Hot fun in the summertime sounds cool — but it can be dangerous, and that’s especially true for cats with outdoor privileges. While the topic of exclusively indoors vs. indoors/outdoors is about as divisive as today’s politics, there are some basic facts when it comes to cats’ summer safety.

Burning summer heat

Heatstroke is caused when the internal body temperature rises too much. While it’s more common in dogs, it’s an absolute fallacy to think that it hardly ever happens to cats because they rarely exert themselves in the heat. Cats are only able to sweat through their footpads. This is a very small area of the body, so it’s not a very effective cooling mechanism. To increase their ability to lose heat, they often lick themselves, applying saliva to their coat. The good news is that cats are pretty adept at finding their own cool spaces.

While dogs routinely pant to keep cool, panting in cats may be a sign of overheating. Other indications for concern are foaming at the mouth, drooling or even just an unwillingness to move — but it’s a cat, so often an unwillingness to move might be a daily occurrence. Just as when there is no air-conditioning, we appreciate fans — so do cats. Just make sure kitty can’t stick a paw into it.

Overweight or obese and geriatric cats are particularly susceptible to heatstroke, as are breeds with lots and lots of hair. Flat-face or brachycephalic cat breeds are particularly prone to heatstroke. Persian, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan and Burmese breeds have shortened airways, which literally makes breathing difficult. In hot weather, these cats struggle.

Always ensure your cat has plenty of access to fresh water, although some cats might be hesitant to drink even when they’re hot. Put several bowls of water throughout the house or try a pet fountain to entice your cat to drink.

Preying animals

Coyotes rarely ring doorbells asking to be let inside to devour indoor cats. They usually wander into neighborhoods looking for easy food sources and, in the heat of the summer, water, making a cat easy prey.

Even catching a rat or mouse can have consequences. The cat may attack, but more formidable rodents can fight — and bite — back. Even if the rat loses the battle, the cat can lose, too, as a result of multiple bites, which can cause an infection or even disease transmission. Cats can also be poisoned by eating rodents that have ingested rat poison.

Climbing up a tree

Whether the cat scampers up a tree after a bird or a squirrel or just for fun,  cats rarely plan in advance for the climb down. So, what do you do about those cats up a tree? Call the fire department? Unless you get Sarah, the Mayberry operator, you’ll likely hear a bemused operator ask, “You’re kidding, right?” Even if you are somehow able to convince emergency personnel to respond, there may be a fee. Barney Fife won’t rescue the cat.

The best advice: Be patient. Veterinary ER clinics rarely report treating cats who have fallen from trees. Emergency rooms do treat people who have fallen trying to rescue feline friends. Entice kitty with tuna, sardines or salmon at the base of the tree … wait for hunger to overcome fear.

Escaping through a window

Cats love viewing the world from a high vantage point, often looking out a window watching and batting at passing butterflies and birds. An unsecured screen window or no screen window can lead to a dive down many stories, which is called “high-rise syndrome.”

It’s possible for a cat to survive at a velocity of 60 miles per hour, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association of 132 cats who fell an average of five-and-a-half stories. Of those cats followed in the study, 90% survived, albeit many required significant medical attention. That’s from five-and-a-half stories, but from 20 floors up, cats are unlikely to survive.

While cats do have an innate ability to acrobatically right themselves in midair, for most cats that’s a real challenge. Elderly cats often lose their ability to accomplish this athletic exploit, and overweight or obese cats have a difficult time physically righting themselves. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, that’s about 60% of all cats.

Even when cats are able to land on all fours there’s another problem: It’s called gravity. Landing on all fours can offer some protection, but broken legs and ribs aren’t uncommon. It’s true that as they fall, their legs stop the fall but their heads keep going and as their jaw slams to the ground, broken jaws are not uncommon.

Biting parasites & pests

With warmer weather, parasites flourish, and even indoor-only cats require protection. Many cats who caretakers call indoors-only do have access to backyards or catios outside. While you may be able to keep foxes or coyotes away, keeping parasites at bay requires protection suggested by a veterinary professional. Even in a high-rise, an unprotected dog belonging to a neighbor can saunter by, and a flea falls off and enters your condo or apartment, and it’s common for humans to unknowingly bring a flea home.

Fleas are not only gross, but they can spread disease such as Bartonellosis, which can cause cat scratch disease in humans. Fleas also cause tapeworms, for which your cat will need to be treated.

Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes, and who doesn’t occasionally find one indoors? In cats, there is no treatment for heartworm disease. Some cats may suffer a kind of asthma-like condition, called heartworm associated respiratory disease, which is not so easy and not so inexpensive to treat. Other cats with heartworm can suddenly die. Where there are mosquitoes, there’s heartworm.

While cats aren’t affected by as many tick diseases as dogs or humans, and also may be likely to quickly groom the buggers off before disease transmission, that’s hardly a fail-safe preventive. Cytauxzoonosis or Bobcat fever is often deadly, and if a cat does survive treatment, the process isn’t cheap.

The bottom line

Summer days might be beautiful, but it’s easier — and safer — for cats to stay indoors. Even for indoor cats, offer shady spots and plenty of water that’s easy to access. With the right precautions and preventives, you and your cat can enjoy a safe summer season.

The post No More Summer Blues – How to Keep Your Cat Safe In Summer by Steve Dale appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Cats are the most popular pet in America. There are lots of reasons for this, and no doubt one is that they are considered low maintenance. But are they really? When compared to dogs, I suggest they are not low maintenance but just different maintenance. It’s true that few cats are taken for walks to do their potty business, and few cats really want to visit a park so people can toss a ball to retrieve. However, today we know that cats are social, they do bond to family members, and their intelligence requires that their brains are used. Cats require mental and physical stimulation. Living in a boring and mind-numbing environment can lead to stress, health issues and behavior problems — sometimes to the point of developing serious medical issues like Pandora Syndrome or feline lower urinary tract disease or feline cystitis (all are interrelated). These medical conditions may not only be painful but can lead to a cat having accidents outside the litter box.

Or, when cats don’t have appropriate activities, they can create their own “fun.” This kitty fun time could include pulling down the blinds, scratching where they shouldn’t, unraveling every roll of toilet paper in the house or pushing around other pets, which can create a relationship problem among pets in the house. All of this can also lead to relinquishment. Who would think that cycle all begins with chronic boredom? So what can you do? Use the power of play. Here are four ways to keep cats engaged:

The 3 Benefits Of Playing With Your Cat

1. Activate Prey Drives

What we feed cats isn’t as important as how we feed them. Cats are hard-wired to seek prey and then pounce and kill. While cats are safer indoors, they don’t get this opportunity as a house cat — unless a wayward mouse is unlucky enough to get into your house.

There are all sorts of food puzzles that can be hidden for cats to find. An example is the Indoor Hunting Feeder for moist or dry food, which is one way to trigger prey drive. Leave food in the hunting feeder — at first near the existing food dish — but gradually move it farther and farther away, ultimately hiding the feeders for cats to “hunt” for them. The texture of the dry food feeder is something cats enjoy digging claws into.

You can also leave food in plastic dishes in various places around the house for cats to discover, which similarly activates prey drives. You can even teach your cat to play hide-and-seek. Kids love this and so do lots of cats. When they find the kids, they receive a spoon of tuna or salmon or a piece of cheese — a really fantastic treat.

Activating the prey drive alleviates boredom, allowing for cats’ natural hunting instincts. It also supports better digestion, as cats do best when eating multiple small meals compared to one or two very large meals.

2. Turn on the Catflix

Some cats do watch TV, and there are all sorts of videos available for them to watch, such as:

✤ 8-Hour Bird Bonanza (with a guest appearance by a squirrel) on YouTube.

✤ If you have an iPad, iPhone or Android phone, download free games from the App store or Google Play store, like Friskies JitterBug, Mouse in Cheese: 3D game for cats and Mouse for Cats — Mice-Catching Cat

✤ Taller cat trees, like the Classic Cat Tree ($109; Armarkat.com) or Prevue Pet’s Party Tower are not only a playground for multiple cats but when placed near a window offer a great view of passing butterflies and birds.

✤ Placing bird feeders and plants attractive to butterflies outside where your cats can see them from a window isn’t just a nice thing for the environment, but it’s better than turning on Netflix if you hap-pen to be a cat.

✤ Cats can also watch the passing nature parade using a cat window perch, like the K&H Pet Products Kitty Sill Cat Window Perch ($45.99. chewy.com)

3. Go Interactive with Play

Interactive play is great exercise while enhancing the bond and trust between people and their kitties. We also know it can be a great stress buster for cats and probably for people, too. Classic examples are fishing pole type toys with feathers or fabric at the end. You can even affix a feather at the end of a bathrobe tie.

Using the power of play to keep kitty engaged and stave off chronic boredom sounds like a pretty good cat parent super-power. Less stress, health issues and behavior problems can be yours and kitty’s if you take our above advice and a little time and effort on your part — and some happy pouncing on the part of your cat. Examples include the Interactive Robotic Cat Toy and the Catit Design Senses Circuit Cat Toy.

4. Try Self-Play Cat Toys

Arguably, cats are more eager to engage in activities without people around compared to dogs. However, the toys have to be interesting in order for that to happen, which generally means movement and perhaps high-pitched squeaky sounds.

Ten years ago, there were only a pawful of these cat toys and today there are hundreds — too many to list in a single story. That’s the good news. What works for one cat may not be preferred by another, as individual cats have their own preferences. So, getting a handle on what your cat likes helps.

Examples of self-play cat toys include the SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Electronic Concealed Motion Cat Toy ($29.99; chewy.com), Petlinks Mystery Motion Concealed Mouse Cat Toy ($42.86; amazon.com), the SnugglyCat Ripple Rug Cat Activity Play Mat and the Vealind Pet Interactive Fun Roller Exerciser 3-Level Tower of Tracks Cat Teaser Ball Toy.

Self-play toys don’t always need to be purchased. Many cats have hours of fun running through tunnels your children connect using paper sacks from the grocery store or playing with a ping-pong ball, plastic top to a milk carton or a crumpled piece of paper in the bathtub or on the kitchen floor.

Toy Tips for Tiger

Now that you know what kinds of play relieve chronic boredom, clue into these simple feline fun facts.

Rotate toys. Leaving out the same old toy all the time can get dull. Hide a toy in a closet for a few weeks and the return debut will be triumphant, as if it is an all-new toy.

Use empty boxes. We all get cardboard boxes from Amazon and elsewhere. Of course, the boxes aren’t for packaging products — they’re for cats.

Make it smelly. Rub some tissue in a safe scent – such as lavender or valerian root — and leave it out as a “surprise scent sampler.” Don’t forget about catnip or silvervine.

Bring on the outdoors — safely. Some indoor cats take to the idea of being walked outdoors on a leash and harness — certainly getting out into the world is stimulating. Or create a catio, which allows cats to get fresh air in a safe environment.

The post Benefits Of Playing With Your Cat by Steve Dale appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

There’s no gentle way to put it, as it’s the truth: Declaw IS an amputation. No matter what type of technique is used (scalpel, clipper or laser) the end result is identical. It’s what world-renowned expert on declawing and the Paw Project Director of Pain Management, Dr. Robin Downing, calls a feline toe amputation. And she says it’s always elective. “No cat ever needs all toes amputated.”

History of declawing

As more cats were being kept indoors (in conjunction with the invention of kitty litter), the idea of declaw surgery (onychectomy) was first presented in a letter to the editor in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 1952 by a Chicago veterinarian. It was just an idea, there was no study regarding short-term or long-term effects. Still, it caught on.

When studies were finally done regarding the effects of declaw in the 1970s through the early 90s, the overall consensus was that cats were not in long-term pain. Also, declawing seemed to offer a viable option for cat parents, so they wouldn’t give up their cats because the sofa was being ripped apart.

“It turns out those studies were mostly all wrong,” says Dr. Margie Scherk, the editor of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery and director of the Paw Project British Columbia. It turns out that declawed cats may more likely be relinquished for aggression often caused by pain and/or having accidents outside the litter box.

Regarding concerns that immune-suppressed individuals, seniors with thin skin and others with special needs require cats to be declawed, Dr. Scherk points out that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) disagrees, noting that declawed cats tend to bite more often, which is more problematic than being scratched.

The case against declawing

Dr. Downing, Paw Project advisor and Director of Pain Management says, “Around the year 2000, studies began to tell a very different story. We had better tools, for example, to assess pain. Study after study now demonstrates all kinds of long-term effects of declaw. Once you know something, you can’t not know it anymore. Gradually people are paying attention.” (Note: the Paw Project is a nonprofit that supports education and advocacy regarding declaw.)

Dr. Downing rattles off just some of the medical issues we now understand to be directly associated with declaw.

“Post amputation pain,” she says. “I’ve dived deeply into human literature. As many as two-thirds of patients following an amputation acknowledge they’ve dealt with neuropathic pain described as post amputation pain or phantom pain. It’s real. Also, we change the biomechanics of the front feet, 60% of body weight is supposed to go here — we set the rest of the gait up for being altered. I’m board certified by the American College of Sports Medicine and Rehab. I got hooked on the idea of seeing how the animals move. Altering this movement causes problems later in life.”

Joining the banned wagon

Increasingly, communities across the country have banned declawing, and there’s a long list of others in the queue. Big cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles are among the many areas in California to outlaw declawing. In 2017, Denver, Colorado, said “No more” to the practice of cat declawing, and last December, St. Louis, Missouri, was added to the list.

Just over a year ago, New York State became the first state to ban the practice. New York Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, whose anti-declaw bill passed in New York, says, “I had to do something. I was amazed at the pushback by organized veterinary medicine (the New York State Veterinary Association). But clearly declaw isn’t beneficial to cats — it’s a barbaric act that had to stop.”

In January 2020, an anti-declaw law passed the first hurdle of committee in Florida and, in Arizona an anti-declaw bill was introduced by Arizona State Representative Amish Shah, MD. Massachusetts, Michigan and New Jersey are among the states that may move forward supporting bans. Arguably, if it wasn’t for the significant distraction of the pandemic, by now other states may have followed New York and banned it.

Of course, for years, declawing has been banned in a number of nations including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain, and several Canadian provinces.

Where organizations stand

Today, the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have fairly strong statements in general opposition to declaw, instead supporting education and behavior modification first.

Very strong anti-declaw statements recently came out from the 90-clinic BluePearl veterinary hospitals, 800 or so VCA Animal Hospitals and over 1,000 Banfield Pet Hospitals. “We dug into this issue for three years, and based our decision solely on science and the well-being of cats,” says Dr. Molly McAllister, chief medical officer at Banfield. She says that Banfield’s approximately 6,500 veterinarians were both supportive and relieved by the position. “I think people do want the best for their cats and may be unaware,” she adds.

Overwhelmingly, veterinary technicians and students are opposed to declaw and aren’t even taught how to
do it. If this trend continues, at some point no one will know how to declaw.

Declawing Alternatives

The good news is that there are a number of affordable, humane ways to protect yourself, your family, friends and valuable furniture from being scratched.

Cat nails can be temporarily capped with products like Soft Paws, which are a soft, nontoxic cap that goes on the nails. You can regularly trim your cat’s nails as part of his regular weekly grooming routine so the nails are a little less sharp. Also, give your cat plenty of scratch posts and pads to use and redirect your cat’s scratching to them. Use lots of praise, treats and some rubbed-on catnip on the post to reinforce appropriate scratching. Cover areas you don’t want your cat to scratch with aluminum foil, sticky tape or the smell of citrus.

A pheromone product by CEVA, called Feliscratch, used to effectively direct cats to scratching posts is expected to be taken off the market this year. However, CEVA’s Feliway Classic can be used instead as an easy fix for cat parents.

“Still we have other tools, including behavior medication, which works,” Dr. Scherk adds. “I believe the tide is shifting regarding declaw within the profession and also the general public; I think the future is changing for cats and in a good way.”

Featured photograph: epantha | Getty Images

Read Next: The Right Cat Scratching Post for Every Stage of Life

The post Declawing Cats: The Truth, History, & What It’s Like Today by Steve Dale appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

You know how you felt being quarantined, trapped inside your home. Bored, lonely, isolated. Still, you had Netflix and an array of TV and cable options. You could pick up a book or use services like Zoom to chat with others. Think about it. Our cats are under quarantine 24/7 every day without TV or Zoom or books to read. Of course, our cats have no interest in watching Schitt’s Creek and most certainly not Tiger King, plus they may annoy us while we try to read a book, but they can’t entertain themselves with book clubs or discussion groups on Zoom. They can’t enrich their lives by themselves.

Related: Coronavirus and Cats: What Cat Owners Need to Know About COVID-19

Why say no to the outdoors

Still, the other option — going outside — is downright dangerous. Outdoors, cats just don’t live as long as indoor-only cats. (Data varies on how long.) According to How Long Do Cats Live? Facts About the Average Cat Lifespan, outdoor cats live three to 10 years.

Somehow people believe cats are savvy enough to avoid vehicles; sadly, that’s just not true. Without parasite protection (and many pet parents don’t provide this protection) outdoor cats can get cytauxzoonosis (bobcat fever) — a potentially deadly tick disease. While an argument can be made to protect indoor cats from heartworm carried by mosquitoes, they are more prone to it if they are outside. Outdoors, cats can lap up potentially deadly antifreeze or snack on a toxic plant. In the winter, desperate for warmth, cats may slink under a car hood of an unknowing individual who then starts the car.

Outside, cats can be attacked by other cats and are sometimes at the other end of angry humans who don’t like cats. That’s especially true if the cat is using a neighbor’s garden as a litter box. In a sense, can you blame the neighbor?

“And cats are hunters; they are hard-wired to hunt” adds veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kelly Ballantyne of Chicago, Illinois. “They will catch native wildlife, including songbirds. The cats are not to blame, though; they are only doing what comes natural.”

Related: 4 Ways To Safely Give Your Indoor Cat a Taste of the Outdoors

How enrichment helps

So, can cat parents meet enrichment needs and still maintain cats indoors? “Absolutely!” states Dr. Ballantyne, who co-authored a chapter about creating a feline dream home in the book Decoding Your Cat, authored by members of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.

But is this so simple? How do you provide changes in the home for a species that, more than anything else, detests change?

Dr. Ballantyne laughs, “Well, that is a good question, and the answer is like anything else with cats, take it slow and gradual and always at the cats’ pace.” While some cats may love you adding five empty boxes and 20 toys all at once and with unusual scents, many cats may prefer a more measured approach.

What’s most important is that you provide your cats with enrichment to benefit not only their mental health, but also their physical well-being, explains Mikel Delgado, PhD, a certified applied animal behaviorist in Sacramento, California.

She explains that legendary veterinarian Dr. Tony Buffington discovered that cats urinate outside the litter box often because it’s painful — and these cats typically don’t have urinary tract infections as many once assumed.

These cats may suffer a condition first called idiopathic feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), which he found was later linked to feline interstitial cystitis. It was Dr. Buffington (and colleagues) who showed that these cats weren’t so much in need of a magic drug, but instead the magic cure is simply enriching the environment.

We now know that cats aren’t a low-maintenance pet compared to dogs, just a different maintenance. Dr. Delgado says, “So many cats are living understimulating lives. And that’s a problem for cats, if the cat doesn’t engage with the environment — that could even lead to medical issues, and, yes, depression.”

Cats do lose their lives as a result of unenriched environments. Cats with FLUTD and/or feline interstitial cystitis may feel pain when they urinate and are therefore inclined to do so outside their litter boxes.

Unknowing cat parents may feel they’ve tried everything, and the frustration leads to the human/animal bond fracturing. If this occurs, the cat is at risk to being relinquished to a shelter or just booted outdoors.

Dr. Buffington now calls the entire notion of what occurs in some cats living in dull and unenriched environments as Pandora’s Syndrome. “It’s not only the bladder, there are often other signs of stress,” Dr. Delgado explains. “The cat may sometimes hide, there may be blood in the urine, the cat can have GI issues.”

Make home sweet! home

Enrichment ideas are numerous, including understanding that many cats do want a place to hide or somewhere to be alone with their thoughts. Unlike humans, cats use vertical space and seek out places to climb.

Dr. Ballantyne is a fan of food puzzles being scattered around the house, so the cat has to seek or hunt, even indoors. Enrichment also goes well beyond food or treats.

Dr. Ballantyne says to consider the importance of a cat’s sense of smell. Provide periodic novel smells in the home, from silver vine to catnip to packaging from a fish product or a spritz of scent that may be interesting to leave out for cats to discover.

“However, understand what’s interesting to one cat might be offensive to another cat,” says Dr. Ballantyne. “And make sure whatever scents you offer are nontoxic.”

Don’t try just one thing. Add vertical spaces — places to hide, sleep or just observe. Use toys, food puzzles and put interesting things throughout the house for your cat to discover. The secret sauce is simply to provide an enriching environment, which means allowing cats to, well, be cats — to express natural behaviors. Dr. Ballantyne sums it up, “Enrichment shouldn’t be thought of [as] a nice thing to do for cats, but instead it’s a necessary thing to do.”

Top photograph: Photo: Nils Jacobi | Getty Images

Read Next: How To Use An Amazon Box To Entertain Your Cat All Day Long

The post Help Your Cat Love The Great Indoors by Steve Dale appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Turns out, we’re feeding our cats all wrong. And they’re paying a price for it. To be clear, I am not diving into what we feed our cats; this is about how to feed cats.

How we feed cats now — and what’s so wrong about it

Most cat caretakers feed their cats from bowls. And most of those free feed, leaving food out 24/7. The idea is that cats don’t naturally scarf down meals all at once — and that is true. They catch what they can when they can.

However, given the open buffet, most cats eat unnaturally large meals all at once and then return for even more. Perhaps, exasperating the issue is that most cats have little else to do but eat.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the majority of people who have a cat actually have, on average, just over two cats. With two cats or more in a house, it’s difficult to gauge which cat is eating more. Though you may figure it out when eventually the veterinarian says, “My, lovely Susie here has gained 2 pounds since her last visit.”

And cats, being cats, are excellent trainers of humans; they train us to keep filling the food dish.

Feeding exclusively moist food doesn’t solve the problem. Caretakers put down the food at prescribed times, the cats eat it and it’s over. To survive outside, cats catch somewhere around eight to 13 small prey in a day. The edible contents of the average mouse or bird is about one to two tablespoons, not a heaping one-half cup at a time.

You see, cats are born with a prey drive and are hardwired to seek, hunt and pounce. In our homes, we don’t give them the opportunity. Absolutely, having toys to chase or pounce is necessary. Still, it’s not the same as hunting for a meal.

Researchers have studied how community cats and barn cats naturally spend time. According to “Behaviour and ecology of free-ranging female farm cats,” International Journal Behavioural Biology Ethology, Panaman, R. 1981, outdoor cats rest or sleep a lot — after all, they are cats, at 62 percent of the day. Much of that resting time occurs after the series of seeking, hunting and feeding, which accounts for 19 percent. (The remaining time is spent grooming or playing.) Various other studies confirm similar data.

Cats are used to hunting for their food

Inside our homes, seeking the food is predictable and doesn’t account for time or effort; hunting is not necessary, though certainly there’s feeding — a lot of feeding. In part, it explains why 59 percent of cats are overweight or obese (Association for Pet Obesity Prevention).

I suggest that by offering food on a silver platter or bowl, we’re not allowing cats to be cats. There’s mounting evidence that demonstrates many animals would rather work for food — contra- freeloading — than have it offered freely. So far, studies have been limited to some zoo animals and lab rodents, but if the grizzly bears, meerkats and rats studied prefer to labor to get their meals, why not cats and dogs?

What’s more, not being able to search out and capture a meal appears to be stressful to cats. Dr. Tony Buffington (then at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and now a clinical professor volunteer at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and honorary research fellow at University of Bristol, School of Veterinary Sciences) discovered a dull, unenriched life is anxiety inducing in cats.

Feeding our cats appropriately is only one means to enrich lives, but just because a cat is scarfing down food doesn’t mean there isn’t mounting anxiety. In some cats, this chronic stress leads to what has been coined idiopathic feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). Now Buffington calls this greatly stress-induced illness Pandora’s Syndrome. Over the years, lots of medications have been tried and all without much success. However, Buffington discovered that providing structure and an enriched environment can solve the problem — or prevent it in the first place.

How to feed cats: activate their prey drive

Some veterinary behaviorists and cat behavior consultants have been talking about creating ways for cats to activate their prey drive indoors. Dr. Elizabeth Bales put all the science together and created the Indoor Cat Feeder.

The feeding system includes objects resembling mice, which kibble is deposited into. The dispensers consist of a soft outer skin to simulate prey and a BPA-free plastic inner container, which holds one-fifth of the cat’s daily ration. There are two holes on the back of each food dispenser. The idea is to split a meal between the five dispensers and ultimately to hide them. Cats learn to hunt indoors by finding each food-filled dispenser, pouncing on it and manipulating each device to dispense the small meal. Use with kibble. The Indoor Cat Feeder isn’t the only choice; there are lots of food puzzles available at most pet stores and online.

How to feed cats properly — what cat parents can do:

There are ways to encourage indoor cats to be cats:

1. Activate the prey drive, which all cats have, by playing with an interactive cat toy. Be sure to let the cat “catch” the feather, fabric or whatever is at the end of fishing pole-type toys. That can be a problem with the laser light. Yes, great exercise to chase the little red bug, but all those nerve endings which go from paws directly to the brain realize, “I’ve caught nothing, really.” Since that may be a frustrating feeling — to never catch — I suggest dropping a piece of kibble or a treat on that little dot periodically. (Also be sure if children are playing with the laser light that there is adult supervision, so the children never shine the light in the cat’s eyes or their own eyes).
2. Want your cat to stop waking you up overnight? Stop offering him attention when he dances on your tummy at 4 a.m. But also feed a snack before bedtime. Just like you may loosen your belt and take a nap following a snack, the same is true for cats. (Note: If the cat waking you up overnight is a new behavior, consult your veterinarian to rule out a medical cause).
3. If you feed kibble only, offer an occasional snack of moist food. The same is true if you are a believer in moist food — occasionally offer either kibble or hard treats. Cats become accustomed to specific textures, and often later in life may require a special veterinary diet, which may be a different type of texture than whatever you’ve been feeding for a lifetime. Convincing some cats to change their ways is challenging; they just don’t want to try the novel-feeling product. However, it is possible that with prior positive experience to a different texture at least some cats may be more willing to give it a shot.

Hopefully, I’ve given you some food for thought when it comes to how to feed cats.

Tell us: How do you feed your cats? What do you think about this advice on how to feed cats?

Read more about cat food and feeding cats on Catster.com:

• How Much Should I Feed My Cat?
• Cat Not Eating? 8 Things to Try When Your Cat Won’t Eat
• We’re Feeding Cats Wrong — Ditch the Cat Food Bowls and Change the Schedules

Featured Image Credit: Marina Demidiuk, Shutterstock

The post How to Feed Cats Properly: The Best Methods, Activating Prey Drive, & More by Steve Dale appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

What do cats dislike more than anything else? Bet most of you know the answer: CHANGE. Around the holidays, change may be all there is. Your schedule is topsy-turvy, and the doorbell rings with people visiting your home far more often.

Oh, and how about the stress? True enough, your cats don’t have end-of-year work deadlines, and they don’t require finishing a holiday shopping list. However, they connect with us, and our stress is contagious – and there’s sure no vaccine for that.

Just give in. Understand that this is a stressful time of year, and prepare yourself and kitty.

Bear gifts

If a parade of visitors will be entering your home with gifts for family members, suggest that they also bring some goodies for your cats. While some cats are unfazed, and even seem to enjoy meeting new people, most cats may be initially cautious of stranger danger. If your family and friends are willing, showing up armed with cat treats might make a difference. For some cats, food is a direct link to trust.

Offer safe spots

Cats are control freaks — the secret is for them to feel safe at all times. By scampering up a cat tree or any high spot in the room, kitty can assess what’s going on and return to ground level when comfortable. Hiding places are also important, but we sometimes tend not to think about this, so cats are left hiding where they can, under beds and sofas. Manufacturers now make all sorts of hiding places. I suggest placing one — or even an empty box (which might not be quite as decorative) near th­e front door and in any room visitors to the house frequently go to. And never force a cat from a hiding spot.

Relieve stress

For your cat, try a feline’s fun and natural stress release of choice — catnip. Or be preemptive, and plug in a Feliway pheromone diffuser weeks or more in advance of the holidays. Feliway enhances comfort for cats in their own environments by making them feel more happy and secure.

Paw it up!

Exercise is a great anxiety buster for people and for dogs. The same is true for cats. Twice daily five-minute sessions with an interactive toy is all most adult cats require. Kittens need a tad more or they will make their own mischief. Senior cats may be content with attention, brushing and petting. Just make sure you set aside the time each day to do this.

Private party for one

If you’re hosting a party, relocate your cat to a “safe room” like a second bedroom or a den until the commotion ends. Not only will he feel more comfortable, but with so many people exiting and entering the house — losing a cat through an open door is possible. Plus, this keeps young children from engaging with your cats without adult supervision.

Be proactive

Cats do best with a structured schedule. And for many of us, our schedules are more consistent than we might think. However, that’s often untrue during the holiday season, and cats are left home alone more than ever. Some cats appear to care less. (Who knows what they’re doing when we’re away — ordering in pizza and FaceTiming friends?) Other cats can get distressed.

While separation anxiety is far more common in dogs, it does also happen to cats. If your cat has been anxious by your changing schedule in the past, contact your veterinarian or a certified cat behavior consultant for humane help before the problem escalates. One such helpful tidbit is to leave out various surprises, ranging from catnip to cat treats, around the home to keep kitty engaged.

Never leave your cat home alone

If you intend on leaving for an entire weekend or longer, be sure that the trusted friend, relative or neighbor who is watching your cat is responsible. Arguably, you’re often better off with a professional pet sitter. No matter, daily, have someone scoop the litter box, provide food, change water, and — if your cat is willing — engage your kitty with play, petting and/or brushing. While cats are more independent than dogs, they still do depend on our companionship.

Related: Leaving for the Holidays? Tips on Holidays and Cat Care

One last thing: As the family gathers to open presents, include all family members, even for those with four legs and a tail. Oftentimes, pets will easily sniff out which gifts are for them. And moreover, you’re teaching children that all lives and all family members matter.

Read Next: How to Make Sure Your Cat is Comfortable This Holiday Season

The post How To Reduce Stress In Cats Over The Holidays: Tips by Steve Dale appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Why do people hate cats so much? Let’s begin with just one example. In the mid-1300s, the Black Death was responsible for up to about 25 million deaths in Europe. Many people, including political and religious officials of the day, blamed cats for the plague. As a result, cats were annihilated. This turned out to be a costly mistake. Medical officials finally figured it out: The plague was transmitted to humans from Oriental rat fleas that live on black rats.

Unfortunately, that’s how it’s been for cats through the ages. As the great world philosopher, cat lover and pop-and-country music artist Taylor Swift has said, “Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play; And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.”

The players of the day finally embraced the cats, who killed the rats, and deaths as a result of the plague, of course, quickly declined.

However, the cat haters continued assailing cats. So, why do people hate cats? Let’s look at some reasons.

Why do people hate cats? We humans are technically closer to dogs.

Ethologically speaking, we’re closer to dogs. We co-evolved with that more slobbery species. Cro-Magnon men and women blossomed when relatives of today’s wolves began the domestication process into dogs. Perhaps we’re still hardwired to like dogs.

While some cultures on the planet consider dogs dirty, in the United States and the Western world, most people say they like dogs, even if they don’t have one. The exceptions to that are people who are allergic or who have had bad experiences.

Why do people hate cats? They haven’t been around for too long.

Another answer to “Why do people hate cats?” is that domestic kitties as we know them haven’t been around for too long. Unlike dogs, who we domesticated, cats pretty much domesticated themselves. Of course, they lived with us on their own terms. Cats took advantage of our grains that attracted vermin dinner and thus, over time, people and cats realized the benefits.

Today’s domestic cat has experienced about 5,000 to 8,000 years of living with humans, a relative blip in evolutionary history, and far less than going back circa 40,000 years when dogs lived side-by-side with Cro-Magnon humans. If you’re over 60 years old, you remember when most cats in the United States lived both indoors and outdoors, a very different lifestyle than the vast majority of today’s cats.

Why do people hate cats? They may have had a negative experience, such as an allergic reaction.

Unlike dogs, which for some can do no wrong, cats sometimes can’t win. And most humans don’t feel ambivalent about cats; they either love them so much that they can barely only have one or they scorn them. It’s amazing how the human brain works.

People who hate mustard, for example, and really just can’t tolerate the taste also typically can’t tolerate the smell. And sometimes even a TV commercial for mustard causes an aversive response. Cats are like mustard. For example, people with extreme allergies learn to dislike them so much that even TV commercials with cats may make them uncomfortable. Their disgust is unreasonable to cat lovers but is cemented into the amygdala in their brains. And it’s real.

Why do people hate cats? There are lots of (untrue!) rumors about cats out there.

An unfortunately popular answer to “Why do people hate cats?” is misinformation. Spread rumors about dogs, and they have little traction. Unsubstantiated reports about cats are another story. And to Taylor Swift’s point, “cat haters” just gonna hate and fan the flames. With the advent of social media, it’s become an inferno but without substantiation.

Here are just two examples:

Community cats wiping out birds: Some reports from bird conservation groups have suggested outdoor cats are responsible for the destruction of 3.7 billion birds in the United States. According to data from Anne Beall’s book Community Cats: A Journey into the World of Feral Cats, 32 percent of what outdoor cats kill are birds, but most cats don’t kill birds or at least not very often. Community cats have been around for a long time, and in the United States there may actually be fewer community cats.

Scientists not involved on either side of the argument agree that habitat destruction, light and air pollution, and climate change are the biggest ones to blame — and the issue is global because many songbird species migrate.

Toxoplasmosis: Reports of schizophrenia occurring in adults, and particularly in children, as a result of cats carrying toxoplasmosis keep popping up. Sadly, some consider these reports credible despite the lack of documentation in a peer-reviewed journal. Or even careful reading. For example, one study noted children with schizophrenia are more likely to have cats. But even the study’s researchers conceded they were not in any way suggesting a link to cause/effect.

The real truth is that a specific series of events must occur in order for any person to contract toxo from a kitty. The cat must be infected in the first place, and most cats (in the United States) are not infected with the organism, especially as most U.S. cats live indoors (71 percent in 2016 according to the 2017-1018 American Pet Products Association’s Pet Owners Survey). Cats can only pass the disease seven to 14 days their entire lives (when there’s an acute infection and the organism is in what is called the oocyst stage).

If the cat is shedding the organism (one of those seven to 14 days), all you need to do is to scoop daily because it takes at least a day and typically several days for the virus to become infectious to people.

Now, if that does happen to someone who is pregnant, it’s very true that an infected unborn baby can suffer severe harm during the first trimester of pregnancy. Of course, avoiding this even remote possibility makes sense, but this is as simple as scooping promptly with gloves and hand washing, or having another household member scoop. (See the Center for Disease Control and Preventions FAQ on toxoplasmosis at cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis.)

Why do people hate cats? Because they’re a little difficult to understand.

Why do people hate cats? A part of the problem is that we understand and therefore trust dogs. Maybe we’re “born that way,” as another philosopher and music artist Lady Gaga suggests. Cats are less understood, and we don’t like all their habits — like those darn hairballs or their fondness for cozying up to the one person at the party who is most disgusted by cats. Are they really conniving? Or is it just miscommunications with humans. I suggest it’s our problem, more than the cats.

What you can do … be a cat ambassador

• Be respectful. If someone doesn’t like cats, don’t force them to be around your cats. On the other hand, if you love cats and someone is negative and unkind about cats, that’s a big red flag. Never allow a cat to be abused by a hater.
• Share the love. Humans fear what they don’t understand. Share funny videos, positive stories and interesting facts with non-cat people. Don’t overshare, as too much can have the opposite effect.
• Don’t become a hater. Support cats and people who help cats through kind words and actions.

Read more about cat behavior on Catster.com:

• Why Do Cats Bite?
• Is Your Cat Nursing on Herself, Blankets or Other Objects? Should You Worry?
• What is a Cat Flehmen Response?

Thumbnail: Photography by fotostok_pdv/Thinkstock. 

The post Why Do People Hate Cats? What Science Tells Us by Steve Dale appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Dr. Meghan Herron, professor of veterinary behavioral medicine at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine (DACVB), says there are three common offenses cats would post on a blog site, if they could:

The 6 Cat Litter Box Mistakes To Avoid

1. The litter box or litter boxes are too small

“Cats want to sniff around and investigate, then turn around, then dig and cover what they did in the box,” Dr. Herron says. “This is a hardwired behavior among most cats. Even for your average cat, the average-sized box just isn’t large enough.” Dr. Herron and most of her colleagues believe that the larger the box, the better.

2. The litter box or litter boxes are too dirty

“Boxes should be scooped daily — even more often if several cats are sharing a box and still more often if at least one of those cats typically has a messy (loose) stool,” Dr. Herron says. Change out the entire litter box annually at the least, maybe more often in multi-cat homes.

3. The litter box or litter boxes are too hard to get to:

Veterinary behaviorist and chief investigator of many cat studies Dr. Theresa DePorter (DACVB) of Oakland Veterinary Referral Services in Michigan, explains that the law for cat boxes is to have one plus one more box for each cat in the house. So, if you have three cats, that means four boxes. If you have six cats that means seven boxes. And, at least keep a box (or more than one box) on each level of the house. Keep in mind that three boxes close together in one room, from the cat’s perspective, is like one giant box.

Dr. Herron notes that most cats prefer privacy to do their business. Who can blame them? Still, too far away from the family is inconvenient. Near windows where loud noises occur or equipment like furnaces that blast with an unpredictable loud sound can startle cats. When startled in the box, some cats may instantly have an aversion to that location and even that box.

Other things to consider when it comes to cats and litter box problems —

4. Peeing or pooping outside of the litter box isn’t revenge

Cats never have accidents out of spite. “Think about it. A cat deciding to inflict punishing people by urinating or defecating makes no sense,” Dr. DePorter says. So what’s going on? Dr. Herron, who is co-editor of a book authored by many of her veterinary behaviorist colleagues, called Decoding Your Cat (coming spring 2020) says that when she was in private practice half the clients presenting with litter box issues actually resolved with medical treatment. Whenever there is a change in a cat’s behavior — consider asking “why now?” The answer might be medical. In any case, the cat is never being vindictive but instead is only attempting to cope.

5. Make sure you’re using the right litter and litter boxes

For kittens under about 9 weeks, Dr. DePorter says easy-to-get-into, very small boxes are best. Young kitties have limited mobility. Once they reach a few months old, they become circus performers — so getting into the box is no issue. And at that point a larger box to grow into makes perfect sense. Dr. DePorter says that if you do have the opportunity to offer young kittens various litters, early positive exposure is likely a good idea, and they may accept that variation throughout life. When cats have an aversion to litter, Dr. DePorter says considering the general type of litter they were likely exposed to as a kitten may be helpful. For example, barn cats in all likelihood grew up using sand or dirt, and shelter kitties clay or clumping litters. Dr. Herron says do consider that most senior cats have some degree of arthritis going on, whether or not you see any indications.

What’s more, some illnesses, such as diabetes, GI issues and kidney disease, can induce cats to urinate and/or defecate more often. Medications may create the urge to go more frequently, too. A golden rule for cats in their golden years may mean more litter boxes in more places — and for sure boxes that offer lots and lots of elbow room. “Understand the threshold for tolerating a situation the cat really never liked may also change with age,” Dr. Herron notes. For example, a geriatric cat who tolerated a certain type of litter he never really liked for 14 years on his 15th birthday may decide not to. The easier to step into and the roomier, the better the box. Storage containers (like the kind you’d keep sweaters in under a bed) with an entrance cut out so the cat can just walk in is a good idea. Dr. DePorter says other ideas about giving geriatric cats space might be to cut an entrance into a small kiddie pool (if you want one of those in your living room) or to use a pan used at the bottom of dog crates.

6. Different approaches work for different cats

Here’s what you can say for sure about litter boxes and cats. There are absolute rules that experts, such as veterinary behaviorists, have researched. However, for every rule there are a contingent of cats who just laugh — pointing out that such rules don’t apply to them. If whatever you are doing works for your cats — go with it. But understand your cats may possibly be tolerating and adjusting.

Helpful rules of thumb for litter boxes

1. Most cats prefer fine, unscented clumping litter. Still, all cats are individuals and have their own preferences, which may be based on early exposure or just individual proclivity.
2. Some cats prefer covered litter boxes, as they presumably offer privacy and a feeling of safety. Having said that, many cats don’t care, and most prefer uncovered boxes.
3. In multi-cat environments, products like Feliway MultiCat calming pheromone diffuser can lower anxiety around the box.
4. Don’t drown the cat in 6 inches of litter or be too stingy with less than a quarter of an inch. On average, use 1 to 3 inches.
5. Litter boxes should not be too close in proximity to food or water.
6. If the cat jumps in the box, does his business and instantly jumps out: He’s usually saying he’s tolerating the situation but doesn’t like the litter and/or the box isn’t clean enough.

The right way to clean a litter box

Dr. Theresa DePorter likes hot water, perhaps with gentle dish soap, to clean the box. In part, this is because cats’ sense of smell is so much more advanced than our own, and in part because of what might smell great to us can be offensive to many cats.

She says NOT to use:

1. vinegar
2. household cleaners
3. citrus wipe

Thumbnail: Photography ©Casey Elise Photography.

Read more about litter boxes and litter:

• 5 Tips for Controlling Cat Litter Tracking and Scattering
• 6 Alternative Types of Natural Cat Litter
• 7 Ways to Get Your Cat to Like Using the Litter Box

The post 6 Cat Litter Box Mistakes To Avoid by Steve Dale appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Instead of purring, many cats would say “bah humbug” about the holiday season. More than anything else, cats disdain unpredictable change. Cats don’t have calendars or explanations for what the holiday season means. And if they did, I suggest most cats would become like bears and hibernate throughout all the holiday commotion.

“We have to go back to who cats are and what their origins are,” says Dr. Elizabeth Colleran, a feline specialist and co-chair of the American Association of Feline Practitioners’ Cat Friendly Practices program. “When there’s an unexplained and unexpected change within their territory, it may be a potential threat. And if that change is perceived as a threat, cats will likely take one of two choices: either hide and assess what’s happening, or chase off the intruder.”

Then there are the cats who seem to enjoy it all. Feline-specialist veterinarian Dr. Drew Weigner, incoming president of the nonprofit Winn Feline Foundation, adds, “Some cats do welcome every guest into your home — they’re social and love all the visitors.” Whether your cat isn’t a fan of strangers or welcomes them with open paws, it’s better to be safe than sorry during the holidays with these rules of thumb, er claws.

How to Keep Your Cat Comfortable This Holiday Season

1. Keep kitty away from the front door

With doors constantly opening and closing, what you never want is for an indoor-only cat to bolt out an open door. “Don’t expect your guests to think about how important it is to not let the cats sneak out,” Dr. Colleran adds.

2. Create a soothing safe room

If you’re expecting a lot of company for a large gathering of family and/or friends, sequester the cats into a safe room. (This is true even for social cats until all your company has arrived, when the front door is no longer opening and closing.) Most cats will be more content in a safe room until the party ends. It might help to turn on soothing music or music specifically made to calm cats (there is such a thing).

“It’s also a good idea to plug in a Feliway Classic pheromone diffuser to diminish anxiety,” says Dr. Colleran, who is in Chico, California. “Absolutely, even behind a closed door the cats’ routine is now interrupted, and they can smell and hear all those intruders — so the assumption is that they are still stressed.”

3. Let hiding cats lie

To feel safe, some cats prefer to hide when there’s company. Dr. Weigner notes that everyone, it seems, wants to say hi to a family dog, but people aren’t always as determined to find the cats hiding under a bed. “Never force the cats to meet your company,” he says.

Or worse, allow cat-loving Aunt Matilda, who thinks of herself as a “cat whisperer,” to crawl under the bed to “soothe” the fearful cats. Aunt Matilda will only further terrify them. Also, if there are young children visiting, make sure there’s adult supervision. And never force the cats to interact with children if they’re not inclined to do so.

4. Leave it up to the cat

Always allow the cats to be in control and to decide to greet guests when and if they’re ready. That’s why cats gravitate to the one person in the room ignoring them (often because he or she is allergic or doesn’t like cats).

If the cat runs from Uncle Joe taking over the second bedroom for Christmas, it’s not personal. “Unfamiliarity can be perceived as threatening, even if Uncle Joe doesn’t mean to be a threat,” Dr. Colleran says. Uncle Joe may also reek of unfamiliar cigar smoke or something else — who knows about Uncle Joe — and that will only confound the fear. (Note: Asking Uncle Joe to refrain from smoking isn’t unreasonable.)

5. Separate furry visitors

A trend today is traveling with your pet(s). Even for those few cats who may prefer to hit the road with their people, it may not be fair to expect to stay in a home with resident cats. But all friends and relatives aren’t fair.

It’s certain that your cats wouldn’t invite the feline intruder. Definitely, visiting cats should be sequestered in the guest room — and the door scrupulously kept shut. “Even when the visitors go home, the Feliway that’s already plugged in should stay plugged in because the cats who live in the home will know who’s been in that room, even after thorough cleaning. And Feliway may calm their frazzled nerves.

If visitors are of the canine persuasion, says Dr. Weigner, who is in Atlanta, Georgia, “Make sure the dog is always on leash, and it may be necessary to use flea protection for your cats since dogs might bring unexpected guests with them.”

6. Watch your cat’s behavior

Make sure your cat is eating and using the litter box when house-guests visit. If not, or if you feel your cat’s quality of life is being impacted by fear, contact your veterinarian. There are nutraceutical supplements and pharmaceuticals that can help lower anxiety.

Read more about cats and the holidays on Catster.com:

• Keep Holiday Gift Opening Fun and Safe With Cats
• Holiday Stress and Cats: Tips to Keep Your Kitty Calm at Every Age
• 12 Holiday Safety Tips for Cats

Featured Image Credit: GolubaPhoto, Shutterstock

The post How to Make Sure Your Cat is Comfortable This Holiday Season by Steve Dale appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

While most cat caretakers have never encountered these cat diseases (or even heard of them before), they all share one thing — they’re becoming more common.

The 8 Unusual Cat Diseases

1. Acromegaly or Hypersomatotropism

Even when doing everything apparently right, some diabetic cats are hard to get under control, and a cat’s blood glucose just won’t cooperate. “The insulin dose continues to go up and up without the expected reduction in blood glucose (sugar) levels when tested,” says Dr. Elizabeth Colleran, past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners. “Some cats develop changes in their appearance with enlargement of bones of the face and elsewhere after chronic exposure to these hormones. The changes are slow to occur and often hard to recognize. Other cats may gain weight rather than the expected loss of body condition with diabetes mellitus.”

Acromegaly or hypersomatotropism is usually caused by a benign tumor of the pituitary gland, which secretes excess growth hormone and growth hormone-induced insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). While the screening test for IGF-1 isn’t perfect, it’s helpful. Fortunately, treatment options are increasingly available, which helps to transfer the difficult diabetic into a well-controlled diabetic or even a non-diabetic.

2. Cushing’s syndrome or Hyperadrenocorticism

Another reason cats rarely become uncontrolled diabetics is Cushing’s disease or hyperadrenocorticism. This is somewhat common in dogs but not so much in cats.

“These cats have varying or excessive need for insulin caused by an excessive amount of adrenal hormone secretion, noted with fragile skin, muscle wasting, poor wound healing, bruising and coat changes,” Dr. Colleran says. “A blood test for response to a corticosteroid is the most useful diagnostic test for these cats. Adrenal gland and pituitary imaging might improve the diagnostic accuracy. Once the source of the excess hormone is identified, Cushing’s can be cured or managed with either surgery or medication.”

Read up on Cushing’s disease in people here >>

3. Cytauxzoonosis

Cytauxzoonosis or bobcat fever can be complex to explain. Try following this bouncing protozoa: Bobcats are traditionally thought to be a reservoir host but other wild felines and domestic cats can be infected as well, and when they recover they become reservoirs. When a lone star tick (and perhaps other tick species) bites the bobcat, the protozoa is picked up and can then be transmitted to a domestic cat.

“At first, symptoms are general, but illness progresses rapidly,” says Dr. Leah Cohn, a leading cytauxzoonosis researcher and professor of veterinary medicine and surgery at University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbia.

Cytauxzoonosis was a nearly certain death sentence when Dr. Cohn first began her research. Today, she says, with new anti-protozoal treatments, from half to up to 60 percent of infected cats survive. However, treatment is expensive and grueling. Cohn says new data suggests that illness is transmitted from ticks to cats faster than previously thought, so the best tick protection has repellency to increase odds of ticks not even attaching to cats. And it helps, of course, to keep cats indoors. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri and Tennessee are particular hotbeds, but wherever there are lone star ticks and bobcats, there will be cytauxzoonosis.

4. Feline Gastrointestinal Eosinophilic Sclerosing Fibroplasia (FGESF)

“FGESF is an emerging inflammatory gastrointestinal disease found worldwide in middle to older age cats,” says Dr. Vicki Thayer, board member of the Winn Feline Foundation. “The cause is unknown though thought to be due to immune dysregulation possibly associated with adverse food reactions, dysbiosis (as a result of bacteria in the gut being out of balance) or exposure to ingestion of ectoparasites (a parasite that lives on the outside of the host) or infection with endoparasites (parasites living inside the host).

Prognosis is guarded since a number of these cats are chronically and progressively affected by the disease, though early treatment could lead to a better outcome.” Treatment is corticosteroids like prednisolone and a general deworming program.

5. Feline OroFacial Pain Syndrome (FOPS)

“Feline orofacial pain syndrome is a pain disorder of cats with behavioral signs of oral discomfort and tongue mutilation,” Dr. Thayer says. “Affected cats commonly present with exaggerated licking and chewing movement and pawing at the mouth.”

It is a diagnosis of exclusion after other sources of oral pain are considered. The condition is considered chronic. Interestingly, external situations causing anxiety also influence the disease in 20 percent of cats, according to a study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery in 2010. This condition appears to be over-represented in Burmese cats, and DNA of affected cats is being collected in hopes of screening for breeding programs. FOPS doesn’t respond well to traditional analgesics, and some cases respond more successfully to anticonvulsant drugs with an analgesic effect, such as phenobarbital. In this study, 12 percent of cases were euthanized, so the outcome isn’t always positive.

6. Feline Papillomavirus

The term papillomatosis is used to describe a benign tumor on the surface of the skin. Caused by a virus known as the papillomavirus, the growth is black, raised and wart-like, with an open pore in the central surface if the tumor is inverted, says Dr. Lauren Demos, past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.

Sometimes papillomatosis can progress, causing common forms of skin cancer. It is also possible for invasive cancerous cells to penetrate and begin destroying the underlying tissues. In cats, the most common papillomavirus often multiplies (metastasizes) and may progress to an invasive cancer. These are usually located around the lips, mouth and tongue. However, the skin can be affected at any age.

Dr. Demos adds, “Currently, histopathology and immunohistochemistry, along with newer molecular assays are helpful in diagnosing this condition. Treatment options for such lesions range from immunotherapy to surgery.” Due to the contagious nature of this disease (among cats only), it is important to separate infected animals from those not infected with the papillomavirus. Oral vaccination can be administered as a preventive measure against this disease, and it is routinely used in commercial kennels when outbreaks do occur.

7. Taurine-deficiency Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)

Taurine is an essential amino acid that cats cannot produce on their own. “Taurine plays an important role as a basic factor for maintaining cellular integrity in the heart, retina, muscles and throughout the central nerve system,” says Dr. Glenn Olah, president of the Winn Feline Foundation. “Taurine-deficiency Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) was quite common in cats until the association between taurine and this heart disease was established in the late 1980s (with funding from the Winn Feline Foundation).”

Thereafter, commercial pet food companies started supplementing cat foods with adequate taurine. Although taurine-deficiency DCM is now rarely seen in cats, it is occurring more often as cat caretakers feed vegetarian diets, nutritionally unbalanced homemade diets or diets manufactured by companies that do not have stringent quality-control practices. Far better than treating taurine deficiency, it’s nearly always easy enough to prevent the deficiency from occurring in the first place.

8. Tularemia

Tularemia or rabbit fever is a bacterial infection transmitted by lone star ticks and other tick species. A tick may feed on an infected rabbit and pass it on to cats. Or cats may get sick by scarfing down an infected rabbit.

Dr. Cohn says there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that with the right antibiotics, treatment is generally effective and far less expensive than treating cytauxzoonosis. The bad news is that symptoms of illness are often generalized, and veterinarians may not immediately think about tularemia or may offer antibiotics not as adept at treating tularemia.

Waiting too late, or without treatment, death may occur. Also, tularemia may be infectious to people. So, people are told — for example — to wear gloves when pilling cats to treat tularemia. Like cats, people may become very ill. And like all disease spread by ticks, tularemia is on the rise.

Conclusion

Tell us: Has your cat ever encountered any of these unusual cat diseases? What other unusual cat diseases would you like to see covered here?

Steve Dale, CABC, certified animal behavior consul- tant, is host of several pet radio shows, appears on TV and speaks around the world. He’s author/contributor to many books, including The Cat: Clinical Medicine and Management, and board member of the Winn Feline Foundation. Blog: stevedale.tv.

Read more about cat diseases and illnesses on Catster.com:

• What Can Kill Cats and How to Prevent Cat Illnesses and Accidents
• The Real Costs of Treating Cat Injuries and Diseases
• Do You Have a Sick Cat? 9 Ways to Tell if Your Cat Is In Pain

Feature Image Credit: Kginger, Shutterstock

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