by Nomi Berger Salmonella is the bacterium behind enteritis or salmonellosis in cats and lodges itself in their intestinal tracts. Cats typically contract the infection from the saliva or feces of other infected animals, or from ingesting contaminated meat or foods. Rarely seen in cats and seldom causing complications, most cats will simply…
by Nomi Berger Run Rings Around Ringworm Despite its name, ringworm is NOT caused by a worm but by a fungus. Known as dermatophytes, these fungi can infect the skin, hair and nails of any cat anywhere and is highly contagious, easily spreading to other household pets as well as to people. Classic…
by Nomi Berger 28 September also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur’s death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine. World Rabies Day is September 28 What is rabies in cats? Among all of the viral infections that can afflict our cats, rabies is indisputably the…
by Nomi Berger SOS! Kitty’s In A Tree Imagine your cherished cat in a tree and you on the ground looking up! Who ya’ gonna call? The fire department? Not anymore. Most fire departments no longer rescue cats. Understandably, they’re unwilling to commit their resources to pets in trees when human lives may…
by Nomi Berger Are you hesitant about planning a vacation because of your kitty? Are you haunted by visions of your beloved, four-legged furry friend meowing mournfully in a boarding kennel run by well-meaning strangers? Consider, then, the alternative image of your puss-in-boots purring, safely and satisfyingly, at home. Cared for by someone…
by Nomi Berger Pregnant and wondering how to break the news to your kitty cat (who was there first?). Contrary to the fear that an addition to your human family may mean the loss of your feline one, there are many paws-itive ways to ease your cat’s stress, to assist her in welcoming…
by Nomi Berger The fear of a pregnant woman’s contracting toxoplasmosis should never be a reason to relinquish the family’s cherished feline companion. In fact, people are more likely to become infected with toxoplasmosis by eating unwashed vegetables from their garden or by ingesting undercooked meat than from their pet. If yours is…
by Nomi Berger That Peculiarity Called Pica Pica (from the Latin term “magpie”) is the term for a feline’s affinity for eating anything that isn’t FOOD. And although it appears most frequently in young cats, it can affect older cats as well. Many cats may “nurse” on fuzzy items like wool, fleece and…
by Nomi Berger Like many cat owners, you may be fed up with finding scratch marks on everything from your floors and furniture to your curtains and comforters, cushions and clothes. And skin. But before you consider resolving the problem by choosing declawing as your only solution, be advised that declawing your cat…
by Nomi Berger Cats, like humans, are creatures of habit. Once comfortable in their surroundings, they are unnerved by change. And trading a familiar home for an unfamiliar one can cause fearfulness and stress. Unless you, the conscientious cat guardian, plan ahead with all the precision of a successful military campaign. Logically,…