CAT OWNERSHIP

Air Travel With Cats

If you are planning to fly with your cat - either for an extended vacation or a permanent long-distance relocation -there are two ways you can travel on a commercial airline: in the cabin with your pet, or with the animal as checked baggage in the cargo hold.

A Cautionary Tale to Consider

Transporting a cat as checked baggage is not recommended unless there is absolutely no other alternative. In addition to the frightening loud noises and unfamiliar odors, there is also the potentially fatal risk of the cat escaping from the carrier and getting lost.

Temporary Lodging With Cats

If you are waiting to close on a new house after selling the old, or if a natural disaster or other emergency arises, or if your home should become uninhabitable for an extended period of time - one of the first concerns that you will have is finding a safe place to live that will also permit pets.

A Personal Experience With Temporary Housing and My Cats

Just the thought of having to move into a temporary housing situation with three cats gave me the jitters. Several years ago, my husband and I purchased a new home, and we were relocating from New York to Central Florida. But once all my ducks were in a row - much to my surprise - I found living with my husband and our cats in a pet-friendly motel room to be quite pleasant.

Dear Doctor – February 2015

QMy five-year-old male, neutered indoor-only cat is very timid and shy. We adopted him when he was about seven weeks old. Two years ago, we rescued a stray - a spayed female who is three.

A New Way to Think

From when I was a very little girl, I was lucky to always have cats in my life. But I was a city kid, and growing up in an apartment meant that my family didnt have a big house on sprawling property, complete with numerous critters and barn cats.

Feline Diseases Contagious to Humans

You love your cat dearly, and youd like to think that she feels the same way about you. Unfortunately, some feline diseases stemming from bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections can affect humans as well cats. And according to Linda Ross, DVM, an associate professor of small animal medicine at the Cummings School, several of these ailments - known collectively as zoonotic diseases - can be passed between cats and humans.

Why cats sleep so much; do our cats rely on us for guidance?

The French proverb, Let sleeping cats lie, is advice that cats have taken to heart. As a cat owner, youve probably watched your pet sleep the day away - with plenty of need for rest come nighttime, too. Is there something wrong with your cat?

Helping the Hoarder

When people hear about an animal hoarding situation, often the initial reaction is to have an image of crazy cat ladies who collect needy, homeless animals and dont know when to stop. Many of these people instantly take pity on the rescued animals out of concern for their welfare. But they often dont consider what may have prompted the hoarder to start this behavior - or what role these animals actually play in their lives.

Identification Methods to Help Bring Pets Home

Several identification methods are available that can improve your chances of recovering your lost cat. The more of these measures you take, the better, emphasize experts. The three most frequently used methods are collars with ID tags, tattoos and microchips.

Smart Ways to Look for Your Lost Cat

If your cat has been absent from your home for 24 hours, its time to take action. To recover a missing cat, experts recommend these steps:

A Health Ally: Therapy Cats

Therapy cats are now appearing in greater numbers at hospitals and senior care facilities. Some cats are brought to the facilities in planned visits, while others permanently reside there. And their presence is now demonstrating that their therapeutic value outweighs any outdated concerns about health risks to patients.