Spring Season Safety Tips

Your cat is very likely to come into contact with other felines at this time of year, exploring the local neighbourhood. This increases the chance of cats catching a contagious disease such as cat flu, feline leukaemia, or feline herpes. Even if your cat mostly sticks to being indoors at home, they can still be at risk of viruses that are transmitted via your hands or clothes from other cats you could have come into contact with day-to-day. For a healthy and happy spring, make sure to check whether your cat’s vaccination boosters are completely up to date. This will avoid any unnecessary and preventable infections. 

DIY Safety:
 

Spring is the time of new beginnings and people will be spending more time outdoors, spring cleaning their environment to ensure all looks good for summer! Try to be aware that cleaning agents, glues, paints, wood treatments, insect repellents, and other types of poison can be extremely toxic for your cat. Keep all bottles and tins of product out of reach and locked away for safety - as you would with young children! Be sure to keep your feline away from treated areas, to prevent gastrointestinal, pancreatic or skin-related problems. 

Parasites & Insects:

Spring brings various insects who thrive on the blood of animals like ticks and fleas. Spoton treatments are a great way to prevent any issues and can protect your cat all year round. Speak to your vet to find the very best products to use for your feline. One other type of insect to consider in the springtime for cats are bees and wasps as they tend to sting when confronted with a playful feline! Most of the time this is not a major emergency and the location will heal with time and care, but in the rare cases where cats can be allergic to stings (like humans), this can cause swelling, distress and breathing difficulties. Remove a bee sting if it is still in place and go to an emergency vet when any distress occurs. 

Microchipping: 

Exploring outside can have many benefits for your cat’s mental and physical state, but your cat could always encounter other animals or traffic, or get lost wandering a bit further away than usual. Ensuring your cat is microchipped is integral to his/her safety. That way, if anything were to happen and your cat is found lost or injured, you can be notified straight away. Remember to keep your contact details up-to-date on the microchip database, and give us a call if you have any questions regarding microchipping and the process behind it. 

Allergy Matters: 

It’s worth paying attention to poisonous plants which are accessible to your cat. Be aware of these plants which are toxic to pets and can cause very adverse reactions in older cats especially:
• Azaleas
• Lilies
• Rhododendrons
• Daffodils

Also bear in mind that fertilisers, insecticides, herbicides and slug/snail pellets could contain ingredients that are dangerous if your cat ingests them. Store these products out of reach of your cat and always try to opt for pet-friendly versions wherever possible.