Diseases of Aging Dogs and Cats A few years ago at a family gathering, my aunt, who had just finished telling one of her famous cat stories, proclaimed, “ All of my cats over the last 25 years have gotten kidney disease. There must be something in the water.” Now, a regular cat enthusiast off…

Anyone who owns a Bengal cat knows they can be Herculean meowers, and Sophia’s Bengal cat, Dante, was no exception. He could easily hold a meow for at least five minutes. When first adopted, Sophia ignored his meowing and pretended that he didn’t exist, only rewarding him with petting or treats when he was quiet…

At first we gave the insulin but then Mochi started hiding from us. We didn’t want to make her hate us, so we discountinued the treatment even though we knew that without she wouldn’t live long. How many times have you heard something like this where a client fails to carry through with treatment because…

Anyone who rises to the 5:00 a.m. wake-up call of a hungry cat knows that this early morning meow has a clear meaning—Feed Me Now! But can meows alone carry clear messages in different contexts? Nicholas Nicastro and Michael Owren, both formerly in the psychology department at Cornell University, have an interesting answer. While Nicastro…

Question: We have a five month old kitten who can’t seem to get the hang of using the cat door. Our other cats use the door and I’m sure he sees them, but he doesn’t seem to learn by imitation. Any suggestions? Answer: A kitty door is a simple contraption that many cats learn to…

A reader once asked me, “My cat is an avid hunter, and in our area there appears to be a plentiful supply of rats and mice. He was bringing me samples on a daily basis and I had to export the live ones and bury the dead ones. I now partially closed the cat door…