CHICO HOSPITAL FOR CATS COMPASSIONATE HEALTHCARE EXCLUSIVELY FOR CATS 548 W. EAST AVENUE CHICO, CA 95926 530-892-2287

  • Our Services
    • Annual Exams
    • Boarding
    • Dental
    • Diagnostic Testing
    • Grooming
    • Hyperthyroidism Treatment
    • Laser Therapy
    • Preventive Care Plans
    • Spays/Neuters
    • Phone App/Loyalty Program
    • Petly Pet Portal
  • Our Hospital
    • Contact Info
    • Our History
  • Our Team
    • Veterinarians
    • Technicians
    • Veterinary Assistants
    • Domino, Kitty Ambassador
  • Petly (Pet Portal)
    • Pet Portal (Petly)
  • Educational Resources
  • Blog
  • Hyperthyroidism Treatment
    • Hyperthyroidism Treatment-FAQ
    • Comparison Radioiodine vs Methimazole
    • Hyperthyroidism Information
    • Hyperthyroidism Therapy What to Expect
    • Hyperthyroidism Therapy Contact Form
    • Referral Form
  • Videos
  • Adoptions
  • Covid Updates
  • Our Services
    • Annual Exams
    • Boarding
    • Dental
    • Diagnostic Testing
    • Grooming
    • Hyperthyroidism Treatment
    • Laser Therapy
    • Preventive Care Plans
    • Spays/Neuters
    • Phone App/Loyalty Program
    • Petly Pet Portal
  • Our Hospital
    • Contact Info
    • Our History
  • Our Team
    • Veterinarians
    • Technicians
    • Veterinary Assistants
    • Domino, Kitty Ambassador
  • Petly (Pet Portal)
    • Pet Portal (Petly)
  • Educational Resources
  • Blog
  • Hyperthyroidism Treatment
    • Hyperthyroidism Treatment-FAQ
    • Comparison Radioiodine vs Methimazole
    • Hyperthyroidism Information
    • Hyperthyroidism Therapy What to Expect
    • Hyperthyroidism Therapy Contact Form
    • Referral Form
  • Videos
  • Adoptions
  • Covid Updates

osteoarthritis in cats

6/26/2020

 
Watch below one of the best informative video for OSTEOARTHRITIS IN CATS
Listen below to our podcast episode to learn more!

TIPS FOR mEDICATING YOUR KITTY

4/28/2020

 

cats & covid-19

4/9/2020

 

Covid-19 update with Dr. Colleran

4/3/2020

 
Check out our latest podcast to get current information regarding COVID-19.

​

COVID-19 Social distancing

3/20/2020

 
​One of the consequences of being at home and trying to be careful about “social distancing” might be that you have more time to pay attention to your beloved cats. Busy lives full of jobs, children, social obligations, sports and fitness can result in less time than we may find ourselves with now. The effect may be that you have more questions or concerns. If that is so, we are here for you.
 
At the same time, we are working to keep you and our team safe. Beginning Friday morning, March 20, we will not be allowing family members to accompany their cats into the hospital. We will be available for you to:
 
  • Make an appointment for your cat and we will come to the parking lot to fetch him or her
  • Speak to your doctor via phone or car side or via video telemedicine. More information will be available soon regarding telemedicine as we think this is an urgent part of patient care.
 
We, feline practitioners know a lot about the family of viruses called Corona virus. Your cats cannot get COVID-19, but they have their own corona virus that rarely causes illness. By studying that one, we can tell you about the one plaguing humans now. All of the guidelines you are hearing about hand washing and environmental contamination are being made because the virus lives in the environment quite happily for days to weeks. The cases that began to occur that had no association with international travel could have begun by brief contact with a wallet that had been placed in a TSA bin with a bag that had been somewhere else. It’s that simple.
 
It is also important to say that you cannot get COVID-19 from your cat or give it to her. This virus is a mutation of an animal virus, probably from bats, that changed from being a benign occupant of bats to a terrible human illness because our bodies have never seen it before. We haven’t been exposed so we cannot be immune.
 
The other news that you need to hear is that the dates you are hearing about going back to work on April 2 or scheduling graduations in May are fiction. Like the corona virus in cats, it doesn’t cause everyone to get sick. In fact, the one that almost all cats have is so safe that only 0.3% of cats exposed ever get ill from it. Because the testing was slow to begin and it is still nearly impossible to be tested, the virus has been here for weeks or longer in people who don’t know they have it.
 
Now is the time to be patient with yourselves and your families, find creative ways to connect with friends, especially those that may be at risk. My family is healthy and, thus far, there are no cases in Butte county so we will continue to be in the hospital to help you meet any needs your beloved felines may have.
 

COVID-19 & Pets

3/17/2020

 
We know that many of you have questions about the Coronavirus and your pets.  The most up-to-date and reliable source is through the AVMA.  Here is a direct link to their page.

www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/covid-19-faq-pet-owners.pdf

These Paws are made for walking

1/21/2020

 
These Paws are Made for Walking
 
Cats are curious as to why January is National Walk Your Dog Month and not National Walk Your Cat (Pet) Month.  Cats like to go outside to smell, roll around in the grass, listen to the different sounds.  But with other animals and vehicles,  allowing them to be outside is not always the safest thing.  With a little training, your feline friend can be comfortable walking on a leash and harness.
 
Our indoor kitties oftentimes don't get as much enrichment as they would have in the wild.  This can sometimes lead to boredom, weight gain, and behavioral issues.  Allowing them to be outside safely stimulates their minds and their instinct.  They get to roll in the grass, scratch at trees, explore their surroundings and you get to spend some quality time with them.
 
Where do I begin you ask?  Well as with everything else cat like, it is important to start slow and allow your cat to decide when they are ready.   Here is what Samet and Bre discovered worked best for their cats, Figero and Stevie.
 
1.  Get a Proper Harness (and Leash) Cats are great squirmers.  They can easily slip out of a collar.
                 a. The best harness for your cat will be good at two things:
                   Distributing pressure across multiple areas so the harness doesn't choke your cat                          Preventing your cat from slipping out of their harness.
 
2.  Get your Cat Comfortable Wearing their Harness and Leash.
 
                a. Let your cat explore the harness
                b. Touch your cat with the harness
                c.  Put your cat in the harness
                d.  Bonus Trick - Calming pheromones, like Feliway.
 
3.  Begin by Walking Indoors - after your cat is comfortable wearing their harness
                a. Let them wander around your home while wearing their harness with you holding                     the leash.
                b. Patients is key.  Don't try to tug your cat into submission or force them to walk.                          Instead, reward them when they behave the way you want them to.
                c. Give lots of praise and treats when your cat walks alongside you.  Your goal is to get                your cat walking freely, but close enough that you can scoop them in your arms, should                   the need arise.
 
After they feel comfortable with these steps, now it's your turn to take the adventure outside.   Start with short walks on a quiet street.  In no time, you'll add walking your cat as another long list of things you do together.
 
Bre and Samet want to finish by sharing  some words of wisdom after your kitty has learned about the great outdoors.  They might start looking for escape moments.  Be mindful entering and exiting your home by slowing opening the doors.  Reward them for not sprinting outside without their harness.  And show them you enjoy your walks as much as they do by walking as often as you can.
 
Episode Sources:  How to Walk Your Cat on a Leash, and Why you Should/HuffPost Life
                               How to Walk Your Cat on a Leash...Safely/Preventive Vet
                                                                                                                                

10 Cat Facts You DIDN'T KNOW

12/13/2019

 
​Podcast #21 Shownotes - Samet and our favorite guest host, Laurie, share 10 cat facts you might not know!
  • ​Disneyland FAQ website about cats
Disneyland has taken advantage of the natural hunter in cats. They are well-cared for and kept safely. They are neutered and vaccinated and otherwise kept in good health. Because they are feral, however, it isn’t a good idea to try to touch them!
​http://disneylandcats.com/faq/
  • The mystery of the purr
Purring is a magical frequency of sound that seems to have healing properties both for them and for us. The vibrations seems to accelerate healing, laying down new bone and muscle. For us, research has shown that a pouring cat is good for humans, some would say good for the soul.
https://consciouscat.net/2019/01/07/the-cats-purr-a-biomechanical-healing-
  • Cats can’t taste sweet
Because cats are carnivores, they have no need to taste sweet, but they can distinguish between fresh meat and the “sweetness” of contaminated tissue.
Some cats, especially those whose mothers’ were fed things like fruit or other sweets while pregnant, may develop a “taste” for very unusual food for a carnivore like cantaloupe or bananas. 
https://www.petful.com/food/why-cant-cats-taste-sweet-things/
  • Adult Cats do not meow at each other
Cats talk to humans because we aren’t in tune with the way they communicate with each other. They use other senses, especially smell and sight, to make their presence known, to pass on information or make their desires apparent. They talk to us because they learned we just don’t get it!
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/meowing-and-yowling
  • Cat’s vision of world
Cat vision is adapted to low light because hunting takes place generally in the “crepuscular” time of dawn and dusk. This adaptation makes it possible for them to see very well at those times when we would see poorly. The sacrifice of being “red-green” colorblind is a small price to pay. Cats need to see greater distances as well so they have adapted to being a bit myopic (blurry close in vision) by using their whiskers and other senses to detect what is closest to them.
https://www.businessinsider.com/pictures-of-how-cats-see-the-world-2013-10
  • The Fluttering Blink​
When a cat greets another cat or a person with slow, languid blinks, it's communicating affection.Why? Because in the feline world, closing one’s eyes in the presence of another is the ultimate sign of trust. By blinking slowly at your cat, you are communicating that you are aware of its presence and pose no threat. So the next time your cat blinks at you, try returning the gesture.
https://pets.webmd.com/cats/features/cat-body-language#1
  • Cats blamed for 33 species extinction
While some investigators blame cats for species extinction, most hold humans more significantly to blame because we have destroyed so much habitat and made migration corridors unusable. More than any other species, humans bear to most responsibility for the destruction of the natural world.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-21236690
  • Do cats dream?
Cats dream and experience REM sleep just like humans. You can see their eyes moving rapidly, just like our do, during REM sleep. We can’t be sure what they dream about but they likely dream about the things they experience during waking hours just as we do.
https://www.sleepadvisor.org/do-cats-dream/
  • Cats hunting with humans in Egyptian times
In Egypt, 4000 years ago, cats were the companions of aristocrats, the royal and the rich. For the poor and working classes, cats were important to keeping the population of dangerous and disease carrying rats and a particularly dangerous species of snake.
https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/cat/
  • Right pawed and left pawed cats
Like us, cats are more adept with one aside of the body than the other though they hunt using both forelimbs, use all 4 for jumping and running and have special sensory nerve endings in the forepaws for tearing prey apart,
​https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/201902/is-your-cat-left-handed
​
​

How to Make Your Cat Comfortable at home

12/12/2019

 
Podcast #23 Shownotes - In this episode, Samet & Jan share ways to ensure your cat is comfortable at home.
  • PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE
 Safety and predictability are two critical characteristics required for cats to feel safe enough to act out their normal behavior repertoire.

  • PROVIDE MULTIPLE & SEPARATED KEY ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES 
Every cat should have these 6 resources available individually to them:  food, water, toileting areas, scratching areas, play areas, and resting or sleeping areas.  Cats who are unrelated do not care much for sharing resources.  Most cats have preferences for eating and drinking.  They prefer different textures for scratching.  Cardboard, sisal posts, horizontal, vertical, anything but furniture hopefully.  Some cats like cave-like resting areas, high spots, and warm beds.  Owners can learn what their cats favor by observing their cats choices.

  • PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR PLAN & PREDATORY BEHAVIOR 
Cats are solitary hunters and play is part of acting out that natural behavior to stalk and chase. This is a separate need from eating and one that can be very critical to quality of life.  Please check out the Chico Hospital for Cats episode #20 The Perfect Cat Toys for ideas.

  • PROVIDE POSITIVE, CONSISTENT & PREDICTABLE HUMAN-CAT SOCIAL INTERACTION 
Our beloved cats love us back. They bond with us very significantly which is a unique quality of these remarkable creatures. No other species of cats has formed the same bond with us and it must be protected. Punishment is always a bad idea. Unlike dogs, cats associate punishment with the “punisher” and not any act they may have engaged in.

  • PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT RESPECTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CAT'S SENSE OF SMELL 
Cats have a far more powerful sense of smell than we do and use in to communicate with each other. Harsh odors should be avoided and places to leave scent marks encouraged.

  • Cat owners can find reliable information on catfriendly.com

The Perfect Cat Toy

12/12/2019

 
Podcast #20 Shownotes​ - Samet & Bre discuss what the best options are out there for our kitties to play with ? What toys are safe to use and which ones can be dangerous? Find out about toys and more in this episode!
  • THE REASONS BEHIND CAT TOYS
 Cats are, by nature, solitary hunters with a special place in their brain providing a need to hunt. It is this natural behavior that toys help to express. It is not associated with eating as cats are inefficient hunters and might exhaust their energy and fail to get enough to eat if they started out hungry.  Acting out the seek, stalk, pounce and kill sequence found in all hunting cats is a critical piece of a great quality of life.

  • GROUP EXERCISE VS INDIVIDUAL PLAY TIME 
Cats don’t tend to like to share. As solitary hunters, they generally prefer their own resources. The big exception to this rule is cats who are littermates and are raised together. Other cats may learn to play in the same space, but it tends not to be their preference.
 
  • TYPES OF TOYS: 
The Tunnel toy
Racing through a tunnel in the brain of a cat mimics charging through an understory in the woods on the heels of a tasty mouse

Automatic Randomized Laser Tower (Available on Amazon)
Cats learn patterns and grow weary of them rather quickly. The random nature of a toy like this or one on the end of a human hand can keep cats engaged longer.

Catnip stuffed toys
Catnip is a genetically acquired preference and is present or absent in about 50% of cats. The cats who don’t care about it will not find it appetizing.  Watch for overstimulation!

Food Puzzle Toys (Earn the treat)
Food puzzles are a great way to engage cats that are food-motivated. It can also help make eating more like seeking prey, the natural form of cat food.

Any toy on wand (to prevent cats playing with your finders/hands)
Many people make the mistake of letting kittens play with fingers and toes.  Teaching them to play with a toy on a wand gives you a chance to play with them but teaches your kitty there is a distance between your hands and feet and the toy. 
 
  • WARNING & DANGERS OF CERTAIN TYPE OF TOYS
      Cats who like to chew should be kept from toys with long skinny parts like tails that could be accidentally swallowed. The same goes for string, yarn, Christmas tree tinsel, thread and anything else that could become a  dangerous foreign body.
​
  • PUT TOYS AWAY WHEN DONE TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS

Microchips - just the faqs

8/12/2019

 
​Most cats won’t keep collars on for long.  A microchip is a small computer chip (about the size of a grain of rice) that holds only a number. This number links your cat to you should he get lost. When a scanner is held over the chip, the number can be read on the screen.  Getting lost used to mean that cats were usually not reunited with their owners.  Microchips (radio frequency identification device RFID) changed that. The chip is injected with a special device under the skin. You register its unique ID number on a website with contact information. The link is now set between you and your cat.  Fire season taught us that indoor cats should be microchipped, too.
 
FAQs
  • Microchips contain no GPS and do not transmit a signal unless a scanner is in use. They cannot locate your cat (or you). They only contain a unique number that can be linked to you and your cat if you provide the information to do so to the company who produces the microchips. 
  • A universal scanner is owner by most veterinarians, shelters, humane organizations, and some pet stores. Any animal found by any person can go to any of these places and get the RFID number from the chip to help rejoin the cat and owner.
  • Your microchip will never “expire” once it is in place. There are companies that sell subscriptions in addition to microchips that provide extra help should your cat get lost. These subscriptions do expire and are also not necessary to purchase.
  • Any time you move, get a new phone number or change any other contact information, you can call the toll free number for the microchip company  and provide an update. The information is kept on secure servers, making it safer than appearing on a collar tag.
  • Cats as young as 6 weeks can be microchipped as long as they are healthy and normal size. Placement is largely painless and is often done under anesthesia during routine kitten surgeries.
  • Indoor cats should always be microchipped.  Emergency evacuation, someone inadvertently leaving a door ajar,  a sudden noise that causes a cat to flee are a few of the many reasons why indoor cats get lost.
  • Microchips do not cause cancer.  Rumors of this came from studies of cancer in laboratory rats and mice. Two cats have been reported with cancer near a microchip and only one could be associated with it. The risk that your animal will develop cancer due to its microchip is very, very low, and is far outweighed by the improved likelihood that you will get your cat back if he becomes lost.
  • Cats who are microchipped are thought by the person who found them  as being “owned” by a human. This means they will likely put some effort into helping you be reunited rather than being dropped off at a shelter and thought of  as a stray.
  • Microchips must be read by a scanner. Some older scanners could only read numbers belonging to their company’s microchips. There are universal scanners which can read all of the signals now. The sequence of numbers will identify the company to contact. Only one phone call is required to the company that sold the microchip.
  • Some cats can look very similar. Checking multiple shelters for your beloved cat is stressful. Mistakes can be made. Having a microchip identifies you as the owner of this cat. No one else can claim him.
  • Cats are very territorial and cats that routinely go outside may be able to find their way home. But fear and stress can interfere with memories of location. Cats CAN get lost.

signs of cat stress

12/12/2018

 
Jacob is a cat with a story. He had been adopted as a kitten from a shelter. For reasons about which we can only speculate, he was returned to the shelter after a short time.  Once he landed in what will surely be his “forever” home, he broke with a viral infection that proved difficult to treat. It may have been the reason he was given back to the shelter. The stress of these early experiences allowed the virus to make Jacob quite sick.
​
After a month of isolation from the other cats in his new home and intensive treatment of his infection, he was introduced to the other 3 cats in the household. It did not go well. Jacob is, like all cats, a solitary being who has a profound attachment to place.  Safety and security means a consistent place to live and a reliable source of food.  Being among cats that he had never known before was very frightening.

Cats naturally flee from any situation that they find unpleasant or perceive as dangerous. Putting some distance between a new cat and yourself is a natural instinct.  Being wary of a new environment is a smart response for a cat who needs to feel safe to relax.  Sometimes, flight is not an option to a feared situation, there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to go.  One would naturally turn to confront the source of danger and show one’s available weapons before fleeing again.  A swipe of claws and a good scream is sometimes enough.

The third option is to freeze. This motionless cat might “fool” his enemy into failing to notice him. This is less common in cats but can learned if a circumstance is such that nothing can be done to escape, for example being confined to a small space.

Jacob used all 3 and had trouble finding for himself a safe territory in this strange new land.
Because territory and resources – food, water, litterbox, resting place, perching space, hiding places, toys, scratching posts – all have to seem like they are available and safe to access, sharing with unfamiliar cats or in a new space has to be worked out.  Cats are the ultimate control freaks! Sharing or waiting in line are off the table.

Each unrelated cat must have their own “stuff” in order to feel they have control over their lives.
Resources must be distributed throughout the house so that access feels safe.  While cats may indeed use the same cat tree, for example, they probably will occupy it at a different time of day. In the room where important things are there should be an entry point and an exit point so that escape is always possible. Visual barriers can be helpful, too.

Cats are not social eaters but are driven like all animals to eat when they are hungry. Unrelated cats should be feed out of visual contact of each other and from separate bowls. The same is true of drinking.  Cats forced to eat together will find it quite stressful. Their instinct to eat will overcome their wariness but the signs are unmistakable. Watch for ears rotating back and forth; look for tails low and moving behind them as a warning. Interrupting a meal to look around at the other cats is a sure sign that the cat isn’t comfortable with the danger he must endure to eat.

As a solitary hunter, keeping secrets is critical.  You don’t want to “whoop” it up when you find a nice tender mouse for fear some bigger cat will come and take in from you. The keys to unlocking how cats are feeling are body language and facial expression.  Subtle body position can tell you whether a cat is relaxed or stressed. The front paws are a good place to start. A truly relaxed cat will tuck their paws underneath their chest and rotate them so pads are off the ground or will stretch out when laying on a side.

Cats that are tense will sit with front paws visible in front of them will all four  paws in contact with the ground, ready to spring up at a moment’s notice. Twitching ears, tense muscles and eyes tightly shut or pupils dilated, are the hallmarks of a cat who doesn’t feel safe.

Whatever the threat, an unfamiliar cat, a new person, an unknown environment, cats will not relax until they perceive that threat has been eliminated.

​WHY IS WEIGHT LOSS NOT ALWAYS GOOD?

5/14/2018

 
For his entire life, Armand and his caregiver were counseled that he should weigh a bit less. He was not a busy cat by nature, preferring to cozy up to a lap and a blazing fire in the hearth. He would play of course but only when he was in the mood. Jenna, his caregiver and all round favorite person had tried to get him to eat a canned food diet to reduce the carbohydrates he consumed. However, he had been an adult when she adopted him and had been fed dry food prior to coming to her. He had ideas about aroma and “mouth feel” that meant that canned food just did not seem like food to him. He would push the bowl around the counter he ate on, often until it landed on the kitchen flood, much to Jenna’s exasperation.
 
Small frequent meals helped as did Jenna’s commitment to getting him more active. Over time he lost 2 pounds and was declared only a “little chubby”. Fast forward 2 years and it was just about Armand’s 11th birthday, or thereabouts, the exact day was unknown. Time had gone by so quickly that Jenna got a call from Chico Hospital for Cats that he was 18 months overdue for a check up. Jenna sighed, thinking that he had been seen by his veterinarian only a few months prior. She made an appointment and gleefully reported that the staff would all be delighted by how slender Armand had gotten recently.
 
Later that week, the visit did not go as Jenna had expected. Armand’s veterinarian told her that his weight was down more than should be anticipated and worse yet that he had a very rapid heart rate for a cat and his blood pressure was elevated.  Tests were recommended and when they came back Jenna got a call that all was not well.
 
In the 18 months since Armand had been in, his thyroid gland had begun to produce too much hormone. This is an important hormone that takes iodine and adds it to an amino acid. When the combination is released in the blood it governs metabolism. Metabolism is the conversion of oxygen and calories from our diet into energy. Just enough thyroid hormone and the body hums along quite nicely. However, when the thyroid grows bigger than it should and produces more hormone, it can be very hard on the body. Heart rate becomes abnormally high, kidneys are injured, blood pressure increases and usually after a time weight loss is accompanied by a significant loss of muscle. In cats the loss of muscle is a very serious sign of more imminent mortality.
 
Dr. Elise, Armand’s veterinarian discussed the different options for treatment which, like everything in life, has plusses and minuses. The two most common choices were an oral pill or absorbed cream that would be given to Armand twice a day for the rest of his life or an injection of radioactive iodine (I-131).
 
The advantages of the medication were fewer than its disadvantages in Jenna’s mind. Lifelong meant no breaks for vacation or travel, someone would always have to be there to administer it or Armand would have to board where it could be done. 

Why is my cat fat?

3/1/2018

 
​Jason is only four years old, a beloved orange tabby whose Chico family was shocked to be informed by his veterinarian that he was “too heavy” and needed to lose weight. Admittedly, his family had neglected to have him examined for two years, thinking that as an inside-only cat, he didn’t need medical care or an examination.
 
There are many reasons to have a young cat come in to Chico Hospital for Cats regularly and this is one of them. Learning how cats think about food and how their environment can impact consumption is part our doctors’ job to teach the people who love Jason. Like people, it is far easier to maintain a healthy weight than it is to lose weight.
 
Jason is the same cat as those who came into our lives 10,000 years ago when humans began to store grain for food. Cats found this new development delightful as it attracted mice and other small rodents foraging for food. Mice are the perfect solitary hunter’s meal, just enough to hunt, chase, pounce and polish off.
 
Cats are not very efficient hunters, so waiting until they are hungry is perilous. That’s why there is a separate part of the brain that calls cats to hunt even if it doesn’t feel like mealtime. If they aren’t hungry though, they’ll hunt less enthusiastically because eating and hunting are very connected in a cat’s brain.
 
This deep connection with his “primal” cat makes Jason a natural hunter. Yet he was being fed dry food in a bowl that was always available. He didn’t need to do any work beyond sauntering up to the bowl or reminding his caregiver that the bowl needed to be refilled.
 
His doctor prescribed a work-for-food program along with regular active play times with his family.  They discussed beginning to transition from dry food to high protein canned food, too. Because it contains more water and less carbohydrates, Jason’s carnivorous appetite center would be satisfied sooner. He had grown up on dry formulas so it would be a slow process to find a high protein canned food with the right aroma, flavor and  “mouth feel” that Jason would appreciate.
 
To begin, small meals replaced the constant availability of food. Because his home had more than one floor, meals were strategically placed to require climbing stairs.  One family member, his Dad, was placed in charge of feeding as he was home more often. No treats were permitted unless he “worked” for them by playing with a laser toy or the interactive feather toy he loved.  When the family was gone, small meals were hidden in the cat tree, the book shelf and other places where Jason could search for a snack.
 
His doctor prescribed a food that would provide reduced calories without reducing the protein he needs to keep his muscles healthy. Too little protein and he would lose muscle, a sure sign of declining health.  Lowering calories without lowering protein is essential for weight loss to be successful. As is true of all mammals, people included, the better the muscle tone, the more calories burned. The better the muscle condition, the healthier the body.
 
These are the first steps to a healthier future for Jason.  In 3 months he was approaching his ideal weight.   By creating a plan that was easy to execute and honored Jason’s ancestral needs, the doctors and staff at Chico Hospital for cats gave his beloved family the tools they needed. 

June 4, Hug Your Cat Day

5/31/2017

 
​JUNE 4, HUG YOUR CAT DAY
 
There are curmudgeons who say that cats are simply trying to get fed by us rather than expressing some kind of love for their people; they call it “cupboard love”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Cats demonstrate their devotion to their humans in a number of important and obvious ways if you know what to look for.
There is even some reason to think that we misunderstand our cats when they are asking for our attention and mistake this for a desire to be fed.
 
Watch your cat move round in his territory (your house). He will walk with his tail straight up in the air, perpendicular to his body, perhaps with a slight kink at the tip. This upright tail is a sign of affection between cats and now between us and our cats.
Similarly, cats who like each other very well will rub on one another mostly using their faces.
 
When your cat rubs his face against your ankles, he is expressing the same level of  affection for you that he has for a trusted other cat. Given the choice, he would rub your face but you are usually a bit too high up for that. We often are irritated by cats who jump on the counter but they are often simply trying to get closer to us for a good face rub! They will often rub their faces on inanimate things, doorways, chair legs or other furniture more often when you are close by.
 
Cats who have been raised together have a few other ways of expressing their affection for each other. They may be found curled up together sleeping in a heap, even when it’s warm and they don’t need each other’s heat.  So when your cat hits your lap and curls up contentedly, know that this is love, too. The bond between cats is further strengthened by grooming each other. Of course it keeps each of them cleaner perhaps than they might otherwise be, but it is more importantly a mark of the power of their friendship.
 
Your stroking is the same powerful bonding. They love that you have focused your attention on them, moving your hands along their fur, particularly around head and neck means that you two are family. Some cats will try to groom you back, but it may be annoying given those barbs on the tongue that are so helpful for efficient fur care. If you act as if it is unpleasant he will stop.
 
Cats who care for one another often have a greeting that is high pitched sort of forced air between the upper and lower lip. You may find that is commonly a way your cat greets you. Of course, the truly loving cat will begin to purr as you come closer and closer.
 
Your beloved cat loves you back. So, in honor of June 4, “Hug Your Cat” Day, take a minute to watch how expressive he is with you and how happy you make him.
<<Previous

    Archives

    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    August 2019
    December 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    May 2017
    September 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014

    Categories

    All
    Adoption
    Appetite Disorders
    Arthritis
    Cat Carriers
    Cat Family
    Cat Fun Facts
    Cat Leashes
    Cat Play
    Cat Sleeping Patterns
    COVID-19
    Dental
    Diaster Preparedness
    Feline Dental Health
    Feline Weight Loss
    Feline Wellness
    Fleas & Prevention
    Gift Ideas
    Grooming
    Hairballs
    Hug Your Cat Day
    Kittens
    Microchip
    National Cat Day
    Parasite Prevention
    Senior
    Stray Cats
    Traveling With Cats
    Weather

    RSS Feed

Contact Us:

By Phone:         530-892-2287
By Email:           [email protected]

 Operating Hours:
​
Monday:           8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Tuesday:           8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Wednesday:   8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Thursday:         8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Friday:                8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Picture

Chico Hospital for Cats

548 W. East Avenue
Chico, CA 95926
We strive to provide the most feline-friendly environment possible. We are Chico's ONLY Feline-exclusive veterinary hospital. We are also the ONLY Gold designated AAFP Cat Friendly Practice in Northern California.
Picture