Health

By and large, says the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), cats are geriatric at age 7. Although theres no simple way to compare a pets aging to human aging, the AVMA did come up with a guide.

When New Years Eve arrives, many of us make promises to ourselves-those infamous resolutions-to improve ourselves somehow. Thats because the new year is a traditional starting point, and were happy and motivated. Popular resolutions include losing weight, quitting smoking, and getting the most out of life. Inevitably, however, most of us fail. The reason? Unrealistic goals. Well, were here to help fix that! Spending more time with your cat and improving her life is realistic and satisfying, so weve put together five New Years Resolutions. Are you with us?

Animal shelters in Denver, Colo., may soon be able to prohibit anyone who plans to declaw a cat from adopting one. Declawing would be allowed only when medically necessary, according to the Denver Post.

A recent study conducted in South Australia and New Zealand looked at cat personalities as rated by their owners. Much of what we know about cat behavior has been based on studies that were in shelters and with feral-cat colonies, but this study looked at pet cats living in homes as members of the family.

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My 12-year-old female spayed cat has chronic constipation that we have been having difficulty treating. I want her to be happy, comfortable, and healthy, and Im concerned that if we are not able to provide her with relief, her condition will progress and her quality of life will diminish. Can you provide any insight into how we may best achieve relief for her?

Since about 30 percent of elderly cats will develop some degree of kidney disease, its important to look at therapies that help cats stay healthy for longer periods of time, and a recent study focused on phosphate binders may be helpful in this regard.

Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection seen in humans and many animals. While dogs and cats are fairly resistant to the toxins, even they can become ill.

Your beloved cat climbs into your lap, rubs on your chin and then yawns by your face. Suddenly, you are overwhelmed by foul air. It is unreasonable to expect your feline friend to have minty fresh breath, but healthy cat breath really isnt offensive. Causes for fetid feline breath can range from minor to serious.

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Cat carriers are the safest way to transport your cat, be it to a veterinary appointment or to visit family for the holidays. They keep your cat secure, so that she cant get into trouble in an unfamiliar environment or be harmed in any way. In the case of a car crash, being in a carrier could save your cats life. But there is one challenge to this wonderful tool: getting your cat inside it.

Cats, just like humans, get overweight via two paths. They either eat more calories than they should or they dont exercise very much. Many cats have both factors as contributors to their weight problem. Also, just as in humans, feline obesity is associated with health problems, including diabetes, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Some diabetic cats can actually go into remission and lose their need for insulin administration with diet control and careful weight loss. Arthritis pain may decrease with appropriate weight loss, as there is less of a burden on the cats joints. Cardiovascular status may also improve as a cats heart does not have to pump so hard to provide oxygen and nutrients to an increased body mass.