Adoption

Q We live in Maryland and have a 6-year-old indoor/outdoor cat who is in apparently good health. I was recently talking with a friend of mine whose dog was infected with heartworms, and this made me worry about my kitty. Is this something I should be worried about? AI certainly understand why you are worried. The first thing I should say is that you should ideally be keeping your kitty indoors, although this would not preclude…

At least two cat breeds - Scottish Folds and American Curls - have atypical ears. Scottish Folds ears fold forward, while American Curls fold backward. Only the ear cartilage is malformed in American Curls, while Scottish Folds can suffer additional bone malformations and crippling osteoarthritis. The Morris Animal Foundation is supporting research at the University of Sydney in Australia to identify genes in both breeds that may be responsible for these traits. The possible outcome could…

A Push to Screen for EarlierDiagnosis of HypertensionCatWatch has previously reported that hypertension in humans can damage the heart and arteries, and cause stroke, kidney damage and vision loss. The Lancet journal predicted that the risk of becoming hypertensive during a lifetime exceeds 90 percent for people in developed countries. Even more alarming, it cautioned that Screening is not done systematically, and the diagnosis is often made at a late stage when target organ damage…

Asthma affects nearly 5 percent of cats and can be difficult to diagnose. The gold standard has been to sample airways, but this requires anesthesia, posing some risk to patients and delaying therapy in some cases.

Feline Injection Site Sarcomas (FISS) - which can grow in connective tissue months or years after an injection - continue to concern owners despite reports of low incidence. The reason for their development is the million dollar question, says oncologist Kelly Hume, DVM, ACVIM, at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. We dont know the exact mechanism of the trigger and how it progresses in FISS.

You also dont know if that cat belongs to another neighbor and is an indoor-outdoor cat who is a moocher who makes his rounds getting breakfast at one house and lunch at another, says Katherine A. Houpt, VMD, Ph.D., former president of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and professor emeritus at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. This cat may be lost, abandoned or born in the streets to a feral cat. Thats why it is important to be patient, keep yourself safe and look for signs that this cat needs and wants a home.

With the arrival of warm weather, your cats curiosity and need to tap his inner hunter could land him on the losing end in a confrontation with bees, wasps, skunks and other critters making their way onto your property or inside your home.

About a year ago, he started to leave feces in non-litter box areas. While he still used the litter box, he would also leave feces right next to the box and also in an area by the front door.

Can you identify the animal hoarder in your community? Is she the neighbor who has cats gathering in her yard? Perhaps its the quiet man who keeps his window shades closed? Or an outgoing community leader? How can you determine the difference between an animal hoarder and someone who responsibly cares for multiple pets The majority of hoarders are women, and the most common animal victims are cats.

Hundreds of projects are underway across the U.S. and perhaps thousands worldwide using citizen scientists. Theyre volunteers who collect information, usually in cooperation with professional scientists, in fields from computer science to medicine, ecology, outer space and beyond. Rather than the big breakthrough, the results of scientific studies often can indicate whats ineffective in treatment. That was the case when Craig Webb, DVM, Ph.D., at Colorado State University led a clinical trial of a diabetes mellitus treatment.

Weve recently acquired a new kitten and want to make sure that we do all we can to give her a long and happy life. With so much information available, I wonder if you can give me a quick rundown of the things you feel are most important to assure that our baby has the best chance to live a long and happy life.

To minimize resource guarding in a multi-pet household, strive to create a healthy feline indoor environment. Do not yell at or physically punish your resource-guarding cat because this punitive approach will cause him to want to protect his resources even more and it can damage your relationship with him. While resource guarding is less common in cats than in dogs, it can escalate into a serious behavior issue that requires intervention by a professional.