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
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Cat Scooting: What it Means and What to Do
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: Signs and Treatment
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
10 Signs it’s Time to Visit the Vet
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
Heart Murmurs in Cats
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
Steps to Solving Cat Behavioural Issues
Imagine it’s the school holidays, but you have to work. You leave the kids home alone. . . but the TV’s broken, they’re too young to read, and you’ve locked most of their toys away. When you come home would you expect them to be perched like little angels on the sofa, hands folded in their laps, without a hair out of place? No! Of course not. You’d be lucky if the … [Read more...] about Steps to Solving Cat Behavioural Issues
Understanding Feline Panleukopenia
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
Teach Your Child to Respect Cats
Kids have a lot to learn about the world around them. Unfortunately, during this exploratory phase, it’s not unusual for collateral damage to happen such as sandwiches posted into the DVD player, teddy swimming in the toilet. . . you get the picture. But when the object under investigation happens to be a cat, someone (two or four-legged) could get hurt. It’s a child’s job … [Read more...] about Teach Your Child to Respect Cats
Why Some Cats are Invisible: Adopting the Unadoptable Cats
At school, were you always the last kid left standing in line when sports teams were chosen? For some people, this lack of sporting ability as a child means we are familiar with the feeling of being invisible. And this is sad. But not as sad as being the last cat at the rescue shelter, the unadoptable cat that no-one shows any interest in, the cat who is passed over … [Read more...] about Why Some Cats are Invisible: Adopting the Unadoptable Cats
Facts About Cancer in Cats
Are you a glass half-empty or a half-full person? When it comes to cancer in cats there’s good news and there’s bad news. First the good news: Cancer is less common in cats than dogs; half as likely to happen, to be precise. And the bad news: When cancer does develop it tends to be more serious. Cat cancers are three to four times more likely to be … [Read more...] about Facts About Cancer in Cats