Featured news items (left column) are stories and news releases provided by Feline Practitioners or members of our allied associations and industry partners. The full article is published on CatVets.com.

Other news items offer a brief description and link to the full article on an off site source. This sampling of news articles is selected to provide a sense of how cats are portrayed in the media across the USA and around the world and to be of interest to our members and website visitors.

MSU Researchers Test New Diet For Cats to Overcome Bladder Disorders
March 10, 2010

The team from the College of Veterinary Medicine is hopeful the new diet will help cats dissolve certain bladder stones and prevent future occurrences, and prevent a disorder known as feline idiopathic cystitis, in which cats suffer from bladder inflammation.

"While she and her husband slept," reports CBC News. "The cat hopped onto the bed and walked across her body. As it stepped on her breast, Danchura was struck by an unusual shot of pain..."

"There was no sign of him," she said. "I was just really hoping that someone had taken him in, because he's a really friendly cat."

So far, we've raised just over $100,000. That may not seem like a lot of dollars, but for cat health - that's significant. While raising money for dog health is  challenging; raising dollars for cat health is far tougher - for some reason - it just is. And the money we've raised has mattered. As a result in two breeds (Ragdoll's and Main Coon's) a gene with the defect carrying hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can now be identified with a simple cheek swab. But we need to do better for all cats!

By putting a higher price tag on some dogs, the county's shelter has done away with its $65 adoption fee for adult cats and now offers those felines for free. Kittens still cost, but cats six months and older get a free ride to a new home...

Assuming an appropriate diet and good health, you may have a behavioral problem. Are your cats getting enough stimulation? Young cats need lots of exercise for the brain and body. Consult www.indoorcat.org for ideas to keep their brains active. Try increasing oral stimulation with cat grass and chew toys.

TNR practitioners can now register with the county to feed, trap, vaccinate and sterilize feral cats with permission from landowners – an alternative to euthanizing them or allowing the cat population to grow unchecked – with the help of $10,000 in taxpayer-funded vouchers for rabies vaccine and sterilization.

With the return of spring comes celebration. Cat owners need to beware that Easter lilies are highly toxic to their beloved feline companions.