let your kitten out further than your back garden until after they have been neutered at five to six months of age.
We strongly recommend that you take out pet insurance as soon as you get your new kitten, to protect yourself against unexpected vets bills should any accident or illness occur. We can provide you with four weeks free cover from Pet Plan (conditions apply).
All of this information and lots more is covered in our four-week course of ‘Cat-Tastic Classes’ – find out when our next class is running and sign up to come along.
|
|
Practice Plan
Join our Practice Membership Scheme to get substantial discounts!
Spread the payments and reduce the cost of your pet care now!
Our aim is to provide the best possible health care for your pets, in a pleasant and friendly environment. We are committed to keeping abreast of the latest developments in modern veterinary practice and providing high quality treatment. To help pet owners keep their animals fit and healthy, and to spread the cost of routine treatments, we have designed our own practice membership scheme – the Lucas Practice Plan.
See the benefits to you and your cat of our Practice Plan
|
|
Pet bereavement
Pets are part of our families, so losing them can be a terrible shock and a lasting pain. Unlike with human bereavement, this is often not understood by others, making your loss more difficult to cope with. We do recognise the distress that may be experienced, and our trained staff are here to provide support and counselling.
|
|
|
|
