FixNation and Valley Vet Non Profit (VVNP) are teaming up this summer to bring you even more days when you can get your feral cats fixed for free.

Starting in August, VVNP will be open on the 2nd Monday of every month for a day dedicated to fixing feral cats. This is an extra day above and beyond when VVNP is normally open, as a way to expand how many feral cats are being fixed within our community each month. VVNP will fix up to 50 feral cats on these special Mondays, and the program will be sponsored by FixNation.

This program kicks off on Monday, August 9th. The spay/neuter services will be done at VVNP’s clinic at 1659 East Los Angeles Avenue in Simi Valley.

The same great “free feral program” that you’ve come to know from FixNation still applies for these Mondays, including:

- Spay/neuter surgery
- Physical exam
- FVRCP distemper combo vaccine
- Rabies vaccine
- Revolution (for fleas, earmites, mange, hookworms and roundworms)
- Eartip
- Antibiotic
- Fluids
- Pain medication
- Droncit as needed (for tapeworms)
- Lots of TLC!

VVNP will also offer FeLV/FIV testing and microchipping for an additional fee. FeLV/FIV combo tests are $20, FeLV only tests are $10, microchips are $25 and hernia repairs are $15. Convenia injections, if recommended by the vet, are $25.

Only feral cats will be booked on these special Mondays, and all cats will be eartipped. Any tame companion cats or friendly strays should be scheduled at either FixNation or VVNP during normal business hours.

Feral cats must come in to VVNP in humane traps and be fully covered (no carriers or other containers please). Drop off time is between 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. and pick up is between 2:00 – 2:30 pm. Appointments must be made in advance, and trappers can book appointments by calling VVNP directly at 805-584-3823.

Both FixNation and Valley Vet Non Profit are very excited to be bringing you this new outreach program. We hope it helps both the trappers and the cats out in the West Valley.

FixNation will continue to look for new and creative ways to bring more spay/neuter services to other parts Los Angeles. We firmly believe that public access to free spay/neuter services is a critical component in homeless cat management. Collectively, we can make a difference.

A young couple, James O’Neel and Justine Hong, came in to FixNation recently for trap training classes. They had an orange tabby cat who needed to be TNR’d. This orange girl constantly hung out on the top of a concrete wall in between their condo yard and the yard next door. According to James and Justine, this orange kitty would not come down onto the ground for anything! They only ever saw her up on the wall. She was very skittish and very elusive.

While this Cirque du Soleil aerial scenario would present a tricky challenge for any trapper, the situation was compounded by the fact that this poor girl had a huge open wound on her side, what looked like a giant abscess that had gone south. James and Justine knew they needed to trap her immediately so they could get her the medical care she needed.

James and Justine devised an ingenious approach. They propped a big wooden door up on top of the concrete wall and secured it, which acted as a platform. They then positioned the trap up on the door/platform. They took the rear sliding door off the trap and began to feed inside the trap, slowing moving the food bowl back a day at a time, until the cat started feeling more secure about eating inside the trap. Finally the rear door was back on and the trap was set… and lo and behold they got their girl!

When this orange tabby cat came into FixNation for spay surgery, it looked almost like the entire side of her body was one big gaping wound, completely open and exposed. This poor pumpkin probably wouldn’t have made it much longer had she been left to fend for herself.

Our awesome FixNation vets shaved half her flank and stitched her entire side up, administered Convenia (a long-acting antibiotic) for the infection, and then orange tabby girl went back home with James and Justine later that day.

Orange tabby girl has now resumed her perch on the wall, and from the pictures we can see she is healing beautifully!

We love hearing the amazing success stories. Great job, James and Justine, for some smooth trapping work!  Time, patience, and persistence literally saved this cat’s life.

Solid

All over solid color; no striping whatsoever. You can have solid greys (also called blues), blacks, whites, even browns. Generally oranges (also called reds) and creams aren’t totally solid, as they will have faint tabby markings on them.

Bi-Color

Any solid color cat plus white, with the two colors being fairly evenly distributed. For example, black and white, grey and white, etc., with the white being about half the color composition.

– Tuxedo – A tuxedo cat is a type of bi-color cat who looks just exactly like what the name says…like the kitty is wearing a little tuxedo! The coat is all over black with a white bib (shirt) and white mitts (or tuxedo cuffs).

… and White

Any solid color or color pattern plus white markings. Generally when we say “and white”, there are distinct larger patches of white on the cat. If there aren’t larger patches of white and just small bits of white, here are some other terms you can use to more accurately describe your kitty:

- White “mitts” - White feet or paws

- White “bib” - White chest

- White “locket” - Small patch of white hair on the chest

Harlequin

A mostly white cat with a few larger spots of color. White is the most noticeable color.

Van or Van Bi-Color

All white with just small spots or splashes of color between the ears and on the tail.

Dilute

A paler or lighter version of the original color pattern. So you have pale orange, cream or buff instead of brighter orange, and grey or blue instead of black. Dilute is often used to describe calicos, torties and tabbies.

Smoke

Solid black or grey hair with white roots, so that the cat’s coat appears to be smokey (i.e., smokey black with white roots, or smokey grey with white roots).

Tabbies

We love tabbies! Tabbies are probably the most common type of homeless cats we see. Tabbies come in lots of colors. The most common is the brown or brown/grey tabby, which generally has brown, black and grey blended together. You can also have grey tabbies, orange tabbies, and cream or buff tabbies. Silver tabbies generally have black and grey markings on white roots, which gives the cat a more silver appearance (more silver than just grey). Tabbies come in a variety of patterns too, which also help accurately describe the cat:

- Tiger tabby or “mackerel” tabby – Long, narrow stripes across the cat’s body like a tiger.

- Classic tabby - Round bulls-eye swirls on the cat’s sides or flanks.

- Spotted tabby - Spots on the cat’s flanks and underbelly. Mainly you’ll see spotted tabby markings in cats like Ocicats or Egyptian Maus.

- Ticked or agouti – Ticked cats have different bands of color along the hair shaft, with the hair being the lightest or palest by the root and the ends “ticked” darker. This term is most often used to describe Abyssinians.

Tri-Color

This term is most commonly used to describe calicos and tortoiseshell cats, which are nearly always female because of the gene composition.

– Calico – Calicos have three distinct colors: orange, black and white. Dilute calicos are the same, except they are the paler version, so you have grey, peach and white. Many calicos have a patchwork design to their coat.

– Calico Tabby or “Tabico” for short – A calico mixed with a brown tabby, so you get brown and orange tabby markings plus larger patches of white.

– Tortoiseshell  or “Torties” for short - Torties aren’t true tri-colored cats, as they are mainly black and orange (also called red) swirled in a “brindle” pattern. But they are similar to calicos in that they are nearly always female. Sometimes you will see a tortie patterned cat with small splashes of white. In the UK, these are often called “torties with white”, while in the US we mainly call these calicos. Both terms are technically correct. Dilute torties are grey (or blue) and peach (or cream), instead of black and orange.

– Torbie - A tabby mixed with a tortie, so you have a tabby pattern with more noticeable orange marbling in it. Torbies look like autumn leaves.

Points

Solid pale cream or darker tan body color with a different color on the ears, muzzle, tail and feet, otherwise known as “points.” Points are often used in describing Siamese, Himalayans, Birmans, Exotics and other similar breeds.

- Flame point - Orange coloring on the face, ears, tail and feet, anywhere from bright orange to very pale.

- Seal point - Dark brown points like the color of seal skin, and the nose leather and paw pads will be dark brown.

- Chocolate point – Points are generally slightly lighter brown than seal points, and the nose leather and paw pads will be pinkish.

- Lilac or blue point - Grey or blue points, anywhere from darker grey to very pale.

- Lynx point - A Siamese-type mixed with a tabby, so you’ll see a cream or tan body with a tabby looking face, ears, tail and feet. You can have different colors of lynx points too, i.e., grey lynx point, brown lynx point, orange lynx point, etc.

- Tortie point - A Siamese-type mixed with a tortie, so you notice tortie brindle markings on the face, ears, tail and feet.

So, now that you’re an expert, what color is the cat in the top picture?

We gave you an easy one… it’s a dilute calico, or a grey dilute calico to be even more precise!

Early one morning, Charlie was transported to FixNation, along with ten other feral cats from our colony. We knew he was in bad shape just by looking at him. By mid-morning, we received a phone call from the FixNation staff. We were expecting to hear that Charlie may need to be humanely euthanized. Instead, much to our surprise and absolute delight, the amazing medical team at FixNation had called to say that the abnormality on Charlie’s head was not due to a tumor or growth as we had suspected, but instead was due to an extremely large, infected abscess that could be drained. They also informed us that his FeLV/FIV test had come back negative.

So while FixNation cautioned us that there could be no guarantees, as Charlie was extremely weak and thin, they said they would try to drain the abscess, remove the maggot eggs and suture his head. With that done, along with the usual neutering, vaccinating, flea treatment, and administering of fluids, pain meds and antibiotics, Charlie was on his way to a foster home for follow-up care and monitoring. We could not believe that this cat would have a second chance for life – all thanks to FixNation!

The following few weeks were quite challenging for all involved. Charlie repeatedly tore open both the cone around his neck and the sutures on his head. Each time, FixNation graciously took him in for repeat surgery and stitched and stapled him back up. Much to our relief, the third time was the charm, and slowly, Charlie’s head wound began to heal.

Charlie was not a very cooperative patient, to say the least, and he would attack and bite all who dared place food or medicine in his cage. And reaching in to clean his litter box became a three-person job! Clearly, the ordeal and physical pain he had been through had left him scared, confused and ready to protect himself.  But slowly, as his head began to heal, he started putting on weight, and he started acting calmer. Now, the only remnants left of his illness are slight neurological symptoms and a surgery-scar running down his head.

As he began to feel better and better, we realized that this was no feral cat! Charlie was a spirited tame cat, who undoubtedly had lived with humans at some point in his past. When released from the taming cage, he began rubbing himself against our legs and chirping. Although he would still attack our legs when we would try to leave the room, we realized that we could slowly teach him the “correct” way to interact with humans. Underneath his aggressive, tough-guy persona was a very sweet loving boy. Soon after, we even discovered that Charlie was the ultimate “Papa Bear,” as he would lovingly groom and nurture each and every kitten in his foster home!

Several months later, on a beautiful winter day, a wonderful woman who was looking to adopt a cat came in to visit one of the kittens Charlie had raised, but instead fell in love with Charlie himself. It was clearly love at first sight for both human and feline. The depth of the bond and connection between them was undeniable, and it now appeared that Charlie’s life would be taking yet another wonderful turn.

Charlie is currently spending his last weeks in foster care, waiting for his adopter to return from an overseas trip so that they can begin their new life together. Charlie will soon have his very own home and family, and will be cared for and loved the way every cat deserves to be.

This miracle would never have been possible without FixNation. A gravely ill, abandoned tame cat, living under cars, at the brink of death, with no hope, has been transformed into a robust, healthy, happy cat. If not for FixNation, Charlie would not be here today, and would never have had a chance to experience the joys of having his own doting human!

FixNation gave Charlie a second chance for life. And for that, we are all endlessly grateful!

Sincerely,

Minoo Rahbar

Some cats just don’t seem to want to go into the trap, no matter how hard you try. You’ve used smelly bait, you’ve withheld food to get them hungry, and yet you still sit out night after night and come up with an empty trap!

Here are our top 10 tips and tricks we’ve collected over the years that may help you nab your wily kitty, courtesy of master trapper Liz Cava.

1. Pray.  Even if you don’t pray…pray.
2. Drink.  Even if you don’t drink…drink.
3. Communicate telepathically with the cat. Even if you don’t believe in communicating telepathically with a cat…send them mental mindwaves to let them know their life will get better if they just—GO—INTO—THE—TRAP.
4. Disguise the trap with foliage, tree branches, etc. so it looks nothing like a trap. (And boy have we seen some interesting trap camouflage come into the clinic).
5. Disguise the trap with cardboard, covering it completely with cardboard on all sides so it looks like a mysterious box. Very important to make sure the cat still has plenty of ventilation.
6. Sprinkle catnip all over the inside of the trap. In fact, we’ve even seen someone hang a catnip toy from the top of the inside back of the trap. You laugh? She got the cat.
7. If the cat is an indoor/outdoor cat, try opening the back door just a little bit and set the trap inside the house—rather than in the back yard.
8. Two of our favorite words – Laundry basket. This strategy is particularly good for those cats who are “kinda sorta friendly who you can sometimes pet or touch but only briefly and while not making direct eye contact”. You know the ones. Take a plastic laundry basket and plop it down over the cat when he/she is least suspecting.  “Spider” the basket (with the cat under it) onto a sturdy piece of plywood or a plastic sterilite container lid.  Duct tape the whole thing together and bring kitty into the clinic just like that.  Be sure to bring a empty trap with you so the cat can recover in the trap after surgery.
9. Kentucky Fried Chicken. Evidently the “original recipe” is paw-lickin good. Get a drumstick (yes it must be original recipe) and tie it to the top of the inside back of the trap.  This is a great lure for even the hardest to catch ferals. (Don’t worry about getting it out of the trap, either; technically with this method there will be food in the trap after midnight, but they never eat the drumstick while trapped).
10. Valerian Root Extract Oil.  Buy it at a health food store, break open the capsule and sprinkle it over your bait.  We have no idea why it works, but it does. Expect to be swarmed by bugs though—as it seems to attract insects, too.

If you’ve tried at least five of the tips listed, or maybe even just three in combination with #2, we consider you a seasoned master trapper. Good luck getting your kitty!

Mange is caused by a parasite, or a very small bug. These parasites actually live and feed on the cat, who acts as a “host”. The mites either live topically on the cat or they burrow under the skin.

Mange generally strikes the old and the young the hardest, although cats of all ages can get it. Mange is contagious to other animals and opportunistically to humans. Animals in poor health and with poor diet are more susceptible to it and symptoms can be more exacerbated.

Most common types of mange:

The two most common types of mange found in cats, especially stray and homeless cats, are:

Otodectic mange – This is otherwise known as ear mites. These are tiny, crab-like bugs that live and feed on top of the cat’s skin, mainly in the ear canals. When cats have ear mites, you’ll notice red, inflamed ears, the inner ears will look very dirty and you may notice an abnormal odor. You’ll notice the cat shaking his head and rubbing at his ears a lot. Sometimes the ears will even get a crusty, black discharge or may be a bit weepy from secondary infections due to the mites.

Ear mites are highly contagious between cats and also to other kinds of pets. They can quickly spread between cats, dogs, rabbits and ferrets.

Notoedric mange – This type of mite burrows into the cat’s skin to live and lay eggs there. When those eggs hatch, the cycle repeats itself and the new mites continue to tunnel under the cat’s skin. The cat loses hair and the skin becomes crusty and sore. Most often you will see flaky, scabby skin starting on the head and ears, and then spreading to the armpits, legs and body. If the mange gets bad enough, the cat’s forehead and eyes can become swollen so that the cat looks like “cro-magnon” kitty. The cat will have severe itching (technically called pruritis), patchy hair loss and possibly some inflamed bumps similar to chicken pox.

Notoedric mange is highly contagious between cats. In dogs, it will normally show up as sarcoptic mange instead. It can actually spread to humans, although it cannot live for long on a human as we are not their natural “host”. If it does get on you, it will cause redness and some bumps like a rash, with minor itching, and then it should go away on its own in a couple of days.

Other more rare types of mange in cats:

Sarcoptic mange – This type of mange is mostly found in dogs, and only rarely in cats.

Demodectic mange – This type of mange can cause small, inflamed red patches of skin.

Cheyletiella mange – This is also known as “walking dandruff” in cats because you can actually see the large red mites moving quickly on the surface of the cat’s skin. It’s very rare in cats.

Diagnosing mange:

To fully diagnose mange, a veterinarian will scrape the skin and then examine the skin sample under the microscope, to determine what type of mange the cat has.

Treating mange:

Notoedric and otodectic mange are generally treated with an Ivermectin based drug. At FixNation, we use Revolution, applied topically to the back of the cat’s neck. You may be familiar that Revolution treats fleas, but it will also treat mange, ear mites, it will treat hookworms and roundworms in the stomach, plus it’s a heartworm protection, for up to 30 days.

If the notoedric mange is severe enough, the cat may need follow up treatments of Ivermectin injections or Revolution at weekly or bi-weekly intervals for 4-6 weeks. In serious cases, a vet may choose to use cortisone to help the itching, or possibly prescribe antibiotics to treat any secondary infections.

In the case of ear mites, in addition to the Revolution, the ears will also be cleaned out with a solution and the cat may be prescribed an antibiotic to treat any secondary infections.

Preventing the spread of mange:

When you are trapping feral cats, make sure to wash traps between use and spray with a bleach/water solution. Also, launder the trap covers between use. Make sure to line traps with fresh newspaper, and keep fresh newspaper on the floor under the trap when you hold the cats overnight. Clean the bottom of any hard flat surfaces that you set the traps on, or if you’re using newspaper then change the newspaper, before placing another trap on that surface.

For indoor pets, mange is most concentrated in bedding and in areas where the cats often hang out, so make sure to launder their bedding daily while they are being treated. If one cat in your household has mange, all of them should be treated with a preventative like Revolution, as it can spread quickly between them.

Sources and additional info:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/72005.htm

http://www.mangeincats.com

http://www.earmitesincats.com

Lisa dropped the cat off at FixNation on her appointment day, and by late morning, the FixNation staff called Lisa informing her that the cat was already microchipped!

FixNation tried to contacting the owner but to no avail. So at the end of the day, Lisa picked her up and took her home to foster. Three more days passed when low and behold, her original owner had got the message and returned the call.

Turns out the kitty’s name is “Lula” and she belonged to a teenage girl. Lula had gotten out accidentally and had been lost for over one year! The little girl had been absolutely heartbroken. Lisa happily took her back to her home in Granada Hills to reunite the family. Lula had been lost in Woodland Hills and she was found in Canoga Park, about three miles from home.

We love the happy endings! Yet another reason to make sure all of your pets are microchipped, as you never know what can happen in life.

If you need your pet microchipped, visit one of our low-cost vaccine clinics which are held the first Saturday of every month, 9am-12 noon. Walk in’s welcome. Click here for more info.

By Dr. Amanda Page

What is Feline Leukemia Virus?

Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) is a serious viral disease that affects ONLY CATS. Fortunately, there are many ways we can protect our cats from exposure to this disease. It is estimated that 2.3% of cats in the western United States are infected with FeLV.

How does FeLV cause disease?

The Feline Leukemia Virus can cause bone marrow suppression. One of the functions of bone marrow is to produce the cells of the immune system that fight off infection. Therefore, this disease can result in a suppressed immune system. The immune system normally protects the cat from common infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, etc) that do not generally cause disease in healthy cats. However, if a cat’s immune system is weakened, as with FeLV, these same organisms can cause disease – known as secondary or opportunistic infection. Although the disease only affects cats, it is recommended that immunocompromised people (i.e., chemo patients and AIDS patients) not reside with FeLV + cats because these cats are more likely to harbor opportunistic infections that could be transmitted to immunocompromised humans. This viral disease is also associated with the development of certain types of cancer (i.e. lymphoma, leukemia) in affected cats.

What is the outcome of disease?

Cats infected with FeLV have 4 different possible outcomes:

1. Succumb to the infection and develop FeLV associated diseases. The development of FeLV associated diseases such as bone marrow suppression or cancer poorly affects the cat’s prognosis.
2. Overcome the virus but the viral “DNA” is incorporated into the cat’s own DNA; these cats may or may not develop illness at some point in their lifetime. Those cats that are infected and have no clinical signs may remain asymptomatic for months to years or for life. These cats should still be considered contagious to other cats.
3. Completely eliminate the virus from their system
4. Or the virus could be confined / localized to a small region of the body, such as a mammary gland (rare).

FeLV positive cats must be kept indoors away from unaffected cats so they don’t spread the disease to other cats.  They should be spayed/neutered, provided with good nutrition, avoid raw diets, and need regularly visits to their veterinarian. With proper care many FeLV cats can live months to years in apparent good health.

How does a cat get FeLV?

The most common way cats get the disease is through saliva and casual contact with an infected cat (i.e. mutual grooming, sharing bowls, touching noses). Since this disease is rather contagious between cats, it is important to completely isolate new cats of unknown viral status and to wash hands between handling cats. Kittens are more susceptible to FeLV. Cats who at greater risk of exposure are those who are allowed outdoors and encounter infected cats. The virus can also be transmitted from mother to kittens.

How do we test for FeLV?

A simple in-house blood test, often called a “snap” test, can be performed to test for FeLV. If the test is positive, it could mean that the cat has FeLV or that the test could be wrong. A positive test should be confirmed by an IFA test, which can be done at a full-service vet clinic. If the IFA test is negative, it could mean that the cat is 1) not infected with FeLV at all or that 2) the cat was recently infected (up to 30 days ago) but won’t test positive yet, in which case a repeat IFA test should be done again approximately four weeks later to confirm.

How can we protect our cats from FeLV?

• Keep cats exclusively INDOORS
• VACCINATIONS are highly recommended for kittens and also for adult cats determined to be at risk (i.e. cats that go outdoors or encounter new cats that have not been viral tested).  Vaccinations will NOT interfere with testing for the disease.
• ISOLATE & TEST NEW KITTENS AND CATS for FeLV before allowing them to interact with your existing pets.