Disease

Cats come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and the range of their behavioral characteristics is similarly broad. The same can be said about the array of tumors (neoplasms) that can develop within the feline body. Some are small, others are large; some naturally tend to pass the time quietly ensconced in one spot, while others are destined to roam; some are benign by nature, while others behave very badly indeed, causing no end of damage.

You should be pleased to see your cat, at the age of seven, looking terrifically fit and behaving with the same mischievous vitality that she did when she was a kitten. Bear in mind, however, that the feline age of seven is equivalent to the age of 41 or so in a human, and your cat as trim and spirited as she is at present is bound to start showing the normal signs of aging before you know it.

If anyone ever told you that you had "cat breath," you might have a real reason to be insulted. Thats because cat breath can be rather unpleasant, which is something you already know if youve ever smelled bad breath on your own cat.

If you often try to move around your home very, very quietly to avoid waking a slumbering child, for example you may be in the habit of walking on your tiptoes. Normally, however, you will employ whats termed a "plantigrade" stance. That is to say, youll stand and walk with the entire sole of your foot touching the floor.

Few things in the life of a cat owner are sweeter than the sight of a newborn kitten, weighing just a few ounces, its eyes tightly shut, nursing contentedly at its mother’s nipple. A healthy kitten will nurse every 20 minutes or so, typically for about eight weeks, during which time its mother’s milk will fulfill all of the little animal’s nutritional needs

The feline pancreas is a slender, pale pink, V-shaped strip of tissue that is tucked snugly within the right-hand side of a cats abdomen, at a junction between its kidney and its duodenum (the beginning portion of the intestine as it leaves the stomach).

The feline lymphatic system - an exquisitely structured arrangement of internal organs and tissues - directly or indirectly influences every aspect of a cats physical existence. For this reason, owners should be equipped to recognize the signs that suggest the presence of feline lymphoma, a potentially deadly cancer of the lymphatic system that can assault many areas of a cats body, including its liver, gastrointestinal system, spleen and skin.

If your normally playful, energetic cat mysteriously starts moping around the house, acting sullen, reclusive, nervous and depressed, chances are that it is trying to cope with some sort of physical discomfort or nagging pain.

any cats, at some point in their lives, will contract an upper respiratory disease characterized by persistent sneezing, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the inner surface of the eyelid), and in some cases keratitis (inflammation of the transparent outer covering of the front of the eyeball).

When a cats food intake drops off, for whatever reason, the resulting decrease in protein intake can trigger feline hepatic lipidosis (FHL), the most common form of liver disease in cats.

FIP: Almost always fatal. Owners can reduce the risk of this serious feline disease by practicing good litter-box hygiene. Here's why.

All elderly cats are at elevated risk for age-related mental deterioration. Here are the signs to look for, and some help.