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532 results for “Kitten disease”
Can Cats Get Leukemia? (Feline Leukemia Virus)
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a usually fatal cat-only infection spread through saliva, bites, and shared dishes — never to people or dogs. There's no cure, but screening, isolation, and good hygiene prevent it.
Why Cats Eat Strange Things (Pica)
Feline pica — eating non-food items — can stem from nutrient deficits, illness, poor management, or early weaning. It ranges from licking plastic and plants to swallowing fabric or suckling other animals, and some items (lilies, daffodils) are toxic, so a vet check and a calm home are the right first steps.
Cat Double Teeth (Retained Baby Teeth): Causes, Risks, Treatment
Retained deciduous teeth leave a second row that crowds the gums, traps food, and raises tartar, gum disease, and even kidney and heart strain. Causes include tight jaws, genetics, soft food, and calcium imbalance; fix it with chew toys and a vet extraction under anesthesia.
Five Common Cat Feeding Mistakes
Many well-meaning feeding habits actually harm cats, fish bones, lactose-laden milk, liver as a staple, overfeeding, and kibble-only diets all create health risks. A balanced diet with wet food, controlled portions, and the occasional fruit or vegetable keeps a cat healthy.
How to Choose a Cat: Picking a Reputable Source
The safest path to a healthy kitten runs through a registered cattery — one tracked by CFA, WCF, or TICA, with pedigree papers and genetic testing — while backyard breeders skip the certificates and cat traders often sell sick 'week cats.' Once home, a full vet check and a few quiet days to decompress set the kitten up to thrive.
Health Checkups by Life Stage for Cats and Dogs
Pets can't tell us when they're ill, so regular checkups catch hidden disease. Kittens and puppies need basics plus parasite and vaccine screens; adults add bloodwork and imaging; seniors (cats over 10, older dogs) need broader panels—blood chemistry, X-ray, ultrasound, heart, and blood-pressure checks—ideally every six months.
Why Cats Chase Mice They Don’t Eat
Cats hunt mice mainly to get taurine, an amino acid they can't make and that protects vision, heart, digestion, reproduction, and immunity; a fed house cat gets it from food, so it won't eat the catch. The chase itself is instinct and a way to burn off night-time energy, and it also helps control rodents around us.
Does Feline Panleukopenia Mutate?
Talk of feline panleukopenia (cat plague) mutating—riding on COVID variant fears—has no scientific basis. The real concern is how dangerous it is: highly contagious across cats and other felids, striking all ages (kittens under one year worst, with 70% infection and 50–60% death rates), and the parvovirus survives over a year in the kidneys. Vaccinate and act fast on vomiting, diarrhea, or blood in stool.
What Does It Mean When a Cat Hisses?
A hissing cat is mimicking a snake — a defensive 'protective mimicry' that signals fear or stress, not aggression for its own sake. It shows up when territory, hunting, mothering, or handling trigger alarm, and pushing the cat harder can spiral into dangerous stress (even FIP or cystitis). Give space, avoid cornering, and let the cat decompress.
Why Is My Cat Vomiting After Giving Birth?
Occasional post-birth vomiting can be normal — from licking kittens' feces, overeating, or labor pain — but frothing with panting, a stiff gait, or tremors signals hypocalcemia and needs an emergency vet visit. Monitor closely and get help for any worrying sign.