EVERYDAY CAT CARE

Q. I know that pet cats are supposed to live exclusively indoors for their safety as well as for the protection of local wildlife that cats prey on, but it just seems so restrictive to me — to the point of making a cat miserable. Are there any options for letting a cat outdoors? Lionel […]

Cats communicate with us in a variety of ways. They often purr when they’re in a good mood, for instance, and sometimes they’ll rub or butt their heads against us if we feel sad. (It’s called bunting.) We communicate with them, too. When we feed and play with them and stroke them, we are expressing […]

Although most cats spend a lot of time cleaning themselves with their tongues and teeth (which they use as combs to rake their fur), many could still use a bath once in a while. They become dirtier than their own grooming tools can handle, getting a gummy feel that sets up their skin for feeling […]

Your cat’s heart disease has progressed to the point that there are no more medicines to try, no higher dosages to give, no more procedures to perform. Or her liver failure has reached a tipping point; toxins are building up in her body faster than they can be cleared. That is, the end is near. […]

If you’ve ever watched a primetime television hospital drama, you know that “Code Blue” means someone has gone into cardiac arrest. She has died on the table because her heart has stopped beating, and she needs immediate assistance in the form of CPR to bring her back to life. In comes the crash cart. But […]

A cat who is a new mother may sometimes gently carry one of her kittens by the scruff of the neck to move him to safety — perhaps back to the “nest.” For that reason, some people who handle cats, including people who work in veterinary offices, assume it’s okay to carry an adult cat […]

Cats in the wild do a lot of shedding all year round but with seasonal peaks — once during warmer weather and once when it’s cold. Indoor house cats shed year-round, too, but not necessarily more during the peaks — they don’t have all that direct exposure to the sun and changes in temperature, daylight, […]

There’s never an age at which you can stop caring for your cat’s teeth. If anything, dental health becomes even more important for an older cat. Neglected teeth and gums can result in severe mouth pain and sometimes lead to infections in various body organs, says the American Association of Feline Practitioners. Additionally, a cat […]

Switching out your cat’s toys frequently doesn’t always have to mean purchasing them. You can make his day a lot more interesting if you...

A number of years ago, psychology researchers asked almost 200 people to assign personality traits to their cats. Among the choices: aloof, bold, calm,...

Q. We have had a wicker cat carrier in the garage for many years and now wish to use it for a kitten we...

In back of the small pads on the bottoms of your cat’s front toes, and also well behind the larger pad that sits just...