Recent Articles

Fifteen years ago, on the day I picked up my first cat at the local shelter, the volunteer on duty handed me a paper grocery bag full of pet supplies. “Here are some free samples,” she said, tossing the sack into the back of my car. “There’s some good stuff in there.” When I got home [...]

While most people think of animal groomers as working primarily on dogs, there are a number of reasons you may want to consider for grooming thick or long haired cats. Cats are, to a great extent, self groomers. They lick themselves clean, in the process removing dead hair. However, there are a few reasons [...]

[This is the second part of a 2-part series. Find the first article here .] When organizations dealing with urban feral cat colonies engage in Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs, they still must deal with already existing kittens, as well as those who are born more quickly than a TNR program can keep up with. That’s why rescue [...]

Feral kittens, lurking on the street, hungry, fleeing human contact. To adopt such a ragged, half-wild cat would surely be madness. Yet many people are doing just that, to deal with feline overpopulation in cities. This was why I adopted my own feral kittens, Peaches (pictured left) and Pan (below, left), seven years ago. Urban centers [...]

Because of all your helpful questions and answers Cats.com has become an enormous database of cat information. This is great news! Our large collection of questions strengthens our search engine and makes it easier for people to come to the site and find the answers you’ve already provided. Therefore, we wanted to give you a quick [...]

Pet owners feel incredible grief when losing a companion animal. That sassy animal that woke you at all hours, demanded your attention, and provided unconditional friendship is gone. The soft clicking sound of kitty claws on the kitchen floor no longer greets you every morning when you make coffee. That favorite sleeping spot [...]

It isn’t just anyone who could get away with peeing on our rugs. It’s a good thing we love our cats so much, or they likely wouldn’t get away with it either. It’s frustrating when they do it though, as it’s an unpleasant thing to clean up. No one wants to don the rubber gloves, [...]

My Aunt Marge has always been an animal lover, with a special affinity for cats. Since she and my uncle never had any children, their pets served as satisfactory substitutes. After my uncle died, Aunt Marge’s Siamese, Streaker, was a wonderful companion for her. Unfortunately, the old cat died just a year after my uncle, [...]

It would be way too simple to bang out instructions for making cat furniture and call it a day. That would make for an informational but rather boring article. I’d much rather tell you a story about how my husband created a masterpiece of cat furniture for less than $40. The story begins with [...]

You love your cat to the ends of the earth. Well, what if the earth starts to shake? Or, the sky opens up and pours water in sheets upon it, flooding your house to such an extent that your poor kitty could just about float away? Are you prepared to handle an emergency or a [...]

If it hadn’t been for the common house cat, the human populations in European countries might have been completely wiped out hundreds of years ago by the Black Plague, also known as the Black Death. It raged across the continent sporadically for four hundred years, leaving widespread devastation and death in its path. It is [...]

I am an author and I have a problem. My problem is my cat Barthélemy who thinks he is a co-author. For the last month or so I’ve been working long days dashing off a 1,200 page novel and he’s been with me nearly every step of the way. Okay, I’m exaggerating a bit: it’s taken [...]

Every cat owner faces a series of health care decisions for their animal. Vaccines are a very important part of health management in cats. Just like in humans, vaccines fool your cat’s body into believing it is being attacked. The body then stimulates defense systems to produce antibodies to fight the attack. While no vaccine [...]

Imagine your cat slinking across the back yard homing in on a targeted prey with slow, measured steps until the pounce occurs! Yum, dinner! You would hear the crunch of mouse bones rather than the crackle and crunch of dry cat food. This natural behavior tells us a good deal about what our cats’ need for [...]

When I was a kid, I knew only three breeds of cats: shorthair, longhair, and Siamese. Today there’s a multitude of both well-known and exotic breeds from which to choose. The choices are seemingly endless: big cats, small cats, cats with short legs, cats with folded ears, and even cats with no hair. While outward [...]

Your cat’s personality is as unique as the colors of his fur. Does your feline house mate’s odd behavior befuddle you? Only your cat knows why he acts so weird at times. And since your cat won’t be speaking your language any time soon to give you an explanation, you must learn to speak cat [...]

Curiosity killed the cat. There is a reason that expression exists, morbid though it may seem. Cats are naturally curious creatures. They like to stalk small animals and explore out-of-the-way terrain. There are, however, many poisons they need to avoid. You can learn what to do in the unfortunate even that [...]

[This is the second part of a 2-part series. Find the first article here .] When organizations dealing with urban feral cat colonies engage in Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs, they still must deal with already existing kittens, as well as those who are born more quickly than a TNR program can keep up with. That’s why rescue [...]

If you’re addicted to cute, you’re probably coveting a Teacup Himalayan kitten. Kittens just don’t get much more adorable than these. When Hallmark is trying to cast a Valentines Day card, they look at headshots of Himalayan Teacup kittens; so fluffy, with huge eyes and a little button nose. If you can avoid squealing after [...]

When bringing home a new cat or kitten, owners often consider declawing the animal for various reasons: to prevent damage to furniture, to avoid the cat’s scratching family members during play, or to minimize injury to other pets and animals from an aggressive cat. While some owners ultimately decide to have their pet declawed, along [...]