~ . Expert information on medicine, behavior andhealth from a world leader In veterinary medicine

ShortTakes 2 The Many Reasons for the Cats' Meow Spending on pets reaches all-time high. Addressing ashortage 01 veterinarians. It can express urgency for food or attention, as well as Giving Kittens aChalKe at Life 3 ShelteT5launch nurseries to provide their nature to be active at dusk and dawn for the hunt intensive (are and prevent diseases. Risks of Food-borne Illness 5 eowing can be en­ owners consider excessive meowing in Don't feed your cat in the kitchen and M dearing, bUI leI's cals depends largely on whal lime of make meal preparation off-limilS. face it: When our cats day it is." Ask Elizabeth 8 meow to excess, it can Matted hair may indicate poor sometimes drive us Common Complaint. While fre­ grooming because of illness or obesity. crazy. "The same sort quent nighttime or early morning of meowing th at is no t meowing INTHE NEWS ... a problem at 6 p.m. is a fairly An Abandoned Alley Cat can be a huge problem common Becomes a Guinness Star at 4 a.m. when the ow nee complaint If you want to understand how is tryi ng to Sleep," says amo ng cat owners, "Unlike your cat can effortlessly leap on behaviorist Katherine excessive barking, it's rarely counlers, you could study takeoff A. Houpt, VMD, Ph .D., serious enough for an owner to pay velocity (TOV) and hind -limb professor emeritus at a behaviorist to solve Ihe problem," length. Or walCh Alley, who made Cornell Universily W@ unwittingly teach says Dr. Houpt. "In one of our st ud ­ our cats- to meow by the 2015 Guinness World Records College of Velerinary fPspond,ng when they do ies, owners reported th at only 10 as the longest-jumping domestic Medicine. (' What cat out of736 cat cases - or 1.4 percent car. Her broad jump: six feet, With (coll tinll ed on page 6) her TOV fro m a standslill. Alley was named by Sa mamha Martin because she fo und the "frail, little kitty" in an alley. "To Looking Beyond the Ingredient Label have her grow up so strong It may take some sleuthing to determine what's in and Ihen eventually become a Gui nn ess World Record-holding your eat's food, such as those secondary sources cat is SO exciting for us and for her because she ha d such difficult n our quesl to eat heallhy food, we often on his fo od, he recommends that YOll call Ihe beginni ngs and now she's a star: I extend that enthusiasm to ou r cats. We manufaclurer direcIly and ask. It may be Ihe Martin bega n traini ng Alley evaluate their diets with the same scrupulous best way to get a grasp on what's really in it. whe n she saw the cal li ked care we give our own, but commercial cat Most manufactu rers will disclose secondary to jump. Now she shines on fo od can still remain somewhat of a mystery. sources if you call them. YouTu be and Martin's one-hour We question if preservatives are safe. Should "The big issue is about the sources that stage show, the Amazi ng Aero­ we avoid genetically modified ingredients? yo u don't know about," Dr. Wakshlag says. "If Cats.The rescue d and stray ca ts What about artificial coloring? manufacturers don't add it themselves, that skate board and walk tightropes. Nutritionist Joseph Wakshlag, DVM, doesn't mean it isn't in there because some­ Also fe atured are Ihe Rock Cats Ph.D., at Cornell University College of Vet­ times iI 's in Ihe ingred ienls Ihey buy. If the band on drums, gUitar, keyboa rd erinary Medicine) weighs in on ingred ient manufacl urer puts on the label that the dog and chimes. Martin's skill:cl icker safety with this advice: You can be the most fo od was preserved with rosemary, it doesn't training. For All ey, hind-limb effective advocate for you r cat's healthy diet. mean that the product wasn't preserved with length probably helps. 100 _~ If you have questions after reading tbe label etboxyquin [a preservative also licensed by (continued on page 4) CatWatch SHORT TAKES Annual Spending on Pets EDITOR IN CHIEF Bruce G. Kornreich, DVM, Ph.D., in the U.S. Tops $55 Billion Olpl ACV ~ M Wh ile the U.S . economy grew only 19 EDITOR percent las t year, overall spending on pets Betty Liddick increased 4.5 percen t to reach a record ART DIRECTOR $55.72 billion. Thi s year estimates are that Mary Francis McGavic the pet industry will continue to grow an H@a lth and wellness emt'tge J(,. a maJtlI Irc!iOIl for ADV ISORY 80A~D estimated 4.9 perce nt to $58.51 billion. irn;reased sl)€rlochnq on p€'t'i James A. Flanders, DVM, Olp l ACVS. ASSO CIate Professor, The main reasons: a stream of Clmica l Sciences entrepreneurs introducing products and the The program at UA will help address Marc S. Kraus. DVM. Olpl ACVIM, investment in new and existing companies, Ihe critical shortage of vete rinaria ns in rural Senior Lecturer, Ciinlc(li SCi en ces the American Pet Prod ucts ASSOCiation said Arizona communities and Iribal nati ons, Margaret C. McEntee, DVM, benefi t bioscience busi nesses and promote Dlpl ACVIM, DACVR, in announCin g the figures earli er this year. Its Professor 0: Oncology report covered food, su pplies and over-the­ publiC health, the university sa id. The year­ William H. Miller, Jr., VMD. Dlpl counter medication s, veterinary ca re, anim al round program will allow students to receive ACVD. Professor,Clinica l Sciences purcha ses and services such as grooming, their degrees more quickly, incur less loan Pamela J. Perry, DVM, PhD debt and enter the workforce more rapidly Lecturer, Cli nlC.J.l xiences boarding, tra ining and pet sitting. Food was th e big winne r, wi th an increase Training partners will include priva te of 45 percent and sales of nearly $22 billion, as practices, federal and sta te an imal health Comen University owners' preferences followed trends in human labs and regulators, the U.s . Border Pa trol, Callegeof food and diets.Veterinary care was second at Homeland Secu rity, and animal shelter and I) Veterinary Medicine $14.37 billion, an increase of 5.1 percent Pet rescue agencies. For Inforrtltltion on your ca(s health, services had the biggest percentage of growth visit the Cornell University College of Vet€'linaf y Med ici ~ , Cor r'~11 reline at 6.1 percent. or $4.41 billion. Toward Safer Surgery Health Cenlef website at "Both food and veterinary care are strongly A study at UC Da vis will eva lu ate the wwwve tcornell.edu/ fhc/ infiuenced by consumers' growing interest in card iovascular effects of the drug MK-476 improved healthcare for their pets: sa id Bob when given wi th dexmedetomidine for Vetere, CEO of the association. "Health and an estheSia or pre-sedation in cats. MK-476 we ll ness-related themes represent the mOSt (montelukaast sodium) is now used to ma nage powerful trends across ail segments of the asthma in humans, among other conditions. industry and wi li con tinue to do so." w /Wmch" (I SS N 1095-9092) Bruno H. Pypendop, DrMedVet, Ph D., is _ i!: publi~hed momhly Vetere credited owners' continuing chief investiga tor for the project, sponsored by for S19 per year by :].. Belvol! Media Grou p, humanization of pets as one of the stronges t the Winn Feline ~ oun d a tlon and Dav is' Center Llc' 535 Connecticut forces behind spending. "People are for Co mpanion An imal Health. Dr. Pypendop, Belvoir Av/::, ,, Nor Nalk. f T 06854­ 171 3 Aobert Englander, pampering their pets more than ever, and Professor of Surgical and Radiological Chairman and CEO. T.rnothy H Cole, Execu tt vr Vice President Edltorral manufacturersand bu sin esses are offering Sciences, has an interest in the pharmacology D- l ,-,(tQ ~, PhIlip L Penny, Chief new products, servICes and opportunities to of anesthetic and pain-relieving agents in Opel.Jtit'g Orflcer, Greg Km g, Executive VI(! Pfe'Sld ent, Marketing Direc tor; Ron meet their :lE'eds and wants , from interactive animals, with a special emphasis on cats. Cioldberg, (hi~ff i f\ anCial Offlcel.1om C .J~ fleld, Vice Pf02:S lde nt, Circulation. and innova tive toys to pet-friendly hote ls, Th e sedative dexmedetomidine is often 0)'014 Belvoir Media Group, LLC restaurants and air lines." used in ca ts for its ca lming, pain- relieving POS ln"btf'r. Send a dd r es ~ correct ions effects. It als o given before anestheSIa, to CtltW;;tch, PO BOlo: 8SJS, Big Sandy, TX 7S7SHllS Addressing aVeterinary Shortage usuall y only to yo ung, healthy cats becaus e For Customer Service The University of Arizona will open a its side effects, such as lowered hea rt rate or Subscription Information. viiit veterinary medicine program in the fall and decreased output of blood fro m the www.carwatchnewsleltercomlcs or ca I to!1fr ee: 800-829·8893 of 20 15, thanks to a $9 million foundation heart, could tax older ca ts. Ad ministered

Express written per;r1J'> ~ion i.. grant. With only 30 veterinary schools and simultaneously, th e study will determine if urred to reprod uc e. ,n any r"T\:Inuel". l'le contents of llli,> Issue. colleges across the US, gaining admi SS ion to MK-476 may be able prevent those effects e1 1hfU In fu ll or In pan For more veterinary sc hools can be difficu lt, especially and still pre serve dexmedetomidine's In (orn;a;(;'l, wrrre to Per mISS IO f"l S, CatWntch. 5~5 ConneCI l('lJ t Av i.:. . at many out-of-sta te institutions that favor benefits. MK-476 has been stu died in dogs Norwalk, CoonectltUl 06854 17 13 resident students. and sheep but, until now, not in ca ts. .;.

DECEMB ER '01' HEALTH They're Giving Kittens aChance at Life

Shelters launch nurseries to provide intensive nursery as soon as they we re weaned care and prevent the spread ofdeadly diseases fro m the bottle,"

f all the an imals in shelters, young Caring for "bottle babies," the young­ Close Monitoring. The advantages Okittens are usually the most at risk. es t, tin iest and most vulnerable kittens, of a kitten nursery are more central­ They're fragile, prone to infectious ill­ is highly labor inten sive .Their immune ized ca re procedures, a sup port system nesses and have special care needs. While systems are not yet fully functional, they and the ability to closely monitor the some are placed in foster hom es to be have specific nutritional needs, and they popul ations, Dr. Berliner says. Those hand-raised until they are old enough for need close monitoring to en sure that they same adva ntages can have a downside, adoption, many shelters euthanize them don't fall prey to deadly infectious diseases though: the possibility that illness can as soon as they are brought in beca use and low blood sugar, Dr. Berliner says. She rapidly spread to all the kittens. they don't have the infrastructure or staff adds th at one of the best measures of kit­ One of the most important factors in to care (or them. ten health is reliable weight gain , so kittens successfu lly running a kitten nursery is To give the kittens a chance at life, must be weighed daily to ensure that they preve nting the spread of disease. While some shelters arc taking a new approach: are steadily putting on the ounces. haVing kitten s in a centraHzed area makes They're operating kitten nurseries. it easier to care for them, it ca n also «When the foster system is over­ heighten the risk of infection. Slaff whelmed or when the needs go be­ --'\1 _. members and volunteers working . - yond the care that can be provided ---_..... ------in the kitten nursery must have spe­ in individual homes. a kitten nurs ­ cial training in disease prevention ~I t : ~ • ," '14• ,I ery provides a sort of intermediate when working with these highly ,.'I'~)I. ~!·r~c. or intensive ca re ward where these :,~ .._ I-j--:-':';". Ii'; -~ --­ susceptible kittens and, sometimes, populations can be supported, treat­ , ., their mothers. ed and SOCialized," says Elizabeth "It is critica l that staff and ,fj '( . .!~: ,,-." "y' A. Berliner, DVM, MS, ABVP, the volunteers working in a kitten ,....""'.;_,.-'- ,; ~~t J' "C-,:!'- -- r - -' Janet 1. Swanson Director of Shelter nursery have training in basic Medicine at Cornell University Col­ The Jacksonville HUlT'lbne Sodety is part of a coalition that biosecurity: hand-washing, lege of Veterinary Medicine. sa",ed 600 cats ·....hen I' opened Ihe Kitten Universily ,n fomite [objects that can be con­ lOll, II expec ts to end this year With up to 1.600 lives l,.aved. taminated1 control, and wearing Vol\lmf'er'i 'lYDrK thtef' ~h l h~ wven ddy!t d w .. · ~ , ~aHfN] for Growing Trend, In a small but d~ rl~ \{ltu~m . of gloves and other personal growing movement around the protective equipment ," Dr. Ber­ country, shelters, including the liner says. "They should also have .!1eonataJ Kitten Nursery Program at Because of these specia l needs, protocol-based systems for caring for Au stin's Pets Alive, are making a differ­ Deisler and her staff decid ed that focusing and monitoring kitten health, as well as ence by expanding the number of kittens on bottle babies was not the best use of guidelines for play and socialization." who can be cared for - as long as the the nursery faCi lity. Instead, they far med At jHS, kittens are housed in separate shelters have adequate housing, staff and out th e babies to foster homes and focused rooms grouped by age. That way, the kit­ volunteer fo rce, as well as ca reful med ica l what they call Kitten University on young­ tens in a particular area arc all provided oversight and protocols. sters who were alrea dy weaned. the sa me level of care. They can also be One of the efforts is a coalition com­ "It worke d out bea ulifully," she isolated more eas ily if disease breaks out. prising Jacksonville Humane Society, says. "Bottle babies need to be in the Jacksonville Animal Care and Protec­ space longer, so if we fill up wi th bottle Color Coding. "We color-code each tive Serv ices and First Coast No More bab ies, we don't have room to take in room," Deisler says. "In the purple room, Homeless Pets. Together, they saved the 3, 4 and 5-week-olds whose chance fo r instance, the trashca n is purple, the approximately 600 kittens during their of surv ivi ng is much greater. It al so broom is purple, the mop is purple, the first year of operation and doubled that made it ea sier for llS to attract foster laund ry basket is purple, so we're not number in their second yea r in 2013. parents, because we could assure them mixing cleaning or handling supplies "lhis yea r we're fo recasting it will be that while bottle-feeding babies isn't between rooms." 1,500 or 1,600," says JHS Executive a simpl e task, it was a ve ry short tas k A cad re of dev oted volunteers is es­ Director Denise Deisler. and we would bring the kittens into the sential as well , not only to fo ster bottle (co ntinued on bottom page 5) DEC fM 8ER l014 NUTRITION

INGREDIENTS... (co n,i"",d lrom(Ow,) I can't say that ethoxyquin is bad. using them, and the corn and soy do not the Environmental Protection Agency as AIt's the amount of it that we need die and produce better yields. a pesticide}. Consumers have to be a little to look at. We know that ethoxyquin, Many initial st udies said this is safe bit inquisitive when looking at food labels which preserves fat s and other vitamins for consumption. But when research­ because) from a packaging standpoint, that get oxidized. has negative potential ers looked at what happens when 60 there are a lot ofways to get around it. consequences when it is in high concen­ percent of a rat's diet is weed-killer trations, above 150 parts per million. resistant GMO corn fed in pellets, some What do yOI1 think is the biggest con­ That is partially why the Association studies say it's OK. Others say if you Qsumer misconception about pel food of American Feed Control Officials feed it to rats for their entire lives, they ingredients? decreased the acceptable amount of it in will get kidney lesions. But how many That it's inferior to what you're eat­ pet food. cats or humans are eating 60 percent ing, whereas it is species-appropri­ GMO corn? Like everything else, it 's all ate. It may be better than what most of Are natural preservatives healthier about quantity - dose makes the poi­ us are eating because oflhe balance of Qthan chemienl ones? son - so there is a lot ofcontroversy healthy ingredients and because they're Everyone is looking for all-natural around it. routinely fed the same diet - with few food . Many companies have gone to trips to the fast-food drive-through. natural preservatives like rosemary and n How long will preservatives keep cat vitamin E. However, there are products "4Joods fresh? COI1StlmerS used to be worried about that may have chemical preservatives They are sa fe to eat withln nine to Q etllOxyquin. What is tile curre,lf in them like BHA or BHT in fish meal A 12 months from the day of manu­ veterinary consensus about iF [While the or poultry fat. The manufacturer will facturing. A high-fat food will go rancid Food and Drug Administration determined tell you that the product is preserved quicker, because those usually contain that ethoxyquin does not have any health with natural tocopherols for preserva­ about 20 percent or more fat. and those conseq uences, its Certler for Veterinary tion (which are antiox idants at the same usually become rancid from being stored Medicin e asked pet food manufactllr­ time) that they add, but they do not in a hot warehouse before being shipped ers to limit its use voluntarily until there need to label that the fat they bought to the retailer. was more evidence that it was harmful to had chemical preservatives that end up pets. The antioxidant is added to animal ill the food. Q IS artificial coloring safe? feed with the FDA stipulation that one of The reason some of these products these statements be included on the prod­ have to be preserved chemically is that We don't have any evidence that it uct label: "Ethoxyquin, a preservative" or the natural preserva tives do not work as Ais detrimental. We just don't know "Ethoxyquill added to retard the oxidative well as chemical ones in general. Their enough. It's not in many foods. ff we had destruction" of carotel1e ... and vitamins A shelflife might be shorter. Synthetic ones enough cats eating red coloring, there and E." The label helps ens"re the saJe use were made for a reason: They were more is a good chance we would find some­ ofelhoxyquil1, since there are established effective, you didn't have to use as much, thing negative. but it's a ll in the quantity. tolerances Gl1d a maximum use rate for and in the end they are less expensive Current toxicology studies suggest they this food additive, the agency says.! because they are all used in the human are safe. market ad nauseam. WhiCh by-produClS are OK and which ShOt.lld we avoid geneticaily modified Q are bad' How can you tell by reading Q corn and soy? the label' In general there is not much to It comes back to knowing your by­ Aworry about. We have been geneti­ Aproduc ts. Good chicken meal is the cally modifying corn si nce the days of whole chicken. Bad chicken meal is just Mendel. One of the major issues is genet­ the rib cages, necks and legs. To ascer­ ically modified (GMO) corn and soy that tain that, you have to call the manufac­ is weed-killer resistant. GMO corn and tUrers and ask how much ash Ibonel is soy will make a protein that is resistant in their chicken mea l, beef meal or bone to certain weed killers. The grower keeps meal. Some will have upward of 10, 12 or 16 percent. That's a lot of bone and Commercia l cat food may be better thzm our very little meat. The appropriate range diets becaltSe of the balallCe of hea1 tny Ingre · of ash is 6 percent or so in good quality dlenr~ and the COr'l5!stellCv of OU I feeding IL chicken meal. .t

4 DECEMBER 2014 SAFETY Reducing the Risk of Food-borne Illness Don't feed your cat in the kitchen and - good luck with this - make meal preparation off-limits

emysti fY ing the ingredients in loss, swollen lymph nodes and shock. Dcomm ercial food is only one step A major concern is that pets wh o have in providing a healthy diet for our cats. eaten contaminated food can carry The ongoing challenge is preve nting the germs even if they appear healthy. Owners can be e:xpo!ied to sa ImoneUa by I,andling pet food ~od ' fe

HEALTH

KIITENS.. . (COll ",wcd1"'''' pag< J) and keeping the pantry well stocked with ing more kitten s also means planning to babies but al so to work in the nursery. snacks helps keep volu nteers coming in. place more kittens. "We forged relation ­ Deisler aims to have two to fO llr vo l ~ O nce they reach 8 weeks of age or ships with four new off-site venues so that unteers per shift at three shifts a day, 2 pounds, the kittens can be spayed or we wo ul d have new avenues for adop­ seven days a week. If they run short of neutered and put up for adoption. They ti on ," she says. "We have an inc red ibly vo lun te ers on a given day or shift. th e are highly adoptable, thanks to the social­ high adoption rate for at-risk kittens. Our staff works harder, but Deisler finds that ization and handling they receive in the live-release, or save, rate for them is about publishing a Ki tten University newsletter nursery. Deisler notes. however, th at sav- 94 percent, which is rema rkable." ->

OECE MB ER 1014 Vhlt US.il 1 ww w,(a twatchfltw"§lelttr.

MEOWING... (C.,IIin"cd frolll co ..,) Surprisingly, these sa me adult cats positively to them when they do." of behavior problems - meowed don't generally meow to one another [fyou prefer your cats on the quiet excessive ly. '" at all. They may ca terwaul to one an­ side, you may want to steer clear of Meows ca n express and evoke a other, Dr. Houpt says, " but those are the Orienlal breeds who tend to be sense of urgency for food or atten­ aggressive vocalizations. as compared great talkers. By nature, Dr. H oupt tion. "[nitially, kittens meow to get to the pleading vocalizations they be­ says, "Siamese, Himalayans and Bur­ their mothers' attention," Dr. H oupt stow upon their humans." mese cats tend to be more vocal than says. "so it makes sense for pet cats, as And, she adds, "We humans unwit­ other breeds." ad ults, to meow a great deal when they tingly teach our (co ntinued on bottom page 7) want something from us, their surro­ ca ts to meow, si m­ Interactive games can rnent2llly gate mothers." ply by responding engage your cat dod gl\l\:.' you the 0PPollunlly to ploy togethet. reducing rneowll"lg due to OOlt:"dorn Pul Heat') In WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW the blocks while he wdlth.. 10 begin the MtxMa:( PUllift game Excessive meowing can be a sign of a physical prob­ lem - illness, pain, hunger, thirst or confusion . "If your cat vocalizes excessively or compulsi vely ­ especially if the hyper-vocalization has come on sud­ denly - a trip to the veterinarian is a good idea," Dr. Houpt says_ "Excessive meowing is often a symptom of hyperthy­ AFTER BASIC NEEDS ARE MET, PLAY WITH HIM ro idism, particularly when accompanied by weight TO BURN OFF HIS EXCESS ENERGY los5 and hyperactivity," she says_ In an assessment, a veterinariim will consider the age of your cat. A Don't ignore your meowing cat Without first check­ 2-year-old is much less li kely to have this disease Ing wheth er something Is amiss in his life, Is the than a 12-year-old. The good news, says Dr, Ho upt, w ater bowl emptylls there easy access to the litter is that hyperthyroidism is treatable. box? Is he Inadvertently trapped In a room or closet? An other consideration: "Elderly cats are also prone 10 develop kidney dis ease and/or cognitive dysfunc­ Make sure your cat 's basic physical needs are met tion - the feltne equivalent of Alzheimer's - which before assuming that he's demanding attention. can also cause late-night yowling, possibly due to And res ist the urge to shout at or punish him for anxiety," Dr. Houpt says. "A veterinarian may be able excessive meowing. Any form of attention, even to prescribe medications that can help: anger, is more li kely to exacerbate rather than solve the problem be havior. Some c.ah meow Insi'5t(!-t"Itly to go out into the world. TI1f'1 ~f1c1med SPdce of d C.cltio dHOW\ rhE'm to enjoy Ihf" outdoors and Instead, try pl"ying with your cat in the evening to II rt-'m~lt'~it-' burn off excess energy, Dr. Houpt says_"Another technique is to feed cats their dinner later at night - for example, before you go to bed. This way, they will be satiated and less likely to awaken you due to hunger_I f your cat sleeps in your bedroom and is not prone to gaining weight, try keeping a bowl offood In your bedroom so he can eat it when he awakens Instead of waking you up_ Or try confining them else­ where in th e house.' When al l else fa ils: A product called Ssscat provides a harmless burst of compressed air and may serve as an effective deterrent to keep your cats out of your bedroom, Dr. Houpt says. "Whatever you do, don't reward bad behavior:

DECEMBER 1014 BEHAVIOR

FIVE REASONS FOR THE BEHAVIOR AND TECHNIQUES TO CONTROL IT

Once physical and medical causes are ruled out, you open at specific times. At the very least. your cat's may wish to consider some behavioral techniques to excessive meowing will be directed at the feeder curb your cat's excessive meowing. First, it's important and not at you. If you've recently placed yourcat to determine the cause: on a diet and suspect hunger-related meowing, 1. Feeling lonely or boredl If you're away from ask his veterinarian about high-fiber diet foods home for long hours, especially even ing hours, see that can help your cat fee l satiated without con­ if you can arrange to spend more l ime at home. suming excess ca lories. If not, consider having a friend, neighbor, fa mily member or pe l slUer stop by your house to visit 5. Wanting to mate. An unspayed female cat may and interact with your ca t. Enhance the time you be in hea t. Ea ch episode can last 4 tol 0 days. with do have together by playing with your cat. Many the cycle repeating every 18 to 24 days through­ prefer interactive play with a fishing pole-type toy out the breeding season . It can be eight months or la se r beam. long in the Northern hemisphere and year-round 2. Seeking attentIon:Teach your cat that you'll offer for indoor cats. Similarly, an unneutered ma l ~cat attention he craves only when he's quiet. Walt for may pace and meow relentlessly if he hears or a mom ent of silence, and immediately reward smell a female in heat. In either case, spaying and him with treat and praise. Wa lk away if he begins neutering are the solution for this - and their meowing again, and return only when he's quiet. general health. Re peatthis process frequently. You r cat is bound to catch on. The late Sophia Yin. DVM, MS, a pioneer In positive training, advocated following the golden rule in qui­ 3. Asking t o go out or come In. Keeping cats eting what she described as a cacophonous indoors will better protect them from cryer: "Rewa rd the behavior you want, such danger and disease, and provide them with a longer life. ConSider transition­ as sitting quietly, and remove the reward for ing outdoor cats to a life indoors. Th ey unwanted behavior - your attention. So when may meow at windows and doors for a your cat yowls at you to give him what he while but will eventually adjust. Another wants, wait him out patiently and then pet and option is to build an outdoor cat endo­ provide attention only when he sits quietly." sure - a catlo - so your cat can spend time outdoors while both he Success might take time, Dr. Yin said. "To and the local wildlife remain safe. speed up the process, first train the cat to sit for trea ts . Once he's learned a calm station­ 4. Seeking food. Feed your cat only ary position, you can start rewarding for quiet at prescribed times so he under­ , tands that food will notbe forth­ b.eballi.o.r:' She once_said tbaLher cat. Dante, coming at other times. You ca n voca lized longer than the most diligently als o try one of the commercially trained singer, but he learned that he available aUtomatic cat feeders, didn't need to meow and screa m when ­ which can be programmed to ever he wanted something."

(continued from page 6) Oriental cats like Burmese, CIIlong with Siamese Wakeup Calls. It's also important and Himalaydn~ leud to be more ....ocal than does ­ or vice versa," Dr. Houpt says. mh~1 breed50. to understand that cats are "crepusc u­ "Unfortunately, as I tell these co uples, lar" creatures. "Their nature is to hunt I don't do marriage counseling!" at dawn and dusk," Dr. Houpt says. le aping out of bed as soon as the cat However, she did find a good solu­ "They awaken naturally at dawn and wakes them up and then feeding him, tion in her own situation . "Before I got they want company. Besides meowing which serves only to reinforce the married, my ca t slept with me, but my loudly, they may jump on their favor­ problem behavior." hu sba nd preferred him to sleep else­ ite sleeping humans, tap us wi th their Excessive crepuscular meowing of­ where," she says. "We comprom ise d by paws or even kn ock things off shelves. ten becomes a couple's problem. "The having the cat sleep on a bench along­ Owners often ma ke matters worse by wife may not mind it, but the husband side the bed ." 0)

OE([M8ER 101< Vhl t tJ1.1 www.utwltchn twsletter.com 7 ASK ELIZABETH

What Causes Mats in Her predisposing them to hairballs, or trichobe­ zoars, which may cause problems in some cats. Cats With Mid-length Hair? Mats usually form when shed hairs become tangled with non-shed hairs and dirt, environ­ I have two cats, a IS-year-old, 6-pound mental moisture, excessive oil from oil glands in domestic calico with mid-length hair and a Q the skin, and, in some cases, urine and/or feces. l-year-old, a-pound part-Himalayan, also with Sometimes the undercoat is involved, and mats mid-length hair. Both have developed matted hair may form in non-shed hairs. The formation of on both sides of their hindquarters. I was able to mats may indicate that a cat is not grooming shave the calico's offand the hair grew back OK. well, either because of illness that may alter his The big cat won't let me shave him. What causes behavior (lethargy/weakness) or because of Ellz.abeth these mats? restricted access to areas of the body, as may f:!'IZi,t:>-·,'1 :IIQ(.'UU,I f(JI be seen with obese cats who cannot reach their m 1)1, ".f1n(e 0' B'c,lce G. Thank you for writing about this common Komr~l(h, DVM, Ph.D., hind ends. An unkempt appearance resulting ACVlM, ABocia'l'Dfe:r01 A problem. It can not only be annoying but from failure to groom is often an indication of J rf,p [omeJi Ff!I/flUteorul can also predispose to certain skin diseases that (ef)rer; If1 ()t(NNJ'm r+1t' Oml\'f\'" a medical problem, and cats with this appear­ ;." Ihlpoge . may, in some cases, be an indication that some­ ance should be seen by a veterinarian. Mats thing is not right with a kitty. Perhaps a discus­ may predispose cats to skin infections and sion of the normal anatomy and cycle of hair external parasites such as fleas, so they should growth would be a good place to start. be dealt with promptly when observed. PLEASE Cats, like all mammals, have hair that grows SHARE YOUR Mats can be prevented in most cats by regu­ from follicles found in the skin. Hair comes in QUESTIONS lar brushing. Once formed, they may require different forms, including the undercoat, or significant work with a brush and/or fine comb We welcome questtoru down, which is the softer, fluffier layer that on hea lth, rnedi,ine and to remove. Consultation with a veterinarian provides warmth, and the guard hairs, which bellavlor. but fe-gret Ihlll and/or groomer can be very helpful if mats are we tanOOt comment are generally longer than the undercoat. The on prior dlagnosl!'-s and advanced, and they may need to be removed specific produces, PI@aSo@! guard hairs usually determine the color of a by shaving. Caution is advised if the latter is the wr1t~ CarWatch Editor, cat and provide a barrier of protection from 535 Connecticut Ave., case, as it is common for the skin to be dam­ water, ultraviolet light and trauma. Whiskers are Norwalk, CT aged during this process, and this may predis­ 06as4 ~ 1713 or another type of long, thick hair that extends email catwatcn!dll orill pose a kitty to skin infections. In rare, extremely corneU.edu . from the face and legs of a cat and provide tactile information about a cat's environment, advanced cases of matting, cats may need to allowing him to gauge the size of openings, be sedated or even anesthetized to remove navigate in the dark and perhaps even smell mats safely and efficiently. things. (That's cooll) I hope that this is helpful, and that your kit­ Cats normally shed their hair in the spring ties are doing well. If matting continues to be and early fall in temperate zones, although a problem, please consult with your veterinar­ they may also shed in response to artificial ian, who is always tne best source of advice for changes in temperature and the amount of issues regarding your kitties' health. We cats light. Some degree of shedding may be normal always want to look our best, and mats ca n be year-round. Cats are fastidious groomers, and both unsightly and an indication of a problem this grooming helps keep the hairs healthy and or a predisposing factor to problems that we all removes hairs that are shed. While grooming, wish to avoid. cats often ingest hair that is shed, sometimes -Best regards, Elizabeth 0)

~RESPONOENCE SUBSCRIPTIONS For subscription and customer service The Editor 539 per year (U.S.) information, visir CotWotch' $49 per year (Canada) www.catwatchnew.iletter.comlcs 535 Connecticut Ave. or write to: CatWatch, P.O. Box 8535, Norwalk, CT06854· 1713 Single copies of bock issues are Big Sandy, TX 75755·8535. catwatcheditor@ available for 5S each. cornell.edu CaI/BOO-571 · ISSS to order. CAll TOll FREE: 800-829-8893

DECEMBER 20 14