Cats are masters at masking pain. Their ability to hide pain goes back to their wild origins. In the wild, a sick animal becomes prey. While acute pain may be more obvious, chronic pain from conditions such as arthritis can be challenging to discern for even the most dedicated cat parent. Even veterinarians often overlook signs of feline pain.Continue Reading
Feline Health
Why You Should Consider Pet Insurance
Could you easily afford to pay $1000 to $3000 if your cat had a sudden medical emergency? Could you cover the cost of a prolonged illness, which can easily run into several thousand dollars? Can you easily pay for your cat’s annual or bi-annual exam, preventive lab work, and dental cleaning? Costs for routine exams vary depending on location, and can range anywhere from $50 to $150. A routine dentistry can cost $500; add in a few extractions or other problems, and you’re looking at $1500 and more.Continue Reading
worksSOwell 1TDC™ Halloween Sale: Spooktacular Savings!
This post contains affiliate links*
If you’re already using 1TDC™, you already know what a great product it is. I don’t use the term “miracle” lightly, but I am using it for this product. Right now is a great time to stock up, or try it for the first time. The worksSOwell Halloween sale starts today and runs through Monday, November 1. Save a minimum of $5 on all orders, and up to $20 on larger orders.Continue Reading
Ask the Cat Doc: How to Clean a Cat’s Ears, Hyperthyroidism, and More
Welcome to our regular “Ask the Cat Doc With Dr. Lynn Bahr” segment! Once a month, Dr. Bahr answers as many of your questions as she can, and you can leave new questions for her in a comment.Continue Reading
Allegra’s Visit to the Dentist
If you’ve followed us for a while, you may remember Allegra’s last visit to the dentist in 2015. Six years later, it was time again: last week, I took Allegra to Animal Dentistry and Oral Surgery in Leesburg, VA.
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Your Cat Needs Regular Exercise
Cats have a reputation for being lazy and sleeping for much of the day. The average indoor cat sleeps 12 to 16 hours a day, which makes it even more important to provide plenty of opportunities for exercise during their waking hours. Exercise is nothing more than extended playtime, and it’s up to cat parents to make sure cats get plenty of it.Continue Reading
The 2021 American Association of Feline Practitioners Conference
The American Association of Feline Practitioners is hosting its annual conference this weekend. Unlike last year, when the conference was entirely virtual, this year’s conference is a hybrid event with the in-person event taking place at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.Continue Reading
Ask the Cat Doc: Managing Pain, Dark Spot Above Nose, Fungal Infection and More
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Welcome to our regular “Ask the Cat Doc With Dr. Lynn Bahr” segment! Once a month, Dr. Bahr answers as many of your questions as she can, and you can leave new questions for her in a comment.Continue Reading
How the Assisi Loop Helped Two Special Needs Kitties Thrive
This is a sponsored post*
Andrea Carollo has been a volunteer with Animal House of South East Michigan for several years. Last summer, she started fostering Greigh, who was rescued after being badly injured and had to have a significant portion of his front leg amputated. This summer, Rasputin, a kitten suffering from radial nerve paralysis, joined her household. Both use the Assisi Loop to help them with their issues.Continue Reading
When it Comes to Your Cat’s Litter Box, Simple is Better
After receiving and turning down the umpteenth pitch to feature or review yet another “innovative” litter box, I feel compelled to share my views on litter boxes, which is pretty much summed up in the headline of this article: simple is (usually) better!
Most of the new litter boxes are designed to either make cleaning the litter box easier, or to hide the litter box. Neither of these two reasons have anything to do with what cats want or need, and everything to do with human sensibilities. Continue Reading
Case Study: How the Assisi Loop Helped Charlie with a Severe Case of Stomatitis
This post is sponsored by Assisi Animal Health
Stomatitis is a frustrating and painful condition, a severe inflammation of the oral cavity in cats in which the affected cat essentially becomes allergic to her own teeth. The outward signs of this condition are red, inflamed, and often ulcerated gums, and this can be very painful for the cat. The exact cause of stomatitis is not known. The most commonly held theory is that stomatitis is caused by an abnormal reaction of the immune system. Some cats appear to be hypersensitive to their own plaque, and even small amounts will cause the immune system to mount an exxagerated inflammatory response by sending lymphocytic and plasma cells into the cats’ gums and oral tissues. For this reason, the condition is also referred to as lymphocytic plasmacytic gingivitis stomatitis.Continue Reading