Program Cluster: Agriscience and Natural Resources

Program Cluster: Agriscience and Natural Resources
Career Option: Animal Science
Performance Area: Feline Awareness, Care, Handling, Health and Management of Cats
Performance Steps:
The Learner Should Be Able To
1.
Correctly identify various cat breeds (Part I)
2.
Correctly identify various cat breeds (Part II)
3.
Demonstrate how to trim a cat’s nails
4.
Demonstrate how to properly handle a cat
5.
6.
Correctly identify proper methods of feeding cats, including
important ingredients to include in a cat’s diet
Discuss the general grooming and health care of cats
7.
Recognize, define, and pronounce terms related to cats
8.
Describe the lifecycle of the tapeworm
9.
11.
Identify the most common types of parasites that can infect
cats
Describe common practices to use with a pregnant cat and
her new litter
Correctly define vocabulary words assigned
12.
Discuss the history of the cat
13.
Discuss the various diseases of cats
10.
14.
15.
16.
Assignments:
•
Read Chapter 8—Cats in the book Small Animal Care and Management by
Dean M. Warren.
•
Complete Discussion Questions on worksheet attached. Using the book Small
Animal Care and Management by Warren will help you with this.
•
Create Flash Cards of Cat Breeds from attached worksheets.
•
Complete Veterinary Terminology Review Exercises on worksheet attached.
Using the book Illustrated Guide to Veterinary Medical Terminology by Romich
will help you on these.
•
Create Flash Cards of Vocabulary Terms and Vaccinations listed on attached
worksheets. You should write out each of the words and definitions. Use both
Small Animal Care and Vet Terminology books to help you.
•
Study the proper handling, feeding, training, and grooming techniques of
cats.
•
Study the life cycle of the Tapeworm.
•
Complete Activities 1 and 2 on worksheet attached.
•
Complete performance steps above.
•
All of the animals in the classroom are in your care.
Activity 1
Bring in labels from various cat foods and compare the ingredients that are used.
Compare these with labels obtained from dog foods.
Activity 2
Draw out and label the life cycle of the Tapeworm on a poster board or a separate sheet
of paper. Color and explain each step of the cycle.
Veterinary Terminology Review Exercises
(Taken from the textbook Illustrated Guide to Veterinary Medical Terminology)
Directions: Define the underlined terms in each case study below.
1. A 9 wk old ♀ DSH kitten was presented to the clinic for inappetence. On PE it
was noted that the kitten had bilateral yellow-green mucopurulent ocular and
nasal discharge. T = 103.8˚F, HR = 170 BPM, RR = 40 breaths/min, mm = pink,
CRT = 2 sec. The kitten was alert. An audible wheeze was heard on thoracic
auscultation; lungs had increased bronchial sounds and referred URT sounds. The
conjunctiva was reddened and edematous. The abdomen palpated normally. Dx:
URI; DDx: 1) Rhinotracheitis virus, 2) calicivirus, 3) chlamydia.
2. A 5 yr old F/S DSH cat was presented to the clinic with stranguria and hematuria.
T = 102.4˚F, HR = 180 BPM, RR = 35 breaths/min, mm = pink and moist, CRT =
1 sec. Heart and lungs ausculted normally. Oral exam revealed mild tartar with
grade II gingivitis. Abdominal palpation yielded normal kidneys, normal
intestinal loops, a tense and painful caudal abdomen, and turgid urinary bladder.
Dx: cystitis; DDx: 1) FUS, 2) crystalluria.
Discussion Questions
(Taken from the textbook Small Animal Care and Management)
1. What is the history of the cat?
2. What are the two major groups of domesticated cats?
3. How do the different breeds of cats differ?
4. What is the meant by the term colorpoint?
5. How should longhaired cats be groomed? Do shorthaired cats need grooming?
6. What is the most important thing to remember in feeding a cat?
7. What are the six groups of diseases that affect cats?
8. List the diseases in the six groups that affect cats. What are the symptoms of
these diseases?
9. List the general healthcare practices for a pregnant cat before, during and after
birth.
10. What health care practices should be observed with a new litter?
Vocabulary Terms--Cats
Agouti—a color pattern in cats where one color is streaked or intermingled with another
color.
Cochlea—the organ within the ear that enables the cat to detect sounds.
Colorpoint—in cats, the color of the extremities: nose, ears, feet, and tail. Colorpoint
cats have one general body color with darker extremities.
Conjunctivitis—inflammation of the membrane lining the inner surface of the eyelids.
Feral—wild.
Jacobson’s organ—smell and taste receptors located on the roof of the mouth in cats.
These receptors are stimulated by odors that are picked up by the
tongue from the air and transferred to the organ when a cat presses
its tongue against the roof of the mouth.
Jaundice—abnormal yellowing of the skin, tissues, eyes and urine due to bile pigments
building up in the blood as a result of liver disease or excessive breakdown of
red blood cells.
Keratitis—an inflammation of the cornea.
Nictitating membrane—the third eyelid. Also known as the haw. Moves diagonally
across the eye under the eyelid to help lubricate the cornea.
Occlusion—upper and lower teeth fitting together correctly.
Olfactory mucosa—a special area of the nasal lining that picks up smells from the air.
Papillae—knobs on the tongue that perform several functions. Backward-facing papillae
in the center of the tongue help hold food and are used to lick or scrape meat
off bones. Those along the front, sides, and larger ones toward the back of the
tongue carry the taste buds.
Points—in cats, color on extremities.
Zoonotic—exotic.
Vaccinations:
Bordetella—upper respiratory infection caused by the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica
that produces a severe hacking cough; also called kennel cough.
Coronavirus—relatively common virus in cats. Causes severe vomiting and diarrhea in
cats; is usually spread through contaminated feces; known as feline
infectious peritonitis; abbreviated as FIP.
Feline calicivirus—viral infection in felines that is associated with upper respiratory and
ocular infections.
Feline Chlamydia—bacterial infection in felines that is associated with upper respiratory
and ocular infections.
Feline leukemia—feline retrovirus that may produce increased numbers of abnormal
white blood cells, immune suppression, cancer, and illness
associated with immune suppression; abbreviated FeLV.
Feline panleukopenia—parvovirus infection of felines that is associated with fever,
vomiting, diarrhea, and a decrease in all types of white blood
cells; abbreviated FPV; commonly called feline distemper.
Feline rhinotracheitis—herpesvirus infection in felines that is associated with upper
respiratory and ocular infections.
Leptospirosis—bacterial disease caused by various types of Leptospira; signs include
renal failure, jaundice, fever, and abortion.
Rabies—fatal zoonotic infection of all warm blooded animals that causes neurologic
signs; transmitted by a bite or infected body fluid; abbreviated RV.