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General Terminology
Terms Related Specifically to Feral Cats Medical Terminology |
| Spay - the medical term is ovariohysterectomy. In this major abdominal surgery the pet's ovaries and uterus are removed. There is no evidence that a pet suffers from any personality or emotional harm by having their ovaries removed. The uterus is also removed to insure that it does not become a source of infection over a period of time. If the surgeon simply tied or obstructed the Fallopian tubes (the channel where the eggs must pass into the uterus) in order to make the female dog or cat sterile, she would still come into heat, attract males, and attempt to breed. Experience has shown that the best procedure is to perform a complete ovariohysterectomy. - The Pet Center* Top of page |
| Neuter - another term is castration. In this surgery the doctor makes an incision in front of the scrotum and through that incision accesses each testicle. The fibrous coverings of the testicles are incised and each testicle is removed after securely ligating the blood vessels that attach to each testicle. The benefits of having a dog and cat neutered are well documented. And to simply do a vasectomy to render the male sterile would not alleviate the scent marking, desire to breed, territorial defense and other testosterone driven behaviors. Even in guard dogs and hunting dogs, many owners report improved behavior and manageability when the dog has been neutered. - The Pet Center* Top of page |
| Alter - Another term for spay or neuter. Top of page |
| Targeted Sterilization - The sterilization of animals known to be sterilized at rates lower than the general population of household companion animals, such as cats and dogs in households poor enough to receive public assistance, cats and dogs admitted to public or private animal shelters and free-roaming cats. Targeting maximizes the impact of a clinic or program's limited funds. Top of page |
| Effective Sterilization - The sterilization of a cat or dog which would not have occurred without the help of a program's reduced rate or subsidy. For instance, a low-cost clinic which does 15,000 sterilizations each year may have really accomplished only 5,000 effective sterilizations if 10,000 of the animals would have been sterilized anyway, without its reduced rate or subsidy. Top of page |
| Quick Spay - a surgical technique perfected by veterinarians specializing in spay/neuter sterilizations that greatly reduces the time spent in surgery and produces results that are consistently superior. Top of page |
Spay Blitz - is a pet-care event, the centerpiece of which is a free (or very low-cost) spay/neuter demonstration clinic. Elements are:
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| Early Spay/Neuter - Ovariohysterectories/gonadectomies (spay/neuter surgery) for puppies and kittens eight to sixteen weeks of age. The American Veterinary Medical Association approved early spay/neuter in 1996, in an effort to stem the overpopulation problem of companion animals. Top of page |
Heat - Estrus ("heat") is the mating period of female animals. When estrus occurs, animals are said to be "in heat" or "in season."
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| Feral Cat - Feral means "gone wild." Feral cats can be the offspring of stray or abandoned domestic cats who have reverted to a wild state. They can also be the offspring of feral cats who have lived in a wild state for some generations. Finally, they can be domestic cats that have run off, or have been abandoned, or have "gone feral" meaning "gone wild." Feral Cats live in family groups called colonies and can be found anywhere there is food. Feral cats can survive almost anywhere, and are found all over the world. - Alley Cat Allies Top of page |
| TNR - Trap-Neuter-Return is a humane, non-lethal approach to feral cat population control. Alley Cat Allies (ACA) promotes a comprehensive management plan where healthy feral cats are sterilized and vaccinated, then returned to their habitat and provided with long-term care, including food and shelter. - Alley Cat Allies Top of page |
| Managed Colony - A feral cat colony becomes a managed colony when a comprehensive population control plan is implemented that includes sterilization and ear tipping, as well as provision of food and shelter. Feral cats are dependant on a caretaker(s) to enact this plan and provide long-term support. Besides the obvious advantage of population control, the cats are better able to care for themselves since they no longer have to put all of their energy into producing and caring for offspring. A properly managed colony is a healthy and stable colony. No kittens are born because all of the feral cats are sterilized, and the colony is monitored on a daily basis. Top of page |
| Eartipping - A technique of painlessly removing a quarter-inch off the top of a feral cat’s left ear while the cat is anesthetized for spaying/neutering. Eartipping is the universal symbol of and only proven way to permanently identify (both close up and from a distance) a feral cat that has been evaluated, vaccinated, and sterilized. Eartipping ensures that a sterile cat will not undergo unnecessary repeat trapping and surgery. - Alley Cat Allies Top of page |
| Vacuum Effect - Feral cats establish territories based on availability of food sources and shelter. When cats are removed from this environment, more cats quickly move in to take advantage of those resources. These new unsterilized cats will breed prolifically. The vacuum effect has been documented around the world. - Alley Cat Allies. For additional information on this topic visit www.feralcat.com Top of page |
| Crypt/Undescended Testical - An improperly developed testis may never leave the abdomen, and it may not produce the hormones that induce secondary sex characters. A testis lodged in the canal may well produce these secondary sex characters, but cannot produce spermatozoa. Failure of both testicles to descend is uncommon. Usually only one testis is involved and the other produces sufficient spermatozoa to render the animal fertile. - Sauders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary (2d ed), 1999 [DC Blood & VP Studdert] Top of page |
| Rabies - A virus spread through bites or saliva of infected animals that attacks nerve tissue in warm-blooded animals, including humans. The disease develops over 10 days to several months. Infected animals may be withdrawn or become unnaturally aggressive and attack. Death always occurs once a rabies-infected animal shows signs of the disease. Both cats and dogs should be vaccinated for rabies as it is required in many states and poses a serious health threat. Cats may be vaccinated as early as 12 weeks of age; dogs 4 - 6 weeks. Please note that the occurrence of rabies is well below 1 percent according to Pfizer, Inc. - manufacturer of various vaccinations. - The Pet Center* Top of page |
| Distemper - An airborne disease caused by the panleukopenia virus that can cause death. Symptoms include: fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, weakness, tremors and incoordination. There is a vaccine against this virus and because it is difficult to prevent exposure, all cats and dogs should be vaccinated. - The Pet Center* Top of page |
| DHLP/P Vaccination - Is a vaccine for dogs to protect them against life-threatening diseases including: distemper, hepatitis, leptuspirosis, parainfluenza and parvo. Top of page |
| Corona Virus - A serious and potentially fatal virus that attacks dogs' digestive track. A vaccination is available against this virus. Top of page |
| Feline Respiratory Disease- A respiratory infection. This disease can be easily passed from one cat to another by direct contact or droplets in the air from coughing or sneezing. Symptoms include: watery or sticky discharge from the nose and eyes, nose and mouth sores, fever, lethargy and loss of appetite. The disease can be caused by one of two viruses - feline rhinotracheitis virus or feline calicivirus. The rhinotracheitis virus tends to be more severe and can cause death, especially in kittens or abortion in pregnant cats. There are vaccines against these viruses. - - The Pet Center* Top of page |
| Feline Leukemia - Abbreviated FeLV is a virus that suppresses the cats’ immune system, leaving it unable to fight off other infections such as pneumonia. Any cat that is in continuous poor health or that often becomes sick with infections or fever may have feline leukemia. Veterinarians can do a simply blood test to find out if your cat is infected with FeLV. A feline leukemia vaccination is available and is an important part of preventive health programs. - - The Pet Center* |
| FIV Feline Immunodeficiency Virus - A retrovirus specific to cats, FIV is transmitted from cat to cat primarily by deep bites, as the virus is shed in the saliva. Perhaps the most prevalent method of transmission is bite wounds in fighting cats, especially roaming males. Intimate contact through grooming, sharing food, etc. does not spread the virus. Overall, FIV is less common than FeLV. FIV+ cats often live long, symptom-free lives. - Alley Cat Allies This disease in cats is similar to the Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) seen in humans. But the FIV virus is found only in felines. The evidence seems to indicate that this disease is spread mainly through the bite of an infected cat. Like FeLV this disease suppresses the immune system’s strength so affected cats are likely to develop all sorts of infections in the urinary tract, respiratory tract, intestine and kidneys. No vaccine is available for this disease at this time.- The Pet Center* Top of page |
| FIP - Feline Infectious Pertonitis is caused by a virus. Cats that show signs of infection almost always die from it. Symptoms include: enlarged abdomen, fever, weight loss and possibly eye lesions. A vaccine is available for this virus. - The Pet Center* Top of page |
| Pyometra - The term means pus in the uterus. Any time a veterinarian is presented with a dog or cat suffering from pyometra the condition is considered serious and immediate surgery is nearly always indicated. For whatever reason, if your female dog or cat hasn't been spayed be alert for pyometra.- The Pet Center* Top of page |
| Euthanasia - “The act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal; injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment” (American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition). |
| *The Pet Center is an Internet Animal Hospital and Information Center where viewers can see x-rays of actual cases, see real surgery photos and read about dog and cat health care. Go to our “Events and Links” Tab for The Pet Center website. |
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