Cats

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Around the holidays, it’s common to find picturesque poinsettias in many pet parents’ homes. And some cats love to sniff and snack on houseplants. So are poinsettias poisonous to cats?  The short answer: Technically, yes. Poinsettias are mildly toxic to cats, and may cause an upset stomach or drooling. It’s rare for poinsettia ingestion to result in any serious symptoms in pets.  We talked with veterinarians to learn more about the risks of poinsettias to cats, what to do if your cat eats the plant, and other poisonous holiday plants to avoid. 

Which Breeds of Cat Are Polydactyl? Photo credit: Janelle Leeson Compared to other cat breeds, the Maine Coon and Pixiebob cat breeds are the most likely to have extra toes. “Maine Coon cats are known for their large size and tufted ears, and the presence of extra toes adds to their unique appearance,” Caos shares. However, any cat can be born with extra toes, depending on their genetic makeup and gene expression.   You also may have heard of the “American Polydactyl,” but this isn’t a breed. Rather, the term refers to descendants of polydactyl cats in Key West, Florida. Novelist Ernest Hemingway, a notable past resident of Key West, acquired a six-toed cat named Snow White, who bred and passed on the polydactyly genes. Today, Hemingway’s estate in Key West is home to over 60 polydactyl felines.,Do Polydactyl Cats Need Extra Care? Caring for a polydactyl cat isn’t all that different from caring for a cat with 18 toes. However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind: Nail Care Because polydactyl cats have more nails than typical felines (including some that might never touch the ground!), they’re at an increased risk for nail overgrowth. Overgrown nails can cause discomfort, infection, and become snagged on surfaces. Regular nail trimming will help prevent these issues. Paw Hygiene “Extra toes in polydactyl cats means there may be additional spaces between the toes where dirt, debris, or litter can accumulate,” Caos says. Inspect your cat’s paws regularly and wipe them clean as needed.  Mobility and Adaptation Polydactyl cats typically don’t experience mobility issues due to their extra toes. However, if your cat has unusually large or unique toe formations, keep an eye on their mobility. They should be able to walk, run, and jump without difficulty or pain. “If you notice any limping, favoring of certain paws, or changes in mobility, it’s best to consult a veterinarian for further evaluation,” Caos recommends. Extra toes that are causing problems can be surgically removed. Featured Image: Janelle Leeson,If you find cat paws adorable (and who wouldn’t?), you might be fascinated to discover that some kittens are born with more toes than others. These felines are polydactyl cats, which means “cats with many digits.” Or perhaps you recognize these many-toed cats by one of their other monikers: Hemingway cats, mitten cats, or cats with thumbs. So, why do these cats have so many toes? And just how many toes can a cat have? To get some answers, we turned to two experts: Anita Patel, DVM, a veterinarian and Area Medical Director at IndeVets, and Alejandro R. Caos, DVM, a small-animal veterinarian at The Vets.

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Corn cat litter typically is made from finely ground whole corn kernels or ground corn cobs. The latter is a more environmentally friendly method, as it utilizes a waste product, says Christina Chambreau, DVM, a homeopathic veterinarian in Sparks, Maryland, and owner of the pet health coaching website, MyHealthyAnimals.com. Either kind is biodegradable, flushable and can help control unpleasant smells. Among the many options of corn cat litter is World’s Best scoopable multiple cat litter, which reduces waste by transforming into tight, small clumps thanks to its compressed-corn formula.,Whether you just got a new kitten or your cat doesn’t like your current litter choice, picking a new cat litter is an important decision. It can be a challenge to choose, especially if you are unfamiliar with the options. A common choice for many pet parents is clay cat litter. This widely available litter features a relatively low cost and comes in clumping and non-clumping varieties. “If a cat is using clay litter and [exhibits] no behavior problems, like urinating outside the box, then the cheapest is fine,” says Robert Henrickson, DVM, owner of Manhasset Animal Hospital in Manhasset, New York. “We use clay at the office.” Even if your cat is pleased with your litter choice, there may be other reasons for switching from clay litter. For example, you might be interested in more eco-friendly litters that use recycled materials, or a low-dust variety. Dr. Henrickson recommends dust-free litter for cats with allergies or asthma. So, what are the alternatives? From corn litter to walnut litter, there are a number of litter options on the market beyond clay.

I’ve never been a fan of taking allergy medication. Even at low doses, it makes me feel off-kilter. Instead, I’ve experimented with non-medical allergy strategies. One of the best I’ve found is micellar water, an affordable common drugstore product. This is a mild, non-drying facial cleansing water that I squirt on a couple of cotton squares and use to wipe my face with a few times a day. Unlike regular water, micellar water is designed to pick up dirt, makeup and other junk from the face, and I’ve found it’s better at removing allergens, too. Bonus: My skin looks amazing!,In my heart, I’ve always been a cat lady—the kind who seeks out kitties at every party and follows more cats than people on Instagram. But I’ve also had cat allergies all my life, sometimes so severe I would tear up and start sneezing as soon as I entered a house with a cat. I never thought I’d get one of my own. As it turns out, I didn’t get one. I got EIGHT. When we moved from the city to a farm five years ago, we started finding feral kittens in our garage, barn, and even abandoned at the end of our long driveway. That’s how we found ourselves, in the span of just a couple years, going from zero cats to, at one point, living with a dozen of them. Some of our rescues have found new, loving homes, so we’re now at eight cats here on the farm in Northern Minnesota. My allergies can get pretty overwhelming as a result. Here’s how I cope with my cat allergies in a house full of kitties—and how you can, too.

By Kate Hughes Many pet parents are concerned with the impact that their pets are having on the environment. Maybe they’ve already adjusted their lifestyles to incorporate more sustainable products—like bamboo toothbrushes and reusable straws, taken a closer look at their recycling habits and even started to dabble in composting. But, for even the most eco-friendly pet parents, there’s one item that isn’t that easy to find a green alternative for—cat litter. But there are green ways to dispose of cat waste and cat litter. With the right materials and a little know how, cat owners can reduce their eco-paw print and dispose of their kitty’s leavings in a way that is less harmful to the environment. Searching for a Sustainable Cat Litter Disposing of cat litter in an eco-friendly manner begins with the composition of that litter. “Clay litter is not the most sustainable option,” notes Ramsey Bond, a recent graduate of Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, whose studies focus on sustainability. For her senior project, Bond worked closely with the Colorado Animal Rescue (C.A.R.E.), a nonprofit animal care organization in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, to develop animal waste composting procedures that lessened the shelter’s eco-footprint and transformed it into an overall more sustainable facility. Bond strongly suggests that any person looking to lessen the environmental impact of their cat litter switch to a wood pellet-based product. “Wood pellet-based litters are a renewable resource and are ideal for composting,” she explains. Tracey Yajko, canine behavior and community outreach manager at C.A.R.E., says that her organization had been using pine pellets as their go-to cat litter for many years. “We switched to pine pellets for two reasons—cost and disease prevention,” she explains. “When bought in bulk, it’s less expensive than clay-based litters, and it’s dust-free.” While seasoned cat owners might be hesitant to change the type of cat litter they’ve been using, as cats are notoriously picky about their cat litter boxes, Yajko adds that most of the cats at C.A.R.E. have no issues with the pine pellet litter. “There are some older cats that are a little finicky about their litter, but 90 percent of our animals take to the pine litter without any issues,” she says.

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