Practical guides to help you understand your cat's health, emotions, and needs.
What the common US cat flea, tick, heartworm and dewormer products cover, whether they are topical or oral, how often they are given, and which ones need a prescription.
Many cat bites come from too much petting or play that gets out of hand. A friendly cat that suddenly starts biting may be in pain. Learn the warning signs, when to stop, and when to see the vet.
Your cat's FeLV quick test came back positive. What the result means, which test comes next, what to do about your other cats, and how long FeLV cats live.
Snoring while asleep is common in cats. New snoring in an adult cat, snoring while awake, or open-mouth breathing needs a vet. Learn the sounds and what to record.
A shy cat who hides whenever you come near: rule out pain first, then use the home, food, and play to help her come closer, and learn to read whether she wants to be touched.
Most shedding is normal. Watch for bald or thinning patches and red, scabby skin. How often to brush short- and long-haired cats, and how to handle mats safely.
Wondering when to spay or neuter your cat, and what aftercare looks like? Here's the right timing, what surgery day involves, and how to handle recovery.
Nervous about trimming your cat's claws, or tired of shredded furniture? How often to trim, how to do it safely, what to do if you cut the quick, why cats scratch, and how to pick a scratching post.
An adult cat that has eaten nothing for a day should see a vet, and kittens sooner. How to tell pickiness from illness, safe things to try at home, and the common causes.
Straining in the litter box with nothing coming out? Rule out a urinary blockage first, especially in male cats. When to see a vet, and what helps at home.
How often to deworm a cat depends on age and lifestyle. The signs of common parasites, why indoor cats still need prevention, and why dog flea products are never safe for cats.
A bit of crust after a nap is normal. Yellow or green discharge usually means infection, and a squinting or cloudy eye needs a same-day vet. Here's how to tell.
An occasional sneeze is harmless, but frequent sneezing often signals a cat upper respiratory infection. Learn the causes, home care, and when to see a vet.
Drinking more, bigger urine clumps, eating well but losing weight: these can mean diabetes. The early signs, how vets diagnose it, how it's treated, and why early control lets many cats stop injections.
When your cat slowly closes their eyes at you, they're saying they feel safe. Slow blink first and they're more likely to answer and come closer. Here's how.
HCM is the most common heart disease in cats. Most affected cats look perfectly healthy, and a stethoscope often misses it. The signs, how it's confirmed, and what to watch at home.
Cats hide discomfort, and that doesn't change with age. Normal aging versus warning signs, what to screen for after 10, how often to see the vet, and simple home changes for an older cat.
Why cats sleep 12-16 hours, zoom at dawn, and hide for days. A new owner's guide to sleep poses, the 3-3-3 rule, and when sleep changes mean a vet visit.
Most adult cats do well on two scheduled meals a day of mixed wet and dry. How to read the AAFCO label, work out calories and grams, and switch foods safely.
Why cats pee or poop outside the litter box: a medical problem, a box that doesn't suit them, or stress. Start with a vet check, then fix the number, size, litter and cleaning of the boxes, and retrain step by step.
Bringing home a kitten of 8 to 16 weeks: what to buy, what to put away before she arrives, how the first night goes, and how to get her used to people, sounds and handling.
The first month with an adopted cat: setting up a small safe room, what hiding and eating less look like in the first days, what to check around the house, and when to take her to a vet.
How to recognize stress in cats: hiding, over-grooming, litter box avoidance, and shutdown. Fix the root cause with the AAFP/ISFM five pillars for a healthy feline environment.
How to introduce a new cat step by step, how long each stage takes, how to share out resources, and the quiet signs of conflict between cats that owners often miss.
From lilies and onions to essential oils and human painkillers, here are the most common household dangers for cats and what to do if you suspect poisoning.
Most FIV-positive cats live as long as any other cat. How FIV spreads, how a positive test is confirmed, and how to care for an FIV-positive cat at home.
An older cat eating more but losing weight often has hyperthyroidism. The signs, how it's diagnosed, the four treatment options, and why treating it can reveal hidden kidney disease.
Most cats never need their ears cleaned. Learn what healthy cat ears look like, how to spot real problems like ear mites or infections, and when to see a vet.
An occasional hairball is fine; more and more of them means something is driving it. Why cats get hairballs, which cats get them most, how brushing and fiber help, and the signs of a blockage that needs a vet.
Chronic kidney disease affects 20-50% of cats over 10. The early signs, what IRIS stages 1-4 mean, how to read creatinine and SDMA, and how to care for a cat with CKD at home.
Some cats go crazy for butt pats, others hate it. Here's what's actually going on at the base of your cat's tail, and how to tell if your cat is into it.
Black dots on a cat's chin are usually feline acne. Mild cases are just blackheads; redness means infection. Swapping plastic bowls for steel or ceramic, washed daily, often helps.
Cats with tooth pain rarely stop eating. They change how they eat. How to read dropped food and one-sided chewing, brush your cat's teeth step by step, and what happens at a dental cleaning.
A hairball, yellow liquid, white foam, or blood all mean different things. A vomit color chart, the common causes, how vomiting differs from regurgitation and dry heaving, and when to see a vet the same day.
Why cats don't drink enough water, how to spot dehydration, and 8 ways to get your cat drinking more, from wet food and fountains to where the bowl goes.
Feel the ribs, look at the waist and belly: how to check at home whether your cat is overweight with the Body Condition Score (BCS), and how to bring the weight down safely.
Frequent litter trips, blood in the urine, or straining with nothing coming out can mean FLUTD. How cystitis, crystals and stones differ, why a blocked male cat is an emergency, and how to lower the risk of another episode.
How to tell if your cat is in pain, including the Feline Grimace Scale for acute pain, chronic arthritis signs in older cats, the human painkillers that are dangerous, and when to see a vet.
The shape and color of your cat's stool are often the first sign of a gut problem. Bristol and color charts, plus soft stool that won't settle, swallowed string, and the urinary blockage that looks like constipation in male cats.
Core vs non-core cat vaccines, kitten and adult schedules, injection-site sarcoma, anaphylaxis warning signs, costs, titer testing, and what to do if your cat missed a booster.
Your cat's mood shows in the tail, ears, eyes and posture, and reading several together is what makes it accurate. Tables for each, what the sounds and kneading mean, and the signs that look like a bad mood but may be pain.
