Cats, just like any other animal and their caretakers, can get sick. If you love cats and own them, there are some things you should know about the illnesses that can affect your feline friend.
When a cat starts scratching, it is cause for concern, constant scratching can mean fleas. Fleas are more than a mere discomfort for you pet, they are a serious issue that needs to be dealt with before they cause health issues for your cat as well as issues for you and your family.
Imagine being a cat sitting home all day with the curtains closed with nothing to do and no one to interact with. If you lived in the wild your natural cat behavior would lead you to watch birds and bugs, roam, chase, jump, hide, pounce and spend half a day happily looking for a mouse to eat. You also could defend your territory and flex your muscles. However, indoor cats that don't get exercise, stimulation and wholesome food can suffer. Their boredom can lead to depression or illness.
A recent Associated Press article in The Washington Post stunned cat and other pet owners who have animals with tracking implants. A series of highly accredited research studies, done over the last decade, have now been brought to light and show the same microchips or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) devices used to track pets are the cause of fast-growing, malignant cancers in 1% to 10% of lab animals tested. Now animal owners are faced with what to do.
While you've certainly come across many a stray cat who seem to be making it on their own, the truth is that cats are meant to be pets, cared for by humans. In fact, if you think about it, you'll realize that the majority of those stray cats you've encountered have likely appeared thin, weak, hungry, dirty, unkempt, and ill-looking.
A feline Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) often causes cats to stop using their litter boxes. This is a very painful condition for kitty. Using her logic, she thinks that because it hurts to use the litter box, maybe she should urinate someplace else. It might not hurt to urinate in another part of the house. And so the problems begin...
