Behavior

Shedding is a normal part of life for mammals-old hairs fall out, allowing new hair to grow in. Animals shed year-round with typically two heavy periods in spring and fall-building up and getting rid of a winter coat, says William Miller, VMD, DACVD, Dermatology Section Chief at the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine. During these times of the year, it may seem like there is more hair on the floor than on the cat.

When pet owners think of pancreatitis, often the image that comes to mind is a dog who does a garbage raid and consumes a bunch of spoiled or fatty food. Dietary indiscretion usually is not considered a cause of pancreatitis in cats, perhaps because cats are more fastidious in their eating habits!

You turned the heat up, the whole family is roasting, but your cat appears to be shivering! What do you do now?

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) recently released a consensus statement called Feline Feeding Programs: Addressing Behavioral Needs to Improve Feline Health and Wellbeing to address medical, social, and emotional problems that can result from the manner in which most cats are currently fed. It was published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery and transformed into a handout for cat owners.

Dolasetron (brand name Anzemet) has been used in people to help with chemotherapy-induced nausea. It inhibits vomiting and nausea via pathways in both the gastrointestnal tract and the central nervous system. This dual action made it sound helpful to cats, thought researchers in California. Their study was reported in the August 2018 Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

You may notice your cat becoming hesitant about moving around the house. Or, you rearranged the furniture and your cat is bumping into things. Whats happening? Your cat may be going or have become blind.

You love your cat, but you also love a good nights sleep, and her midnight acapella is not exactly the perfect lullaby. She may be meowing for attention, but it could also be because she needs or wants something, or an indication of a developing health problem.

News 5 in Cleveland, Ohio, reports that police received multiple calls about multiple cats in a mans home.

The liver is one of the busiest organs in your cats body and is a real multitasker. While it does have amazing regenerative powers, once 75 percent of the healthy tissue is gone, clinical signs of illness usually will start to appear. By then it can be too late for treatment to help beyond palliative measures, so be alert for early signs.

Punishment doesnt stop cats from scratching things. Its like yelling at a cat for doing something as natural as grooming, says Dr. Bruce Kornreich, CatWatch Editor-in-Chief and associate director of the Feline Health Center. Instead, be smarter than the cat. Give her an appropriate, comfortable, sturdy scratching surface, such as flat horizontal scratchers, and toys covered with sisal rope, fabric, or cardboard. Sprinkle some catnip on the surface to attract her attention. Once shes interested, its time to place possible deterrents where you dont want scratching. Here are five tricks that can work:

Newsweek, The New York Times and other news outlets are reporting that someone is mutilating and killing cats across Washington state.

The challenge with senior cats is that their digestive systems often dont function as efficiently as when they were young. On top of that, just like older humans, geriatric cats may not digest or absorb nutrients as well as when they were in their prime. Keeping your older cat well-nourished just takes some attention to ensure that she is eating and that the food youve chosen addresses the nutritional issues an aging cat faces.