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1419 results for “cats”
How Cats Show Stress and Why It Matters
A trigger can be noise, a stranger, travel, or a move, and each cat reacts differently. Hiding, hissing, even sudden aggression are normal first responses, while deeper stress brings appetite changes, soft stools, or vomiting. Beyond discomfort, strong stress lowers immunity and can unmask hidden disease, so calm, patient handling matters most.
Can Cats Really Have Food Allergies?
Yes, cats get food allergies, and they are easy to confuse with simple intolerance. Beef, fish, dairy, and wheat gluten top the list of triggers, with itching, vomiting, and ear issues as clues. The gold-standard diagnosis is an elimination diet, and the only real cure is avoiding the culprit. This guide covers telling allergy from intolerance, symptoms, diagnosis, and management.
Bad Breath in Cats: Causes and What to Watch For
An occasional whiff after a meal is normal, but constant cat bad breath points to an underlying problem. The causes run from simple plaque to digestion, mouth ulcers, kidney disease, and even diabetes, each with its own clue. Knowing what to look for helps you act before a minor issue becomes a serious one.
How Cats Eat and Drink: Healthy Habits
In the wild a cat eats up to twenty small meals a day, so free access to food suits its nature better than one or two big bowls. Feeding a single staple with the occasional treat, using puzzle feeders for mental stimulation, and placing water bowls away from food all mirror feline instinct. This guide covers sensible feeding and safe drinking setups for indoor cats.
Are Blue-Eyed White Cats Always Deaf?
Many people assume every blue-eyed white cat is deaf, but the truth is more nuanced. The white coat gene is linked to inner-ear degeneration, raising the odds sharply, yet not every such cat loses hearing. Understanding the genetics, how to test at home, and how to communicate with a deaf cat helps these special pets live safe, happy indoor lives.
Ringworm in Cats and Dogs: Symptoms and Treatment
Ringworm, or dermatophytosis, is one of the most common skin diseases in pets, caused mainly by Microsporum canis, M. gypseum, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. It matters for public health because most strains are zoonotic, survive for three to four years in dry conditions, and resist ordinary disinfectants. Infection spreads by contact or contaminated objects, peaking in warm, humid weather. Signs are round patches of hair loss, redness, and scaling, usually without itch. Treatment uses topical and, for widespread cases, oral antifungals, plus environmental cleaning. This guide covers the cause, signs, and care.
Four Winter Diet Points to Keep Cats Healthy
Cold weather means cats burn more energy and need smarter feeding to stay well. Beyond cat food, add freeze-dried meat snacks like chicken, quail, or herring to keep energy up, top up vitamins and trace elements, supplement calcium in moderation, and make sure your cat drinks enough warm water. These four adjustments help fend off the minor illnesses winter tends to bring.
Lice on Cats and Dogs: Symptoms, Risks, and Treatment
Lice peak in winter, especially in January, when thick coats let them breed undisturbed. They strike young, stray, and undernourished pets, causing itching, restlessness, hair loss, and in heavy infestations anemia and weakness. Two main types live on pets: blood-feeding sucking lice and coat-chewing lice, each with its own species on dogs and cats. Lice are host-specific and do not infect people, though fleas from pets can. This guide covers the types, the harm they do, how they are diagnosed, and how to treat and prevent them.
Why Do Cats Vary So Much in Jumping Ability?
A cat's amazing leaps come from its unusual build: more bones and muscles than humans, with around 240 bones and over 500 muscles, plus long hind limbs and flexible joints that extend fully during a jump. Yet not every cat jumps well. Breed matters, with lazy types like Persians staying low while American Shorthairs are athletes, and so do body shape, weight, and condition. Obesity and weak constitution lower agility and raise diabetes and liver risks, and jumping fades with age as muscle and joints decline. Owners should not overestimate cats' abilities and should fit window guards to prevent falls from height.
Three Reasons Why Cats Shed Excessively
Heavy shedding is one of the most frustrating parts of cat ownership, but not every cause is out of your control. While seasonal coat changes cannot be stopped, diet and nutrition often can be fixed. This article breaks down three common triggers: weather shifts, too much salt, and poor nutrition, with practical steps to keep loose hair under control.