Short Takes

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.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners makes recommendations on vaccine choices for cats that you can use in vaccination discussions with your veterinarian.

If your cat has been diagnosed with a complex or serious illness or needs specialty surgery, your regular veterinarian may recommend a referral to a board-certified specialist, a veterinarian who has put in extra training in a certain field, much like a human oncologist or cardiologist.

Modern domestic cats are at least 16 percent bigger than their Viking-Age ancestors (793-1066 AD), according to a Danish study shared by The Winn Foundation. Researchers excavated the remains of adult domestic cats at archaeological sites in Denmark as well as modern skeletal remains.

A recent study out of Italy looked at survival and prognostic factors for cats with restrictive cardiomyopathy. The researchers looked at 90 cats who had been diagnosed with this cardiac condition via echocardiography between 1997 and 2015. There were 53 more males than females in the study.

Angelos Pizza in Matawan, N.J., is delivering more than just food, according to CBS NewYork Channel 2.

A 45-year-old Singapore man was arrested for trying to smuggle four kittens past immigration, according to Channel NewsAsia. Security noticed the man’s pants were “meowing.” He faces a possible fine and one year in prison.

Veterinarians at Washington State University used a 3D printer to manufacturer an acrylic skull for a cat needing surgery to address brain tumors, according to a report in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News. The cat, a tabby named Linus, had three tumors removed from the lining of his brain. After the removal of the first two tumors, Linus experienced brain swelling and bleeding, with his brain bulging out of the hole in his skull.