Cats
Feline Asthma Takes Their Breath Away
By Kelley Weir
Anyone with asthma can tell you how terrifying it is to not be able to breathe and how immense the relief is when an attack finally subsides. Now imagine how cats with allergic asthma might feel. Their tendency to hide any type of illness or pain, combined with an inability to communicate their distress, must be scarier than we can imagine.
About 1 to 5 percent of cats suffer from allergic asthma,... Read more.
Posted by MAF on April 10, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Asthma , Cat health
PermalinkMeow-za! What a Campaign!
Cats are purring about the results of Morris Animal Foundation’s Happy Healthy Cat Campaign. Launched in 2008 to significantly increase funding for feline health research and to raise awareness of feline health issues, the campaign was an outstanding success. We appreciate all of the cat lovers who supported this effort. It is thanks to gifts from hundreds of cat lovers that we were able to make a significant difference in the lives of cats. Some of the successes include the following
- Significantly... Read more.
Posted by MAF on March 29, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Cat diseases, Cat health
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New Cat Health Info Center
Cats are masters at hiding illnesses, so even the most subtle changes can indicate a health problem. Many serious feline diseases show few, if any, clinical signs until the disease has progressed to the advanced stages, but if caught early, through routine urine and blood tests, many feline diseases can be managed through nutrition or drug therapy. Routine preventive care is critical to keeping your cat healthy.
The Feline Health Info Center is here to help you learn more about the diseases that affect cats—and how to spot signs of trouble.
Read more.
Posted by MAF on March 9, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Cat diseases, Cat health
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Cool cats deserve cool science
By Allison Tonini
Being as cool as they are, cats deserve their fair share when it comes to health research. Morris Animal Foundation is funding scientists from across the globe who are using cutting-edge technologies to change the way veterinarians diagnose and treat cats. These new studies are really something to “purr” about.
new therapy stems from cells
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) severely damages the kidneys in cats and progresses to death if left untreated. The earlier CKD is diagnosed, the more likely that treatment will succeed. Too... Read more.
Posted by MAF on February 23, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Cat diseases, Cat health
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Seeing Clearly: Identifying New Causes and Treatments for Feline Conjunctivitis
By Alex Jimenez
It’s not uncommon for cats to develop cold-like symptoms such as sneezing, runny eyes and a cough, especially in shelters or other environments in which many cats are housed. These same signs can be caused by both bacteria and viruses, and appropriate treatment requires an accurate diagnosis of the cause.
In a Morris Animal Foundation–funded study at the Colorado State University Center for Companion Animal Studies, Dr. Michael R. Lappin sought to improve treatment of cats with conjunctivitis – inflammation of the tissues surrounding the eyes – by identifying the most common... Read more.
Posted by MAF on January 10, 2012
Categories: Animal health, Animal welfare, Cat health
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Drugs that could manage obesity
Dr. Ya-Xiong Tao
Auburn UniversityObesity in cats has reached epidemic proportions: An estimated 20 to 48 percent of owned cats are now overweight. Obese cats are more likely to develop health problems, such as diabetes, skin conditions, heart disease and severe lameness.
With a grant from Morris Animal Foundation, researchers at Auburn University investigated whether they could use drugs to act... Read more.
Posted by MAF on December 21, 2011
Categories: Cat health, Feline health
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Looking Back: The Best Shelter Cat Stories of 2011
To celebrate national Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat month in June of 2011, Morris Animal Foundation asked cat lovers to share their touching shelter cat stories on our Happy Healthy Cat Campaign Facebook page. The response was amazing, and we would like to thank everyone who participated.
After careful consideration, we have decided to combine the Happy Healthy Cat Campaign Facebook page with our main Morris Animal Foundation Facebook page. For those who shared stories with us, they have been archived here. Thank you all again and be sure toRead more.
Posted by MAF on December 16, 2011
Categories: Animal welfare, Cat health
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How aging prompts kidney disease
By Amy Ettinger
Millions of older cats are affected by chronic kidney disease. The disease is costly, affects quality of life and has few treatment options. In addition, the disease is often not diagnosed until the late stages, once 75 percent of kidney function is already lost.
Researchers at Colorado State University are investigating why kidney disease affects senior cats and are exploring the role of cell aging, known as cell senescence. With Morris Animal Foundation funding, the scientists are studying cells to determine whether cats with kidney disease have shortened telomeres, which... Read more.
Posted by MAF on December 8, 2011
Categories: Animal health, Cat diseases, Cat health
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Sounding off about oral cancer
By Allison Tonini
research looks into treatments to help beat this painful disease
Oral cancer is a devastating disease of cats that becomes more common as a cat ages. Feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the most common oral tumor diagnosed in cats, is particularly serious because it is generally recognized too late for it to respond to treatment. The rapid progression of the tumor can be debilitating—preventing a cat from eating, chewing, swallowing, grooming and even breathing. Even with aggressive treatment, OSCC has a grave prognosis.
Read more.
Posted by MAF on November 28, 2011
Categories: Animal health, Cat health, Feline health
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A Tale of Two Shelters
(aka, a real life story from study D08FE-057, “Environmental and Group Health Risk Factors for Feline Respiratory Disease in Animal Shelters”)
Feline upper respiratory infection (URI) is more than just a kitty cold. It’s a painful condition that can make cats feel sick for days or weeks, causes painful ulcers on the eyes and tongue and leaves some cats with lifelong aftereffects. And, because it spreads easily and is costly to treat, it’s one of the most common causes of euthanasia for shelter cats in the United States. Even when shelters have the means to treat URI, that treatment can drain... Read more.
Posted by MAF on November 11, 2011
Categories: Cat diseases, Cat health
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New Science Tackles Antibiotic Resistance and Much More
By Kelley Weir
Have you ever wondered why your doctor insists that you finish your prescription of antibiotics? With all the fuss that we hear in the media about antibiotics becoming less effective and overused, one might assume that quitting your antibiotics when you feel better, instead of taking the whole course, would be better for our bodies.
Not so—for us or for our pets. In fact, the opposite is true, and antibiotics are becoming less effective precisely because people don’t take their full prescriptions or make certain their pets complete their medications.
Germs remaining after... Read more.
Posted by MAF on September 30, 2011
Categories: Animal health, Animal studies, Veterinary research
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Just a Hairball? Or a Sign of Something Worse?
By Kelley Weir
Your cat’s dry, hacking cough could mean a hairball—but it could also be a sign of allergic asthma. The condition affects 1 to 5 percent of pet cats, and knowing the signs and treatment options could give your cat a chance to breathe more easily.
Human sufferers of allergy-induced asthma know exactly what an asthma attack feels like and can recognize the symptoms in themselves. Most cat owners, however, probably don’t even realize that their cat is susceptible to allergies or asthma and do not know the symptoms—after all, cats are known for causing allergies not... Read more.
Posted by MAF on September 29, 2011
Categories: Asthma , Cat health
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Partnership launches cat health initiative
The cat needs a helping hand, and a newly formed partnership between some of the most influential feline organizations in the country is looking to provide that support.
Cats are the most popular pet in the United States, outnumbering dogs by more than 9 million. But the cat falls woefully behind dogs when it comes to visits to the veterinarian. Research conducted into cat health also falls short of the research conducted for dogs. "The formulation of the Cat Health Network is a step in the right direction. The decline in feline veterinary visits is alarming and now more than ever before, it's becoming critical for us to... Read more.
Posted by MAF on September 12, 2011
Categories: Cat health, Veterinary news
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Developing DNA tests to diagnose cancer in cats
Researcher hopes to help veterinarians identify deadly tumors
By Amy Ettinger
Every year, thousands of cats develop tumors that appear to be linked to routine vaccination and other injections. These injection site–associated sarcomas (ISASs) are typically more aggressive than sarcomas that occur spontaneously. In addition, ISASs often require more intensive treatment and show a higher risk of recurrence after surgical removal. For these reasons, accurate diagnosis of the tumor subtype can significantly affect the outcome for sarcoma patients.
With Morris Animal... Read more.
Posted by on August 19, 2011
Categories: Animal health, Cancer, Veterinary research
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Testing New Drug to Fight Feline Injection-Site Sarcoma
By Kelley Weir
Back in the 1990s, veterinarians began to notice an increase in the incidence of sarcoma in cats at the site where injections are routinely given. This type of cancer, which affects approximately 1 in 10,000 cats, was initially associated with vaccines and, thus, named vaccine-associated sarcoma (VAS), but it was subsequently found to be associated with other injections (e.g., antibiotics) and, therefore, is currently called injection-site sarcoma (ISS). ISS is an extremely aggressive cancer: the time from injection to tumor development can be as short as 4 weeks or as long as 10 years. A combination of surgery,... Read more.
Posted by MAF on July 11, 2011
Categories: Cat diseases, Cat health, Feline health
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Study Identifies Promising New Drug Therapy for Feline Oral Cancer
About 10 percent of all tumors in cats are oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), making this the third most common tumor in cats. Currently, surgery is the only effective treatment for feline OSCC, but for surgery to be curative, the disease must be identified early. Current chemotherapeutics have minimal efficacy in treatment of OSCC. To address this problem, researchers from the Ohio State University investigated a new class of anticancer drugs, histone deacetylase inhibitors, which have been found to inhibit tumor growth in humans and mice. They determined that histone deacetylase inhibitors do have anticancer effects on feline OSCC... Read more.
Posted by MAF on June 22, 2011
Categories: Cancer, Cat health, Feline health
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Share Your Shelter Cat Story for Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month and Win Fun Cat Swag!
Morris Animal Foundation’s Happy Healthy Cat Campaign Helps Cats Enjoy Longer, Healthier Lives
America’s No. 1 pet may get a lot of attention in videos posted on the web and funny photos, but the truth is that each year millions of shelter cats in our country need homes. While those videos and pictures can make for a good laugh, Morris Animal Foundation is asking cat lovers to share another kind of story—one that has changed their lives.
In celebration of Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month in June, Morris Animal Foundation is calling for anyone who has happily adopted a shelter cat to share a... Read more.
Posted by MAF on June 20, 2011
Categories: Cat health
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The power of a gentle touch
By Heidi Jeter
one cat’s journey from a hoarder’s house to a loving home
Lovey is a beautiful white cat who lives with his little cousin Pepsi in a wonderful home where he helps his owners care for foster kitties. He’s earned the nickname “therapy cat” because he is able to befriend any animal who enters his home. And this remarkable cat is so attuned to his human family that when their daughter was bedridden from a bad cold, Lovey stayed by her side giving her comfort and love.
Read more.
Posted by MAF on May 17, 2011
Categories: Animal health, Cat diseases, Cat health
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Staying Healthy While Awaiting a New Home
By Kelley Weir
The life of a shelter cat can be a short and bumpy road. Keeping cats healthy while they are in a shelter is a top priority because it helps them find new homes. Infectious diseases can spread rampantly in shelters, often leading to euthanasia of cats. In particular, upper respiratory infections caused by feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV) affect millions of cats in shelters each year. In addition, shelter cats are at an increased risk of developing feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a disease resulting from infection by some (but not all) feline coronaviruses, that is 100 percent... Read more.
Posted by on April 11, 2011
Categories:
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Morris Animal Foundation Expands Efforts to Improve Cat Health
Morris Animal Foundation has partnered with the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) and the Winn Feline Foundation (WFF) to create the Cat Health Network to improve feline health and welfare by funding feline health studies.
Thanks to a generous gift from Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Morris Animal Foundation worked with scientists to develop a new genetic tool for studying feline diseases. This new tool is a gene chip containing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, pronounced "snips"). The SNPs function as genetic markers that will help scientists identify... Read more.
Posted by on April 5, 2011
Categories: Cat diseases, Cat health, Feline health
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