About Jean Hofve DVM

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Jean Hofve DVM has created 310 blog entries.

Pet Food: Processed to Death?

Many thanks to Susan Thixton at TruthAboutPetFood.com for letting us reprint her excellent article here, which applies 100% to cat food as well as dog food. The multiple rounds of heat processing that pet food undergoes causes many deleterious changes that can harm our pets. And it's worse than most people even imagine. How many times are Ingredients cooked in Kibble Pet Foods? Do you know the processing involved in the manufacturing of kibble pet food? How many times are the ingredients cooked? The answer might surprise you. Pet food ...

2017-03-23T14:13:18-07:00September 19th, 2016|
Read More

Cat Vision & Eyesight: Common Myths Debunked

With many thanks to our special guest author, Amber Kingsley! Cats have been our companions for many thousands of years, dating back to the days of ancient Egypt where they were worshipped and given elaborate burials. Soon they spread throughout Europe, first to Italy and later to England. In this distant past, they were always appreciated for their keen ability to keep the rodent population under control. We’ve all heard those common expressions about cats that are pretty far-fetched: for example, that they have nine lives, or that black cats are ...

2017-03-23T14:12:36-07:00August 23rd, 2016|
Read More

Paleo Dog

Paleo Dog: Give Your Best Friend a Long Life, Healthy Weight, and Freedom from Illness by Nurturing His Inner Wolf is the latest book by award-winning authors Jean Hofve, DVM and Celeste Yarnall, PhD.* Paleo Dog is your guide to optimal health for every dog, from the most pampered Teacup Poodle to the most rugged Mastiff, and every breed, age, and lifestyle in between. “The Paleo Dog Program isn’t just about diet. It’s also about the dog’s whole lifestyle. Many factors contribute to degeneration, aging, and the tragically short life ...

2017-07-02T20:32:01-07:00July 2nd, 2016|
Read More

Coconut Oil and Cats

Updated 4/29/26 Questions about coconut oil keep coming up, so I want to explain why I don't recommend giving it to cats. Cats Need the Right Fats The carnivore's natural diet is high in both protein and animal fat. There are only three essential fatty acids that cats must obtain from their diet: linoleic acid (LA), alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and arachidonic acid (AA). Adult cats can benefit from many other fats and oils, particularly EPA and DHA (which kittens require), but they aren't necessary for survival. Coconut oil is ...

2026-04-29T18:42:26-07:00June 29th, 2016|
Read More

Clean Teeth for Good Health

This is such an important subject! We're proud to feature this guest post from our friend Lana Fraley Rich, Catsultant®, at www.Catsultant.com.  Cat's mouth being irrigated after veterinary dentistry procedure Here is an important question for you: Do you know if you have any dental diseases? You may not know for sure, unless you are having regular dental checkups or you are having some kind of discomfort or bleeding. It is not uncommon for people to have asymptomatic dental disease. Many people don’t seek treatment until the problem becomes more advanced ...

2019-06-30T13:21:20-07:00May 21st, 2016|
Read More

Epigenetics

Jean Hofve, DVM; Revised 3/7/21 Epigenetics is the study of changes in the way genes are expressed that do not involve DNA. It turns out that DNA isn’t in charge the way we once thought it was—it's the proteins around the DNA that really control gene expression. These proteins are influenced by the environment. This means that anything in the environment can have a profound effect on any organism, including animals and people. Research in the new field of epigenetics shows that many factors experienced by your pet, or even your pet’s ancestors—from vaccines, ...

2022-03-07T13:54:10-07:00May 19th, 2016|
Read More

Toilet Training for Cats

Our good friend Jo Singer recently spotted an old idea being given a disturbing new life: toilet training a cat. And sorry, no... this is not a "how to" article, it's about "why not"! A 2001 book by Dr. Eric Brotman on the subject is once again the media. Brotman's doctorate is in clinical psychology, not veterinary medicine; that may explain his is utter ignorance about cats! As Jo points out in her article, it is vital to be able to monitor a cat's urine and feces output. In fact, it's one of the best ways ...

2017-03-23T14:13:52-07:00April 14th, 2016|
Read More

Pet Food Contaminants

Updated 3/23/18  As part of my duties as an AAFCO advisor and member of several Working Groups, I attend numerous webinars and teleconferences. In one group, the discussion centered around the use of 4D meats and other rotten junk in pet food, and the consensus was that as long as these things are rendered (heat-processed) to kill pathogens, they're perfectly fine for pet food. Well, that just isn't true. So I put together the following document to show that there are MANY potential toxic principles in pet food that need ...

2018-03-23T21:59:08-07:00March 24th, 2016|
Read More

Homeopathic First Aid: The Ten Best Remedies to Keep at Home

What is Homeopathy? Homeopathy is a system of medicine developed more than 200 years ago by German chemist Samuel Hahnemann. It is a form of “holistic” medicine, in that it takes into account the “whole” organism—its physical, mental, emotional, historical, and environmental conditions. Homeopathy relies on two fundamental principles: “like cures like” and “the minimum dose.” The first principle, “like cures like,” means that a substance, which—in a large dose—would cause a certain symptom in a healthy individual, will, in homeopathic potency, cure the same symptom in a sick individual. For instance, Syrup ...

2023-09-30T15:10:35-07:00March 4th, 2016|
Read More

FDA Finds Toxic Sludge Going Into Animal Food

Many thanks to our good friend Mollie Morrissette for her excellent reporting on this issue. This is one more reason for why it is so important to have consumer representatives at AAFCO meetings--we provide a layer of protection (and a warning to these guys that we are watching!) when feed suppliers want to use harmful or non-edible feed materials. A similar ingredient ("Fat product, feed grade") was discussed at the last two meetings, and despite opposition from industry, was finally banned. Company warned to stop using revolting feed additives: Industrial grease, ...

2020-05-18T13:55:32-07:00February 25th, 2016|
Read More

CatsWalk December 2015

In this issue: Cats Aren’t Loners For millennia, cats have been considered “loners” and “aloof.” But it’s absolutely not true. Recent research shows that cats can be just as affectionate and social as dogs; they just have different ways of showing it. One human behavior often… Read more → Holiday Safety for Cats and Dogs The holidays can be a stressful and even dangerous time for our cats. Normal routines are upset, visitors come and go, and overly tempting smells may be coming from the kitchen! The Christmas tree is ...

2017-03-23T13:59:27-07:00December 1st, 2015|
Read More

Cats Aren’t Loners

For millennia, cats have been considered "loners" and "aloof." But it's absolutely not true. Recent research shows that cats can be just as affectionate and social as dogs; they just have different ways of showing it. One human behavior often provoked by the cat's theoretical loner-ness is leaving the cat alone for a weekend or holiday, with a big bowl of food and a bowl of water. That's not okay according to our friend Layla Morgan Wilde, who wrote a thought-provoking article, "Cat Myths: Home Alone." Folks who think it's ...

2017-02-18T13:29:01-07:00December 1st, 2015|
Read More

Holiday Safety for Cats and Dogs

The holidays can be a stressful and even dangerous time for our cats. Normal routines are upset, visitors come and go, and overly tempting smells may be coming from the kitchen! The Christmas tree is the first item of great interest on your cat’s Santa list. Many cats find it irresistibly tempting to climb. First, make sure your tree is in a sturdy stand. Test it to make sure it’s tip-proof. Or put a hook in the ceiling and tie the tree to it (nylon fishing line works well and ...

2017-03-21T18:25:46-07:00November 30th, 2015|
Read More

Follow us on Facebook, subscribe at LittleBigCat.substack.com

“Disclosure: Some links on this site are “affiliate” links, for which we may receive a commission or complimentary products. We only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will benefit our readers.”

Copyright © 2025. Jean Hofve DVM and Little Big Cat, Inc. All rights reserved.
Go to Top