A healthy cat is a happy cat…
Dr Kim Kendall is a vet, no surprise there. But not only that, Dr Kim is an Applied Cat Behaviourist, with unrivalled experience in cats and the reasons behind the way they interact with us and with each other. Such a dedicated background in feline behaviour is highly unusual anywhere, and especialy in Australia, with Dr Kim’s opinion being highly sought after all over the world. She regularly appears on panels discussing both cats and more general animal treatment and welfare, and is considered one of the foremost feline experts around today.
Like all trained veterinarians, her training and background is in general vet care, but Dr Kim now practises solely in the realm of the one animal humans can never truly master, the humble (and not-so-humble!) felis catus.
Our hope here at The Cat Palace is that we can help to educate cat owners on how to give the best practical care to their cat, enabling a long and happy relationship and a healthier than average cat. Cats do get sick, there’s nothing any of us can do to put an end to that, but we hope the information we provide here can help at least to minimise or delay any of the all too many conditions and diseases which our felines can suffer from. Just small changes to the living environment and ongoing care can make a massive difference.
NOTE: Clinical appointments are strictly by pre-arranged appointment only. Dr Kim is not in attendance all day every day due to other commitments, and so walk-in consultations are not possible. Please contact us for further information.
All spays and castrations can be booked for any age cat
If you have a 4 month old kitten, desex now! Cats are very quick to get pregnant
Is your pet cat a bruiser?
Dr Kim tidies up abscesses but more importantly advises on how to STOP the next one happening!
Need a 2nd opinion?
Dr Kim can take and read X Ray Radiographs right on site – and explain what they mean!
Newer technologies like Ultrasound and Echocardiography can also be carried out. For trickier cases, Dr Kim can bring in the help of Dr Richard Malik. They go back to Vet School Days as friends and colleagues.
Did you know that by 3 years old, 85% of pet cats end up with periodontal and other diseases of the teeth and gums, which means grotty germs circulating in their blood?
Encouraging your cat to chew on chicken necks helps to keep teeth clean and strong, but many cats won’t bother! Also, various cat foods such as Waltham Dental, Advance Dental and Hills Prescription T/D biscuits and several other dried foods help to clean your cat’s teeth while they eat. However, like humans, cats are either born with good teeth or not – it depends on genetics, how your mother was fed and other unchangeable factors. read more about dental care here
What you can do
It is very likely your feline companion is going to need a trip to Dr Kim. At the very least, she will need a check up. Ideally however, dental work on a regular basis will develop optimal oral AND general health! When you visit Dr Kim Kendall Cat Vet (based in Roseville on Sydney’s North Shore), she can provide a thorough analysis of the dental health of your favourite Fluffy! Most of the things that can be done for a cat’s teeth including extractions and root canal are performed right in our state of the art clinic – exclusively established for cat care.
Once it is all over, your cat’s breath will go from fishy and foetid to fantastic! And your cat is going to feel so much better!
Is your pet cat peeing in the wrong place, hiding, biting and scratching? If so, there is something going on in her environment and Dr. Kim can help
For Millennia, cats lived in small communities of related females, with males visiting seasonally to do what men do. Kittens were raised communally, and not many survived. Evenings were spent hunting for mice and rats, and avoiding bigger predators. Life was pretty short and brutal .
Today, our cats are confined, castrated and made to interact with lots of humans and other cats. Their lives have been radically changed, and the thing to remember is how well most cats have adapted.
However, we seem to see nearly every one of the ones that can’t cope, because they get their owner’s attention by peeing around the place (including on their owner’s heads in rare instances… !). Or else they regularly fight with other cats or people, spend their lives hiding, or pee blood in the bathtub.
If you pet cat is behaving oddly – not being the contented cat, something has changed and Dr. Kim can help. Untreated, it can lead to major illness so if you are even a little unsure, please do contact us.
FAQ’s
Medical
A kind end to a good life. Be prepared, Dr Kim can guide you
Hard stools can be .. hard to manage. Many cats will only poo every second day, and that is no problem if the faeces are firm but not hard little rocks. Once the faeces become dry and solid, many cats start to find difficulty passing them and start to strain. Some pass blood. Some give up and then the stools really back up and become a major medical problem. Here’s the scoop on cat poop – a visual guide if you like https://www.royalcanin.com/us/cats/health-and-wellbeing/what-is-your-cats-poop-telling-you There are many laxatives and laxative types. If swallowed hair is the problem (yes, you will have to pull the poo apart to find out) then the various cat laxatives can help ease the hair out through the bowel and colon. Dr Kim’s first choice for the dried out variety is usually Lactulose 0.5 – 1.0 mls a couple of times a week. If these simple measures do not work, or your cat is straining or not pooed for 3 or 4 days, then vet attention is required. There may be a bigger problem needing attention.
The paralysing kind. If you live in a tick area, you will usually know you do as these are dangerous pests. The paralysis tick takes 3 days from attaching to your cat and starting to feed before it starts injecting its poison into your cat’s blood stream. So you have 3 days to find it – check every day, every where. If your cat goes off her food and her voice changes – START CHECKING AGAIN for the tick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c7LMlzYWgU If you fine one, remove it and take your cat to the vet anyway. If you wait till your cat goes wobbly, it will be a longer stay and a much worse illness. PREVENTION is better than cure – Bravecto spot on and Seresto collars are VERY effective and affordable. Revolution PLUS (not the standard one) is also highly effective. But your cat has to be treated BEFORE the tick has a chance to attach. Check out this offer https://www.fleamail.com.au/cat-plan/ and get the REVOLUTION PLUS (outdoor cats need the quarterly pill as well..) delivered.
Dr Kim has been neutering kittens as young as 6 weeks old for the Cat Protection Society and shelters since last century. Kittens are very robust and bounce back quickly from their operation, but they need to be with their mother and litter mates to prevent problems. Neutering at 4 months old is her standard for your cat (males and females), as well-fed females will reach puberty and get pregnant at 4 1/2 months old. There is no problem with neutering at this age, and it gets the surgery out of the way so there are no ‘mistakes’ (spraying or pregnancy). Check here for campaigns encouraging Early Age Neuteringhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWRKVP_8Hl8 . If your vet won’t do it, Dr Kim will, and she has special packages that will save you even more.
It is the only preventative medical procedure and – as we all learned during the covid 19 pandemic – the vaccination has to be in place and the immunity active BEFORE the cat meets the virus.
Behaviour
Yes you can talk to Dr Kim, in purr-son by booking a 1 hour consultation here (do your thing)
If you need other sources of information or have 3 or more cats you are worried about, please connect with Dr Kersti Seksel and her team at www.https://sabs.com.au/ If you aren’t in Sydney, you can contact Dr Cam Day – he runs a phone and internet-based behaviour consultation service https://petbehaviour.com.au/ where has some DIY materials as well.
The iCatCare.org has a great starter course which might help you solve your cat’s problem here https://courses.icatcare.org/product?catalog=GTKYC-OD-Y2021
And for really great information, free, check out spend some time here https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/kit/cats-101/
and here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=499736160706895
You can NEVER know too much about the furry feline friend you share your life with
This can be a really good idea for owners living in restricted spaces. A female who has had kittens and been turned in to a shelter (sad and common fact that this is the only ‘mistake’ she has to make), often waits for many months to find a willing adoptive family. They are very grateful and often revert back to kittenish now the responsibility of raising kittens is removed. Older males who followed their hormones and get taken to shelters for rehoming are usually excellent pets. And if you really just want a feline friend to lounge around with – consider an older cat – even 8 – 10 year old cats have a lot of living to do since the average age of an indoor cat is now 16 years old! Check out the Feline Age Graph – https://icatcare.org/advice/how-to-tell-your-cats-age-in-human-years/
Kitten biting and scratching – is a normal part of their growth. As is pouncing. A second kitten (or older cat to teach them manners) is the best solution. Read here (city living, play and kitty blackmail) for more information or book a full consult with Dr Kim