Night Stalkers and Bedtime Howlers
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.
Why Fewer Cats Have Laser Therapy
Over the past decade, veterinarians have dramatically increased their use of laser therapy for wound healing and inflammatory conditions in the elbow, knee and lower back. Unlike surgical lasers that cut and vaporize tissue, their low-level lasers painlessly penetrate below the skin to help in healing deep tissue and joint problems.
Shelter Alternatives Can Save Cats’ Lives
A family member left the door open, and in a flash the cat ran outside where a dog attacked and badly injured him. His owner loved the cat but was out of work and had no money to take him to the veterinarian. She approached the shelter, sobbing, prepared to give up her cat to be euthanized. Then she met Lori Weise. "We can help you," Weise told her. "Well pay for your cat to get care." Weise is the founder of Downtown Dog Rescue (DDR), which despite its name, also helps cats. The organization helps low-income and homeless people in South Los Angeles care for and keep their pets.
Other Efforts Target Feral Cat Populations
Its not only pet cats who benefit from shelter intervention programs. Most feral cats taken to shelters dont come out again. Unadoptable, they are usually euthanized. Trap/neuter/return (TNR) programs run by individuals or rescue groups have led to what are called shelter/neuter/return (SNR) programs. Shelters take in feral cats, spay or neuter them, notch an ear - to indicate they have been sterilized and vaccinated - and return them to their colony location. …
5 Steps to Ease Your Cat’s Arthritis
As the cat population ages, with some living into their 20s, the number of cats diagnosed with arthritis is growing as well. Advances in veterinary medicine and better reporting may have contributed to what Banfield Pet Hospitals 2015 State of Pet Health report found was a 31 percent increase in feline arthritis in the last five years. Whatever the reason, this much is certain: early detection and owner management of their cats pain can provide a better life for cats with this incurable disease.
12 Signs of a Medical Emergency
When your cat suddenly becomes ill or injured, how do you determine if he needs to go to the veterinarian or emergency hospital - STAT? Its not always easy to tell. Hiding illness is a natural instinct for cats because of their evolution as both prey and predator. Theyre hard-wired to cloak weakness and may exhibit only subtle signs that theyre seriously sick.
Anesthesia Today: Safer Than Ever
You may be hard-pressed to find scientific studies on this, but anecdotal evidence abounds at veterinary clinics: When owners learn their cat needs a dental cleaning, a lay term for periodontal treatment, most of them are alarmed - specifically about the risks of anesthesia. Some even delay treatment because of their concern.
Hypertension A Threat to Cats?
Hypertension in people can damage the heart, eyes, kidneys and brain. As dangerous as it is for us, hypertension - also known as high blood pressure - can cause equally serious problems for our cats, especially those 7 years of age and older. Yet its symptoms arent always evident, even to experts. The disease is insidious, meaning signs may come on slowly or not be that apparent. Its been called the silent killer for that very reason. Cats may be a little bit lethargic or may act strangely, but in most cases its not obvious, says cardiologist Bruce Kornreich, DVM, Ph.D., ACVIM, Associate Director of the Feline Health Center at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. The most important thing to keep in mind is target organ damage.
Cat Treats Cause Obesity
When your cat is happy, you are happy. When your cat has delicious chewy treats, he is usually pretty happy. But cat owners oft forget that their furry friends only need about 200 calories a day. At about 1.5 calories per piece, a single handful of Meow Mix is over 25 percent of your cat's daily intake.
The Pros and Cons of Holiday Costumes
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.