Microchips for my Cat
In Dr. Brunt’s article about when Cat Stanley went missing she mentioned that Cat Stanley was microchipped. It was the puurfect segue for me to provide information about microchipping.
A microchip is about the size of a large grain of rice and is an identifying integrated circuit that is placed under a cat or dog’s skin between its shoulder blades. The radio frequency protocols used by the chips placed in the United States are 125 kHz, 128 kHz or 134 kHz. The 134 kHz chips are also referred to as “ISO” chips, which are recognized globally. “ISO” stands for the International Standards Organization, which is an organization that developed standards for microchips to help prevent incompatibility between products. Cats traveling outside the US should always have “ISO” chips implanted. Though there was an effort in the US to move towards only implanting the 134 kHz chips, 125 kHz and 128 kHz chips are still being used. In fact, some states’ veterinary medical associations have mandated the use of 125 kHz chips. Microchip manufacturers offer different ways to register your cat’s microchip, so before your microchip your cat find out whether there is an easy way to register your cat’s chip and whether there is an annual cost to maintain your cat’s information in the registry’s database. Many manufacturers include lifetime registration when their chip is used. Sedation is not required to place the microchip. The needle used for implantation looks large, but it is sharp, so most cats and dogs hardly move when it is inserted. It is easy to have a cat microchipped during a routine office visit.
Most veterinarians and animal care and control facilities have universal scanners which are meant to pick up chips that are different frequencies. However, no one scanner can read 100% of the microchips placed in the United States. Holding the scanner at an angle when the scanner is used can affect its ability to read the chip as well. So, if your cat goes outside, a safety collar with identification and microchipping is the best way to provide a good way for your cat to find its way home if it gets lost.
Manufacturers of microchips in this country include:
- 24PetWatch – 125 khz here in the US and 134 kHz in Canada
- AKC Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR) – 128 khz
- AVID – 125 kHz
- Bayer ResQ – 134.2 kHz
- Home Again – 134.2 kHz
- InfoPet – 128 kHz
- TruePaws – two chips are used – both 125 kHz and 134 kHz (only used by Banfield)
My thee cats and my dog are microchipped and as soon as they were chipped I made sure I registered them in the national database associated with the type of microchip I used. Yes, I recommend microchipping your pets, but my recommendation comes with a qualification. Please make sure you register your pet after it has been microchipped! Microchip manufacturers tell me that way too many owners forget to change their contact information when they move or change phone numbers preventing many lost pets from being reunited with their owners.
Ultrasound or Radiographs (x-rays) – What’s The Difference?
Unlike radiographs, ultrasound uses sound waves to generate a picture of the internal organs. Ultrasound is completely safe and painless and does not require anesthesia or sedation in most cases.
Ultrasound may be recommended after a physical examination, blood test or x-ray indicates an underlying problem. Ultrasound is commonly used in both veterinary and human medicine for a wide variety of problems, including diseases of the liver, kidneys, bladder, stomach, intestines, pancreas, heart, and other organs. As with people, it can be used safely during pregnancy.
Ultrasound can “see” many things that can’t be seen on x-rays. For example, if there is fluid build-up in the chest or abdomen, the organs can’t be seen clearly on x-ray because fluid and tissue have the same density. However, they appear quite clearly on ultrasound, because we can see through the fluid. In addition, while x-rays are helpful to see the shapes and sizes of the internal organs, ultrasound can get a picture of the internal structure.
If an x-ray shows an enlarged heart, we can’t tell from the x-ray if the walls of the heart are thick with narrowed heart chambers (where the blood flows) or if the walls are thin and weak with big chambers or if there is fluid build-up between the heart and the sac that surrounds it. Ultrasound can readily give us this information, which is critical, as these scenarios represent different types of heart disease, with different prognoses and treatments.
Ultrasound is not effective at seeing through air or bone, so it does not replace x-rays but rather is complementary. In some cases both x-rays and ultrasound are needed in order to get a complete picture of what is going on with a patient.
Ultrasound equipment is specialized and quite expensive, so not all veterinary hospitals have an ultrasound machine. Many hospitals have specialists that come to perform the examinations. Other hospitals refer their patients to a hospital that can provide this level of care. In some cases of complex heart disease, evaluation by a veterinary cardiologist may be needed.
Due to the specialized nature of ultrasonic exam and evaluation, it is critical to have a veterinarian who is experienced in obtaining and reading ultrasound images to perform the examination, and make this information apply to each patient in a meaningful way in terms of prognosis and treatment recommendations.
What happens during an ultrasound?
The hair over the area to be evaluated will be shaved, as hair will interfere with the images. A gel (water soluble and safe) will be applied to the skin to help the sound waves generate a good picture. A transducer (similar in size and shape to a TV remote control) is placed on the patient’s skin and slowly moved around over the area to be examined. The ultrasound is computerized, so it can be used to accurately measure the tissues as needed. In addition, images can be stored electronically.
In order to perform a thorough exam, the patient needs to stay relatively still, though some wiggling is fine. Although some cats may be slightly anxious initially, most relax and remain calm once they realize that nothing painful is happening. For cats that are very anxious, your veterinarian may recommend a sedative.
What should I do to prepare for the ultrasound procedure?
Please do not feed your cat for 8-12 hours prior to the examination. Water is permitted. In the case of an abdominal ultrasound, an empty stomach allows for proper imaging of the area near the stomach. There are some diseases/situations where food should NOT be withheld; contact your veterinarian for specific instructions. If your cat is having an abdominal ultrasound, please try not to let your pet urinate for the 3 hours prior to your appointment. This will help get a better picture of the bladder.
What will the ultrasound tell us?
An ultrasound examination will provide a lot of information about your cat’s health. Together with the internist, we look at information from lab tests, x-rays, examinations and medical history to make medical recommendations.
- A specific diagnosis: often ultrasound can provide us with a diagnosis (or a reason for your cat’s illness).
- A Partial diagnosis: While ultrasound shows us the shapes and consistencies of the internal organs, it cannot see microscopic changes. This means that while an ultrasound examination can identify abnormal tissue, including growths, it cannot always determine if the tissue is cancerous or what type of cancer it is. For some patients, this information will affect how they are treated and a biopsy may be recommended. In some cases, this biopsy may be performed as an ultrasound guided needle sample under light anesthesia. In other cases, a surgical biopsy is needed.
- No Diagnosis/ Disease Exclusion: For some patients, the organ changes are not visible enough to pinpoint the problem. We are able to exclude (or rule out) certain diseases, but are left with a list of possible diseases that are causing your cat’s illness. This can be both relieving and frustrating. We will discuss options for therapies based on the available information and will recommend the best path for additional testing to obtain a diagnosis if indicated and desired.
If you have additional questions about whether ultrasound or x-rays are appropriate for your cat, please contact your veterinarian.
Play Aggression
What to do when your busy kitten or young cat is driving you crazy!
We frequently get complaints that a newly adopted kitten or young cat has found a new game that they really enjoy- attacking the feet, legs or hands of the humans in the household. Sometimes they will pester older cats in the household with playful attacks as well. Guess what- this is really normal behavior! However, it is not very acceptable in most of our households so we need to work out some changes in the routine so every one is happy. These guidelines are effective in most cases, but talk with your veterinarian if problems persist or are worsening.
Play aggression is usually seen in young cats and kittens. Usually stalking, pouncing, and even hopping sideways are seen. The cat will bite or occasionally scratch moving hands, feet, or the family member moving through the house. It is most common in single cat households where the cat is alone of much of the day. Playing roughly with the kitten or encouraging it to bite or swat at hands and feet also encourages play aggression. Sometimes play aggression is seen in multi-cat households when the other cat is old or debilitated or very passive. Orphan kittens that were hand- raised or weaned early are frequently play aggressive as they did not receive socialization by the queen. They do not learn to sheathe their claws or inhibit their bites.
- Often the easiest solution is to add a second cat or kitten of similar age and playful temperament. They will play with each other and aggressive play will be inhibited because the new companion will bite back or become defensive when play becomes too aggressive.
- Never use physical punishment (hitting or swatting) to stop the play aggression. This can cause the aggression to escalate and transform into fear aggression.
- Treatment is fairly straightforward. Increased play activity involving moving toys at least 15 minutes one to two times a day is critical.
- Fishing pole toys / string toys with toys at the end of a cord. These encourage pouncing and stalking. Never leave toys with strings out where the cat can reach it when not supervised to avoid string eating and possible surgery.
- Laser pointers: play laser tag. Do not shine directly in the cat’s eyes. You can be watching TV and playing with the cat at the same time!
- Hand-made toys such as old socks stuffed with crinkly paper or tissues.
- Mouse-in-the-house mechanical toys. These move around the house. Use Google for websites that offer these toys.
- Kong-type toys stuffed with kibble that the kitty bats around and is rewarded with the food being released.
- Play aggression may occur in certain areas of the house such as the hallway from the bedroom to the bathroom (a favorite location). Keep Ping Pong balls available to throw down the hall in front of you to redirect your cat’s attention on to an appropriate object.
- Keep an air canister (used to clean computer keyboards) next to the chair or sofa where attacks on a seated individual occur. A water squirt gun may also be used. When the cat is observed to be starting the aggression, spray the kitty with the water or compressed air. The point is to startle the kitten so it stops the behavior as it starts.
- Do not play directly with your hands or feet and your cat. Always have a toy or other object in between your hands and feet and their teeth and claws. Otherwise you are sending mixed messages to your cat and will confuse them.
- Do not push your cat always when it bites at you. This escalates the play to your cat and it will come right back and bite harder.
- Put a belled safety collar on your cat. This will help you (or the other cats in the household) detect the presence of the aggressor more easily and help you redirect its play behavior.
- Reward the behavior you want to have continue. Do not pet or try to cuddle or give attention to the kitty after it bites or scratches – give it a 15 minute time-out. Reward your cat with food treats and petting when it is acting calm.
- Playing with your cat is a reward – these kitties need active play and attention as they are usually high energy. Fifteen minutes twice a day of active play is a minimum needed and some cats need more.
- Medication is usually not needed to address play aggression. If another cat is the target of the play aggression, sometimes the target cat becomes anxious enough to require anti-anxiety medications.
- There are other types of aggression that cats can display, and sometimes more than one type is seen at the same time. Treatment may differ for these types of behavior. Please call us if problems persist. Most play aggression is resolved if sufficient moving-toy or active play is received.
- Finally, the goal is to help you change the behavior of your cat to stop play aggressive behavior. Any pet can bite or scratch under certain circumstances, especially when they become fearful or are in pain. There is no treatment plan or medication that guarantees that the pet will never bite or scratch again. Use common sense and avoid trying to hold or touch an upset cat. Seek medical attention if a bite or severe scratch occurs.
- Please call your veterinarian as needed with updates regarding your cat’s behavior- the sooner your cat “plays nicely”, the happier everyone will be!
Disasters!
The Northeastern US has certainly received the brunt of natural disasters recently! Blinding blizzards, a horrific hurricane just a few months before that….and an untold number of animals displaced or forever lost because of a natural disaster.
Lost cats! A very scary situation. Dr. Colleran described her experience and what to look for in a previous felinedocs. com blog last month
Four months ago my own CAT Stanley became lost due to my own carelessness, and it’s taken me a long time to be able to write about it. It was postcard-worthy late afternoon in Annapolis. Autumn was approaching and the air was crisp and clear, snapping the halyards and other lines on the sailboats still in their slips. The sun warming the water made the waves slap the bulkhead, gently rocking the boats back and forth. A perfect time for a boat ride, and a perfect day for CAT Stanley to get further acclimated to travel. Instead of a perfect day, it turned into a perfectly horrible day.
As a veterinarian, I work every day to promote the value of cats, espousing the need for keeping your cat indoors, having the proper identification and conditioning it to its carrier for travel. So even though I do all that- all my pets wear snug collars with ID tags and are microchipped-AND that afternoon he even had a harness and lead- he got out of his carrier. I had been working with CAT Stanley on travel conditioning by taking a leisurely ride in my old little putt-putt boat which he’s been on before. We returned to the boat slip safe and sound, I went to the stern to tie up the boat for less than a minute, and when I turned around he was GONE! He had been seemingly so comfortable I’d neglected to properly secure the carrier flap. Nowhere to be found- not under the floor boards even after removing the attached seats, not along the docks and all around the boat yard…. that night was very long as I combed, roamed and called for him in a ten square block area on both sides of the creek. I could only imagine how frightened he must have been, and that made me both sad and very angry with myself.
Forty-six agonizing and unlucky days. Though, in a sense, through all that I felt lucky. After four reprints of various versions of scores of signs and flyers, feeding stations, friends, faith and “fingers crossed” were the only “f” words I used. And while fatigue was another, I choose to override it and any nagging negatives by keeping the desired outcome top of mind- for CAT Stanley to be back home again!
The outpouring and support of the community was uplifting and made me grateful to live where I do. “I saw your sign and I think I saw your cat…” was the most common theme of the countless cell phone calls. And surprise! There are several orange tabby and white cats around town, and a one or two even looked like CAT Stanley. One school child used his mother’s phone and called me, breathless-“is your cat a kitten?” And after I told him Stanley was three, he texted me a picture of an adorable tiny orange tabby (no white) that you could hold in one hand- how sweet is that?
Others offered helpful suggestions. “Here’s a link to the City Government Facebook page and they have over 56,000 friends…” Then another- “I know the person who manages the city’s Facebook page and I’ll have them share it..,” “did you post him on Craig’s list?” and even “beware of this old lady who traps stray cats…” And I’m really happy to report that our county animal control shelter is a model of efficiency and empathy- escorting me through the various cat holding and adoption rooms, helping me fill out the lost pet form, and lending me two Have-a -Heart traps. And even after three hunts with a scent tracking dog and her handler, I remained optimistic as I followed her lead for placing the traps and a scent trail of items or material (even used cat litter!) related to Stanley’s feline friends and me (excepting the cat litter…).
The situation also gave me an opportunity to walk around town and meet some wonderful people face to face. Almost everyone had seen the signs and most agreed to take a picture of the flyer with their cell phone so they would have the information with them in case they spotted CAT Stanley when they were out and about. I especially remember one bittersweet conversation with a man on his evening run. “I’ve seen your signs and my wife and I have been keeping an eye out….” (Thank you!). And then his follow-up comment that smacked- “he’ll probably be OK- cats can take care of themselves…” No, they can’t! Cats need people was my initial response. That’s why CAT Stanley has a microchip (and have you seen that the UK is requiring all dogs get microchipped? Hopefully our day will come for dogs AND cats…)
Thankfully, I immediately recognized he was merely trying to make me feel better. But it gave me even more resolve to raise the bar for cat care and welfare in my own community and beyond.
So my vigil continued. I remained diligent and methodical, seeking, searching, calling and following up on every lead. And after forty-four days he was spotted- very close to the home that called me with the first sighting! Within two days he was back home- skinny, initially scared, with collar and tag intact. His housemates gave him the once-over and obligatory nasal-anal assessment (aka butt sniff), CAT Stanley ran upstairs to his favorite hangout, and all was good.
I’m a veterinarian and advocate for cats, and this still happened to me! I was lucky, and even with no “natural disaster” excuses such as snowstorms and hurricanes, tornados or fires, people need to be reminded that we all get careless. Sometimes there are little or no consequences. But sometimes the consequences are disasters and end up breaking your heart.
Don’t wait for a disaster. If you haven’t yet taken these steps, please do them NOW:
- Microchip your cat and register it! The apps and other support services are very helpful!
- Keep current close up full-body photos on your computer
- Make sure when outdoors they are fully supervised
- Keep them current on their yearly exams, appropriate vaccines and parasite prevention program
- Give them lots of love and care….so they will want to come home again.
We need cats…they need us!
Tough Talk About Teeth – Part 2
If you missed it: Tough Talk About Teeth – Part 1
Remember Rufus? He’s the young cat who needed radical dental surgery to correct very diseased teeth and gums. When he came into my practice, he had the 30 teeth most cats have, but when he left later that evening, not a single one remained.
I was confident he’d do very well, but no one likes to see their cat lose so many teeth. Even though our typical pampered house pets don’t need to hunt for their meals, teeth still serve a function and this guy’s days of chewing on hard treats or crunchies were going to be a thing of the past.
Does anyone remember getting your wisdom teeth out? If you had to get them removed by your dentist, you probably don’t have happy memories of the aftercare. Extractions hurt! So one of the prime considerations with Rufus was how were we going to control any pain or discomfort during the healing process? Would he want to eat? We certainly didn’t want his gums to be so sensitive that even watered down canned food would be too uncomfortable to lap up.
I think most of us tend to put ourselves in our cat’s shoes and imagine how we would feel if we’d had something similar done to us, but that’s not necessarily the best way to approach a problem. Rufus had no idea that he was supposed to have teeth. Before his surgery, he was a cat with a serious mouth problem and it affected his life. What he knew is his mouth really hurt, and eating and grooming wasn’t a pleasure and he could only manage to chew just the minimum amount of food he needed to survive. Licking his fur meant his tongue was going to move against those inflamed gums, and he knew that the pain and discomfort stopped if he stopped licking. So that plush and wonderful coat grew matted and dull. This was his reality. Bad teeth hurt!
What else happens with bad teeth and infected mouths? We know in people that mouth inflammation can actually ratchet up the body’s overall level of inflammation, which can result in systemic disturbances, including an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Could something similar happen in cats? Perhaps changes might happen in other organs like the sensitive kidneys? It certainly makes sense. Could vigilant dental care help protect our cats against other inflammatory diseases?
When we extracted all those diseased teeth and turned off the source of inflammation for those hot and angry gums, we stopped his mouth pain and took away his never-ending discomfort. It completely eliminated that awful situation. Unfortunately, though, surgery always creates another source of pain that occurs when any place on the body is cut or injured. The nice thing is we now have healthy tissue and healing will happen. All we need to do is make sure to control any mouth-associated discomfort until his gums are completely healed and he is able to eat comfortably.
Rufus took all his pain medications and was a very good patient, and once his parents realized that he didn’t care that he didn’t have any teeth, and that he could and did eat normally, and that he purred exactly the same as he’d always done, well, they were happy too.
I saw Rufus recently for his follow-up visit, and one look at him convinced me that sometimes you really do need to be radical to make progress. He’d put on that one pound he’d lost before his mouth surgery, and his lovely coat was back to its fluffy and glorious self. His eyes were bright and shiny, and his whole attitude was more relaxed and friendly.
He was eating normally—and even sneaking a crunchie or two—and much more social and engaging than he’d been for the past year. In fact, the change was so remarkable that his parents thought that Rufus hadn’t been right for much longer than we’d suspected, and they said they were kicking themselves for not doing the dental work the first time it had been suggested. It struck them as funny in a way because nothing he had done at home when his mouth was so diseased was obviously indicative of a problem—it was only when the problem was removed that the return of his normal, happy self showed us what an impact discomfort can have on the personality.
This time when I opened his mouth to peek inside, all I saw was pink healthy tissue without a sign of any inflammation. His breath was fresh and sweet. And our boy was purring so loudly that the biggest challenge was being able to hear his heart over the noise!
Categories
- Behavior (11)
- Personal Opinion (32)
- Tips & Advice (120)
ALL TAGS
- abdomen
- abdominal pain
- abdominal region
- abdominal ultrasound
- abscessed teeth
- acquired diseases
- activity
- adopt a cat month
- adoption
- adrenal gland disease
- adrenaline
- aggression
- aggressive
- aging
- agression
- agressive
- aids
- air
- allergic
- allergies
- allergy
- allergy test
- allorubbing
- amaryllis bulbs
- amygdala
- anabolic
- anemia
- anesthesia
- Animal Poison Control
- Anti-histamines
- antibiotics
- antihistamines
- appetite
- arthritis
- aspirin
- asthma
- attention
- bacteria
- barking
- Bartonella hensalae
- bartonella infection
- basil
- bats
- bed bugs
- behavior
- behavior problems
- bile
- biopsy
- black cat
- bladder crystals
- bladder disease
- bladder infection
- bladder stones
- blader stones
- blood
- blood flow
- blood pressure
- blood sugar
- blood test
- blood tests
- bloodwork
- blueberries
- boarding
- bob cat fever
- bone
- bone dysplasias
- bored
- brain tumor
- breathing problems
- brushing
- budesonide
- bugs
- bunting
- burns
- Calcium deficiency
- calm
- calories
- cancer
- candles
- canine parovirus
- canned food
- car
- car sickness
- carbohydrate-free
- carbohydrates
- carbs
- cardiac ultrasound
- cardiologist
- cardiology
- cardiomyopathy
- carnivores
- carpet
- carrier
- carriers
- cat
- cat allergy
- cat brushing teeth
- cat carrier
- cat collars
- cat dental care
- cat dental work
- cat dog household
- cat food
- cat friendly carrier
- cat oral pain
- cat owners
- cat scratch fever
- cat sitter
- cat teeth
- cat tower
- cat trees
- cat vomit
- catmint
- catnip
- catnip oil
- cats
- cats mouth pain
- cavities
- cdc
- chemotherapy
- chew tablets
- chirps
- choking
- christmas
- Christmas cactus
- chronic pain
- chronic rhinitis
- clients
- clinic
- coat
- cochlea
- cockroaches
- colonies
- congenital defects
- congestive heart failure
- constipation
- contamination
- cooling
- cords
- cornea
- corrosive
- Corticosteroids
- couching
- coughing
- cranberries
- crayfish
- crickets
- ct scan
- cuddle
- curiosity
- cyclosporine
- cytauxzoon felis
- damaged irritated skin
- dandruff
- decreased appetite
- defacation
- defecates
- defecation
- dehydration
- dementia
- Demodex mites
- dental
- dental disease
- dental health
- depression
- desensitizing injections
- development
- devils
- dewormers
- dexamethasone
- diabetes
- diabetic
- diaddhea
- diarrhea
- diet
- dietary deficiencies
- dilated pupils
- dinner plate
- dirt
- diseases
- dog
- dog owners
- dogs
- Domestic Wild Cat Hybrids
- dos and don'ts
- Dr Yolken
- drinking
- drip set
- drool
- drooling
- drugs
- dry food
- dry food vs wet food
- dust mites
- ear canal
- eardrum
- ears
- earthworms
- eating
- eating less
- ecgs
- egypt
- ehrlichia
- elderly
- elevated heart rate
- enclosures
- enlarged heart
- environment
- euthanize
- examinations
- excessive licking
- exercise
- expense
- extractions
- eye discoloration
- eyes
- F2 Savannah Cat
- familiar environments
- fangs
- fast eating
- fat
- fats
- fatty acid supplements
- feeding tube
- feline hearing
- feline immunodeficiency virus
- Feline Infectious Peritonitis
- feline leukemia virus
- fever
- fiber
- fight
- fip
- first response
- fish oil
- fiv
- flea bites
- flea control
- flea medications
- fleas
- fleece blanket
- flies
- flowers
- fluid
- fluid bag
- fluids
- flv
- food
- food allergies
- food poisoning
- found cat
- freeze dried meet
- freightened
- frequency
- friends
- frightened
- fungal infections
- fur loss
- furballs
- gall bladder
- gastrointestinal
- gastrointestinal irritation
- gastrointestinal tract
- gi tract
- giardia
- gift
- gingivitis
- glucose
- grain-free
- grains
- green
- groom
- grooming
- growls
- grroming
- gums
- hacking
- hair balls
- hair follicles
- hair loss
- hairballs
- hallucinatory
- happy
- head butt
- headbutt
- health
- heart
- heart beat
- heart disease
- heart failure
- heart murmur
- heartworm
- heartworms
- heating
- Hemerocalis
- hepafilter
- herb
- herbivores
- hide
- hiding
- high blood pressure
- hisses
- histopathology
- history
- holiday
- holiday dangers
- holidays
- hookworms
- hormonal problems
- hormones
- household
- how to train a kitten
- hungry
- hunting
- hydration
- hyperthyroidism
- hypoallergenic foods
- ibd
- icicle
- id tags
- illness
- immune mediated disorders
- immune system
- immunizations
- immunologic response
- immunosuppression
- increased appetite
- indoor cats
- infected
- infection
- infectious stomatitis
- inflamed
- inflammation
- inflammatory bowel disease
- inflammatory bowel diseases
- injections
- insects
- instincts
- insulin
- interactive
- internal organs
- intestinal
- intestinal parasites
- intestinal tract
- intestine disease
- irritating
- itching
- itchy
- itchy eyes
- Jerusalem cherry
- Johns Hopkins University
- joints
- kibble
- kidney
- kidney disease
- kitten
- kittens
- kneading
- land
- laryngeal muscles
- leading to scratching
- lethargic
- lethargy
- lick
- licking
- lifestyle
- lilies
- Lilium family
- lily
- lions
- liquid medication
- liquid potpourri
- litter
- litter box
- litter training
- litterbox
- littermates
- liver disease
- liver fluid
- lost cat
- lung damage
- lung disease
- lung flukes
- lungworms
- lyme disease
- lymphoma
- mayo clinic
- meals
- measuring food
- medical costs
- medicare
- medicating
- medication
- medications
- menthol
- Meows
- metabolism
- Methylprednisolone
- methylzanthine
- mice
- microchip
- microchipping
- microchips
- microscopic
- microscopic evaluation
- minerals
- mint
- mistletoe
- moderation
- mosquitoes
- mother'sday
- motion sickness
- mousers
- mouth
- mouth odor
- mouth pain
- muffin pans
- murmur
- nail trimming
- narcotic
- nasal
- National Take Your Cat to the Veterinarian week
- natural disaster
- nausea
- needle
- needy
- neoplasia
- neurological
- neuter
- neutering
- new cat
- new veterinarian
- nicotine
- nih
- nose
- nutrients
- nutrition
- obesity
- odontoclastic resorptive lesions
- odor
- old
- old wives tales
- older
- oncologist
- or biting themselves
- oral cancer
- oral hygiene
- oral mass
- oral surgery
- oral tumor
- oregano
- ornaments
- osteoporosis
- outdoor water
- over heating
- overgrooming
- overweight
- pain
- pain medication
- pancreas disease
- Pancreas failure
- pancreatitis
- Panleukopenia
- panthers
- parasite
- parasites
- party
- pathologist
- pathology
- pee
- perches
- peridontal disease
- pet pillers
- petting
- petting induced agression
- phermonic receptor
- pheromone
- Phoradendum
- physical health
- pill pockets
- Pine needles
- pinna
- plants
- plastic bag chewers
- play
- poison
- poisonous plants
- pollens
- poop
- potting soil
- predator
- prednisolone
- primary heart muscle
- protein
- pseudocapsicum
- psychology
- purebred
- puritan
- purring
- purrito
- purrs
- rabid
- rabies
- radiation
- radiation therapy
- radiographs
- rats
- relations
- relaxation
- repositol
- rescue
- respiratory disease
- respiratory sounds
- restrain
- resulting in hair loss
- retrovirus
- reward
- ribbons
- Rickets
- rivalry
- rodents
- rolling around
- rough
- roundworms
- rub
- rubbing
- safety
- saliva
- satanism
- Savannah Cat
- scared
- scents
- scratching
- scream
- screaming at night
- scruffing
- sea
- sedation
- senile
- senior
- shedding
- shelter cats
- shiny coat
- shy
- siblings
- skin
- skin disease
- sleep
- sleeping
- slugs
- smell
- smoking
- snails
- sneeze
- sneezing
- social groups
- social interactions
- socialization
- socializing
- Solanum
- sound waves
- spay
- spaying
- spiders
- sprint
- steps
- steroids
- stiff
- stomach disease
- stomach upset
- stool
- stray
- stress
- string and ribbon eaters
- Styrofoam peanut chompers
- Subcutaneous Fluids
- sudden death
- sugar
- super nose
- superstitions
- surgery
- surroundings
- sweets
- swelling face
- swollen legs
- syringe
- tapeworms
- taste
- taste buds
- teeth
- teeth removal
- temperature
- Theobromine
- third eye lid
- thyroid
- ticks
- tigers
- timid
- tinsel
- tissue
- tobacco
- toilet paper
- tongue
- tooth resorption
- toxic
- toxic plants
- toxins
- toxo eggs
- toxoplasma
- Toxoplasma gondii
- toxoplasmosis
- toys
- transdermal cream
- transducer
- transportation
- traumatized
- travel
- treats
- tree
- triamcinolone
- trouble breathing
- tumors
- ulcerated
- ultrasound
- uncomfortable
- unravel
- urinalysis
- urinary
- urinary disorders
- urinary tract
- urinating
- urination
- urine
- vaccinations
- vaccines
- valvular diseases
- vestibular apparatus
- veterinary
- veterinary behaviorist
- virus
- Viscum
- Vitamin D
- vitamins
- vocalizing
- voles
- vomeronasal
- vomeronasal organ
- vomit
- vomiting
- water
- water fountain
- weight
- weight control
- weight loss
- well being
- wet food
- what cat's like
- wheezing
- wipes
- witches
- worms
- wrapping
- x-rays
- xray
- yells
- younger