Health

“One day, I noticed Callie was “gimpy”, walking with a catch in her getalong, not jumping on the counter to get water from the sink or up on the bed to sleep with me,” said stephanietx. Dr. Cindy Houlihan owner of The Cat Practice in Birmingham, Michigan, says, “A cat should have a gliding walk,

Every pet owner hears about the benefits of spaying or neutering a pet but many people don’t know just what to ask when they make the appointment. Most important, know your cat. Check the color of her gums and paw pads. Then after the surgery, you’ll be able to see right away if there’s a

Heart disease – it’s a silent threat. Symptoms don’t show early on so it’s hard to know there’s a problem until it’s advanced. This is especially the case with relatively sedentary indoors-only cats where there is rarely any significant acceleration of the pulse. While any cat can have it, heart disease has been linked to

Cats are prone to eye infections at any age. Crowded conditions can easily spread infections from one cat to another. The most common cause can be bacteria, fungus or a virus.Younger cats are more likely to get Chlamydia and Mycoplasma which are bacterial. Calicivirus is another common cause – it’s viral. Immune systems in young

“How can I tell if my cat is pregnant?” Unfortunately, it’s a question we get quite often in the Care for Pregnant Cats and Kittens forum. It is unfortunate because if it’s your cat, you should spay her at 4-5 months of age and not have to ask whether or not she’s pregnant. There are

“Help! My cat is having kittens, and I think there’s a problem!“ When we get that title to a thread, it’s usually accompanied by several more exclamation marks. Indeed, when you think something is going wrong with a birth, it can be immensely stressful. If your cat is giving birth right now and there’s an

Giardiasis is an intestinal infection caused by a parasite. It is found in dogs and humans, too. It’s not a worm, but a one-celled protozoan, so tiny it’s microscopic. Your veterinarian will have to diagnose giardia – you won’t be able to tell by looking for evidence. Cats usually get giardia by ingesting the organism,

Getting rid of fleas is hard to do anytime but kittens present a whole different problem than cats. Their little bodies can’t withstand medicines that adult cats can handle. What do you do? Does the kitten really have fleas? First, be sure any itching is really due to fleas. Take a fine toothed comb and

Worms? Yikes! Especially if you get to see your cat vomiting a pile of squirming worms, or if you find them in your litterbox. Yes, it’s disgusting but it’s something that can and does happen and every cat owner should learn all about the various types of worms that can affect a cat’s health. Types

Fleas – they’re almost too tiny to see, multiply like crazy, and can live way too long as far as people and cats are concerned. They can come into the yard on a squirrel, into the house on the dog or even hitch a ride on a human. It makes for a miserable situation all

So you know your cat is pregnant. This means she’s actually going to have kittens and you need to be there for her for the delivery. Cats make good mothers and they’re generally very proficient (and alas, prolific) mothers. Around the world, feral cats deliver kittens with no human help and usually with no problems.

Rabies is the deadliest infectious disease known to man: Once symptoms set in, the victim – human or feline – will suffer an excruciating death. We all want to protect our pets and ourselves against rabies, but does that necessarily mean we must vaccinate even indoor-only cats against rabies? Why is Rabies so dangerous?The rabies

Our sweet cats are also fierce predators that have teeth and claws and know how to use them. When it comes to cat-induced injuries, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so if your cat tends to bite and/or scratch people, please read our article about Cat Aggression Toward People. However, even

Are you about to have your female cat spayed or your male cat neutered? Congratulations on being a responsible cat owner! These are routine procedures and chances of problems are slim. However, as with any medical procedure you should be prepared. Learn all about post-op care and what to look for after a spay or

Have you heard the term “heartworm” before? Sounds awful, doesn’t it? If you’re worried that this might be affecting your cat’s health, you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve put together a concise detailed guide for cat owners. Heartworm (scientific name: dirofilaria immitis) is a parasitic worm that is transmitted to new hosts through the bites

Kitty recently had a blood test? Are you wondering about the results? Can’t make sense of the various abbreviations and what they actually mean? We have some answers for you. Written by veterinarian Letrisa Miller, DVM, this article goes over the various elements of a blood panel in cats, aka a complete blood count or

Thinking about getting your adorable new kitten fixed but worried about the cost? We’re here to answer your questions about how much it might cost you to get Kitty spayed (or neutered) and provide you with useful tips on how to reduce the price. So, how much does it cost to get a cat fixed?

Are you curious about Down Syndrome in cats? Wondering if it even exists and whether cats like Lil Bub, Grumpy Cat or Monty have it? Many cat lovers around the world wonder just that. Well, we have the answer. We talked to experts to understand why some cats have unusual facial features and whether or

A cat’s eyes are more than a window to the feline soul. The eyes are amazingly intricate organs that provide our little predator with critical sensory input. Unfortunately, eyes are also very delicate. They may not need constant grooming or require any special routine care, but when eye problems occur in cats, owners have to

Some cat people are “naturals” at pilling cats. It is a real and rare talent. These people can nonchalantly walk by any cat, quickly open said cat’s mouth, pop a pill in, pat its throat for 20 seconds and voila! The pill is in! Sounds far-fetched? I wouldn’t have believed it myself had I not

You may have heard of herpes disease in humans but did you know that there is also a cat version of Herpes? This tricky virus usually attacks the cat’s respiratory system but in many cases – especially with young kittens – it goes directly for the eyes, causing a severe viral eye infection that can

About our Cats’ Tails The tail is an important part of your cat. Physically, it serves to enhance the cat’s balance and agility. It is also a tool of communication, displaying movements and postures that help convey your cat’s mood. The cat’s tail is made of 19 to 21 small bones called caudal vertebrae –

Ringworm is a common fungal infection in pets and humans. Take a few minutes to read our ringworm guide, which provides useful information about the disease, its symptoms, and treatment. This special guide deals with one aspect of treating a ringworm infestation: housecleaning. It is essential in fighting ringworm infestations in multi-cat environments. The information

“Please help my IBD Kitty!” the call often comes up in our Cat Health forum. For example, in this post TCS member bentley2013 writes, “I’m so discouraged. Bentley eats small amounts but almost exactly 4 hours later he loses it all out his bottom. He just threw up too… I really am a mess…” So

The skin is the largest organ a body has and that goes for cats as well as humans. The skin can be directly affected by disease and parasites or it can display symptoms that are related to a disease in another body part. Here’s a quick overview of feline skin conditions and what you can

“Help! My cat has stopped eating!” A healthy adult cat should be eating roughly one can (6 oz) of wet food or a cup of dry food each day. Quantities differ, according to the cat’s weight and level of activity and most cat owners soon find out just how much their own cat requires. What

What Is Ringworm? Ringworm is a common name for a fungal infection of the skin. Microsporum Canis is the name of the chief fungus responsible for ringworm in cats. The outer layer of the skin is made out of a protein called keratin. There are types of fungi – called dermatophytes – that feed off

There is no gentle way to put this: During the first weeks of their lives kittens are at an increased risk of dying. Some estimates put the survival rates of newborn kittens at an average of 75%, and as every experienced rescuer knows, sometimes entire litters simply don’t make it. It’s not always easy to

Many cats experience some form of constipation at one or more times in their lives (not unlike many of us humans!) Owners often post on our forums, wondering if their cat may be constipated and asking about what they may do about it. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide which will tell you

Back in April 15, a member of TheCatSite.com started a thread about a kitten she had helped birth. The kitten had “offset eyes” and a strange forehead, she said. Her friend claimed it had Down Syndrome but she wasn’t sure. She brought the question to our community and asked: Can cats have Down Syndrome? It’s