Behavior

A growing number of animal shelters and veterinary clinics around the country are offering kitten kindergartens in an innovative way to socialize kittens and increase their adoptability. Australian veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kersti Seksel developed the program about a decade ago.

Advances in treatments are helping people born with congenital heart disease live longer and with greater quality of life. But not all structural problems with the heart can be permanently fixed in childhood. In fact, many treatments that help get these patients into adulthood often need revisiting later in life. Being born with congenital heart disease means being always mindful of your heart health. Some of these individuals, because they have been heart patients their whole lives, are mindful of their diet, exercise and risk factor control.

At the end of a long workday, you look forward to uninterrupted slumber, but your cat has other plans. In two hours, he jars you awake by leaping on the bed - knocking the air out of you. An hour later, he swats a book off your nightstand. And 30 minutes before your alarm sounds, he begins loud, demanding meows.

An article in the February issue on alternatives to relinquishing pets to shelters featured a dashing photo of Rascal, a feral cat who was neutered, vaccinated and adopted to work as a Rodent Ranger. A small study by the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine in Scottsdale, Ariz., suggests that owners sleeping with their pets can experience positive effects. Replies to a questionnaire from 150 consecutive patients found that nearly half had pets; 41 percent had several.

I have six adult cats and I am keeping them all separated from one another for fear of coronavirus infection and the development of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). I have had multiple cats tested for coronavirus, and some are positive. Should I be keeping those who have tested positive isolated from the others, and how should I manage this group of cats?

A survey of more than 10,000 pet owners in 11 countries - 3,100 of them in the U.S. - has found that U.S. owners are the most passionate about their cats. In addition to the U.S., the renovation and design firm Houzz asked owners about pets in the home in Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Germany, Australia and Japan. Veterinarians frequently prescribe therapeutic diets and daily medication for cats with chronic enteropathy, a condition characterized by excessive loss of plasma proteins into the gastrointestinal tract. However, the regimen can have side effects, and some owners have difficulty complying with it.

Your curious, agile cat effortlessly leaps and lands on the top of the refrigerator, deftly missing your glass serving bowl. Your first instinct may be to scold him, grab his front legs and oust him off the refrigerator. Such a response could bring you face to face with an angry, frightened cat who may lash out or bite you during the tussle. In your attempt to shoo your cat, he could also lose his balance, falling hard on the floor and injuring himself.

We followed a small study that assessed the bond between children or pet dogs and their caregivers when theyre in potentially threatening or unfamiliar environments. The researchers observed the relationship between 20 cats and their owners with the cats in a new environment with their owner, with a stranger and on their own. They assessed the amount of contact the cats sought, their level of passive behavior and signs of distress when the owner was absent.

Most of us recognize obvious signs of stress and anxiety in our cats - taking up residence under the bed being high on the list - but we may not be aware of more subtle signs, such as lowering the head and eyes, lifting a paw and staring at middle distance. These are among nearly 40 behaviors that may require intervention, according to the American Animal Hospital Associations 2015 Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines, published this past summer. Behavioral problems affect more dogs and cats than any other medical condition and are one of the most common causes of euthanasia, relinquishment or abandonment of pets, the association says, adding that their management is essential in veterinary practice. It urges a culture of kindness that avoids the use of forced restraint.

There are pros and cons in dressing up pets, says Allen Schoen, DVM, Ph.D., a pioneer in integrative animal health care and author of Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way We Live. Dressing up pets is an opportunity for some people to just be joyful, fun loving and it brings the child out in us. It can increase our laughter, which is all positive in supporting our overall health and immune system, but care must be taken to make sure that the pet also enjoys being dressed up.

Cats have long endured the reputation for being fussy eaters. Weve known for a decade that, with some exceptions, most cats lack the taste receptor gene for sweets. Now a study suggests that they may have a legitimate reason for avoiding another flavor.

If your cat squints or his eyes are increasingly tearing, take a closer look. Does he have a red eye with a cloudy blue tint to the surface and a dilated pupil? These could be signs of glaucoma that require immediate treatment to avoid significant or complete loss of vision. Because of the subtle nature of the symptoms, some cats dont have a veterinary examination until substantial damage has occurred.