Cats are fastidious groomers, but there are times when they need your assistance. Every day, your cat uses its litter box, kills vermin/prey, and walks on filthy surfaces. So, making sure your cat’s paws are clean will help to prevent painful injuries and bacterial infections. Wiping your cat’s paws daily with a wet cloth will keep them clean. Check between the toes and around the paw pads for stuck litter, dirt, garden waste, and stones. […]

Have your cat’s gums turned black, or were they always a dark color? Black cats, in particular, will often have black or dark-colored gums. This is only a concern if the color of the gums has changed suddenly. A common explanation for black gums in cats is lentigo simplex. This is a harmless condition, most commonly associated with older, orange felines. The darkness on the gums is just freckles. Be sure that your cat’s gums […]

You’ve noticed a clear or colored discharge around your cat’s eyes. Eye discharge in cats can be yellow or brown, or even black or green. You may notice other symptoms, such as swelling and redness. Elderly cats have eye discharge due to viral infections such as feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1), and bacterial infections such as feline infectious anemia (FIA). Other common causes of leaky, watery eyes in cats include allergies, injuries, parasites, and fungal diseases. […]

Most cats are hardwired to enjoy hunting wild prey, but few domesticated house cats eat mice. Your cat is more likely to hunt for sport. This is why cats present dead mice to owners as a gift. If a cat eats a mouse, it may become sick. Rodents often carry diseases, parasites, and viruses. These include toxoplasmosis and tularaemia. The mouse may also have consumed toxic rodenticide. Even if a cat does not eat mice, […]

Cats are obligate nasal breathers. Ordinarily, a cat will breathe quietly and gently through the nose. If an older cat is wheezing and breathing heavily, there will be a medical explanation. Cats should be able to breathe freely while at rest. An older cat may take a while to catch its breath after physical exertion. Heart problems lead to a diminished oxygen supply in the body. A bacterial infection could also make it harder to […]

Cat spend hours of each day grooming. This is natural, until the cat starts to pull out fur in clumps. This is rarely a deliberate action. It is due to a condition called alopecia, in which fur becomes loose and falls out. The cat will shed fur whenever it grooms. Alopecia is caused by parasites, skin infections, and allergies. An overactive thyroid will also cause alopecia, as it can lead to the excess grooming of […]