Keep up with important news about feline health, nutrition, and behavior, and other topics of interest to pet parents.

Spaying & Neutering Saves Lives

A very well-written article in the Seattle Post Intelligencer reveals that aggressive spay-neuter programs have dramatically decreased the killing of pets simply because they are unwanted. From a ghastly high of 20 million pets per year in the 1960s, and an improved but still unacceptable level of 8-10 million by 2000, it is estimated today that only 4 million pets will be euthanized in shelters this year. However, 4 million is still a heck of a lot of pets--way too many, of course! But the drop is even more impressive when you figure ...

2017-03-23T15:25:26-07:00July 6th, 2011|
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ASPCA’s tips for a safe 4th of July for your pets

The ASPCA Poison Control Center offers the following pet safety tips for 4th of July -- we agree! Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases. Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products ...

2012-07-03T07:12:08-07:00July 1st, 2011|
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People without Pets

There was a great article in the Huffington Post this week about people who choose not to have pets. The writer, Joan Liebmann, wondered if and how people without pets differ from those who do. Her research turned up some very interesting information! For one thing, there are way more people with pets than without: a recent survey found that 62% of homes have pets (the data actually comes, not from the AVMA, but from the American Pet Products Association, who conducts an annual survey) It also turns out that ...

2012-07-03T07:15:00-07:00June 16th, 2011|
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Guidelines for Safe Handling of Cats

Cats get less veterinary care than dogs. That's an established fact. A study published in 2008 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that: Cats get significantly less attention and veterinary medical care from their owners than dogs. Dog owners took their pets to a veterinarian more than twice as often as cat owners. Dog owners more often sought vaccinations, physical check-ups and preventive dental care. In households that own both dogs and cats, more than 30% of cats don't see a veterinarian annually, compared with only ...

2017-02-21T18:39:06-07:00June 16th, 2011|
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Animal lovers choose pets over money and politics

A survey of 1500 pet guardians conducted by PetMD found that 90% of pet "owners" would choose their animal companions over money in a divorce, and 56% would not vote for a presidential candidate who was perceived not to like pets. They would also buy products from a company that supports an animal-related charity rather than one that doesn't, given similar product quality and price. Most wouldn't date a non-animal-lover. On the down side, about 12% of pet lovers worry about veterinary expenses, and 25% worry that their pet will ...

2012-07-03T07:15:32-07:00June 14th, 2011|
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It’s Adopt-a-Cat Month!

June is Adopt-a-Cat month! It's also the start of kitten season, when tens of thousands of unintended and unwanted kittens will be dumped at shelters. People think, "Oh, kittens are so cute, they'll be adopted." But the sad truth is that there just aren't enough homes available, and shelters everywhere will euthanize litter after litter of sweet, friendly, adorable kittens for the next 6 months or more. The good news is that sharing your home, life, and love with one or more feline friends has many benefits for you, as ...

2011-06-01T11:50:32-07:00June 1st, 2011|
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Pets and Cars: a Potentially Deadly Combination

Even though the weather doesn't feel like it in many places, summer is upon us! So it's time to remind folks about the volatile combination of cars and pets. Every year, hundreds of pets, mostly dogs, die of hyperthermia from being left in the car in dangerously hot conditions. What most people don't realize that those conditions can occur in mild 60-70 degree F weather -- even if it's cloudy, and even if you leave the windows cracked open. An interior temperature of 100 degrees F is enough to inhibit ...

2016-08-27T02:56:33-07:00May 28th, 2011|
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Outdoor Cats’ Secret Lives

A study done at the University of Illinois tracked 42 owned outdoor and free-living cats for two years. The report, published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, found that stray/feral cats had larger territories than pet cats; in one case, the cat's home range covered more than 1,300 acres! Unowned cats were much more active than outdoor pet cats, because they had to spend more time hunting for food. Interestingly, all cats stayed fairly close to buildings, whether or not they had contact with humans. Earlier work by one of ...

2014-04-28T08:43:55-07:00May 27th, 2011|
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More money, fewer vet visits

The headline read: "Revenue growth can't hide 'alarming' decline in client visits." This news, from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, went on to note that "Income increased at many pet practices in 2010, but frequency of veterinary visits remains depressed." In other words, fewer guardians took their pets to the vet, but got charged more. This trend is disturbing for several reasons: 1. Fewer animals, especially cats, are getting annual "wellness" checks.  While I don't support yearly vaccine boosters, I still believe that those annual check-ups are ...

2013-09-30T08:05:11-07:00May 22nd, 2011|
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Flea/Tick Drug Promeris Causes Autoimmune Disease

The flea/tick preventative Promeris Duo for dogs and cats has been proven to cause Pemphigus foliaceus, an autoimmune disease. The reaction is "rare but serious," according to the study’s lead author, Thierry Olivry, DrVet, PhD, Dipl. ACVD, of North Carolina State University. The product, ProMeris Duo (Metaflumizone–amitraz ), which is also used for treating demodicosis (Demodex mites), will be discontinued. The topical drug, marketed by Pfizer Animal Health (previously manufactured by Fort Dodge, which was acquired by Pfizer), will be available while supplies last or until mid-September. The authors caution ...

2018-02-11T16:49:10-07:00April 20th, 2011|
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Cats-Only Clinics becoming more popular

Cats-only clinics gain in popularity A recent article by Anne Gonzales at the Sacramento Bee (California) discussed the increasing number and popularity of cats-only veterinary clinics. Sacramento veterinarian Irene Fujishima said that offering cats-only care is important, because have different physiology as well as different personalities than dogs. Cat-exclusive clinics are calmer, without the chaos of barking dogs and strange smells. Cats need special handling; tricks that work to calm a dog, like obedience exercises and treats, tend not to work very well with cats. Dr. Elizabeth Colleran, who owns ...

2012-07-03T07:20:33-07:00April 13th, 2011|
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Pet “OCD”

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the Behavior Clinics at the veterinary school at Tufts University, recently spoke about compulsive behaviors in animals at the conference of the The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. "Like people with compulsive behaviors, such as famously washing their hands until their skin is raw," said Dodman, "animals can have similar behaviors." He said that pet OCD is thought to affect about 5% of pets. Compulsive behaviors in animals include cribbing and windsucking in horses; wool-sucking and fur-pulling in cats; and in dogs, fly-snapping and ...

2018-06-09T13:44:29-07:00April 13th, 2011|
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Simple injection could cure cat allergies

Cat allergies could be cured by a simple injection, scientists hope, according to a report by Martin Beckford, Health Correspondent 7:00AM BST 02 Apr 2011, in The Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8422306/Simple-injection-could-cure-cat-allergies.html) While we're not fans of most injections, this one may be well worthwhile for allergy sufferers who react to cats. It's still in development in the U.K., which may mean it could be a long time before it's available in the U.S. But we'll keep hoping that this will give many more people the opportunity to give a cat a loving, ...

2011-04-05T11:07:07-07:00April 5th, 2011|
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Feline Nutrition Education Society

If you haven't heard of the Feline Nutrition Education Society, please check it out, join, and if possible, volunteer. FNES is an educational group whose aim is to teach folks how to feed their cats according to their carnivorous nature; in other words, a raw-meat based diet. Their latest blog can be found here.

2018-02-11T16:47:20-07:00February 1st, 2011|
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