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Expert: - 8/16/2009


Question
My indoor 3 year old cat escaped 2 weeks ago.  I found her but I am unsure if I should keep her separate from the other cats and my dog.  Is it safe to have her with the others? Should I keep her quarantined?  Can she pass anything to my other animals (3 cats and a pug)?  I also no longer have her health records and I do not remember what, if anything, she was vaccinated for.

Answer
Morgan,

My recommendation would be to keep your escape artist separate from your other pets until she can be seen by a vet and given a thorough exam including ensuring that she hasn't picked up any internal or external parasites, blood work to ensure that her organ systems are functioning normally and there's no sign of infection in her blood counts. It's not a bad idea to ask your vet about testing for potentially serious viral infections. It's also quite possible that your other cats will treat the escaped kitty as a new cat coming into the home so for the sake of harmony she may have to have her own quarters for 2-3 weeks while she's gradually reintroduced into the household - once the other cats are comfortable with her smell or the sight of her you can start working towards face to face introductions. As for concerns about vaccines and health records I'd suggest that you don't worry about that too much, provided that this kitty was properly vaccinated as a kitten or when she came into your home there's good evidence in recent studies to suggest that being vaccinated properly once in a cat's lifetime may be all that's required for their immune system to recognize and deal with certain viral or bacterial conditions. Your vet can test the cat's blood to see objectively whether the cat's immune system is equipped to defend her body against the bugs we normally vaccinate against. If you have any further questions, concerns or you'd like me to clarify anything for you, please don't hesitate to contact me again.

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Ali

Expertise

I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

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