by Nomi Berger
 
It seems to be one of nature’s more peculiar rules: where there’s a cat, there’s a hairball.
 
Although most cat owners are all too familiar with this feline phenomenon, there ARE ways to keep it to a minimum.
 
Contrary to popular myth, however, hairballs are NOT “balls” of hair, nor are they “coughed up.” The technical term for a hairball is a trichobezoar, from tricho (hair) and bezoar (a clumping of material virtually cemented together in the gastrointestinal tract). Simply put, hairballs are thickened wads of ingested hair that can’t pass through a cat’s intestinal tract as they normally should, but are vomited (not coughed) up instead.
 
Since all cats groom themselves, swallowing hair in the process is a normal occurrence, one their digestive systems handle by allowing the hair to pass through the intestinal tract and out in the feces. But all conscientious cats owners should groom their cats as well. Why? Because regular brushing and/or combing removes much of a cat’s loose hair BEFORE it’s swallowed, thereby limiting the amount of hair the cat swallows. The less hair ingested means the fewer hairballs formed.
 
While shorthaired cats also develop hairballs, longhaired cats are particularly prone to them, making their grooming – often daily -- even more important. The added benefits to this consistent grooming? It keeps their coats free of tangles and mats and keeps their skin healthy.
 
Besides a regular routine of brushing and/or combing, there are various hairball products purported to help control hairballs. Most are petroleum based and work by trying to lubricate the hairball, making it easier to pass normally through the intestinal tract. Although effective for some cats, they’re not effective for all, and many veterinarians believe they can actually be harmful. There are also numerous commercial cat foods that feature a high volume of fiber designed to keep the gastrointestinal tract moving normally. Once again, they may be effective for some cats, but not all.
 
The most recent trend is towards keeping cats who vomit frequently on a grain-free diet based on the theory that cats haven’t evolved to eat grains. Being obligate carnivores, their “natural” diet would have high protein but low carbohydrate levels. Grain-based foods are higher in carbohydrates, leading to changes in the bacteria of a cat’s intestinal tract that may alter its motility, contributing to the inability of hair to pass through it normally.
 
It’s vital, therefore, for all concerned cats owners to consult their own vets before using any of these products or starting any of these diets.
 
Hairballs can cause problems other than vomiting, as when one such mass becomes lodged in the intestinal tract, thereby obstructing it. Frequent vomiting, with or without hairballs, is abnormal for any cat, and demands an immediate visit to the vet – for advice, treatment or both. 

by Nomi Berger
 
From faraway yesterdays to far out todays, folks have always been fascinated by felines. And so, to tickle the fancy of cat fanciers everywhere, a few of history’s tastier tidbits.
 
George Burns, vaudevillian and comedian, named his cat Willie. Why? His off-the-cuff response: “When you tell a cat what to do, there's always a question of will he or won’t he.”
 
Raymond Chandler, author of the Phillip Marlowe detective series, spoke to Taki, his black Persian, as if she was human, referring to her as his secretary because she sat on his manuscripts while he revised them.
 
British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill never ate without his marmalade cat, Jock, often dispatching the servants to find him so that meals could begin. Not only that, but Jock also slept with his master and attended numerous wartime Cabinet meetings.
 
British author Charles Dickens’s cat, affectionately dubbed the “Master’s Cat”, would snuff out the writer’s candle in order to get his attention.
 
German theoretical physicist Albert Einstein kept a tomcat named Tiger who tended to get depressed whenever it rained. Einstein’s comment? “A man has to work so hard so that something of his personality stays alive. A tomcat has it so easy; he has only to spray and his presence is there for years on rainy days.”
 
Actor Jesse Eisenberg not only acts (in real life) as a foster caregiver for needy cats, but he also filmed a public service announcement for the Washington Animal Rescue League, urging viewers to open their homes and their wallets for the sake of all animals in need.
 
Actor James Franco, a self-confessed cat person, has named his recent cats after characters from the literary world. Examples: Sammy, after Sammy Glick from the novel “What Makes Sammy Run”, and Zelda, for socialite and novelist, Zelda Fitzgerald.
 
Journalist and novelist Ernest Hemingway shared his Key West home with more than 30 cats, one of them a rare six-toed tomcat, whose offspring still roam the grounds today. “A cat,” he once said, “has absolute emotional honesty. Human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.”
 
Recording artist Ke$ha’s cat, Mr. Peeps, is a star in his own right on social media, while Ke$ha herself served as Humane Society International's first global ambassador, and continues to speak out against animal testing of cosmetics.
 
Actress Eva Longoria, chosen as the face of Sheba Feed Your Passion campaign in 2013, loves cats, once telling People magazine, “I always found that I identified with them. Cats are feminine and independent and playful, much like a woman.”
British songwriter Freddie Mercury, founder of the rock group Queen, not only wrote the song “Delilah”, which was released on the album “Innuendo”, for his favorite tortoiseshell, Delilah, but when on tour, would call London to talk to all of his cats.
 
British physicist Sir Isaac Newton, who described the principle of gravity, also invented the swinging cat door for the convenience of his many cats.
 
Singer songwriter Katy Perry, known for being a cat fanatic, owns a cat called Kitty Purry. During one of her tours, she missed him so much that she asked her staff to find her a kitty surrogate to keep her company.
 
French-German philosopher and physician Albert Schweitzer, who was left-handed, often wrote prescriptions with his right hand because he didn’t want to disturb his cat, Sizi, who liked to sleep on his left arm.
 
British playwright and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 6-month-old Turkish Vant, Otto, wiped out the score of his sequel to “Phantom of the Opera” in 2007. “I was trying to write some new music,” recounts Webber, “when Otto got into the piano, jumped onto the computer, and destroyed the entire score in one fell swoop.”
 
British author H.G. Wells’s cat, Mr. Peter Wells, was famously known for getting up from his chair, protesting vehemently, and stalking out of the room if a guest had been speaking too loudly or too long.
 
 

by Nomi Berger
 
Have you ever found yourself in the position of finding a litter of kittens and wondering what to do next? To keep or not to keep, that is the question.
 
Here, then, are some answers -- together with more questions.
 
1. If you find a litter of kittens on or near your property, watch them, but don’t move them. Their mother may be nearby. If, however, the kittens seem distressed or are very vocal, and if their mother hasn’t returned by the end of the day, she may NOT be returning.
 
2. Unless they're in danger, however, it's best to give their missing mother another chance to return and tend to them. Place them in a carrier or cardboard carton to keep them warm, safe and secure.
 
3. Try to determine the age of the kittens. Are they newborns with eyes closed, weighing less than 8 ounces or are they 8 weeks old, weighing 2 pounds and resembling miniature cats? Not to mention every age and weight in between. Each age brings with it a different set of criteria as to these kittens’ proper maintenance and care. If they are newborns, contact local rescue groups or an area shelter willing to take them in immediately.
 
4. Are they feral (part of a colony of cats born to live and survive outdoors) or domestic kittens born to a family’s lost companion cat? Once again, this will determine the steps you take next.
 
5. If it’s either too hot or too cold outside, raining or snowing, bring the kittens indoors and confine them to a clean, quiet and small room, whether a spare bedroom, bathroom or laundry room. Leave them in their carton or carrier with the door open, and provide them with a high-quality kibble, fresh water, and cat litter.
 
6. Within a few days, decide whether you want to temporarily foster them, bearing in mind that socializing them as quickly as possible will improve their chances of ultimately being adopted.
 
7. Although adorable and impossible to resist, kittens do have little claws and sharp teeth. To protect yourself from unnecessary “battle scars”, wear gloves until the kittens grow comfortable with being handled.
 
8. If you have other pets, keep them separated from the kittens to minimize the risks of their transmitting either parasites or infections to them.
 
9. To make fostering the kittens easier, speak with the volunteers at a local rescue group or shelter and ask for their advice – on all matters from A to Z.
 
10. When it’s time for the kittens to “leave the nest”, either contact your vet (some operate re-homing centers and will welcome yours if there’s room) or the same rescue group you’ve befriended, where the kittens will be spay/neutered, then set on the right path towards finding their fur-ever homes.
 
By your actions, compassionate and caring, you’ll have not only saved several small lives, but you’ll have shared in an extraordinary experience, one you’re unlikely to ever forget.

by Nomi Berger
 
Like humans, cats are living longer, and like humans, their increased life span brings with it an increase in diseases. The following are the seven most common ailments afflicting aging felines.
 
Arthritis
Occurring more often than many cat owners realize, the symptoms of arthritis are sometimes mistaken for “normal” changes due to age. Arthritic cats, however, tend to become less active, sleep more, and may no longer be able to reach their usual perches or other elevated surfaces. The pain associated with arthritis can greatly alter their quality of life if not addressed early enough.
 
Cancer
Although cancer in cats is nearly half of what it is in dogs, it tends to be more aggressive. One of the most common is lymphoma, which is associated with the feline leukemia virus (FeLV), followed by squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell tumor, mast cell tumor, mammary carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, osteosarcoma and ostcarcinoma/adenocarcinoma.
 
Dental disease
While not specific to older cats (an estimated two thirds of cats over the age of three suffer from dental disease), it can be a serious issue for them, causing severe pain that, in turn, adversely affects their appetite, leading to weight loss. The majority of feline dental problems can be grouped into five categories: gingivitis, tooth resorption, fractured teeth, feline stomatitis, and oral neoplasia (cancer).
 
Diabetes mellitus
Characterized by increased blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, diabetes usually results from a combination of obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Most diabetic cats require insulin injections, and remission is possible when aggressive treatment begins early, before the pancreas is too severely overtaxed. If remission does occur, insulin is no longer necessary. If, however, remission does not occur, insulin must be administered for the rest of the cat’s life.
 
Heart disease
One of the most common is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which occurs when there is an increase in the thickness of the muscular wall of the heart. This not only reduces the volume of blood within the heart, but it also keeps the heart muscle from relaxing properly between contractions. Although there are varying degrees of cardiomyopathy, the end result is congestive heart failure, when the heart’s ability to properly pump blood has been seriously compromised.
 
Hyperthyroidism
This condition results from an increase in the production of thyroid hormones (known as T3 and T4) due to enlarged thyroid glands in a cat's neck. In most cases, this enlargement is caused by an adenoma, a non-cancerous tumor, and more rarely by malignant tumors called thyroid adenocarcinomas. Among its various symptoms are weight loss despite a cat’s increased, often ravenous, appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, an increase in water consumption, and an increase in urine volume.
 
Kidney disease
The kidneys act as filters, removing many of the waste products produced by a cat’s body and eliminating them through urine. When the kidneys are damaged, whether by aging or other issues, these wastes are no longer filtered effectively, leading to a buildup in the cat’s blood stream. Symptoms of chronic kidney disease include increased thirst, an increase in urine volume, weight loss, a lack of appetite, and vomiting.
 
Because senior cats may suffer from one or more of these diseases at the same time, this makes diagnosing and managing them slightly more challenging. Senior cats, therefore, should be seen by a vet twice a year rather than annually, as suggested for younger cats. These visits are the best way to stay on top of their health, because most illnesses are easier to treat if diagnosed early. And an early diagnosis means early treatment, which may contribute to their quality of life while extending that life at the same time.

by Nomi Berger
 
The feline world’s worst kept secret is out -- cats are crazy about cartons. From snug shoe boxes to capacious cardboard containers.
 
If the question regarding this curious obsession is “why?” the answer is twofold: warmth and security. Not only do all things boxy provide cats with calm and cozy places to sleep off and on throughout the day and night, but they also offer them shelter from domestic “predators”, whether it’s a peeping Tom, a nosey Parker’s dog nose or an unwelcome amorous advance from their owners.
 
So fascinating is this feline fascination that it has been the subject of several studies in several countries.
 
Working with a Dutch animal shelter, researchers at Utrecht University in the Netherlands divided 19 cats into two groups and gave one group access to a variety of confined spaces. The result? Stress levels decreased significantly in the cats that were able to relax in boxes. Why? Because, in the wild, these small spaces would have been their “go to places” whenever they felt threatened by other animals.
 
To quote one of the researchers, “Hiding is a behavioral strategy of the species to cope with environmental changes and stressers.” In other words, most cats would rather flee from their problems than face them face on.
 
According to a National Research Council study, the thermoneutral zone for a domestic cat is 86 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit. This, then, is their “comfort” zone, where they don’t have to generate extra heat to keep warm. But the thermostats in most homes are set closer to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and because cardboard boxes usually consist of multiple layers, they make ideal insulators for shivering cats trying to keep out of drafts.
 
And so, mystery de-mystified. Boxes are, quite simply, insulating, stress relieving cubbies where cats can hide, relax and sleep. They are unspoken meows to their concerned and caring guardians that mean either “Keep Out” or “Turn Up the Heat.”