Cat Behavior & Care Archives

Cat Hairballs: 7 Tips to Solve the Big Hairy Deal

by Amy Shojai | Apr 7, 2025

Karma-Kat recently has “urped” up more cat hairballs, and I know why. I bet you didn’t know that in hot weather, cats lick and groom themselves to cool off. Of course, that can lead to more hairballs, so in hot weather or shedding season, you may see an uptick in these problems.

But swallowing lots of fur isn’t healthy, and hairballs are more than a nasty nuisance. Kitties that produce three or more hairballs a month should be checked by the vet to rule out other health issues.

Hairballs cause diarrhea, appetite loss, coughing, retching, constipation—or even deadly intestinal blockage. Cats have had hairballs as big as baseballs that require surgery to be removed! Most cases won’t need surgery, though, and most hairballs can be easily eliminated. Refer to these tips to untangle your cat hairballs problems.

Dog Allergies & Soothing Itchy Dogs

by Amy Shojai | Apr 3, 2025

Spring is the SNEEZE season for humans, complete with runny eyes and sinus issues. (Learn about dealing with pet allergies here). For dog allergies, itchy skin is the more common sign of discomfort. And it can hit in the fall, too. Shadow-Pup (and the other furries)...

What Are Cat Colds: Kitty Shnorkles & Resorptive Lesions

by Amy Shojai | Apr 2, 2025

We call them cat colds, and they can make our pets feel miserable. Even my dear little old lady cat, Seren, had a bout with an upper respiratory infection back in the day. I hope you can learn something helpful from this older post about Seren-Kitty (she lived another...

Allergic to Cats and Dogs? Deal with The Achoo!

by Amy Shojai | Apr 1, 2025

About 10 percent of the U.S. population suffers from allergies to pets. Cat allergies are twice as common as dog allergies, and nearly 30 percent of cat owners are allergic to their cats. What can you do if you’re allergic to the pet you love? Read on for some tips on how to build immunity to cat allergies and deal with the sneeze!

The Truth About Toxoplasmosis

by Amy Shojai | Mar 31, 2025

Every once in a while, cats get demonized for causing everything from sucking the breath from babies to causing male pattern baldness. A while ago, they got linked to increase suicide risk. On purpose. Because they’re evil.

Huh? Even if they WERE evil, cats are too smart to kill the two-legged servants who hold the keys to the pantry and can openers. Just give me a break!

Yes, some pet illnesses can pass to people. But it takes real effort to catch toxoplasmosis.

Can Pets Get Insomnia? Foiling Furry Insomnia

by Amy Shojai | Mar 26, 2025

Can animals get insomnia? Maybe you also need tips for foiling furry insomnia with your pets won’t sleep.

Last night, I couldn’t sleep, suffering from insomnia. So, I got up, climbed the stairs to my office, and worked on the latest thriller. While I typed, Trinity-Kitten kept me company and decided it was the purr-fect time to play. She woke up Shadow-Pup, who had been snoozing at the foot of the stairs. So even once I was ready to sleep, the “fur-kids” had lost the urge. Here’s what to do…

Countertop Cruising Cats? How to Keep Cats Off Counters

by Amy Shojai | Mar 18, 2025

Do you have a countertop cat? Many cat owners complain about cats countertop cruising, and they want to know how to keep cats off counters. Our new Trinity-Kitten loves scaling the heights. To figure ways to shoo cats off furniture or counters, it’s important to know WHY cats love counters.

Does My Cat Hate Me? Mend Your Bond with Environmental Enrichment

by Amy Shojai | Mar 13, 2025

We talk a lot about DOG enrichment, but cats have equally important needs–especially since many never get to leave the house. That can put their tails in a twist and result in behavior issues…Get this webinar teaching cat enrichment, and learn how to mend the bond with your cats.

Pet Insurance: What You Need to Know To Choose Insurance For Pets

by Amy Shojai | Mar 5, 2025

Do you have pet insurance for your cats and dogs? After what we’ve gone through with Bravo’s health challenges, it seemed a good time to revisit insurance for pets. September is National Pet Health Insurance Month. If you have an aging cat or a dog that’s a golden oldie, it may be a good idea to look into insurance for pets.

A heart-wrenching dilemma arises when treatment is possible, but the owner can’t afford the expense. According to the most recent American Pet Products Association (ABBA) National Pet Owners Survey, the U.S. spent an estimated $123 billion on veterinary care. According to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 70% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 90.5 million in homes.

Jack Stephens, DVM founded the first insurance company, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) in 1980. He had the support of 750 independent veterinarians. Pet insurance has been slow to be adopted in the US and Canada, but the number of insured pets has slowly increased. A survey showed 3.45 million pets were insured by the end of 2020, according to NAPHIA, the North American Pet Health Insurance Association. Here’s what to look for when shopping for pet insurance…

Today, that’s a great option for many folks, but insurance for pets works a bit differently than human health insurance. Owners of pets must make health care decisions that often are based on financial limitations. Even if it takes ten or fifteen years for you to use pet insurance, you will.

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Liver Disease In Cats: Know The Signs

Liver disease is any condition which impairs that organ’s normal function. The liver is the body’s metabolic headquarters. It serves a dual role both as a kind of factory, and as a filter. That makes the liver the first line of defense–and at risk from damage–when filtering out toxins and more. Here’s what you need to know.

Dog Ticks: All About Ehrlichiosis

This disease has been reported worldwide wherever these ticks are found. Most cases in the United States occur in dogs living in the Texas Gulf coast regions and other southern states. All dogs are susceptible, but those with greater exposure to ticks. Outdoor dogs, working dogs and hunting dogs are at highest risk. Here’s what you need to know.

What Is Homeopathy? Can Homeopathic Nosodes Replace Vaccines?

In the past I’ve received messages from pet lovers anxious to protect their cats and dogs from disease using homeopathic nosodes. In one case, the dogs had bad experiences in the past with pharmaceutical vaccinations and had dog vaccine side effects. With plans for a new puppy or two in the works, she asked for advice about alternatives to vaccinations for the new pups, to protect them from the most common canine illnesses: distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, and rabies.

More specifically, she asked for recommendations for where to obtain homeopathic nosodes for each of these pathogens.

Stressed Cats Overgrooming? Your Guide to Cat Hair Loss

Tabby doesn’t deal with office politics and gets to sleep 16 hours a day, but cats still suffer from feline stress. In fact, upset feelings can leave them biting their nails and pulling their hair. Literally…

Fake Service Dogs: Scammers Hurt Legit Animal Partnerships

Recently, I received another request from an online company to post an article here about their service. I declined–as I have no way to vet such things to sift through legitimate services versus bogus ones. I wrote this post several years ago and am re-posting as the information remains valid.

Online companies are getting very good at meeting the letter of the law, if not the intent. They promote themselves as a way to relieve pet owners of unfair expenses (pet deposits, airline fees, no-pets-allowed housing or other services) — oh, and sometimes as an afterthought, they add in the emotional aspect, too (insert #sarcasm).

How To Keep Outside Cats Safe

Do your cats get to go outside? How do you keep them safe from harm, especially if they door dash and escape? How would you go about transitioning an exclusively INDOOR ONLY cat to life on the outside? What can you do to make certain your kitties are always safe? If you’re concerned about indoor vs outdoor cats, read on to learn options for how to keep outside cats safe!

How to Keep Cats from Dashing Outside

There is a saying, that a cat is “always on the wrong side of a door.” My cat Seren(dipity) faithfully adhered to this principle, although with age, her dash-for-the-door became more like a stroll. Karma-Kat these days waits for the dog’s potty time, and makes a bee-line for the door. When you live with a cat, chances are you’ll have a door dashing cat escape now and then. Here’s what to do…

Dog Bite Prevention: 9 Tips to Keep Everyone Safe

In March 2011, I served as an expert witness in a dog bite case in which a child was mauled, and the child’s grandmother who owned the home where the Pit Bull mix lived was prosecuted as responsible. I learned a lot during this trial, one of the biggest lessons having to do with the many misconceptions regarding dogs, dog language, and dog bites…

The Soft Chew Shadow-Pup Kept Pestering For (Our PetLab Co. Review)

Being loving pawrents, we do all we can to keep Shadow’s coat shiny, his gut well-balanced, and his immune system functioning well. So, as Shadow grows into his middle years (where did that adorable itty bitty puppy go?!), we’ve been exploring the benefits of adding daily probiotics to his routine. Cue PetLab Co. Probiotic Chews…

Pets Are Family: What Are the Most Important Relationships in Your Pet’s Life?

Your relationship with your pet may be one of the most important bonds in your life. They have an incredible influence on our health and wellbeing. Pets are family, and we can’t say that enough. Mine inspire my work daily, and keep me grounded.

But what about the relationships our pets have with people or other pets outside of our home? Here are 5 stars in your pets’ relationship constellation.

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