Category Archive

© Pelaqita Persians The condition is unique to cats and is characterized by an area of corneal degeneration with brown pigmentation. Yes. Persians, Himalayans, Siamese, and Burmese cats are diagnosed with the disorder most frequently. However, any breed can be affected. Although the cause is unknown, there is usually a history of corneal ulceration, irritation, and/ocular feline herpes virus infection. … Read More

The article below was written by one of my kitten buyers who purchased two littermates in 2016. As it turned out, the male, Ellison, was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. Up until Ellison, I had never heard of hip dysplasia in cats.  I did not know it was even a possibility in cats. When I wrote the article for last month’s … Read More

The feline herpes virus most commonly infects kittens and causes sneezing, ocular and nasal discharge, and a reluctance to eat and play. With good nursing care, the vast majority of kittens return to normal within three weeks. Vaccinated kittens may still develop the disease, but the illness is less severe. Approximately 80% of FHV infected cats become latent carriers with … Read More

Recently, I have heard from another breeder that several of their kittens or cats had tested FALSE-positive for FeLV/FIV using a “SNAP” test.  SNAP is a test that a veterinarian can perform “in-office” using a small amount of blood from the cat or kitten. However, these tests can produce “false-positive” results. The in-office SNAP ELISA (“enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay”) test is … Read More

Feline upper respiratory infection is a condition that affects a cat’s sinuses, throat, and nose. It can be caused by a variety of different bacteria and viruses and is similar to the common cold in humans. However, cats do not “catch colds”. Viruses and bacteria associated with upper respiratory infection (“URI”) are contagious and can infect healthy cats that come … Read More

Gastrointestinal issues in cats and kittens can unexpectedly occur, usually because of a change in diet, stress, etc. A while back one of our kitten buyers sent me an email about their cat who had suddenly started vomiting. Outlined below is Ziggy’s story – Ziggy starting vomiting and vomited about 30 times between Wednesday evening and Friday morning with no … Read More

Feline Infectious Peritonitis commonly referred to as “FIP” is – The virus which causes FIP is “feline coronavirus” (FCoV). Feline coronavirus is very common among cats living in multicat households, catteries, rescues and shelters (basically, anywhere that 5 or more cats are housed together). Most strains of feline coronavirus do not cause the actual disease and are referred to as … Read More

Being a cat owner is a lot like being a parent. When our human children get sick or hurt oftentimes, we treat them at home with medications and other items we have on hand. The same can be said about treating our feline children. Nowadays, in most communities, there are 24-hour care veterinarian hospitals and emergency clinics. However, if you … Read More

Many people feel cats are low-maintenance pets and are perfect for owners that have a busy lifestyle and do not have time to care for a dog. Many cat owners mistakenly believe cats are great at fending for themselves, but in reality it is just that cats are very good at hiding signs of illness. Because of a cat’s innate … Read More