Don’t let this list scare you.

Everyone would love to have their cat live a long healthy life. However, many cats are taken away from us far too soon. Sometimes it is due to things beyond our control, but other times it’s the result of a preventable problem.

Taking care of your cat’s life is a lot like taking care of your own. There are genetic factors, but there are things in the environment that change life expectancy as well.

Many risk factors can shorten life expectancy. For example, if you were to ask your physician about risk factors for early human death some would be drug and alcohol abuse, obesity, low/no exercise, and driving without a seatbelt (just to name a few).

Have you ever thought about what the risk factors would be for cats?

Here are some of the factors that can lead to a shortened lifespan in cats:

No ID tag: Cats without ID tags may be lost and never reunited with their owners.

No Microchip: Tags can fall off, but microchips are never lost. Many clinics and shelters give cats with microchips a little extra care should they ever run away and get hurt. They will be stabilized and treated by veterinarians and given extra time for their owners to find them. For more information - go to Microchipping Your Cat

Cats Allowed to Roam: There are pros and cons to allowing your cat to go outside. There are some indoor/outdoor cats that live long healthy lives, but tons don’t.  They meet the fate of car accidents, animal attacks, and malicious humans not to mention the possible exposure to many infectious diseases. An alternative is to create a big screened in porch area where they can be out and safe. Some owners create a cat safe fenced yard that doesn’t allow them out nor other animals in. For more thoughts-  go to Indoor vs. Outdoor Cats.

Secondhand Smoke: Risk of lung problems and cancer is higher in cats routinely exposed to second hand smoke.

Access to Trash: Cats that are allowed access to trash can get into things that can cause life-threatening conditions. Think of everything that you throw into the garbage. What would happen if your cat ate it?  Dental floss, yard, string, and ribbon are a few problem products. For more information on the dangers of trash go to Foreign Bodies in Cats

No Vaccines: Cats not given vaccines are at risk for multiple preventable diseases such as feline leukemia, panleukopenia, and more. For more information go to Vaccine Recommendations for Your Cat
No Heartworm Prevention: You’ve probably heard of heartworm disease in dogs but it is also seen in cats. It is often very difficult to treat in cats (more so than in dogs) and can be fatal. It is easily prevented by giving routine monthly medication. Go to Heartworm Prevention in Cats

Not Being Spayed or Neutered: Cats that are not spayed are at higher risk for mammary tumors (breast cancer) as well as a potentially fatal uterine infection called pyometra. Unaltered males are more likely to fight and escape the house to roam, allowing them the opportunity to get hit by a car or shot. For more information  go to Neutering and Spaying Your Cat

No Check-ups: Cats without routine check-ups can have problems that can be preventable. Early diagnosis can cure many diseases.

No Emergency Plan: Owner that don’t have any plan or resources to pay for health problems is a common cause of early death. I’ve seen very treatable problems lead to euthanasia because of lack of financial resources to treat those problems. Problems as simple as a broken leg or infection ended very sadly.
So what can you do? Vaccinate, spay and neuter your cat, microchip and keep him or her on monthly flea and heartworm prevention medications. Keep a collar and ID tag on your cat and keep him or her inside or on a leash/in an enclosed area when outdoors. Keep them out of the trash, up-to-date on vaccinations, and see a vet regularly. And take a few moments to consider your plan in case an emergency strikes; you don’t want to say goodbye to your cat earlier than necessary.

Please don’t let this list scare you. It might seem like a lot, but chances are you’re already making sure that most of these things don’t happen to your cat Read through the list and remember that it’s easier to prevent a problem than it is to solve it later.

Spring is just around the corner-which we welcome whole-heartedly after a long cold winter. With spring comes warmer weather and plants blooming everywhere - some with the potential to be toxic to pets.  Some plant toxins can be very serious and others are fairly mild.

Gardening is a favorite pastime, but we also want to keep our cats safe. So what’s a plant-loving cat owner to do? Learn which plants are toxic and plant your garden with that knowledge in mind.

Check out our article: Outdoor Spring Plants - What is Toxic?

Even if your cat doesn’t go outside or doesn’t really bother your plants, it is best to totally avoid toxic plants that have the potential to affect your cat and others.

Readers send me lots of questions, and I get this one a lot. Cat lovers often wonder if cats dream.

Well - that is an excellent question. I’ve wondered the same thing myself.

To answer this I asked my good friend and wonderful behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman to write an article on just that topic. With years of experience studying animal behavior, he has the answer: read it here

Cats are mammals, like us, and they need sleep to rest their minds and bodies.

While we’re on the subject of sleeping: where does your cat sleep? Take the poll Tell us all about your pet in the comments!

Is your cat bored? How can you tell?

Bored cats are usually pretty easy to spot. They mope around the house and don’t seem to want to get up. They might vocalize randomly and seem to meow at nothing. Other times they pace frantically, panting and even drooling.

Boredom can lead to a variety of problems such as inappropriate urination, destructive behaviors such as scratching, aggression, depression, lethargy, over-vocalization/crying, increased or decreased appetite, and sleeping more.

We have some easy tips to help prevent your cat from being bored.  Go to: Cats Home Alone 

catversushuman:

I tell people not to bring me flowers when they come to my home.

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Today I wanted to talk to you about kittens. I love kittens. I love watching them play, sleep and purr. Have you ever seen a kitten that plays and play then sleeps so hard you can’t help but smile? 

But as cute as they are, kittens are very mischievous. There are things that kittens can get in to that can be really dangerous.

1. Be extra careful around linear objects - that means anything that’s long and dangly. Kittens love to play with things like string, ribbon, tinsel, yarn and string. These are all objects that kittens will potentially swallow, causing an obstruction in their intestinal tract. These obstructions can require costly surgery. Don’t allow your kitten to place with any of these objects unsupervised. Learn more - go to Gastrointestinal Obstructions in Cats.

2. Kittens need their shots. Vaccines should start about about 6 weeks of age until they are about 16 weeks. Here is a very good article about what vaccines kittens need.

3. Should you let your cat go outside? This is an area of controversy with advocates and controversy on both sides. Learn the pros and cons.

Don’t forget to feed a high quality diet and give your kitten lots of love.

I hope you have a wonderful happy and healthy New Year. These good wishes extend to both you and your pets.

Looking back at 2011 - we had a wonderful year.

I’d like to take a minute to sincerely thank you for being part of our Petplace.com family. I really enjoyed sending you daily tips and I hope these tips made a difference in you and your pets’ lives.

Here is a fun article about New Year’s Resolutions - from the cat. Here are a couple of my favorites:

-  Find all those toys I lost under the couch.
-  Finally get the human on a feeding schedule.

If you’ve had cats for awhile, chances are you’ve faced the possibility of inappropriate urination. It’s a behavior that we see a lot in our practice and it’s a very common symptom that can indicate a larger problem. We saw it not too long ago with Scruffy. Scruffy is a 9 year old neutered male domestic short haired cat.  He was originally brought in by his owner after they noticed bloody urine on the kitchen floor. 

The causes of inappropriate elimination can be numerous and treatment is not always straightforward.  Learn more about feline urinary problems.  One relatively common cause of urinary problems is feline idiopathic cystitis, an inflammation of the bladder. ( Learn more about this condition.)

Behavior and the pet’s response to their home environment can be a large factor as well. For example, some cats will “hold it” if they dislike the scent or texture of their cat litter, causing irritation of the bladder.

When presented with a case like Scruffy’s our first order of business is to get a sample of urine to analyze.  This can be done by two methods:

Cystocentesis - removing urine directly from the bladder via a sterile needle on a syringe.

Free catch - the cat is placed in a clean kennel with a grate floor, no towels and a litter-box filled with clean plastic litter pellets.  When the kitty urinates (either on the kennel floor or in the box) the urine is collected and analyzed.
Of these two methods, cystocentesis is often preferred as the sample is sterile and contamination with bacteria from the environment is rare.  However, many cats will urinate on the way to the vet or they may have urinated in the morning before their appointment.  It is impossible to obtain a sample of urine from an empty bladder!  In these cases we will often have the patient stay at the hospital and periodically check the size of the bladder until a sample can be obtained.

I want to tell you a story about a cat. Many pet owners are curious about what happens with a pet comes in to a clinic from start to finish. Here is just one such case.

This is a story about Smith - a 12-year-old domestic short haired cat who came into our clinic for evaluation.  Smith’s owners noted a small scabbing lesion on his nose a few months ago.  The scab was initially small (a few millimeters in diameter) and did not appear to change for the first month or so after it was first observed.  Over the next couple months however, the scab grew bigger and took on a craterlike appearance.  As Smith is an indoor/outdoor kitty, his owners suspected he may have been involved in a tussle with the neighborhood bully cat.  But when the wound failed to heal and appeared to grow in size, his owners brought him in for evaluation.  Below is a picture of Smith and his “wound”. (Caution: it’s pretty graphic.)

Over the next couple months, Smith’s scab grew bigger and took on a craterlike appearance.  As Smith is an indoor/outdoor kitty, his owners suspected he may have been involved in a tussle with the neighborhood bully cat.  (These types of injuries are not uncommon in outdoor cats. To learn more, click here .) But when the wound failed to heal and appeared to grow in size, his owners brought him in for evaluation.  Below is a picture of Smith and his “wound”. (Caution: it’s pretty graphic.)

Due to the sudden appearance of the sore on Smith’s face, its continued growth and failure to heal, a biopsy was recommended.  The owners were surprised by the recommendation, as cancer was not something they had considered.  The warning signs of feline cancer can be hard to spot if you aren’t sure what to look for…and many cat owners aren’t.

Ear mites are the most common form of mange in cats. The mites feed on scaling skin. This is a different condition from head manage and is caused by a different type of mite that does not burrow into the skin. Common symptoms include irritation and inflammation of the ear canal. In severe cases you will see a substance oozing from the ear and red, scaly skin from secondary infections caused by bacterial or fungal infections.

The preferred treatment is Ivermectin which your veterinarian will apply to the skin. For notoedric manage, it is usually given by injection, weekly for four weeks. An alternative that can be performed at home is a sulfur dip that can be combined with your cat’s shampoo such as Dermisil for Mange.

To prevent recurrence your Veterinarian may also recommend a product like Revolution that contains the active ingredient selamectin.

Medicated shampoos may also be prescribed. Do not use products that have been prescribed for dogs on cats unless your vet tells you to; they may not be safe for use on cats. Dandruff shampoos can also help.

Cortisone may be prescribed to relieve the itching. Topical antibiotic solutions may be prescribed to treat any open sores on the skin, while oral antibiotic medication will be prescribed for any bacterial skin infections that may have resulted from excessive scratching.

Notoedric mange is very contagious, so all household pets should be treated, whether they have symptoms or not. Demodectic mange is not contagious so you don’t need to worry about treating other pets unless they show symptoms.

With any type of mites, all bedding should be washed in hot water and the surrounding areas disinfected. This will prevent reinfestation. To treat your cat’s environment you might want to consider a product such as Benzarid which is made to safely remove mites from inside your home.

rhamphotheca:

entomolog: Winged ant

The majority of ants are wingless. However, throughout the spring and summer seasons, swarms of winged ants become a common sight. Winged ants have elbowed antennae, thin waists constricted at the thorax and hind wings smaller than their front wings.

All ant species include three castes: queens, males and workers. Female winged ants are larger than male winged ants. Worker ants, or infertile female ants, are commonly seen crawling and foraging for food. Some species of ants have winged worker ants, while other species do not. There can be thousands of winged ants in one established colony.

All ant species live in colonies established by fertile females, or queens. Winged queen ants and males typically swarm after a day of heavy rain in a particular season. Queens begin as winged ants, and usually shed their wings after mating. Reproductive males die soon afterwards.

(photo/text by Rundstedt B. Rovillos on Flickr)

scientificillustration:

The Horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus from the John Reeves Collection

We love our cats, but we hate the odor.  Really, cat urine is one of the WORST smells to get rid of because it just seems to linger on and on.

Do you think you have odor problems?

Well, wait until you hear this story about a house that had been vacant for three years. The previous owner was an elderly woman with seven cats that she was unable to care for - so the cats basically used the house as one big litter box! Literally, you could stand at the door and smell the urine from this house!

The walls, floorboards, carpets… everything had been ruined.  The urine had completely penetrated the carpet, which was now black and moldy. And you would not believe how bad it smelled! They weren’t even sure the house was salvageable.

Lots of people are having plastic surgery these days. Sometimes they have it done because of a health condition, but a lot of times it just helps people change their appearance.

The other day I heard about some plastic surgery that people are now doing on their pets. Believe it or not, some people have their cats neutered but don’t want them to LOOK neutered, so they have silicone testicular implants placed in their neutered cat.

“Should I get ANOTHER cat?” Many cat owners ask themselves this question. Most people have more than one cat but they usually start off with just one. (I’ll admit, it’s hard to stick with just one with so many cute kitties out there.)

Should you get another cat? How do you know? This can be a difficult decision for many cat owners. Adding another cat to the family is a big move so if you do it, it’s important to do it right.

I have an article that has some great tips on this subject. It’s called “Should I Get Another Cat”?  It gives you some really practical advice on what kind of cat (age, sex, etc.) might work best in your home. Check it out. Go to:  Should I Get Another Cat?

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