Short Takes

The Winn Feline Foundation awarded $307,679 to 16 feline research studies for 2019, including $25,000 to Gary R. Whittaker, PhD, at Cornell University, and Susan G. Baker, PhD, at Loyola University, for Generating an attenuated feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) vaccine by inactivating EndoU.

TheRichest.com is a leading source for Internet-savvy millennials searching for information on the topics they love. With a pretty obvious focus on money, the website recently listed the 10 most expensive cats:

The TV show Americas Got Talent included a mind-boggling cat act, with some amazing tricks by very happy cats. You can seee it here at: https://youtu.be/8e0z3-iZ_TY.

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.

A study in the May 15, 2019, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association looked at the nutritional adequacy of recipes provided by various sources for homemade diets for cats. The recipes evaluated were all for maintenance only, and no therapeutic diets were included.

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.

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.

A University of Guelph online survey of 3,673 pet owners found that 35 percent of the responders whose pets ate conventional diets were interested in switching to a vegan diet.

While cat hair takes the blame for causing cat allergies, it is the proteins in cat saliva that stimulate most human allergic reactions.

The Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery published a study (Strong, SJ, et al 2019), shared on journals.sagepub.com, that looked at treatment options for orphaned kittens with diarrhea.

His Home Became a Cat House - The GoodNewsNetwork.org reports that a man in Santa Barbara, Calif., turned his home into the House of Nekko (translation from Japanese: House of Cats).

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is monitoring a fungal infection (Sporothrix brasiliensis) in Brazil and nearby countries that is being spread by cats to people. The infections in cats are known as clown nose because of the swollen, infected nasal mucosa seen in affected cats. Its usually fatal in cats.