Crawford Cat Conference 2022

The Crawford Cat Conference 2022 is an online event featuring three days of cat-focused content. No matter whether you work directly with community cats or are an advocate for animal welfare, this conference provides valuable insights into current research techniques and trends to create a more humane world for these social animals.

This discussion paper explores how scientific debate on ecological issues that relate to TNR of feral and other non-domesticated cats might take place. It begins by providing background and an outline of Kirkpatrick framework for scientific dialogue; then describes some points in dispute and makes suggestions as to how they might be resolved.

Eradication or significant reduction of non-domesticated cat populations that pose risks to biodiversity remains debatable given current knowledge about ecosystems and threats facing native wildlife. Furthermore, considering all their environmental and social effects it remains to be seen if controlling non-domesticated cats outweighs costs and risks associated with doing so.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is an increasingly prevalent illness among small animals, and one of the main causes of domesticated cat deaths. Yet diagnosis is difficult given a lack of specific clinical signs or laboratory changes to help with diagnosis. A Task Force composed of experts in feline clinical medicine have collaborated in creating AAFP/EveryCat FIP Diagnosis Guidelines as a resource to aid veterinarians in making an optimal diagnosis and recognizing FIP early.

As part of the diagnostic process, the initial step should involve performing a complete history and physical exam on your cat, including performing a full blood count and urinalysis. A veterinarian should examine for history of vomiting, diarrhea and fever as well as signs such as lethargy, weakness, anorexia or weight loss if these indicators exist. If these signs exist then moving onto further investigation may be beneficial.

Finalizing FIP testing involves using the results from urinalysis to determine whether the cat has high or low levels of antibodies to FCoV, or both. If all urinalysis results come back negative, an ELISA or PCR test can be administered in order to confirm a diagnosis of FIP. If a urine analysis test comes back positive, veterinary staff should contact an FELV specialist or board-certified FELV pathologist for further evaluation and therapy recommendations. If the urinalysis was negative, no further testing is required. If the urinalysis results are inconclusive, then further evaluation via cytology or MRI may be required to accurately diagnose FIP. Failing to correctly identify FIP can result in complications and even death for cats who fail to receive appropriate therapy; when new symptoms or changes in behavior appear reevaluation should take place immediately and potentially include returning to see the veterinarian specialist or being referred for board certification FELV pathologists for review.