Health

One of our cats recently escaped and was missing for three days before we (thankfully) found him at the local shelter. While we were picking him up, the associate discussed our cat being microchipped. While we understand that this can be helpful, we are concerned about the possibility of this inducing a fibrosarcoma, which we understand is possible with this procedure. Can you provide some guidance?

While some feline behavior problems can be resolved at least partially with environmental management strategies, sometimes medication becomes necessary. This is often due to behaviors that pose a risk to the cat, owner, or other pets in the household, or may be to simply break the cycle of a very stressed cat. Before you ask for an anti-anxiety medication, you should understand what the drug does and how to use it.

You may have seen pheromones advertised to calm anxious cats. Feline facial pheromone is precisely what your cat releases from the scent glands on his face.

An article in the July 15, 2018, Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association looked at a French study on feline pleural effusion. Pleural effusion is a buildup of fluid in the pleural space, which is the space in your cats chest between the protective linings covering the lungs and the walls of the chest cavity itself. Normally, there is only a small amount of fluid in that area. Large amounts of fluid mean less room for the lungs to expand, which causes difficulty breathing and getting adequate oxygen to your cats body tissues.

A conundrum for many cat owners is getting their cat to drink more. While eating dry kibble can be nutritionally adequate (and some cats definitely prefer kibble to canned), most cats could benefit from drinking more. More fluid going in helps with hydration and can help to flush the kidneys and bladder with more urine production. A recent study reported in the American Journal of Veterinary Research in July 2018 looked at trying to entice cats to drink more using a nutrient-enriched water option.

As reported in Pet Food News, a Nielsen survey listed ingredients owners want to avoid when choosing a food for their pet, although the rationale the owners used for making the choices is not readily clear.

Normally your cat is an amazing athlete. She can do flips and land right side up, even after a tumble from a tree or window, and can leap from floor to countertop in just one bound. But when vestibular problems strike, that same cat walks like the proverbial drunken sailor.

KTVB in Boise, Idaho, reported in June that a cat tested positive for the plague. This occurred a month after a child tested positive for the plague, also in Idaho.

While Cushings disease, which is technically called hyperadrenocorticism, is more common in dogs than cats, feline members of your family can have this health problem.

We have opened our home to an additional cat, and we would like to know how best to introduce the cat to our existing cat and dog. Can you give us some advice on how to make this transition safe and easy?

For cats who must travel with you, consider these safety thoughts

CNBC.com reports that nearly 70 percent of American households have a pet but most are unprepared financially for a veterinary emergency, which averages between $800 and $1,500, according to Petplan.