CAT OWNERSHIP

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All right, I will admit that my view on counter jumping may be all wrong - but frankly, I dont like when my cats do it. In this months issue of Catnip, Tufts Dr. Nick Dodman discusses at length why the behavior is natural and normal - and one that probably should be accepted by cat owners (and certainly not punished).

According to an annual survey from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), about 58 percent of cats and 54 percent of dogs in the United States are overweight. The most recent survey involved 1224 cats and dogs from 136 participating veterinary clinics, with these clinics assessing the body condition score (BCS) of all feline and canine patients that came in for a regular wellness examination on the same day last October.

All companion animals require regular veterinary attention. Cats arent little dogs - they have their own unique and specific medical requirements. Additionally, many cats are extremely anxious when being cared for at a veterinary hospital that cares for both dogs and cats. To provide cats with the most appropriate care - and the least stressful experience possible - there are many advantages in using the services of a feline-only veterinary practice.

There are so many reasons to make play therapy work for you to improve life for your cat. It starts, of course, with the physical benefits. That alone should be reason enough to retrain your cat and yourself to the idea of regularly scheduled playtime. The extra benefit, though, is that play therapy can be used as part of a behavior modification program. It can be a powerful way to change a cat's mind about a negative experience or location. For a cat eliminating outside the litter box, play therapy can help him change his impression about teh area where he's inappropriately eliminating. Used correctly, play therapy can defuse a tense situation between companion cats or help a timid cat develop more confidence.

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Im crossing my fingers as I say this, but I am very thankful for the extremely mild winter weve experienced in the Northeast! I am already thinking about a new gardening strategy this year - it will be just the second spring of living in this house, and I know I need to make a few changes that allow me, the leafy greens and friendly Mr. Woodchuck to live in greater harmony, or I might as well just plan on going to the farmers market every Sunday.

The next time you're in a pet store, take a look around - you'll be amazed at the variety of litter box choices that are available. You can purchase tall boxes, short boxes, small boxes, huge boxes, boxes with automatic scoopers, boxes of different shapes and colors, and covered and uncovered boxes. Most come with a lid, but not everyone chooses to use them. When in doubt, splurge a little - after all, litter boxes…

In general, if your cat is indoor only and doesn't have exposure to other cats, he or she should have gone through a full kitten series (one vaccine every three to four weeks from six weeks of age until sixteen weeks of age) and then an annual feline distemper and rabies vaccine for three to five more years. After that, your cat should have an annual exam, but vaccines could be reduced to every two…

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Increasingly, we seem to be living in a world where Google It becomes the answer to many questions and concerns, both ordinary and profound. Admittedly, there are advantages to finding the definition of an obscure word in far less time than it takes to pull out the tattered, old Merriam-Webster from the bookshelf. And locating a very good, well-reviewed Thai restaurant in an unfamiliar town has gotten a lot easier, too, thanks to the Internet.…

Recently, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) updated its policy on free-roaming abandoned and feral cats - noting that there is simply not one single solution to reduce this population. This revamped policy hopes to encourage the collaboration between veterinarians, humane groups and wildlife conservation agencies to try to reduce these populations in a humane and ethical manner....