Ask the Doctor

My beloved cat, Tigger, has died of cancer at the age of 19, and his death has left me feeling somewhat guilty. He enjoyed going outdoors, and I would follow him around the yard to make sure he was okay.

My cat scratched me on my arm, and a few days later I developed a bump there. But then I went on to develop a fever and also felt very tired. I went to the doctor, who said I had cat scratch fever and that it would resolve on its own. Does that sound right?

I have fallen in love with a shelter cat that is deaf and would like to adopt it. Should I have any concerns?

My cat needs a $3,000 operation, and I dont have the cash or that much credit available on my credit card. I should have bought pet health insurance, but obviously Im not going to be able to get it now, after the need for a surgery has been found. Do I have any options whatsoever?

My cat has been diagnosed with gastrointestinal lymphoma, and the veterinarian says he will need chemotherapy. Ive seen my father go through chemo, and it was no picnic. Im worried about putting my cat through this. Will it really help?

Do cats know their own names? It seems like sometimes my cat recognizes her name - shell turn her head slightly or look at me when I call out to her. But other times, saying her name makes no difference. She acts like Im not in the room.

Is it really okay to give your cat catnip? My husband and I are teetotalers and also would never smoke marijuana, so Im wondering if its okay to make my cat high. He does seem to like it and I dont want to take away something he enjoys, but am I inadvertently turning him into a drug addict, with attendant harmful effects? Also, is it just plain wrong?

My cat has always been a fastidious groomer but has developed dandruff. Are the flakes something I should be concerned about?

I think one of the things that makes cats so attractive is their large eyes. But are they really large, or do they just seem that way because of their relatively small heads?

My cat has always been a fastidious groomer but has developed dandruff. Are the flakes something I should be concerned about?

Last May my beloved 13-year-old cat was diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma and passed in August. A few months later our shelters newsletter told the story of a family whose dog had been diagnosed with the very same thing and, with a prognosis of 8 months, she actually lived 7 more years with the help of Piroxicam.

We sometimes get field mice in the basement, and my cat has a habit of killing them, then bringing them upstairs and laying them at my feet. Is she trying to show me the incredible booty she has gathered? She doesnt eat the mice - she just presents them, which makes it a little confusing.