aggression

A diagnosis of hip dysplasia might take you by surprise. Usually, a cat comes into the veterinarian because the owner notices that the cat is lame or sore, or less active than normal. Some cats with hip dysplasia will be consistently off in their gait, while other cats only show stiffness after a wild chase through the house.

Stem-cell injections are common in veterinary medicine, but mostly for joint and lameness problems in dogs and horses. A pilot study in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery may change things for cats with asthma.

The growing popularity of essential oils for health, ambiance, and behavior modification has led to real feline-safety concerns. The problem is that cats have a unique set up for enzymatically metabolizing many compounds in their liver, so something safe to use around dogs and humans may still be toxic to your cat.

My cat likes to lick himself on both shoulder blades, shortening the hair to the skin in some places. The areas are 2 by 5 inches. He used to have several smaller spots that hed licked until the hair was totally gone and the skin was getting raw from all of the licking. Now its just two bigger patches on the shoulders, but not down to the bare skin all of the time.

With dramatic advancements in feline veterinary care, our beloved cats are living longer and healthier lives. A cat who lives to be 20 years old is the approximate equivalent of a 96-year-old person. Unfortunately, all cats eventually show signs of aging.

My 10-year-old Ragdoll loves paper, especially newspaper and cheap paperbacks. Shes been eating paper since I brought her home at 4 months of age from the breeder.

A new treatment called microbrachytherapy, which is used to treat inoperable feline oral squamous cell carcinomas, may be gaining momentum, according to a recent study published in Veterinary and Comparative Oncology.

When your cat develops a problem that might be neurologic, get her right to your veterinarian. Theres no time to waste.

Never reach in to try to separate the angry cats. Chances are youll get scratched or bitten, and the cats will just keep on fighting.

With the American trend to consume less meat-which helps reduce the environmental effect of meat production-UCLA professor Gregory Okin began to wonder what the impact of our pets was. It turns out that U.S. cats and dogs cause 25 to 30 percent of the environmental impact of meat consumption in the United States.

While longhaired cats require the most upkeep, mats and tangles can be an issue for all cats. Older cats that are developing osteoarthritis start to have trouble bending to groom their entire bodies, with the hind end being a popular spot for mats and dandruff.

Tears on your cats face can be concerning. Cats do not have emotional tears like people do, and some causes reflect serious situations; others are minor.