Purebliss Cattery

Tree Sap December is approaching fast so now is the time to think about things that cats/kittens can be allergic to such as the sap from pine trees (fresh christmas trees). There are many plants and flowers that cats/kittens are allergic to and that can kill them. If they ingest such as stamens from a lily or lick the pollen off their fur you must visit your vet with them - Poinsettia are poisonous to cats/kittens so please put them where your cats won't play with them or chew on them. If in any doubt at all please visit your vet! There are several sites on the internet with lots of information regarding poisonous plants.

FOOD Whichever food you decide to feed its important to remember to put it into clean dishes and not on top of food left down. Fly's and birds are in abundance this time of year and they carry many parasites and their eggs, and bacteria and can leave these in/on the food or dirty food dishes. The heat can also cause food to go rancid and then any food put on top will soon turn rancid.

MICROCHIPPING. Microchipping is now compulsory for all dogs/puppies in UK, but we belive it also essential for cats and kittens in UK. It is a quick and relatively painless procedure and vital to ensure your pet is permanently identifiable.

TEETH Pets have two sets of teeth, and their "mild" teeth progressively fall from as early as 14 weeks of age, and sometimes up to 5 months of age to make way for their adult teeth. If this doesn't happen the corresponding adult tooth may erupt in the wrong direction, although this is more common in dogs it is also known to happen occasionally in some breeds of cats.

Prebiotics and probiotics are frequently underestimated in cat health. If your cat or kitten has soft stools after having medication or wormer he may just need some "good bacteria" in his digestive system. Prebiotics /good bacteria can help reduce common forms of "bad bacteria" by simply not leaving room for it to take hold. "Bad bacteria can often be the cause of a runny tummy, and in some cases even vomiting. Purebliss cattery sprinkles a prebiotic and probiotic powder on our kittens and cats food after they have had a course of wormer, or received medication such as pain control and antibiotics after neutering. Probiotics and prebiotics can be purchased from some pet shops or veterinary practices as a powder or a paste.

VACCINATIONS In their early stages of life kittens gain immunity against disease from their mothers milk. This protection starts to fade when they around 6 weeks of age and without vaccinations, although if they have been taken away from their mother sooner then their immunity fades when they are removed. This is why it is so important to have your pets inoculated as soon as they are old enough. Kittens can have their first vaccination against flu and ent. at 9 weeks old followed by a second vaccination at 12 weeks of age - they will then require yearly boosters.

First Generation Hybrids and Wild Cats do NOT like change - When F1 generation kittens/cubs/cats go to new homes they need some consideration. Do NOT give them to your children to play with as they are not a toy. These are more sensitive to change than your normal domestic and will be very worried about what is happening to them. They have probably had to travel for hours before arriving at their new home so they are already confused or upset. They need to be quiet and allowed time to calm down and eat before subjected to the rest of your household.

Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PKDef, not to be confused with PKD). Cats may have a single copy of the PKDef mutation, these cats are clinically normal and are termed heterozygous or carriers, but they can pass the mutation to their offspring. Cats with two copies of the PKDef mutation are termed homozygous affected and are likely to suffer from episodes of anaemia. Langfords Veterinary Services

We have always had slugs, snails, and ants around our property. The main thing that has kept them under control is Diatomaceous Earth - we would have had a terrible problem without this product. Remember that DE can also kill many beneficial insects so please use accordingly. Some of the bugs Affected by Diatomaceous Earth are - Ants, Caterpillard, worms, fleas, ticks, cockroaches, snails, spiders, termites, scorpions, silver fish, lice, mites, flies, centipedes, earwigs, slugs, aphids, many beetles (grub stage), fruit flies, and many more.

WORMING Regular worming is vital for cats and kittens - a kittens first wormer should be given by their breeder before you collect him/her. Thereafter they should be wormed at least every three months, especially if you have children or are regularly visited by children. Once every month a "spot on" can be given to protect your kitten/cat from round worm as well as fleas, ear mites and lung worm. Remember spot on treatment is absorbed through the skin of cats/kittens, therefore it can also be absorbed through your skin - take care! wash hands and face immediately if splashes occur.

Winter is coming which means an increase in the use of Antifreeze. Antifreeze often contains ethylene glycol, which is highly toxic to cats and other animals. Less than a teaspoonful can be fatal if ingested. Follow these tips to keep animals safe: Use propylene glycol as opposed to ethylene glycol based antifreeze. Although propylene is still poisonous if ingested by cats, it is not as lethal. Check your driveway and under your car regularly. Any antifreeze leakages must be cleaned up immediately and the materials used carefully discarded.  Always keep antifreeze in clearly labelled, sealed containers when not in use. If you suspect your pet has ingested antifreeze, contact a Vet immediately!      

People often ask why there is Vetting in for cats before allowing cats to enter shows. There are many reason but generally it is to prevent spread of disease and also to ensure the cats/kittens brought to show are in good enough health and condition to be shown. Vets at vetting in may check for: EAR MITES - these are easily spread from one cat to another, and if not treated can cause complications resulting in more severe infections of the ear. Lets face it, they must be very uncomfortable for the cat/kitten involved, and we don't want them to spread to our cats/kittens if we can prevent it. FLEAS - Fleas easily spread from one cat to another and must be really uncomfortable for the animal. Fleas can spread without any contact with the other cat/kittens. Fleas can also spread problems such as MYCOPLASMA which are small bacteria that can cause respiratory problems (sneezing, coughing etc) and genital, urinary problems. It is anaerobic (survives without oxygen) and is contagi

In humans we are very careful what is administered to pregnant females, particularly during the first 3 or 4 months of pregnancy - why should it be any different in pregnant cats. Please take care what you give your pregnant cats, particularly during those first 3 or 4 weeks of pregnancy. Personally i never flea control or worm control my pregnant girls during those first precious weeks of pregnancy - this should be done before you put your queen to stud. Whenever one of our queens leave their kittens they are given a flea and worm control. Our queens are also given a flea and worm control before visiting a stud. If you are concerned about worms then take a faecal sample to ensure there are no internal parasites present. There are many other tests that can be carried out before putting your queen to stud many of which depend on which breed of cat being bred such as: Blood test for Blood group. HCM - heart screening. Blood test for deficiencies such as B12, Folic acid. Cheek s

Early Generation Bengal with a "wild" look -  spotted legs and tail -  Open nocturnal eyes  - Look at how high the white comes up on the face, a sign that the "whited" tummy will stay longer than the first year or two, ensuring that "wild" look. The "whited tummy" is often talked about in the Bengal and Savannah breeding world, but there is the domestic white, and the wild white which are two entirely different things. The domestic white is a dead white which doesn't change.  However, the wild whited tummy is not so white in the daylight, but at night or when a light catches it the reflection of white is stunning.  The white tummy in the early gens can often appear to have a mauve or greyish tinge to it until that light catches it, especially when it is in darker light.

Marguerite Cats are FOR SALE - Purebliss Cattery have released 4 Marguerite Kittens available for reservation.  Marguerites are very special pets that will leave us neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, with their pedigree, and TICA paperwork, and insured for 4 weeks from day of departure. Marguerites are a rare breed bred down from a Sandcat - A Sandcat is a small desert dwelling cat found in the deserts of the world. They are bred to be an indoor cat only as they are not wise to the world, and are a very soft natured cat. They do not like to be on thier own and so we do not sell them to be an only pet. Below is an example of an F1 generation Marguerite (50% SandCat).

It is important that your cat/kittens has access to FRESH drinking water all day every day. This means FRESH from the tap or FRESH steralised bottled water or FRESH water from a fountain that has a clean filter. Water that has been left in a bottle or container over a couple of days is NOT FRESH - water is a fabulous place for breeding bacteria etc so please ensure that you use FRESH WATER at all times.

Increased drinking is a common early sign of a range of diseases, so if you are filling up the water bowl more frequently than normal then its time to work out which pet is drinking too much and make an appointment with your vet. Excessive thirst can idicate diseases ranging from liver or kidney disease, to diabetes and other hormonal conditions including hyperthyroidism in cats and also include pyometra in entire female cats. Remember to ensure cats that eat dry food drink sufficient fresh water daily.

One of the best ways to spread virus, bacteria, and parasites is with your fingers/nails. Putting fingers /nails to the faces or noses of cats and kittens and then putting fingers /nails to the noses of other cats and kittens. It only takes once!

POO SAMPLES Fecal Testing is something that is becoming more popular these days in order to minimise the use of chemicals in our cats and kittens - we test at purebliss in order to prevent the over use of wormers, and also to ensure any runny tummies are not a result of parasites or bacteria. However, please remember that the use of antibiotics in your cat or kitten can corrupt the results, and even give a clear reading when there is a parasite present. Therefore, in order to get a correct result ensure that the cat or kitten has not been on any medication, flea, or worm control before taking their poo sample to send off for examination.

Fertility in the Bengal and Savannah cats are often talked about in breeding. Bengals and Savannahs can be fertile as early as 5 month old, but can also take up to 2 to 3 years to become fertile, although its more normal for domestic female domestics to be fertile at 12 to 18 months, and male domestics to be fertile at 12 to 24 months. Once fertile this fertility can be interrupted due to stress or illness. Once a males fertility is interrupted it can then take another three months before fertility gets back to normal. If the stressful situation hasn't changed then the fertility may be limited in that environment. I once waited 3 years for two sisters to become fertile and then neutered one of the sisters, the other sister was to be neutered once she stopped calling but - 2 weeks later she was found to be pregnant! Stress triggers can be many things such as traveling, change of environment, winter months with the change of temperature and change of light, noisy parties, noisy ch

"Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will pee on your computer." Bruce Graham

Cross-contamination is something i'm often asked about from new breeders - below are some things to beware of if you have to isolate one of your cats or kittens in your home: Sweeping brushes are a major cause of cross contamination - do NOT use the same sweeping brush, brush and pan with your other cats and kittens that you use for a cat or kitten in isolation. Litter tray and poop scoops - do NOT use the same poop scoop for your other cats and kittens that you use for a cat or kitten in isolation. Even when using gloves - make sure you clean your hands or gloves thoroughly between contact from your other cats and kittens and your cat or kitten in isolation. When cuddling your cat or kitten in isolation, remember that your clothes will have whatever germs or virus on them after contact with your cat or kitten that is in isolation. Any wet food, dry food, water, or litter not used by your cat or kitten in isolation must be wrapped and thrown away - making sure that your o

Cats are smarter than dogs - you can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow." Jeff Valdez

Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this." Unknown

Dogs come when they are called; cats take a message and get back to you later." Mary Bly

If young children are frequent visitors to your home cats/kittens should be more regularly wormed to ensure they don't have round worm - spot on treatments that prevent flea, worm, and ear mites are available and easy to administer. Remember spot on treatment is absorbed through the skin of cats/kittens, therefore it can also be absorbed through your skin - take care! wash hands and face immediately if splashes occur.

When using pest control or weed killer please ensure that cat bowls with food or water are removed and then returned after finished with your gardening as these products can be harmful to cats and kittens.

a microchip placed just under the skin provides permanent identification, protection against theft and loss.

Spaying female cats prevents unwanted pregnancies and a range of health problems associated with ovulation and the womb.  The castration of male pets can assist behavioural problems and help control pet populations.

Stroking your cat can reduce your stress levels, which is good for your heart.

If there are snail or slug trails over cat food dishes or water dishes discard the food immediately and thoroughly clean the dishes. Snails /slugs can be dangerous to cats or kittens!

When taking home your new kitten, a stimulating environment is essential to keep your kitten physically fit and healthy. Toys you can dangle for him/her to chase around - keep him/her busy and active with toys he/she can play with on his/her own, as well as lots of interactive games with you. Toys need to encourage natural behaviour such as hunting, running, pouncing, leaping, grabbing, and even biting. A cat activity centre is advisable for cats such as bengals, savannahs, Marguerites and Toygers. If you have a boisterous kitten punishment is never helpful as it can inadvertently reinforce behaviour.

This is my first blog posting from Purebliss cattery - we hope to give a few of our tips from Breeders discussions with Breeders - this is not to replace a veterinary visit, but to help day to day caring for cats. we will also post some day to day activity here at Purebliss / White House Cattery. Jacky