Health

Dear Elizabeth: My vet tells me that my indoor-only cat, Izzy, needs to be vaccinated for rabies. We live in an apartment in New York City and Izzy is never outside, so why does she need a rabies vaccine?

Chronic renal failure in a cat occurs when 75 percent or more of the animals healthy kidney tissue has been destroyed and replaced by scar tissue. As a consequence, the two kidneys, each of which contains many thousands of tiny filtering units (nephrons), are unable to carry out their chief function of removing metabolic waste from the blood that is pumped through them with each heartbeat. To compensate, most afflicted cats will drink increasing amounts of water in an effort to pass additional fluids through their kidneys. Unfortunately, this water will run quickly through the animals body; the cat will simply urinate more frequently. Meanwhile, the ultimately life-threatening metabolic waste will continue to circulate and to accumulate.

Your cat’s eyes, like yours, are delicate structures made up of various components —the cornea, pupil, iris, lens, retina and so forth — each of which plays a role in enabling the animal’s keen vision. While the feline eye is generally sturdy and resistant to injuries and disease, a wide variety of disorders, such as glaucoma and cataracts, can impair a cat’s vision and even, in some cases, lead to blindness. According to Thomas Kern, DVM, an associate professor of ophthalmology at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the most common of all feline eye disorders is conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the thin mucous membrane (conjunctiva) that lines the inner surface of the eyelids and coats the outer surface of the eyeball.

Youve always made a point of feeding your cat the most nutritious diet available. But even the best of foods may contain an ingredient to which she has developed an allergy. If thats the case, youre apt to witness a startling change in the otherwise placid little creatures behavior. Most noticeably, shes likely to be tormented by constant and insufferable itching, which will become obvious as you witness her nonstop scratching.

Previous studies examined behavioral changes in cats long after their spay/neuter operations. But this one looked for changes in the first day or two: "Behavioral alterations and severity of pain in cats recovering at home following elective ovariohysterectomy or castration." Reported in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (Vol. 231, No. 2) the study asked owners about things like their cats time spent sleeping, playfulness, aggression, appetite and vocalization. Most behavior changes were attributed to after-effects of the anesthesia, which wore off the first day, but there was one "interesting" development, the researchers said. On day two, when cats might be expected to complain loudly about losing their reproductive rights, most were quieter than usual.

Veterinarians generally recommend that all cats undergo a thorough physical examination at least once a year until they have reached seven or eight years of age, and twice annually thereafter as they progress into their senior years. Such a multifaceted exam will include a complete blood count (CBC), a procedure that, thanks to a variety of sophisticated laboratory techniques and equipment, can reveal or at least suggest the presence of many feline health disorders. (See related article in the June 2007 issue of CatWatch.)

If you happen to be sitting in on your cats routine physical exam, youre likely at some point to observe the veterinarian carefully studying the animals face, gently stroking its nose, and fondling its ears. This is not merely a show of affection. Rather, the veterinarian is searching for tiny, scabby sores on the cats skin that could indicate the presence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) - a skin cancer that, if caught in its early stage, will most likely be harmless and easily treated. If the skin eruptions go unnoticed, however, the cancer can progress, spread to other parts of the body, and ultimately prove fatal.

If your cat kept a diary, it might read something like this: Yesterday, I slept, ate, slept some more, chased a paper ball, napped, ate again and napped. While that may describe a cats typical day, it wont necessarily help you or your veterinarian if your cat develops a health or behavior problem. "Keeping a diary for your cat is a good idea in general, but particularly when your [IMGCAP(1)]cat is ill," says Drew Weigner,…

Check the pet food aisle at your local supermarket, and youll find countless varieties of food to entice your cat. Feed your cat too little or the wrong kind of food, and he wont maintain good health. Feed him too much, and hell get fat. But you can help get your cat off on the right paw by establishing regular feeding routines. Although the food you feed your cat should be complete and balanced, the simple answer to how often you should feed him is that there isnt a simple answer.

Whether your cat is wide awake or sleeping soundly, its immune system remains on full alert, protecting the animal from assault by the viruses, bacteria and other foreign invaders - called antigens - in its environment. And in the vast majority of cats, the immune system will continue to function effectively - without letup - from the day an animal is born until the day it dies.

Your cats digestive system, a complex assemblage of several interdependent components, plays a crucial and multifaceted role in maintaining the animals good health. An essentially tubular arrangement leading from its mouth to its anus, the system - when functioning properly - breaks down the food that the animal has eaten into nutrient-rich particles and facilitates their absorption while also serving as a barrier against disease-producing organisms that the cat may have ingested.

Houseplants help add a natural look and feel to any home, but cat owners need to be very careful when selecting plants to spice up their dcor. Our feline friends are notorious for snacking on houseplants. According to ELise Christensen, DVM, animal behaviorist with NYC Veterinary Specialists in Manhattan, there may be several reasons for this: …