Feline Health and Wellness

Resources

Essential Information

Your Go-To Resource for Feline Care

At Connecticut Feline Medicine and Surgery, we’re committed to providing the highest quality care for your cat. Our Resources page is designed to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to keep your furry friend healthy and happy.

If you have any questions, please call us at 860-432-3600.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you only see cats?

We see cats exclusively in order to provide our patients with the most stress-free vet experience possible. While many cats enjoy the company of other animals, others do not, and we want them to feel as safe and comfortable as possible while they’re here. Seeing only cats also means that our veterinary team is completely immersed in ways to make your feline companion feel at ease, from gentle restraint techniques to cat-specific pheromones sprayed in the exam room to a thorough knowledge of cat body language and behaviors. And when our veterinarian does research, you can bet it’s about cats!

Do I have to bring my cat to the vet every year?

Preventive medicine is so important for cats. They are experts at hiding pain and illness, and often people only notice something is wrong when their cat is very sick. That’s why seeing a veterinarian for a thorough, nose-to-tail checkup every year is highly recommended (the FVMA and AVMA recommend every six months). For senior cats we strongly recommend every six months, since their condition can change so quickly. Catching an illness early not only means your cat is spared pain, but it often results in a better outcome and tends to be much less expensive than emergency or intensive care.

Should I have my cat vaccinated? She never goes outside.

While outdoor cats do have many more risks associated with their lifestyle, staying indoors is not a sure way to keep your cat from getting sick. Viruses like Calicivirus and Panleukopenia can enter your home on the bottoms of your shoes, visitor’s clothing, or even be airborne. We recommend vaccinating your indoor cats with FVRCP (sometimes called “distemper”), a combination vaccine that protects against several highly contagious, very dangerous diseases. We also recommend vaccinating for rabies, since it is highly contagious, has a fatality rate of 99%, and can pose a serious risk to humans and other animals. Please note that the State of Connecticut requires domesticated cats to be vaccinated for rabies. Outdoor cats should be vaccinated against Feline Leukemia, which is very easily transmissible and can be deadly.

If you have any concerns about vaccination you can speak with the veterinarian at the time of your appointment. Our vaccination recommendations are tailored to each individual cat and their risks.

My cat hates traveling / going to the vet. What can I do to make the experience better?

Most cats don’t enjoy travel. Cars are loud and full of unpleasant sensations like speed and vibrations that make many cats unhappy. Having an appropriate cat carrier, padding it with blankets, covering the carrier with a towel or blanket, keeping noise in the car to a minimum, and staying calm yourself will all help your cat have a better experience. Some people play cat-specific or Classical music to help their kitties stay more relaxed while traveling.

We also recommend leaving your cat carrier out all the time for your cat to use as a bed or hideaway. This can help to prevent your kitty from having only potentially unpleasant associations with it and fighting you when it’s time to go in. We love and recommend Sleepypod cat bed carriers since they’re easily converted into a cat bed and are crash tested for safety. As a side note, the safest place for a cat in a car is inside a carrier on the floor behind the passenger seat.

Do you declaw cats?

While removing claws may seem like a great solution for aggressive or destructive behaviors, it usually only causes more problems. Cats with no claws are much more likely to bite when they feel threatened, and cat bites are much more dangerous than scratches due to the bacteria present in their mouths. Cats who have been declawed (a process which requires removing the last bone of their toes) tend to have intense chronic pain in their feet, which may cause unwanted behaviors like avoiding the litter box and peeing elsewhere because stepping on litter is painful. They also tend to be grumpy and sleep a lot because of their chronic pain. For these and other reasons, we do not offer declawing.

We DO offer Softpaws as an alternative. These are small plastic caps that are glued to your cats individual nails. They can last for anywhere from 4-6 weeks and do not harm the cat in any way. They also come in fun colors!

Do you offer emergency / walk-in services?

We do not offer walk-in appointments. While we do offer emergency services for our established patients, all visits require a scheduled appointment in advance.

Emergency Care

If we are unable to see your cat for an urgent matter, the following hospitals have emergency / urgent care services. If your cat is having difficulty breathing, bring him or her to the nearest veterinary facility that has oxygen.

Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine

4 Devine St, North Haven, CT 06473
(203) 865-0878

Pieper Memorial Veterinary Hospital

730 Randolph Rd
Middletown, CT 06457
(860) 347-8387

New England Veterinary Center & Cancer Center

955 Kennedy Rd, Windsor, CT 06095
(860) 688-8400

Downloads

“Nine Cat Behavior Lessons for Humans” by Letrisa Miller, MS, DVM