CatTails Feline Health Center

06/16/2024

The right kind of touch can relax your cat, making her feel safe and secure. We can use touch to teach our cats to relax, making handling less stressful.

Touch is important for many species. It is often part of a social interaction, cementing bonds between the members of a group. Primates (chimps, baboons,…) groom each other; dogs groom each other, birds preen each other as part of courtship or bonding. Domestic cats also groom  and rub against ea...

06/09/2024

Walking a cat is not quite like walking a dog. Join Gus from The Feline Purrspective as he goes to pick up the mail.

Walking a cat is not quite like walking a dog. For a cat, a walk is more like a prowl, he will be looking around for things to hunt.Cats are also small crea...

06/02/2024

Flying with your cat is an adventure! The To-do list includes deciding if your cat is "fit to fly", choosing an airline, and carrier training your cat.

Whether you are relocating or just visiting extended family, flying with your cat requires planning and preparation. flying with your cat Air travel is stressful for us but imagine how stressful it must seem to a cat - he must be in his carrier for an extended period of time, he doesn’t know what ...

05/26/2024

Hunting Practice for Indoor Cats
Your cat is a born hunter! If he eats dry food or dry crunchy treats, you can toss him a meal or a snack. Let’s join Gus, Zelda and Miso from The Feline Purrspective for a hunter's lunch! Click on the picture below to watch some cats in action!

Your cat is a born hunter! In the wild, he would spend most of his waking hours prowling around looking for food. Here is a fun way to give your cat some hun...

05/19/2024

Behavior Modification for Cats - More than Just Training

Medication, environmental changes and behavior modification can help treat your cat's problem behavior. What does behavior modification for cats involve?

https://www.felinepurrspective.com/behavior-modification-for-cats/

05/12/2024

Happy Mother's Day!
Enjoy the holiday and value the people who have "mothered" you! Join me next time as I contemplate what is "behavior modification" and how does it affect you and your cat.

05/05/2024

Sometimes, fear and anxiety can make it difficult for a cat to cope with her daily life. A vet may prescribe a behavior medication for a cat to reduce anxiety.

Sometimes, fear and anxiety can make it difficult for a cat to cope with her daily life. Perhaps there has been a change in the environment - a new cat or dog comes to live in the home or a new born baby comes home one day. A diligent owner tries to adapt the environment...

04/28/2024

Training your cat to a harness can be useful when traveling, introducing your cat to new pets, locations and situations, and just walking around the backyard. Here we join Phyllis and Miso of The Feline Purrspective for some more tips for putting the harness on and getting the kitty to move forward.

Training your cat to a harness can be useful when traveling, introducing your cat to new pets, locations and situations, and just walking around the backyard...

04/21/2024

When introducing dogs and cats, slow, gradual introductions provide a foundation for positive and predictable interactions between dogs and cats.

Although the expression “fight like cats and dogs” refers to people who are always arguing and fighting, cats and dogs can coexist in peace and harmony.  A slow, gradual introduction provides a foundation for positive and predictable interactions between dogs and cats. The owner's role in intro...

04/14/2024

Training your cat to a harness and leash can provide enrichment for your cat, extra security if you are traveling, and can be very useful for introducing your cat to other animals and new situations.
In this video, we join Phyllis and Zelda of The Feline Purrspective for tips on putting the harness on your cat and taking those first steps on a leash.

Training your cat to a harness and leash can come in handy even if you don’t plan to take him adventuring. Training your cat to a harness and leash can provi...

04/07/2024

Some cats live completely indoors and have little contact with other animals. Here are some reasons to vaccinate your indoor cat for rabies.

It is not uncommon for some cats to live completely indoors and have little contact with other animals. Do these cats really need rabies vaccines?  why Vaccinate your indoor cat for rabies Rabies is one of the oldest diseases known to man - there are records of cases 4,000 years ago (Reference 1). ...

03/31/2024

So You Want to Own a Wildcat Hybrid?
Cat breeders have crossed wildcats with domestic cats, producing cats with rosettes and spots. You can own a wildcat hybrid. Here are things you need to know.

Wild cats have coats patterned with stripes, spots and rosettes, that help them blend in with their surroundings.  Cat breeders have crossed wildcats with domestic cats, producing "house" cats with these exotic looks. For a hefty price tag, you can own a wildcat hybrid. But before you reserve your ...

03/17/2024

Moving with your cat is stressful even when everything goes alright. How can we communicate safety and security to our cats when we move?
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"Moving with Your Cat" was originally published 9-26-21. This newer version has been updated and contains additional information. Moving to a new home is stressful even when everything goes right! Imagine how confusing moving is to our cats - the boxes are fun when empty but soon they fill up with t...

03/10/2024

Managing the painful cat requires recognizing pain and treating it. How do you know if the cat is painful? How do you set up a place conducive to healing?

Pain is a response to injury and illness.  It motivates an animal to protect the wounded part of the body or  to slow down to allow the immune system to work.  But at a certain point, pain may not be functional - for example, if an animal is too painful to eat. Managing the painful...

03/03/2024

As the older cat’s mind and body declines, it may be time to put your cat to sleep and free him from pain or suffering. How do we know when to say goodbye?

  Saying the final good bye to your cat is never easy. Medical care for cats has progressed by leaps and bounds in the past few decades and it is not uncommon for cats to live to be 19 or 20 years old. As age takes its toll and the older cat’s mind and body...

02/18/2024

What do cats need? Human motivation can be described using a "hierarchy of needs". Applying this to our cats can give us an understanding of their needs.

What do cats need to be healthy and happy? Whether you are a new cat owner or someone who has owned a number of cats, this is a question that needs some careful thought. Your cat is not human; he/she is a different species. After all, if you were going to have a tiger as...

02/11/2024

I wasn't able to find time to do a post this week - had a working weekend and a snowstorm! Here Miso and Zelda snuggle in the heated basket. Miso looks kitten-sized but he weighs about 13 lbs - this gives you an idea of how large Maine C**n cats can be!

02/04/2024

Caring for cats with FeLV or FIV requires attention to the cat’s overall health, regular checkups, and prompt attention to clinical signs of illness.

There has been a stray cat hanging around the house. He is friendly and after a few weeks of feeding him and scratching his head, you decide to adopt him. You do the responsible thing and take him to your vet for an exam, vaccines, and FeLV/FIV test. To your chagrin, he tests positive for...

01/28/2024

Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus are the causes of many infectious diseases in cats. What do you need to know about cats with FeLV and FIV?

Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) are among the most common causes of infectious diseases in cats. FeLV can lead to cancer, anemia, and immunosuppression.   FIV primarily suppresses the cat’s immune system (Reference 1). Cats with FeLV and FIV have played a role in hu...

01/21/2024

Hairballs are rare in feral cats and zoo cats. Why do our domestic cats get hairballs? Here are the "why's" and "how's" of managing hairballs in cats.

As you are en route to the bathroom during the night, your foot contacts something tubular and mushy - another hairball! I have lived with over a dozen cats - some I have shaved to reduce the hairball menace; others I have dutifully given the hairball gels, which promise to lubricate the cat’s GI ...

01/14/2024

Treating Pandora syndrome in cats requires modification of the individual Pandora cat’s environment in addition to providing appropriate medical therapies.

Pandora Syndrome refers to cats suffering from multiple medical ailments that do not resolve with appropriate medical treatment. Instead, the symptoms are chronic, waxing and waning in response to environmental stressors. These cats also share a history of traumatic experiences and exhibit an abnorm...

01/07/2024

Pandora syndrome in cats is characterized by a history of traumatic experiences, concurrent diseases and symptoms that wax and wane with environmental changes.

The term "Pandora syndrome" was coined by Tony Buffington of Ohio State University to describe cats with chronic clinical symptoms suffering from health issues involving multiple organ systems. Buffington initially studied a group of 200 cats that had "incurable" urinary tract symptoms (bloody urine...

12/17/2023

Managing aggression in the multi-cat home requires observation of how the resident cats interact and a willingness to intervene appropriately when necessary.

It is increasingly common for people to own more than one cat. With more than one cat in the home, conflict between cats of the same household is also increasing. managing aggression in the multi-cat home It can be challenging to identify aggressive behavior. Cats play roughly and what looks like pl...

12/03/2023

In the multi-cat home, some cats prefer to stay together. Identifying social groups of cats in the home can aid in allocating resources and reducing conflict.

Social Groups of cats in the multi-cat home This post was originally published 8/29/20. This newer version has been edited to incorporate new material and references. If there is plenty of food around, free-roaming cats tend to form groups called colonies. The core of the cat colony are the females,...

11/30/2023

Tabitha says "Don't stay in bed all day on Saturday, Dec 9! Come visit us for our Open House/ Anniversary Party from 10am-2pm. Grab some cool cat swag, snacks, toys, and treats; and featuring a drawing for a Free Dental Cleaning Package for your furry friend! We hope to see you there!

11/26/2023

Taking a break from The Feline Purrspective this week for the start of the holiday season. Here is a picture of Miso helping set up the Christmas tree. Will be back next week with more about cats!

11/19/2023

Managing the diabetic cat is a balancing act. The goal is to reduce the clinical signs of diabetes while avoiding complications like low blood sugar.

Managing the diabetic cat Managing the diabetic cat is a balancing act.  The goal is to reduce the clinical signs of diabetes while avoiding complications like low blood sugar. How do you know if the therapy your veterinarian has chosen for your cat is working?  Monitoring the clinical signs of di...

11/14/2023

Our new friend, Grover, is working hard on his biscuit making skills. This 11 week old baby was a champ for his first vet visit!

11/12/2023

Treating Diabetes in cats typically involves insulin injections. Oral medications are now available for younger cats who are healthy except for being diabetic.

Diabetes is a condition where there is persistently high levels of glucose in the blood and urine. In healthy cats, insulin, a hormone produced by the beta cells in the pancreas, signals the cells in the body to take up glucose, reducing the glucose in the blood and urine. Diabetic cats are similar....

11/05/2023

Diabetes in Cats - What is it? How is it diagnosed?
Diabetes in cats is similar to type 2 diabetes in humans: feline diabetics have insulin resistance and beta cells that are not functioning normally.

Diabetes is a condition where there is persistent high glucose (sugar) in the blood and the urine. Like humans, cat can develop diabetes.  Which cats are at risk for diabetes? How do you diagnose diabetes in a cat? Two previous posts addressed diseases that we tend to see in older cats, chronic kid...