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Pet Care

Behavior

Relevant to Cats
Despite centuries of sharing our lives and homes with cats, many pet owners know very little about interpreting signs of anger, fear or aggression in these creatures. The typical “Halloween cat” posture (arched back, raised fur, ears back, hissing) clearly indicates fear and/or aggression, but cats also use other postures and behaviors that are subtle and easily missed. Since a hostile encounter with a cat at some time is almost inevitable, a few tips can help you avoid injury if you find yourself in such a situation.
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Relevant to Cats

If your houseplants are looking a little ragged or your cat shows symptoms of illness, interaction between them could be the cause. Houseplants may be good for the health of a home but can be dangerous for our feline friends. It is possible, however, to create a level of détente between them.


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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats
Summer means it is storm season. You may not have to check with the weather service to find out if lightning is about to strike, however. The answer could be curled up in your lap or resting at your feet. According to a survey by the Associated Press and Petside.com, more than two-thirds of dog and cat owners say they’ve received weather warnings from their pets. Even more surprisingly, almost half report they’ve been alerted to bad news by their animals. Do pets really have this mysterious “sixth sense”?
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Relevant to Cats
Is hunting and eating his prey bad for our cat’s health?
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Relevant to Cats
My cat is 20 months old, and he jumps on kitchen counters, the kitchen table, bedroom chests…everywhere he’s not supposed to! Help!
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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats
Use these five clues from AAHA to help you understand your pet’s body language and if they may be hiding their pain.
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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats
In the past ten years, veterinarians have come to realize that severe cognitive problems are no more normal in older dogs than they are in aging people.
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Relevant to Cats
What’s the best way to deal with a scared cat? She belonged to a neighbor and has always been afraid of strangers, but they were going to give her up to the shelter.
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Relevant to Cats
To help caring cat owners decide the best option when it comes to declawing, AAHA has provided some facts and alternative methods that address the problem of destructive scratching by house cats.
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Relevant to Cats
If you have a destructive cat at home, here’s some options to divert their attention to other things.
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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats

Christina McCarthy and her husband had a good feeling about the house. It was priced right and located in a quiet Westminster, Colo. neighborhood. When the young couple ventured into the backyard, they realized they’d found the home of their dreams.


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Relevant to Cats
How can I get my kitten to stop chewing on electrical cords? I keep finding electrical cords that my eight-month-old kitten is chewing.
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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats Relevant to Small Mammals

Why do animals yawn? Why do cats eat grass? Why do they purr? And why on earth does my pet eat poop? Benjamin Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVB, and distinguished professor emeritus at the University of California – Davis, addressed some of the more inexplicable behaviors of companion animals in his talk at the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) conference this year: “Why do they do that? Purring, yawning, flipping out on catnip, and eating poop.”


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Relevant to Cats

Feline urine marking is a behavior in which cats mark a location with urine to notify other cats of their territory. Learn the signs of urine marking, how it’s diagnosed and how it’s treated.


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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats
The Fourth of July is a time of fun and celebration, but for pets, it can be downright dangerous! From the noise of fireworks to table scraps at barbecues, potential problems loom for pets. To learn how to prevent your pets from being anxious or injured, read Fourth of July: Keeping Pets Safe and Happy.
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Relevant to Cats

Go, Cat, Go!As unlikely as it might seem, cats around the country are having a blast competing in agility competitions or doing obstacle courses in their own homes. It’s loads of fun for you and your cat — and it’s great for your cat’s physical and mental health.


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Relevant to Cats

How can I introduce a new cat (a stray that I found) to my household of one very, very spoiled cat, who has "ruled the roost" alone for the past four years?


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Relevant to Cats

My new kitten seems to be afraid of the litter box. He refuses to step into it, and when I try to put him in it, he jumps right out. He has been regularly going to the bathroom on my bed. What should I do?


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Relevant to Cats
Litter box training can be relatively easy and very successful if you devote the appropriate time and patience.
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Relevant to Cats
Learn about some of your cats odd behavior.
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Relevant to Cats
More odd cat behavior explained.
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Relevant to Cats
It may be hard to imagine that cats lounging around the house feel stressed, but medical studies prove that they do and that it can lead to aggressive play.
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Relevant to Cats
Many cats will have occasional small muscle twitches or tremors while they’re sleeping. It may be similar to REM sleep or dreaming in people, though no one knows for sure.
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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats
Veterinarians and animal shelter workers agree that an animal with a microchip implanted under the skin has the best chance of making it home. It’s routine for veterinarians and shelter workers to scan an animal for a microchip when it turns up lost. If an owner’s contact information is current, it’s easy to reunite him with his animal.
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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats Relevant to Exotics
Learn to manage your pet’s pain to help your furry friend live longer.
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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats Relevant to Exotics Relevant to Small Mammals
Ten tips for preventing pet behavior problems.
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Relevant to Cats
Learn what Pica is and how to eliminate it.
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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats
How to remove that urine smell from inside your house.
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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats

Animal hoarders can be overwhelmed caregivers, rescuers or sociopaths. Go inside their minds and learn what to do if you suspect hoarding.

Just how long Barbara Onderdonk had been hoarding Shetland sheepdogs is unknown. What is known is that she stored dogs like throwaway clothing in her garage in Buncombe County, N.C., and that ultimately, it was someone from her local animal hospital who turned her in.


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Relevant to Cats
A lot of things could cause a cat to start sneezing. Here are a few possibilities.
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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats

You have finally mustered the nerve to carry out the task you’ve been dreading all week. Nail clippers in hand, you hunt for Fido throughout the house. “I got him. He’s over here,” shouts your spouse. The two of you conspire to hold the struggling Cocker Spaniel down to give him a toenail trim, but after just seconds, you both give up.


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Relevant to Dogs Relevant to Cats
Tips on how to train your older canine or feline.
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Relevant to Cats
Kneading is a cute behavior to watchdcats flex and extend their paws against a bedspread, the carpet, or a person, usually while stretching and purring.
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Relevant to Cats

I have a cat that makes a lot more noise than most cats do. She purrs, whines, and yowls when she plays. At night sometimes she sits outside my bedroom door and meows constantly until I get up! She has plenty of food, water, and toys to play with. What’s wrong?


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Relevant to Cats

Sometimes my cat will be content and purring when I’m petting him, and then suddenly his tail will start to twitch and he’ll start to bite my hands. He also loves to jump out and attack my feet when I’m walking by. Why does he get carried away and attack me?


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Relevant to Cats

When I leave out my cat’s food on the floor, she likes to drag a cloth or a paper bag over it. She moves the cover when she wants to eat, then replaces it again when she leaves. Why does she hide her food?


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Relevant to Cats
Most likely because he’s a perfectly normal cat. It’s a natural instinct for cats to sleep most of the time. It’s an adaptation they developed in order to survive in the wild.
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Relevant to Cats
There are several causes of inappropriate urination.
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Relevant to Cats

Does your cat cough frequently? Don’t dismiss it as a harmless hairball — something else could be wrong. Many causes of cats coughing are easily treatable; however, if left alone, they can cause lung damage. Read on to learn the signs and symptoms, and what to do if your kitty is coughing.


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