February 2006
Ask Dr. Richards: 02/06
Subscribers Only My cat, Puppi, has personality plus. Even my friends who don’t care for cats have become endeared to her and always ask about her. She’s fed a good diet, her coat is soft, her eyes are clear, and she’s a beautiful two-year-old calico. However, she doesn’t purr. I can feel a vibration in her neck, but no sound! Her meow seems normal, but I miss the purr. What’s wrong? …
Mind of the Cat: 02/06
Subscribers Only Nearly every day, a person asks me whether I think his or her cat might be bored. Just as often, I am asked whether a beloved cat might be better off in a different home. City dwellers wonder whether their cat craves the country life. Working cat owners wonder whether their cat should be sent to live with a retired couple. …
A Little Bit Extra
Subscribers Only Polydactyl cats have extra toes, often on all four feet. Here’s what you should know about this charming characteristic.
Neutering and Behavior
Subscribers Only Cat owners are often concerned about neutering their male or spaying their female cat. One question they sometimes ask is whether the surgery will change their family cat’s character and behavior. On this, veterinarians are virtually unanimous: Change will be significant, but it is all to the better. “In my way of thinking, it should be done for every cat,” says James Richards, DVM, director of the Cornell University Feline Health Center and Editor of…
Muzzles: Not Just for Dogs
Subscribers Only During an emergency, it may be necessary to keep your cat from biting out of fear or pain. Here’s what you need to know.
Your Cat’s Skin: An Easy Target for Many Diseases
Subscribers Only Most skin disorders are readily treatable, but some can make your cat feel miserable.
Love Medicine: Maddie’s Fund
Subscribers Only In 1999 Dave Duffield, founder of PeopleSoft, Inc., and his wife, Cheryl, established Maddie’s Fund® — and gave animal shelter medicine a much-needed shot in the arm. The foundation, which is named after the couple’s beloved miniature schnauzer, is helping to finance the creation of a no-kill nation. In September 2005 Maddie’s Fund® awarded Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine a $1.7 million grant to educate veterinarians and veterinary students in the field of animal…
Understanding Epilepsy
Subscribers Only Some seizures are unexplainable; others are caused by an underlying disease. Here’s what you need to know about this disorder.
Disaster Preparedness
Subscribers Only Help is on the way for our beloved pets. You can pitch in, too.
Hair, There, Everywhere!
Subscribers Only Choosing certain fabrics for furniture can help keep cat hair at bay. Here are some other household hints to tame the problem.
Short Takes: 02/06
Subscribers Only Imidacloprid Zaps Fleas Fastest, But Other Products Work As Well If the trademarked names for flea treatments sound like video games, try pronouncing the pharmacological terms for the chemicals in Revolution, Advantage and Frontline: Selamectin, Imidacloprid and Fipronil-(S)-Methoprene, respectively. Luckily, scientists didn’t have to pronounce the words when they wrote in the journal Veterinary Therapeutics (Vol. 6, No. 3) about “Comparative Speed of Kill of selamectin, imidacloprid and fipronil-(S)-methoprene Spot-On Formulations Against Fleas on Cats.” …