Our feline friends love plants. This natural attraction probably arose from their undomesticated days when their diets consisted of prey they hunted and plants they ingested—providing protein, fiber, and other nutrients. I am sure every cat owner wishes that their pet had not chewed, pawed, or crawled into their houseplants or flower arrangements at some time. I don’t have any live plants in my house, but my cats even insist [...]
Timothy is a very large, five year old male tabby whose owner is concerned about a peculiar habit. When she touches, pets, strokes, or even taps Timothy’s back, he begins to frantically lick himself. The more he is touched, the more agitated he becomes and the licking behavior can progress to him biting at the air around him. When you have a cat that exhibits this same behavior, at first [...]
Cats are considered to be a discriminating species. They are picky in many aspects of their normal behaviors. They choose whom to be friendly with and when they want to obey commands. They are “finicky” because of their feeding behavior. Does being finicky have to do with the taste of food, or is it merely a behavior designed to drive cat owners crazy? Cats are carnivores. They are hunters and [...]
You don’t have to have a teenage cat to be faced with clogged pores, blackheads, and pustules! Feline acne is a fairly common problem that affects cats of all ages. Owners often look at me incredulously when I diagnose their cat with this condition. “My cat is too old to have acne!” or, “All he eats is cat food,” are typical owner replies. Just as in most cases of human [...]
“Doctor, I don’t know what it is, but Tiny has the absolute worst breath I’ve ever smelled. Do you think it could be his diet?” Mrs. Schmidt placed her 6 year old, 18 pound cat “Tiny” on the exam table and I began to examine him. Most cats don’t have the best smelling breath, but I could smell Tiny’s without even opening his mouth. I always start my exams at [...]
“My cat has very strange looking orange urine and is very depressed. What should I do?” Mrs. Gonzalez asked on the phone. My receptionist told her that she should bring Sunny down to the veterinary clinic as soon as possible. Sunny was normally a very large buff colored cat, and when Mrs. Gonzalez placed the cat on the examination table, I was surprised to see how sunken and saggy he [...]
A phone interview survey was conducted by the Associated Press in October of this year asking pet owners if they planned on giving their pet a gift for the holidays. 52% of the pet owners answered yes. The survey didn’t differentiate between dog and cat owners. 60% of the planned pet gift givers were female and 40% were male. I am not someone who gives my cats gifts (new treats [...]
The holiday season is here, and many owners like to share the festivities with their cats. Why not include these special family members? Should they miss out on the celebrations? Of course not! Let them join in, but beware; educated owners know that many dangers exist concerning holiday foods and their cats. Cat owners wonder, “What kinds of goodies can I safely feed my cat?” Cats do not yearn for [...]
We humans are a the start of our cold and flu season, and owners are asking me whether or not their cats can catch their colds. The answer is probably not-at least not if you are dealing with a viral infection. The common cold that we contract is a virus, and most viruses are species specific, which means humans get human viruses and cats get cat viruses. Unfortunately, cures for [...]
Mrs. Matthews looked at me and raised her eyebrows. “You want me to get Mittens to take that?” she asked. We were ending Mittens’ examination and I was showing her the antibiotic tablets he needed for an infected leg wound. I smiled and said that we could dispense a liquid medication instead, but I really thought the tablets would be easier since Mittens was such a gentle cat. “Okay, show [...]
