Health

Everyone hopes the day will never come, but at some point, you may notice that your cat is approaching the end of her life. When this happens, your goal becomes to keep her comfortable and happy for as long as possible.

Does your cat make noises that sound nothing like a traditional meow? Shes not the only one! While purrs, hisses, and, of course, the famous meow are the best-known cat sounds, cats have a wide repertoire of noises they use to communicate with other cats and us.

Sphynx cats know how to have fun and love interacting with their people. Some owners say theyre mischievous and noisier than the average cat. But theyre not really completely hairless.

The cranial cruciate ligament helps to stabilize the knee (stifle) in cats. Cats who tear their cruciate ligaments usually will be acutely lame. Upon veterinary examination, a drawer sign (abnormal laxity of the stifle) will be evident, suggesting instability of the joint.

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The Durham County (N.C.) News reports that veterinarian Sabrina Grinstead donated a dozen $125 pet oxygen masks to the Durham Fire Department. “I’ve been looking for a way to contribute . . . and I came across the need for the masks,” Dr. Grinstead says.

We recently lost our dear 22-year-old cat after a prolonged illness, and her absence has left a void in our lives that has been difficult. While we are considering bringing another cat into our home, the guilt associated with trying to replace her has caused us hesitation. Im not sure how you can help, but we thought others may be experiencing the same dilemma.

Coughing in cats is easy to dismiss as due to a hairball. While cats do get hairballs, that gagging can often be due to coughing. When cats cough, they usually crouch down, extend their elbows away from the body, and make a dry, hacking sound. The cough is frequently non-productive (nothing is expelled).

The specter of feline vaccine-associated sarcomas-malignant growths that can appear at the injection site of some vaccines-lurks in the back of the mind of every cat owner. Although veterinarians have guidelines for tracking vaccine-related sarcomas, you still may wonder if its wiser to skip vaccine boosters and rely instead on titers, which are blood tests that can tell you how much immunity to a specific disease remains in your cat.

Diarrhea is no fun for anyone, especially if the cat doesnt make it to the litterbox or gets some of it on her fur. The good news is that occasional diarrhea is rarely an emergency and often resolves on its own

A retrospective study published in JAVMA by a veterinary specialty hospital in collaboration with University of Pennsylvania selected 71 cats (mostly domestic shorthairs) to help determine whether using ultrasonography could show there was a ureteral obstruction and help determine the cause and location of the problem.

Lucky Stowaway - The Prince George Citizen in Prince George, B.C., reports that the SPCA North Cariboo District Branch is caring for a severely emaciated stowaway cat who arrived in April from China.