Ask the Doctor

My cat is driving me crazy with the scratching. She has ruined not just upholstered furniture but also the wooden legs on my piano. Would it really be inhumane to have her declawed? Shes a house cat and doesnt need her nails to defend herself outside.

Our Persian kitten still has a few more months to go before turning one year old, but she is already having breathing difficulties. What could be the matter?

Our cat sometimes gets one or two pockets of pus on different parts of his body that ooze a bit, then often go away. Should I be concerned?

My cat was in a terrible car accident. Shes going to live, but the veterinarian had to amputate one of her legs - there was just too much damage.

My veterinarian told me my 14-year-old tabbys kidneys are beginning to fail but that a special prescription diet thats more expensive than over-the-counter cat food could extend my cats life. Could that really be true? Or is she just just selling snake oil?

Q. We just got our first kitten and are very excited. What is a cat's life expectancy?Melissa ReardonSunapee, New HampshireDear Ms. Reardon,A. The average...

Q. Just what is it about catnip that gets cats high? And why do they go from being so intrigued by catnip to bored by it so quickly? Joe Easterbrook Eau Claire, Wisconsin Dear Mr. Easterbrook, A. Not just pets but also lions and tigers and other big cats are very susceptible to a volatile oil in catnip called nepetalactone. When the odor hits the nose and the nose alerts the brain, they exhibit behaviors common to females in…

Can you please settle once and for all whether cats can safely drink milk? Thank you.

I am hoping you can settle an ongoing difference of opinion between me and one of my friends. We are both long-time cat owners, and consider ourselves to be very good caretakers with healthy, happy cats over the past twenty or more years.

Feline injection site sarcoma (FISS) is an aggressive form of cancer in cats associated with the administration of vaccines and injectable medications, affecting about one in 1,000 vaccinated cats. This cancer was once thought to be a rare side-effect of rabies vaccines, but experts now believe it can occur following any kind of injection -even microchipping.

I trapped two stray kittens last year and had them treated for ringworm. They were neutered and given two rounds of kitten vaccinations. They also had bad breath so my veterinarian cleaned their teeth and needed to extract some teeth. She informed me that one cats dental problems had migrated into the root.

My cat, Buddy, is obese. He is very long, and weighs close to 29 pounds. Our veterinarian says we should try to get him down to 20 pounds. He has been tested for a thyroid problem, and it appears that this is not the issue.