If there is one diagnosis that is universally feared, it’s cancer. The great equalizer, cancer doesn’t care if you’re old, young, rich, poor, black, white, or beige. It also doesn’t spare our cats. Although a universal cure for cancer may be something of a fairytale, the treatment of cancer is a field that is constantly evolving. This week, we caught up with Dr Ilona Holcombe, the Director of Biosciences at ImpriMed, whose team is changing the way we treat cancer with the help of AI.

Whether we like it or not – sometimes, whether we know it or not – artificial intelligence is working its way into almost every aspect of our lives. Although we may not always welcome its presence in arts and literature, the virtually infinite problem-solving capacity of AI has the potential to find solutions that would otherwise take decades. ImpriMed is leading the charge against cancer by using this technology to create customized chemotherapy treatment protocols for humans and pets.

Wait, Chemotherapy for Pets?

When you think about the debilitating effects that chemotherapy often has on human patients, you would be forgiven for being horrified at the thought of exposing our pets to this form of treatment. The difference with veterinary chemotherapy is that the doses are significantly lower than those used to treat humans, making the side effects minimal. The compromise is that remission is usually the best we can hope for; the doses needed to achieve a cure would be too cruel to inflict on our pets. However, as many pet parents will attest, being able to extend the length of quality time they have with their pets is worth it.

Of the dozen or so drugs used for chemotherapy, there are only a handful that commonly form part of a treatment protocol, with the rest reserved for unresponsive or relapsing cases. Treatment protocols are typically based on which drug combinations tend to be most effective against the specific form of cancer we are treating, but this can involve a certain amount of trial and error, tweaking drugs and doses depending on how the patient – and their cancer – responds.

ImpriMed is removing this uncertainty by analyzing your pet’s cancer cells and using an AI program that has been created using years of statistics, case studies, and patient outcomes to determine not just how it might respond to certain chemotherapy treatments, but how it DOES respond to them.

Cancer Culture and Sensitivity

When treating an infection, an important step is culture & sensitivity testing, where a sample of the bacteria is grown in a lab in order to identify it and test which antibiotics will eliminate it. The process used at ImpriMed can be thought of in the same way. Cancer cells are isolated, identified, and put through multiple treatment combinations to determine which drugs are going to be the most effective, taking the guesswork out of treatment. Within a week, your vet will receive a personalized prediction profile for your pet.

Most of the side effects of chemotherapy occur because the chemicals used do not discriminate between cancerous and non-cancerous cells. They are most effective against rapidly dividing cells, which is why cancer cells are the ones most affected, but healthy cells can also be damaged and destroyed.

By using drugs that we already know are going to be effective against the cancer cells in this individual, those risks are reduced.

Does It Work on All Cancer?

At this stage, this AI service is only available for feline lymphoma, as well as canine leukemia and lymphoma, but there are plans underway to extend this into other common cancers seen in cats and dogs, as well as explore its use in treating feline inflammatory bowel disease. There is also hope that treatments could be found for forms of cancer that are currently unresponsive to chemotherapy, as well as look for different drug formulations and combinations.

It Must Be Expensive

We sadly live in a world where many medical and veterinary treatments are inaccessible to all but the super-rich. However, Dr. Holcomb, a self-confessed soft-hearted pet lover, seems determined to keep this technology within the reach of every pet owner, and the base price for a comprehensive personalized chemotherapy prediction profile will usually be around $1,000 from your vet*. This may seem like a lot of money, but when you consider the complexity of this technology, as well as how much time it saves getting your cat’s treatment right the first time, it’s actually very reasonable.

*As of February 2025. Indicative prices only. Excludes veterinarian costs (eg. consultations, sampling fees, etc). Contact your vet for further information.

It’s refreshing to come across a company that seems to care about pets and their parents, and we can only hope that it stays that way. ImpriMed’s services are available throughout the country, as well as overseas, so if your pet has been diagnosed with cancer, you might want to talk to a vet about exploring this option.

Featured image credit: Maria Sbytova, Shutterstock

The post Artificial Intelligence Takes on Feline Cancer: How New Technology Is Helping Treat Common Cat Cancers by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.

In the winter of 2019, for some reason that remains known only to him, Husband decided that four cats were not quite enough and that our already rather busy household was in need of a ginger. Enter Alex, named in memory of another little ginger cat called Axel, who was sadly struck by a car several years prior, which is just one more reason why we go against the ‘norm’ here in the UK and keep our cats indoors.

As you would expect, the other cats were a bit wary at first. Well, except Clutch, because we are yet to find anything that phases him. While it took our female felines, Zelda and Zazzles, a little longer to warm up, Cyril had decided by the end of day one that Alex was to be his squishy, to be loved and cherished from that day on.

Shared Interests

Before long, Cyril and Alex discovered that they had many things in common, including a deep affection for food, a worrying addiction to catnip, and a shared propensity for lying in weird positions.

Then It Gets A Little Weird…

Firstly, let me be clear; I am not one to cast judgment on anyone’s gender, orientation, or who they choose to love (providing both are consenting adults, of course). But Alex and Cyril’s relationship has evolved over time from one of paternal or brotherly love to something a little bit different. Almost every night, they engage in a game of chase and wrestling, which invariably ends up with one gripping the scruff of the other and engaging in some behaviors that would ordinarily result in the creation of kittens. Of course, with two neutered male cats, this is highly unlikely to eventuate.

Now, it’s not unusual for cats of either sex, neutered or entire, to hump one another from time to time. It may be a form of gratification, but in most cases, it is a display of dominance. What I find strange about Alex and Cyril’s little trysts is that they do not show any other signs of dominance conflict and that this is a nightly event, typically culminating in a squishy cuddle. Quite frankly, I’ve occasionally felt inclined to offer them a post-coital cigarette.

But hey, love is love, and on this Valentine’s Day, we should be grateful for love in all its many shapes and forms.

The post Cyril ❤️ Alex: A Valentine’s Day Love Story by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Until very recently, a diagnosis of the disease Feline Infectious Peritonitis, better known as FIP, was an automatic death sentence. An aggressive inflammatory disease, FIP is a mutation of a relatively benign form of feline coronavirus, a distant relation to COVID-19.

Interestingly, it was the human coronavirus pandemic that accelerated the development of the first effective treatment for FIP, Remdesivir. This injectable antiviral medication had been in development before COVID-19 struck, but the sudden need for human treatments sent the research and development teams at Gilead into overdrive. While this was good news for those suffering from severe forms of COVID-19, it was great news for vets and cat owners, whose options when faced with FIP patients in the past had been palliation and euthanasia.

In 2021, Remdesivir was being rolled out in Australia, the UK, and parts of Europe, with promising results. Although not a guaranteed cure, vets were finally seeing FIP patients improving and going home. However, a lack of FDA approval in the US meant that this potentially life-saving treatment was still out of reach for many. Desperate cat owners were even turning to ‘black market’ sources to obtain the drug.

Three years after its initial release, the FDA has tentatively cleared the path for an alternative form of Remdesivir, a tablet known only as GS-441524, for use in the US. In a recent statement, the FDA wished to:

In other words, we haven’t approved it, but we know you’re going to use it, and we’re not going to try to stop you. What a clever way to magnanimously allow treatment to proceed without the risk of shouldering any blame if things go wrong!

Studies indicate that the efficacy of the oral medication is comparable to that of the injection, but a combination of the two forms may be even more effective. Case studies have reported a range of responses, including remission, relapse, and death, but with only 4 years’ worth of real-world cases, it will be some time before we can evaluate long-term outcomes. For now, it is enough to say that cats diagnosed with FIP are finally being given the chance to have a long-term outcome.

Next item on the list: come up with a name a little more marketable than GS-441524!

The post New Hope for a Fatal Feline Disease: Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) Treatment Gets a Green Light by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

If you’ve ever stopped to read the ingredients list on your cat’s food – which you absolutely should – you may have spotted something called ‘guar gum.’ Your first thought is likely to have been what on earth is guar gum? shortly followed by is guar gum safe for my cat?

The very short story is that guar gum is a thickening agent, and yes, it is safe for your cat. But, as you might have guessed, there’s a little more to the story than that. Keep reading to learn a little more about what guar gum is, how it’s used, and why it’s a safe but not ideal ingredient for our cats.

What Is Guar Gum?

Guar gum is a polysaccharide (a carbohydrate made from multiple bonded sugar particles) extracted from the seeds of the guar, or cluster bean, plant (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba). It is commonly used as an emulsifier (something to help bind ingredients together), stabilizer, and thickener in food products.

Although you’re unlikely to see guar gum on the front of a pack, or even high up in an ingredients list, you might be surprised at how often it is included in many products we use (and eat) every day. Here are just a few of the myriad ways in which guar gum is used:

In addition to these domestic applications, there have been promising results in studies using drug-infused guar gum to target certain cancers, particularly colon cancer.

And of course, it is often included in wet cat food as a thickening or gelling agent and source of fiber.

Is Guar Gum Safe For Cats?

Guar gum is perfectly safe for cats. Although it is a sugar-based ingredient, which is unnecessary in a cat’s diet, the amount in cat food is not enough to pose any significant risk or calorie increase. It is not toxic, and in most cases will be a benign, though largely unnecessary, ingredient. Most processed cat foods contain one form of thickening agent or another, such as guar gum, cassia gum, carrageenan, or xanthan gum.

Is Guar Gum Bad For Cats?

Some humans, particularly those with celiac disease, show similar gastrointestinal reactions (bloating, diarrhea, cramping) when consuming foods that contain guar gum, despite its lack of gluten. Similarly, some cats, particularly those with a history of inflammatory bowel disease, are quite sensitive to the thickening agent.

Another problematic feature of guar gum for cats is that research has shown that it can block the absorption of protein from the large intestine. Therefore, the net result of a food containing guar gum is that your cat may be getting less protein from their food than what is indicated on the pack, as well as ingesting unnecessary sugar and fiber.

Why Is Guar Gum Used in Cat Food?

When we look at the nutritional requirement of cats, we can see that they need a diet that contains approximately:

This is per 100 g of dry matter. You will notice that cats do not actually need to consume carbohydrates, although fiber is usually included in the diet of domestic cats to compensate for their less active lifestyles; guar gum is one such ingredient. However, the main reason guar gum is used in cat food is to mask how much of a food is composed of water.

Imagine opening a can or sachet of cat food to find something that more closely resembles soup than casserole, milkshake than meatloaf. Without the addition of a thickener like guar gum, that is what many wet foods would look like.

This isn’t necessarily unhealthy, but one could argue that it is a little bit dishonest. Let’s look at some comparisons:

You can probably imagine what a food comprised of 87% moisture would look like without the addition of a thickening agent. Essentially, thickening agents like guar gum are included to mask the shortcomings of these foods, making them appear more nutrient-dense.

Should I Avoid Guar Gum?

If your cat has digestive issues such as inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal lymphoma, their ideal diet should consist of high-quality, highly digestible ingredients, with minimal unnecessary additives. You should always discuss your cat’s specific dietary needs with your vet, as they may vary from case to case.

When it comes to feeding your cat, the aim should always be to feed them the best food you can afford that is right for your cat. The reality is that we can’t all afford top-quality, human-grade, fresh cat food, particularly if you have more than one cat. What we should all be doing, however, is taking a closer look at the ingredients on the back of the pack so we know what it is we are buying. Expensive doesn’t always equal excellent, and you might be surprised to find that some of the best cat foods often come with a modest price tag, so it pays to spend some time reading the fine print.

Most wet cat foods will contain some form of thickening agent, and guar gum is not harmful or toxic for your cat. Just remember that you should judge the quality of your cat’s food by what’s written in the small print rather than how it looks in their bowl.

Final Thoughts

Guar gum is a natural product, extracted from the seeds of the guar plant. It has a multitude of applications, including exciting potential in treating cancer.

Guar gum is a common and safe inclusion in many wet cat foods. It is not a necessary component, nor will it contribute any value to your cat’s diet. It is used as a gelling agent to help bind the ingredients together and mask how much water is in the food. Although some cats, particularly those with IBD, may be quite sensitive to guar gum (and other thickeners, such as xanthan gum), it is not harmful or toxic for your cat. However, it can reduce the absorption of essential nutrients, particularly protein.

Always read the ingredients list on your cat’s food to know what you are paying for and what your cat is going to get out of it.

Featured Image Credit: spline_x, Shutterstock

The post Guar Gum in Cat Food: Our Vet Explains the Uses, Safety & Verdict by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.

Among Alex’s adorable features – of which there are many – are his quirky and expressive front legs. The first couple of times I noticed him sitting with his little feet daintily crossed, I didn’t think much of it. But then it happened again, and again, and again. Considering I have only photographed this funny little pose a fraction of the times I’ve witnessed it (and these aren’t all the photos I have!), you can only imagine how often he assumes this position.

In fact, I would venture to say that he sits with his front paws crossed more often than he doesn’t.

And when he’s not keeping his delicate little tootsies crossed, he’s often found hanging them off ledges.

The most important part of my role here at Catster is helping you, our lovely readers, to understand the hows, whys, and wherefores of all things feline, and I would love to share with you the reasons behind Alex’s peculiar paw positioning. Unfortunately, I have no idea why he does it! But considering that we’re talking about the cat who brought us The Somersault of Happiness, I’m not sure that the answers will be found in any logical places!

Ready for Anything

When he’s not happily tumbling about or stretching his body from wall to wall, Alex can be a bit flighty, especially when there are visitors in the house. Perhaps by keeping his front legs crossed, he is ready to turn and run in any direction…but I think that I might be reaching. Speaking of reaching, are the extended legs another way of staying poised and ready to make a quick escape?

Maybe I’m just trying to find logic where there is none! After all, what chance did Alex have of normalcy with Cyril as his role model?

When faced with a choice between normal and weird, I’m going to pick weird every time. Which is fortunate, because with my quirky cats and oddball dogs, there is very little chance of life being normal in our house!

I love hearing stories about the wacky, zany, and kooky habits of cats, so if your feline family member has some eccentric behaviors, drop me a message in the comments below.

The post Cute Kitty Quirks: Alex and His Happy Feet by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

We’ve all been guilty of it at one time or another. That moment of Schadenfreude when we see a cat do something uncoordinated or embarrassing. Perhaps it’s because it happens so rarely, or because it’s usually us, the bumbling humans, that are being silently mocked by feline onlookers. A more common opportunity for us to quietly enjoy the misfortune of our much-loved cat is when we first introduce them to a harness. Of course, there are those who take on this equipment with nary a hint of hesitation, but for others, the application of a harness renders the normally graceful and agile feline into a rigid, wobbly, or vertically challenged mess.

Over the years, many theories have been postulated to explain why a harness, vest, or jumper should rob a cat of their motor function, and to be fair, these theories seem quite reasonable. However, we recently learned of a study from 2012 that may actually explain the phenomenon.

Why a Harness Causes Cats to Fall Over: The Theories

Prior to our discovery, the leading theories explaining why harnesses make some cats fall over included:

Fight, Flight, and Freeze: The idea that a harness presents the cat with some unknown threat has many believing that the rigid response is part of their instinctive fight, flight, or freeze reaction to danger.

Pressure Points: This theory suggests that the harness stimulates certain pressure points that are commonly associated with a mother cat carrying her young. It may also trigger a ‘play dead’ reaction in response to being picked up by a predator.

The Wrong Fit: A harness that is too large or too small may interfere with movement.

A Scientific Explanation

We know that cats are extraordinarily flexible, fast, agile, and acrobatic. From their preternaturally rapid reflexes to their ability to always land on their feet, feline mobility and coordination have always been the subject of curiosity. We recently uncovered a study* that looked into how much of that feline coordination comes from the brain, and how much is controlled by spinal reflexes alone, with some fascinating results.

By surgically separating the brain from the spinal cord, scientists found that cats could still walk on a treadmill with coordinated hind limb function when the appropriate motor nerves were electrically stimulated. The experiment proved that in addition to higher brain function, feline movement and coordination were governed by direct somatosensory feedback – that is, the body was able to maintain a balanced and coordinated gait based purely on touch.

The Sixth Sense (not that Sixth Sense)

This somatosensory feedback mechanism functions almost like a sixth sense, providing cats with an additional unconscious way to move and react to their environment, which explains how they can do the things they do. However, when we put something over their body, it would be the equivalent of placing a blindfold over their eyes. A cat is unlikely to be consciously aware of this sixth sense, but it will be a shock to the system when it is suddenly obscured. But, just as a cat will eventually adapt to a lack of sight, they will also adapt to their altered somatosensory input, and once they have learned to do this, it too becomes a reflex whenever the harness is put back on.

Is It Cruel to Put a Harness on My Cat?

Not at all. Unless your cat is particularly distressed by the harness or shows no sign of adjusting to wearing one, once your cat becomes accustomed to the harness, they should be able to enjoy their newfound (relative) freedom without impediment.

The post From Fierce to Floppy: Science Finally Explains Why Cats Fall Over in Harnesses by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.

Let’s face it, video calls were one of the best technological advancements of the last century. Working from home has taken on a whole new look, and for people like me who live half a world away from friends and family, it has allowed us to be right there in the room, even when you’re on the other side of the planet. I try to get a video call in with my parents once a week, although it can get a little tricky with the time difference. My schedule isn’t too bad, but as my Dad likes to say, “retirement is a full-time job.”

Apart from my Dad’s sharp wit, one thing I can always rely on during our weekly video chats is that Mum will try to talk to the cats. Usually, it’s Clutch, because he’s always hanging around downstairs with the dogs. Despite the fact that Clutch has never – not once in 10 years – given the slightest reaction to her waving, calling his name, and insistent calls of “puss, puss, puss,” she is completely undeterred. And in case you’re thinking that he might have some sort of personal vendetta against my mother, he is equally rude to anyone who tries to get his attention through the computer screen.

Screen Blind?

Clutch’s unwavering ignorance of this particular mode of communication got me wondering – is he somehow blind and deaf to digital images and sounds? Obviously, I had some experimenting to do. Naturally, I am completely opposed to testing on animals, but in this case, exposing my cat to a range of sights and sounds on the laptop and television screen seems pretty harmless!

Side by side, Clutch and Cyril both came running when called. However, when I played a recording of me calling them, I got nothing. Nada. But then I play one of those wildlife videos on YouTube that are designed to entertain cats  – have you seen them? Chirping birds flying and squirrels and chipmunks darting about the place – and I have clear evidence that my felines can both see and hear things on a screen.

Almost As Good As the Real Thing

I once worked with another vet who had adopted a lovely cat she named Spartacus, who had been brought into our practice with horrible burns all over his back. After weeks of nursing, Sparta made a full recovery with just a few scars and became a most loving and devoted indoor kitty. He also loved nature documentaries. The fast-moving images really grabbed his attention, and no matter where he was in the apartment, when he heard the opening theme music for David Attenborough’s Blue Planet, he would come running and perch himself in front of the TV.

He would occasionally paw or jump at the fish as they darted across the screen, but for the most part, he just sat, transfixed, for the whole hour. Clearly it ignited some of his hunting instincts, but it also seemed like he simply enjoyed watching the images without feeling the need to interact with them. He also enjoyed a spot of tennis!

Maybe This Time

It’s clear that cats – including Clutch – can see, hear, and understand digital images to some extent. Their behavior suggests that they aren’t under the impression that there are actually birds or fish inside the television, but are simply enjoying watching and playing with the fast-moving images on the screen, much like they enjoy chasing a laser pointer. Perhaps it is this understanding that leads Clutch to ignore the people in the computer – because he knows they’re not real.

Despite this, I know that Mum will still call out to Clutch at our next video catch-up. Who knows, maybe this time he’ll react!

Do any of your cats like to watch TV? Or perhaps you have a feline that is happy to interact with friends online. Let me know in the comments below.

The post Cats and Video Chats: Why Doesn’t Clutch React to the Computer? by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

You may have heard about the sad death of at least one cat after eating raw frozen cat food contaminated with the H5N1 virus. While a single fatality might not exactly have you quaking in your boots, it was enough to convince several pet food companies to test their products and issue voluntary recalls. Recalling products can be an extremely costly venture for any company, and not an action taken lightly, so how worried do pet owners need to be?

The Facts About Bird Flu

Avian influenza, commonly referred to as ‘bird flu’ or H5N1, is a highly pathogenic form of influenza virus that is devastating to the poultry industry.¹ Historically, we have seen the disease spread from bird to bird and occasionally from bird to mammal, including humans, cats, and cattle, but during the most recent outbreak, there have been cases of virus transmission between mammals.² Why is this a concern? Well, it suggests that this virus is continuing to change and evolve, which could have devastating results.

H5N1 is almost always fatal in birds, which can have a devastating impact on wild bird populations. Additionally, mandatory cullings in poultry farms are often implemented in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. In cattle, signs of infection are usually mild, with milk production most significantly affected. Humans, who can contract bird flu through direct contact with infected birds or mammals, tend to suffer mild flu-like symptoms of fever, headache, and coughing, with occasional vomiting and diarrhea as well. Over the past 12 months, there have been less than 70 confirmed human cases of H5N1 in the US, with only a single fatality. However, it is how the virus affects cats that is keeping plenty of pet owners up at night.

Cats, Dogs, and Bird Flu

The fact that cats can be infected with avian influenza is not new information, and the majority of cases are seen in farm cats or strays that have caught and eaten wild birds or ingested unpasteurized milk. In fact, sick barn cats have often been used as an early indicator to dairy farmers that bird flu may be in the herd. Unlike in humans and cattle, bird flu is often fatal in cats, with clinical signs including fever, lethargy, reddened or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, neurologic signs, like tremors, seizures, incoordination, or blindness.

The recent death of a house cat in Washington County has led to widespread testing by pet food companies, with some issuing recalls for certain poultry-based products. While supporters of raw pet food insist that there is no need for alarm, the case does highlight one of the most glaring problems with the raw-feeding trend: pathogen risk.

Although a raw diet has been shown to provide many health benefits to pets, the risk of bacterial, and now viral, contamination is a hazard that can be alleviated with some gentle cooking. There are now a large number of companies creating fresh-frozen meals as a safer alternative to raw, optimizing the nutritional benefits while minimizing the risk of pathogens.

To date, although dogs are able to become infected with bird flu, the only cases found – either through natural or experimental exposure – have been asymptomatic. That’s good news for the dogs, but not so good for the spread of the virus.

The big worry for cats is that we now know that they can become infected with bird flu from direct contact with infected animals, by consuming birds or unpasteurized milk, and through the consumption of contaminated raw meat. Coupled with the fact that this virus is particularly virulent in cats, pet owners are right to be concerned.

How Can I Protect My Cat from Bird Flu?

The first thing to know is that statistically, the risk of bird flu infection for your cat is very low, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay vigilant. The chances that your cat will come into direct contact with an infected animal are extremely low, but if your cat is fed a raw meat diet, particularly one that contains poultry, you may want to rethink their food choice.

The FDA issued the following advice to pet owners:

The Take Home Message

Although the risk of bird flu to your cat remains extremely low, the effects of the virus are severe, so it is important to stay up to date with information about this outbreak and how it may affect your pets. There are some simple ways to keep your cat’s risk even lower, and one of those is to ensure you are only feeding food that has undergone some form of heat treatment. If you do use a raw food diet, we would recommend getting in touch with the supplier to make sure they are screening for H5N1, and consider cooking meat products before feeding them to your pet – just remember to remove bones from chicken!

Keep your kitty indoors, or if that isn’t an option, make some changes to reduce their hunting success. To make sure you stay in the loop, subscribe to Catster.com, and if you suspect that your pet has been infected or exposed to avian flu, it is important that you contact your veterinarian immediately for advice and follow the guidelines set out by the CDC.

The post What Does the Bird Flu Pet Food Recall Mean For You & Your Cat? by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.

One really common complaint I hear from cat lovers is that their cats don’t seem to reciprocate their love as enthusiastically as they would like. It is also the reason why some people claim to ‘hate’ cats – better to reject them than be rejected! The irony that many cat lovers will also be familiar with is that the people who don’t want or try to attract the affection of a feline are invariably the ones who receive it. Another classic ‘cat-ism’ is that your cat will want to shower you with love and snuggles at exactly the time it is least convenient.

Case in point: Zelda

Zelda was adopted by Husband as an older kitten; one that had been poorly socialized. Her daily routine generally consisted of eating, sleeping, hiding, and destroying. She had no interest in playing with toys or engaging with any of the other pets or humans that shared her home; her sole focus was shredding the kitchen sponge or loaves of bread. It was only when she was finally caught in the act that Husband realized that the source of all the kitchen confetti was the lightning-fast, black-haired demon that lurked in the shadows of the wardrobe.

Of course, Husband learned to keep the bread in the pantry and hide the sponge under the sink, but accidents and oversights occasionally occurred, and his frustration was nearing the point of explosion. Much as he hated it, his interactions with Zelda had been reduced to silence, frustrated sighs, and delivering & retrieving food bowls. Then, about six months into this rather dismal relationship, it was like someone had flicked a switch in Zelda, and she stopped her reign of destruction and started following Husband wherever he went, jumping into his lap and showering him in love whenever he sat down. She also turned her affections towards Bailey, the gentle yellow Labrador, who, for the most part, ignored Zelda’s loving demonstrations.

Fast forward a few years, and Zelda’s home has become a little more crowded, with the addition of me, a few more cats, and several more dogs. Although she isn’t trotting behind Husband all day, every day, she still loves to sit on his lap and rub herself all over him – honestly, this cat has no shame.

And when is she most insistent about demonstrating her love? It is always when Husband is using a laptop, phone, or PlayStation console. If he is looking busy—Bam!—Here comes Zelda, and this fairy princess is not easily ignored.

Of course, just because this foundation of avoidance and growing resentment has resulted in a relationship of love and affection, it doesn’t mean that this is the method to follow. However…

Reverse Psychology

Unlike dogs, whose threshold for attention and affection has not yet been discovered, and likely doesn’t exist, cats appear to have a definite limit. Each cat’s limit is different and also may differ depending on whom the attention and affection is coming from. That limit seems to exist on the edge of a very sharp drop, and if you exceed your allowance, you are rejected harshly, either with violence or a look of revulsion that makes you wish you’d never been born.

Cats like to be in control. There is a reason why we often say that humans do not own cats, but are owned by them. We laugh about it, but it’s a hollow laugh, built on shame. Deep down we know that if cats had opposable thumbs, the world would be a vastly different place…

Back to reverse psychology!

If you are to have any chance of winning the love and adoration of a cat, you need to make it appear as though it is all their choice; they control when and how much. We are merely here to do their bidding and be damned grateful for the job. If a cat does not feel that they have control of the situation, they are likely to bolt.

So if we want to feel the love of a cat, we must let them come to us. Be disinterested, standoffish, and even walk away. I’m not going as far as to recommend the “treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen” philosophy of misogynistic dating, but it is closer to the mark than a love-bombing approach. Perhaps, ‘treat ‘em with indifference’ would be more apt, as negativity and punishment are just as isolating as an aggressively affectionate approach.

Cats Don’t Need Friends

In the wild, most felines are solitary by nature, meeting up only for reproductive purposes. They are not social beasts and are quite content in their own company. As they tamed humans over the last 10,000 years, they have become more tolerant of company, even seeming to enjoy it. But the point is, they don’t need it, and that’s why cats have the upper hand. We are prepared to do whatever it takes to be deemed worthy of the attention of a cat, but if they’re not happy, they just walk away without a backward glance. Essentially, cats have got us right where they want us.

Cats Are Loyal Friends

So here’s the good news. Once you’ve broken through into the feline friend zone, you aren’t required to constantly maintain your facade of stoic nonchalance. You can lean in for a smooch, or offer up a cuddle, just don’t get too carried away. But if a cat has decided that you are worthy of their time, they aren’t likely to go back on that decision; that would be admitting a mistake!

If this sounds like I resent cats, then I am saying it wrong. I admire them. They have us providing food, warmth, shelter, and safety, and they haven’t compromised their integrity to do it. All they ask is that we follow their lead, and be cool, calm, and composed in the face of feline attention. Don’t beg, chase, capture, or smother; be patient, and let them come to you. But whatever you do, don’t you dare get up when they’re on your lap!

The Best Solution

If you want to be almost 100% certain of winning a cat’s love, rescue an adult. When you bring home and shower love on a kitten, they often take you for granted! But if you offer your home to an adult cat that has been living rough or neglected, the hard work’s already been done, and you will have a grateful feline friend for life. Just ask Clutch.

The post How Can I Make My Cat Like Me? Lessons From Zelda & Clutch by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.

I may be opening a can of worms here, but I’m never one to shy away from a controversial topic. I will also preface this by saying that there is no scientific data that can prove or deny my view, but it does come from my experience with many, many, cats over the years. In fact, I can’t remember a time in my life when we didn’t have at least one cat.

So before we get into it, I’m going to give you my verdict, and it is one that my feminist soul hates to admit, but I have found that for me, males seem to make the best pets. Of course, that very much depends on the type of companion you are looking for!

Let’s get into it.

The Cats I Have Lived With

Including Quincy, my parents’ Siamese, who was there before I was born, I have shared my home with eleven cats in total. And with the exception of Quincy, they have all been moggies, and interestingly, quite an even spread of both male and female. I can’t tell you how many I have known and worked with, but it would be in the thousands.

Name	Sex
1. Quincy
2. Bindi
3. Tiger
4. Muffin
5. Gilbert
6. Sullivan (Sully)
7. Clutch
8. Zazzles
9. Zelda
10. Cyril
11. Alex

Quincy and I weren’t the best of friends. When I was 4 years old, I tried to ‘help’ him when he was fighting the neighbor’s cat. As a result, he turned on me, leaving me rather bloody and scarred! Interestingly, this traumatic event did not put me off cats, but my relationship with Quincy never recovered!

Sadly, Bindi was not with us long enough to make a huge impression on 5-year-old me, as she met her end at a very young age after trying to cross the road towards the alluring smell of KFC. Fortunately, my parents decided that allowing cats outside was no longer the way to go after this.

I won’t go into a detailed history of every cat, but over the years, I have definitely seen some patterns.

Behavior Trends

Speaking only in generalities, I have personally found that male cats tend to be more outgoing, friendly to all, and generally more confident. By comparison, female cats seem to be more reserved, taking more time to assess the situation, and tend to latch onto one individual as ‘their person.’

That doesn’t mean that male cats are never skittish, or female cats are always selective with their affection, but these are characteristics that I have seen in my pets, my patients, and other cats I have known or heard about.

When you think about feline social structure, it does make sense.

It is the prerogative of the male to get out and sow his oats; the further he can range, the better his chances of fathering many kittens. As cats became domesticated over the last few thousand years, it would have served the Tom cats well to stay on the good side of humans to avoid being chased off with a broom. Courage and daring would be favored traits, allowing these lads to venture further.

For females, on the other hand, caution and wariness are the skills needed to keep yourself and your kittens safe. Befriending one or two humans may be useful, but you don’t want the whole village turning up when you’re trying to raise a family.

So Which Is the Better Pet?

There are no guarantees when it comes to the temperament or personality of a cat, and the more you try to shape them in one way, the more likely you are to get the opposite result. But, if there are particular traits that you would prefer in a feline companion, choosing the sex that suits your personality may get you one step closer to a perfect match.

Let’s lay it out with a pros and cons list:

Pros	Friendly towards groups More playful and confident More tolerant of other pets	Snuggly and attached to their ‘person’ Less chaotic once adults Observant and emotionally intelligent
Cons	Not as loyal Less respectful of sleep Can be demanding of affection	Often more flighty Wary of strangers More prone to stress

I like a bomb-proof cat with boatloads of personality who doesn’t mind having a houseful of animals and people. Sure, the boys will quickly abandon you for the comfiest-looking lap, but I also love seeing people enjoying my cats’ company, particularly one as convincingly friendly as Clutch!

But if you want a quiet and loyal cat who will shadow you and shower you – and only you – with affection, a female cat may be just what you need. She may not be so tolerant of noisy dogs or children, and a busy house might send her into hiding, but when everything has quietened down, you may get to experience the joy of being chosen by a cat.

Decide For Yourself

Your experience may be completely different to mine, and I’d love to hear about it! I certainly wouldn’t recommend choosing a cat based purely on my point of view. One of the best ways to ensure feline compatibility is to visit an animal shelter and meet an older kitten or adult cat. That way, you get a much better idea of their fully-formed personalities, with the added bonus that many shelter cats are so grateful for being given a loving home!

Want to weigh in? Drop me a line in the comments section below!

The post The Battle of the Sexes – Which One Makes A Better Pet? by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.