Emergency or Evacuation -how to keep your cat SAFE!

With the sudden and violent storm last night, and with a large percentage of the Fox Valley being without power (including the Fox Valley Cat Clinic), I thought I would share some thoughts about planning ahead for an emergency -be it a tree falling on your roof, a flood affecting your neighborhood, a tornado hitting in your city, or a long term power outage across the Valley ….

• Planning ahead, before a crisis hits, is the KEY. Know where you can go and how you will get there. Make sure your cats are welcome or that you have an alternative location in which to house them.
• If you have to evacuate your home, always take your cats with you. Even if you believe you’ll only be gone for a short time, don’t ever leave your cats behind.
• Prepare an evacuation kit ahead of time.  To help you with this, refer to the AVMA booklet "Saving the Whole Family" on   when an emergency hits.
  
• Prepare a first aid kit, and travel with it if you travel with your cat. Again, refer to
•  "Saving the Whole Family".    Remember that in many parts of northern Wisconsin, veterinary care is difficult to find, especially on a weekend.
• Be sure your cat has Identification. This identification should include rabies and license tags. Forms of ID for cats include tags (with your name, address, and telephone number engraved) and microchips. Ideally, your cat will have both an identification tag and a microchip.  Many emergency shelters will accept pets, but only with documented proof of vaccinations, and an appropriately sized carrier.
• Include your cat’s medical records and other important documents (licenses, etc.) in your evacuation kit.  If your cat is on medication, consider including several days worth of medication in your kit.
• Be sure you have a carrier available to transport and, if necessary, large enough to house each of your cats comfortably.

These are just a few of the more important suggestions provided in the AVMA booklet

  "Saving the Whole Family" .  Remember that if your power is out, medical records including rabies certificates may not be available from your veterinary clinic because they may be affected by the same emergency that may be city wide, or county wide or even larger. 

Please share this information with you pet loving friends.  Together, we can make the world safer for pets!

Dr. Maureen Flatley

Fox Valley Cat Clinic

Menasha, WI

My thoughts on Trap, Neuter and Release

Trap-Neuter-Release, or TNR is happening in the Fox Valley. It is one approach to addressing the explosion of stray cats in our area, and all across Wisconsin and the country. 

Why is TNR important?    Stray cats are everywhere. You don't have to look beyond your back yard to see stray cats.  In rural areas,  it is an ever present problem. And many of these cats are feral- they have been born in the "wild" and have never been handled, and so are more like wild animals than domesticated pets. They starve, they are hunted,  they are shot, they are trapped, they get sick, suffer and die. They need our help to stop reproducing, and eventually this will help to solve the overpopulation.


Who is involved?  Cat lovers (like you!) volunteer their time  to  trap, transport, identify and document, tranquilize, perform surgical prep, vaccinate, deworm,  anesthetize, neuter/spay, monitor recovery, and release.  There are volunteer opportunities even if you don't have experience in this type of work.  Trained veterinary volunteers perform the "technical" duties, but most of the pre- and post- surgery work is done by lay-people. 

Where can you find a TNR group nearby?
 Cats Anonymous is located in Green Bay:   http://catsanonymous.org/ 
 Wish TNR is located in Neenah:  http://wishuponapaw.org/tnr/                                                         Fox Valley Humane is located outside of Appleton:   http://www.foxvalleypets.org/Services/TNR_Program.aspx

How can you help?  Consider giving of your time.  It's a fun way to spend time doing good, surrounded by like-minded cat fanciers.  Or donate money.  All of these TNR groups function on donations only.  Although everyone volunteers their time, drugs and supplies and equipment are expensive.  Donate supplies. Become a "Colony Caretaker".   Talk to someone you know that has a colony of cats that need spaying/neutering.  Spread the word about the advantages of TNR.  Attend a fund-raiser for a TNR group.

I have volunteered with Cats Anonymous several times in 2012,, and found it very rewarding.  I have met some great people through CA.   They are a great organization with an amazingly committed group of people from all walks of life.   We join together with one goal in mind -giving feral cats the help they need.
 I will be helping out in 2013, will you?

If you found my blog interesting, please feel free to "Share" it with others.
Dr. Maureen Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic LLC

Bat is Positive for Rabies in Menasha

It is a fact that in Wisconsin, BATS can carry rabies...and  BATS can easily get into your home or my home...and a flying BAT is the perfect cat play thing -it flies, it squeaks, it squirms, it bites.  This adds up to DANGER.

I recently sent a bat in to be tested for rabies, as it got into a clients house, and the indoor cat played with it, and then killed it.  Unfortunately, the indoor cat also got bit by the bat.  Fortunately, the owner  had recently vaccinated their cat against this dangerous and deadly threat.  Luckily, THIS bat tested negative for rabies, but I have gotten positive results when testing other bats from the Fox Valley, under similar situations.

SO, when asked if an indoor cat really needs to be vaccinated against rabies the answer is a resounding YES PLEASE!  For the safety of your cat and the safety of your family members, keep this very important vaccinations current please!  Remember, 99.9% of rabies kills -cats AND people.

And if you know ANYONE that lets their cat outside, the risk is even greater, as racoons, skunks, fox and other wild animals also carry rabies in Wisconsin.  All it takes is ONE BITE for this virus to be transmitted from one animal to another.  ONE tiny little bite wound..... is it worth the risk?

Please forward this posting to someone who needs to understand the risks of NOT vaccinating their cats!
Thanks for listening,
Dr. Maureen Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic

5 things to consider when adopting a new cat in the Fox Valley...

This summer, as in summers past, the shelters and rescues are FULL of beautiful kittens and cats that really need a forever home.  Are you tempted as I am?  If you are, this posting is for you. 

My goal with this list is to encourage you to adopt, but also the encourage you to do it carefully, and not to expose your resident cats to  any unnecessary disease.
 
1.  Many of the rescue cats and kittens  in the Fox Valley area started out as strays.  And strays can  carry skin parasites:  fleas, ear mites, and  lice to name a few.  A new cat can bring skin parasites into your home and share them with your resident cats.


2.  Kittens often carry herpes virus -an upper respiratory virus that is quite contagious.  It is essential that your resident cats are CURRENT on their vaccinations BEFORE bringing a new cat into your protected indoor environment.  This will give  your resident cats protection against herpes

3.  Any cats that share a litterbox are likely to share GI parasites. And ALL GI parasites are contagious to your resident cat.   Please be sure to have a stool sample checked for parasites BEFORE allowing your new cat to share a litterbox. 

4.  A very SLOW introduction of a new cat is MUCH MORE LIKELY to be successful.  This is best done over several weeks, and after your new cat has a clean bill of health from a veterinarian.  Consider using Feliway, a pheramone spray that will  help decrease the stress of introductions.

5.  Ringworm is a fungal infection that is contagious to animals AND  people and quite common in the humid months of summer.  A physical exam is the best way to be sure your new cat will not expose your resident cats, or your family to ringworm. 

We offer a FREE examination to any cat or kitten recently adopted from a local shelter or rescue -so that we can help you and advise you on this new transition.

If you know someone that is considering adopting, please share this information with them.

And if you are not able to adopt  another cat right now, please consider a donation to a local rescue. We have a donation basket in our lobby, so it's easy to drop off ANY needed items.  Just stop in at the Fox Valley Cat Clinic!

Thanks for reading!

Dr. Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic
Menasha, WI























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