EVERYDAY CAT CARE

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 just save your toilet paper rolls and repurpose them with ingenuity. Here are some ideas to enliven your cat’s waking hours that won’t cost you a cent. Better still, these toys […]

A number of years ago, psychology researchers asked almost 200 people to assign personality traits to their cats. Among the choices: aloof, bold, calm, friendly, shy, stubborn, and tolerant. The investigators’ finding, laid out in the journal Anthrozoos: people tended to rate orange cats and cats of two colors as friendly. But cats of three […]

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

Who among us hasn’t seen those cute little videos of cats doing their business in an actual toilet? And who among us hasn’t fantasized...

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 beyond the toe pads, you’ll find yet another spongy pad. Called the carpal pad, it provides traction if a cat is skidding to a stop, making her way down a hill, […]

You attached a feather to a string for your cat to chase as you dragged it along the floor, but she didn’t go for it. You bought her a squeaky toy that she sniffed and batted once and then paid no attention to. She also has a little grey fabric mouse with catnip that she […]

Q. I acquired a kitten a couple of weeks ago, and she has been scratching at her ears like crazy with her hind paws....

You know to keep your cat’s nails trimmed because otherwise they could curve into the paw pad and cause both pain and infection. But...

Back in December 2019, before anyone had ever heard the term “social distancing,” telemedicine remained largely at the margins of veterinary care. The concept...