Ask Dr K

Q- I recently lost a three-year-old female cat to heartworm disease. I would like to see more information on what heartworms are, how to treat them, and most importantly, how to prevent these parasites from taking our precious cats. All of my cats are indoors, fixed, and go to the veterinarian yearly.

Many of you will recall that Dr. Mew, our longtime feline companion at the Cornell Feline Health Center, passed away earlier this year. We werent actively interviewing to fill his vacated position, but Elizabeth, the lovely tricolored kitty pictured here, had recently lost her previous job. We offered her a temporary position until she proved her capacity to fulfill the responsibilities which she most certainly has and she recently accepted our offer of full-time, permanent…

I just purchased a lovely Persian kitten, and the breeder told me to make sure my veterinarian tests to see what my kittens blood type is. Ive had cats all my life, and I never knew they had different blood types. Is this something new? No, its not really new; the feline AB blood group system was first described back in the early 1960s. There are three blood types in cats: type A, type B and…

I just purchased a lovely Persian kitten, and the breeder told me to make sure my veterinarian tests to see what my kitten’s blood type is. I’ve had cats all my life, and I never knew they had different blood types. Is this something new? No, it’s not really new; the feline AB blood group system was first described back in the early 1960s. There are three blood types in cats: type A, type B and…

I have a cat with a fawn-colored body, a little white on the chest, dark ears and tail, and blue eyes. She looks a lot like a Siamese. But I know my cat is NOT a Siamese because I saw her calico mother! How can a Siamese-looking cat turn up from a calico mother? …

Why does my cat pump her paws whenever shes near me? I keep her nails trimmed and she has never scratched or torn any of my furniture, but she pumps away. I finally have to hold her paws so I can get some rest. You should feel honored; your kitty is simply finding pleasure in your company. Actually, this kneading behavior you describe is believed to be a carryover from kittenhood. If youve had the opportunity…

My best friends cat has just been diagnosed with hip dysplasia, and Im really surprised. One of my dogs had the disease (and I know she suffered a lot from arthritis in her hips as she got older), but I didnt know cats could get it too. Is it common? …

You all know Dr. Mew (aka, the Mewser, Mewie, Little Buddy,...), the beloved black-and-white tuxedo kitty whos lived at the Cornell Feline Health Center for most of his almost 17 years. His image (along with that of his much less attractive officemate) has graced this column since its appearance in 1997. His pictures appear in many of our publications, and although hes never had much patience with photographers, fast shutter speeds have allowed us to…

When our one-year-old female cat enters rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, she begins twitching and suddenly throws herself several feet backward. Sometimes she growls while asleep and then thrashes wildly; she acts as if she is dreaming but she reacts violently. She chews, claws and acts as if shes being attacked, and she also passes urine during most of these sleep episodes. Shes difficult to arouse, but once awake, she appears normal. Her laboratory test…

Events in the world of infectious diseases have been hitting the headlines recently, and because they involve cats, Id like to discuss them in this column rather than answering questions from CatWatch readers (just this once, I promise). Superbugs: Is there a human/cat connection?Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium that lives on the skin and in the noses of people and other animals, usually without much consequence. But human infection with a certain form of…

My cat has just developed a black discharge in one ear. Ive never seen or heard of this kind of thing before. I have taken him to my veterinarian twice, and on each occasion, she cleaned the ear and microscopically examined the discharge. Im assured that there are no ear mites present. Whats the reason for the discharge and whats the prognosis? …

My cat, Puppi, has personality plus. Even my friends who dont care for cats have become endeared to her and always ask about her. Shes fed a good diet, her coat is soft, her eyes are clear, and shes a beautiful two-year-old calico. However, she doesnt purr. I can feel a vibration in her neck, but no sound! Her meow seems normal, but I miss the purr. Whats wrong? …