Got a couple of questions from a young lady that will probably interest others, especially cat loving others.
The first question was about the Feline Leukemia vaccination and whether it is necessary to give to indoor cats.
The short answer is; probably not. Especially if you never, ever let your kitty outside. The American Association of Feline Practitioners refers to the Feleuk vaccination as optional depending on your cat's situation. If your cat is exposed to lots of other cats or could be exposed to feral cats by being allowed to roam outside, its a good idea to vaccinate.
There is a slight risk of tumor formation at the injection site with this vaccine, but under certain circumstances, like those described above, it's worth the risk.
There are two vaccinations every kitten and cat should have. Every kitten should have a rabies vaccination at 12 weeks of age, a booster one year later and then a booster every three years. Local regulations might require more frequent boosters.
Also every kitten should have an FRCP vaccination starting around 6-8 weeks of age a booster 3 to 4 weeks later at around 12 weeks of age and a booster one year later. Boosters every three years after that are fine. FRCP stands for feline rhinotracheitis, calici virus and panleukopenia. These diseases are easily transmitted between cats and can even be transmitted via objects brought into the home so indoor cats need them too.
The second question was about brushing long haired cats and whether you can brush them too much.
I prefer to use combs on long haired cats,
not people combs, but special cat combs. I start with a wide tooth comb and work my way to a finer tooth comb. This gets all the dead undercoat out. My cat used to love being brushed. Thats because we started early with her and got her used to it. I think she started to look forward to it. She'd purr and knead her claws and roll over on her stomach to make sure I got that part, too. [Bella, the kitty in question, seems to be waiting for a combing!]
In general, it's OK to groom long haired cats every couple of days and short haired cats about once a week. More than that is overkill.
Take the opportunity to examine your cat's skin, eyes, ears and nails when you groom her. If you encounter a mat, be very careful. Gently comb it out and leave the scissors to an expert. I sutured up several cats back in the day from scissor work trying to cut out mats.








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