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If the foot pad on one or more of your cat’s feet becomes puffy and swollen, there’s a good chance she has pillow foot, medically termed feline plasma cell pododermatitis. It means the skin on the foot has become inflamed due to infiltration of the pad with plasma cells, which belong to the immune system. The thought is that the immune system somehow becomes overstimulated, resulting in the inflammation.

Cats with chronic kidney disease are prone to developing a secondary condition called nonregenerative anemia, a potentially fatal complication that keeps down the production of red blood cells needed to carry oxygen from the lungs to all the body’s tissues. It occurs because the compromised kidneys produce less of a hormone called erythropoietin, which helps the bone marrow produce red blood cells. But a new drug, Varenzin-CA1, treats the problem by increasing erythropoietin production.

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must eat meat to survive. But they are also what some scientists have called a non-obligate social species. Group living is not obligatory for their survival. Yes, they have come to be able to tolerate, and sometimes even appreciate, the company of other cats, and also people. But “Do they need us?” Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic head Stephanie Borns-Weil, DVM, asks rhetorically.

Like people, cats sometimes need blood, not just because of blood loss that may occur during an operation or a car accident but also as a result of such conditions as kidney failure or leukemia. Might your cat make a good blood donor?

Because a lot of cats don’t like to be handled, a lot of people skip nail trimming, assuming the scratching post will take care of things by wearing down a pet’s nails. It won’t. Scratching does not really serve to trim a cat’s nails. It serves more to remove the outer layer of the nails, or claws, that have become frayed or worn. That exposes sharper layers underneath.

Q: My veterinarian is suggesting my cat have a urinalysis. He has suggested it in the past, but I have opted not to go ahead with it. Now that my cat is 10 he’s saying it really would be a good idea. What do you think? One reason I am concerned is that I don’t know how I would “catch” the urine.

You’ve noticed your cat has started losing hair, perhaps in one spot, perhaps in a number of areas on her body. It’s alarming because a cat’s fur is so much a part of her appearance. Fortunately, the reason for a cat’s hair loss, known medically as alopecia, can almost always be found. Once it is, effective solutions are available. Here are five reasons that a cat would lose hair — and how to address the problem.

Q: My cat used to be incredibly fastidious, licking herself until her coat gleamed. But that has dropped off precipitously, and we can’t figure out why. She is on the older side — we think about 9 or 10 — but certainly not near the end of life. Why would a cat who used to be so particular about self-grooming let herself go?

Sounds, scents, sights — all of these are much different for a cat than a person because they hear, smell, and see things very differently than we do. Moreover, they often perceive things through their senses more acutely than we do, meaning that what’s just right for us may be too much for them. Here’s a look at some of the differences, along with how to accommodate your cat’s exquisitely tuned sensorial attributes so that your pet will feel more comfortable and relaxed in your home.

• Your Cat’s Got the (Weird) Moves
• Morsels
• When Your Cat Naps in the Litter Box
• Before You Take in Another Cat…
• Rules Change for Monitoring Cats with Hyperthyroidism
• Bored Cat? Scatter the Feline Doldrums with Agility Training
• Keeping Cats from 
Reproducing Without Having to Spay Them
• Dear Doctor

We know cats are sleek and graceful, but the way they move or even just hang out can look a little, well, odd. Here’s why they do it.

Does your cat appear stressed and uncomfortable during mealtime? Does she pace back and forth in front of her food bowl or paw at her water rather than just drink it? She may be suffering from whisker fatigue, a condition in which her ultra-sensitive whiskers keep touching the sides of the bowl when she goes to eat or drink from it. It’s just too much sensory input for comfort.