Lesson: Your Cats’ Health Is First and Foremost Your Responsibility

In my breeder school, I share my practical experience. Today I will walk you through, step by step, the situation I faced, the decisions I made, and the outcome. At the end, I will summarize key conclusions.

Let me start with the problem. My cats developed gastritis — severe stomach irritation. The cause was a new batch of food.

I had experienced poor-quality food before. In those cases, the symptoms were different: the entire cattery would develop diarrhea. I would immediately identify the food as the cause, remove it, and everything would resolve without serious treatment.

This time, it was completely different. There was no diarrhea at all. Only vomiting — first food, then mucus once the stomach became empty. The cats stopped eating and drinking. They simply refused food and continued vomiting. This was a completely different clinical picture.

It started with one cat, on a Sunday. Since I had no immediate access to a veterinarian, I began supportive care myself: subcutaneous fluids to prevent dehydration, along with vitamin injections. This is critical — when a cat is not eating, not drinking, and vomiting, maintaining hydration is the first priority.

This does not require full IV equipment. A simple saline solution and a 10 ml syringe are enough. Fluids can be administered subcutaneously. Everything can be purchased in advance and kept at home. This is a basic skill every breeder should have.

Since only one cat was affected at first, I did not suspect the food. I scheduled an urgent veterinary appointment for Monday.

I trusted this veterinarian. I had previously had a successful experience with him when he correctly diagnosed and performed a life-saving surgery. So I went in with confidence.

At the appointment, he performed an X-ray. However, it did not provide a clear diagnosis. He mentioned a possible suspicious area, potentially a foreign body, and suggested surgery the next day.

But I had doubts. The cat was still active despite not eating. She did not look weak the way cats with true obstruction do. And most importantly, another cat began showing identical symptoms. This completely changed the picture.

The second cat was a nursing mother.

At that point, it became obvious: when multiple cats show identical symptoms, this is not an isolated surgical case. This is a systemic issue. The most likely cause was the food.

I brought the second cat in. However, despite the changed clinical picture, the veterinarian continued to think in terms of surgery and protocol-based treatment.

He suggested administering an antibiotic unsuitable for a nursing cat and potentially harmful to the kittens, and proposed switching the litter to replacement milk.

For someone who has never hand-raised newborn kittens, this may sound like a simple solution. In reality, it is an extremely demanding, round-the-clock process: feeding every 2–3 hours, day and night, complete replacement of maternal care, and constant monitoring of each kitten. This is not an “alternative” — it is an extreme measure with significant risks.

Such decisions cannot be made casually. It was clear that the veterinarian did not understand the real consequences of artificial feeding — for both the breeder and the entire litter.

Most importantly, he had access to Clavamox — an antibiotic that is safe for nursing cats and does not put kittens at risk. So the question remains: why was it not chosen from the start?

The answer is obvious. Convenia is more convenient. It is a single injection that lasts for a week. Clavamox requires administration twice daily for several days.

But the real question is: what is being prioritized?

Because the cost of that “convenience” is forced artificial feeding, separation of kittens from their mother during a critical period, and disruption of a natural process essential for survival — all to avoid prescribing a medication that requires slightly more effort but preserves both the cat and the litter.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. Very often, veterinarians believe they are offering practical, reasonable solutions, while in reality these decisions are superficial, protocol-driven, and disconnected from real-world consequences — consequences that the breeder must carry, not the veterinarian.

Additionally, the veterinarian suggested that the condition might be caused by a retained placenta. I pointed out that by day three postpartum, a retained placenta would present with a very clear clinical sign — a strong, unmistakable foul odor.

Yet I hear this kind of assumption regularly: even weeks after birth, veterinarians suggest “retained placenta” or “dead kitten” without supporting symptoms.

For me, this is no longer a matter of qualification — it reflects a lack of fundamental understanding.

I describe this in detail for one reason: to remove the illusion that a diploma or license automatically equals competence, attention, and responsibility. In reality, it does not.

I refused the proposed treatment. There were no indications for such intervention.

At that point, it became completely clear: this was not a surgical problem. This was not a “cut and look” situation. This was acute gastric irritation.

When I returned home, more cats began showing symptoms. At that moment, I took full responsibility. I removed the new food and began analyzing the situation myself — not waiting for the veterinarian to provide answers.

The clinical picture was clear: vomiting, refusal to eat, mucus, but normal stool and no signs of intestinal obstruction.

I addressed the symptoms directly. For vomiting, I used Ondansetron. For gastric irritation and acid reduction — Omeprazole.

The response was immediate. By the next morning, vomiting stopped, and the cats began approaching food. I canceled the surgery and continued treatment with Omeprazole. The next day, the entire cattery recovered.

Now, the conclusions.

First: if I had followed the proposed plan, one cat would have undergone unnecessary surgery — a valuable young breeding cat lost from the program, plus a $2,500 expense.

Second: antibiotics were unnecessary and potentially harmful. The issue was not bacterial — it was gastric irritation.

Third: even a good veterinarian can make mistakes. Not necessarily due to lack of skill, but due to fatigue, overload, and system pressure. In veterinary practice, accountability is minimal — the consequences fall entirely on you and your animals.

Fourth: in the United States, a veterinarian is a required intermediary between your animal and medication. You cannot freely access most treatments. In many European countries, the situation is different — both people and animals often go directly to pharmacies.

This restricted access creates a constant flow of clients. And where there is guaranteed demand, high pricing, and limited competition, the incentive for professional growth and accountability declines.

Fifth: when you go to a veterinarian, you must clearly present the full clinical picture, your observations, and your concerns. And you must pay attention — is the doctor actually listening? If not, even a good professional can make the wrong decision.

Sixth, and most important: your cats’ health is your responsibility.

A veterinarian can help. Sometimes they can save a life. But in critical situations, a breeder cannot be passive. You must think, observe, analyze, and continuously educate yourself.

Because no one teaches you how to be a breeder. People enter this field without understanding what they will face. They assume that a veterinarian will solve everything.

In reality, that is often not the case.

And the cost of that assumption can be money, health — and sometimes the lives of your animals.