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Cat Advice (Physical): Purina® Cat Chow® Mentor Dr. Steffen Runquist
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Cat Advice (Physical): Purina® Cat Chow® Mentor Dr. Steffen Runquist
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My 5 year old spayed female who is a house cat (found as a stray at approx 5-6 month),...
In general, we do not see runny noses in cats due to allergies. Not that it isn't possible..but it's unusual. Most cats with allergies will have itchy skin or other skin lesions, rather than upper respiratory signs. An intermittent runny nose can happen for other reasons. When it occurs, I would check your environment to see if there are any changes that could irritate your cat's nose. Another thought would be something like the feline herpes virus. This virus can cause upper respiratory signs and cat's can be carriers, showing signs intermittently. It may be helpful, to have your cat examined while showing symptoms. If she is eating and acting normal otherwise, you do not necessarily need to intervene or treat her if it tends to resolve on its own.
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I've read and heard various opinions on the types of litter to use for cats but is clay...
One of the frustrating aspects of veterinary medicine and pet ownership is all the opinions that fly around out there regarding every subject from litter to vaccines to toys. There have been many "reports" of animals having problems after ingesting litter but in the veterinary community, there is very little confirmation of actual cases of this. I, myself, have never seen a cat present with an obstruction or GI problem due to litter ingestion. Of course, with this said, anything eaten can have the potential to cause stomach upset and litter is not meant to be a dietary supplement. It is more likely to be an issue in kittens, due to their small size and in dogs who tend to ingest litter along with the yummy tootsie rolls in the box. Some cats may exhibit pica, or eating/licking strange objects, when they are ill so it is always worth noting. When starting any new litter, watch your cat to make sure she or he is not ingesting the litter. In general though, I myself use clumping litter and have no concerns in recommending it to my clients and patients.
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I have a 15 week year old kitten named Oreo. All my cats have done this but I've always...
I suspect your cat is dreaming...I've also had cats do this. One thing to do is to try to wake Oreo up when it's happening. If it's just a dream, he should wake up...although still be a little groggy. If it truly was a seizure, he should not wake up and you would also likely be seeing the same symptoms while he was awake. Congrats on your new kitten!
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As my 1 year-old cat, named Chase, walks around the house, he will pick up one of his...
Without seeing Chase, it's hard to know why he's doing this but my first thought would be that he has something on his back leg or foot. In particular, I would look to see if he has anything stuck in between his foot pads...this is a prime spot to get litter stuck. If it continues, or you see other symptoms like limping, you may want to have him examined to be sure he does not have an injury or something else that may be making his leg uncomfortable.
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Katie and I are the happy owners of a 21 year old (yep that is right 21) Seal Point...
Great for you and Katie to have a 21 year old! We are all striving for our cats to have a good quality long life like this! First, if your Birman is having sore hips, I would encourage you to talk to your veterinarian about options to help with this. Many cats can benefit from glucosamine/chondroitin or other joint protectants. We also have some other good options to treat the pain from chronic arthritis.
If your cat is severely matted, the only option at this point may be to shave her...perhaps it could be done without anesthesia? Your veterinarian is in the best position to tell you this. If your little older lady does have to go under anesthesia, and if she is healthy, its does not mean she will "expire."
If she has some of the conditions we see in older cats, like renal disease, precautions could be taken to minimize complications. Talk to your veterinarian about the specific concerns and risks for your cat. Whatever you do...please don't try to cut the mats out yourself at home. Many mats can be very close to the skin and it is very easy to cut our older cats due to their thin skin!
After some of the larger mats are cleared regular maintenance is the best to help prevent the mats from reoccurring. The right grooming tool can make all the difference in the world. There are lots of brushes and combs out there but unfortunately some of them will only get the top layer of hair and not the thick undercoat underneath. I am a HUGE fan of a tool called the Matbreaker. Hope this helps.
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