It's summertime, and the warm weather and bugs are here! Don't forget to get your parasite prevention and use it as directed on the package. The Cat Practice, specifically Rachele and Dr. Lori, will be at the Animal Care League 2nd Chance Shop for their first All Cat Day on Saturday July 12th http://www.animalcareleague.org/main.asp?id=9 . Rachele will be there from 1-2 to give demonstrations on procedures you should know how to do at home. She also has some great information on diets, especially for cats with sensitive stomachs. Dr. Lori will be answering questions from 3-4, so if you want to know more about a problem with your cat, come by, check out the shop (where you can now see cats available for adoption) and give Stephanie your question.

Dr. Pam is going to be taking on more hours at the practice so we hope you will enjoy getting to meet her and talk to her soon. We have a few of her photographs of her work with lions in the second exam room, so check them out when you stop in.

Summer has arrived and while we strongly encourage everyone to keep their cats indoors, we know for some this is just not easy or possible. With the warm weather come parasites -fleas, mosquitoes, etc. If your cat will be spending time outdoors, we recommend that you do a few things to help keep him or her safer. Micro-chipping is an excellent way to provide identification in addition to break-away collars. The small chip is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades as an outpatient procedure (or can be done while your cat is under anesthesia for a neutering or dental). If your cat gets away and is found, shelters, many vets, and Animal Control have scanners that can be passed over the back. These pick up the number that is registered to you and you will be notified that your cat has been found. We've had several cats so far that were identified using microchip technology. Outdoor cats should be protected against parasites for their safety and that of the family, too. We have several different topical parasite control products that we recommend based on the level of protection you cat would need. Indoor cats that live with pets that go outdoors should also be protected against parasites as well. If you live in an area with mosquitoes or you have small children, the CDC recommends increased parasite protection for all pets to avoid the risk of parasite transmission to family members. Call us or come by if you have questions or would like more information about the products available for your cats. Outdoor cats must stay current on their vaccines, including rabies and feline leukemia. We recommend testing them more regularly, especially if they have been in contact with or fought with other cats not from your house. Definitely cats going outdoors NEED to be spayed or neutered. Millions of cats each year end up in shelters, or worse, euthanized, due to pet overpopulation. Even cats that you plan to keep inside should be neutered to avoid increased risk of cancer or infection, not to mention the possibility of undesirable marking or urinary habits.

If you are thinking about adopting a new cat, or even another pet, there is a web site you should check out. Locally the Animal Care League is a great source of adoptable pets in our area. But if you are looking for a specific type, color, or breed, then you might want to check out Petfinders.com. They were instrumental with helping people displaced during Katrina to reunite with their pets, and they can help you find the perfect pet. They have an extensive list of animal shelters, including Animal Care League, that you can check out. Rachele found her cat Gabby there, and maybe you can find your next cat with their help, too. I went to check it out, too, and I now have a new kitty, Mia. She's an adorable calico poly-dactyl, an she loves to talk!

We are now in full-fledged kitten season, so if you have been thinking of adopting, this is the perfect time to help the shelters by adopting an older cat or 2 or finding the perfect pair of kittens (this is especially a good idea if you have and older cat or live alone- the 2 young ones can play together and provide mutual companionship).