368 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



convulsions, or rapidly from intoxication, or 

 slowly from exhaustion. 



When due to intoxication, clonic, convul- 

 sive, 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, diarrhoea, 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 con- 

 tagious, 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 verj' 

 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 diarrhoea 

 not intense or too frequent, and no complica- 

 tions 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 un- 

 favourable towards a certain recovery. 



Chronic nasal catarrh, chronic pneumonia 

 or phthisis, and persistent diarrhoea 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 communicatioa 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, disin- 

 fected, and afterwards lime-washed or re- 

 painted. 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 scrupu- 

 lously cleansed, it may be well to disinfect it 

 with chlorinated lime (i Ib. 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 intro- 

 duced into practice by Professor Lignieres 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 



