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68 results for “cat development”
Spring Shedding and Heat Management in Cats
Spring brings shedding and heat cycles. Control loose fur with pet shampoo, regular brushing, low-salt beauty-coat food, and a calm mood; keep skin healthy with sun and exercise. For heat, a queen in season eats less and calls for toms, so feed well, confine her, and strictly prevent escape, especially before six months.
The Six Essential Nutrients Every Cat Needs
Like all mammals, cats need six nutrients to stay healthy: protein, carbohydrates, fat, minerals, vitamins, and water. Except for water, these must come from a balanced cat food rather than being offered separately. Each nutrient plays a distinct but interlocking role—protein builds and repairs tissue, fat supplies concentrated energy, and vitamins support everyday function. This article explains what each nutrient does, why animal protein suits cats best, and a key caution: raw fish and raw meat can rob cats of vitamin B1 and invite parasites, so always cook them and choose a complete, well-labeled commercial diet.
Should You Reattach a Cat’s Lost Whisker?
A cat losing whiskers isn't something to glue back—whiskers can't be reattached, and usually they don't need to be. Shedding is normal with age (older cats' whiskers whiten, break, and fall as metabolism slows) and during growth (kittens lose and regrow them along with coat and teeth). The real worry is disease: skin infections (bacterial or fungal) and nutritional or metabolic disorders can also make whiskers fall. If loss comes with skin problems or you suspect a deficiency, act early—supplement vitamins and minerals, adjust the diet, check the skin, and consider fish-oil coat support.
Ten Foods That Are Toxic to Cats
Cats are curious eaters, and many common human foods are dangerous for them. This list covers ten items to keep away from your cat: grapes and raisins (kidney failure), chocolate (a toxin that hits the digestive system, nerves, and heart), caffeine, too much organ meat (calcium deficiency and mobility problems), tomato leaves and stems, mosquito-coil liquid (a surprising summer respiratory hazard), fish bones (choking and perforation), onions and leeks (red-blood-cell destruction), persimmon seeds (blockage and enteritis), and raw seafood (vitamin B deficiency and hind-leg paralysis). Knowing these helps you prevent accidental poisoning.
Mammary Tumors in Dogs and Cats
Mammary tumors are common in intact female dogs and are the third most common feline tumor. They often appear as firm nodules in the mammary chain and can ulcerate or spread to lymph nodes and lungs. Early spaying sharply lowers risk, and surgery is the main treatment.
Uterine Tumors in Dogs and Cats
Uterine tumors are uncommon in dogs and cats, with leiomyomas being the most frequently seen type. They often produce no obvious signs and are found incidentally during abdominal palpation or ultrasound, though bleeding from the vulva can occur. Surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries is the treatment of choice.
Canine and Feline Cataract: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
Cataract is clouding of the lens in dogs and cats—often in old age or from diabetes, glaucoma, or toxins—that blurs and can destroy vision. Medicines help early stages, but surgery is the main cure.
Multiple Cartilaginous Exostoses in Dogs and Cats: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
Multiple cartilaginous exostoses (multiple osteochondromas) are benign bony outgrowths that can appear on the spine, ribs, and long bones of young dogs and cats, possibly inherited. They are painless until they press on a tendon, vessel, or nerve, causing lameness, pain, or incoordination; otherwise no treatment is needed, but symptomatic ones are removed surgically.
Hip Dysplasia in Dogs and Cats: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
Hip dysplasia is a hereditary developmental disorder of the hip joint influenced by genetics and environment, common in large breeds such as shepherds and setters. Progressive laxity and deformity cause lameness, reluctance to rise, and a characteristic 'bunny-hopping' gait; management is conservative with weight control and pain relief, and surgery is considered case by case.
Elbow Dysplasia in Dogs and Cats: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
Elbow dysplasia is a group of inherited developmental elbow joint diseases - ununited anconeal process, fragmented medial coronoid process, and osteochondritis of the medial humeral condyle - driven by genetics and rapid growth. It causes forelimb lameness, a reluctance to walk, and sometimes a crackling joint sound. Weight control, pain relief, and surgery in severe cases are the mainstays.