Behavior

Your beloved cat climbs into your lap, rubs on your chin and then yawns by your face. Suddenly, you are overwhelmed by foul air. It is unreasonable to expect your feline friend to have minty fresh breath, but healthy cat breath really isnt offensive. Causes for fetid feline breath can range from minor to serious.

While cats dont have the reputation dogs do for finding lost strangers or detecting bombs, they do have a finely tuned sense of smell. That sense of smell is important to both their health and their happiness.Cats have 200 million scent receptors in their nasal passages-people have about 5 million. The vomeronasal organ (sometimes called Jacobsens organ) on the roof of your cats mouth also aids in scent reception. If you see your cat curl his lip and lift his head while sniffing, that action helps to detect scent using this organ as well as through the nose.

If your cat got a vote, Halloween would be down as one of the least favorite holidays (right alongside the 4th of July). There really isnt anything good about this holiday from a cats point of view.

Many cats show some signs of periodontal gum disease by three years of age. Reports indicate between 50 and 90 percent of all cats over four years of age will have some degree of dental disease.

Lost cats leave behind heartbroken families. And, if theyre not found, they contribute significantly to the homeless, feral, shelter, and community cat populations. Unfortunately, its an all-too-common situation. At least a third of all cats get lost at some point in their lives, says Pam Stonebraker, associate executive director and humane education coordinator at the Tompkins County, N.Y., SPCA.

Cats do not pant on a regular basis like dogs do. Feline panting can be either normal or due to underlying medical problems.

Q I thought cats were always clean, which is why I chose a feline companion over a dog. I didnt want to deal with I have to go out at all hours of the day and night. But my new kitten says no way to the litter box. She will dig in it and play in it, but she otherwise doesnt use the box. She just seems to quickly hunt down a spot and goes.…

A study published in the January 2017 Journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science may help you determine if a dog you want to adopt will get along with your cat.

Some cats are just naturally picky and like to have variety in their diet, but changes in eating habits can also be a sign of stress or major illness.

Kidney failure is a leading cause of death in domestic cats.

The Morris Animal Foundation recently wrote that a cat’s best defense against cancer may be snuggling with her owner.

Q Is it OK that we planted lilies in our garden? A friend of mine said we’re poisoning the neighborhood cats. I certainly don’t want to do that! I’ve had cats all my life and never heard of a cat poisoned by eating a lily. We’ve even had lily plants inside. My cat stays strictly indoors so I’m not worried about her in our garden, but I do see our neighbors’ cats out and about.…