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The contents of this newsletter are inspired by the visitors of PERSIAN-CATS.COM. The following tips and information come primarily from bulletin board postings and particularly useful discussions in the chat room.
This Month's Features: New Chat Room at Persian-cats.com, An Editorial on Ringworm, What is a Peke-Face Persian, A Kitty-Safe Home, and Funny Cat of the Month
New Chat Room at Persian-cats.com!
As you all know by now, Persian-cats.com has added registered users. Well, now there is a new chat room! Along with the Bulletin Board, visitors must be registered users in order to use the Chat Room. This change was primarily implemented to add more security to the chat room. From this point on, no one can enter the chat room under someone else's username. (This is a good thing.) So we encourage all of you to check out the chat room. The busiest time is usually from about 5pm to 11pm (eastern time).
An Editorial on Ringworm
Contributed by Adi V.
Ringworm is a very big deal. Some cats can have ringworm and not show any signs of it. If you have more than one cat, it won't matter which one has is - ringworm is so contagious that you'll have to treat all of the animals anyway.
Fulvicin/Griseofulvin is the medicine used on animals with ringworm. It is used very broadly by veterinarians but is a dangerous drug. Fulvicin can cause liver damage in some cats and is weakening to the immune system, especially in Persians who are prone to it. Never use Fulvicin on pregnant or nursing moms and avoid using it on senior cats as much as possible. If your vet can get you Sporodax, it is much better than Fulvicin - it is a human anti-fungal agent that is expensive but does not have all the side effects of Fulvicin and works much faster. For topical treatment on infected areas (in both humans and cats) Lotrimin and Lamisil seem to work best. Also, Lotrimin Athlete's Foot Powder can be used on carpets and upholstery before vacuuming.
When our cats got ringworm, here's what we did:
- Clipped both coats off and started them both on Fulvicin
- Got LymDyp and dipped the cats twice a week
- Vacuumed the house twice daily
- Sprayed the house, furniture, carpets, walls, etc. with a diluted Clorox solution
- Bought a black light and looked daily
- Laundered with an anti-fungal laundry additive and added tons of bleach to the whites
- Diluted Clorox bleach 1:40 in water and sprayed the cats' coats with this daily
Ringworm IS possible to get rid of, but it requires a great deal of commitment, hard work, and patience.
What is a Peke-Face Persian?
(This information came from a discussion in the chat room and http://www.cfainc.org.)
Many people often use the term "peke face" to describe any Persian exhibiting the extreme head type. However, this is incorrect. Peke-Face Persians can be either solid red or red tabby. They are extremely rare these days. Of course, the head resembles that of a Pekingese dog - hence the name. While a Peke Face can appear in a normal litter of reds, mating two Peke Faces does not guarantee that you will see any of them in the offspring.
The Peke-Face Persian should conform to the standards in place for the red/red tabby Persian. There are some differences, though. Often times, the ears are slightly higher. Also, there is a more extreme facial conformation. The skull structure is different. And a wrinkled muzzle is a must.
A Kitty-Safe Home
Sometimes we leave things around the house without realizing how dangerous they can be to our furry friends. Here is a checklist of potentially harmful items that could be in your home. Do what you can to keep these out of your kitty's reach!
- Iron
- Electric Wires
- Tinsel
- Stickers
- Sewing Needles
- Certain Plants
- Candles
- Cigarettes
- Plastic Bags
- Detergents & Cleansers
- Rubber Bands
Funny Cat of the Month
Sunny is seen here licking her chops!
