Editor's Comments

It has been awhile since we have put together a Mewsletter.  We thought it was time to once again share with you some of the exciting new things that are happening here at T.H.E. Cat Hospital.

Our Mewsletter will now be a quarterly publication.  We hope you find the articles fun and informative.  Be sure to read about our new referral incentive program to share with your family and friends.  I especially enjoy the segment, "Just Another Day at T.H.E. Cat Hospital", where we profile an interesting case and give you a glimpse into Dr. Tom's world.  We will also spotlight a cat breed in each issue. 

We have had fun putting this together for you and look forward to publishing our next issue. Enjoy.  

Cheryl Smith

Editor

Twenty years ago on Thanksgiving night, acting on a referral from a friend, I found myself at T.H.E. Cat Hospital for an emergency office visit.  That night, Dr. Elston saved my cat's life.  I have been a client ever since.

Referrals are golden for all concerned. They are earned.  It is said that the highest compliment you can give is the referral of family and friends.

We at T.H.E. Cat Hospital would like to thank you for your referrals and ask for your continued support.  As T.H.E. Cat Hospital is important to the health of your cat, referrals are important to the health of T.H.E. Cat Hospital.

As part of our referral program we are currently offering a complimentary office visit for new referral clients.  Do you know a cat lover who has not yet experienced T.H.E. Cat Hospital? If so please present them with the gift card for a complimentary office visit with Dr. Elston and staff. We are sure that kitty and owner will appreciate the exceptional care and services offered here at T.H.E. Cat Hospital, in a cat only environment.

The gift card for the complimentary office visit is available at T.H.E. Cat Hospital. Be sure to print your name on the back of the card. 

Lively, alert, playful, loving, best friend -- all are great ways to describe the strikingly beautiful Somali. The Somali is the epitome of everything most people would ever want in a companion animal. These cats are a wonderful combination of beauty and personality, but beware; they will keep you on your toes!

A Somali will want to be involved in everything you do. They liven up household chores with their exuberant efforts to help.  They will race you up stairs, roll on clean sheets as you attempt to make a bed, and enter every cupboard as it is opened. The mischievous Somali loves to play and will stay kitten-like throughout their lifetime. They are smart, sweet, beautiful cats. Somalis have often been described as fox-like because of their colorful ticked coat and bushy tail.

Recognized colors are: ruddy, red, blue, and fawn.  They have large ears and expressive facial markings which frame beautiful bright eyes.  The Somali is soft voiced and often prefers to make eye contact to gain attention over making noise, an effective technique as their stare can be mesmerizing.  Did someone say TREATS?

 It was a beautiful weekend in Santa Monica as the Santa Monica Cat Club hosted a Cat Fanciers Association All Breed Cat Show on August 25th and 26th.  The event boasted 300+ cats and kittens with their owners.  Aisles with tables were set up to display the cats in the middle of the room.  Judging rings were positioned around the perimeter.

These events are really fun.  If you have not been to a cat show and you love cats, this is a must.  It is great to watch and learn as the (CFA) judges independently rank the cats.  Top cats are awarded ribbons earning Regional and National CFA points. Final awards are presented by each judge for the Top Cats in the categories of Kitten, Championship, Premiership, and Household Pet classes.

At the larger shows like this one some cat breeders will travel thousands of miles from other states with their cats to participate in the show.  This is serious business for the breeders as the products of their breeding programs are being judged.  To produce a cat that perfectly conforms to breed specific standards is no easy feat.

If you are looking to add a new kitten or cat to your family, try a cat show.  There were plenty of kittens for sale and rescue groups with cats available for adoption.

For those of you that enjoy shopping, you could shop 'till you drop at the 20+ sales booths filled with unique cat related items.

As a cat lover, I can honestly say, it was purrfect afternoon.  The Cat Fanciers Association All Breed Cat Show in Santa Monica was a winner.

Recently, at the Santa Monica CFA Cat Show, I met some volunteers for the Southern California Abyssinian Rescue. What a wonderful group of people who choose to volunteer their time for such a good cause.  This group fosters the Abyssinian and Somali breeds.

These cats are often acquired by the rescue group because their owners have died or are too sick or elderly to care for them.  Others arrive because their owners are forced to move to a situation where they cannot have pets. When you are looking to adopt a new pet, think rescue. If you are interested in adopting a rescue Abyssinian or Somali, contact S.C.A.R. at www.socaabyrescue.

T.H.E. CAT HOSPITAL is proud to announce we have switched to an environmentally friendly source of power.  We are GREEN and feeling great about the installation of a solar electric system to power the hospital.

I bet you never knew Dr. Elston makes every effort to reduce his carbon footprint on the world.  He recycles, refuses plastic bags, uses power efficient light bulbs and now powers the hospital using a non-polluting renewable power source, solar energy. The Doctor also drives an all electric car.  He charges the car at the hospital, using his solar generated power. WOW!

Thank you Dr. Elston for your efforts to preserve our planet.

Today we have a wonderful story to tell about a beautiful little black and white kitten named Taz, adopted from the Irvine Animal Care Center by a longtime client named Judy.

One day, a short time after coming to his new home, Judy noticed that Taz was having discomfort urinating.  Judy brought Taz into T.H.E. Cat hospital to have him examined.  Taz was given meds to help him urinate better.  Twenty-four hours later Taz returned, this time with a complete urethral obstruction.  He was admitted to the hospital and catheterized.

Taz had become obstructed with stones made up of cystine.  This type of stone is extremely rare.  X-rays revealed larger stones in the bladder. 

Dr. Elston performed surgery to remove the stones in the bladder and urethra, but Taz was producing them at an incredibly fast rate.  New stones were forming overnight, plugging things up again.

At this point Dr. Elston contacted The Urinary Stone Specialty Group at the University of Minnesota for assistance in managing the problem.  There were no recorded cases of a kitten this young with this problem.  We were in new territory.

The suggested approach was to perform reconstructive surgery creating a wider opening in the urethra for urine to flow and, hopefully, small stones to pass.  Judy chose to go forward, accepting the risk of surgery. Taz was sent over to the Veterinary Surgical Specialists for the reconstructive surgery. The surgery was a success.

T.H.E. Cat Hospital provided post surgical care for Taz where he received cold laser treatment to aid the healing process. He was placed on a prescription diet and two medications that so far are preventing the reformation of the stones. 

Two and a half months after his surgeries Taz is doing great.  He is active, playing, growing, and living a normal, happy kitten life. 

An exciting new advancement in feline medicine has become available at T.H.E. Cat Hospital.  We now offer laser therapy.  What is laser therapy? A surgery free, drug free, noninvasive treatment to: reduce pain, reduce inflammation and increase speed of healing. Hey, I want some of that!

How does it work? The class 4 deep tissue laser uses a beam of light to deeply penetrate tissue without damaging it.  Laser energy induces a biological response in the cells called " photo-bio-modulation", which leads to reduced pain, reduced inflammation, and increased healing speed.

Laser therapy is performed by one of our own certified technicians, on site in our treatment area.  The laser is delivered through a non-invasive hand piece to treat the affected area.  Your cat may feel a gentle and soothing warmth. 

Laser therapy has been scientifically proven to be successful in treating post-surgical pain.  If your cat is scheduled for surgery, ask about laser therapy to help the healing process.  In cats that suffer from chronic conditions such as periodontal disease or degenerative joint disease, laser therapy can help reduce pain and inflammation.  It can be effective in treating arthritis, infections, cuts, bites, tissue trauma, and more...

Laguna Beach artist Evelyne Frick is currently our featured artist at T.H.E. Cat Hospital. Come see her beautiful cat giclees for sale in our store. Evelyn does a great job of capturing the essence of the cat.  These colorful images are sure to put a smile on your face. They make a great gift too.