CAT HEALTH & MEDICINE

Massage therapy for cats can ease the pain and lack of mobility related to a number of conditions, says Lisa Ruthig, chair of the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure and Massage, and director of Animal Programs at the Bancroft School of Animal Massage in Worcester, Massachusetts. These include arthritis, post-operative pain, muscle strain, and even aggressiveness stemming from anxiety.

The question remains: Whats the best flea treatment for my home? Well, researchers discovered that in a typical flea-infested house, the adult fleas represent only about one to five percent of the flea population! So where are the rest of the pests? Flea eggs make up about 50 to nearly 60 percent, flea larvae makes up about 35 percent, and the pupae (a life stage of the flea that comes after larvae and before emergence as an adult) about 10 percent.

Bad breath, medically termed halitosis, is a common problem in cats, says Tufts veterinary internist Michael Stone, DVM, and can be severe enough to create problems in the animal-owner relationship. For sure, its hard to get up close and personal with a cat whose breath smells worse than fishy.

Our cat sometimes gets one or two pockets of pus on different parts of his body that ooze a bit, then often go away. Should I be concerned?

My cat was in a terrible car accident. Shes going to live, but the veterinarian had to amputate one of her legs - there was just too much damage.

My veterinarian told me my 14-year-old tabbys kidneys are beginning to fail but that a special prescription diet thats more expensive than over-the-counter cat food could extend my cats life. Could that really be true? Or is she just just selling snake oil?

Does your cat lick or devour non-food items while displaying passionate interest in those objects? Is he eating nylon stockings or chomping down on paper towels?

You love your cat and let him get up close even though having him around makes your eyes water, your nose run, or your throat scratchy. Youre not alone. About 10 percent of the U.S. population has a pet allergy, with twice as many people allergic to cats as to dogs, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. With an estimated 47 million cat-owning households in the U.S., thats a lot of discomfort endured in the name of feline love.

The year 1979 marked the first time a cat was diagnosed with a hyperactive thyroid. Since then cases have been on the rise. Up to one in six older cats is affected by this illness, which throws their metabolism into overdrive, making it overshoot the mark.

Two animal behaviorists and a veterinarian reporting in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery have shown that feeding cats using food puzzles - either little balls with holes in them or gadgets that need to be manipulated by the cat to release food - can reverse a variety of psychosocial and physical problems.

Even the most caring cat owner probably wouldnt list mouth-to-snout as the preferred way of expressing affection. But what if it could save the life of a companion animal who has stopped breathing?

Ask someone with a cat what happens if the pet wants breakfast at 4 A.M. and you dont feel like getting up and feeding her. Theyll keep annoying you until you do, says Alicia Karas, DVM, a pain specialist at the Tufts Cummings School. But when theyre not feeling well, they act more like prey species rather than the predators they are, Dr. Karas comments. They lie low. We dont really know why. Unless youre very astute about reading your pet, youll very likely miss the cues.