CAT HEALTH & MEDICINE

Recently, I noticed that my seven-year-old male cat, Bisco, was excessively grooming his hindquarters. When I investigated the site, I discovered a raw, red spot where he had licked the fur and skin off. The vet explained that Bisco had developed a hot spot and that these were fairly common in cats, particularly during the summer.

Obviously, its very distressing to a cat owner if she witnesses the plight of an otherwise healthy animal having difficulty moving her bowels. The cat will crouch over her litter box and stare fixedly ahead - her abdomen contracting and her legs and hind quarters quivering as she strains to pass an impacted stool. If her efforts pay off at all, she may eventually pass a small, hard, dark-colored fecal mass into her litter box. If not, she is apt to give up the task for the time being, disappear from sight, and then return to the litter box and try again a little while later.

Car sickness affects a high percentage - perhaps as many as half - of all household cats in the U.S. In some cases, the disorder and its manifestations may be caused by a fleeting disturbance of a cats vestibular system - the complex array of nerves and other components, centered in an animals inner ear and lower brain, that governs his sense of balance and coordinates the movement of his head and eyes.

Most cats are likely to contract an upper respiratory disease at some point during their lives. Although a wide range of viral and bacterial agents may be responsible for these common disorders, perhaps the most frequently diagnosed is infection with the feline herpesvirus (FHV).

Diabetes mellitus is a frequently diagnosed disease of the feline pancreas, a relatively small, thin organ nestled in the front portion of a cats abdomen.

I have worked for local spay/neuter non-profit organization for the past 16 years, and we deal primarily with stray and feral cats. Over the past two years, we have been seeing a condition that is commonly referred to as puffy pad disease.

I have a cat that has a problem with a weeping eye (at the nose), a condition she has had for several years.

We all know that many cats are finicky, but a distinction must be made between choosy cats as opposed to cats that are losing or have entirely lost their appetite. Poor or decreasing appetite is one of the most frequent motivations for a cat owner to seek veterinary advice.

Digestive system disorders are among the most frequently observed health problems in cats. Many of these disorders may be directly associated with organs such as the liver, pancreas and gall bladder, all of which play a crucial role in the digestive process. Many others, however, may arise in the alimentary canal, the long tube leading from a cats mouth and extending the full length of the animals body. A signal that something has gone wrong somewhere within this passageway often takes the form of a process scientifically termed emesis - but most commonly referred to as vomiting.

Theres an abundance of kittens right now. Go visit the local shelter and have a look. Or peruse Craigslist or other Internet sites and see how many unwanted litters are out there.

A reader expresses her concerns about adopting an FIV-positive cat

Like every veterinarian, I evaluate the mouth and gums of my patient whenever Im performing a physical examination. I expect to find nice pink gums, and most of the time, I do. Occasionally, however, Ill note with dismay that the gums are pale, or even white. This finding immediately sets off alarm bells in my head: This cat is anemic. The task of making a diagnosis now begins.