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Q: I’ve noticed that in readying herself to pounce on something, my cat lifts her rump and then wiggles it. What’s that about?
Ivy Zaccheus
Carlisle, Mssachusetts

As a rule, we are against putting your cat in a costume to mark a holiday. She has no idea what a holiday signifies. And she may be so unnerved by being put in fabric that she will freeze in place, not knowing how to move about. That said, some mellow cats don’t mind having clothing on them. Although they don’t get it, you can dress up your pet for a photo op without upsetting them.

Your 14-year- old cat has a large, benign tumor in one of her toes that is causing her pain and interfering with her mobility. Do you schedule a surgery to excise the tumor? Forgo the surgery and let the tumor keep enlarging until she is in so much discomfort that you finally euthanize her? Or wait and see?

If your cat is hissing or her tail is swishing as she goes to bite you, you can safely assume she is not trying to shower you with affection. But what about those moments in which you are gently stroking her coat and she is enjoying the attention but then begins biting you in a way that seems calm, almost casual? She’s not breaking the skin, but it can still prove painful. Why does she do that? Here are a couple of possible reasons:

• Flea and Tick Preventatives for Indoor Cats, Too
• Morsels
• No, a Cat’s FIV is not Like a Person’s HIV
• Your Cat’s Instinct to Scratch Versus Your Belongings
• Who Will Your Kitten Become?
• Why Is There Always Cat Litter—and Sometimes Cat Waste—Next to the Box?
• In Your Cat’s Future: A Change in Diet
• Dear Doctor

Flea- and tick-borne diseases are on the rise throughout the country, according to the Companion Animal Parasite Council. And they are causing more cases of Lyme disease and other serious illnesses, not just in us but also in our pets. “That includes cats who never go outside,” says Tufts Veterinary dermatologist Ramón Almela, DVM. “When you or your dog comes in from outdoors, they can jump off and grab a ride on your feline friend.”

Is your cat one of those whose tongue protrudes when he’s just sitting around? Ever wonder why he does it?

Abdominal surgeries are among the most common operations for cats (often performed to remove foreign bodies that your cat has swallowed and can’t pass, but also for spays and other reasons). When you take your pet home after a procedure in which her abdomen has been opened, you may see some bruising around the incision along with a little swelling, and perhaps some redness. That’s fine. But if after a couple of days the sutures “disappear” because the swelling has increased or there’s oozing, take her back to the vet’s office. Something’s wrong that needs to be tended to.

There’s no cure for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). And there’s no vaccine to protect against it. No drug can treat it, either. And it sounds a lot like “HIV,” which can progress to AIDS. So of course people are nervous about this feline disease, which strikes an estimated 2 to 5 percent of cats. The concern is so pervasive that a lot of people won’t even consider adopting an FIV-positive cat from a shelter, leaving animals who have tested positive for the condition to languish. Some people have even euthanized a cat found to be FIV-positive.

Almost 40 countries have now banned the declawing of cats except in situations where a claw is irreparably diseased or beyond repair. The United States is not among them, although we are starting to make inroads state by state. Virginia just passed a declawing ban earlier this summer, joining New York and Maryland. If cats could applaud, they would. They use their claws to scratch for myriad reasons.

You buy your cat the finely grained litter she prefers—it’s like the sand her ancestors once buried their waste in. You also purchase only the unscented kind because you’re aware that the flowery or perfumed scents people tend to like, cats find uninteresting, or even disgusting. And you make sure the litter you add is two to four inches in depth—just the way cats like it—and that it’s easily scoopable because you know your pet will be happier if you remove waste once a day.

When we think of dietary changes to treat an illness, we tend to think of them as a kind of Band-Aid approach. The attitude among many people is that eating differently may help at the margins but is nothing compared to the power of pharmaceuticals or surgical procedures. Not true, either for us or our cats. In a number of cases, a change in diet can extend life for years, and also the quality of life.