Feline Care
213 Hwy 281 South – Unit C
Johnson City, TX 78636
(830) 225-1095
Our Approach to Feline Wellness
Veterinary care is essential for cats of all ages to ensure their long-term health and well-being. For kittens, early veterinary visits help with vaccinations, parasite prevention, and proper development. Adult cats benefit from routine check-ups, dental care, and disease prevention to maintain a high quality of life. Senior cats require specialized care for age-related conditions like arthritis, kidney disease, and weight management. Regular veterinary care helps detect health issues early, preventing serious illnesses and ensuring a longer, happier life for cats at every stage.
Primary care veterinary services for cats typically include:
- Wellness Exams – Annual or bi-annual comprehensive exams to assess your cat’s overall health.
- Vaccinations – Protection against diseases such as rabies, feline leukemia, and distemper.
- Parasite Prevention – Flea, tick, and heartworm prevention.
- Dental Care – Teeth cleaning, exams, and extractions if needed.
- Spay/Neuter Services – Surgical sterilization to prevent unwanted litters and health issues.
- Microchipping – Permanent identification for pets, important in case your cat gets lost or separated from you.
- Nutritional Counseling – Guidance on diet, weight management, and obesity prevention.
- Skin and Allergy Treatment – Diagnosis and management of dermatological conditions.
- Bloodwork and Diagnostics – Routine lab tests to detect early health problems.
- Senior Cat Care – Age-specific screenings and joint health management.
- Behavioral Consultations – Help with anxiety, litter box issues, or other concerns.
- Emergency and Urgent Care – Treatment for sudden injuries or illnesses.
Please call or email us if you would like to schedule an appointment for your cat or if you have any questions about the primary or wellness care offered at Johnson City Veterinary Clinic.
New Kitten? We Love New Kittens!
We offer veterinary care to keep kittens healthy, including health check-ups, vaccinations, and preventive treatments aimed at ensuring the well-being of young cats during their critical developmental stages. We offer all types of kitten care, including:
Initial Health Check-Up
- Physical Examination: A thorough physical examination to assess the overall health of your kitten. Our veterinarian checks for congenital issues such as hernias & cleft palates: signs of illness including ear mites, ringworm, & mange: and developmental progress.
- Baseline Tests: Initial tests to check for common health issues such as intestinal parasites, ear mites, and fleas. FeLV (Kitty Leukemia) & FIV (Kitty AIDS) testing.
Vaccinations
- Core Vaccinations: Essential vaccinations to protect against common and potentially serious diseases.
- Feline Distemper (Panleukopenia), Feline Herpesvirus, Feline Calicivirus, and Rabies. –
- Kittens and even elders that contract the virus causing panleukopenia become lethargic and have diarrhea and anorexia and can pass from this virus. It is very contagious and if recovered, the kitten/cat can still shed the virus for up to 8 weeks.
- Herpesvirus & calicivirus cause upper respiratory and pneumonia. When kittens get a URI, they can’t smell very well and can even develop ulcers in their mouth and then they don’t want to eat. Some cats require a feeding tube to support them through these viral infections that area easily preventable.
- Feline Distemper (Panleukopenia), Feline Herpesvirus, Feline Calicivirus, and Rabies. –
- Non-Core Vaccinations: Additional vaccines based on lifestyle and risk factors, such as Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). We will discuss your kitten’s lifestyle with you during your first exam appointment.
Deworming
- Initial Deworming: Kittens often receive deworming treatments to eliminate intestinal parasites.
- Follow-Up Treatments: Regular follow-up deworming schedules to ensure your kitten remains parasite-free.
Heartworm and Flea/Tick Prevention
- Flea and Tick Prevention: Treatments to prevent and treat infestations of fleas and ticks, which can cause discomfort and transmit diseases.
- Heartworm Prevention: Medications to protect against heartworm disease, which is transmitted by mosquitoes and can be fatal if untreated.
Spaying / Neutering
- Surgical Procedure: We recommend that all kittens be either spayed (girls) or neutered (boys). Kittens can be spayed/neutered as little as 2lbs and eight weeks old to prevent unwanted pregnancies and reduce the risk of certain issues such as spraying/marking.
- Post-Operative Care: Instructions for post-operative care will be provided to ensure proper healing and recovery. Since the kind of cats we see for surgery vary, the care instructions vary as well. Some are well cared for and easy to handle while others were caught in a trap and did not sign up for their trip to see us! Feral kitties can be released after a night in a safe place, such as a garage or spare bathroom, allowing their anesthesia to wear off, while a furry family member is easier to monitor.
Nutrition and Diet
- Dietary Recommendations: Guidance on appropriate nutrition for kittens to support healthy growth and development.
- Feeding Schedule: Recommendations for feeding schedules and portion sizes.
Behavioral and Training Guidance
- Behavioral Assessment: Early evaluation of your kitten’s behavior and temperament.
- Training Tips: Advice on basic training, socialization, and addressing common behavioral issues. The most common reason kittens are returned to the shelter or kicked outside is for inappropriate elimination – urinating and defecating in places other than the litter box. Cats tend to prefer a less is more approach vs a herd mentality so sometimes we domesticate them and when we don’t give them their checklist of “wants” then they are unhappy and use their waste products to tell us how they really feel. We speak cat and can help you understand what they are saying by their actions!
Regular Check-Ups
Ongoing Health Monitoring: Regular veterinary visits at Johnson City Veterinary Clinic to monitor growth, update vaccinations, and address any emerging health concerns.
Give us a call today to schedule a visit for your kitten. Providing comprehensive veterinary care during the early stages of a kitten’s life helps set the foundation for a healthy, happy, and long life.
At Johnson City Veterinary Clinic, senior cats rock!
Caring for a senior cat involves taking special measures to ensure the health, comfort, and well-being of pets as they age. Just like humans, pets require different care routines and medical attention as they get older. Our goal is to help your senior cat live as long and as comfortable as possible. Here are some key aspects of we recommend for senior cat care:
Monitoring and Early Detection
Your daily observations of your aging pet are critical to their comfort. If you notice anything unusual, please give us a call to schedule an appointment.
- Behavioral Changes: Keep an eye out for any changes in behavior, appetite, or activity levels, as these can be signs of underlying health issues.
- Pain Management: Discomfort, slow to get up and lameness may be some of the top issues that pet owners notice about their aging pet. We can assist you to keep your senior pet comfortable, through weight loss plans, over the counter recommendations for pain/joint support, oral daily pain medications, and even Solensia injections to alleviate pain.
Veterinary Check-ups
- More Frequent Visits: Older pets benefit from more frequent veterinary visits so that we can monitor their health closely. If any new lumps/bumps arise, it is best to have them checked sooner rather than later.
- Blood Tests and Screenings: Regular blood work and screenings can help detect conditions like kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes and even cancers earlier than without tests/screens. Heart disease and arthritis are easier to manage and can extend a baby’s life and comfort level when detected earlier.
Dental Care
Regular Cleaning: Dental health often declines with age, so regular teeth cleaning and check-ups are important to prevent periodontal disease and other dental issues which can lead to sinus infections. If your pet seems to be eating less, chewing on one side of their mouth, dropping food when they chew, or refusing to eat, they may have tooth or mouth pain due to periodontal disease. Call us for a dental exam if you see your pet exhibiting any issues with appetite or eating.
Diet and Nutrition
- Special Diets: Senior pets may require diets tailored to their age, health conditions, and nutritional needs. This might include food that’s easier to digest, lower in calories, or enriched with specific nutrients. If liver disease is detected early, then a diet change can prevent seizures! A cardiac diet lower in sodium can help prevent fluid in the lungs and congestive heart failure.
- Weight Management: Just like humans, maintaining an ideal weight is crucial to prevent obesity-related diseases and keeping your pet physically comfortable and off of pain medications for as long as possible. Sometimes weight loss is key to tipping us off that there is an underlying problem. Some people think, oh, they are older and slowing down/eating less when in reality, maybe their mouth hurts due to periodontal disease or they have kidney disease and toxins are building up their body causing them to not have a good appetite. If you suspect weight loss, please call us right away!
Exercise and Mobility
- Appropriate Exercise: While older pets still need exercise, the intensity and type might need to be adjusted to suit their reduced energy levels and potential mobility issues.
- Mobility Aids: Items like ramps, orthopedic beds, and joint supplements can help pets with arthritis or other mobility problems.
Mental Stimulation
Cognitive Health: Mental exercises, toys, and interaction are essential to keep an older pet’s mind sharp and reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
Comfort and Environment
- Comfortable Living Spaces: Ensure that the pet’s living area is easily accessible and comfortable, with cozy bedding and a quiet space to rest.
- Routine and Familiarity: Maintaining a consistent routine can help reduce stress and anxiety in senior pets.
Grooming and Hygiene
- Regular Grooming: Older pets might need more help with grooming to keep their coat and skin healthy.
- Bathing and Skin Care: Regular baths and skin checks can prevent issues related to dryness or infections.
Taking these steps can help ensure that your senior cat enjoys a comfortable, healthy, and happy life in their later years. We would love to assist you in caring for your senior cat! Please call or email us to schedule an appointment so that we can answer all of your questions and concerns.