Recently added articles from Cat Watch:
A health checklist to perform at home; nothing replaces regular veterinary visits to keep your cat in optimum health. But you should be part of the team, too.(HEALTH)
Jul 01, 2009 ... The owner is the veterinarian s eyes and hands away from the office," explains Fred Scott, DVM, PhD, interim director of Cornell's Feline Health Center. For this reason, it is important to be familiar with the steps involved in doing an at-home mini-physical examination on your cat. This ...
Studies designed to help shelter cats.(IN THE NEWS ...)
Jul 01, 2009 ... Shelter cats suffer from various conditions like upper respiratory disease and ringworm. To address these problems, Morris Animal Foundation's (MAF) 'Helping Shelters Help Cats' program is funding three new research studies to increase awareness of feline health issues. The ...
Stressful times impact our pets, too; learn ways to ease feline anxiety--and increase bonding.(HEALTH)
Jul 01, 2009 ... Do you ever wonder if any of the anxiety and tension you sometimes bring home can also affect your pets? These challenging economic times can indirectly be hard on our cats, too. Experts feel that cats will indeed react to changes in the emotional behavior of their owners. So, if we ...
Spay and neuter bill stalled.(SHORT TAKES)
Jul 01, 2009 ... Legislation in California that seeks to mandate spay and neuter surgery for most cats and dogs has been placed on the suspense file pending further review. Senate Bill 250, introduced in February by Sen. Dean Florez, requires that dogs be spayed or neutered unless their owner ...
Link between diet and the feline central nervous system.(SHORT TAKES)
Jul 01, 2009 ... A study of the feline diet has led scientists to discover that a cat's central nervous system has the ability to repair itself. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (March 2009) by a team of researchers at the University of ...
21st Annual Fred Scott Feline Symposium.(SHORT TAKES)
Jul 01, 2009 ... Continuing in the tradition of providing the most up-to-date information on feline health issues, this year's 21st Annual Fred Scott Feline Symposium draws on the knowledge of recognized experts in feline medicine. Speakers from Colorado State University and the University of Queensland, ...
Be a good neighbor ... with pets: if you allow your cat outside access, it's important you keep the peace with those living next door. Here's how.(SAFETY)
Jul 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Outdoor hazards--such as dogs, coyotes, cars, and disease--face cats that are allowed to roam outdoors. Most veterinarians, including those at the Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, strongly recommend that cats be kept indoors. But if ...
Cats' eyes: exquisitely fascinating: they're colorful, expressive and a vital component of your cat's hunting instinct and body language.(NOTEWORTHY)
Jul 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ever feel like you could get lost in your cat s eyes? Although we usually associate cats' eyes with the color green, they actually come in many colors. They can range from blue to copper, with a variety of blue-green shades in between. (But all kittens are ...
Vomiting: when to take it seriously: an occasional hairball is normal but a chronic problem with vomiting warrants a trip to the vet.(HEALTH)
Jul 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] you hear a familiar retching sound in the kitchen. Striker is vomiting up his dinner again. As you walk downstairs to clean up the mess, you wonder if it's just hair balls--or something more serious that requires a trip to the veterinarian's office. ...
Five myths about heartworm: knowing the facts will help you protect your cat from this deadly and often misunderstood disease.(DISEASE)
Jul 01, 2009 ... One mosquito bite can infect a cat with heartworm, a potentially destructive and insidious disease, which reveals itself as H.A.R.D. (Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease). The American Heartworm Society (AHS) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) have teamed up ...
Ask Elizabeth.
Jul 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q Dear Elizabeth: Thanks for responding in your February 2009 column to my question about night-time yowling. To answer your question, Decker is just 11 months old. A recent physical exam showed that he is in tap form with no health problems. It was ...
Ticks: take steps to protect your cat against this summer scourge: these tiny transmittors of disease make daily checks a must.(HEALTH)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Ticks are tenacious. They creep up tall grass, weeds, fences--and wait until a passing shadow, a vibration, an odor or even a whiff of exhaled carbon dioxide tells them a possible host might be passing by. Then they let go of their perch and fall, or reach out with their front legs to snag ...
More reason to focus on tick prevention.(IN THE NEWS ...)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Researchers at the University of Missouri are studying a tick-borne disease that kills housecats within three to five days after the onset of illness. The incidence of Cytauxzoonosis, caused by the protozoan parasite Cytauxzoan felis, in domestic cats is not known, but ...
Easy entertaining for indoor cats: videos based on feline interests get high marks from most.(BEHAVIOR)
Jun 01, 2009 ... A bored cat is often an unhappy cat, Just like humans, cats need stimulation; when left on their own too long, they can experience loneliness and even depression. An unhappy cat may lose or gain weight, stop grooming itself, or become destructive. And a cat with nothing to do will often ...
Do you live in a cat-friendly city?(SHORT TAKES)
Jun 01, 2009 ... According to the CATalyst Council, this ranking is based on the love and care that the cats receive. A coalition of the veterinary community, academia, nonprofits, industry and animal welfare organizations, the CATalyst Council hopes to raise the stature of our favorite companion animal ....
Important heartworm research.(SHORT TAKES)
Jun 01, 2009 ... The American Heartworm Society released the results of its first survey, designed to identify the top priorities for researchers to take on. Roughly 495 veterinarians, scientists, industry representatives, shelter directors and animal rescue organizations ranked the importance of topics, ...
Diagnosis: bladder stones: this common condition requires prompt treatment.(HEALTH)
Jun 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Your cat normally uses the litter box a few times a day to relieve herself, but today is different. She's going to the box every few minutes and vocalizing as she strains to urinate. The small amount of urine that finally dribbles out is filled with blood ....
Keep your cat safe during the hazardous months of summer: beware heatstroke, parasites and environmental risks.(SAFETY)
Jun 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Your cat's safety and good health should be a year-round priority. And unless you keep your cat indoors all of the time, the challenge is likely to be most demanding during the summer months, when temperatures soar, and cats are more likely to wander from ...
So you want to adopt another? Be certain that you have the time, space and resources.(WELFARE)
Jun 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Anyone who rescues strays knows there is no shortage of cats. Wanting to provide a home can become a natural outgrowth of feeding them, and most people who adopt them have the best intentions. "They are caring, compassionate people who want to help them," ...
Protect your plants and keep kitty happy: grow grass indoors: no green thumb required: growing a cat-friendly plant is a snap. Here's what you should look for.(NOTEWORTHY)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Everyone knows that cats are carnivores. So why does your cat keep snacking on the houseplants? Some experts say greens help cats get rid of hairballs, others that cats crave the fiber and moisture. There may be a nutritional component as well: when feeding on prey, a cat will eat the ...