Chapter XXXII (2)

_Period of Incubation._—This varies according to the degree of
virulence of the microbe and the state of the cat’s system and the
surroundings in which it is kept. A very virulent infection has a much
shorter period of incubation than a mild infection. Whereas the former
may cause distemper in from two to five days, the latter takes from
one to three weeks. It seems doubtful whether the specific microbe
causes the symptoms we usually see in distemper, or if these are due
to a secondary infection resulting from the invasion of the normal
microbes of the body, which have become virulent, and prey upon their
hosts.

_Duration of the Disease._—This, like the period of incubation, varies
also according to the degree of virulence of the virus. A very
virulent virus kills in a few days or even hours, or the animal
recovers very quickly. It is not so with a virus of a milder degree of
virulence, which may cause symptoms that take from one to five or six
weeks to disappear, if the animal recover. In other cases the disease
shows itself in so mild a form that it appears like an ordinary
catarrh, and recovery is established within a few days.

In a few instances death takes place suddenly before any premonitory
symptoms have had time to develop.

The principal _sources of propagation_ of the infection are cat shows,
catteries (especially those belonging to people who exhibit), homes
for lost and stray cats, and institutions that take in these animals
as boarders. The cat dealer’s shop is not free from blame—many newly
purchased kittens develop distemper a few days after purchase,
contracted, no doubt, at the dealer’s. Many cases have been traced to
the cattery where the female has been sent to stud. Hampers, cages,
and persons coming from infected catteries are so many media of
contagion. Even if a cat has apparently recovered from the disease, it
may still give off infection and contaminate other cats for a variable
but uncertain period.

Although the disease may be seen at all times of the year, it is most
prevalent during spring and autumn, especially if the weather is
changeable and wet.

Moisture of the atmosphere favours the increase of distemper. Wet,
following very dry weather, continuous dampness and rain, all
predispose an animal to the disease. Where catteries or homes for lost
and strays are continuously being washed out and not properly dried,
especially in damp weather, before the cats are allowed into the
rooms, distemper is very prevalent.

Where too many cats are crowded into a given space, especially if the
place is badly lighted and not very well ventilated, this is
favourable for the contamination of the inmates.

The _mortality_ varies according to the breed of the animal, its
surroundings, and the degree of virulence of the infection. Seasons
and periods have also some bearing on it. Commonbred cats allowed to
roam out in the open at their will are more likely to recover from the
disease, but if confined to cages or in catteries, or in the house,
the mortality is quite twenty-five per cent. The long-haired cats are
less resistant against it, and as many as fifty percent. die. In the
Siamese breed of cats, the fatality is as high as ninety out of every
hundred. The younger the animals, the greater the deathrate; yet, on
the other hand, if old animals are very fat or anæmic from want of
fresh air and exercise, the mortality is just as high.

Many cats are resistant at one time against the infection, others have
it in a mild form, and yet others have it severely; but this does not
always prevent them from having it again at some future period. My
experience is that a cat may frequently have a recurrence of distemper
at least two or three times, and then succumb to it.

One season it may appear as a contagious catarrh, another season as an
infectious sore throat, and at other times as a bronchitis or
pneumonia, and, lastly, as a contagious gastritis or gastro-enteritis.
Frequently all these forms may co-exist in a single outbreak, and
often a single animal exhibits the whole of these manifestations. For
the convenience of description of the symptoms of this multiform
malady we divide it into five principal forms, as follow:—

1. The _Catarrhal_, attacking chiefly the eyes and nostrils.

2. The _Pharyngeal_ or _Tonsillar_, affecting the region of the
throat.

3. The _Pulmonary_ or _Chest_ form.

4. The _Abdominal_ or _Gastro-enteric_.

5. The _Cachectic_ or _Wasting_.

The _Catarrhal_ form of distemper is that which is generally seen in
the cat, and is the least fatal of any. The first _symptoms_ noticed
are a watery discharge from one and sometimes both eyes, the lids of
which may be partially or completely closed, so as to hide the front
of the eye, and a frequent licking of the upper lip and nose as if
they were parched and burning. After a day or so the inner lining of
the eyelids may be very much reddened, swollen, and giving rise to a
yellow-white or greenish-white thick discharge, which adheres to the
lids and seals them together. There may also be shivering fits, a dull
open coat, and a great desire for warmth (this being so intense in
some cases that the animal frequently gets under the grate when a fire
is in it). There is sneezing, followed by a snuffling kind of
breathing; the nostrils discharge a thick, ropy, whitish or greenish
matter, which clings to their openings, and very often closes them up.
When the pharynx or larynx is the seat of catarrh there are frequent
fits of coughing. The appetite is diminished or absent, but thirst is,
as a rule, great. There may also be seen at times vomiting, diarrhœa,
or constipation. Emaciation is gradual and slight, or rapid and great,
varying according to the severity of the symptoms.

The breathing is not much altered in the majority of cases, but in a
few instances it becomes frequent. The temperature rises a few
degrees, but this is variable, and it is sometimes normal. The body
and limbs feel cold to the touch, and sometimes give off an offensive
odour. The tongue, lips, hard and soft palates, and gums (especially
around the teeth) are occasionally ulcerated. Now and again the eyes
become the seat of ulceration, which on rare occasions becomes
perforated; at other times they become affected with a severe
inflammation, which extends to the whole eyeball and destroys this
organ. There is at times dulness or drowsiness, and the animal seeks
dark corners or gets under the furniture. Many cats from sheer
nervousness, especially in strange places, avoid the fire and seek
obscure or lofty positions. Recovery generally takes place within a
fortnight or three weeks, but death may take place within twenty-four
to forty-eight hours from the commencement of the attack.

The _Pharyngeal_, _Tonsillar_, or _Throat_ form is the most deadly
manifestation of distemper. The first _symptom_ to attract attention
is the drivelling of clear, ropy albuminous saliva from the corners of
the mouth. The animal crouches upon all four of its limbs; there is a
frequent gulping movement, and a sound is emitted from the throat as
if there was an attempt to swallow the thick ropy saliva which clings
about the mouth and pharynx; the swallowing seems difficult or
impossible; food is refused, but thirst is constant, although the
animal seems incapable of swallowing; there is a great dulness or
depression, and the cat appears indifferent to its surroundings.

On examination of the outside of the throat it is found swollen and
painful, the glands are enlarged, and there appears to be a gurgling
noise at each inspiration and expiration. On inspection of the mouth
and back of the throat, the tongue and pharynx are found to be covered
with a thick, ropy, bubbling saliva, the mucous membrane is swollen
and congested, and the soft palate is of a pinkish or even dark
reddish arborescent appearance, due to the congested state of the
small blood-vessels. Sometimes ulcers appear on the hard and soft
palates. After a day or so the depression increases, there is a
discharge from the eyes and nostrils, which appears at first as a
clear viscid fluid, and afterwards becomes yellowish or dirty green in
colour, and, if the animal lives long enough, ultimately bloody, in
consequence of it irritating the mucous membranes and surrounding skin
of the eyes and nose. There may also be a catarrhal or purulent fœtid
discharge from one or both ears, but this is quite exceptional, and is
mostly seen in cases having a fatal termination.

If the prostration is very great, and there is rapid loss of weight
and condition, and the discharge from the mouth, nostrils, and eyes
becomes fœtid, coupled with total loss of appetite, and no abatement
of the other symptoms, a fatal termination is to be anticipated. Late
in the complaint the pharyngeal mucus may become of a dirty colour or
sanious; purple spots appear on the tongue, gums, and lips, and there
is a moan or cry emitted at each respiratory effort; convulsive
movements of the muscles of the temples, shoulders, and thighs set in,
and death takes place from intoxication. The temperature rises at
first, but when a fatal termination is to be anticipated it falls
below the normal.

The _Pulmonary_ or _Chest_ form, although not so frequently seen in
the cat as in the dog, may appear from the outset as a distinct
localisation, or follow or intervene during an attack of the other
forms as a complication. It may or may not be ushered in by shivering
fits; the coat becomes dull and open, there is sneezing or coughing,
or both; tears run from the eyes, and mucus issues from the nostrils,
and there is a great desire for warmth. The temperature is elevated,
and varies from 102.5° to 106°, but rarely running a typical course.
The cough, when present, is frequent and rattling or harsh, and
sometimes dull. On listening to the chest wheezing, rattling, or
blowing, or rubbing, or splashing sounds may be heard. Emaciation is
either gradual or rapid, thirst is generally great, but the appetite
is diminished or absent.

The breathing is either quickened or the inspiratory and expiratory
efforts may be prolonged and accompanied or not with a moan or grunt,
which is sometimes associated with fluid in the chest cavity, which is
known by the pumping or lifting action of the flanks, this effusion in
one or both of the pleural sacs being either of a clear greenish or
amber-tinted or bloody or dirty yellowish appearance, and sometimes of
a fœtid odour. Besides pleurisy, which is only occasionally
encountered, there may be pneumonia, bronchopneumonia, or bronchitis,
according to the structure of lung involved in this form of distemper.
(For a description of these localisations or complications, _see_
under their respective headings.)

The lesions of the lungs may be slight, and yet the symptoms may be
severe; on the contrary, the lesions may be extensive, and the
resulting symptoms comparatively slight. If the fever remains high,
the appetite abolished, the pupils dilated, the breathing plaintive
and very rapid, and prostration great, death soon takes place from
failure of the heart due to intoxication. In many cases, though, the
fever is not intense, and yet death supervenes.

The _Abdominal_, _Gastric_, or _Gastro-enteric_ form of distemper is
oftener seen than either the pharyngeal or pulmonary form, and may
occur as a very acute and rapidly fatal manifestation, or as a chronic
disease. It frequently accompanies the other forms. In _acute_ cases
there is sudden vomiting of food, quickly followed by a frequently
repeated ejection of thick, slimy, and frothy mucus, and ultimately by
a thin, watery, serous fluid, which is of an olive-green or yellowish
appearance. The thirst is intense, and no sooner is water sipped than
it is expelled. There is frequent diarrhœa; the stools at first seem
fluid, then become watery, sometimes bloody, and very fœtid. The
appetite is suppressed, and the animal becomes cold and indifferent to
its surroundings, the facial expression is pinched, the eyes are
semi-closed; the coat is dull and open, and on pressure over the
region of the stomach pain is evinced by a moan or cry, and death
usually takes place in a few hours. There is not as a rule any
discharge from the eyes and nostrils.

In the _subacute_ cases, beyond a slight catarrhal discharge from the
eyes and nostrils, there may be either vomiting or diarrhœa—often
both—and at other instances vomiting and constipation. When the bowels
are the principal seat of the disease, vomiting is rare, but diarrhœa
is generally persistent. Thirst is great, and food is refused or taken
sparingly. The animal is dull, cries if moved or if the abdomen is
manipulated; emaciation is rapid, and the animal dies in a state of
exhaustion.

In the _chronic_ cases there may or may not be any catarrhal symptoms,
but there is a chronic and persistent diarrhœa, and sometimes
vomiting. The appetite is capricious or sometimes ravenous, thirst
moderate, and emaciation gradual, and liquid fæces may be expelled on
the least effort, as by coughing; the fur or pelage around the tail
becomes soiled, and, in consequence, the animal gives off an offensive
odour.

In some instances the breath becomes fœtid; the teeth, gums, tongue,
and lips are covered with a dirty brown or greenish slimy material;
and frequently the gum around the neck of the teeth is spongy, and
bleeds on the slightest touch. Occasionally the bone into which the
teeth are inserted becomes exposed, ulcerated, or necrosed. Ulcers are
at times seen on the lips and tongue.

The _Chronic Cachectic_ or _Wasting_ form is sometimes encountered as
a chronic wasting malady, not showing many symptoms beyond gradual
emaciation, great weakness, intense thirst, ravenous or capricious
appetite, and occasionally diarrhœa. At other times the animal goes
off its appetite, sits about in a mopish manner, has a staring and
dull coat, the mucous membranes are pallid, the haw protruding over
the front of the inner portion of the eyeballs, and becomes light in
weight.

It very occasionally happens in these wasting cases that the skin
becomes the seat of parasitic mange, and, in consequence, gives off an
offensive mousy or mouldy odour. If treatment is not skilfully and
early adopted, death takes place, and on _post-mortem_ examination the
remains simulate those of an animal having died from starvation. It
may follow on the other forms of manifestation.

_Skin eruptions_ are rarely noticed in distemper of the cat, but
sometimes one sees on kittens a scabby eruption resembling ecthyma,
the discharge of which mats the hairs in these young creatures.
_Female cats_, when pregnant, frequently _abort_—in fact, nearly every
cat in this condition in a cattery affected with distemper will
miscarry, making it appear as if it were a special contagious disease.

The _ears_ occasionally become the seat of acute catarrh or
ulceration, and give rise to an offensive discharge. This complication
is mostly associated with the pharyngeal form.

The _cornea_ of the eye is sometimes the seat of ulceration, which
generally disappears as the animal recovers. The whole eyeball
occasionally partakes of inflammation, which destroys it.

When the _eyes of young kittens_ become the seat of catarrh, the eye
is generally destroyed, and consequently the sight is lost. The
_nervous_ type, showing itself as excitement, convulsions, chorea,
meningitis, or paralysis, although seen, is somewhat rare in this
creature.

_Death_ may occur either suddenly from convulsions, or rapidly from
intoxication, or slowly from exhaustion.

When due to intoxication, clonic, convulsive, or twitching movements
of the muscles of the temples, shoulders, and hind limbs precede, and
are even seen shortly after, death. Frequently death takes place
without any symptoms of the disease having been noticed. In this case
it appears to be due to the rapidity of the formation of the toxin or
poison of the microbe, which causes intense shock to the system.

_Diagnosis._—In many instances this disease is mistaken for a simple
catarrh, diarrhœa, or sore throat—a mistake unfortunate where other
cats are concerned. It is true that the first stage of distemper
frequently resembles either of these simple complaints, which are not
contagious, and generally only affect one out of several animals kept
together, and run their course in a few days; whereas in distemper the
disease usually runs a prolonged course, is very prostrating, and in
many instances fatal, and, beyond all, contagious. On the other hand,
it may resemble diphtheria, which is contagious, but has false
membranes on the soft palate, pharynx, larynx, and tonsils, which are
absent in distemper.

_Prognosis._—Distemper is a most treacherous disease, and one of which
even an expert cannot foretell the result. Many instances occur in
which an animal appears to be on the right road towards recovery, when
a relapse suddenly sets in and carries off the poor creature. If the
appetite is moderate, the emaciation not rapid or great, the diarrhœa
not intense or too frequent, and no complications set in after the end
of the first week, recovery may be anticipated. On the other hand, if
the weakness be progressive and prolonged, emaciation rapid and great,
an offensive odour is given off from the body, eyes sunken in their
orbits, pupils dilated, and the facial expression is haggard, death is
to be expected. Again, relapses (which are commonly encountered),
early youth, obesity, complications, the breed of the animal (such as
Siamese and long-haired varieties, especially light-coloured animals),
are generally unfavourable towards a certain recovery.

Chronic nasal catarrh, chronic pneumonia or phthisis, and persistent
diarrhœa may also give trouble after the distemper has run its
ordinary course, and will have to be reckoned with.

_Treatment._—An old maxim is, “Prevention is better than cure,” and
ought to be carried out as far as possible by isolating all those
animals that have been in contact with the infection.

Animals coming from homes for lost and stray cats, cat shows, dealers
in cats, should be kept apart from those in the cattery for at least a
fortnight, to see if they develop the complaint. The place of
isolation should have no communication with the building or house in
which the majority of healthy cats are kept. The baskets, cages,
clothing, etc., should be thoroughly washed and disinfected before
they are used again for sound cats. It ought not to be forgotten that
persons who have been in contact with sick animals may carry the
infection on their hands or clothes.

When distemper has declared itself in a cattery and the inmates have
recovered, the place should be _thoroughly_ scrubbed, disinfected, and
afterwards lime-washed or repainted. Boiling water and soda, used with
the aid of a scrubbing-brush, is much more reliable to remove
infection than many of the so-called disinfectants, which frequently
do not destroy the virus, but often injure the cats. After the
habitation has been _scrupulously cleansed_, it may be well to
disinfect it with chlorinated lime (1 lb. to the gallon of cold
water), which should be brushed all over the floor, walls, partitions,
etc. Baskets, hampers, etc., should be served likewise. Metal and
earthenware utensils may be boiled in strong soda-water.

Before any cats are again put into the place, the doors and windows
should be opened for at least a week, and fresh air and daylight
admitted, as they are the best destructors of micro-organisms.

Where valuable cats are kept and the risk of distemper is great, it
would be advisable for the owner to have the cats _immunised_, or
_rendered proof_ against the disease, by means of the Pasteurian
system of vaccination with the attenuated microbe of distemper, as
introduced into practice by Professor Lignières and Dr. Phisalix.
Several degrees of strength of the vaccine are used. The animal is at
first vaccinated or inoculated with a mild degree of virus, and
afterwards with vaccine of gradually increased virulence, so that the
most virulent virus (which would quickly kill, or cause the disease in
a severe form in an animal not previously inoculated with the milder
vaccines) would not produce any disturbance in the vaccinated
creature.

_Medical or Curative Treatment._—The sick animal should be kept in a
well-lighted and well ventilated but not draughty room, which ought to
be dry, and kept at a temperature of about 60°. The floor should be
covered with a thick layer of fresh pine sawdust, heaps of which
should be placed in tins, boxes, or old coal-scuttles for the
convenience of the animals.

If the cat is seen in the first stage of the disease, an emetic of ¼
to ½ grain of tartar emetic in a teaspoonful of warm water may be
given to clear out the stomach and bronchial tubes. In place of this
drug, ¹⁄₃₀ to ¹⁄₂₀ grain of hydrochloride of apomorphine in tabloid
form may be injected under the skin. After the emetic has passed off,
easily digested and nourishing food, such as milk, should be offered,
and, if refused, forced upon the animal. When the appetite is fairly
good, ⅛ to ¼ grain of calomel may be given twice a day, but must be
stopped as soon as it causes vomiting or intense diarrhœa.

When the appetite is bad, quinine sulphate (½ grain) given three times
a day for a lengthened period may be useful in remedying it.

The _eyes_ and _nostrils_ should be bathed three times a day with the
following lotion:

Chinosol 3½ grains,
Rose-water 8 ounces;

and then smeared with an ointment composed of—

Boracic Acid ½ drachm,
Cold Cream 4 drachms.

When the _throat_ is very much inflamed, it should be painted on the
outside, after all the hair is clipped off from ear to ear, with
tincture of iodine or the ætherial tincture of capsicum, three times a
day, until soreness is produced. As it is a difficult job to paint the
inside of the cat’s throat, the following powder dropped on the tongue
will act in a similar manner:—

Quinine sulphate ½ grain,
Borax 2½ grains.
_To be given morning, noon,
and night._

If there is either _pleurisy_ or _pneumonia_, or both combined, the
hair should be cut off over the ribs, and the skin painted with a
solution of tartar emetic (composed of 1 drachm of the drug to an
ounce of spirit), and then wrapped up with a binder, under which a
layer of cotton-wool is placed.

In case there is _repeated vomiting_, a powder composed of—

Bismuth carbonate 5 grains,
Cocaine hydrochloride ⅛ grain,

should be shaken on the tongue every four hours until twenty-four
hours have elapsed since the last vomiting took place. If there should
be a persistent and _profuse diarrhœa_, it must be moderated, but not
suppressed, by means of 2½ grains of tannigen given morning, noon, and
night. When there are any _convulsions_ or much _pain_, ⅙ to ¼ grain
of extract of opium in pill should be administered morning and night.

Light and easily digested food—such as peptonised milk, Mosquera’s
beef jelly, Benger’s peptonised food, etc.—should be given in small
and repeated quantities during the earlier or active stages of the
disease. Later on, in the convalescent stage, scraped raw beef, boiled
fish, rice-pudding, etc., may be offered.

Parrish’s chemical food and cod-liver oil, given by some cat-owners
during the acute stage of distemper when there is no appetite, are
harmful and cruel remedies.

DISEASES OF THE EAR.

The external ear in the cat is short, upright, triangular, pointed,
and opens in front. Its apex in some cats—especially Persians—has a
tuft of hair growing from the inside. In the outer margin the ear
doubles on itself, forming a pouch, in which lumps of dirt, ear-mites,
etc., frequently accumulate.

A =Serous Cyst=, or abscess, forms between the skin and cartilage of
the inside, and sometimes also of the outside, of the ear or ears.

The ear is swollen, feels tense, has a bluish or reddish tint, but is
not very painful. The contents of this swelling are a thin, reddish
fluid and a blood clot, which separate the skin from the cartilage and
its covering.

It is always associated with ear-mites, and generally results in the
ear shrinking and becoming drawn down, which, when both ears are
affected, give the animal a peculiar appearance, resembling some wild
variety of the cat tribe that usually carries these organs in a
semi-pendulous manner.

_Treatment._—It can be prevented by keeping the cat’s ears clean and
free from ear-mites. When it is present, the cyst should be freely
opened (which can be done painlessly by previously injecting a few
drops of a 4 per cent. solution of cocaine), the blood clot carefully
removed, and the inner surface of the cavity washed out with a 5 per
cent. solution of chinosol. The ear must be gently pulled every day to
prevent shrinking, and, consequently, deformity.

=True Canker= is an inflammation of the deeper part of the cavity of
the ear, accompanied with a chronic fœtid, whitish, cheesy, or gluey
discharge, and sometimes ulceration, and, rarely, warty-looking
growths. It usually runs a long course, unless skilfully treated, and
is liable to recur.

_Treatment._—The ear should be carefully washed out with tincture of
calendula, and then well dried with cotton-wool, and afterwards have
_finely_ sifted boracic powder blown down the cavity. This treatment
should be carried out at least every other day until recovery takes
place.

Quite 90 per cent. of long-haired varieties and cross-breeds suffer
from =Parasitic Canker=. It is seen in kittens a month old, as well as
in aged cats, and is conveyable to the dog. The ferret also is liable
to it.

It is due to the ear-mite called _Symbiotes auricularum_, which was
first found in the ear of the dog by Professor Hering, of Stuttgart,
in 1834, and in the cat by Huber, of Memingen, in 1860.

It resembles the mange and cheese mites in general characters, and is
only with difficulty seen with the naked eye. When viewed in strong
sunlight, it appears as a small whitish or cinnamon-coloured woolly
speck, resembling a grain of meal or flour crawling about on the
brownish dirt in the ears. These mites nearly always collect together
in large colonies.

There is frequent scratching of the ears with the hind limb. The cat
suddenly stops, sits down, inclines its head to one side, and
scratches away as if it gave it great pleasure to do so. In some
cases, however, it becomes quite frantic, and swears. Frequently there
is an abrasion of the skin behind the ears due to this scratching, and
occasionally the flap of the ear becomes the seat of a serous abscess,
which I have described.

When the mite wanders over the drum of the ear, especially in warm
weather, some cats are seized with convulsions, others become
delirious, and many reel about as if intoxicated.

_Treatment._—The ears should be washed out with warm soap and water,
and then well dried with cotton-wool, and afterwards have a liniment
composed of oil of stavesacre (2 drachms) and almond oil (6 drachms),
mixed together, and poured in every day until all signs of irritation
have passed away, care being taken to wipe off the superfluous
dressing from the ears after each dressing.

DISEASES OF THE EYE.

In certain respects the eye of the cat differs from that of the other
domesticated animals. It resembles the eye of the dog in its shape,
which is somewhat rounded and globular. The _membrana nictitans_,
_haw_, or _third eyelid_, is not so well developed as in some other
animals, as the cat is able to protect the eye with the paw to a
considerable extent. The _tapetum lucidum_ is of a brilliant metallic
golden yellow or greenish (in Siamese and albino cats pinkish colour),
and is so well developed that it probably enables the animal to see
better at night, by reflecting the rays of light a second time through
the retina.

It is also the cause of the well-known glare of the cat’s eyes in the
dark.

The _iris_, or _curtain_, is yellowish-green, orange, or golden in
most cats; sometimes it is amber-coloured, and in other cases golden,
with a tinge of metallic green around the pupillary circumference.
Some cats, especially white cats, have the iris of one of the eyes of
a bluish white appearance, and the other a golden, amber, or greenish
golden colour.

The Siamese cat and many white cats have pale blue or bluish eyes. The
shade of the iris generally varies with the colour of the cat’s fur,
and is taken into consideration in the judging of points at shows.

The _pupil_, or opening in the centre of the iris, when widely
dilated, is circular in shape, but when contracted it becomes
vertically elliptical, and may become so narrow as to appear as a mere
thin perpendicular slit.

The _optic disc_, or entrance of the optic nerve before it expands in
the cavity of the eyeball to form the retina, is small, round, and
cupped, and of a clear grey colour, and the veins in it can be
distinguished from the arteries which radiate from the optic disc. The
choroidal vessels are rarely seen, but in the Siamese cat they are
seen in the red peripheral zone.

Kittens, like puppies, are, as a rule, born with the eyelids closed,
and this condition lasts usually from nine to twelve days, when the
membrane joining the two lids together wastes and finally gives way.
Sometimes, however, the eyelids do not become separated, or only
become so at one part, so that surgical intervention may be necessary
to separate the partially or completely closed lids.

I have, on several occasions, seen kittens born with their eyes open,
but have not been able to satisfy myself if the condition was due to
any prolongation of the period of uterogestation.

The eyelids are sometimes the seat of =ringworm=, =mange=, =follicular
scabies=, or =eczema=, and as these affections are usually present in
other parts of the body, they can easily be diagnosed by means of the
naked eye or the microscope. The best remedy for any of these
diseases, when situated on the eyelids, is:—

Yellow oxide of mercury 4 grains.
White vaseline 1 ounce.

These ingredients are to be well mixed by a competent chemist, and a
small piece, about the size of a pea, is to be well rubbed on the
affected part or parts every morning. Care must be taken that no
superfluous ointment is left on the hairs, as most cats will rub it
off with their paws, which they will immediately lick, and so may
become poisoned.

The eyelids occasionally become turned inwards, so that the hairs
covering it rub on the glassy portion of the eyeball, and frequently
set up irritation, inflammation, and opacity, and a copious discharge
of tears. This is termed =entropium=, and requires an operation. When
the eyelid is turned outwards from the eyeball, the condition takes
the name of _ectropium_, which rarely calls for any interference, as
it does not injure the animal, even if it is unsightly. A very rare
anomaly of the eyelid in the cat is when the hairs of it take an
unusual direction, and rub on the glassy portion of the eyeball, and,
like entropium, set up irritation, inflammation, and smokiness of it.
This is termed _trichiasis_, and requires an operation to remedy it.

The eyelids are also subject to =wounds=, =bruises=, =abscesses=,
=warts=, and =Meibomian cysts=, which do not call for special
attention. The _third eyelid_, _haw_, or _membrana nictitans_—though,
as before stated, it is not so well developed in the cat as in some
other animals—is liable, in debilitating diseases, such as distemper,
anæmia, etc., to protrude persistently over the inner part of the
front of the eyeball. It will, however, resume its normal position as
the cat regains strength, and should, therefore, on _no account_ be
removed. It frequently becomes inflamed during distemper, catarrh, or
ophthalmia, or from injuries, but should not in these cases be
removed, as if it were a foreign body or new growth; a simple
soothing, antiseptic lotion will put it right as the original disease
abates and strength is regained.

Frequently in the cat, as in the dog, just below the inner angle of
the eye socket an _abscess_ forms. This is due to pus in the cavity of
the jaw bones, called also the antrum of highmore, above the teeth,
and is generally caused by some disturbance or disease of the tooth.
When the tooth immediately below the abscess is removed, and the
abscess cavity is washed out with some astringent, recovery usually
takes place. It should, however, be borne in mind that the teeth below
the eye are frequently diseased, and no abscess is caused by them.

A =fistula= may form immediately below the inner angle of the eyelids.
It results from an abscess which opens, and then heals up, to break
out again. This process goes on until a permanent opening or fistula
remains, from which a discharge of matter issues. This is connected
with some disturbance, or even disease, of the tooth or teeth
immediately below it. When the tooth or teeth are removed, and the
opening occasionally well washed out with some astringent, it heals
up, and no further trouble is seen. However, it is sometimes due to
tuberculosis, and the mere removal of teeth does not do away with the
fistula. It is mostly mistaken for a lachrymal fistula.

Sometimes the conjunctiva, or the pinkish membrane lining the inner
surface of the eyelids and the front of the eyeball, becomes the seat
of disease.

A non-inflammatory swelling of it is seen, due to an infiltration of
serum. This is called _chemosis_. It has the appearance of a palish
pink swelling all round the eye, which seems sunken in the orbit but
does not seem inflamed or painful. It may quickly disappear on
dropping a few minims of a 4 per cent. solution of cocaine
hydrochloride into the eye. It is liable to recur at some future time.

=Conjunctivitis=, or inflammation of the membrane covering the inner
lining of the eyes and the front of the eyeball, is also termed
external or simple ophthalmia. It is frequently seen in the cat during
distemper, diphtheria, catarrh, or from an injury to, or presence of a
foreign body in, the eye.

The animal evidently dreads the light, as the eyelids are partially
closed, and the haw is drawn a little way over the front of the
eyeball. Tears run down the face, and, if the eyelids are separated,
and the internal lining thus exposed, it will be found that it is
swollen and reddened from the distension of the small blood-vessels.
After a day or two, the discharge alters in character, and instead of
being watery, as before, appears as yellowish white thick matter,
flowing from or sticking to the inner corner of the eye. The lining
membrane may become so swollen that it laps over the lids, and the
eyeball seems to have sunk into its orbit.

Sometimes it is associated with the presence on the conjunctiva of
small, round, pinkish bodies, the size of a pin’s head, which
completely disappear as the affection passes off, leaving the mucous
membrane as they found it. Frequently, there are reddish-yellow
granulations or greyish-white, semi-transparent, or glistening bodies,
of the size of a rape-seed or less, scattered over the conjunctival
membrane, or protruding from it.

To these two latter varieties of conjunctivitis the terms of
_follicular_ and _granular_ are respectively applied. They both seem
contagious.

_Treatment._—If the catarrh of the eyes is due to a foreign body, it
must be removed. The cat should be kept in a dark, warm place, free
from draughts and away from the fire, and the eye bathed with a warm
lotion composed of the following ingredients:—

Boracic acid 8 grains.
Cocaine hydrochloride 8 „
Rose-water 1 ounce.

If there are any granules on the conjunctiva, the lining membrane of
the lids should be everted, after the eye has been cocainised, and
painted with a 10 per cent. solution of nitrate of silver or rubbed
with a stick of copper sulphate, care being taken that the superfluous
material is afterwards washed off with warm water.

The =Purulent Ophthalmia of the New-born= is seen in young kittens as
soon as their eyes are opened, or even before, and is a very serious
complaint, as it generally attacks the eyeball, which it destroys, and
consequently the sight is lost. This disease seems contagious.

There is a bulging of the eyelids, which are glued together. When
these are separated, a thick, yellowish matter flows out, the eyes are
ulcerated and perforated, the inner surfaces of the eyelids are
inflamed, and soon after the contents of the eye protrude as a fleshy
mass.

_Treatment._—If the eyes are destroyed, the animal should be put into
the lethal chamber at once. On the other hand, if there is no
ulceration of the eyeball, the eyelids should be separated and the
eyes and under-surface of the eyelids constantly irrigated for a
quarter of an hour at a time with a warm solution of chinosol. The
eyelids must not be allowed to become sealed up, else matter will
collect and press on the delicate eyeballs and destroy them. It may be
advisable to paint the inside of the eyelids with a 10 per cent.
solution of nitrate of silver.

The _cornea_, or clear, glassy transparent membrane of the front of
the eyeball, is frequently involved in the disease just described, or
it may become inflamed or ulcerated independent of it.

Inflammation of the cornea, termed =Corneitis=, _keratitis_, or
_external_ ophthalmia, may result from conjunctivitis, injuries,
distemper, diphtheria, or disease of the brain or nerves, sunstroke,
etc.

It is very prevalent during the cold winds of spring, and in the
majority of instances seems to be contagious. It appears in the form
of patchy congestion or inflammation, or at a later stage as
ulceration.

One or both eyes may be affected. There is a dread of light, a
continual flow of tears, and frequent winking of the eyelids, or
almost complete closure of them. The cornea, usually glassy and
transparent, becomes clouded by a smoky or milky white film, which has
a rounded or irregular form.

Blood-vessels, which in the normal state are absent, appear on the
cornea, spreading from a part or all round the circumference towards
the centre of the eye. If the inflammation is intense and prolonged,
the eyeball perforated, and the contents bulge outwards and become
rough, dirty, and leathery in appearance, this condition is generally
seen either as the result of an injury, or from improper treatment, or
neglect of a simple affection of the eye. In distemper the
inflammation usually expends itself on some particular spot or spots
in one or both eyes. These spots may appear as mere milky white
patches, or they may present an appearance which might lead an
ordinary observer to the conclusion that a small piece had been dug
out of the eye. They may occur either in the centre of the cornea, or
a little above it, or sometimes a little towards the outer angle of
the eye.

At the outset the cornea at the particular spot or spots in which the
inflammation is localised becomes softened, then bulges, and finally
gives way, so that a depression or ulcer is left on the eye. Some time
after this ulcer becomes filled up with granulations of a dirty red
colour, which afterwards become absorbed, when the cure is complete.
Frequently two ulcers appear side by side.

Sometimes, when these ulcerations are improperly treated or neglected,
or associated with great debility or anæmia, the white speck remains
as a permanent blemish, or in the more serious cases the ulcer
perforates the eye, and the contents of which bulge and cause what is
termed a _staphyloma_, from its resemblance to a grape, or the whole
eye may become involved in the inflammation and be totally destroyed.
In these cases of the destroyed or “_lost_” _eyes_, the whole eyeball
has a greenish-white appearance, and seems to bulge out from the
socket in consequence of the general swelling of the organ. It may
give way or become ulcerated, giving rise to a continual discharge,
and if not removed causes great pain and exhaustion.

_Treatment._—The cat should be kept in the dark, and soothing
antiseptics applied to the eye.

The solution recommended for conjunctivitis is also very serviceable
here. If the eye affection is due to distemper or any other general
disease, it is, of course, necessary to treat this disease, in
addition to the local applications to the eye. When ulceration takes
place, the following drops are recommended:—

Eserine salicylate ½ grain.
Distilled water 2 drachms.

To be instilled between the eyelids, by means of an eye-dropper, two
or three times a day. If, however, there is much vascularity, the
following drops are advisable:—

Atrophine sulphate ½ grain.
Cocaine hydrochloride 6 grains.
Distilled water 2 drachms.

After all the acute symptoms have passed away, the indolent
granulations may require treatment. A suitable application for this
purpose is:—

Chinosol 3½ grains.
Rose-water 8 ounces.

To bathe the eye, by means of allowing the lotion to drop by squeezing
a piece of lint saturated with it between the eyelids several times a
day.

When the eye is irretrievably lost, and suppuration commences in the
interior of the eye, it is necessary to remove the whole eyeball.
However, this should not be performed in the case of distemper until
after the original disease abates, else removal of one eye will
probably end in destruction of the other.

_General Remarks on the Eye._—In all affections of the eyes, a careful
examination of them should be made by an experienced qualified
veterinary surgeon. As, however, in some out-of-the-way places
professional aid is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain, a few
brief hints as to general treatment should be useful. Many amateurs,
in their anxiety to effect a speedy and complete cure, attempt too
much, use powerful and irritating drugs (often also in improper
proportions), and frequently, with the best intentions in the world,
succeed in permanently injuring or even destroying the sight. It is
therefore better, in the absence of professional aid, and especially
in the earlier stages of inflammation of the eyes, to trust to mild
and palliative treatment, and to “give nature a chance.”

In all cases of recent inflammation, soothing applications should be
used, such as warm infusion of poppy-heads or camomile flowers, warm
milk, cocaine drops, etc. If the inflammation is associated with
increased tension of the eyeball, due to an excessive quantity of
fluid within it, or is accompanied by deep ulceration, the increased
tension should be reduced by means of the eserine drops.

Lotions containing either _lead_ or _silver nitrate_ should not be
used in inflammation of the cornea associated with ulceration, as the
former is apt to leave a white spot or patch, and the latter a brown
or blackish stain.

Last, but by no means least, animals affected with disturbance of the
eyes should be kept in the dark, or at any rate away from the fire or
from any glaring light, and should be shielded from draughts. The
general health should also be looked to, and nourishing food given.

DISEASES OF THE SKIN.

The cat is very fortunately free from many of the skin complaints that
affect the dog. Nevertheless, domestication and improper
surroundings—the curses of health—demand a few victims now and again,
and hence the much-maligned cat is not exempt from this bane.

The diseases are either _contagious_ and conveyable from one cat to
another, or _simple_ and not spread by contact.

The contagious skin diseases are due either to an animal parasite (as
in mange) or to a vegetable parasite (as in ringworm).

=Sarcoptic Mange= is a contagious skin disease of the cat due to an
animal parasite or mange-mite, termed _Sarcoptes minor_, var. _cati_.

It generally attacks ill-fed, neglected, and badly housed cats which
are allowed to stray, and is seen chiefly in the autumn. It frequently
occurs as an epizöotic, and where no attention is bestowed on the
victims it is very fatal.

The adult or mature mite has an almost circular body. When viewed
under the microscope, its limbs seem to be under its body. It has
eight pairs of legs in the adult and six in the larval stage. In the
female the hind legs are provided at the extremities with bristles
only; but in the male the central pair of hind legs are provided with
suckers, although the outer pair have bristles. It does not excavate a
subcutaneous gallery, or burrow, like the mange-mites of other
animals, but makes a simple nest, that appears as a minute eminence.
The larvæ, nymphæ, and males wander in the midst of the crusts.

It is capable of being transmitted to man, and to the dog, rat, horse,
and ox.

Whatever part of the body it first touches, it always goes to the head
to do its injurious work. At first small reddish pimples, no larger
than a pin’s head or a turnip-seed, appear; these exude a yellowish
fluid which dries and forms crusts. The animal scratches, the hair
falls off, numerous other scales appear, and become thicker and
thicker, until the whole head and ears become encased in a cast of
dirty yellowish crusts. The crusts may be absent in young kittens or
cats, but slightly adherent scales are seen instead.

After a time the disease spreads to the neck and shoulders, elbows and
thighs, or even to the whole body. In kittens or young cats the
complaint is more likely to spread to various parts of the body, but
in older animals it is generally confined to the head, or head and
neck, but may, as in young cats, spread to the other parts or to the
whole body, the skin of which, after some time, becomes wrinkled, and
gives off a musty odour.

The nostrils and eyes may be blocked up by the thickened crusts, so
that the animal can see, or breathe through the nostrils, only with
difficulty. The cat hides or strays away, it mopes and seems sad; it
becomes emaciated, and indifferent to its surroundings, and finally
succumbs to exhaustion or some concurrent disease. It may be
associated with ringworm or parasitic ear canker; it is nearly always
accompanied by the elliptical tapeworm.

It quickly kills within five or six weeks if no treatment or attention
is bestowed on the cat, especially if young; but where it is partially
treated, it may linger for months, even years. Cold weather retards
its progress, but its energy is renewed in the following spring. It
spreads slowly on well-cared-for cats.

_Treatment._—The mangy cat should be kept isolated from the healthy
animals, and kept away from children. Its basket, bedding, or cage
should be boiled, burnt, or thoroughly disinfected. The cat must be
carefully dressed with sulphurated lime lotion, which should be
applied by means of a piece of lint every day, taking care that the
animal is kept warm and well fed.

=Follicular Mange= is due to a caterpillar-shaped mite—the _Demodex_
or _Acarus folliculorum_, var. _cati_—which inhabits the sebaceous
follicles of the skin. It is sometimes found in the ears, nose, and
head of the cat, but rarely causes severe itchiness. It produces
pimples and scabs, which are only of short duration, and seldom
occasions trouble. It is frequently associated with sarcoptic mange.
The parasite is a quarter smaller than that of the dog.

_Treatment._—A lotion composed of sulphurated potash (1 drachm),
glycerine (½ oz. to 6 parts of rose-water), applied by means of lint
to the affected part once a day, generally suffices to cause its
disappearance.

=Grey Ringworm=, or _Tinea tonsurans_, is not a common affection of
the cat. It is due to a vegetable parasite or mould, termed the
_Trichophyton felineum_, which attacks the hairs, these becoming much
altered and broken, and their ends split up and frayed like a brush.
There will be noticed circular or oval bald patches, covered with an
abundance of scales, which are of a slaty or greyish appearance, and
vary according to the colour of the animal. These are seen on the head
and limbs and round the eyelids and mouth, but also on other parts of
the body. They may run into one another, and form large patches. There
may be itchiness and scratching; and in this latter case the crusts
may be covered with blood and resemble eczema.

_Treatment._—As this disease is conveyable to other cats, to the
horse, ox, dog, and children, the affected animal should be isolated
and the patches dressed with tincture of perchloride of iron once
every third day. (Whole families, and even a whole school, have been
known to become affected with ringworm from a cat.)

=Yellow Ringworm=, or _Tinea favosa_, or _favus_, also termed
“honeycomb ringworm,” is a commoner disease in the cat than grey
ringworm. It is due to a vegetable parasite named _Achorion
Quinckeanum_, which causes at first yellow-coloured crusts that are
arranged as cup-shaped masses, which disturb the hairs so that they
are shed. These cup-shaped masses resemble a honeycomb in appearance,
hence its name. The sulphur-yellow colour after a time changes to a
dirty yellow or grey. The patches may be circular or zigzag, and
raised above the skin, but the centre is depressed so as to give them
a cup-shaped appearance. They vary in size from a pin’s head to a
shilling, or larger. They may run into one another, so that the
circular form is no longer present. The hairs are stiff and
lustreless, and can be easily pulled out. They seem to grow in the
centre of the “cups.” After a time the parasite loosens the hair in
the follicle, so that it is shed.

It prefers to affect the root of the claws, or the belly, sides of the
chest, elbows, head, base of ears, nose, and then spreads all over the
body. When it attacks the head, it ensheaths the face and scalp as if
clay had been moulded to the parts, so that the eyes become hidden
from view.

The cat hides itself, or strays away; it moans or mews, crouches on
all fours, and seems utterly miserable. The skin gives off an
abominable odour, which resembles mouldy decaying wood in a damp, dark
building, or a mousy smell. When the disease is in an advanced stage,
the animal dies from exhaustion or some concurrent disease.

It affects old cats as well as young ones, and it is said they
contract it from mice and rats, which become affected behind the ears.
A week or a fortnight elapses before any symptom appears after
infection. Young animals are easily infected, but older ones may
resist it. It is transmissible to _children and adults_, from cat to
cat, from man to cat, and from rats and mice to man and cat. It may be
associated with mange and parasitic ear canker.

_Treatment._—The cat affected with yellow ringworm should be kept away
from children and other cats: the affected patches may be painted with
the following:—

Salicylic acid 1 drachm.
Ether 2 drachms.
Spirit of wine ½ ounce.
Glycerine 4 drachms.
Camphor-water to 3 ounces.

The term =Eczema= is given to all those skin eruptions that are
characterised by pimples and vesicles followed by scabs and scales,
and accompanied with great itchiness.

It is said to be non-contagious, and as far as the cat is concerned
this seems to me to be true. On the other hand, in the dog some of the
varieties of eczema appear to be spread by contact. It very often runs
a chronic course, and frequently recurs.

It generally affects the back, loins, root of tail, and back of the
thighs, although any part of the body may be attacked. There is great
itchiness, the animal bites or licks itself, the skin becomes red,
pimples the size of a head of a millet seed, or even a small pea,
appear; these, after a time, burst, and a fluid issues from them and
dries, forming scabs. Sometimes the itchiness is so intense as to
cause the animal to bite or lick itself until the skin becomes raw and
bleeding. In rare instances it produces a kind of mania for licking,
which is followed by epileptiform seizures. The hair falls off,
leaving bare patches, or it becomes matted together by the gluey
discharge and ultimately sheds itself.

In _suckling cats_, after sudden deprivation of their offspring, an
eczematous eruption may appear on the belly, back, and loins, but it
is not, as a rule, severe.

The _she-cat_, especially of the light-coloured variety, when not
allowed to breed, is often troubled with a scattered vesicular
eruption, which is too difficult to eradicate, and is very liable to
recur.

In the _castrated_ male cat it is very common to find a papular and
vesicular eruption, which breaks out every spring and autumn.

The causes of eczema in the cat are an unnatural, sedentary life and
an abundance of rich food without any compensatory or sufficient
exercise in the fresh air. Hot weather, especially when accompanied by
wet, predisposes to it, but the affection is seen also in the cold
months of the year.

_Treatment._—The animal suffering from eczema should be allowed as
much exercise of its functions in the open air as possible. Grass or
freshly boiled green vegetables, or asparagus, should be put within
its reach. Raw meat, uncooked fish with the bones in, or birds with
the feathers on, or bullock’s liver are suitable as ordinary food.
Rice-pudding, oatmeal, and milk should not be given.