Lifestyle

Many family cats show signs of stress at some point. It may be a short-term stress, which is a swiftly passing stage that may occur after a move or the addition of a new pet. But some cats show long-term stress. Stress may manifest itself as urinary marking, aggression toward people or other pets, scratching inappropriate things like furniture, or overzealous grooming leading to hair loss and possible skin lesions. Some physical ailments, such as idiopathic cystitis and chronic gastrointestinal problems, can also be stress-related.

You turned the heat up, the whole family is roasting, but your cat appears to be shivering! What do you do now?

The American Veterinary Medical Association has a downloadable PDF called Owning a Pet: A Job for the Whole Family.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, two companies-Wilbur-Ellis Company, San Francisco, Calif., and Diversified Ingredients, Inc., Ballwin, Mo.- were found guilty in federal court of adulterating and misbranding pet food ingredients. Both companies pleaded guilty of the misdemeanors.

Dolasetron (brand name Anzemet) has been used in people to help with chemotherapy-induced nausea. It inhibits vomiting and nausea via pathways in both the gastrointestnal tract and the central nervous system. This dual action made it sound helpful to cats, thought researchers in California. Their study was reported in the August 2018 Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

Ever wonder how your cat knows youre late coming home from work? A recent study found evidence that mice can judge time. By examining mouse brains medial entorhinal cortex, researchers discovered neurons that turn on like a clock when they wait.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) recently released a consensus statement called Feline Feeding Programs: Addressing Behavioral Needs to Improve Feline Health and Wellbeing to address medical, social, and emotional problems that can result from the manner in which most cats are currently fed. It was published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery and transformed into a handout for cat owners.

Download the Full January 2019 Issue PDF

According to a recent note in SmartBrief, a New York Times report found that Pets are increasingly thought of as family members and their owners are increasingly willing to spend more on veterinary care.....

We have a 17-year-old Tuxedo cat, Sox, who is still active, sharp-witted, and good natured. However, he has hyperthyroidism, and while he is being treated with methimazole and was doing fairly well, he has recently begun to lose weight again. In his prime years, he was a healthy 10-pound cat. Now he is down to six or maybe fewer pounds and looks boney, although he eats throughout the day and gets plenty of treats. Can you provide any advice?

Helpful ways to help kitty trim her body and stay healthy

You may notice your cat becoming hesitant about moving around the house. Or, you rearranged the furniture and your cat is bumping into things. Whats happening? Your cat may be going or have become blind.