Cat Health

Permethrin and pyrethrum are insecticides that help control parasites, such as fleas and ticks. Sadly, there have been many instances of permethrin poisoning in cats, often by cat owners who have unintentionally poisoned their cat by applying their dog’s spot-on flea treatment. Unlike dogs, cats lack the enzyme needed to detox products containing permethrin or pyrethrum. … [Read more...] about Permethrin Poisoning in Cats: What You Need to Know

Have you ever seen a cat dragging its butt along the ground? Cat butt scooting is definitely less common in cats than dogs, but it’s still most definitely a ‘thing’ and can indicate a medical problem that you may need to get checked out. What is Cat Scooting? It simple terms, it’s when a cat drags their bottom along the floor. Carpet is a particularly rewarding surface to … [Read more...] about Cat Scooting: What it Means and What to Do

High blood pressure in cats can have a sudden impact even when their owners thought they were fit and healthy. It is shocking and upsetting, when your cat goes from “well” to “very poorly” in the space of a few hours. To learn how to reduce the chances of a dramatic deterioration, read on. Imagine your senior cat that is sprightly as a kitten: She’s so well for her age … [Read more...] about High Blood Pressure in Cats: Signs and Treatment

How do you tell the difference between a cat that is having a relaxing snooze and one that is sleeping because she’s sick? How do you know when it's time to visit the vet? When a cat isn't feeling well or is ill, instinctively she lies low. This is to avoid bringing attention to her infirmity because in the wild, to alert a predator to weakness makes her vulnerable. All … [Read more...] about 10 Signs it’s Time to Visit the Vet

There are few things guaranteed to worry a cat guardian more, than when the vet casually mentions, “Do you know your cat has a heart murmur?” A thousand thoughts (none of them good) fly through your mind at once. Numb from worry, the only coherent words you can string together are, “Is it serious?” An Awkward Question Actually, as a vet the “Is it serious?” question pushes … [Read more...] about Heart Murmurs in Cats

How much do you know about feline panleukopenia - the disease against which you vaccinate your cat? You probably have an understanding that these diseases are “bad” and that vaccination is recommended. Even so, it’s easy to become complacent. After all, you have an indoor cat who doesn’t meet other felines, so the risk of infection is low. Right? Well kind of, but the … [Read more...] about Understanding Feline Panleukopenia

Are you familiar with the expression: “Taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut”? Essentially this means using over-the-top effort to achieve a simple end. A great example of this is declawing cats. OK, so what we want to achieve is the sofa not being shredded, but is surgically amputating one-third of each toe a proportionate way to achieve this? We think not! Keep in … [Read more...] about 5 Alternatives to Declawing Cats

Despite over 30 years working as a vet, I’m not convinced I’ve seen a ‘true’ hyperesthetic cat. Of course, this doesn’t mean the condition doesn’t exist (I’ve never seen Las Vegas but I’m pretty sure it’s there). I’ve certainly seen cats with sensitive skin that ripples and twitches at the lightest touch, but there’s always been a logical explanation. But maybe I’m putting … [Read more...] about Understanding Hyperesthesia in Cats