Summer time means it is cat breeding season yet again. This means litters of abandoned kittens and stray cats as well as a rise in neighbourhood cats fighting. Cat bite abscesses will require a visit to the vet for a course of antibiotics and pain relief or possibly even surgical drainage. Unfortunately the viral diseases associated with fighting may be with your cat for life, particularly Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). FIV affects the immune system causing fever, weight loss, oral disease and chronic infections in years to come. Cat owners should discuss with their vet the best ways to protect their cat from fighting, with an indoor lifestyle being the best recommendation. Now is also the time to ensure both male and female cats have been desexed. Female cats can get pregnant from as young as 4 or 5 months of age so should NOT be allowed outside until after their desexing operation. Desexing male cats will help prevent fighting as well as reduce spraying of urine around the house. There are a huge number of kittens and cats in our area not being responsibly owned and to address this problem the Wyndham Council is promoting desexing, microchipping and registration at a reduced fee via our clinic. Wyndham cat owners can contact us on 97486644 for more information on this fantastic initiative. This is Nismo the British Blue cat who has been responsibly desexed and microchipped by his owner.