Cat Watch back issues from August 2006:
Short takes: understanding the obesity epidemic and what the concerned cat owner can do.
Aug 01, 2006 ... Why Cats Are Fat, and What to Do When a normally thin publication like Waltham Focus, an international journal for companion-animal veterinarians, stuffs an issue (Vol. 16, No. 1) with details on the pet "obesity epidemic," we tend to look up from dinner to question: Have ...
Hot weather care: as temperatures soar, the potential threats to feline health also rise in number. Here's what you can do to keep your pets safe.
Aug 01, 2006; ... While it's a good idea to keep your cat indoors as much as possible throughout the year, protecting the animal from the dangers that lurk beyond your doorstep may be especially advisable during the months between late spring and early fall, when temperatures can become scorchingly hot in ...
Megacolon and diet: a very clean litter box can be useful in prevention. But once diagnosed, your cat will likely need a specific dietary regimen.
Aug 01, 2006; ... At the end of your cat's intestinal tract is a muscular, tube-shaped structure called the colon, one function of which is the elimination of solid waste (feces). If the colon becomes dilated or enlarged, a condition called megacolon can result, and the cat loses the ability to defecate ....
Stain and odor removal: there are products made especially for cleaning after our pets. But there are some ordinary household products that can help, too.
Aug 01, 2006; ... You've asked a new friend to come over for coffee, and she accepts the invitation. You've tidied up the place, and you have to admit that it looks good. So after work, you both walk in the front door of your apartment--and it hits you: the telltale odor that your cat has recently visited ...
To declaw or not to declaw: a thorny issue: is there ever an appropriate reason to deprive your cat of its sharp nails? Experts weigh in.
Aug 01, 2006; ... Your cat seems to have no respect whatsoever for your property, especially your fancy dining room table, your leather club chair, and, worst of all, the beautiful upright piano that graces a corner of your living room. At every opportunity, he uses the legs of these elegant pieces of ...
Diagnosis: adrenal disease: early diagnosis and treatment may help. But neither Cushing's nor Addison's disease can be prevented or truly cured.
Aug 01, 2006; ... Every single moment of its life, whether fast asleep or wide awake, your cat's physical well-being relies on the efficient and nonstop functioning of its endocrine system--an array of small organs (glands) that manufacture life-sustaining chemicals called hormones and deliver them directly ...
The sense of sight: your cat's eyes help her superior hunting skills. But they also serve as an important way to communicate with other cats.
Aug 01, 2006; ... Who hasn't been transfixed by the gaze of a feline friend? A cat's eyes contribute to its allure, but they also played an important role in its evolution as a predator. "Cats are a crepuscular species," says John C. Wright, PhD, a certified applied animal behaviorist and professor of ...
Bothersome bedtime behavior: you love snuggling in bed with your cat. But do her antics keep you up all night? Here's some help.
Aug 01, 2006 ... We try to believe that our cats are free from our idiosyncratic rituals. We like to think that our cats fit into our lives beautifully while remaining virtually untrained and free to do as they please. All we ask, it seems, is that they use a litter box for elimination. In ...
Ask Dr. Richards.(kneading behavior)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Q: why does my cat pump her paws whenever she's near me? I keep her nails trimmed and she has never scratched or torn any of my furniture, but she pumps away. I finally have to hold her paws so I can get some rest. A You should feel honored; your kitty is simply finding pleasure ...