Darktower Maine Coons

09/12/2024

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard!

Nazrul Amsyar, Lisa Miles, Moira North, Vera Amaral, Jeanna Polen, Heather Harding, Mainc**n kitten breeder, Carol Roberts

18/10/2024

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard!

Zoe Cain, Charles Crispell, Luis Muñoz, Nahid Ridwanah Ahmad, Julieta Delos Santos, Stephanie Flores, Lise Pilon, Selma Aparecida Mafra, Agshin Zeynalov, Сайлаухан Касымханов, Maureen Burrows, Jasmin Misran, Pascal Baboulall, Phyllis Trent Smith, Στάθης Παπαγιαννίδης, Monica Vargas, Gianna Rodriguez

30/09/2024

This is cute 🥰

24/08/2024

Be careful those of you feeding Bella and Duke 😢

The specialist veterinary team at Edinburgh University are warning vets about an outbreak of TB in raw fed cats.

Although so far only 11 cases have been confirmed, TB is not a condition many vets will think about because it is so unusual, the symptoms are vague and can mimic other conditions and the testing needed for a diagnosis is very specific.

It is also extremely serious, sadly 8 of the infected cats have already been euthanased and it can make humans very ill as well. Which is why it is important that the word is spread.

All the cats so far diagnosed were fed the same raw diet. They were mainly indoor cats and did not drink raw milk, so had no other risk factors that might have caused the disease.

The company impacted is aware but has not yet been named and the vets are at pains to point out that they appear to have followed all the regulatory requirements and that this is simply an inherent risk (albeit thankfully a low one) of raw feeding.

As yet, as far as I am aware, a recall hasn't been issued.

Infected cats have presented with weight loss, coughing (a real concern as this could increase the ability of the disease to spread, particularly to people), abdominal abnormalities and were often very poorly by the time a diagnosis is made. Their blood tests generally only show non-specific changes like a mild anaemia.

Although TB in cats can present with skin lesions, this strain (similar to the last time this happened) appears to mainly cause respiratory signs and abnormalities may well be seen on chest x-rays.

If a lung wash is performed the bacteria might be identified but any vets doing one on a suspicious case must take care to wear PPE to protect themselves.

If you are concerned you might have a case, the team at Edinburgh, which includes Danielle Gunn-Moore and Conor O'Halloran, are very happy to help and advise you.

They have this webpage which is great; https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/services/small-animals/vet-professional/specialist-services/feline/mycobacteria and advice on suspected cases from this outbreak will be given free of charge.

You can also contact Conor directly on [email protected]

And don't forget that TB is a notifiable disease, so the APHA must be contacted, and they are also a good source of support.

If you are a cat owner who raw feeds and you are worried, the best people to speak to for information and, hopefully, reassurance are your veterinary team and the company who produces the meals you feed.

It is also worth noting the difference between this problem, with a specific subset of infected animals, similar symptoms, a definitive diagnosis, a common diet and specialist vets at the forefront of raising the alert… and the the issues claimed with Purina pet food at the start of this year, which had none of these typical hallmarks of a genuine food related illness outbreak.

For more information about TB in cats, this article from the Edinburgh team, written in 2019, is very helpful; https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/services/small-animals/information-about-cat-tb **But do note the company mentioned in it is in relation to the outbreak at the time, not this one**

Link to this report; https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/tuberculosis-in-young-raw-fed-cats-in-the-uk

*Letter pictured published with the permission of the Vet Record and the authors.

21/07/2024

Entries open don’t leave it too late, early bird discount ends on 31st July ❤️

21/07/2024

😹

07/07/2024

Latest kitten p**n 😍

29/06/2024

Hugo - Reserved
Dior - Reserved
Coco - optioned
Daisy - available

29/06/2024

Babies have names ❤️. Girls may be available to loving indoor homes only

24/06/2024

The Poshettes are huge! Sorry been rubbish with updates but lots of older sick cats to and from the vets.

Rubbish pics but will do some better ones this week ❤️

24/05/2024

Portia and Zak kits at 5.5 weeks ❤️

09/05/2024

The poshettes at just over 3 weeks ❤️

25/03/2024

Yep xx

24/01/2024

So true 😢

"A lot of you despise me,
And I don't understand why.
I am not ugly or deserving of your hate.
I survive every day on the streets,
That used to be meadows.
There are no tasty seeds,
Because you turned trees into buildings.
I eat what you throw on the ground,
Because I have no choice.
Water is harder and harder to find.
Do you know what it takes to survive in a world that is not mine anymore?
Please don't scare me or hurt me,
Just let me live -
Live in your world that was once mine.."

24/01/2024

13/01/2024