March 2005
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Maine Coon Cats
The Maine Coon is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America. Stories abound about how this breed originated from the crossbreeding of semi-wild, domestic cats and raccoons. This myth is biologically impossible! While the brown tabby version of this large cat may bear a slight resemblance to a raccoon, they are not related. It is believed the breed actually originated in matings between pre-existing shorthaired domestic cats and longhaired cats that came to the New England coast in ships. It is well known that cats were kept on ocean-going ships to control the rat population. There were often escapees when the ship was in port.

The Maine Coon cat evolved over time through adaptation to its environment. Its coat is heavy and water-resistant, longer on the ruff, stomach, and hindquarters to protect against snow, and shorter on the back to guard against tangling in the underbrush. The tail is long and bushy and is wrapped around the cat for warmth when sleeping. The ears are heavily furred also for protection from the cold, and big, round, tufted feet make walking in the snow much easier.

The Maine Coon has been bred since the mid 1800’s. When breeders began showing their cats in national competitions the Maine Coon was a big winner. In the early 1900’s their popularity declined, but around 1960 they began competing again and regained their high status. Today they are the 2nd most popular breed in the United States.

They are gentle and good-natured, and generally get along well with kids, dogs, and other cats. The males commonly reach 13-18 pounds and the females normally weigh 9-12 pounds. There is a wide range of coat and eye colors that are acceptable for the breed. The coat is easily groomed and a weekly brush out is usually all that is necessary to keep your Maine Coon cat looking handsome.

Heartworm disease in cats
It wasn’t too many years ago, when a client asked whether or not their cat could get heartworm; the answer was a definitive no. Research has shown that we were wrong. Although not nearly as common in cats as in dogs, cats do get heartworm disease. As in dogs, cats become infected with heartworms through the bite of a mosquito carrying a larval stage heartworm.

Diagnosis is difficult and often requires a combination of tests including blood tests, x-rays, and ultrasound examination.

Symptoms of feline heartworm mimic numerous respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases such as asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. Sadly, it is not uncommon for cats with heartworm disease to exhibit no signs at all. Some cats that have died from heartworm infection have been clinically normal one hour earlier. Signs may include: intermittent vomiting, coughing, gagging, lethargy, neurologic signs, loss of appetite, weight loss, and/or asthma-like signs such as intermittent difficulty in breathing, panting, and open-mouth breathing.

In areas where heartworm disease is endemic, veterinarians are now recommending monthly preventive for cats as well as dogs. The preventive medication is available in two forms: a chewable tablet or a liquid formulation that is placed on the skin. Even indoor cats should be given the preventive medication; mosquitoes seem find their way into our homes every summer.

Animals in War
Throughout the history of wars around the world military units have adopted animals as pets and mascots. There have been some stories from our current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan that we thought we’d like to share.

• A request from the commander of the Army Reserve’s 131st Military Police Detachment for help feeding dogs of the Iraqi Police Department brought many offers of help. The biggest came from Hill’s Pet Nutrition, makers of Science Diet. They are sending 30,000 pounds of Science Diet to Iraq to feed these explosive-sniffing and attack dogs, and U.S. military canines in the area. And their offer extends to a continuous supply as needed.
  
• You may have already heard the story about Pfc. Hammer. He was a little ball of fur that wandered into a tent where soldiers with a US Army unit were housed. The soldiers in this unit looked for weapons caches in the Sunni Triangle about 50 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq. During artillery attacks, the soldiers would tuck Hammer inside their body armor to keep him safe. In return Hammer guarded the mess hall from raiding mice and rats. He also did counseling and stress therapy. The soldiers noted that Hammer always seemed to know when they’d had a bad day; he’d walk up to them and ask for attention. Petting and playing with the cat was a great release and comfort to the war-weary soldiers. When the soldiers received word their unit was headed home they wanted to make sure Hammer wasn’t left behind. With the help of two organizations, Alley Cat Allies and Military Mascots, Hammer is now living a happy civilian life in the United States.
  
• At the NATO Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, a special company guards the interior of the camp: a squadron of cats known as the Kabul Cat Company. When the soldiers began adopting and caring for stray cats in their camp, the medical authorities were concerned about rabies (widespread in Afghanistan). All the cats were trapped and taken to a wilderness area far from Kabul. Within two months the camp was swarming with rats. The rats brought their own rabies threat and their droppings spread disease throughout the garrison. Venomous snakes were attracted by the presence of the rats. There are eleven types of poisonous snakes in Afghanistan, seven of which have no known anti-serum. Getting the cats back was the only solution. There are now 60-70 cats patrolling the camp. All the rats and snakes are gone. Some of the cats have been given names and adopted as mascots and pets.
  
• There is a tank unit in Baghdad that adopted a cat as a mascot. This cat rides in the tank with them wearing a little helmet made out of duct tape. The soldiers say he acts like he is in control of the group.
  
• The animals are a morale boost. There is something to be said for the devotion and love a pet brings to their relationship with the soldiers. As one soldier noted, “Who is taking care of who?”

Introducing Pet Portals
Coming soon! We are in the process of setting up an exciting new program on our website. It is called Pet Portals. Each time you sign in to your personal Pet Portal you can:

• View your pet's calendar.
• Keep track of scheduled appointments.
• Create e-mail reminders to help keep track of your pet's medication schedules.
• Review previous health services and medication history.
• Request medication refills online (72 hour turn-around time please).
• Update your account information.
• Use Pet Mail for non-urgent communication with this clinic. In addition to displaying your pet's health information, Pet Portals will provide health tips and information tailored to your pet's health issues and life stage.

Recipe for “kitty litter”
This recipe can be a lot of fun to serve and I’m told it is quite good. Remember, it’s all in the presentation!

Ingredients
1 box spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 box white cake mix
1 box white sandwich cookies
1 large package vanilla instant pudding mix
A few drops green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Rolls or equivalent

Serving "Dishes and Utensils"
1 NEW cat litter box
1 NEW cat litter box liner
1 NEW pooper scooper

Prepare and bake cake mixes, according to directions, in any size pan. Set aside to cool. Prepare pudding and chill. Crumble cookies in small batches in blender or food processor. Add a few drops of green food coloring to one cup of cookie crumbs. Mix with a fork or shake in a jar. Set aside.

When cakes are at room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with half of the remaining cookie crumbs and enough pudding to make the mixture moist but not soggy. Place liner in the litter box and pour in the mixture. Unwrap 3 Tootsie Rolls and heat in a microwave until soft and pliable. Shape the blunt ends into slightly curved points. Repeat with three more Tootsie Rolls. Bury the softened Tootsie Rolls decoratively in the cake mixture. Sprinkle remaining white cookie crumbs over the mixture, then scatter green crumbs lightly over the top. Heat 5 more Tootsie rolls until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle with crumbs from the litter box. Heat the last Tootsie Roll until pliable and hang it over the edge of the box. Place the box on a sheet of newspaper and serve with the pooper scooper.

Two New Weight Management Program Graduates!
In February of 2003 Molly Ross weighed 11.3 pounds. A new kitten in the household and the availability of high caloried kitten food made weight loss difficult. In February 2004 Molly had lost only 0.2 of a pound. Her veterinarian prescribed a reduced calorie cat food and she officially began the weight management program. Over the next year Molly recorded a loss at every weigh-in. At her February 2005 visit she graduated from the program at 8 pounds even. Weight management is especially difficult to achieve in cats. It was a long haul we know, so we send our sincere congratulations to Molly and the Ross family.

At his visit in July of 2004 Bourbon Maynard’s body condition score (BCS) of 6.5 out of 9, and a weight of 79 pounds, was high enough for his veterinarian to recommend that he begin our weight loss program. Since Boxers are pre-disposed to orthopedic problems that are made worse by excessive body weight. On December 28th Bourbon weighed in at 69.7 pounds and had a BCS of 5! Great job Maynard family and Bourbon!

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