Use the left menu to select additional categories!
Orange cats, calico cats, tortoiseshells — what’s going on here? Are orange cats always male? Are three-colored cats always female? Do I need a degree in genetics to understand how coat colors work in cats? No, not really. There are a few simple facts to know. Bundles of information The colors of a cat’s coat [...]
Why do cats purr? Only the cat knows. We aren’t even sure how the purr is produced. We do know that all felines, and felids, can produce the low vibrating sounds we associate with a happy, satisfied cat curled up on the bedspread after a good dinner. Scientists think the contraction of laryngeal muscles cause [...]
In a surprising report released recently, scientists have found that the biggest threat to wildlife is not disease, pesticides, automobile accidents or poisons. Cats, whether feral or owned, are the single greatest human-linked threat to birds and mammals in the outdoors. Estimates range to more than 2 billion birds and 12 billion small mammals killed [...]
How does it happen? We read unbelievable stories about pets, and some of them aren’t just “urban legends.” Did you see the story of the Florida cat that returned to her home after a journey of 100 miles and several months? Often the miraculous returning pet story is more a story of the longing of [...]
By Dr. Ellen Friedman, DVM I have an old high school friend who became a snooty Park Avenue gastroenterologist (not really snooty, but I tease him because of the location of his practice). Every now and then we talk about the odds and ends that patients ingest, and marvel at how similar those things can [...]
Does your cat love catnip? Does he roll in delight on the crumbled up leaves, wave his paws in the air and then fall into a deep, delicious sleep? What does this mean? And what is catnip, anyway? A bit of catnip history The plant is nepeta cataria, a member of the mint [...]
Kidneys: What purpose do they serve? Why are they so important that pets need two? How do they work? Is there more than one task relegated to them? How can I protect my pet’s kidneys and make them last a lifetime? The kidney is an amazingly complicated, interesting organ. Its foremost task is filtering: It [...]
By Dr. Ellen Friedman While we spend a lot of time thinking about health problems that pertain specifically to certain dog breeds, the so-called “fancy” cat doesn’t call a lot of attention to itself. There are fewer specialty breeds of cats, and mostly we think of the “domestic short hair” as the representative of [...]
By Dr. Ellen Friedman Yes, I’m a worrywart. But why wouldn’t I be? I’m a veterinarian, and I’m a pet owner. So I see pets who have inadvertently been put in harm’s way, and have been guilty of causing harm to my own pets. So this week, let me make you stop and think. [...]
By Dr. Ellen Friedman Dear Dr. Friedman: When I take my pet to the vet for a medical problem, they always want to check a urine sample, even if my dog (or cat) is vomiting. Don’t you just check urine when there’s a urinary tract problem? — A Curious Pet Owner Dear Curious: There is [...]