THE CAT’S PLACE IN NATURE: ITS ANCESTRY, CLASSIFICATION, STRUCTURE, AND
DISTRIBUTION.
At a very remote period in the history of animal life when the
struggle for existence was rife, the carnivorous and predaceous
animals (to which the existing cat belongs) occupied a position in the
scale of creation as important as the one they hold to-day. We find
locked up in the rocks of the tertiary and recent pleistocene
formations the bones and teeth of these ancient cats along with those
of the animals upon which they lived.
These ancestors of our cat had a tolerably wide geographical
distribution, and they apparently differed considerably in size, as do
the different members of the existing cat family. The crested cat (_F.
crestata_) was probably as large as a tiger—more recent remains having
a closer affinity to existing cats are found plentifully in caves and
in the deeper beds of rivers and lakes almost all over the British
Islands.
Probably the most remarkable of these extinct cat-like creatures is
the Machœrodus, the skulls of which (Fig. II.), with portions of its
skeleton, associated with the bones of other animals, have been found
in the cave deposits in Brazil, North and South America, India,
Persia, many parts of Europe, as well as in the British Islands—viz.
Kent’s Cavern, Creswell bone caves, and other places. The skull, which
is very typical and cat-like in form, is remarkable for the
extraordinary development of the upper canine teeth, which in some
species exceed seven inches in length. The Machœrodus was about the
size of a lion.
The ancestors of our cat were certainly more specialised in parts of
their organisation. The nearer we approach the recent forms a greater
uniformity in structure prevails, until we get in the existing
cat-like group (_Felis_) probably the most consolidated and uniform of
all the generic mammalia.
[Illustration:
FIG. I.—BRAIN OF CAT.
A, Right hemisphere of cerebrum; B, Cerebellum; C, Medulla oblongata;
D, Olfactory bulb (nerve of smell); E, Convolution, or Gyrus; F,
Fissure.
]
FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS.
Under the generic title of _Felis_ are included over fifty-one
distinct species, of which the lion, tiger, leopard, puma, and our
common domesticated cat may be taken as representative. They inhabit
every region on the earth’s surface, except the extreme northern
latitudes, and vary in size from the tiger and lion to the little
red-spotted cat of India, which does not exceed fifteen or sixteen
inches in length. But it is, as already indicated, very uniform in
order as regards structural points. All have well-developed,
retractile claws, the only exception being the cheetah, whose claws
are only partially retractile; all have five toes on the fore feet,
and four on the hind feet; all the teeth are cusped, or pointed, and
specialised for flesh-eating, as well as for aggressive purposes. The
incisors in front of the upper and lower jaws are small, the four
canines well grown and long, with a cutting edge on the inner side;
the molars, or cheek teeth, have one to five cusps, points, or lobes.
All the members of the family are _digitigrade_ (_i.e._ use only the
extremity of the toes in walking); the tympanic bulla, or ear-bone, is
large and prominent; the general form of the skull is rounded and
broad across the orbits, or eye-sockets (the latter are, with two
exceptions, open or incomplete behind); the clavicle, or collar-bone,
is reduced to a short, curved, splint-like bone; in many species it is
absent.
The stomach is always simple, intestines relatively short, tongue
covered with minute spines. In many species the pupil of the eye
contracts in one direction only, thus giving it a _linear_ and upright
form. The majority of the species are nocturnal; the habits of the
genus are very diverse. The lion apparently prefers the drier, sandy
areas covered with short, scrubby vegetation; others prefer the dense
forests, and live much in the trees. Many species are found at
considerable altitudes, the snow leopard being found at 18,000 feet.
All the members of the group can swim, and several species (_i.e._ the
fishing cat of India and Southern China) are adepts at catching fish,
but immersion is invariably avoided.
The colours of the different members of the genus _Felis_ vary
considerably. It may be a uniform, tawny, pale brown, or a grey—as in
the lion, puma, eyra. The tiger is striped transversely; the ocelot
has bands or rows of more or less fused spots; the serval and several
other species have solid black spots; the leopard, clusters of spots,
forming a kind of star; the jaguar has the spots arranged in an open
ring. In the clouded leopard of Southern India the markings are
composed of irregular groups of lines and spots, merging into the
ground colour of the animal’s coat. A black variety of the common
leopard is occasionally found in a wild state. Albinos, or white
forms, are extremely rare in nature, though quite common in the
domesticated cat.
GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE CAT.
The natural food of all the cat tribe in a state of nature is
carnivorous, and the whole organisation of the group is specialised
and adapted for aggressive or, if need be, defensive purposes. The
body is compressed laterally, and has a considerable amount of
flexibility in it as a whole.
The bony framework or _skeleton_ is light, and, for the purpose of an
elementary description, is readily divisible into three parts—viz. (1)
the skull; (2) the axial skeleton, comprising the bones of the neck,
thorax, loins, and tail; (3) the appendicular skeleton or limbs. The
skull is short, rounded, and broad across the orbits or eye-sockets,
which are large in proportion to the skull. The posterior rim of the
orbit is, with three exceptions, out of the fifty-one species—viz. the
fishing cat (_F. voverrina_), the rusty spotted cat (_F. rubiginosa_),
and the flat-headed cat (_F. planiceps_)—incomplete or open. The
_teeth_ of the fully adult cat should be thirty in number—sixteen in
the upper jaw and fourteen in the lower. They are divided by the
comparative anatomist into three sets or groups—viz. incisors,
canines, premolars, and molars—their number and position being
concisely expressed by a dental formula thus:—1 ³⁄₃, C. ¹⁄₁, P.M. ⅔,
M. ¹⁄₁. The six incisors in the upper and lower jaw are small,
simple-pointed teeth, with a simple fang or root. Then we have a long
canine or flesh tooth CC.’, the most important functional tooth the
cat has, for with it and its fellow the living, struggling prey is
seized, retained, and killed.
[Illustration:
FIG. II.—SKULL OF THE GREAT SABRE-TOOTHED CAT.
FROM THE CAVES OF BRAZIL. (_Machœrodus Neogœus._)
]
In the upper jaw, immediately after the canine, are three premolars
PM. These are the second or permanent series, and succeed the kitten’s
milk-teeth. The first one is very small, and has only a single cusp;
the second is larger, and has two cusps; the third is the largest, and
is sometimes called the “sectorial” tooth. It has three pointed cusps
and three fangs, or roots. Immediately behind it, and placed somewhat
transversely, is the single _true_ molar. It is a small tooth, of
obtuse form, and indefinitely cusped; it has no predecessor in the
kitten’s milk set.
[Illustration:
FIG. III.—SUPERFICIAL FLEXOR TENDONS OF THE CAT’S LEFT FORE-FOOT
A, Perforatus, or _flexor sub-digitorum_; B, Perforans, or _flexor
profundus digitorum_.
]
[Illustration:
FIG. IV.—BONES AND PRINCIPAL LIGAMENTS OF A CAT’S TOE, SHOWING
MECHANISM OF RETRACTILE CLAW.
A, Distal or terminal phalanx; B, Middle; C, Proximal; D, Perforatus
tendon; E, Perforans tendon; F, Elastic ligament.
]
[Illustration:
FIG. V.—PADS OF CAT’S LEFT FORE-FOOT.
A, Plantar pad; B, Digital pad; C, Pisiform pad.
]
In the lower jaw, immediately after the canine tooth, there are only
two premolars (PM. PM’.) in the permanent set which have predecessors,
the last tooth (M.) being the only true molar, and having no
predecessor in the milk set. Occasionally, in the lower jaw there is a
small premolar corresponding to the first premolar of the upper jaw.
In the kitten from about six or seven weeks to about five months old,
there are only twenty-six teeth, the number and form being very
similar to the adult set. The two permanent molars in the upper and
lower jaw are absent.
The _Axial Skeleton_ (_see_ p. 354) consists of the bones forming the
neck, thorax, loins, and tail. The neck is relatively short, and
consists of seven bones—a number almost constant throughout the animal
kingdom, the giraffe, the hippopotamus, and the whale having the same
number. Succeeding these are the _dorsal_, or _thoracic_, vertebræ
(thirteen in number), each one supporting two ribs—one on each side.
Then follow the seven vertebræ composing the _lumbar_ region. They are
stout, thick bones, with long, transverse processes for the attachment
of certain muscles supporting the body cavity, etc. No ribs are
attached to these bones. Immediately behind are three smaller bones
forming the _sacrum_, to which the pelvis, or hip-bones, are
articulated. The terminal bones of the axial skeleton are the tail, or
caudal, and vary from nineteen to twenty-one.
The _Ribs_ (thirteen on each side) are extremely light, elastic, and
slender. Nine of these on each side join the sternum or breast-bone
directly, and are called true ribs; the remainder are free, and
terminate in cartilaginous points, which are adherent to the true rib
terminations, for support.
The _Sternum_, or breast-bone, consists of eight bones, from each
joint of which springs a rib-like costal cartilage, to which the true
ribs are articulated. The cat’s collar-bone or clavicle is very short
and rudimentary; it has a slight attachment to the acromion process of
the scapula, the other end terminating in the muscles of the chest. It
is often absent.
The _Appendicular Skeleton_ includes the fore and hind limbs. The fore
limb in the cat, as in the majority of mammals (_see_ plate, p. 355),
is a subtriangular flat bone, with a ridge on the outer side for the
attachment of certain muscles moving the leg.
In a small hollow on the posterior or lower border is articulated the
head of the _humerus_ (4), or arm-bone; its lower or distal end is
expanded, and receives the end of the _ulna_ (10), which with the
_radius_ (9) forms the bones of the forearm. The wrist or carpal bones
(8) include seven small bones, the upper row being attached to the
radius, the lower row to the five phalanges of the toes (7); to these
latter are articulated the bones of the digits, or fingers.
The terminal bones of the cat’s foot are encased by powerful hooked
claws (Fig. III.). When at rest, the claw is brought to the outer side
of the middle phalanx by the elastic ligament F, the flexor tendons
being relaxed. When the cat is on the point of seizing its prey, the
greater power of the flexor tendons stretches the weaker elastic
ligament, the claw is brought down, and so a powerful grip is
obtained. The under-surface of the cat’s fore and hind feet is
protected by certain hardened pads of subcutaneous and fibrous
tissue—viz. the plantar pad, giving chief support to the leg, and the
digital pads protecting the claws, etc. These pads are, of course, of
additional use in aiding the cat’s noiseless and stealthy progression.
[Illustration:
FIG. VI._a._—CAT’S SKULL, VIEW FROM ABOVE.
]
[Illustration:
FIG. VI._b._—CAT’S SKULL, SIDE VIEW, WITH LOWER JAW IN PLACE.
]
[Illustration:
FIG. VI._c._—CAT’S SKULL FROM BELOW, WITHOUT LOWER JAW, SHOWING
PALATAL SURFACE.
]
The cat’s hind limb is articulated by a ball and socket joint to the
hip-bone or pelvis (20), which is again firmly united to the three
bones forming the sacrum D. The thigh-bone or femur (19) sustains the
whole body, and has many powerful muscles attached to it concerned in
the springing movements so characteristic of the animal; to its lower
end is articulated the principal bone of the lower leg, the tibia
(13). At the union of these two bones on the anterior side is the
knee-cap, or patella (12). On the outer aspect of the tibia is a
slender bone, the fibula (18), its outer end being attached to a
prominence on the tibia, the lower end to one of the large bones (the
astragalus) which form the tarsus of the foot.
The _Tarsal_ bones (14) consist of seven bones, the largest of which
is the os calcis (17), or heel-bone, to which powerful muscles are
attached. Succeeding the tarsal bones are the four bones forming the
metatarsal bones (the fifth or inner toe being absent, though often
present in the dog). To these are attached the phalanges of the toes,
with the claws, etc., similar to the fore-foot.
[Illustration:
FIG. VII.—SUPERFICIAL MUSCLES OF A CAT.
]
1.— Maxillaris.
2.— Caninus, or Nasalis.
3.— Orbicularis.
4.— Temporalis.
5.— Mastoideus.
6.— Cephalo-humeral.
7.— Posterior and anterior portions of Trapezius.
8.— Infraspinatus.
9.— Latissimus dorsi.
10.— Great Oblique.
11.— Prominence of Hip-bone.
12.— Gluteus medius.
13.— Prominence of Thigh-bone, or Femur.
14.— Gluteus maximus.
15.— Muscles concerned in the movements of the Tail.
16.— Fascia lata covering deeper muscles.
17.— Biceps femoralis.
18.— Semi-tendinosus.
19.— Gastrocnemius.
20.— External Saphenous Vein.
21.— Point of Heel, or Os Calcis.
22.— Plantar or Flexor Tendons of Sole of Foot.
23.— Extensor Tendons of Toes.
24.— Internal or Inner Saphenous.
25.— Sartorius.
26.— Rectus abdominis.
27.— Serratus magnus.
28.— Pectoralis major.
29.— Elbow, or Olecranon Process of Ulna.
30.— Flexor carpi ulnaris.
31.— Superficial Extensors of Toes.
32.— Annular or Wrist Ligament.
33.— Extensor communis digitorum.
34.— Flexor carpi radialis.
35.— Extensor carpi radialis.
36.— Triceps.
37.— Scapular deltoid.
38.— Acromion deltoid.
39.— Mastoideus.
40.— Sterno-hyoid.
41.— Parotid Gland.
42.— Masseter Muscle.
43.— External Maxillary Vein.
44.— Zigomaticus.
45.— Zigomaticus labialis.
A better idea of the superficial muscles of the cat is obtained from
an examination of the plate than by any technical description. It will
be seen that for its size the cat’s muscles are well developed; its
kin, the lion and tiger, are known for their prodigious strength in
bearing away young oxen, deer, antelopes, etc., upon which they live,
as well as for their leaping powers and agility and courage.
Although the cat’s muscles are identical with those of its more
powerful relatives, it lives too much in the lap of luxury for them to
attain to a proportionate development.
A well-known writer has estimated that there are 500 muscles concerned
in the movements of the cat’s body.
The cavity of the cat’s body is separated into two unequal
compartments by a muscular partition called the midriff or diaphragm.
In the anterior or foremost cavity are the two lungs, and the heart
and its blood-vessels; in the larger or most posterior compartment is
the stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, etc. Without a considerable
number of diagrams it is difficult to convey in a popular manner some
peculiarities of these internal organs. The cat’s tongue (Fig. X.) is,
however, very characteristic of the order, and is easily observed. It
is supplied with the usual glands common to all mammals—viz. tonsils
(B), flattened soft papillæ (C), four circumvallate papillæ (D),
conical papillæ (E), and the more minute fungiform papillæ (F). The
peculiarity of the cat’s tongue is that the conical papillæ are
specialised into horny processes or hooks, as shown in E F, and are of
value not only in assisting to clear the flesh from bones, but are of
undoubted use in cleaning the animal’s fur. The cat also has the
parotid, sublingual, and other glands concerned in the preparation of
the food for primary digestion.
[Illustration:
FIG. VIII.—SKELETON OF A CAT.
_A._ CERVICAL OR NECK BONES (7 in number). _B._ DORSAL OR THORACIC
BONES (13 in number, each bearing a rib). _C._ LUMBAR BONES (7 in
number). _D._ SACRAL BONES (3 in number). _E._ CAUDAL OR TAIL BONES
(19 to 21 in number).
]
1.— Cranium, or Skull.
2.— Scapula, or Shoulder-blade.
3.— Clavicle, or Collar-bone.
4.— Humerus.
5.— Sternum, or Breast-bone.
6.— Phalanges of the Toes.
7.— Metacarpal Bones.
8.— Carpal or Wrist-bones.
9.— Radius.
10.— Ulna.
11.— Costal cartilages, uniting ends of Ribs to Sternum.
12.— Patella, or Knee-cap.
13.— Tibia.
14.— Tarsal Bones.
15.— Metatarsal Bones.
16.— Phalanges of Hind Toes.
17.— Heel-bone, or “Calcis.”
18.— Fibula.
19.— Femur, or Thigh-bone.
20.— Pelvis, or Hip-bone.
The cat’s liver is mainly on its right side; it is divided into
several lobes, which give it a complicated appearance as compared with
the simpler livers of other animals. The gallbladder is present in the
usual position. The cat’s heart is somewhat small for the size of the
animal, and is not so pointed at its apex as in other animals; the
veins entering the heart, and the branching of the arteries leaving
it, are nearly identical with those of closely allied animals. The
time required for the complete circulation of the blood throughout the
body of the cat is fourteen to sixteen seconds. The pulse, each beat
of which corresponds to one contraction of the left ventricle of the
heart, may easily be felt on the inner side of the fore-paw, about an
inch above the prominence of the radius; it may also be felt at the
same place as the horse’s pulse—on the inner side of the lower jaw.
There are two other situations on the cat’s body where it may be felt,
but to find the exact point requires some intimate anatomical
knowledge. The temperature, or normal heat, of the body of the cat is
100° F.; it may, however, be slightly above or below this.
The brain of the cat, following the general structure of the higher
mammals, is divided into very similar areas or divisions. The larger
or more anterior portion is called the cerebrum (Fig. I., A), and is
divided into right and left hemispheres. Its surface is divided into
convolutions or gyri (E) by certain shallow fissures, which have
received specific names. Very intimately attached to the under-surface
of this part of the brain are the olfactory lobes (D), in which are
situated certain nerves concerned in the sense of smell. The hinder
and smaller part of the brain is called the cerebellum (B), and is
much darker in colour than the cerebrum. Its surface is made up of
numerous small foldings of its substance, which, on section, look like
the branches of a small tree; these branches finally fuse and
terminate on the under-side of the base of the brain.
Intimately associated in a most complex manner with the cerebrum and
cerebellum is the medulla oblongata (C), an enlarged part of the
spinal cord. The brain of the cat, it may be remarked, is not nearly
so highly organised as that of the dog.
[Illustration:
FIG. best-marked.—THE CAT’S EYE.
]
AT DAY-TIME. │ AT NIGHT-TIME. │
A.—Contracted linear │A.—Expanded and nearly │
pupil. │ circular pupil. │
B.—Iris. │B.—Iris. │
│ │C.—Cat’s eye, showing
C.—Nictitating membrane│C.—Nictitating │ the third eyelid or
(Plica semilunaris). │ membrane. │ nictitating membrane
│ │ fully extended.
D.—Opening of the │D.—Opening of Harderian│
Harderian Gland Duct.│ Duct. │
In all the higher mammals the eye can accommodate itself to the
varying influence of light. This is mainly done by means of the
central black part or pupil (Fig. IX., A). The pupil is merely a hole
in the iris, or coloured part of the eyeball (B), and it is by its
contraction or expansion that the exact amount of light necessary is
admitted to act upon the sensitive retina at the back of the eye. The
form of the pupil varies considerably in different animals. In the
cat’s eye during bright sunshine it is reduced to a thin vertical
line; at dusk it expands to a nearly circular form. This vertical
reduction is by no means common to the entire cat family. In very many
species the pupil retains a rounded form even when contracted to its
minimum.
On the inner angle of the cat’s eye there is a curious
semi-transparent fold of skin, called by naturalists the plica
semilunaris, or nictitating membrane. In reptiles and birds this is a
very important factor in the preservation of the eye from external
injuries, and it acts also as a regulator of the admission of light.
It is well developed in nocturnal reptiles and birds, and as the cat’s
ancestors were doubtless more nocturnal than they are now, it probably
was in active use. It is, however, useless now, the cat having no
control over it. It is one of many interesting vestigial structures
the cat carries about with it of its former ancestry from a
lower-organised animal.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE CAT FAMILY.
Long-continued and systematic study of the habits of living animals
has led to the division of the surface of the world into specific
areas, called Zoogeographical regions, of which there are six—viz. (1)
Palæarctic region; (2) Ethiopian or African region; (3) Oriental or
Indian region; (4) Australian region; (5) Nearctic or North American
region; and (6) Neotropical or South American region. The cats of the
Old World and of the New World are, with the exception of the
debatable northern lynx, specifically distinct. No native cats exist
in Australia.
[Illustration:
FIG. X.—SURFACE OF THE CAT’S TONGUE.
A.—Epiglottis or upper cartilage of windpipe.
B.—Tonsil.
C.—Flattened or soft papillæ.
D.—Circumvallate papillæ.
E.—Horny conical papillæ.
E. 1.—The same enlarged.
F.—Fungiform papillæ.
]
The Palæarctic region comprises the whole of Europe, part of North
Africa, and extends eastward to Kamtchatka, and includes the islands
of Japan. There are about twenty-one known species of the cat family
inhabiting this extensive area, the best-known being the tiger, which
is found in Mongolia; the common leopard, widely distributed in
Southern Siberia; the snow leopard, wild cats, the lynx, and many
others. The Ethiopian or African region includes the whole of the
continent of Africa up to the tropic of Cancer, and the greater part
of Arabia and Madagascar. About nine species are known to inhabit this
region. The best-known are the lion, leopard, serval, Egyptian cat,
caracal lynx, and cheetah. The Oriental or Indian region includes a
strip of southern Persia, the whole of India, China, and the Malay
peninsula, Borneo, and other islands of the East Indian Archipelago.
There are about sixteen species inhabiting this region. The best-known
examples of the cat family here are the lion (inhabiting the southern
portions of Persia), tiger, leopard, cheetah, clouded leopard, and a
great variety of the smaller species.
The Nearctic or North American region includes Greenland and the whole
of the continent of North America down to Mexico City and Vera Cruz.
There are only seven indigenous species of the cat family, the
best-known being the puma, which also extends into the neotropical
region, the northern and the bay lynx.
The Neotropical or South American region extends from Vera Cruz in
Central America, through the whole of South America to Patagonia.
About thirteen well-marked species of the cat family inhabit this
region. The better-known species are the puma, jaguar, ocelot, margay,
pampas cat, and the curious eeyra.
ROBERT HOLDING.
THE DISEASES OF CATS, AND THEIR TREATMENT.
_By HENRY GRAY, M.R.C.V.S._
ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINE.
[Illustration:
GIVING MEDICINE.
]
In the treatment of the diseases of the cat, the correct method of
administering whatever medicaments are deemed necessary is a most
important consideration. To the uninitiated and timid the task is
generally a difficult one, and may, in some cases, appear almost
impossible; but with a little practice, aided by courage and
determination, the difficulties can nearly always be overcome. The
administration of medicine, however, is seldom so easy in the case of
the cat as in that of the dog.
Some cats are so gentle that the mouth can easily be opened by means
of the index finger and thumb of the left hand acting as a wedge
between the jaws. The palm of the hand rests on the top of the head,
while the finger and thumb gently but firmly press the cheeks at the
angle of the jaws inwards, until they intervene between the finger and
thumb of the operator and the posterior teeth of the patient.
The jaws being thus kept open, and the head at the same time raised,
the right hand of the operator drops the pill or powder at the back of
the mouth between the tongue and palate. This having been
accomplished, the right hand is passed under the lower jaw, so as to
keep the head raised until the animal swallows, while the left hand is
withdrawn from its previous position and the jaws allowed to close,
thus facilitating the act of swallowing.
For the administration of liquid medicine it is not necessary to open
the mouth. The operator grasps the head with his left hand, and taking
the spoon in his right he slowly and carefully drops the liquid
between the teeth, or into the space between the cheek and teeth, at
the angle of the mouth. For the cat, a coffee-spoon is preferable to a
tea-spoon, and care must be taken that too much is not poured into the
mouth at once. The dose should be administered drop by drop, and time
allowed for swallowing.
DISEASES OF THE STOMACH.
=Vomiting=, though a symptom common to many diseases, may be quite
natural in some instances, such as over feeding or during the weaning
period, when the mother cat eats a lot of animal food and then brings
it home and vomits it up for her young kittens to feed upon.
The act consists of ejecting the contents of the stomach up through
the gullet and then out of the mouth.
The causes of vomition are various: Worms travelling from the bowel
into the stomach, emetics, expectorants, poisons, foreign bodies (as
hair, cork, pins, etc.); bad or altered food, blood poisoning,
distemper, gastritis, tumours, tuberculosis, jaundice, diseases of the
kidneys, etc., may produce it.
It may also occur from parasites in the ear, foreign bodies in the
mouth, and as a symptom of brain disease, such as meningitis.
_Treatment._—This depends upon the cause, which should be removed if
possible. When due to foreign bodies or altered food, an emetic
(especially the hypodermic injection of ¹⁄₄₀ to ¹⁄₂₀ grain of
apomorphine hydrochloride) would most likely remove the source of
trouble. If the foreign body cannot be removed by simple means, an
operation may be deemed necessary. If due to inflammation of the
stomach, bismuth and aërated soda-water are of great value. Ice and
cocaine or chloretone are occasionally useful when these have failed.
Sometimes it is necessary to wash the stomach out with mild
antiseptics. If of nervous origin, a hypodermic injection of ¹⁄₁₂ to ⅛
grain of morphine, or five-minim doses of tincture of opium or bromide
of potassium, given by the mouth, may prove successful. When resulting
from tumours or tuberculosis, humanity dictates that the lethal
chamber should be called into requisition and the animal put out of
its misery. Easily assimilable and non-irritating food only should be
given for a few days. Aërated soda-water forms the best drinking
fluid.
=Gastritis=, or inflammation of the stomach, is sometimes called
gastric fever, and when of a mild type, gastric catarrh. Its causes
are variable. It may be due to altered or decomposed food, distemper,
microbes of various kinds, large doses of emetics or aperients,
mineral poisons, chills, absorption of dressing applied to the skin,
or licking the same off. It is also caused by worms, especially the
broad-necked tapeworm (_Tænia crassicollis_), travelling into the
stomach and setting up irritation. Again, diseases of the uterus,
liver, kidneys, and other organs give rise to gastritis. It frequently
rages as an epizöotic, causing considerable mortality in some
catteries, especially after cat shows.
_Symptoms._—The disease is ushered in by sudden vomiting of the food,
followed by the repeated rejection of ropy mucus, and then, if the
case is severe, this is succeeded by a thin, clear, greenish-yellow or
bloody fluid; saliva flows from the mouth, the thirst is great,
especially for cold water, which is generally expelled almost as soon
as taken; there is a distressed appearance, restlessness, or a
frequent shifting of the posture. As a rule, the animal prefers to lie
on its belly full length, with its limbs resting on cold objects.
Pressure on the region of the stomach causes moaning and sometimes
vomiting. After the lapse of some time, when a fatal termination is
advancing, the eyes appear sunken, the pupils become dilated, the
expression is sad, the animal becomes cold and indifferent to his
surroundings, the mouth gives off an offensive odour, and the coat is
dull, open, and lustreless. The animal dies either in a comatose state
or from sudden failure of the heart during a fit of vomiting.
_Treatment._—If recognised early, an emetic is sometimes very useful
in cutting short the complaint. No food or ordinary water should be
allowed until twenty-four to forty-eight hours have elapsed since the
last vomiting; but a teaspoonful of Brand’s essence of beef jelly and
two to four teaspoonfuls of aërated water should be given every four
hours. Bismuth subnitrate or carbonate in five-grain doses may be
shaken on the tongue an hour before these two latter are administered.
If this means of treatment should prove ineffectual after twenty-four
hours, one may conclude that the disease is of a severe type, and in
this case one to five minims of the liquid extract of opium in a
little mucilage, or chloretone, ½ to 2½ grains, should be given every
three hours. Feeding by means of rectal suppositories, or injection of
an ounce of milk containing a little common salt, may be attempted.
Finally, if this fail, washing out the stomach with borax or boracic
acid, or chinosol and warm water, and a hypodermic injection of
bullock’s or sheep’s serum might be tried. In gastric inflammation due
to infection the hypodermic injection of quinine hydrochloride or
trichloride of iodine will sometimes answer when everything else has
failed. Cocaine and orthoform have no advantage over opiates,
especially the denarcotised preparations, in soothing the stomach. Ice
in small pieces pushed down the throat sometimes answers in assuaging
the thirst when the soda-water does not. In the chronic form, doses of
⅛ to ½ grain of calomel or mercury with chalk given with bismuth three
times a day are beneficial in many instances.
=Enteritis=, or inflammation of the intestines or bowels, frequently
co-exists with gastritis, and then the disease takes on the term of
_gastro-enteritis_. The causes, like those of gastritis, are various.
It may be due to infection, bad food, drugs, foreign bodies, chills,
distemper, intussusception or irritating enemas, etc. There also seems
to be a special contagious type of this disease which frequently
causes great mortality in catteries, especially with kittens.
Generally the small intestine forms the seat of the disease, which may
in rare cases, however, extend the whole length of the bowel, which is
sometimes lined with a croupy or diphtheritic membrane.
The _symptoms_ are restlessness, great pain, frequent crying or
moaning, offensive and profuse and frequent diarrhœa, the dejections
varying in colour and consistence and frequently containing blood, and
sometimes vomiting, especially when the stomach is implicated; thirst
is intense, food is refused, the animal is cold, haggard, and
depressed; its fur is dull, open, and lustreless, and becomes soiled,
giving off an abominable odour. When the abdomen is manipulated, the
animal cries or moans from the pain caused. If the pupils are dilated
and the expression has an anxious appearance, and emaciation is rapid,
a fatal termination may be anticipated.
The _treatment_ varies according to the cause. If the case is seen in
the early stage a tea- to a dessert-spoonful of castor-oil containing
1 to 2½ minims of liquid extract of opium may be given at once, to
clear out any irritating material from the bowels and also to allay
pain and irritation; or morphine in ¹⁄₁₅ to ¹⁄₁₂ grain doses may be
injected under the skin every four hours. Bismuth salicylate, in
five-grain doses, should be dropped on the tongue about the same time.
Starch enemas containing liquid extract of opium may also be
administered. Boiled milk containing bicarbonate of soda should be
given in small and repeated quantities.
Turpentine stupes frequently applied to the abdomen are recommended,
but, where this is objected to, the floor of the abdomen may be
painted with tincture of capsicum, or tincture of iodine, until
soreness is produced, the hair being first clipped off.
In those cases of epizöotic nature, isolation is called for. The food
and surroundings should be changed, and the catteries and utensils
thoroughly cleansed and disinfected. In the chronic form a powder
composed of bismuth salicylate 2 to 5 grains, and β-naphthol 1 to 2½
grains, should be shaken on the tongue three times a day. Milk and
rice form the best diet.
=Diarrhœa=, like vomiting, is not a disease of itself, but an
expression of many different affections. It may be salutary or
otherwise. It may be due to aperients, irritating or indigestible
food, microbes, diseases of the bowels, kidneys, and liver. It
frequently results from distemper or gastro-enteritis, tuberculosis,
intestinal catarrh, and from licking applications put on the skin in
the treatment of skin affections. Sour milk, tainted milk or fish, and
chills will also induce it. In kittens improper food, especially
during hot weather, is a common cause.
The _symptoms_ are a looseness of the dejections from the bowels,
which are passed several times a day. The stools vary in colour
according to the food taken by the animal, or according to the
severity of the cause; they are generally of a very offensive odour,
and may contain blood.
_Treatment._—If the cause of the diarrhœa is due to irritating food, a
dose of castor-oil will be beneficial. When due to catarrh of the
bowels, the carbonate, subnitrate, or salicylate of bismuth, in
five-grain doses, two or three times a day, is the most appropriate
treatment. If it is associated with distemper or typhus, the bismuth
salts mentioned above, or tannablin or tannigen, in 2½- to 5-grain
doses, are suitable. For chronic diarrhœa, 2½ to 5 grains of
salicylate of bismuth, with 1 to 5 grains of β-naphthol, given three
times a day on the food, is generally followed by recovery.
Failing this, a mixture composed of dilute sulphuric acid,
concentrated infusion of cloves, and concentrated infusion of
hæmatoxylin should be tried.
When the diarrhœa is due to irritation of the so-called large or
posterior bowel, injections containing starch, laudanum, and tannic
acid should be used.
As long as the diarrhœa lasts, no meat or meat infusions should be
given, but milk, rice-pudding, bread and milk, and such-like food are
suitable.
=Constipation= is an impaction of fæces in the hind bowel, and is
generally due to weakness of this portion of gut, or results from a
cleanly animal having no place to evacuate its fæces in. Sometimes it
is due to a ball of fur, and occasionally foreign bodies, such as
cat’s-meat skewers, being swallowed along with the meat by a greedy
animal. When due to paralysis of the bowel, which is occasionally seen
in young cats, the abdomen becomes distended by the fæces in the
bowel. It also occurs as a symptom of spinal paralysis. The
non-passage of fæces seen in cats when not well and not taking solid
food must not be confounded with constipation.
The _symptoms_, as a rule, are the non-passage of fæces for some time,
distension of the abdomen, and impaction of the bowel with fæces which
can be felt by manipulating the abdomen.
_Treatment._—A dose of castor-oil and an enema of soapy water or
glycerine will generally put matters right. If these means do not
succeed, massage or kneading of the bowels, by grasping the abdomen
with the hand and alternately compressing and relaxing the grasp, will
assist to stimulate the intestines to force on their contents. Of
course, this only applies when impaction is due to soft material and
not hard foreign bodies, which, in this latter case, should be removed
by the fingers or forceps. If any irritation of the mucous membrane,
evidenced by frequent straining as if to pass fæces, remains after the
bowels have been relieved, an enema of warm salad oil, containing a
few drops of liquid extract of opium, will allay it, and prevent
straining. In case of the bowel remaining weakened or paralysed so as
to bring about a recurrence of the constipation, pills containing ¹⁄₁₆
grain of the alcoholic extract of nux vomica should be administered
morning, noon, and night _after_ food.
WORMS, OR INTERNAL ANIMAL PARASITES.
Cats, like all other animals, are liable to be infested with worms,
which may not cause any disturbance, unless in great numbers or when
another disease is in existence.
The =Common Round-worm= is very prevalent in young kittens, generally
when they are living on milk, upon which these worms thrive.
Their natural residence in the cat is in the small intestine, but
sometimes they wander from here into the stomach, and set up vomiting
and occasionally convulsions.
_Treatment._—The worms should be expelled and the animal fed on
nutritious and stimulating food, such as raw fish, raw meat, and fresh
birds. The milk, to which is added a pinch of salt, should be boiled.
The best remedy to expel these worms is santonin given along with or
followed by an aperient. The following is a convenient formula:—
Santonin 1 grain.
Calomel ½ „
This powder is to be dropped on the back of the tongue of an adult cat
after fasting twelve hours, every other morning, until four doses have
been given. Half this quantity is suitable for a cat three or four
months old, and a quarter for a kitten of a month to six weeks of age.
The commonest =Tapeworm= of the cat is the _Tænia elliptica vel
felis_, with which fifty per cent. or more are affected. It is caused
by fleas, lice, and mange-mites which have at some time or another
infested the cat.
They do not seem to cause much harm, even when numbering hundreds. In
one case that I encountered the cat was in the pink of condition, and
yet I found 700 of these worms.
It is a delicate tapeworm with joints resembling a cucumber in
outline. The ripe joints, which are often of a reddish tint,
frequently become detached, and pass with the fæces, on which they are
seen. They are generally termed by fanciers _maw-worms_.
_Treatment._—The worms should be expelled, and fleas, lice, or
mange-mites destroyed, so as to prevent a recurrence of the trouble.
Another tapeworm of the cat is the _Tænia crassicollis_, or
broad-necked species. It is seen only in cats that kill and eat rats
and mice, in the liver of which the larval form of this parasite
resides.
It is a big, coarse tapeworm, measuring eighteen to thirty inches in
length, and having no well defined neck.
_Treatment._—For the expulsion of tapeworms there are many remedies,
the best of which are areca nut, kamala, oil of male fern,
pomegranate, and kousso, but as the dose of these in the crude is
generally too bulky for the cat, it is advisable to give either of
them, with the exception of the male fern, in their alkaloidal form,
as:—
Koussein ½ to 2 grains.
Kamalin ½ to 2 „
Arecoline ¼ to ½ grain.
Pelletierine ¼ to ½ „
Any one of these may be given either in pill or tabloid form, or
rubbed up with milk sugar, as a powder on an empty stomach after the
animal has fasted at least twelve hours, and repeated every third or
fourth morning. A dose of castor-oil or jalap should be given an hour
after. The oil of male fern is best administered in a capsule.
Powdered pumpkin seed may be sprinkled on the food.
DISEASES OF THE KIDNEYS.
Diseases of the kidneys, such as degeneration, fatty degeneration,
parasitic disease, tuberculosis, cancer, acute and chronic Bright’s
disease, and calculi are not rare, but, as the space at our command is
limited, we only mention them.
=Incontinence=, or the involuntary passage of urine, is usually due to
weakness of the bladder, brought about by over-distension. It
sometimes results from injury to the spine and calculi.
The _treatment_ that is best suited for this is the administration of
¹⁄₁₆ grain of the alcoholic extract of nux vomica and ½ grain of
quinine in a pill three times a day. If there be irritability of the
bladder, soda bicarbonate 2 grains and extract of henbane ⅛ grain in a
pill should be given.
Retention of urine is generally caused by a calculus or chalky
material blocking up the urethra or canal leading from the bladder,
and preventing the exit of the fluid. If relief is not given to the
bladder—that is, if the obstruction is not immediately removed—the
urine decomposes and then sets up inflammation of the bladder, and
death takes place from uræmic poisoning.
_Symptoms._—The cat seems in pain, and makes ineffectual attempts to
pass its urine; it strains to no purpose; it seems restless, getting
up, lying down, rolling on its side, swishing its tail, looking
towards its side, and crying. After a time the animal becomes drowsy
and indifferent. If the abdomen is manipulated, the bladder will be
felt to be distended, hard, and painful.
_Treatment._—The only rational treatment is to remove the obstruction
and pass the catheter immediately, a special silver catheter, half the
size of the smallest human catheter, being required for this purpose.
If the urine is bloody, it may be necessary to wash out the bladder
with a warm solution of boracic acid and alkalis and sedatives, but no
meat or meat extracts should be given.
DISEASES OF AIR PASSAGES AND LUNGS.
=A Common Cold=, or coryza, or acute nasal catarrh, or cold in the
head, is caused by exposing the cat to the inclement weather, or
washing it and not thoroughly drying afterwards. It may also be due to
the irritating vapours of chloroform or ether used by inhalation to
produce anæsthesia. Letting a cat out in the cold and wet after it has
been used to a warm, dry dwelling sometimes results in a cold. It is
not contagious, but is frequently mistaken for distemper.
_Symptoms._—There is frequent sneezing, and sometimes a cough; a clear
watery discharge trickles from the corner of the eyelids and nostrils.
After a time this discharge becomes gluey, thick, and yellowish or
greenish; the eyelids become partially closed, and the haw protrudes
over the front of the eyeball; food is refused, or sparingly eaten;
the fur is dull and open; warm or dark corners are sought for; the
animal trembles and seems miserable. If the throat is sore, there is a
cough; the breathing is wheezy, and a discharge may issue from the
angles of the mouth. These symptoms generally pass away in a few days.
_Treatment._—Where many cats are kept, an animal suffering from “a
cold” should be isolated from the rest as soon as possible, as it is
difficult to distinguish a simple case of “catarrh” from the early
stage of a case of distemper. A warm place, well ventilated, but free
from draughts, is essential.
Raw meat, scraped and given three times a day, is the best diet. Fish,
milk, bread and milk, or rice-pudding should be offered.
A small pilule of half a grain of quinine sulphate should be dropped
at the back of the mouth three times a day. The nostrils and eyelids
should be sponged with a warm solution of boric acid, containing eight
grains to the ounce of water, and afterwards smeared with a little
white vaseline three times a day. Sanitas or turpentine should be
sprinkled on the floor of the room. Great relief is often given by
inhaling the fumes of eucalyptus oil dropped into a jug of boiling
water.
=Chronic Nasal Catarrh=, sometimes called “feline glanders,” differs
from the preceding complaint, inasmuch as it runs a longer and more
persistent course; it may, however, follow on simple catarrh which has
been neglected. Distemper is one of the commonest causes of it, but it
is also seen after diphtheria. It may occur as a symptom of
tuberculosis, foreign bodies in the nasal channels, malignant growths,
such as sarcoma or cancer attacking the turbinated bones, diseased
bone, or teeth, etc.
When neglected, it may last for months or even years, and is
frequently incurable.
_Symptoms._—There is a persistent gluey, odourless, or sometimes fœtid
discharge either of a gelatinous or yellowish appearance, with or
without streaks of blood from the nostrils, the outsides of which are
sometimes ulcerated. The throat may be swollen; the appetite and
general condition of the animal are often preserved. Sometimes there
is an abscess in the inner corner of the eye.
_Treatment._—In those cases that are due to malignant tumours or
tuberculosis, and, in consequence, incurable, merciful destruction of
the animal is called for. If due to foreign bodies—as fish-bones,
pieces of grass, or food, or to diseased teeth—they should be removed.
Syringing the nostrils, so as to wash the diseased lining membrane of
the nasal channels, with some mild antiseptic is the only means to
insure success. The mode of procedure is this: A skilled assistant
must firmly secure the animal between his hands—that is, he holds the
limbs firmly—then the operator grasps the head with his left hand,
taking care to keep the mouth shut by means of the thumb and index
finger, and steadies it on the table; and with the right hand he
carefully and gently passes the pipe of the syringe up one of the
nasal channels and then presses out the fluid. When this is finished,
the other nostril is served the same.
The following is a suitable formula for the solution to be injected:—
Alum 30 grains.
Boric Acid 2 drachms.
Liquid Extract of Hydrastis 2 „
Warm Water ½ pint.
This should be used every other day until some benefit is derived from
it. If the disease is not amenable after a fortnight’s adoption of
this treatment, the following should be substituted:—
Tincture of Iodine (B. P.) 10 minims.
Glycerine 6 ounces.
Warm Water 1 ounce.
Pills of iron, quinine, arsenic, and such-like, as well as plenty of
flesh food along with cod-liver oil, should be given. Fresh air is
invigorating, and a change to the seaside sometimes does miracles.
Eucalyptus sprinkled about the cat’s box is useful, because it acts
not only as an antiseptic, but as a stimulant to the mucous membrane
of the nostrils.
=Bronchitis=, or inflammation of the bronchial or air tubes, may occur
as a sequel to catarrh or during its course, and may also accompany
distemper. It is also due to small worms in the tubes; washing
followed by exposure to draughts; medicine, especially light powders,
going down the windpipe, etc. It is frequently due to tuberculosis.
_Symptoms._—There is a frequent cough, the breathing is wheezy, and
sometimes quickened or difficult. The desire for warmth is great;
there is shivering, and perhaps a discharge from the eyes and nose. On
listening to the chest by means of the stethoscope, wheezing or
hissing or bubbling sounds will be heard.
_Treatment._—The animal should be kept in a constant temperature of
60° F., and have warm milk and beef administered to it. The throat and
sides should be rubbed with oil of mustard. Inhalations of steam are
useful when expectoration seems difficult. Kermes mineral (two grains)
and powdered squill (one grain) should be given.
=Pneumonia=, or inflammation of the substance of the lungs, may be due
to various causes, such as exposure to cold, chills after washing,
medicines passing down the windpipe, foreign bodies, blood-poisoning,
small worms, and principally distemper or tuberculosis. It may be
associated with pleurisy or bronchitis, and is then termed
pleuropneumonia or bronchopneumonia respectively; and also sometimes
with a purulent collection or tuberculosis, and then it receives the
names septic pneumonia or tubercular pneumonia, or phthisis.
_Symptoms._—At first there is intense shivering, a great desire for
warmth, loss of appetite, dull appearance, dull cough, sickness,
difficulty of breathing, which after some days becomes laboured or
panting. On auscultation of the chest the characteristic sounds may be
heard. At first fine crepitations, then a day or two after the tubular
or blowing sounds, and when convalescence sets in the fine crackling
or crepitating sounds are heard again. The cough becomes more frequent
and the appetite increases. On the other hand, if there be no
improvement, the coat becomes dull and open, the eyes sunken, and the
pupils dilated; the flanks move up and down like a pump-handle, and
the breath becomes fœtid; food is totally refused, and diarrhœa sets
in, a fatal termination is to be anticipated.
_Treatment._—The animal should be kept in a temperature of 60° F., and
fresh air, but no draughts, allowed. The sides are to be rubbed with
oil of mustard, or painted with tincture of iodine, or an ointment
composed of one part of tartar emetic to eight of lard. Quinine
sulphate, ½ grain; alcoholic extract of nux vomica, ¹⁄₁₆ grain; and
extract of digitalis, ⅛ grain, in a pill, may be administered every
four hours, and nourishing food given. In the case of tubercular
pneumonia, which is generally chronic, the animal should be destroyed.
=Pleurisy=, or inflammation of the covering of the lungs or internal
lining of the chest cavity, in the cat as well as in the dog, is
chiefly due to tuberculosis. It may, however, result from pneumonia,
abscess in the lung, cancer, parasites, injuries, foreign bodies,
gunshot wounds, cold, etc. It is generally accompanied with a dirty
sanious, or clear amber-tinted, or port-wine-coloured fluid, sometimes
containing yellowish white strings of lymph floating in it in the
chest cavity. One or both sides may be affected. It is usually fatal.
_Symptoms._—The cat has an anxious, painful facial expression, and
moans, or rather grunts, and sometimes attempts to bite when the chest
is touched or made to move; the abdomen is retracted, and the
breathing, which is short and jerky, seems to be performed by the
flanks. There is a slight or suppressed cough, but this is often
absent. The animal wastes away, the coat becomes dull and open and
lustreless, and the hairs are easily pulled out. The creature hides
under the furniture and refuses its food, and when a fatal termination
is at hand, the flanks move up and down like a pump-handle, the
breathing becomes difficult and suffocative, the mouth, which is
offensive, being opened at every inspiratory and expiratory effort;
the tongue becomes purplish, the elbows turn out, the cat assumes a
squatting position on all fours, and a fœtid diarrhœa sets in.
_Treatment._—Although generally fatal, treatment may be desired to be
attempted. The chest should be painted with tincture of iodine or oil
of mustard; if there be much pain, a hypodermic injection of morphine
will prove useful, and a pill composed of ¼ grain powdered digitalis
leaves, ½ grain sulphate of quinine, and 1 grain of iodide of
potassium, administered three times a day. When the breathing becomes
difficult in consequence of the accumulation of fluid in the chest
cavity, it may be deemed advisable to draw the fluid off by means of a
trocar. Nourishing liquid food, such as milk, Mosquera’s beef jelly,
or eggs, should be given, little and often.
DISTEMPER.
Distemper is a contagious, inoculable fever, due to a specific microbe
(the cocco-bacillus, or pasteurella of Lignières), and is similar, if
not identical, to that causing distemper in the dog. Krajewsky,
Laosson, Lignières, and others have experimentally demonstrated its
identity, but I have never observed the cat naturally giving the dog
distemper, nor _vice versâ_, and I believe this is the experience of
most veterinary surgeons in this country.
The microbe of distemper—which belongs to the same class of
micro-organisms, the pasteurella, that causes influenza in the horse,
fowl cholera, swine-fever, guineapig distemper, etc.—is generally
found in the blood, which it alters to such a degree as to make so
profound an impression on the system as to diminish its natural
resistance to the ordinary germs, which become, in consequence,
increased in virulence, and cause the various phenomena by which we
know the disease. It is difficult to detect in the body after about a
week.
The disease varies in severity according to the degree of virulence of
the microbe. If this is very virulent, it causes a _very acute_ or
_septic disease_, as is observed in the typhus or gastro-enteric
outbreak, which kills off a large number of animals within a few days
or even hours. If it is of a milder strength, we get the _subacute
form with localisations_, such as we usually see in distemper. There
is also a _chronic form_, which lasts a long time, and which tries the
patience of the owner as well as the vitality of the sufferer.
Finally, a _chronic wasting_ or _cachectic form_ is sometimes
observed; it resembles the “going light” in birds and other animals,
and may be mistaken for starvation, which it simulates very much.
The microbe may exist in a healthy cat’s body for weeks without
causing it any disturbance until, perhaps, the animal catches cold, or
is depressed in some other manner. However, an apparently healthy
animal with this microbe in it may be infective for other cats.
_Period of Incubation._—This varies according to the degree of
virulence of the microbe and the state of the cat’s system and the
surroundings in which it is kept. A very virulent infection has a much
shorter period of incubation than a mild infection. Whereas the former
may cause distemper in from two to five days, the latter takes from
one to three weeks. It seems doubtful whether the specific microbe
causes the symptoms we usually see in distemper, or if these are due
to a secondary infection resulting from the invasion of the normal
microbes of the body, which have become virulent, and prey upon their
hosts.
_Duration of the Disease._—This, like the period of incubation, varies
also according to the degree of virulence of the virus. A very
virulent virus kills in a few days or even hours, or the animal
recovers very quickly. It is not so with a virus of a milder degree of
virulence, which may cause symptoms that take from one to five or six
weeks to disappear, if the animal recover. In other cases the disease
shows itself in so mild a form that it appears like an ordinary
catarrh, and recovery is established within a few days.
In a few instances death takes place suddenly before any premonitory
symptoms have had time to develop.
The principal _sources of propagation_ of the infection are cat shows,
catteries (especially those belonging to people who exhibit), homes
for lost and stray cats, and institutions that take in these animals
as boarders. The cat dealer’s shop is not free from blame—many newly
purchased kittens develop distemper a few days after purchase,
contracted, no doubt, at the dealer’s. Many cases have been traced to
the cattery where the female has been sent to stud. Hampers, cages,
and persons coming from infected catteries are so many media of
contagion. Even if a cat has apparently recovered from the disease, it
may still give off infection and contaminate other cats for a variable
but uncertain period.
Although the disease may be seen at all times of the year, it is most
prevalent during spring and autumn, especially if the weather is
changeable and wet.
Moisture of the atmosphere favours the increase of distemper. Wet,
following very dry weather, continuous dampness and rain, all
predispose an animal to the disease. Where catteries or homes for lost
and strays are continuously being washed out and not properly dried,
especially in damp weather, before the cats are allowed into the
rooms, distemper is very prevalent.
Where too many cats are crowded into a given space, especially if the
place is badly lighted and not very well ventilated, this is
favourable for the contamination of the inmates.
The _mortality_ varies according to the breed of the animal, its
surroundings, and the degree of virulence of the infection. Seasons
and periods have also some bearing on it. Commonbred cats allowed to
roam out in the open at their will are more likely to recover from the
disease, but if confined to cages or in catteries, or in the house,
the mortality is quite twenty-five per cent. The long-haired cats are
less resistant against it, and as many as fifty percent. die. In the
Siamese breed of cats, the fatality is as high as ninety out of every
hundred. The younger the animals, the greater the deathrate; yet, on
the other hand, if old animals are very fat or anæmic from want of
fresh air and exercise, the mortality is just as high.
Many cats are resistant at one time against the infection, others have
it in a mild form, and yet others have it severely; but this does not
always prevent them from having it again at some future period. My
experience is that a cat may frequently have a recurrence of distemper
at least two or three times, and then succumb to it.
One season it may appear as a contagious catarrh, another season as an
infectious sore throat, and at other times as a bronchitis or
pneumonia, and, lastly, as a contagious gastritis or gastro-enteritis.
Frequently all these forms may co-exist in a single outbreak, and
often a single animal exhibits the whole of these manifestations. For
the convenience of description of the symptoms of this multiform
malady we divide it into five principal forms, as follow:—
1. The _Catarrhal_, attacking chiefly the eyes and nostrils.
2. The _Pharyngeal_ or _Tonsillar_, affecting the region of the
throat.
3. The _Pulmonary_ or _Chest_ form.
4. The _Abdominal_ or _Gastro-enteric_.
5. The _Cachectic_ or _Wasting_.
The _Catarrhal_ form of distemper is that which is generally seen in
the cat, and is the least fatal of any. The first _symptoms_ noticed
are a watery discharge from one and sometimes both eyes, the lids of
which may be partially or completely closed, so as to hide the front
of the eye, and a frequent licking of the upper lip and nose as if
they were parched and burning. After a day or so the inner lining of
the eyelids may be very much reddened, swollen, and giving rise to a
yellow-white or greenish-white thick discharge, which adheres to the
lids and seals them together. There may also be shivering fits, a dull
open coat, and a great desire for warmth (this being so intense in
some cases that the animal frequently gets under the grate when a fire
is in it). There is sneezing, followed by a snuffling kind of
breathing; the nostrils discharge a thick, ropy, whitish or greenish
matter, which clings to their openings, and very often closes them up.
When the pharynx or larynx is the seat of catarrh there are frequent
fits of coughing. The appetite is diminished or absent, but thirst is,
as a rule, great. There may also be seen at times vomiting, diarrhœa,
or constipation. Emaciation is gradual and slight, or rapid and great,
varying according to the severity of the symptoms.
The breathing is not much altered in the majority of cases, but in a
few instances it becomes frequent. The temperature rises a few
degrees, but this is variable, and it is sometimes normal. The body
and limbs feel cold to the touch, and sometimes give off an offensive
odour. The tongue, lips, hard and soft palates, and gums (especially
around the teeth) are occasionally ulcerated. Now and again the eyes
become the seat of ulceration, which on rare occasions becomes
perforated; at other times they become affected with a severe
inflammation, which extends to the whole eyeball and destroys this
organ. There is at times dulness or drowsiness, and the animal seeks
dark corners or gets under the furniture. Many cats from sheer
nervousness, especially in strange places, avoid the fire and seek
obscure or lofty positions. Recovery generally takes place within a
fortnight or three weeks, but death may take place within twenty-four
to forty-eight hours from the commencement of the attack.
The _Pharyngeal_, _Tonsillar_, or _Throat_ form is the most deadly
manifestation of distemper. The first _symptom_ to attract attention
is the drivelling of clear, ropy albuminous saliva from the corners of
the mouth. The animal crouches upon all four of its limbs; there is a
frequent gulping movement, and a sound is emitted from the throat as
if there was an attempt to swallow the thick ropy saliva which clings
about the mouth and pharynx; the swallowing seems difficult or
impossible; food is refused, but thirst is constant, although the
animal seems incapable of swallowing; there is a great dulness or
depression, and the cat appears indifferent to its surroundings.
On examination of the outside of the throat it is found swollen and
painful, the glands are enlarged, and there appears to be a gurgling
noise at each inspiration and expiration. On inspection of the mouth
and back of the throat, the tongue and pharynx are found to be covered
with a thick, ropy, bubbling saliva, the mucous membrane is swollen
and congested, and the soft palate is of a pinkish or even dark
reddish arborescent appearance, due to the congested state of the
small blood-vessels. Sometimes ulcers appear on the hard and soft
palates. After a day or so the depression increases, there is a
discharge from the eyes and nostrils, which appears at first as a
clear viscid fluid, and afterwards becomes yellowish or dirty green in
colour, and, if the animal lives long enough, ultimately bloody, in
consequence of it irritating the mucous membranes and surrounding skin
of the eyes and nose. There may also be a catarrhal or purulent fœtid
discharge from one or both ears, but this is quite exceptional, and is
mostly seen in cases having a fatal termination.
If the prostration is very great, and there is rapid loss of weight
and condition, and the discharge from the mouth, nostrils, and eyes
becomes fœtid, coupled with total loss of appetite, and no abatement
of the other symptoms, a fatal termination is to be anticipated. Late
in the complaint the pharyngeal mucus may become of a dirty colour or
sanious; purple spots appear on the tongue, gums, and lips, and there
is a moan or cry emitted at each respiratory effort; convulsive
movements of the muscles of the temples, shoulders, and thighs set in,
and death takes place from intoxication. The temperature rises at
first, but when a fatal termination is to be anticipated it falls
below the normal.
The _Pulmonary_ or _Chest_ form, although not so frequently seen in
the cat as in the dog, may appear from the outset as a distinct
localisation, or follow or intervene during an attack of the other
forms as a complication. It may or may not be ushered in by shivering
fits; the coat becomes dull and open, there is sneezing or coughing,
or both; tears run from the eyes, and mucus issues from the nostrils,
and there is a great desire for warmth. The temperature is elevated,
and varies from 102.5° to 106°, but rarely running a typical course.
The cough, when present, is frequent and rattling or harsh, and
sometimes dull. On listening to the chest wheezing, rattling, or
blowing, or rubbing, or splashing sounds may be heard. Emaciation is
either gradual or rapid, thirst is generally great, but the appetite
is diminished or absent.
The breathing is either quickened or the inspiratory and expiratory
efforts may be prolonged and accompanied or not with a moan or grunt,
which is sometimes associated with fluid in the chest cavity, which is
known by the pumping or lifting action of the flanks, this effusion in
one or both of the pleural sacs being either of a clear greenish or
amber-tinted or bloody or dirty yellowish appearance, and sometimes of
a fœtid odour. Besides pleurisy, which is only occasionally
encountered, there may be pneumonia, bronchopneumonia, or bronchitis,
according to the structure of lung involved in this form of distemper.
(For a description of these localisations or complications, _see_
under their respective headings.)
The lesions of the lungs may be slight, and yet the symptoms may be
severe; on the contrary, the lesions may be extensive, and the
resulting symptoms comparatively slight. If the fever remains high,
the appetite abolished, the pupils dilated, the breathing plaintive
and very rapid, and prostration great, death soon takes place from
failure of the heart due to intoxication. In many cases, though, the
fever is not intense, and yet death supervenes.
The _Abdominal_, _Gastric_, or _Gastro-enteric_ form of distemper is
oftener seen than either the pharyngeal or pulmonary form, and may
occur as a very acute and rapidly fatal manifestation, or as a chronic
disease. It frequently accompanies the other forms. In _acute_ cases
there is sudden vomiting of food, quickly followed by a frequently
repeated ejection of thick, slimy, and frothy mucus, and ultimately by
a thin, watery, serous fluid, which is of an olive-green or yellowish
appearance. The thirst is intense, and no sooner is water sipped than
it is expelled. There is frequent diarrhœa; the stools at first seem
fluid, then become watery, sometimes bloody, and very fœtid. The
appetite is suppressed, and the animal becomes cold and indifferent to
its surroundings, the facial expression is pinched, the eyes are
semi-closed; the coat is dull and open, and on pressure over the
region of the stomach pain is evinced by a moan or cry, and death
usually takes place in a few hours. There is not as a rule any
discharge from the eyes and nostrils.
In the _subacute_ cases, beyond a slight catarrhal discharge from the
eyes and nostrils, there may be either vomiting or diarrhœa—often
both—and at other instances vomiting and constipation. When the bowels
are the principal seat of the disease, vomiting is rare, but diarrhœa
is generally persistent. Thirst is great, and food is refused or taken
sparingly. The animal is dull, cries if moved or if the abdomen is
manipulated; emaciation is rapid, and the animal dies in a state of
exhaustion.
In the _chronic_ cases there may or may not be any catarrhal symptoms,
but there is a chronic and persistent diarrhœa, and sometimes
vomiting. The appetite is capricious or sometimes ravenous, thirst
moderate, and emaciation gradual, and liquid fæces may be expelled on
the least effort, as by coughing; the fur or pelage around the tail
becomes soiled, and, in consequence, the animal gives off an offensive
odour.
In some instances the breath becomes fœtid; the teeth, gums, tongue,
and lips are covered with a dirty brown or greenish slimy material;
and frequently the gum around the neck of the teeth is spongy, and
bleeds on the slightest touch. Occasionally the bone into which the
teeth are inserted becomes exposed, ulcerated, or necrosed. Ulcers are
at times seen on the lips and tongue.
The _Chronic Cachectic_ or _Wasting_ form is sometimes encountered as
a chronic wasting malady, not showing many symptoms beyond gradual
emaciation, great weakness, intense thirst, ravenous or capricious
appetite, and occasionally diarrhœa. At other times the animal goes
off its appetite, sits about in a mopish manner, has a staring and
dull coat, the mucous membranes are pallid, the haw protruding over
the front of the inner portion of the eyeballs, and becomes light in
weight.
It very occasionally happens in these wasting cases that the skin
becomes the seat of parasitic mange, and, in consequence, gives off an
offensive mousy or mouldy odour. If treatment is not skilfully and
early adopted, death takes place, and on _post-mortem_ examination the
remains simulate those of an animal having died from starvation. It
may follow on the other forms of manifestation.
_Skin eruptions_ are rarely noticed in distemper of the cat, but
sometimes one sees on kittens a scabby eruption resembling ecthyma,
the discharge of which mats the hairs in these young creatures.
_Female cats_, when pregnant, frequently _abort_—in fact, nearly every
cat in this condition in a cattery affected with distemper will
miscarry, making it appear as if it were a special contagious disease.
The _ears_ occasionally become the seat of acute catarrh or
ulceration, and give rise to an offensive discharge. This complication
is mostly associated with the pharyngeal form.
The _cornea_ of the eye is sometimes the seat of ulceration, which
generally disappears as the animal recovers. The whole eyeball
occasionally partakes of inflammation, which destroys it.
When the _eyes of young kittens_ become the seat of catarrh, the eye
is generally destroyed, and consequently the sight is lost. The
_nervous_ type, showing itself as excitement, convulsions, chorea,
meningitis, or paralysis, although seen, is somewhat rare in this
creature.
_Death_ may occur either suddenly from convulsions, or rapidly from
intoxication, or slowly from exhaustion.
When due to intoxication, clonic, convulsive, or twitching movements
of the muscles of the temples, shoulders, and hind limbs precede, and
are even seen shortly after, death. Frequently death takes place
without any symptoms of the disease having been noticed. In this case
it appears to be due to the rapidity of the formation of the toxin or
poison of the microbe, which causes intense shock to the system.
_Diagnosis._—In many instances this disease is mistaken for a simple
catarrh, diarrhœa, or sore throat—a mistake unfortunate where other
cats are concerned. It is true that the first stage of distemper
frequently resembles either of these simple complaints, which are not
contagious, and generally only affect one out of several animals kept
together, and run their course in a few days; whereas in distemper the
disease usually runs a prolonged course, is very prostrating, and in
many instances fatal, and, beyond all, contagious. On the other hand,
it may resemble diphtheria, which is contagious, but has false
membranes on the soft palate, pharynx, larynx, and tonsils, which are
absent in distemper.
_Prognosis._—Distemper is a most treacherous disease, and one of which
even an expert cannot foretell the result. Many instances occur in
which an animal appears to be on the right road towards recovery, when
a relapse suddenly sets in and carries off the poor creature. If the
appetite is moderate, the emaciation not rapid or great, the diarrhœa
not intense or too frequent, and no complications set in after the end
of the first week, recovery may be anticipated. On the other hand, if
the weakness be progressive and prolonged, emaciation rapid and great,
an offensive odour is given off from the body, eyes sunken in their
orbits, pupils dilated, and the facial expression is haggard, death is
to be expected. Again, relapses (which are commonly encountered),
early youth, obesity, complications, the breed of the animal (such as
Siamese and long-haired varieties, especially light-coloured animals),
are generally unfavourable towards a certain recovery.
Chronic nasal catarrh, chronic pneumonia or phthisis, and persistent
diarrhœa may also give trouble after the distemper has run its
ordinary course, and will have to be reckoned with.
_Treatment._—An old maxim is, “Prevention is better than cure,” and
ought to be carried out as far as possible by isolating all those
animals that have been in contact with the infection.
Animals coming from homes for lost and stray cats, cat shows, dealers
in cats, should be kept apart from those in the cattery for at least a
fortnight, to see if they develop the complaint. The place of
isolation should have no communication with the building or house in
which the majority of healthy cats are kept. The baskets, cages,
clothing, etc., should be thoroughly washed and disinfected before
they are used again for sound cats. It ought not to be forgotten that
persons who have been in contact with sick animals may carry the
infection on their hands or clothes.
When distemper has declared itself in a cattery and the inmates have
recovered, the place should be _thoroughly_ scrubbed, disinfected, and
afterwards lime-washed or repainted. Boiling water and soda, used with
the aid of a scrubbing-brush, is much more reliable to remove
infection than many of the so-called disinfectants, which frequently
do not destroy the virus, but often injure the cats. After the
habitation has been _scrupulously cleansed_, it may be well to
disinfect it with chlorinated lime (1 lb. to the gallon of cold
water), which should be brushed all over the floor, walls, partitions,
etc. Baskets, hampers, etc., should be served likewise. Metal and
earthenware utensils may be boiled in strong soda-water.
Before any cats are again put into the place, the doors and windows
should be opened for at least a week, and fresh air and daylight
admitted, as they are the best destructors of micro-organisms.
Where valuable cats are kept and the risk of distemper is great, it
would be advisable for the owner to have the cats _immunised_, or
_rendered proof_ against the disease, by means of the Pasteurian
system of vaccination with the attenuated microbe of distemper, as
introduced into practice by Professor Lignières and Dr. Phisalix.
Several degrees of strength of the vaccine are used. The animal is at
first vaccinated or inoculated with a mild degree of virus, and
afterwards with vaccine of gradually increased virulence, so that the
most virulent virus (which would quickly kill, or cause the disease in
a severe form in an animal not previously inoculated with the milder
vaccines) would not produce any disturbance in the vaccinated
creature.
_Medical or Curative Treatment._—The sick animal should be kept in a
well-lighted and well ventilated but not draughty room, which ought to
be dry, and kept at a temperature of about 60°. The floor should be
covered with a thick layer of fresh pine sawdust, heaps of which
should be placed in tins, boxes, or old coal-scuttles for the
convenience of the animals.
If the cat is seen in the first stage of the disease, an emetic of ¼
to ½ grain of tartar emetic in a teaspoonful of warm water may be
given to clear out the stomach and bronchial tubes. In place of this
drug, ¹⁄₃₀ to ¹⁄₂₀ grain of hydrochloride of apomorphine in tabloid
form may be injected under the skin. After the emetic has passed off,
easily digested and nourishing food, such as milk, should be offered,
and, if refused, forced upon the animal. When the appetite is fairly
good, ⅛ to ¼ grain of calomel may be given twice a day, but must be
stopped as soon as it causes vomiting or intense diarrhœa.
When the appetite is bad, quinine sulphate (½ grain) given three times
a day for a lengthened period may be useful in remedying it.
The _eyes_ and _nostrils_ should be bathed three times a day with the
following lotion:
Chinosol 3½ grains,
Rose-water 8 ounces;
and then smeared with an ointment composed of—
Boracic Acid ½ drachm,
Cold Cream 4 drachms.
When the _throat_ is very much inflamed, it should be painted on the
outside, after all the hair is clipped off from ear to ear, with
tincture of iodine or the ætherial tincture of capsicum, three times a
day, until soreness is produced. As it is a difficult job to paint the
inside of the cat’s throat, the following powder dropped on the tongue
will act in a similar manner:—
Quinine sulphate ½ grain,
Borax 2½ grains.
_To be given morning, noon,
and night._
If there is either _pleurisy_ or _pneumonia_, or both combined, the
hair should be cut off over the ribs, and the skin painted with a
solution of tartar emetic (composed of 1 drachm of the drug to an
ounce of spirit), and then wrapped up with a binder, under which a
layer of cotton-wool is placed.
In case there is _repeated vomiting_, a powder composed of—
Bismuth carbonate 5 grains,
Cocaine hydrochloride ⅛ grain,
should be shaken on the tongue every four hours until twenty-four
hours have elapsed since the last vomiting took place. If there should
be a persistent and _profuse diarrhœa_, it must be moderated, but not
suppressed, by means of 2½ grains of tannigen given morning, noon, and
night. When there are any _convulsions_ or much _pain_, ⅙ to ¼ grain
of extract of opium in pill should be administered morning and night.
Light and easily digested food—such as peptonised milk, Mosquera’s
beef jelly, Benger’s peptonised food, etc.—should be given in small
and repeated quantities during the earlier or active stages of the
disease. Later on, in the convalescent stage, scraped raw beef, boiled
fish, rice-pudding, etc., may be offered.
Parrish’s chemical food and cod-liver oil, given by some cat-owners
during the acute stage of distemper when there is no appetite, are
harmful and cruel remedies.
DISEASES OF THE EAR.
The external ear in the cat is short, upright, triangular, pointed,
and opens in front. Its apex in some cats—especially Persians—has a
tuft of hair growing from the inside. In the outer margin the ear
doubles on itself, forming a pouch, in which lumps of dirt, ear-mites,
etc., frequently accumulate.
A =Serous Cyst=, or abscess, forms between the skin and cartilage of
the inside, and sometimes also of the outside, of the ear or ears.
The ear is swollen, feels tense, has a bluish or reddish tint, but is
not very painful. The contents of this swelling are a thin, reddish
fluid and a blood clot, which separate the skin from the cartilage and
its covering.
It is always associated with ear-mites, and generally results in the
ear shrinking and becoming drawn down, which, when both ears are
affected, give the animal a peculiar appearance, resembling some wild
variety of the cat tribe that usually carries these organs in a
semi-pendulous manner.
_Treatment._—It can be prevented by keeping the cat’s ears clean and
free from ear-mites. When it is present, the cyst should be freely
opened (which can be done painlessly by previously injecting a few
drops of a 4 per cent. solution of cocaine), the blood clot carefully
removed, and the inner surface of the cavity washed out with a 5 per
cent. solution of chinosol. The ear must be gently pulled every day to
prevent shrinking, and, consequently, deformity.
=True Canker= is an inflammation of the deeper part of the cavity of
the ear, accompanied with a chronic fœtid, whitish, cheesy, or gluey
discharge, and sometimes ulceration, and, rarely, warty-looking
growths. It usually runs a long course, unless skilfully treated, and
is liable to recur.
_Treatment._—The ear should be carefully washed out with tincture of
calendula, and then well dried with cotton-wool, and afterwards have
_finely_ sifted boracic powder blown down the cavity. This treatment
should be carried out at least every other day until recovery takes
place.
Quite 90 per cent. of long-haired varieties and cross-breeds suffer
from =Parasitic Canker=. It is seen in kittens a month old, as well as
in aged cats, and is conveyable to the dog. The ferret also is liable
to it.
It is due to the ear-mite called _Symbiotes auricularum_, which was
first found in the ear of the dog by Professor Hering, of Stuttgart,
in 1834, and in the cat by Huber, of Memingen, in 1860.
It resembles the mange and cheese mites in general characters, and is
only with difficulty seen with the naked eye. When viewed in strong
sunlight, it appears as a small whitish or cinnamon-coloured woolly
speck, resembling a grain of meal or flour crawling about on the
brownish dirt in the ears. These mites nearly always collect together
in large colonies.
There is frequent scratching of the ears with the hind limb. The cat
suddenly stops, sits down, inclines its head to one side, and
scratches away as if it gave it great pleasure to do so. In some
cases, however, it becomes quite frantic, and swears. Frequently there
is an abrasion of the skin behind the ears due to this scratching, and
occasionally the flap of the ear becomes the seat of a serous abscess,
which I have described.
When the mite wanders over the drum of the ear, especially in warm
weather, some cats are seized with convulsions, others become
delirious, and many reel about as if intoxicated.
_Treatment._—The ears should be washed out with warm soap and water,
and then well dried with cotton-wool, and afterwards have a liniment
composed of oil of stavesacre (2 drachms) and almond oil (6 drachms),
mixed together, and poured in every day until all signs of irritation
have passed away, care being taken to wipe off the superfluous
dressing from the ears after each dressing.
DISEASES OF THE EYE.
In certain respects the eye of the cat differs from that of the other
domesticated animals. It resembles the eye of the dog in its shape,
which is somewhat rounded and globular. The _membrana nictitans_,
_haw_, or _third eyelid_, is not so well developed as in some other
animals, as the cat is able to protect the eye with the paw to a
considerable extent. The _tapetum lucidum_ is of a brilliant metallic
golden yellow or greenish (in Siamese and albino cats pinkish colour),
and is so well developed that it probably enables the animal to see
better at night, by reflecting the rays of light a second time through
the retina.
It is also the cause of the well-known glare of the cat’s eyes in the
dark.
The _iris_, or _curtain_, is yellowish-green, orange, or golden in
most cats; sometimes it is amber-coloured, and in other cases golden,
with a tinge of metallic green around the pupillary circumference.
Some cats, especially white cats, have the iris of one of the eyes of
a bluish white appearance, and the other a golden, amber, or greenish
golden colour.
The Siamese cat and many white cats have pale blue or bluish eyes. The
shade of the iris generally varies with the colour of the cat’s fur,
and is taken into consideration in the judging of points at shows.
The _pupil_, or opening in the centre of the iris, when widely
dilated, is circular in shape, but when contracted it becomes
vertically elliptical, and may become so narrow as to appear as a mere
thin perpendicular slit.
The _optic disc_, or entrance of the optic nerve before it expands in
the cavity of the eyeball to form the retina, is small, round, and
cupped, and of a clear grey colour, and the veins in it can be
distinguished from the arteries which radiate from the optic disc. The
choroidal vessels are rarely seen, but in the Siamese cat they are
seen in the red peripheral zone.
Kittens, like puppies, are, as a rule, born with the eyelids closed,
and this condition lasts usually from nine to twelve days, when the
membrane joining the two lids together wastes and finally gives way.
Sometimes, however, the eyelids do not become separated, or only
become so at one part, so that surgical intervention may be necessary
to separate the partially or completely closed lids.
I have, on several occasions, seen kittens born with their eyes open,
but have not been able to satisfy myself if the condition was due to
any prolongation of the period of uterogestation.
The eyelids are sometimes the seat of =ringworm=, =mange=, =follicular
scabies=, or =eczema=, and as these affections are usually present in
other parts of the body, they can easily be diagnosed by means of the
naked eye or the microscope. The best remedy for any of these
diseases, when situated on the eyelids, is:—
Yellow oxide of mercury 4 grains.
White vaseline 1 ounce.
These ingredients are to be well mixed by a competent chemist, and a
small piece, about the size of a pea, is to be well rubbed on the
affected part or parts every morning. Care must be taken that no
superfluous ointment is left on the hairs, as most cats will rub it
off with their paws, which they will immediately lick, and so may
become poisoned.
The eyelids occasionally become turned inwards, so that the hairs
covering it rub on the glassy portion of the eyeball, and frequently
set up irritation, inflammation, and opacity, and a copious discharge
of tears. This is termed =entropium=, and requires an operation. When
the eyelid is turned outwards from the eyeball, the condition takes
the name of _ectropium_, which rarely calls for any interference, as
it does not injure the animal, even if it is unsightly. A very rare
anomaly of the eyelid in the cat is when the hairs of it take an
unusual direction, and rub on the glassy portion of the eyeball, and,
like entropium, set up irritation, inflammation, and smokiness of it.
This is termed _trichiasis_, and requires an operation to remedy it.
The eyelids are also subject to =wounds=, =bruises=, =abscesses=,
=warts=, and =Meibomian cysts=, which do not call for special
attention. The _third eyelid_, _haw_, or _membrana nictitans_—though,
as before stated, it is not so well developed in the cat as in some
other animals—is liable, in debilitating diseases, such as distemper,
anæmia, etc., to protrude persistently over the inner part of the
front of the eyeball. It will, however, resume its normal position as
the cat regains strength, and should, therefore, on _no account_ be
removed. It frequently becomes inflamed during distemper, catarrh, or
ophthalmia, or from injuries, but should not in these cases be
removed, as if it were a foreign body or new growth; a simple
soothing, antiseptic lotion will put it right as the original disease
abates and strength is regained.
Frequently in the cat, as in the dog, just below the inner angle of
the eye socket an _abscess_ forms. This is due to pus in the cavity of
the jaw bones, called also the antrum of highmore, above the teeth,
and is generally caused by some disturbance or disease of the tooth.
When the tooth immediately below the abscess is removed, and the
abscess cavity is washed out with some astringent, recovery usually
takes place. It should, however, be borne in mind that the teeth below
the eye are frequently diseased, and no abscess is caused by them.
A =fistula= may form immediately below the inner angle of the eyelids.
It results from an abscess which opens, and then heals up, to break
out again. This process goes on until a permanent opening or fistula
remains, from which a discharge of matter issues. This is connected
with some disturbance, or even disease, of the tooth or teeth
immediately below it. When the tooth or teeth are removed, and the
opening occasionally well washed out with some astringent, it heals
up, and no further trouble is seen. However, it is sometimes due to
tuberculosis, and the mere removal of teeth does not do away with the
fistula. It is mostly mistaken for a lachrymal fistula.
Sometimes the conjunctiva, or the pinkish membrane lining the inner
surface of the eyelids and the front of the eyeball, becomes the seat
of disease.
A non-inflammatory swelling of it is seen, due to an infiltration of
serum. This is called _chemosis_. It has the appearance of a palish
pink swelling all round the eye, which seems sunken in the orbit but
does not seem inflamed or painful. It may quickly disappear on
dropping a few minims of a 4 per cent. solution of cocaine
hydrochloride into the eye. It is liable to recur at some future time.
=Conjunctivitis=, or inflammation of the membrane covering the inner
lining of the eyes and the front of the eyeball, is also termed
external or simple ophthalmia. It is frequently seen in the cat during
distemper, diphtheria, catarrh, or from an injury to, or presence of a
foreign body in, the eye.
The animal evidently dreads the light, as the eyelids are partially
closed, and the haw is drawn a little way over the front of the
eyeball. Tears run down the face, and, if the eyelids are separated,
and the internal lining thus exposed, it will be found that it is
swollen and reddened from the distension of the small blood-vessels.
After a day or two, the discharge alters in character, and instead of
being watery, as before, appears as yellowish white thick matter,
flowing from or sticking to the inner corner of the eye. The lining
membrane may become so swollen that it laps over the lids, and the
eyeball seems to have sunk into its orbit.
Sometimes it is associated with the presence on the conjunctiva of
small, round, pinkish bodies, the size of a pin’s head, which
completely disappear as the affection passes off, leaving the mucous
membrane as they found it. Frequently, there are reddish-yellow
granulations or greyish-white, semi-transparent, or glistening bodies,
of the size of a rape-seed or less, scattered over the conjunctival
membrane, or protruding from it.
To these two latter varieties of conjunctivitis the terms of
_follicular_ and _granular_ are respectively applied. They both seem
contagious.
_Treatment._—If the catarrh of the eyes is due to a foreign body, it
must be removed. The cat should be kept in a dark, warm place, free
from draughts and away from the fire, and the eye bathed with a warm
lotion composed of the following ingredients:—
Boracic acid 8 grains.
Cocaine hydrochloride 8 „
Rose-water 1 ounce.
If there are any granules on the conjunctiva, the lining membrane of
the lids should be everted, after the eye has been cocainised, and
painted with a 10 per cent. solution of nitrate of silver or rubbed
with a stick of copper sulphate, care being taken that the superfluous
material is afterwards washed off with warm water.
The =Purulent Ophthalmia of the New-born= is seen in young kittens as
soon as their eyes are opened, or even before, and is a very serious
complaint, as it generally attacks the eyeball, which it destroys, and
consequently the sight is lost. This disease seems contagious.
There is a bulging of the eyelids, which are glued together. When
these are separated, a thick, yellowish matter flows out, the eyes are
ulcerated and perforated, the inner surfaces of the eyelids are
inflamed, and soon after the contents of the eye protrude as a fleshy
mass.
_Treatment._—If the eyes are destroyed, the animal should be put into
the lethal chamber at once. On the other hand, if there is no
ulceration of the eyeball, the eyelids should be separated and the
eyes and under-surface of the eyelids constantly irrigated for a
quarter of an hour at a time with a warm solution of chinosol. The
eyelids must not be allowed to become sealed up, else matter will
collect and press on the delicate eyeballs and destroy them. It may be
advisable to paint the inside of the eyelids with a 10 per cent.
solution of nitrate of silver.
The _cornea_, or clear, glassy transparent membrane of the front of
the eyeball, is frequently involved in the disease just described, or
it may become inflamed or ulcerated independent of it.
Inflammation of the cornea, termed =Corneitis=, _keratitis_, or
_external_ ophthalmia, may result from conjunctivitis, injuries,
distemper, diphtheria, or disease of the brain or nerves, sunstroke,
etc.
It is very prevalent during the cold winds of spring, and in the
majority of instances seems to be contagious. It appears in the form
of patchy congestion or inflammation, or at a later stage as
ulceration.
One or both eyes may be affected. There is a dread of light, a
continual flow of tears, and frequent winking of the eyelids, or
almost complete closure of them. The cornea, usually glassy and
transparent, becomes clouded by a smoky or milky white film, which has
a rounded or irregular form.
Blood-vessels, which in the normal state are absent, appear on the
cornea, spreading from a part or all round the circumference towards
the centre of the eye. If the inflammation is intense and prolonged,
the eyeball perforated, and the contents bulge outwards and become
rough, dirty, and leathery in appearance, this condition is generally
seen either as the result of an injury, or from improper treatment, or
neglect of a simple affection of the eye. In distemper the
inflammation usually expends itself on some particular spot or spots
in one or both eyes. These spots may appear as mere milky white
patches, or they may present an appearance which might lead an
ordinary observer to the conclusion that a small piece had been dug
out of the eye. They may occur either in the centre of the cornea, or
a little above it, or sometimes a little towards the outer angle of
the eye.
At the outset the cornea at the particular spot or spots in which the
inflammation is localised becomes softened, then bulges, and finally
gives way, so that a depression or ulcer is left on the eye. Some time
after this ulcer becomes filled up with granulations of a dirty red
colour, which afterwards become absorbed, when the cure is complete.
Frequently two ulcers appear side by side.
Sometimes, when these ulcerations are improperly treated or neglected,
or associated with great debility or anæmia, the white speck remains
as a permanent blemish, or in the more serious cases the ulcer
perforates the eye, and the contents of which bulge and cause what is
termed a _staphyloma_, from its resemblance to a grape, or the whole
eye may become involved in the inflammation and be totally destroyed.
In these cases of the destroyed or “_lost_” _eyes_, the whole eyeball
has a greenish-white appearance, and seems to bulge out from the
socket in consequence of the general swelling of the organ. It may
give way or become ulcerated, giving rise to a continual discharge,
and if not removed causes great pain and exhaustion.
_Treatment._—The cat should be kept in the dark, and soothing
antiseptics applied to the eye.
The solution recommended for conjunctivitis is also very serviceable
here. If the eye affection is due to distemper or any other general
disease, it is, of course, necessary to treat this disease, in
addition to the local applications to the eye. When ulceration takes
place, the following drops are recommended:—
Eserine salicylate ½ grain.
Distilled water 2 drachms.
To be instilled between the eyelids, by means of an eye-dropper, two
or three times a day. If, however, there is much vascularity, the
following drops are advisable:—
Atrophine sulphate ½ grain.
Cocaine hydrochloride 6 grains.
Distilled water 2 drachms.
After all the acute symptoms have passed away, the indolent
granulations may require treatment. A suitable application for this
purpose is:—
Chinosol 3½ grains.
Rose-water 8 ounces.
To bathe the eye, by means of allowing the lotion to drop by squeezing
a piece of lint saturated with it between the eyelids several times a
day.
When the eye is irretrievably lost, and suppuration commences in the
interior of the eye, it is necessary to remove the whole eyeball.
However, this should not be performed in the case of distemper until
after the original disease abates, else removal of one eye will
probably end in destruction of the other.
_General Remarks on the Eye._—In all affections of the eyes, a careful
examination of them should be made by an experienced qualified
veterinary surgeon. As, however, in some out-of-the-way places
professional aid is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain, a few
brief hints as to general treatment should be useful. Many amateurs,
in their anxiety to effect a speedy and complete cure, attempt too
much, use powerful and irritating drugs (often also in improper
proportions), and frequently, with the best intentions in the world,
succeed in permanently injuring or even destroying the sight. It is
therefore better, in the absence of professional aid, and especially
in the earlier stages of inflammation of the eyes, to trust to mild
and palliative treatment, and to “give nature a chance.”
In all cases of recent inflammation, soothing applications should be
used, such as warm infusion of poppy-heads or camomile flowers, warm
milk, cocaine drops, etc. If the inflammation is associated with
increased tension of the eyeball, due to an excessive quantity of
fluid within it, or is accompanied by deep ulceration, the increased
tension should be reduced by means of the eserine drops.
Lotions containing either _lead_ or _silver nitrate_ should not be
used in inflammation of the cornea associated with ulceration, as the
former is apt to leave a white spot or patch, and the latter a brown
or blackish stain.
Last, but by no means least, animals affected with disturbance of the
eyes should be kept in the dark, or at any rate away from the fire or
from any glaring light, and should be shielded from draughts. The
general health should also be looked to, and nourishing food given.
DISEASES OF THE SKIN.
The cat is very fortunately free from many of the skin complaints that
affect the dog. Nevertheless, domestication and improper
surroundings—the curses of health—demand a few victims now and again,
and hence the much-maligned cat is not exempt from this bane.
The diseases are either _contagious_ and conveyable from one cat to
another, or _simple_ and not spread by contact.
The contagious skin diseases are due either to an animal parasite (as
in mange) or to a vegetable parasite (as in ringworm).
=Sarcoptic Mange= is a contagious skin disease of the cat due to an
animal parasite or mange-mite, termed _Sarcoptes minor_, var. _cati_.
It generally attacks ill-fed, neglected, and badly housed cats which
are allowed to stray, and is seen chiefly in the autumn. It frequently
occurs as an epizöotic, and where no attention is bestowed on the
victims it is very fatal.
The adult or mature mite has an almost circular body. When viewed
under the microscope, its limbs seem to be under its body. It has
eight pairs of legs in the adult and six in the larval stage. In the
female the hind legs are provided at the extremities with bristles
only; but in the male the central pair of hind legs are provided with
suckers, although the outer pair have bristles. It does not excavate a
subcutaneous gallery, or burrow, like the mange-mites of other
animals, but makes a simple nest, that appears as a minute eminence.
The larvæ, nymphæ, and males wander in the midst of the crusts.
It is capable of being transmitted to man, and to the dog, rat, horse,
and ox.
Whatever part of the body it first touches, it always goes to the head
to do its injurious work. At first small reddish pimples, no larger
than a pin’s head or a turnip-seed, appear; these exude a yellowish
fluid which dries and forms crusts. The animal scratches, the hair
falls off, numerous other scales appear, and become thicker and
thicker, until the whole head and ears become encased in a cast of
dirty yellowish crusts. The crusts may be absent in young kittens or
cats, but slightly adherent scales are seen instead.
After a time the disease spreads to the neck and shoulders, elbows and
thighs, or even to the whole body. In kittens or young cats the
complaint is more likely to spread to various parts of the body, but
in older animals it is generally confined to the head, or head and
neck, but may, as in young cats, spread to the other parts or to the
whole body, the skin of which, after some time, becomes wrinkled, and
gives off a musty odour.
The nostrils and eyes may be blocked up by the thickened crusts, so
that the animal can see, or breathe through the nostrils, only with
difficulty. The cat hides or strays away, it mopes and seems sad; it
becomes emaciated, and indifferent to its surroundings, and finally
succumbs to exhaustion or some concurrent disease. It may be
associated with ringworm or parasitic ear canker; it is nearly always
accompanied by the elliptical tapeworm.
It quickly kills within five or six weeks if no treatment or attention
is bestowed on the cat, especially if young; but where it is partially
treated, it may linger for months, even years. Cold weather retards
its progress, but its energy is renewed in the following spring. It
spreads slowly on well-cared-for cats.
_Treatment._—The mangy cat should be kept isolated from the healthy
animals, and kept away from children. Its basket, bedding, or cage
should be boiled, burnt, or thoroughly disinfected. The cat must be
carefully dressed with sulphurated lime lotion, which should be
applied by means of a piece of lint every day, taking care that the
animal is kept warm and well fed.
=Follicular Mange= is due to a caterpillar-shaped mite—the _Demodex_
or _Acarus folliculorum_, var. _cati_—which inhabits the sebaceous
follicles of the skin. It is sometimes found in the ears, nose, and
head of the cat, but rarely causes severe itchiness. It produces
pimples and scabs, which are only of short duration, and seldom
occasions trouble. It is frequently associated with sarcoptic mange.
The parasite is a quarter smaller than that of the dog.
_Treatment._—A lotion composed of sulphurated potash (1 drachm),
glycerine (½ oz. to 6 parts of rose-water), applied by means of lint
to the affected part once a day, generally suffices to cause its
disappearance.
=Grey Ringworm=, or _Tinea tonsurans_, is not a common affection of
the cat. It is due to a vegetable parasite or mould, termed the
_Trichophyton felineum_, which attacks the hairs, these becoming much
altered and broken, and their ends split up and frayed like a brush.
There will be noticed circular or oval bald patches, covered with an
abundance of scales, which are of a slaty or greyish appearance, and
vary according to the colour of the animal. These are seen on the head
and limbs and round the eyelids and mouth, but also on other parts of
the body. They may run into one another, and form large patches. There
may be itchiness and scratching; and in this latter case the crusts
may be covered with blood and resemble eczema.
_Treatment._—As this disease is conveyable to other cats, to the
horse, ox, dog, and children, the affected animal should be isolated
and the patches dressed with tincture of perchloride of iron once
every third day. (Whole families, and even a whole school, have been
known to become affected with ringworm from a cat.)
=Yellow Ringworm=, or _Tinea favosa_, or _favus_, also termed
“honeycomb ringworm,” is a commoner disease in the cat than grey
ringworm. It is due to a vegetable parasite named _Achorion
Quinckeanum_, which causes at first yellow-coloured crusts that are
arranged as cup-shaped masses, which disturb the hairs so that they
are shed. These cup-shaped masses resemble a honeycomb in appearance,
hence its name. The sulphur-yellow colour after a time changes to a
dirty yellow or grey. The patches may be circular or zigzag, and
raised above the skin, but the centre is depressed so as to give them
a cup-shaped appearance. They vary in size from a pin’s head to a
shilling, or larger. They may run into one another, so that the
circular form is no longer present. The hairs are stiff and
lustreless, and can be easily pulled out. They seem to grow in the
centre of the “cups.” After a time the parasite loosens the hair in
the follicle, so that it is shed.
It prefers to affect the root of the claws, or the belly, sides of the
chest, elbows, head, base of ears, nose, and then spreads all over the
body. When it attacks the head, it ensheaths the face and scalp as if
clay had been moulded to the parts, so that the eyes become hidden
from view.
The cat hides itself, or strays away; it moans or mews, crouches on
all fours, and seems utterly miserable. The skin gives off an
abominable odour, which resembles mouldy decaying wood in a damp, dark
building, or a mousy smell. When the disease is in an advanced stage,
the animal dies from exhaustion or some concurrent disease.
It affects old cats as well as young ones, and it is said they
contract it from mice and rats, which become affected behind the ears.
A week or a fortnight elapses before any symptom appears after
infection. Young animals are easily infected, but older ones may
resist it. It is transmissible to _children and adults_, from cat to
cat, from man to cat, and from rats and mice to man and cat. It may be
associated with mange and parasitic ear canker.
_Treatment._—The cat affected with yellow ringworm should be kept away
from children and other cats: the affected patches may be painted with
the following:—
Salicylic acid 1 drachm.
Ether 2 drachms.
Spirit of wine ½ ounce.
Glycerine 4 drachms.
Camphor-water to 3 ounces.
The term =Eczema= is given to all those skin eruptions that are
characterised by pimples and vesicles followed by scabs and scales,
and accompanied with great itchiness.
It is said to be non-contagious, and as far as the cat is concerned
this seems to me to be true. On the other hand, in the dog some of the
varieties of eczema appear to be spread by contact. It very often runs
a chronic course, and frequently recurs.
It generally affects the back, loins, root of tail, and back of the
thighs, although any part of the body may be attacked. There is great
itchiness, the animal bites or licks itself, the skin becomes red,
pimples the size of a head of a millet seed, or even a small pea,
appear; these, after a time, burst, and a fluid issues from them and
dries, forming scabs. Sometimes the itchiness is so intense as to
cause the animal to bite or lick itself until the skin becomes raw and
bleeding. In rare instances it produces a kind of mania for licking,
which is followed by epileptiform seizures. The hair falls off,
leaving bare patches, or it becomes matted together by the gluey
discharge and ultimately sheds itself.
In _suckling cats_, after sudden deprivation of their offspring, an
eczematous eruption may appear on the belly, back, and loins, but it
is not, as a rule, severe.
The _she-cat_, especially of the light-coloured variety, when not
allowed to breed, is often troubled with a scattered vesicular
eruption, which is too difficult to eradicate, and is very liable to
recur.
In the _castrated_ male cat it is very common to find a papular and
vesicular eruption, which breaks out every spring and autumn.
The causes of eczema in the cat are an unnatural, sedentary life and
an abundance of rich food without any compensatory or sufficient
exercise in the fresh air. Hot weather, especially when accompanied by
wet, predisposes to it, but the affection is seen also in the cold
months of the year.
_Treatment._—The animal suffering from eczema should be allowed as
much exercise of its functions in the open air as possible. Grass or
freshly boiled green vegetables, or asparagus, should be put within
its reach. Raw meat, uncooked fish with the bones in, or birds with
the feathers on, or bullock’s liver are suitable as ordinary food.
Rice-pudding, oatmeal, and milk should not be given.