Merry Christmas from Melissa and Midge
Quote: Heinlein on Cats
There is no such thing as “Just a cat.”
― Robert A. Heinlein
How A Cat Shows Their Love, Part 2
Shy felines display affection in numerous subtle, endearing ways. Shy cats may not be loud or cuddly, but their affection is gentle and deeply trusting. Willow and I were shy cats, especially with strangers.
- Shy cats make small, polite requests for attention. They may do this by a quiet meow, sitting near you, or leaning towards your hand. I used to enjoy standing next to Daddy, and he would stand with me. Willow used to make little meows, but she only gave silent meows at first.
- Shy cats rub against objects such as doorways, walls, and furniture when you enter a room to mark the area with their scent to show they belong there. Willow loved to rub against things.
- Shy cats sometimes like to do gentle head bumps or nose kisses. It is a big compliment from a shy cat. Willow was an enthusiastic head-bumper.
- Shy cats communicate through their tails. With a slow-swishing tail and relaxed posture, the cat shows that it’s comfortable and content. A cat that holds its tail held upright with a small hook at the end is giving a friendly greeting. A cat that has its tail gently wrapped around your leg, or touching your foot or leg, is giving the equivalent of a cat hug. Daddy witnessed that action often. I used to touch his foot or leg with my tail.
- Shy cats show that they feel safe with you by quietly following you around the house, being in the same room, or sitting near you (even if not touching). Willow and I would do those things.
Each shy cat has its own special way of showing its love for you, which is both sweet and subtle. Quietly observing and letting the shy cat approach you on its terms will build the bonds of love
Cooper
Animal Holidays and Observations December 21 – 27
The only December Animal Monthly Observation is:
National Cat Lovers Month
Daily holidays during the fourth week include:
• Dec 27: Visit The Zoo Day
Guest Post-Alma
Arctic Birds Migrating–A Spectacle To Enjoy
Southeast Finland is ideally situated if you want to watch the arctic birds’ spring and especially autumn migration.
For instance, waders nesting in the North migrate in the springtime following the south coast of the country, but also those various species of geese.
Perhaps the best-known migration show for common watchers, besides the “serious” birdwatchers, is the autumnal migration of Barnacle geese. Barnacle geese nest mostly around the Barents Sea, located north of the coasts of Norway and Russia.
They fly over Finland to their wintering areas around the North Sea. (Nowadays, Finland also has their own resident population, filling lawns in the parks of Helsinki, but that’s another story…).
However, in the last 20 years, more Barnacles started taking a stopover in SE Finland, to rest and eat before continuing their journey, usually in October. They changed habits a bit by surprise, landing in front of astonished humans.
Farmers weren’t, nor are joyful, using, for example, streamers, to frighten unwelcome visitors from fields.
Earlier, it was popular for birdwatchers to travel to Northern Karelia near the eastern border, where you could watch migration from a high hill and cover even the Russian side near Lake Ladoga, if the birds took that route.
A small town near the border even organized special Geese Weeks, where they erected a big tent with a stove to grill sausages and keep warm.
In October, the weather can be chilly, and as the Geese Migration needs a northern or northeastern wind, warm clothes are essential. Not to mention the sometimes hours of standing and waiting in wind and rain, watching the empty sky.
Mum has been there to see the phenomenon jokingly called “suffer birding”. However, when the crowd approaches from afar, soaring above your person while honking, one simply admires. Serious watchers, of course, count and mark the species in exact numbers.
Nowadays, you can watch the fall migration more easily. Just walk outside, and if you are lucky, listen to the honking approaching. Observe the sky, and they approach! Or visit the nearby fields, where geese fill their tummies and gather strength.
Then one day the wind turns and starts blowing from the right direction. Birds become restless, flying a bit there and back. Finally, the urge and instinct make them rise and drift into a formation. They fly higher and leave. Until next spring.
TJ and Bart: Christmas Tree!
Bart: Good evening, Anipal Times readers! Here we are, TJ and Bart!
I’m Bart. Why is your name always first, TJ?
TJ: Dis is TJ. Bart, what difference does dat make? I think it’s because I’se a better-looking doggo.
Bart: WHAT????
TJ: Never mind, Bart. Let’s get to our subject tonight. Christmas trees.
Bart: Dis is a very important subject. Chwistmas Twees are stwange to us doggos
TJ: Yes, stwange. I mean, when we go outside to be walked, our hoomans know what we do with twees.
Bart: And our hoomans like it when we do dis. But not with dese Chwistmas trees.
TJ: Dat is stwange. And why are dese twees brought inside da house?
Bart: And da humans put all this stuff on it. Dey put decowations and lights on da twee, which is stwange. They never put dis stuff on twees outside.
TJ: And they put this…little barn with these plastic figures on it. Dey say dis is da baby Jesus.
Bart: It’s da weason for da season. Twees look nice. But when we go around dese Chwistmas twees, hooomans get nervous. Why?
TJ: Don’t dey know that we going dere to make a wish to Santa? For us to get more tweats for Chwistmas?
Bart: I mean, we had ‘accidents’ dere once or twice, but no one is perfect!
TJ: Dat wight! Okay, let’s close.
Doggos, just be careful when your hoomans bring in da Chwistmas twees. But, it’s still okay to have fun.
MEWWWY Christmas from TJ and Bart!
TJ and Bart! More Music!
Good afternoon. We are TJ and Bart here for another column.
Dis is Bart. By the way, TJ went to the vettie this week and got told he had to lose weight. Hi TJ!
TJ: Dis is TJ. No need to tell da readers dat, Bart.
Bart: The readers should know about us, TJ!
TJ: Like how you ran away from dat little chihuahua da other day?
Bart: Let’s start dis week’s column! It is about music!
TJ: An important topic! Our daddy likes people who made music in the seventies. In other words, old.
Bart: Weally old! Now dis is stwange ‘cause they still sing songs from when dey were young!
TJ: Example: Dat guy Mick Jagger. He still sings dat song about not getting da satisfaction! If you have not got it by now, you ain’t getting it!
Bart: Or da guy Rod Stewart! He is still singing the song ‘Do You Tink I’m Sexy?’ He is in his seventies! Dat sick!
TJ: Also, some of dese people are eating too much. Dey sweating too much, not able to breathe. Maybe do a different kind of music? Like Polka?
Bart: We are not saying dey should retiwe, but dey should have some dignity!
TJ: Sing different songs! AC/DC ‘You Shook Me All Night Long.’ You are too old! How about ‘You slept all night long!’
Bart: Good example: also, how about having Metamucil sponsor your shows? Dat fits!
TJ: Or heawing aids! For da audience, too!
Bart: Also start da shows in da afternoon! Den your audience can make da early bird special later!
TJ: We have so many good ideas! How about calling one of dese shows ‘denture music?’
We are rolling now, Bart!
Bart: Well, dat is all for now! We are here to help you, older musicians!
TJ: Keep wocking, just not too woud!
See you next time!
Flying With Lucky
Flying with Lucky#TheAviators Festive Flight Turns into a Rescue Mission!
Hello everyone. Welcome to flying with Lucky, where I keep you up to date on happenings with #TheAviators flying club. I have been a club member for 12 years; 5 of those years as the leader.
On Sunday, December 14th, #TheAviators took off on their annual festive flight from Toddy Furrington Airport in Bearford.
The flight began with Captain Rocky nicking my flask of tequila for a little liquid courage. (I taught him right). A large group of doggos and meowers took to the skies over Bearford and jetted 10 days into the future. The Christmas Eve tour headed southeast to London. The lights of Piccadilly were spectacular.
The tour went to Dublin, where people spotted leprechauns hanging Christmas lights along the streets. The Little People sure know how to paint the town green. One supersonic flight over the Atlantic Ocean, and #TheAviators were in New York City.
Once in New York, the distress alarm sounded off in Captain Rocky’s cockpit. Santa Claus, the jolly old elf, was trapped, which put Christmas in jeopardy. The brave pilots of #TheAviators converged on Santa’s last known position to find him stuck in a chimney. #TheAviators saved Christmas by pulling Santa and his sack of toys out of the chimney.
The next scheduled flight for #TheAviators is the quarterly tribute flight in January. Search #TheAviators hashtag for more flight details.
Raphael the Gray Tabby
A gray tabby named Raphael lived in a house during the winter polar vortex. He was a creature of habit, and his most pressing winter habit was finding the precise location of warmth.
One particularly frigid afternoon, Raph discovered a new kitty perch: the top of the heat unit. It wasn’t just warm; it was the warmest spot. As he curled up, a moment occurred: a face-warming trend. To any observer, his face glowed with blissful heat. The external heat source created feline contentment.
His human, James, noticed the trend. He knew this warmth was normal, a sign of comfort and security. But being a diligent cat owner, he also kept a watchful eye.
One evening, James observed a subtle shift. The warmth was present, yet quiet stillness, uncharacteristic of Raph, also existed. He declined his favorite salmon snack and moved with a lethargy that sent a small chill down James’s spine, colder than the winter air outside.
A quick trip to the vet confirmed his suspicions. The face-warming trend, when coupled with a loss of appetite and unusual listlessness, was not just about seeking comfort; it was a fever.
Raph, via medicine plus rest, recovered again, mastering thermal comfort. The face-warming trend returned, but this time, it was a healthy glow of a happy, warm, and well-monitored cat, who knew the difference between a cozy sunbeam and a call for his human’s gentle attention.
,
Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), Part Two
This is the second of a two-part series about FIP treatments.
Until recently, no treatment for FIP was possible, and cats with the disease died within days to weeks. Because of the COVID pandemic, interest in coronaviruses increased, resulting in the development and availability of several antiviral drugs. People commonly use four: GS-441524 and its precursor remdesivir, molnupiravir (Lagevrio), and Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir).
The mainstay of treatment is GS-441524. Its mechanism of action is premature RNA chain termination in the virus, preventing viral replication. Doctors give it by mouth once or twice a day. The dose is 15 mg/kg/day given once daily or 20 mg/kg/day divided into two doses if there is neurological or eye involvement. A kilogram (kg) is 2.2 lbs.
In cats that cannot swallow, the veterinarian can administer remdesivir subcutaneously or the medication can replace the first few IV doses. Remdesivir uses the same doses as GS-441524. The optimal duration of treatment is under investigation, but for now, 84 days (12 weeks) of therapy are standard.
There are ongoing studies investigating shorter treatment (6 weeks); the initial results on a group of twenty cats have been favorable. Medication presents substantial costs, and a twelve-week treatment might prove difficult to finance. Therefore, vets plan to assist owners in shortening treatment when they can.
If a cat is clinically doing well (alert, eating) and the lab results have tended towards normal by four weeks, discontinuing treatment at 6 weeks may be reasonable. Once the treatment ends, the veterinarian should examine the cat within one or two weeks, regardless of how long the therapy lasted.
If your cat’s symptoms come back, schedule an earlier check-up, as relapses may occur after 12 weeks of treatment. Research shows that 80% of cats go into remission following treatment. Table 1 shows key milestones for cats undergoing treatment with GS-441524.
| Abnormality | Expected time to resolution |
| Fever/inappetence | 2-7 days |
| Effusions | 1-2 weeks |
| Blood count abnormalities | 2-3 weeks |
| Elevated bilirubin | 2-3 weeks |
| Albumin: globulin > 0.6 | 6-10 weeks |
| Eye and neurologic abnormalities | Improvement by day 5, resolution within 2 weeks |
If cats respond poorly to GS-441524 (failing to reach clinical milestones on time), you can also add Paxlovid. It works differently from GS-441524 and may provide a synergistic effect.
Initially, veterinarians administered Molnupiravir as a rescue drug for cats not responding to GS-441524 (not reaching treatment milestones on time), but recent studies use it as the primary treatment. It works by causing multiple mutations in the replicating virus, resulting in its eradication. The dose is 10-15 mg/kg given twice a day.
Since it’s designed for humans, this dosage form is also impractical and can decrease appetite. As a result, it might be necessary to use appetite stimulants or antiemetics. It causes birth defects in rats and cartilage defects in growing humans. Treated cats exhibit folded ear tips, broken whiskers, and flaky skin.
Cats may also experience muscle wasting and elevation of ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase, present in the liver, muscle, kidneys, and other organs).
Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) is two drugs in one. Nirmatrelvir inhibits RNA copying enzymes, and ritonavir slows the degradation of nirmatrelvir in the body. Doctors use it along with GS-441524 or molnupiravir if the response is incomplete. You must be careful if the cat is taking medications eliminated by the same pathway, and you may need to adjust their doses.
Supportive measures include appetite stimulants, pain meds and even a feeding tube if the cat is unable or unwilling to take medications by mouth.
With effective treatment for FIP, inappropriate use of the drugs has inevitably occurred. Reports show that whole litters of kittens received treatment because a vet diagnosed one kitten with FIP or even administered preventative treatment.
Though a Feline Enteric Coronavirus (FeCV) vaccine is available, the American Association of Feline Practitioners does not recommend it. You must vaccinate the cat before FeCV infects it, but this is impossible because many kittens contract the infection before they can receive the vaccine at 14 weeks old. Further, immunity wanes with time.
There is currently work ongoing on an effective vaccine.
Finally, a word on the FIV on Cyprus. Reports conflict regarding the prevalence, though FIP is more widespread elsewhere. One source estimates that 30% of the feral cats in Cyprus have died of the disease. Twenty-eight percent of the affected cats have nervous system involvement, compared to 14% of FIP cats elsewhere. The malady infects felines of every age, not merely juvenile ones.
DNA sequencing has shown that the virus responsible is a recombination between the feline and canine coronaviruses.
The alarming property of this virus is that it is transmissible between cats. Folks from the United Kingdom and Europe have adopted feline companions while on holiday in Cyprus. At least one cat like that has developed FIP. It presents a risk regarding worldwide, European spread of the mutant virus.
Footnotes and further reading/listening
- Conference Proceedings: Am College Vet Internal Med Forum; ACVIM 2023. Sally J. Coggins
- Pedersen, N. et al., J, Feline Med Surg. 2019 Feb 13; 21(4):271-281. Efficacy and Safety of the nucleoside analog GS-441524 for treatment of cats with naturally occurring feline infectious peritonitis.
- Coggins, S.J. et al., J Vet Intern Med. 2023 Sep-Oct; 37(5): 1772-1783. Epub 2023 Jul 13. Outcomes of treatment of cats with feline infectious peritonitis using parenterally administered remdesivir, with or without transition to orally administered GS-441524.
- Taylor, S., Talk at the International Society for companion Animal Infectious Disease meeting 2024. An Update on Treatment of FIP Using Antiviral Drugs in 2024: Growing Experience but Still More to Learn.
- Coggins, S.J., Talk at the American College of Vet Int Med meeting 2023. Updates in Feline Infectious Peritonitis Treatment.
- Felten, S. et al., J Feline Med Surg. 2017 Apr; 19(4): 321-335. Detection of feline coronavirus spike gene mutations as a tool to diagnose FIP.
- Sorrell, S., Tasker, S., Taylor, S., Barker, E., Gunn-Moore, D.: Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) Information for Cat owners. Stokes Pharmacy website: https://www.stokespharmacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Pet-Owner-Brochure-Printable-Version.pdf
- Thayer, V. et al., J Feline Med Surg. 2022 Sep; 24(9):905-933. 2022 AAFP/Every Cat Feline Infectious Peritonitis Diagnosis Guidelines.
- https://bova.vet/
- https://www.stokespharmacy.com/stokes-bova-partner-for-feline-infectious-peritonitis-treatment/
- https://www.stokespharmacy.com/fip/cat-owner-resources/
- https://bova.vet/fip-resource-page/#FIP-Webinars
- https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-infectious-peritonitis
- https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=11618072
- https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/disorders-affecting-multiple-body-systems-of-cats/feline-infectious-peritonitis-fip
16.Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th edition, 2016, pp. 782-790
17.https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/tags/feline-infectious-peritonitis/ - https://ccah.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk4586/files/inline-files/Inappropriate%20use%20of%20GS.pdf
- https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.08.566182v3.full.pdf . Attipa, C., Warr, A. et al. BioRxiv preprint 3 Sep 2024: Emergence and spread of feline infectious peritonitis due to a highly pathogenic canine/feline recombinant coronavirus.
- https://thewebinarvet.com/videos/what-you-should-know-about-fcov-23-and-the-outbreak-of-fip-in-cyprus
- Gao, Y. et al: Virus Research V 326, March 2023: An updated review of feline coronavirus: mind the two biotypes
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