Cat Questions

Q. We took in a stray cat about a week ago. How do I know when to have her spayed?

A. If it is an adult cat then it can be spayed at anytime. If it is a kitten talk to your regular vet about estimating the cats age and testing it for some infectious disease (FeLV and FIV, etc.)

Q. I have a Siamese cat, three years old. A friend is moving and must give up her cat, which is a "regular" cat ( she's also around 3 or 4 years old ). Would there be a problem having both cats in the house because of the different breeds?

A. There should be no problem having different breeds in your household but you may run up against a personality conflict where the two cats simply do not get along with each other. I wish you the best of luck, Siamese can be finicky with who they like :)

Q. The vet told me my cat is diabetic and is suggesting insulin. I've never heard of such a thing! Do cats often get diabetes and how did she get it? I can't imagine her allowing me to give her shots, but I don't suppose there are options - are there?

A. Cats most certainly do get diabetes. They can have a transient form (temporary) or a chronic form. Cats and dogs both can get diabetes and it can be difficult to manage.

The most common drug that is used to treat diabetes is insulin simply because oral anti-glucose medication in animals is ineffective. In most cases there is little option on treatments for diabetes that are going to be successful other than insulin.