Cat Husbandry 2024-25 PDF

CAT HUSBANDRY GEORGINA CATLOW BVSC MRCVS LEARNING OUTCOMES Recognise common cat breeds and colours Describe the husbandry requirements of cats, including diet, habitat, behaviour and welfare Understand how cats are bred and kitten care Recognise vocabulary relat...

CAT HUSBANDRY GEORGINA CATLOW BVSC MRCVS LEARNING OUTCOMES Recognise common cat breeds and colours Describe the husbandry requirements of cats, including diet, habitat, behaviour and welfare Understand how cats are bred and kitten care Recognise vocabulary relating to cats 1 CAT BREEDS 2 C AT B R E E D S PEDIGREE NON-PEDIGREE https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7c/f1/2b/7cf12ba https://excitedcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/tuxedo-cat-is- 1c526acc4522fd3620ee1a6f8.jpg smiling_slidesly_shutterstock.jpg E.g., British Short Hair, Persian, Burmese etc… E.g., Domestic Short Hair, Domestic Long Hair, ‘Moggy’ 3 P E D I G R E E C AT B R E E D S – F O R E I G N G R O U P Abyssinian Bengal Cornish Rex Devon Rex Sphynx This is a large group – this is a selection of some of the more common breeds but is not exhaustive https://www.gccfcats.org/getting-a-cat/choosing/cat-breeds/ 4 P E D I G R E E C AT B R E E D S – O R I E N TA L G R O U P Siamese Oriental https://www.gccfcats.org/getting-a-cat/choosing/cat-breeds/ 5 P E D I G R E E C AT B R E E D S – P E R S I A N A N D B U R M E S E G R O U P S Tonkinese Persian Burmese https://www.gccfcats.org/getting-a-cat/choosing/cat-breeds/ 6 P E D I G R E E C AT B R E E D S – B R I T I S H B R E E D S G R O U P British Shorthair British Longhair Manx https://www.gccfcats.org/getting-a-cat/choosing/cat-breeds/ 7 P E D I G R E E C AT B R E E D S – S E M I - L O N G H A I R G R O U P Birman Ragdoll Maine Coon Norwegian Forest Cat https://www.gccfcats.org/getting-a-cat/choosing/cat-breeds/ 8 HUSBANDRY AND BREEDING 11 DIET Obligate Carnivores Unable to synthesise the following: - Taurine - Arachidonic acid (omega 6) - Vitamin A These need to be sourced from animal tissue (meat) – commercial balanced diets recommended to ensure needs met Can be finicky eaters Limited ability to regulate amino acid catabolism, resulting in relatively high protein requirements Provide ad-lib water 12 DIET Normal feeding behaviour: Wild cats make several small kills during the day Domestic cats well suited to grazing, usually snacking 10 – 16 times through the day May not see grazing behaviour at home, but may have these ‘snacks’ elsewhere (mice, other cats’ food etc…) Cat dependant 13  DIET What to feed? ‘Complete’ wet or dry food, or combination - Pros and cons - Dental disease, water intake (urinary), calories Home prepared - Is it balanced? Raw diet - BARF https://image.petmd.com/files/styles/863x625/public/2021-01/cats-eating-picture-wet-food-dry- food.jpg - Can be popular amongst some owners - Biological risks? 14  DIET https://www.vettimes.co.uk/news/researchers-sound-bacteria-warning-over-raw-meat-diet/ 15 5 OBESITY Around 50% of cats seen at veterinary clinics are overweight or obese The most frequently observed nutritional disorder among domestic cats Can result in health problems including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and exacerbation of osteoarthritis http://www.feline-friends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/iStock_000026723014Medium.jpg 15 6 BODY CONDITION SCORING (BCS) 17 W AT E R Cats derived from desert animals, obtaining most of their fluids from prey Opportunist drinkers – provide multiple drinking bowls (shallow, preferably not plastic) Some cats prefer running water – taps/fountains Wet food – generally drink less 18 BREEDING AND PREGNANCY Seasonally polyoestrus – cycle Jan-Autumn (‘Calling’) ‘Induced ovulators’ – 3-4 matings Gestation period: ~63 days. Wait until an adult to breed them (they won’t wait!) Feed good quality kitten food ad lib from week 4 of pregnancy 19  PREGNANCY Take a guess…. Image courtesy: kingstonanimalrescue.com 20  PREGNANCY Take a guess…. Image courtesy: kingstonanimalrescue.com 21 KITTENING Often try to sneak away to give birth in private (provide a safe place/box) Aka: ‘Queening’/’Kittening’ Usually queens need very little assistance/intervention (unlike some dogs) Keep providing kitten food to the queen – - kittens will wean themselves onto this, and more nutrients during lactation 22  KITTEN CARE Initially nurse from queen every 1-2 hours Open eyes and ears around 14 days of age All kitten irises blue – remain so for several weeks Start exploring surroundings at week 3+ Can be handled by humans from around 2 weeks IMPORTANT SOCIALISATION! Newborn temperature requirements: Wk 1: 29.5 – 32oC Wk 2: 26.5 – 29.5oC Wk 3: 24 – 26.5oC Wk 4: 21 – 24oC 23  L A C TAT I O N Nutritionally most demanding phase Colostrum produced first 24-36hrs, peak lactation 3-4wks postpartum - 4-6 x maintenance rations (kitten food ad-lib) May lose body weight. Maintain increased rations until BW regained (~8-10 wks postpartum) 24 WEANING Weaning begins 3-4wks of age Commercial weaning foods small amounts (kitten food for queen…) By 8 wks old fully weaned https://cat-world.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/weaning-in-kittens.jpg 25 M AT U R AT I O N Most cats reach 75% adult bodyweight by 6 months of age, and are fully grown at 1 year (exceptions; Norwegian Forest, Maine Coon…) 26  S E N I O R C AT S Cats can live for 20+ years (if you’re lucky!) Typical lifespan: Approx. 15 years ‘Senior’ foods Usually recommended from ~8-10yrs Usually lower calorie (n.b. appropriate for senior but not some geriatric cats) Lean/fat ratios do not change, BMR maintained Energy requirements remain more constant 27  C AT B E H A V I O U R Spend 25% of day hunting: eyeing, stalking, pouncing… (if indoor, provide toys to stimulate hunting) Cats hunt alone and only need themselves to survive Tend to be more solitary Ensure space to remain solitary if preferred Territorial - Spraying - Middening - Scratching - Rubbing https://icatcare.org/advice/ 28 C AT B E H A V I O U R Rest of the time… SLEEPING! Cats like warmth (min 10 – max 26oC) - at least one area 15oC or more 29 ‘ C AT N I P ’ Also known as cat mint Cat’s have an intense attraction to the plant Often dried, put into cat toys Contains nepetalactone; has distinct behavioural effects on cats Inhaled or consumed: cats dribble, become sleepy, or even display energetic behaviour (such as jumping around and sprinting) The substance is harmless, and the effects last only about 15 minutes at maximum 30  ROUTINE VETERINARY CARE Worming Ectoparasite treatment (fleas/ticks) Vaccination - Kitten vaccination from 8-9 weeks (2 vaccinations, 3-4 weeks apart) - Annual cat Vaccination/check up - Covers: feline infectious enteritis, feline herpes virus (cat flu), feline calicivirus (cat flu), + feline leukaemia virus (outdoor) Grooming (start as early in age as possible) 31 GLOSSARY OF FELINE TERMS Genus/species: Felis catus Queen: a female cat Tom: a male cat Middening: defecating Queening/Kittening: Giving birth to kittens Feral: A ‘wild’ cat, non-domesticated Moggy (Moggie): - mixed breed, cross-bred or random bred cat, one which is not pedigreed or purebred Stropping: dragging claws against a rough surface to sharpen claws/remove old outer sheath 33 QUIZ PollEV.com/georginacatlow SUMMARY There are a large number of cat breeds with a variety of coat colours and patterns Feeding cats a meat diet is essential, can be wet or dry Feline obesity is a big issue Cats are seasonally polyoestrus (usually) and require 3-4 matings for pregnancy Cats are territorial, and can exhibit a number of related behaviours 34