Cats

If you’ve ever considered bringing home rescue cows—and are lucky enough to have the land for them—you might have wondered, “What do cows eat?”  And since cows are herd animals who thrive in a group, you’ll have more than one mouth to feed.   Here’s what makes a cow’s digestive system unique and what you should feed cows to give them the best life.  

In This Article What Are Cat Fleas? View 4 More +

If you ever notice your cat sneering or making a “stinky face,” that’s the flehmen response. Also called the flehmen reaction or flehmen grimace, the flehmen response is a behavioral response seen in cats (and other animals such as goats, tigers, and horses) that helps them process interesting smells, such as pheromones—chemical compounds secreted to help relay messages to other members of their species regarding territory, breeding, and identification. Here’s everything to know about your cat’s “stinky face” and what it means.

If you’ve noticed that your cat bites you during play sessions, when you’re holding them or simply while snuggling, you’re not alone. Kitten biting is a very common and natural cat behavior and seldom means that your cat is upset or aggressive. One of the primary reasons why kittens bite (even if it’s a gentle nibble), is that this is their best way of exploring the world around them. If you think about it, other young animals and even human babies display a similar biting habit and often put things in their mouths. This is one way they can explore and interact with the world around them. Well, it’s the same for kittens! Other reasons why kittens bite, nip or nibble include: Teething: Chewing on things, including our fingers, feels good on those growing teeth and painful gums. (More on this in a second.) Nursing instincts: Kittens will suckle on things, which can feel like a bite, if they’re not wholly weaned. They should nurse on their mother or a bottle until they are 4-6 weeks of age. Play aggression: This is an ingrained play behavior inspired by natural hunting instincts. It’s often playful, but mimics how they’d capture and interact with prey in the real world.,Jump to section Why Is My Kitten Biting Me? How To Stop Kitten Biting When Do Kittens Stop Biting? What To Know About Kitten Teething

All cats need to scratch something—it’s in their DNA. “It’s a big part of how cats interact with their environment and even interact with other cats,” says Marci L. Koski, Ph.D., a certified feline behavior and training consultant and founder of Feline Behavior Solutions in Vancouver, Washington. Scratching keeps cats’ claws healthy, so they can catch critters (or toys) and protect themselves. Scratching also stretches their back muscles, which feels especially good to your fur-friend after a snooze. Bottom line: Your pet has to scratch something up, so get the best cat scratching post you can find. Otherwise, there goes your furniture! But as you’ve probably discovered, felines are finicky. And not all cat scratching posts are created equal. We’ve rounded up a variety of scratching posts, cat scratch pads and everything in between to help you find the best one to suit your kitty’s scratching needs.

Contrary to popular belief, cats, dogs and other animals with black fur and skin are not unlucky. In fact, the dark coloration boosts their lifespan. So those once thought unlucky? Think again. They’re actually the luckiest of all. In a study published on Feb. 19, data suggested that dark coloration isn’t something merely inherited by animals via the gene pool but a case of melanism at work. Melanism refers to the development of melanin (in this case, dark colored) in the skin, fur, eyelashes and similar appendages – a characteristic believed to help animals like black cats live longer. The study, entitled “Recurrent Evolution of Melanism in South American Felids,” was lead by Alexsandra Schneider and senior author Eduardo Eizirik, who, along with their colleagues, focused on three South American wild big cats: the Kodkod, Geoffroy’s cat, and Pampas Cat to reach their conclusions. So what were the results? While some black cats are merely black due to genetics, others are the product of natural selection via mutations which increase fitness and longevity. The Pampas Cat (you may be familiar with this species from Nick Jr.’s “Go, Diego, Go!”) showed the strongest evidence for this natural selection; but the Pampas isn’t alone. When domestic cats and wild big cats were tossed into the mix, researchers found that the gene responsible for melanism in the Pampas Cat also creates black fur in some Panthers, Jaguars and Leopards – as well as your beloved housecat. As for the increased lifespan, the cause is still somewhat inconclusive. “We don’t know for certain,” says Gregory Barsh of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, co-author of the study that appeared in PLOS Genetics. “Factors such as foliage, humidity, temperature and/or infectious agents are all possibilities, and could affect camouflage, resistance to heat or thermoregulation or resistance to infections.” The National Institutes of Health, however, have been embroiled in research regarding black cat genetic mutations using domestic cats and Jaguars for some time, and believe that they create a higher resistance to illnesses such as Feline Immunodeficiency Disease (FIV). Currently, the NIH is using its findings to work on a treatment for FIV – as well as HIV. Looks like black cats may just be able to ditch their bad rap once and for all. What are your thoughts on these findings? Posted by: Chewy Editorial Featured Image: Via Shutterstock/Slavikboxerr

In This Article Why Is My Cat Peeing Outside the Litter Box? View 2 More +

In This Article Do Cats Like To Be Pet? View 2 More +

Cats are curious by nature and enjoy having the freedom to investigate their surroundings. It’s also in their nature to pick cozy spots at home and claim them as their own. But there may come a time when you need to temporarily confine your kitty to a smaller space. Setting up a separate room might not be possible or may provide too large of an area depending on the reason for confinement. Add to that, feline agility in climbing and jumping, how does one confine a cat without her getting out of the designated space? After all, cats easily can jump over a baby gate or climb out of boxes and containers you might try to put them inside. A cat pen or other type of cat enclosure can not only help to keep your cat confined, but it also might become a place of comfort and fun for your feline family members, if you set it up properly.

That sneezing, wheezing, congested, itchy eye, must-escape-this-room-because-I-can’t-breathe-around-this-cat feeling can ruin even the best of days—especially if you are a cat lover.   But now, you might be able to avoid the allergies altogether, instead of avoiding the furry feline. You read that right. There have been some very promising scientific breakthroughs that can help alleviate the symptoms of cat allergies altogether. Breathing comfortably without red, itchy eyes could become the norm for allergy sufferers. And we aren’t talking about allergy shots or desensitization therapy, either. These new treatments for cat allergies aren’t for you—they’re actually administered to your cat. The goal is to help make them less likely to incite an inflammatory process in you. Here’s everything you need to know about the potential new cat allergy treatments. Am I Allergic to Cat Hair? To help you understand how these new treatments would work, let me quickly break down cat allergies. If you are amongst the 1 in 5 people worldwide who suffer a range of allergic symptoms when you’re near a cat—or even near someone who has a cat—your allergies are actually NOT caused by the animal’s fur. This is why a short-haired cat likely invokes the same allergic response as a long-haired Persian cat. The culprit behind your sneezing and wheezing and puffy eyes is a protein in a cat’s saliva and sebaceous glands (hair follicle glands that produce sebum, an oily secretion that waterproofs their coat and maintains skin health). That glycoprotein is called “Fel d1.” When cats groom themselves, some hairs break loose and become airborne. The offending protein in the saliva—that Fel d1 allergen—is carried on the hairs, so they become distribution vehicles for the potent allergen that’s causing your inflammatory response. Recent Studies for Cat Allergy Cures For the first time ever, science is offering hope to cat-allergy sufferers everywhere. In just a few years, your options may extend beyond HEPA filters, asthma inhalers, allergy medications and avoidance. Two studies have discovered different ways to tackle the problem at its root. The idea is to neutralize the feline allergen itself instead of trying to minimize a person’s allergic response. HypoPet AG Vaccine Study Scientists at a pharmaceutical company in Switzerland have announced the development of a conjugate vaccine called HypoCat (hypoallergenic cat) that binds to and neutralizes the major cat allergen, Fel d1. According to the studies recently performed, cats who received the HypoCat vaccine according to the protocol did indeed have lower levels of Fel d1 in the blood. Although it is somewhat more subjective, the allergic humans involved in the study did show less allergic symptoms around the vaccinated cat compared to unvaccinated cats. Due to the encouraging results, the Swiss company is moving ahead with registration studies and discussions to bring the vaccine to market in the US and Europe. HypoPet is hoping to have their HypoCat vaccine on the market in 2022, and they also have a HypoDog vaccine in the pipeline too. Purina Institute Cat Allergen Diet Study The Swiss scientists aren’t the only ones to bring a cat de-allergenator to market: Purina Pro Plan LiveClear cat foods. Purina has taken a different approach to tackling the Fel d1 protein. They are working to neutralize the allergen through a cat’s diet. The company recently published a study explaining how an egg product ingredient can be introduced to a cat’s diet to help neutralize the major cat allergen, Fel d1. The concept is similar to the vaccine, with the goal being to decrease levels of active Fel d1 found in cat saliva. While Purina’s study did not yet incorporate humans’ allergic response rates, an encouraging 86% of cats saw at least a 30% reduction from the baseline Fel d1 levels. What This Means for Pet Parents With Cat Allergies The reality is that many people go through extreme efforts to “manage” allergies to keep their beloved feline in their home. While a number of those people are successful, a number are forced to re-home a cat if someone new to the household has an intolerable allergy. These two studies and potential new products offer a glimpse of hope for cat-allergy sufferers. As this research is still ongoing, I would anticipate the efficacy of this product only to improve. Fighting the problem at the source, instead of alleviating the symptoms—it’s so brilliant, and yet so simple. It’s one of those times that I find myself wondering, “Why didn’t I think of that?” By: Laci Schaible, DVM Featured Image: iStock.com/domepitipat