Adoption

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.

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.

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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?

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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.

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.

In an effort to see what difference diet might make to an obese cats blood glucose control, researchers fed three diets-one high in carbohydrates, one high in fats, and one high in protein-to healthy-weight and obese cats and measured plasma levels of glucose, insulin, free fatty acids, and triglycerides. The study, published by BMC Veterinary Research, was done at the University of Zurich.

Cats may find themselves in need of a new home for a variety of reasons: death of an owner, a change in the familys situation, incompatibility with other pets in the household, or being caught as a stray. Just like us, most cats dont like change, and transitions can be difficult.