NATIONAL PET WEEK MAY 4-10

Sponsored by the AVMA, it's a week we can all observe by taking time to give our beloved pets some extra lovin' or playtime and contemplate how they enhance our lives. It is also a good time to make sure their health needs are met. Feel free to call us if you any questions about your cat or email us at info@catsexclusive.com.

Stop by and enjoy . . .

A 25% DISCOUNT OFF ANY CAT TOY IN OUR STORE.

Also, receive a complimentary PetCandy Catnip Pillow
(no purchase necessary, one per household).

Also, WORLD'S BEST CAT LITTER IS 20% OFF.

To receive your discounts, print the National Pet Week Coupons (good through 5/31).

Available in our Store

Looking for an environmentally friendly solution to eliminate pet odors? For the naturally green home, try Fresh Wave. Fresh Wave odor neutralizers safely and effectively banish a wide spectrum of odors. Fresh Wave solutions are available in gel crystals, sprays, a carpet shake, vacuum pearls, and an all-purpose cleaning additive. ($4.95-$21.75)







The new KONG Naturals cat line is an ecologically responsible assortment of toys that appeal to your cat’s innate need to stalk and hunt. All materials and dyes in these toys are from natural, renewable resources. KONG Naturals cat toys are “more than just cat products – they’re fun with a purpose.” ($3.49-$4.95)

From the makers of Cosequin for Cats comes Welactin. Welactin is a high-potency natural salmon oil supplement formulated just for cats. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, Welactin can “activate” your cat by helping to maintain a normal heart rhythm, protect kidney functions, support the nervous system and immune system, and promote skin health. With a handy pump, Welactin is easy to add to your cat's food and tasty too! ($17.95 for 125ml)

For a long time, cat owners searching for stylish clothing for their cats have had to settle for clothes made for dogs. Well, not anymore! The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) has developed Active Cat Quality Cat Apparel. Created to keep your cat fashionably warm and comfortable, these clothes are ideal for cats who have been shaved, are recovering from surgery and need to have their stitches covered, or who just want to make a fashion statement. Check out our other new clothes for cats, too! ($6.95-$15.95)

Address or e-mail changes? Please be sure to let us know whenever either your home address or e-mail address changes. By doing so, you will be sure to receive timely cat health care reminders and continue to receive our e-MewsLETTER. To make changes, you can now go to our website – Change of Address.

	Order prescription refills
	Request an appointment with a doctor
	Put in a boarding reservation request
	Print coupon offers

www.catsexclusive.com

Dennis Wackerbarth, D.V.M.

Katherine Schubert, D.V.M.

Robert Echentile, D.V.M.

Faythe Vaughan, D.V.M.

Christine Wilford, D.V.M.

Jennifer Fligiel, D.V.M.

Richard Lester, D.V.M.

Lora Schuldt, D.V.M.

Cats Exclusive's

Written by Cats Exclusive Veterinarians and Staff

Spring/Summer 2008
Volume 2 Issue 2

IT'S KITTEN SEASON!!

What Kittens Need  
by Kate Schubert, D.V.M.

Spring brings longer days, softer rains, welcome flowers and – kitten season. If there is a kitten in your future, we want your little one to get off to a healthy, happy start.

Ideally, kittens need to have the first 6 weeks with their mother. Cat mothers set firm boundaries and siblings teach play and life skills. Gentle, daily handling is ideal for socialization. Before adoption at 6 to 8 weeks, kittens should be eating solid food and grasping the mysteries of the litter box. If you have to care for newborn or orphan kittens, you will find some basic information here: www.VeterinaryPartner.com

Like any baby, your kitten needs a safe environment, proper food and routine health care. He will need to learn many things: how to find food, where to eliminate, how to play, how to accept routine care. In addition, kittens progress through predictable developmental stages of behavioral and physical growth. A very good discussion of these developmental stages can be found here: Developmental Periods in Cats.pdf

Just as importantly, you and your kitten must agree on how she can express behaviors like hunting, marking, and scratching. These are normal cat behaviors that every feline inherits from wilder ancestors. Your kitten will need:

	Proper litter box care
	Scratching posts
	Opportunities to climb and observe
	Hunting toys

While kittens are more "independent" than puppies, they do have social needs. Many people adopt a pair of kittens to provide company while their humans are away at work. Kittens are intelligent and can be readily trained – good for their problem-solving and game-playing needs. An excellent site on clicker-training: www.clickertraining.com

Of course, your healthy kitten needs veterinary care. We recommend:

	Doctor exams at about eight and twelve weeks
	A blood test for FeLV/FIV
	One or two doses of Revolution for fleas, ear mites and roundworms
	A microchip for positive identification if your cat becomes lost
	Spay or neuter surgery

We welcome all your questions about caring for your new kitten and look forward to meeting your new family member.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Cats  
by Jennifer Fligiel, D.V.M.

One of the very first questions we ask you when you bring your cat in for an examination is, "Does s/he go outside?" It is not uncommon for cat owners think that they have an indoor cat when actually, they don't! What do we mean by an outdoor cat and why is it so important?

Any cat with outdoor exposure is an outdoor cat. Period. Some cats just go outside to sun themselves on the deck, others like to spend time running around on the roof. Still more cats zip outside to "use the box" and then come right back in. These cats all have outdoor exposure and are considered outdoor cats.

Why is it so important for your veterinarian to understand if your cat has any outdoor exposure? Cats who go outdoors face very different challenges than strictly indoor cats. One of the most important differences between indoor and outdoor cats is that outdoor cats must be tested for and protected against the feline leukemia virus, or FeLV. This virus is lethal and very contagious from cat to cat, even through casual contact. There is an excellent vaccination available to protect your cat from FeLV, but it is usually given only to cats with outdoor exposure.

Outdoor cats also face many other challenges: hungry coyotes, cat fight abscesses, other animal bites, traumatic injuries, getting accidentally locked into another family's garage and starving for long periods, ingesting toxins and poisons, getting picked up by another person and taken in, internal and external parasites, and don't forget getting hit by cars.

The truth is that indoor cats live longer, healthier, and happier lives. The average indoor cat lives 12 years to 15 years. The average outdoor cat lives just 2 years. If your cat goes outside at all, make sure you understand these risks and make sure your veterinarian understands exactly where your cat is spending her or his time. If you are interested in helping make your outdoor cat an indoor cat, make an appointment with one of our veterinarians and we can provide step-by-step instructions to help you to make this transition. Both The Humane Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) have excellent web pages outlining the risks that outdoor cats face.

Your Cat – Indoors or Out: www.hsus.org

Letting the Cat Out, or Not: www.aspca.org

Poco's Picks – A Dining Guide for Finicky Felines  
with commentary by Lora Schuldt, D.V.M. (his owner)

This column will feature evaluations of canned cat foods recently sampled by my cat, Poco who had become a finicky eater. As current research indicates, feeding primarily canned cat food is preferable to a dry diet. With a finicky eater it can be very tricky to find a healthy food they actually like, especially when they have medical issues affecting their appetites. The foods listed below are appropriate for most cats, but ask your veterinarian if you have a specific diet question.

Addiction King Salmon and Potatoes Entrée ($1.49/6.5 oz)

Poco: My least favorite selection. The grayish color and coarse pâté consistency were unappealing. Two bites and I was done!

Dr. S: This diet contains ingredients that are not feline friendly such as carrots, peas, lemon, and orange that are often found in novel protein diets. Imported from New Zealand, this line is not inexpensive, but it is a viable option for some cats with food allergies.

Purina ProPlan Chicken and Rice ($0.75/3 oz)

Poco: My all-time favorite. I’ll eat a 3 ounce can twice a day, most days. There’s gravy, “shredded” chicken, and rice. It’s a nice caramel color, too!

Dr. S: This food contains some high-carbohydrate fillers such as wheat gluten and rice, and it’s better for cats to get their calories from meat protein. Yet its excellent palatability makes it a good choice for sick cats in need of a tasty food for nourishment.

Purina Fancy Feast Turkey and Giblets Feast ($0.55/3 oz)

Poco: This is one tasty pâté!

Dr. S: This is a better choice than many Fancy Feast offerings because it contains no wheat gluten (which is used to make that lip-licking gravy). In addition, turkey is a good protein for better digestibility.

By Nature – 95% Turkey & Turkey Liver ($0.99/6 oz)

Poco: A pâté-style food, its aroma was unenticing. I gave it a good try, though, and consumed a couple of bites before giving her a hopeful look for something better!

Dr. S: A tempting title, but the ingredients are essentially the same as the Fancy Feast offering. Also important for label readers: this food is actually 78% percent water (as most canned foods are); the 95% refers to the remaining 22% of non-water ingredients.

Newman’s Own Turkey Formula for Cats ($1.44/5.5 oz)

Poco: I’m really trying to like this one because she keeps trying to make me eat it, but my charity doesn’t extend to chowing it down.

Dr. S: Like many foods, it contains carbohydrates in the form of brown rice and poorly utilized nutrients such as flaxseed and oat bran. Even so, organic meat is a plus.

Retail Note: Three of the five diets sampled by Poco are available at Cats Exclusive: Purina ProPlan Turkey, Newman's Own Chicken, and Addiction Salmon. Purina Fancy Feast is availabe at most supermarkets and By Nature at some specialty pet food markets. The good news around here is Poco's Favorite brand, Purina Proplan will be available in more flavors sometime this summer. We will keep you posted. Please let us know if you need help finding the best food your cat will eat. Nearly all of our manufacturers offer a money-back guarantee, i.e. if yor cat won't eat a food, you can get your money back if returned to us in original packaging!

Carriers and Your Cat  
by Shelley Price, Retail Manager

We all know the drill: It's time to bring your cat in for a veterinary appointment. You pull out the carrier from the closet, and your cat suddenly disappears. Even though kitty might run away at the sight of a carrier, at Cats Exclusive we are always happy to see you bring your cat for her or his appointment in a safe, sturdy carrier.

A startled cat can easily bolt and run away. It is especially dangerous if your cat escapes in a parking lot near a busy street. Even if a cat escapes inside a building, a frightened cat can hurt her or himself by running on an injured leg or tearing stitches. It is also a good idea to strap the carrier securely into the car seat with a seat belt, in case of any car accidents.

There are a number of things that you can do to make your cat’s carrier experience pleasant and cozy. You can place a soft bed inside with a familiar toy. Spraying a pheromone treatment such as Feliway inside the carrier will aid in calming your cat during travel. Finally, leaving out the carrier the night before your trip will help familiarize your cat with the carrier.

At Cats Exclusive, we always encourage you to bring your cat in a carrier for veterinary visits both for the safety of your cat and others.

Copyright © 2008 Cats Exclusive Veterinary Center

19203 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA 98133
Phone (206) 546-2287 Fax (206) 546-5758
www.catsexclusive.com

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