Indoor Cat Initiative

08/29/2024

I started the Indoor Cat Iniative to help people enrich the lives of their cats in about 2000 because of what we had learned about cats with chronic lower urinary tract problems. We’ve learned a lot in the interim, and recently published a review about the condition in people, cats, and research animals. The article is freely available here:

Interstitial cystitis (IC) presents as a chronic pain condition with variable combinations of symptoms depending on the species and individual patient. It is...

05/09/2024

New research helps owners understand their cats! (Or maybe you knew this before the research came out ;)

According to feline researchers, cats often get maligned as aloof and even spiteful, when many of them are quite social and eager to interact.

04/14/2022

Tabby owners: Joanna Klein writes for National Geographic and shares a study reported in Nature Communications: scientists are unlocking the secrets of how the characteristic stripes form in the world's most popular cat:

A close look at feline embryos reveals the surprising start to this distinctive pattern on domestic cats.

03/23/2021

How to meet your cat’s needs without sacrificing style? Join Experts in plants, pet furniture, and cat behavior in this one-of-a-kind panel!

02/19/2021

Nice Interactive play graphic from Dr. Delgado! 😺

02/02/2021

The Winn Foundation has a new name: https://everycat.org/! 😺

EveryCat Health Foundation awards grants for groundbreaking research that benefit every cat, every day. From disease prevention and veterinary treatment to healthy home habits, we advance the science of better medicine for cats.

01/02/2021

Happy New Year! Here's a New Years resolution for your cat from Dr. Delgado! 😻

Weighing your cat regularly is one of the best ways to monitor their health -- and it's easy! How to do it and why!!

12/28/2020

New blog post by Dr. Delgado! 😻
http://whatyourcatwants.com/

a blog by Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado

12/08/2020

Today!

10/29/2020

Happy National cat Day - Year?!? 😺

With Americans spending more time at home, there's plenty of time to celebrate National Cat Day -- not that their cats can be bothered to care.

10/24/2020

Good morning, it is our first cold (50F) morning where I live in California. I just got an email from a person in Wisconsin asking for activity ideas for her cat now that it is getting cold there and she can't use the patio as much. The cat is a "daytime" cat, sleeping through the night. I suggested offering a food puzzle or a window seat; I also thought that some of you would have good ideas, so told her I would ask you to post your suggestions - winter is coming! 😺

10/09/2020

And a new (open access!) paper about "slow blink)! 😸

Domestic animals are sensitive to human cues that facilitate inter-specific communication, including cues to emotional state. The eyes are important in signalling emotions, with the act of narrowing the eyes appearing to be associated with positive emotional communication in a range of species. This...

10/09/2020

New post from Dr. Delgado! 😺

Our new study says yes. For the past few years, I’ve been working at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where I’m a postdoctoral researcher. One area of focus for my research has been the health and behavior of orphaned neonatal kittens (neonatal refers to kittens less than three weeks ...

09/14/2020

New blog post from Dr. Delgado! 😺

How do the number and size of potential prey affect choices made by cats?

09/07/2020

Check out Dr. Delgado's new site! 😺

A blog by Dr. Mikel Delgado

09/02/2020

Dear friends, as some of you know, the Indoor Cat Initiative got started some 20 years ago to help improve the environments of cats with Feline Interstitial Cystitis" (FIC). I also study this disease in women, and recently connected with UC Davis StudyPages to get more information about the role of the environment on IC symptoms in women living with IC. My StudyPage is here:
https://studypages.com/s/healthcare-satisfaction-survey-for-patients-with-interstitial-cystitisbladder-pain-syndrome-ic-722016/. Women with IC and healthy women between 18-80 can take the survey (even if they don't have cats😺); please help me share the link as widely as possible to your social media and other contacts. The more data we get the more we can learn!
Thanks in advance, Tony Buffington

Volunteer for research at UC Davis and contribute to discoveries that may improve health care for you, your family, and your community!

08/06/2020

International Cat Day is this Saturday, August 8; check this out! 😺

Are you thinking about getting a kitten? Feline specialists share their expertise in this live Q&A giving you all you need to know about kittens.

08/06/2020

Someone recently posted this about cats and plants for those interested. It's not comprehensive (my gardener wife tells me) but a nice list. If you have others that you know to be safe, please let us know!😺
(you can ignore the dog)

It's no big deal if your cat or dog decides to snack on one of these plants.

08/02/2020

My friend and colleague recently published a paper with Dr. Leticia Dantas about feeding cats for health and well-being! You can download it for free between now and 9/18! 😺

Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal PracticeVolume 50, Issue 5, September 2020, Pages 939-953Feeding Cats for Optimal Mental and Behavioral Well-BeingAuthor links open overlay panelMikelDelgadoPhDaLeticia M.S.DantasDVM, MS, PhDbShow morehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2020.05.003Get rig...

07/31/2020

A question from a cat owner for you all: How do you entertain a playful cat? Some like toys, some like food balls, some like rolled up paper wads....what does your cat love? Please share your suggestions! (and: Meet Pixie!)

07/31/2020

Hello fans of the Indoor Cat Initiative! With retirements and job changes, the creators of this page of been away for a bit. We plan to reinvigorate our activities. If you sent an inquiry in the past year, I will be trying to respond. I apologize for being AWOL!

07/25/2020

This just out! Copy ordered, can't wait to read it (many of my friends and colleagues put a lot of effort into this)! 😺

In the United States, one of the predominant reasons that owners abandon or give up their pets (often leading to euthanasia) is because of unwanted behaviors. Many have tried to instruct proper cat training, but this is the first book of its kind to provide an in-depth understanding of the underlyin...

07/19/2019

Ready for this? 😺

Here's everything you need to know about the star-studded movie.

07/17/2019

If you haven’t check this out, NOW is the time! 😻

Join Today Learn how to provide your pets with the physical & emotional care they need. Become a member of Fear Free Happy Homes and get FREE access to… Videos with fun, easy-to-implement tips Articles reviewed by boarded veterinary behaviorists Discounts on pet products & services Fear Free veter...

07/04/2019

Happy 4th of July! 😺

Ensure your cat is feline fine this 4th of July by observing these Do’s & Do Not’s!