BEHAVIOR

As a feline veterinarian and enthusiastic traveler, I try to combine my two passions -cats and travel - whenever possible. I succeeded in the Netherlands when I visited the Poezenboot, a floating cat shelter docked on Amsterdams Singel canal. My luck continued in Burma, where I visited a Burmese Cat Sanctuary on Inle Lake. And fortune struck again recently in Puerto Rico, as I came upon Save A Gato, a volunteer organization run by a dedicated group of cat lovers that cares for the abundant feral cats of Old San Juan.

At the local shelter where I volunteer, one of the most common questions about the adoptable dogs is: Does she get along with cats? And truthfully, the majority of our dogs are those with an unknown history, frequently rescued off the streets of a nearby city. And in our small facility, its very, very hard to safely assess the cat-friendly aspect of a dogs temperament. …

A study conducted earlier this year examined whether canine responses to cat-related sights, sounds and smells provide clues about which dogs are cat-friendly. Published in Applied Animal Behavior Science, the study takes the first steps in identifying new ways to evaluate whether specific dogs are likely to get along with cats - without having to stress any cats in the process. …

When it comes to feline behavior, we have some good news: Its often quite easy to tell whether a cat is fundamentally happy or profoundly disturbed, according to Stephanie Borns-Weil, DVM, who is head of the Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic. Although there is likely to be a good bit of variation from animal to animal, a happy and contented cat will tend to be very sociable. Shell engage with people, shell be interested in her…

You start chopping vegetables for dinner and theres your favorite companion - right on the countertop nearby, rubbing himself against the microwave oven. You love your cat, but this behavior doesnt make you happy.

Two of my cats cant seem to get enough of my attention while Im working at my computer. As I type this, Rocky is sitting squarely on a small, tidy pile of papers at my left elbow.

Recently, social media has been inundated by tweets of cats that seem compelled to position themselves in the center of squares of tape mapped out on the floor. These cats cant resist the temptation of the #CatSquare.

Its an age-old debate that never goes out of style: Are dogs smarter than cats? Well, researchers may now have an answer once and for all.

I have a black cat that I rescued from a shelter five months ago, hoping that I could train him to be a therapy cat. My last cat and I served for 12 years with Pet Partners as a R.E.A.D. team. He was one of only six therapy cats in Michigan! Sadly, I lost him to squamous cell carcinoma.

There is a variety of bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal diseases that can affect both cats and humans. These zoonotic diseases can be passed from an affected cat to her owner through touching, biting or scratching.

I wonder if you could give me any suggestions regarding my 10-year-old cat Ringlings behavior. We lost our 22-year-old Siamese a month ago, who was Ringlings lifelong friend. Ever since he died, Ringling has gotten very clingy and vocal, following me around, continually begging to be petted and held. She seems to need constant attention and reassurance. She has also thrown up several times in the last weeks, something she has not done before.

An adult male named Grey, who is by far the least socialized of the group - fell from a tree last month and kept his distance for a while. Now, he seems fine. My question is: Is it possible for a cat to suffer a concussion? And if this happens again, what would be the best course of action?