Pectus excavatum, also known as funnel chest, is present at birth and affects the sternum, a long flat bone located in the center of the chest, and the rib cage.
Pectus excavatum causes a malformation of the sternum and costal cartilages (connecting tissues attaching the ribs to the sternum), which results in a narrowing, irregularly […]
The American Association of Feline Practitioners defines early spaying and neutering as surgical sterilization of sexually immature animals who are 6–14 weeks of age. Spaying involves removal of the female’s uterus and ovaries; neutering involves removal of the male’s testicles.
Early spaying and neutering of kittens (and puppies) has been done since the 1970s and […]
Valentine’s Day typically celebrates love between humans. Images commonly associated with Valentine’s Day include: Cupid, the Roman god of love; hearts, traditionally the seat of emotion; and birds, because it was thought that mid-February was the beginning of the avian mating season.
In many parts of the world, February is also […]
If you’re lucky enough to foster a mom cat and kittens, she will hopefully take charge of keeping them clean. If you’re caring for orphaned bottle baby kittens, you’re in charge.
When you get kittens, with or without a mom, use a flea comb to detect fleas. They suck blood, which […]
Intestinal parasites can be wormlike (roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms) or one-celled protozoan organisms (coccidia, giardia, toxoplasmosis). In kittens, they are a common cause of diarrhea.
Fecal exams are very important for kittens with diarrhea, which can be life threatening. Fecal exams are also important when kittens strain to defecate, lack appetite, vomit […]
Watery feces, or diarrhea, has many potential causes and is a big concern in kittens. In fact, it can be life threatening.
Overfeeding kittens, especially those who are underweight or malnourished, is a common cause of diarrhea. Therefore, for the first 24 hours of feeding a bottle baby, dilute the kitten milk replacer formula. Use […]
Ringworm is the most common infectious skin disease in cats and gets its name from its circular appearance of hair loss and scaling of the skin. Ringworm isn’t a worm at all, and it’s not just an inconvenience. In a shelter, it can spread havoc.
Ringworm is a fungal infection caused by dermatophytes, microscopic fungal […]
Poop, poo, stool, feces and bowel movement are some of the words that describe what kittens deposit, hopefully, in the litter box: solid bodily waste discharged from the large intestine through the anus during defecation.
Kitten stool is a highly useful indicator of an individual’s health. However, kittens can’t defecate (poop) or urinate (pee) before […]
For as long as there have been cats, they have instinctively been burying their pee and poop – or not. They bury their waste to avoid unwanted attention to themselves or their kittens. On the other hand, if they want to claim territory, they don’t bury their waste, which contains unique chemical scent markers […]
Mom cats lick their kittens’ genital areas to stimulate kittens to pee and poop. It’s nature’s way of keeping the nest and kittens clean and not attracting predators. When there is no mom cat, fosters use a soft tissue to stimulate kittens to potty before and after each meal.
It isn’t until kittens are three […]
