Behavior

Different dog breeds are known for certain behaviors, like a Border Collie herding sheep or a German Shorthaired Pointer indicating a bird. Cat lovers have long noted the vocalizations of Siamese as an example of certain breed-specific behaviors, and now a recent study from Finland, published in Scientific Reports, found genetic connections between cat breeds and certain behaviors.

The Animal Cancer Foundation says that of the 32 million cats in the United States, 6 million are diagnosed with cancer each year. Thats a staggering number, and researchers are working hard to find cures. Among the most recent advances in oncology is immunotherapy. While standard cancer therapies-chemotherapy, radiation, surgery-directly destroy cancers, they also may harm normal cells and tissues. Immunotherapy is different. It destroys only the abnormal cells.

Your cat is tense and clearly unhappy, but you arent quite sure what hes feeling. Here are some tips for decoding his body language.

Does your cat make noises that sound nothing like a traditional meow? Shes not the only one! While purrs, hisses, and, of course, the famous meow are the best-known cat sounds, cats have a wide repertoire of noises they use to communicate with other cats and us.

Coughing in cats is easy to dismiss as due to a hairball. While cats do get hairballs, that gagging can often be due to coughing. When cats cough, they usually crouch down, extend their elbows away from the body, and make a dry, hacking sound. The cough is frequently non-productive (nothing is expelled).

Ctenocephalides felis is a big name for a tiny insect that is a huge pest: the cat flea. While other fleas may infest your cat, this is the most common species to affect cats.

A study published in April in Scientific Reports 9 and done at the University of Tokyo (Saito, A et al) reports what weve all suspected: A study published in April in Scientific Reports 9 and done at the University of Tokyo (Saito, A et al) reports what weve all suspected:

When you think drool, you think dogs, but cats drool, too. The difference is, feline drool is rarely normal. If your cat is drooling, she may be either overproducing saliva or having trouble swallowing it, and it is important to find out the cause.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is monitoring a fungal infection (Sporothrix brasiliensis) in Brazil and nearby countries that is being spread by cats to people. The infections in cats are known as clown nose because of the swollen, infected nasal mucosa seen in affected cats. Its usually fatal in cats.

A recent study out of Italy looked at survival and prognostic factors for cats with restrictive cardiomyopathy. The researchers looked at 90 cats who had been diagnosed with this cardiac condition via echocardiography between 1997 and 2015. There were 53 more males than females in the study.

Your cat has several rows of whiskers, usually 12 arranged in rows, and a few over her eyes. You may also see them along her jawline, near her ears, and on the back of her front legs. All these whiskers, or vibrissae, are stiff tactile hairs that help your cat learn about her environment.

Cats hide injuries and pain by instinct, a behavior that is important for survival in the wild. This forces us to be detectives when our cats are ill.