Cat Health Articles

While they are not very common, cat ear infections do still happen. What does it mean if your cat has an ear infection? How can you diagnose one, and how are they typically treated? The symptoms for a cat ear infection are fairly easy to detect. If your cat is shaking its head around as if [...]

What plagues humans as we age can also plague a middle-aged or elderly cat. Hyperthyroidism is one of the hardest ailments to recognize in an older cat. The thyroid regulates hormone production in a cat’s body. This disease is caused by enlarged thyroid glands found on the sides of a cat’s neck. Roughly 98 percent [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

It can be awful to see a pet cat in pain. Of course, any cat owner’s first instinct is to help their pet, but it can be difficult to figure out what’s wrong. Fortunately, the animal medical profession has developed several methods of pain relief for cats, ranging from patches and pills to acupuncture and [...]

It can be frightening or depressing when your cat won’t eat or drink. And the truth is this behavior is a guaranteed sign that something is wrong. If your cat suddenly won’t eat or drink, the best thing you can do is to get it to a vet ASAP. As with all other medical problems, [...]

While they are not very common, cat ear infections do still happen. What does it mean if your cat has an ear infection? How can you diagnose one, and how are they typically treated? The symptoms for a cat ear infection are fairly easy to detect. If your cat is shaking its head around as if [...]

So why do cats cough up hairballs? Anyone who has lived with a cat for long enough has probably had the misfortune of stepping on one of these wet clumps of matted fur barefoot, and it is not an experience that you’d care to repeat. The reason why cats cough up hairballs has to do [...]

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 [...]