Do You Have a Fat Cat?

Do You Have a Fat Cat?

A tubby Tabby? An obese Abyssinian? A pudgy Persian? (Okay, I'll stop.)

Today is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day, so let's take a look at the fitness (or lack thereof) of the average house cat in America today:

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's 2012 study, 58.3% of cats in the U.S. are overweight or obese. This equates to 43.2 million kitties with bulgy bellies. 29.3 million of them were said to be "overweight", while 13.9 million were actually "obese".

Even worse, many of their "cat parents" don't think their cats are overweight, so they're not doing anything to help their feline companions lose those excess pounds. A full 45.3% of the cat owners said their obese cats were of normal weight when given the choices of "too thin," "normal," "overweight," or "obese."

Part of that problem with perception is that our cats seem like featherweights in relation to our own body weights. But a cat that weighs 14 pounds is the equivalent of a man who weighs 237. A 15-pound  cat is like a woman of 5' 4" who weighs 218 or a 5' 9" man who weighs 254. Obviously, one pound makes a lot more difference when it's on our cats. Here's a handy chart to help you figure out what your cat's actual weight equates to in human terms.

Here's a pie chart (mmmm, pie!) of the survey's 2012 results:

Why Worry About an Overweight Cat?

The number one reason to be concerned about a cat being overweight is that obesity can lead to diabetes in cats. This is a serious condition that can lead to fatal ketoacidosis with a host of symptoms, or diabetic neuropathy in which the cat loses use of the rear legs. Feline diabetes may require treatment by oral medications (ever try to give a cat a pill?) or insulin injections (ever try to give a cat a shot?). You'll have to take blood (that can't be fun) to check kitty's blood sugar. Frequent visits to the vet are required to regulate the effectiveness of the treatment. So not only will your cat's quality of life suffer, yours ain't gonna be so great, either.

Just like with us, cats who are overweight run a higher tendency toward heart and respiratory diseases. They are more likely to have hypertension (high blood pressure). They may also be at a higher risk for abdominal cancers. All of these diseases shorten their lives.

Even worse, hauling around all that extra weight can cause cats to develop musculoskeletal complications that result in pain from osteoarthritis in the joints and connective tissues. Veterinarians report seeing more and more pets for joint problems that could be avoided by controlling their weight. Some even require surgery!

And if you're counting your pennies, those extra pounds can mean thousands of dollars in additional vet bills for medications, surgeries, and supplements to deal with these health issues that could have been prevented by proper weight management.

Why Are Our Cats So Overweight?

Probably for the same reasons we are: they're eating too much and exercising too little. In the wild, cats would spend most of their time hunting for their food. This means a lot of walking, climbing, stalking, leaping, chasing, playing with, and killing their prey. And once it's dead, they've got the work of tearing the edible parts from the carcass and eating them before other predators steal their dinner from them. No wonder big cats in the wild are so svelte!

Our domestic cats have things so much easier. They lie around all day while we're at work, and receive sumptuous meals without lifting a paw. Most people tend to overfeed their cats, not even paying attention to what's recommended on the packaging as an appropriately sized meal. The right amount seems like so little! And people forgo play sessions with their cats in favor of a little more time working, or online, or out with friends, or watching TV, or...well, you get the picture. Are we substituting food for the time our cats want to spend with us, out of guilt for the time we're spending working instead of playing with them? Perhaps. And we need to stop it.

My cats come and get me when I've been sitting at the computer too long. They're still fairly young, and they have a strong play instinct. They're not happy lying around sleeping all day. While they do chase each other, play together, and climb their cat trees quite a bit, they long for interaction with me. And it's good for me, too, to get up and dangle one of their toys for them for a few minutes. It's a nice mental break and gives me a little exercise, as well. We'd all be healthier if we took several play breaks during the day!

What we're feeding our cats is also a part of the problem. Many of us opt for the convenience of dry cat foods. Most veterinarians wouldn't advise it. One cup of dry cat food contains anywhere from the low 200s to almost 600 calories! Get calorie counts by brand name here. Additionally, all dry foods contain carbohydrates not needed by our cats' bodies. As obligate carnivores, cats need a diet made up almost exclusively of meat-based protein to be healthy. Ideally, less than 10% of a cat's diet should be made up of carbohydrates. 

Canned cat food is much healthier for a cat than dry food. It contains more water to help with a cat's hydration, which is important for urinary tract health and also helps the cat feel fuller. But all canned foods are not created equal; many include some nasty stuff that can even include the ground-up remains of cats and dogs killed at shelters! Read the labels to make sure that the food is predominantly recognizable meat. "Grain-free" is a popular labeling point these days, but those foods could still contain large amounts of potatoes or peas. Neither are something a cat would eat naturally in the wild. Here's a handy chart showing the nutritional composition of some canned cat foods.

Healthiest of all is a raw food diet. Although a bit pricey up front, these will save you money on the back side by keeping your cat healthier for the entire length of his life. They used to be hard to find, but as more companies are making commercial raw diets, more pet stores are stocking them. Cats fed a raw diet have better oral health, better digestion, less smelly poop (yes, really!), a more lustrous coat, and a better mental disposition. But you don't need a commercial food to feed your cat a raw diet. You can buy raw meat at the grocery store and feed your cat a raw diet on your own, but I'd suggest getting a book on the subject before embarking on this route; we carry a few of them here.

Taking Those Pounds Off Kitty

If your cat's already put on the pounds, there are healthy ways to take them off. Unlike humans, cats cannot fast. Going without food for as little as two days can throw a cat's system into a life-threatening liver condition known as hepatic lipidosis. So it's important to use caution when addressing your cat's weight issues.

Start with a visit to your veterinarian. This can tell you how much your cat actually weighs, versus kitty's ideal weight. Your vet will probably also be able to give you some guidelines on the daily caloric limit you should shoot for. Start measuring your cat's food and resist the temptation to overfeed. Automated feeders can help if your workday is long. These have timers to open when it's time for your cat to eat, instead of your just putting out a huge helping that will be gobbled all at once, or left untouched for the flies to invade as it spoils in the dish. Some even have an ice tray underneath to keep the food fresh!

Try to take the weight off your cat gradually, not too quickly. A loss of about one pound a month is plenty. It may not seem like a lot, but remember those conversion charts discussed above. When you think about it as a percentage of your cat's total body weight, one pound is a much larger amount. Excessive weight loss can lead to other health problems, which is what you're trying to avoid in the first place! Follow-up visits to the vet will help keep you on track here.

Preventing Feline Obesity

Obviously, keeping your cats from ever getting overweight in the first place is preferable. The information and resources on feeding provided above should give you some valuable tools to feed your cat a healthy diet. Pay attention to the daily feeding recommendations and don't let your cats just free-feed whenever they feel like it: they'll end up eating out of boredom, just like some humans do!

But just as with us, exercise also needs to be a part of your cat's weight loss regimen. Cats exercise by playing. They are highly intelligent and enjoy mental stimulation in their play. Make sure they have cat trees (yes, that's plural) they can climb, and places to go when they get up there. If you've ever seen Jackson Galaxy's show on TV, he talks about "catifying" your home with high shelves and walkways cats can explore. These are a great way to get your cats moving more.

Most cats love dangling toys. Mine love their Cat Dancer; it's been a favorite of almost every cat I've ever lived with. Simple is often the best when it comes to cat toys! Laser pointers give them something to chase. And there are several companies that make the track toys with a ball inside that the cats can bat around.

Change up the cats' environment every now and then by moving their cat trees or favorite toys to a different place. Puzzle toys in which food is hidden are also useful tools in making cats work for their food, just like in the wild. Treat-dispensing balls will let them chase around their meal. One of my cats likes to knock his food out of the dish and chase it around on the floor before eating it. It's his way of giving himself a little "hunt" to go on for his dinner. And it's cute as can be to watch, too, albeit a little messy to clean up!

Don't neglect the interactive aspect of playing with your cats, either. This makes them happier and mentally healthier. It cements the bond between you and makes your cats more affectionate toward you. It also makes them friendlier toward people in general and not so frightened of strangers. They now relate humans to a positive, play-related experience that gives them a healthier outlook toward their two-legged companions.

Will the 2013 numbers show an improvement in feline obesity numbers? We shall see, but let's all start working on making those numbers go down for 2014 by using some of these helpful tips. Get that portly Pixie-Bob (sorry, I couldn't resist) movin'!

Sources: Association for Pet Obesity Prevention; "Feline Diabetes", Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine; "Commercial Foods" by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM, CatInfo.org; 

Read More

How Dog Fighting Impacts Cats

This is Luka, one of Michael Vick's
former dogs who died in 2013
in his new home at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

How Dog Fighting Impacts Cats

There's a story in the news about another huge dog-fighting ring being broken up, the second largest ever in US history. This is great news for dog lovers, but it's also good news for cat lovers.

Why? Because cats are often used as bait to train fighting dogs to kill. It's an especially brutal and horrible way for a cat to die, as the dog literally tears them to pieces while they're still alive. The cat's terrified screams only excite the dog's killing instincts more and more.

Kittens and female beagles are said to be the preferred animals to use in this way. It's unimaginable how anyone could do such unspeakable things to any animal. After merely reading an eyewitness account of a tiny kitten being sacrificed to a fighting dog, I felt sick, and still do every time that haunting memory enters my mind. I'll spare you the details of how the dog killed the kitten, as you don't need those pictures in your head.

Where do these horrible people get the poor cats they use for this? Sadly, it could be from you. Or your local shelter, or cat rescue. Some will have their wives dress up like respectable people looking to adopt, visiting different shelters and even using disguises so the shelters' staff and volunteers won't recognize them. They'll look on Craigslist for people looking to give away litters of kittens, most of whom are just happy that anybody will take them. Others will obtain them by cruising neighborhoods and rounding up any animals, cats or dogs, that they can get who are left outdoors unattended, including inside fenced yards.

So if you let your cats go outdoors, be aware of this very real threat to them. Stay with them when they're out, and don't let them wander the neighborhood.

And if you're trying to re-home a cat or a litter of kittens, do a little due diligence on the person who's offering to take them. Don't be in such a hurry to get rid of them that you'd just give them to anybody who offers. Start up a conversation with the potential adopter and ask a few questions. Consider asking for a small fee for them instead of just giving them away. Pay attention to what your instincts tell you about the people. Be especially suspicious if they want the entire litter.

We can't protect our cats from every danger, but having your cat stolen for such a horrific purpose is a preventable thing. Do what you can to protect yours!

Here's a link to the full story about the dog-fighting ring bust.

Read More

Does Your Cat Ever Go Batsh*t Crazy?

Does Your Cat Ever Go Batsh*t Crazy?

Had the strangest experience yesterday, that seems important enough to share. My little Gilly, shown above standing benignly in the hallway, absolutely freaked out. A variety of factors likely contributed to it, so I'll tell you the story from the beginning.

The Daily Ritual

Every day when the mail comes in the afternoon, I go out to the front porch to get it out of the mailbox. The Golden Boys have taken to going out there with me to explore the porch and front walkway for a few minutes. Whenever I unlock the front door, they'll appear from nowhere and pile up at the front door, eager to get outside.

It's hotter'n four hells out there right now, this being August in Florida. So I don't have the desire to stay out long, and they seem satisfied with that. Gilly will usually roll around on the cement of the front porch or just sit or lie there and observe the street. Sometimes a loud car or a passer-by will make him get down really low, but he's usually brave enough to wait it out until the "danger" is past. Captain wants to stalk lizards, munch on the greenery, and walk along the brick edges of the front planter.

When it's time to go back inside, I'll usually pick up one cat and put him in first, then the other. They don't seem to mind it at all.

It's also important to note that my cats typically don't vocalize a lot. I may have heard something vaguely resembling a "meow" from one of them once or twice. But for the most part, they only make that happy little chirruping sound as they're playing chase with each other or running in to get me to play with them. Sometimes Gilly will give me a tiny little boy-soprano meep when he wants my attention while I'm working.

An Early Exit

Yesterday, something seemed to spook Gilly and he wanted to go back inside by himself a little early. It seemed odd, as nothing had gone by that would've done this. But cats are aware of some things that are unseen to us, so perhaps it was something like that. I opened the storm door for him and let him in. He walked right in, then sat inside it and watched us through the glass. 

Captain continued exploring a little more as I started looking at places I need to clean and paint, and noticed a big wasp's nest under the eaves with almost a dozen wasps on it that I need to take care of when the cats are not out there with me. I finally got too hot in the muggy humidity and wanted to go back in, picked up the Captain and headed back inside. And that was about when everything hit the fan.

Freakazoid Kitty!

As we came in the door, Captain leapt out of my arms across Gilly, who was backing up as we came in. But then Gilly flew up at me, all four paws forward and claws unsheathed, yelling like a crazed wild animal. His body posture was like one of those little suction-cup Garfield dolls that people used to stick in their car windows. He struck me in the upper thighs and torso area, bounced off, and assumed a defensive position. Captain started trying to attack Gilly in defense of me. There was a lot of swatting, hissing, spitting, and yelling...to say nothing of what the cats were doing!

I was shocked, to say the least. While my cats had hissed at the cat show judges when they were afraid, I've never seen this kind of aggression from them. "Gilly!" I said to this insane wildcat crouching in my dining room. "What is the matter with you?"

Gilly hissed and backed away from me in response, not seeming to recognize me. Both he and the Captain were all fluffed up, every hair on their backs and tails standing at attention. Captain was on alert, watching every move Gilly was making. Gilly seemed terrified, backing into a corner of the dining room under a chair and hissing at both of us. 

Captain was talking more loudly than I'd ever heard, almost like he was saying words of some sort. "What the hell is wrong with you? Have you gone insane?" was what I imagined he was asking his brother. He sounded like that funny Asian video going around online, with the one cat fussing at the other one, and the subtitles that say things like the cat's a nagging, neglected wife.

"Gilly?" I tried again. "This is your bubba; you love him! And I'm your mama. Why would you be afraid of us?" My boys groom each other, sleep in each other's arms sometimes, and chase-play all day around the house together. To see them looking like they wanted to kill each other was completely foreign, and disturbing.

What's Behind This?

While Gilly was the most scared, both Captain and I were also scared -- both for him and of him! He seemed perfectly willing and able to inflict damage on either one of us if we got too close. But something was making him act this way, and I was scared of what it could be. Clearly, he was in pain somehow, which frightened him, so he was lashing out at us because we were the only ones around. But from what?

They've both had their rabies shots, so I knew it couldn't be that. Had a wasp stung him when we were outside? Was that what had sent him back in so early? No, it seemed that his reaction would have been much more immediate while he was still outside if that had been the case.

I wondered if he was in some type of pain elsewhere, and felt like I needed to get a hand on him to investigate further. Perhaps even get him to the vet, if I could even begin to get him in a carrier. But he made it clear that he would strike me again if I got that close. Even with a thick towel in hand, touching him didn't seem to be the best idea. 

Then I noticed something on the floor in the dining room, near where he had retreated when Captain was in pursuit to defend me. Was that...? Yep. Two firm little mini-turds there on the carpet. I got the paper towels and picked them up, figuring maybe it was some type of intestinal distress that had struck Gilly, even though the poop appeared to be of normal consistency. I'd been lax on cleaning their litter boxes the past couple of days, so maybe that was it. Just that morning, I'd found him peeing in an empty pot of dirt in the living room planter, and had been forced to remove it from the house. But after that, I'd scooped the potties and put in fresh litter, so both boxes were clean. And they've used the boxes without error before when they've been dirty. Had the poop come out of him from sheer fear?

Gilly had gone into the living room now, underneath the sofa and end table. He was still in that backing-away posture, hissing and high-growling at me whenever I'd get close. Something was definitely amiss. I tried singing to him, but these cats are not as musically inclined as my little Vixen used to be, and it doesn't seem to calm them. I tried Jackson Galaxy's slow-blink technique to calm Gilly, but nothing was working. His pupils were still dilated and he still seemed defensive, but his growling did slow a little.

Seeking Resolution

Keeping the two cats separated seemed to be the best idea, so I tried to keep the Captain away from wild-boy until he could calm down. Maybe just a wait-and-see approach was the solution. They seemed to have settled a little, so maybe time would heal everything. 

I went to my office and started doing a little work, trying to remove myself from the dynamic to see if that would let the cats work things out between them. Upon returning to the middle part of the house a few minutes later when I heard noises like they were getting close to each other again, I found that Gilly had moved over near the rocking chair that's nearer the exit from the living room. Captain ran toward the bedrooms, while Gilly continued acting like a cornered wild animal, even though he wasn't cornered.

When he moved, I saw something on the rug again...this time, it was softer poop. Out came the paper towels and the Fizzion again. It wasn't like he'd intentionally gone there, but more like it'd just come out of him in fear again, just a tiny amount. No blood in it, just messy poop. That was one good thing; they'd knocked a glass of water off a table in my bedroom a few days earlier, and I was afraid he may have ingested some glass from it that I hadn't picked or vacuumed up. The lack of blood relieved that worry, mostly.

I went out to the den, where Gilly had run, to try calming him down and see if things would get better. Hopefully, if this was some type of intestinal distress, he would go to the potty and get whatever was causing the pain out of him. And even without the blood in what I'd just cleaned up, the thought that he may have eaten a piece of glass was still there in the back of my mind.

Gilly was still hissing and doing a high growly sound sort of like the beginnings of the squeaky-door growl Vixen used to do when she was terrified. He was under the table, but then made a beeline for the litter box. Aha! Perhaps it was his tummy. I talked soothingly to him while he was in there and did the Galaxy blink again to calm him. Captain came out to investigate and I had to keep him away, as his presence seemed to agitate Gilly more. When Gilly emerged, he was still in his fearful state, hissing, yelling, and backing away from both myself and the Captain.

Sometimes when your tummy hurts, a trip to the bathroom doesn't immediately ease the pain, so I figured perhaps Gilly needed a little more time for his tummy to calm down and the fear to go away. He was still angry and hissy if I moved toward him, so I closed the door in between the kitchen and dining room to keep the two cats apart. Captain was calmer, but still on alert, and Gilly's hostile posture was certainly doing little to make things any better.

Back to work for me; maybe Gilly would eventually doze off and rid himself of this wild demon that seemed to have possessed him. Captain was calm now, if still a little alarmed looking in the eyes, but at least not fluffed up and hostile any more.

About another half hour went by, and I decided to go check on Gilly once more. He was still a little hissy, cowering in the kitchen this time, but not as bad as before. Sternly and calmly, I told him to stop it, then got down two little bowls and poured a little lactose-free milk into each of them for the boys, figuring that perhaps that would help calm them. Captain likes the fragrance of lavender, but Gilly doesn't seem to find it all that calming, so there was nothing I had in the house that would have had much of a calming effect on him. Neither of them have ever done anything like this before, so there's never been a need for any of the calming products I sell on my site! I was really at a loss.

Demon, Be Gone!

Eventually, Gilly did calm down, and the two boys were friends again. By mid-evening, he was acting as though nothing had ever happened. At one point, Captain went into the same litter box Gilly had used earlier, from which I'd already scooped the runny bit of poop he'd done in there and examined it for any offensive material, and Gilly seemed concerned about Captain going in there. I assured him that I'd removed the nastiness from before, and he backed off.

Today, they are just like they have always been, playing together and chirruping as they frolic around the house together. There has been no recurrence of the demon-kitty that was here yesterday afternoon. No further bouts of diarrhea, no blood anywhere, and no more cowering, hissing, or yelling. 

Not really wanting to involve the vet if it's not necessary, I also opted not to call him this morning. Whatever he'd eaten that had caused him the pain that so frightened him had apparently passed. My only explanation for his bizarre behavior is that these cats have never really been in pain or felt bad, other than one bout of a tummy virus they had picked up when I took them to the shelter for a check-up while they were still fosters. If that's the case, I'm not looking forward to the time one day when I really need to get him to the vet for something that's ailing him!

The mail hasn't come yet today, so I'm not sure how they'll do when we go outside to get it...or if either of them will even want to go outside with me today. Cats are funny like that; they'll associate places with an unpleasant experience and never again venture there.

The scratches (and even a couple of bruises!) on my thighs and arm will heal, but I'll never forget the sight of my little cat hurling himself at me full-force, with all four claws forward and armed for battle. If we ever have an intruder into the house, hopefully that same fierceness will emerge in Gilly and he'll scare off the bad guy. And hopefully Captain would be as defensive of me as he was when Gilly attacked me. Both of them made me feel a little more secure in that way - my little guard kitties!

How about you? Have any of your cats ever completely freaked out, in a way that actually frightened you? Share your story below, and help us all better understand our feline companions!

Read More

Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, Part 2

Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, Part 2

Well, I'd promised to fill this month with stories of all the various cats I've known, but it's been a busy month and that promise has gone unfulfilled! So here's a story of my first feline companion, which started over 25 years ago.

Humane Society House Panther

Pictured above is my first cat. In my early thirties, I'd been through yet another difficult breakup with a boyfriend and had come to realize that I needed someone to love who wasn't going to reject me. Having grown up with dogs, I knew that would be a pet. But my job had me on the road a lot and a dog wasn't a practical companion for my apartment lifestyle.

Since early childhood, I'd had a terrible allergy to cats. Just walking into a house where cats lived would start my eyes itching. The sneezing would commence shortly thereafter, and if I still didn't get out, I'd soon start having an asthma attack. Even in my twenties, when I'd tried to cat-sit for a friend who was traveling, it had happened to me. But there were better antihistamines coming out that I could get from my doctor, so I decided to give a cat a try.

It was Monday of Thanksgiving week and I was on vacation from work. Someone from the local humane society was on the noon news show and had a beautiful Himalayan cat they'd named Stormy. "Whoa! There are cats that gorgeous at the Humane Society?" I thought. "I'm going to get Stormy!"

Unfortunately, as I arrived there, somebody was already adopting the TV star. Disappointed, but still wanting a feline companion, I asked, "Well, what else do you have?" They took me back into the cat area.

In the row of double-decker cubbyholes with bars on the fronts, there were cats of all sizes and colors. Some were coughing like they were sick. Most were lethargic and seemed depressed. And then I got to the last upper cage, where a beautiful black cat came over and put his paw up against the bars. I put my hand up to touch him, and he wanted to be petted. He was playful and friendly. Now, here was a creature who would love me unconditionally! 

The information card they had on him didn't tell us much. Just that he was around a year old, and had been there for a while. He had a beautiful black coat and reminded me of a miniature panther with gold eyes. "And he would complement my black-and-white decorating theme in the living room perfectly," I thought.

But I didn't have any cat supplies at my house! What to do? I asked them to hold him for me, and rushed over to the nearby grocery store to pick up some litter, a litter box, food, and dishes for him (along with some antihistamine for me), worrying the whole time that somebody would get there, see my gorgeous cat and adopt him before I could return. But he was still waiting for me, so I filled out the paperwork and took my new boy home. He yelled in the car the whole way there. "Should've bought a carrier for him, too."

Adjusting to Each Other

He spent the first couple of days hiding under my bed. "Great," I thought, "so much for something to cuddle with!" But soon he was exploring every part of the house. He used his litter box faithfully and didn't even show any interest in scratching my furniture! He loved to be near me and always wanted to be petted. He'd sit in the windows overlooking a retention pond at my apartments and watch the ducks waddle around. He'd sit on the end of the sofa and wrap his tail around me. He slept on the other pillow in my bed, right next to my head. Aloof? Certainly not my cat!

Christmas was coming, and it was time to decorate. You always hear horror stories of cats climbing Christmas trees, batting off ornaments, and even knocking the whole thing over. So I was a little nervous about this. But I put up a real tree in the corner by my front windows, and my little cat loved it! He'd sit in front of the tree and just gaze up at it, like it was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen. Then he'd lean forward and gently sniff the tips of the branches. What must have been going on in that little feline brain of his?

When we moved to Atlanta, there was a lovely walking path out behind the condo. My boy would stand at the door and yowl to go outside, so I put his harness and leash on him and decided to try walking him there. Walking a cat is not quite like walking a dog; it's more like "standing with a cat." He'd sniff the grass in one spot for a few minutes, then take a couple of steps and sniff it somewhere else. One evening around dusk, he decided he wanted to actually walk, and we walked the entire flagstone pathway before I finally picked him up and carried him back inside. Another time he showed particular interest in going under a bush, like he was stalking something. I got down on his level to look, and there was a big ol' snake staring back at me! Grabbing up my boy, I hurried back inside. Within a couple of days, I was hearing that they'd killed a copperhead snake back in the walking area, with a whole nest of baby snakes. "Yes, I met that mama snake, up close and personal," I thought. Although I didn't like the idea of their having killed her and her brood, it's the way things go in today's litigious society.

Fruits of The Call of the Wild

My beautiful little house panther lived with me through three moves, and eventually decided that he was going to pee on everything in the house if we didn't let him go outside. He'd come in every night, but preferred to spend his days exploring the neighborhood and drinking from the bird bath in my back garden. No watching the birds from the window for him: he wanted to be right out there with them!

He did kill a couple of doves, and would eat everything except the liver. We'd find feathers and the cleaned-off liver where he'd eaten the bird. But before the anti-cat bird folks get all up in arms, he wasn't the only one killing birds in our yard; a hawk would bring his prey to the oak tree out back to devour, so there were always piles of feathers underneath that tree. And crows were always stealing baby birds from nests and washing them off in our bird bath before eating them.

Our little mini-panther also killed a couple of garter snakes. One wasn't quite dead when he left it on our doorstep, and my mother nearly had a heart attack when she went to step out the back door and that snake raised up its head! But she said he was right there to pounce on it and hold it down again.

Going outdoors, however, is not a good idea for cats in the suburban environment, and soon he got into something that poisoned his kidneys. It was in about January when he grew lethargic and wasn't eating. I took him to the vet, where they told me he was in renal failure. I cried. They told me I could keep him going a little longer by feeding him a special kidney diet and giving him sub-cutaneous fluids at home. "Do what?" I asked, a little leery of taking on that task. They showed me how, and we headed home.

The first administration of "sub-cute" fluids was a real adventure. I carried him into the bathroom and closed the door so he couldn't escape. He may not have felt well, but he could still move pretty quickly when he wanted to! Setting him on my lap, I pinched up the skin like the vet had taught me, and uncapped the needle on the IV bag. Inserting it into the fold of skin, I started the flow of saline...which immediately started squirting out of the needle that had gone through both sides of the fold of skin, wetting the entire bathroom. The cat was squirming, the fluids were going everywhere, and I couldn't get the flow turned off fast enough!

There was also a problem with the kidney diet: it was made of liver. He wouldn't even touch it once he got a whiff of that. So I'd go to the grocery store and buy fresh chicken livers and boil them, then chop them up very finely. He'd drink that broth. That and the occasional teaspoonful of Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream was the only thing keeping him alive.

True Kitty Love

By this time, he'd developed a close friendship with a little girl cat from down the street who'd come down and spend the whole day hanging out with him. We started referring to her as his little protégé. When he came in overnight, she'd hunker down in our front yard and wait all night for him. Each morning, he'd be eager to get outside and see her. She was wearing a collar and tag, which had her owner's name engraved on it. I called them to tell them she was down here, in case they were worried about her. "Oh, we're so sorry! We'll come and get her," they said the first time. After that, I'd tell them not to worry about it, I just wanted them to know where she was and that she was okay. If they took her home, she was just going to return as soon as she got out the door, anyway.

Eventually I learned how to give the fluids correctly, and my boy would get all sloshy in the chest area afterward, where they would pool to be absorbed by his body as he needed them. One night a few months later, he had peed on the carpet in the den, which he never did. Cleaning it up, I noticed that it was just like water, no odor or color to it. I held him all night, and he even peed on me a couple of times. My boy could no longer control his bladder. He was still feeling very bad, and I knew it was time. The next morning, I took him to my vet's office, and soon thereafter we were digging his grave next to the bird bath in the garden from which he'd loved to drink.

In the days after his death, we observed something fascinating. His little protégé would come down to our house every day and lie on his grave. How she knew where it was, was a mystery to us. It was so touching and sweet to observe. She was grieving for her love!

Eventually, she stopped coming and we didn't see her for a while. Then one evening, we had a relative visiting and were sitting out front in lawn chairs. Here she came, ambling up the street to see us. She said hello, hung out with us for a few minutes, and went on her way. Shortly thereafter, her family moved away and we never saw his little protégé again. I like to think of them happily reunited together in heaven today, or if she's still alive, perhaps his spirit visiting with her.

This little cat, who someone had cast off by taking to the humane society, brought me so much love and enjoyment in our decade together. Sure, I have to take an antihistamine every day to live with cats, but the rewards are so worth it. There's no amount of money I could have spent on a cat from a breeder that would have made me any happier than he did. Or have been more beautiful. And there's something about a rescued cat, too: they know that you saved their lives. They are eternally grateful to you for having done so. And that's something money can't buy.

Read More

June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month!

June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month!

All month, I'll be encouraging people to adopt cats from shelters. And today's an especially special day for me to kick off this series, as it's the first "Gotcha Day" for my two red mackerel tabbies, Captain Roughy and Gilligan, pictured above! Yes, one year ago today, I officially adopted the little cuties I quickly dubbed "The Golden Boys."

All month long I'll be sharing stories of cats I've taken in. Today, you hear about my Golden Boys.

Last year, as you may recall, I lost my beloved little Vixen when she was 24 years old. I was devastated. The last few years with her had been rough, as her body and mind began to fail her. But she'd been with me through several moves, the death of two boy kitties, the rescue and homing of several other cats, countless broken hearts from failed romances, and the deaths of both of my parents. I lived with her longer than any stretch of time living with a person, even my parents. She left a huge void.

Coming home to this empty house was unbearable. Living alone and working alone can make you feel very isolated. But my little Vixen had always been there before. Once she was gone the aloneness felt so much worse.

But was I ready to adopt another cat? Not really. It takes time to grieve for a lost family member, be that of the human or feline variety. It was kitten season at the local shelter, though, and I knew that little lives were at risk. They get so many litters brought in every day, and it's tough to find homes for all of them. The American Humane Association estimates that 71% of the cats taken to shelters don't make it out alive. Until I was ready to adopt an older cat, I thought it might help my state of mind a bit to foster some kittens...or an older cat, or whoever needed a little TLC outside of the shelter.

My First Cat-Fostering Experience

I drove across town to the county shelter and told them I was there to pick up a cat or kittens for fostering. I'd thought of getting a mother cat who was still nursing her litter, but the kind shelter employee who helped me said that might be a bit much for my first fostering experience. After a little Q&A session, she said, "I have just the right ones for you. They were brought in as strays, and they're four weeks old, just starting to eat solid food. We've all just loved them. They're a little too small to be neutered yet, and we haven't been able to get them to put on any weight here. Maybe you'll have better luck with them. They're about a four-week commitment."

She took the carrier I'd brought with me and brought it back filled with a huge quilt and two tiny yellow kittens. I got the paperwork filled out as they sat there, patiently waiting. Giving me a big dog crate to keep them in, accompanied by a stuffed duck toy to serve as their "mama," some instruction on watering down their food and using a paper-based litter so it wouldn't gum up their digestive system when they ate it, she sent me on my way.

The boys were quiet during the ride home. We stopped off at a nearby pet store on the way home to pick up a few necessities, and everybody oohed and ahed over them in their carrier as I rode them around on top of my cart. I was a little excited about having somebody in the house with me again. I set up their crate in the den and added a little litter box, their water bowls, bed, and a mirror so they could look at themselves. There was enough room in there for it all, they were so tiny!

It was hard to understand how the shelter folks couldn't have gotten them to gain any weight; they seemed to want to eat everything I gave them! I'd wet down some crunchies for them to soften them, and also give them a little canned food a few times a day that I'd thin to a pablum consistency with a little water. They walked in it, they ate it, they played in it, and they peed and pooped...a lot. There was certainly plenty of food and water going through their systems! They started growing a little.

But they were still tiny. My friend Carol, who's saved many cats in her day, came over to see them and was amazed at how small they were. "Oh, my God! I've never seen any this tiny before!" They loved to come out of their crate and climb on me, the furniture, and anything else they could get to. One seemed to be a little larger than the other, and a little bit orangier. I kept trying to think of good names, but my creativity wasn't up to snuff; well, after all, I was still in a period of grieving for my little Vixen. Nothing was coming to me.

I've always liked cat names that have a title in them, so for the orange one, I decided to name him Captain Roughy, like the orange roughy fish. But what to call his little brother? He was the little buddy of the two, so the name Gilligan seemed to settle on him. Not perfect, but they worked. These were only temporary names, anyway, as their eventual adopter would be free to change them to whatever.

Two weeks after getting them, I had to drive them back across town to the shelter for a check-up. With a funeral at my church to attend that same morning, I asked if I could leave them there until I returned. It made me nervous to do so; you're always reading stories about animals mistakenly being put down at shelters, so I was worried about them the whole time. But when I returned, they were sitting in their carrier, up near the front, patiently waiting on me. They hadn't quite gotten up to their neutering weight (2 pounds) yet, so I had a little more work to do. But they were doing quite well, so the shelter folks were pleased with how I was doing.

A Little Setback With My Foster Cats

That all changed over the weekend, however. One of them started getting some very nasty, stinky diarrhea. Who could tell which one it was, and it would certainly be spreading to the other one since they lived in such close quarters. I cursed myself for having left them there at the shelter, where they'd likely picked up a virus of some kind! Monday morning I put in a call to the shelter and they said to bring them in. So it was back in the car for the half-hour drive across town.

The boys had actually lost some weight over the weekend with the diarrhea, but they said it was a common virus and gave me some Clavamox to knock it out. I don't know if you've ever tried to use an eye-dropper to get bubble-gum-flavored liquid antibiotic down the throats of squirmy kittens with needle-like claws, but here's a tip: wear something that won't be ruined by the stains of bubble-gum-flavored liquid antibiotic. You'll end up wearing as much of it as goes down the kittens' throats!

The Clavamox worked, however, and soon The Golden Boys, as I was now calling them, were quickly packing on the weight. At their next check-up, they were up to the 2 pounds required for neutering, so I could schedule their appointment. And they were to go into adoptions immediately after the surgery. But by this time, there was no way anybody else was going home with my Golden Boys. I was smitten. The thought of their being separated was too much to bear; they so loved wrestling, chasing, and playing together, and they'd groom each other and curl up together for comfort. So I told the shelter I wanted to adopt them. "You know the rule for that, right?" "No; what's that?" "You have to continue fostering after you adopt them!"

Since neutering required an overnight stay, I was again a little worried. And they told me I had to be there by 10 a.m. the next morning to make sure they didn't go into adoptions, even though they'd put a hold on them as already having an adopter (me). A tremendous sense of relief came over me as I saw their carrier coming out that next morning, and my boys safely inside it! They seemed to have suffered no problem from their neutering surgery, and didn't even have any stitches. 

Vets increasingly like to neuter cats very young, as they recover more quickly and suffer less complications, and there's absolutely no chance that they'll start to enter puberty before being neutered. That certainly seemed to be the case with my boys, as they were just as rambunctious as before the surgery. I was happy that they'd never start to spray urine or get roamy and aggressive like unneutered tomcats will do. They'd be sweet and innocent for their entire lives!

And that was a year ago today. The Golden Boys have become two very spoiled kitty cats! As my official product testers for Old Maid Cat Lady, they get to try out the cat trees, the foods, the toys...as well as the things they don't enjoy quite as much, such as going for walks in their stroller. They're starting to make little squeaky noises, but since they weren't around other cats for long, they probably don't really know much about what kinds of noises they're supposed to make! They have filled my life with love, once again, as did the cats who came before them.

If you've never fostered animals from your local shelter, consider doing so. It saves lives. And if you're feeling a little lonely, or if your companion animal is lonely while you're at work, consider adopting a shelter cat. Every cat adopted from a kill shelter saves two lives: that cat's, and the one who can now take his place in the empty cage there at the shelter. But they really also save a third life: yours.

All month, I'll be sharing stories of my rescued cats, along with shelter statistics, resources, and information on the no-kill movement. Feel free to share stories of your own rescued cats below!

Oh, and by the way: OldMaidCatLady.com has a section with two pages filled with Rescue Time products that can be gifted to your local shelter or cat rescue group. The bulk items are specially priced to allow you to afford more of them for this purpose. Remember, if you can't adopt, foster. If you can't foster, volunteer. If you can't volunteer, donate. And if you can't donate, help share information about adoptable cats at your local shelter!

Read More

Cancer in Cats: Summary

Cancer in Cats: Summary

This month's blog posts have been awfully depressing, haven't they? Perhaps that's just for me, since I've had to research and write them all! But if you've been following them, you may also be worried about every little abnormality you notice in your cat.

That's not entirely without intent, and hopefully it hasn't deterred you from continuing to read the Old Maid Cat Lady blog. During May, which has been Pet Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to make everyone aware of the many types of cancer that may strike their feline companions. In every instance, catching these cancers earlier rather than later means that your cat will have a better chance of surviving. Checking your cat at home helps you better bond with kitty, and enables you to ask your veterinarian about anything suspicious, as well as catching the early symptoms of any cancers that may be lurking.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in cats. Lymphoma and skin tumors are the most common. The good news is that cancer is almost always treatable if caught early enough. Pathologists examine a tumor to "stage" it, determining how far it has progressed. For all tumors, the standard staging system is:

• Stage I means the tumor is a single growth that has not spread.
• Stage II is a tumor that has spread locally, or it could be multiple tumors on the same side of the body.
• Stage III would be a tumor that has begun spreading beyond its local area, or multiple tumors located on both sides of the body.
• Stage IV tumors are metastasized (spread) too much to be treatable, and are considered fatal.

If you've missed any of this month's posts, there were eight types of cancer examined in great detail. They were:

• Lymphoma on May 3
• Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma on May 8
• Fibrosarcoma on May 13
• Feline Leukemia on May 18
• Mast Cell Tumors on May 21
• Chondrosarcoma on May 24
• Hemangiosarcoma on May 27
• Melanoma on May 30

Today's summary lists several other types of cancers that may attack your cat, but will not go into as much detail as the others.

Granular Cell Tumors 

These tumors are most often found in the mouth, but can also affect other parts of the body. In cats, they have been found on the tongue, tonsils, vulval area, brain, and toes. They are rare and may originate from nerve cells. Removing them surgically typically takes care of the problem.

Fibropapilloma 

Also known as sarcoid tumors, these are found more often in cats living in rural areas, possibly because of their relationship to the bovine (cow) papillomavirus. They are commonly found on the nose, lips, and ears, but can occur in other places.

These tumors' tendency to send little tendrils into adjoining tissue means that it's difficult to remove all of the tumor surgically. Better results are often obtained with cryosurgery (freezing), radiation, or amputation if the tumor is located on a cat's leg, tail, or ears.

Osteosarcoma 

This is a type of cancer that affects a cat's bones. It is more common in older cats, and more commonly seen on rear legs than on front legs. It is also often found in the mouth. Its cause is unknown, but it has been found on the site of a previous break in a leg. 16% of cases tend to be malignant. Surgery to amputate the affected area typically allows the cat to live a normal lifespan.

Ameloblastomas 

This is another type of oral cancer that affects cats. At one time it was known in the medical field as acanthomatous epulis. It may occur in the jaw or on the gums, and is most often benign. 

Inductive Fibroameloblastomas 

This type of tumor is only found in cats, and originates in the connective tissue. Its uniqueness within felines is likely why so few studies have been done on this type of cancer. It commonly occurs on the front part of the upper jaw. 

Basal Cell Carcinoma 

These are the most common types of skin tumors in cats. They may be benign or malignant.

A basal cell tumor may appear as a pigmented, ulcerated nodule, like a sore. Typically, the tumor has no hair on it.  One can appear almost anywhere on your cat's body, but it is most commonly in the head, neck, or shoulder area.

While most basal cell carcinomas are benign, they do require surgical removal, and the earlier the better. This typically takes care of the problem and no radiation or chemotherapy is necessary. Most cats recover completely.

Hepatic Neoplasia 

This is the medical term for liver cancer. Older cats are more prone to it, and male cats more so than female. It will cause the cat's abdomen to bloat. Your cat may breathe quickly or have difficulty breathing. You may notice a yellow, jaundiced look to his skin or the whites of his eyes, and pale gums from anemia. As with most cats who feel sick, he'll have a poor appetite, perhaps vomit (don't all cats?), and lose weight.

Quick action is necessary to save your cat's life. Other diseases can mimic the symptoms of liver cancer, and many other types of cancer can spread to the liver.  Some types of these tumors can be removed surgically. If not, the cat may be provided with palliative care until the cancer claims him.

Mammary Neoplasia 

This is a cat's equivalent of breast cancer. It is the third most common type of tumor in cats, but is almost unheard of in spayed females. Older cats that have been bred are most susceptible to it, with the Siamese breed at twice the risk of other breeds. Many of these tumors will occur on the cat's front (anterior) mammary glands rather than the rear (posterior) ones. Most require surgical extraction, with early identification and treatment greatly improving the cat's chances of survival. There was a prior post on the Old Maid Cat Lady blog about feline mammary cancer, one year during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Click on the link in the previous sentence to read it.

Yes, these are a lot of types of cancer, and yes, there are many more. Now you can probably understand why some veterinarians (veterinary oncologists) specialize in diagnosing and treating cancer! And if these posts can save one life, or spare one cat from enduring advanced forms of cancer by allowing that cat's owner to identify his (or her) cancer earlier, it will have been worth all the depressing work to research, write, and publish this series.

I promise that future posts will get back to fun subjects and telling you all about the wonderful products on OldMaidCatLady.com! And hopefully this series has done some good for Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Thanks for sticking with me through it!

Sources: "Types of Cancer in Cats", PetWave; "Basal Cell Tumors in Cats" by Dr. Bari Spielman, Pet Place; "The Five Most Common Feline Tumors", VetMed; "A cerebral granular tumor in a cat", PubMed.gov; Skin Diseases of the Dog and Cat: Clinical and Histopathologic Diagnosis, Gross, Ihrke, Walter, Affolter; Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine, Volume 6, John R. August; "Feline Liver Cancer Diagnosis", Vet Info; "Liver Tumors: Diagnosis and Treatment", Pastor & Bachs, IVIS.

Read More

Cancer in Cats: Melanoma

Cancer in Cats: Melanoma

The Pet Cancer Awareness Month series continues with a look at melanoma in cats.

Melanoma is so named because of its connection with the melanin that produces pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. If not identified early and treated, it can spread widely to affect the cat internally.

But melanoma doesn't just appear on the skin. It can affect the ears, mouth, toes, and eyes, as well. In fact, melanoma is the most common type of tumor that occurs in a cat's eyes. Here's the rundown on it:

Feline Melanoma

In a healthy cat, melanocytes are the cells responsible for producing melanin, or pigment, in the cat's skin, coat, and eyes.

Abnormal growth of these cells that is not cancerous (benign) is often called melanocytoma. This is the non-spreading form. You will often see these as little black spots on the lips, eyelids, nose, and gums of cats who have orange (red), cream, or silver colored coats. Only if they start to develop further should you be concerned.

When it becomes malignant, melanoma starts to spread (metastasize). Many refer to this form as malignant melanoma. It is rare in cats, but not unheard of. Locally growing at first, melanoma eventually will invade the lymph nodes and spread to other areas of the body. The internal organs most commonly affected are the lungs, but it can spread to any part of the body.

Melanoma accounts for less than 2% of feline tumors altogether, less than 1% of feline oral tumors, and 0.5% of skin (dermal) tumors in cats. Ocular melanomas (those in the eye) are more common than oral or dermal locations. Oral melanoma is much less common in cats than it is in dogs. Oral and ocular melanomas are typically more malignant than are the dermal variety, as well.

Symptoms of Melanoma in Cats

Symptoms vary depending on the location of the melanoma tumor.

In the eye, the tumor will most often appear in the iris of the cat's eye. These are commonly referred to as "iris spots" and cause the iris to thicken or appear irregularly shaped. Your cat's eyes may even start to look a different color. Some melanomas may appear as a dark spot at the point where the white of the eye touches the iris. They can grow on the surface or the interior of the eyeball.

With ocular melanoma, you may first notice the cat's eye appearing red and tearing (weeping) more than normal. It may be painful, and your cat may paw at it as well as cry out or pull away when you try to touch it.

If left untreated, the cat can develop glaucoma in the affected eye. The pupil will become dilated and the eye may bulge. This will eventually cause blindness.

With the dermal variety of melanoma, you may first see little black bumps on your cat's skin, in locations like the ears, nose, back of the head, tail, toes, back, or eyelids. These could be benign melanocytoma growths...or not.

Look for a single, dark-colored growth that is usually raised. Dermal melanoma may also be seen on the scrotum in un-neutered tomcats.

If in the mouth (quite rare in cats), the cat may have bad breath and drooling. There may be some bleeding from the tumor itself. The face may swell and the cat could have a hard time eating.

The tumor may ulcerate and bleed. It may look velvety. The fur around it may fall out as it will be itchy and your cat may lick or scratch it a lot. This can also make the skin around it red and swollen.

Once melanoma has spread to the lungs, the cat may have difficulty breathing.

Cats who are middle-aged (ages 6-14 years) or older have a greater likelihood of showing symptoms of melanoma, especially those affecting the eyes. Cats that are "heavily pigmented" or dark in color, according to some sources, have a higher risk for melanoma. Other sources say that white cats are more prone to it. 

Hairless cats such as the Rex and Sphynx breeds are also prone to melanoma, with no coat to protect their skin from sun exposure. Of course, the growths are also more readily apparent on these cats, so they're easier to catch early.

It's important to remember that not all melanoma tumors are pigmented, and not all dark tumors are melanomas. So if you find a suspicious growth that seems to fit the above symptom descriptions, a trip to your veterinarian is necessary to address the problem early.

Diagnosing Melanoma in Cats

Make notes on the symptoms you have observed and when you noticed them, as well as on your cat's general health and eating habits. This will be important information for your veterinarian to have when making a diagnosis.

Your vet will draw blood and take a urine sample from your cat for analysis. An X-ray of the chest area will show whether any cancer has spread to the lungs. A needle biopsy of the tumor itself may be done. Often a sample is also taken from the nearby lymph nodes, as well. 

If the growth is located on the rear legs, an ultrasound may be performed on the abdomen. 

If the tumor is in the eye, an ophthalmoscope or slit-lamp biomicroscope can often be used to see it. A gonioscope may be used to measure the eye's internal structure for indications that the tumor is spreading. You may be referred to a veterinary ophthalmologist for this. A tissue sample will be required to confirm that the tumor is melanoma by viewing the cells under a microscope. This may be done via needle biopsy, surgical biopsy, or complete removal of the eye, depending on the size and location of the tumor.

There are three different types of melanoma that can affect a cat's eyeball itself:

• Primary conjunctival tumors:  cause pain, redness and weeping.
• Limbal tumors: cause black nodules protruding from where the cornea meets the white of the eye.
• Iris diffuse melanomas (iris spots, iris freckles): cause a thickening and discoloration of the iris.

The tissue samples taken from the suspicious tumor must be sent to a lab for analysis. Included in the pathologist's report will be not only a diagnosis of the type of tumor, but the growth rate of the cancer cells. This is important in determining how far along the cancer has progressed (also known as "staging"). According to the World Health Organization's staging system for tumors, a Stage I melanoma would be smaller than 2 centimeters in diameter. Stage II: 2-4 cm. Stage III: 4 cm or larger. Stage IV: any size tumor with evidence of spreading (metastasis).

Treatment for Melanoma in Cats

As with most tumors, surgical removal is usually the first course of treatment. If the melanoma is on the cat's toe or the bed of the claw, that toe will likely be removed. In an older cat where the disease is progressing slowly, it may be kinder to take a "wait and see" attitude rather than subjecting the cat to radical surgery.

Melanomas in the mouth often require removal of a large section of the jaw to make sure all of the tumor is removed.

Depending on the type, location, and size of melanoma in the eye, laser surgery can be used to destroy a small tumor. This would be the preferable option, as it may be possible to destroy the tumor without the cat needing to lose the entire eye.

If the tumor is on the iris and is identified early, many veterinary ophthalmologists take a conservative approach to observe the tumor's growth on frequent visits. Only if the melanoma is growing or if there is a concern about the cancer spreading will surgery be done. When surgery is used, the entire eye is commonly removed. Surgery will always be chosen if the iris is noticeably changed by the melanoma. No radiation or chemo are typically used with melanomas in the eye.

Chemotherapy may also be used if the tumor could not be completely removed by surgery, although some sources have found melanoma resistant to it so the results have been disappointing. Some vets may recommend radiation therapy in some cases.

Some dogs can benefit from immunotherapy with Ki-67, but this has not been used on cats. Some cat owners choose a homeopathic treatment, which traditional vets view as controversial.

Once the tumor is removed, your cat will typically need to wear a special collar to keep from irritating the surgical site. The incision site needs to be kept clean and dry. Report any changes in this site or delays in healing to your vet. With tumors removed from the eye, there will likely be eye drops or ointments that must be given to fight infection and reduce swelling.

You'll need to keep a diligent watch on your cat after removal of a melanoma, as another could appear. Pay close attention to the site of the surgery, just in case any cancer cells remain there. Tumors affecting the eyes can lead to glaucoma over several years that will eventually force removal of the eye. They require semi-annual checkups with your vet to make sure this is not happening.

Prognosis for Cats with Melanoma

A lot of this depends on the report from the pathologist at the lab when the tumor's cell sample is sent for analysis. Melanoma tends to be more malignant in cats than it is in dogs. And in cats, this type of cancer behaves more like melanoma in humans.

The size of the tumor is one factor in determining a cat's prognosis with melanoma. If caught in Stage I and treated, the cat may live a normal life afterward.

A cat's prognosis is also related to where the melanoma appears. Melanomas in the eye are the most often malignant, but removal of the eye may stop any progression of the disease. Oral malignant melanoma has an average survival rate of around two months. Malignant melanomas on the skin give a cat four to five months after surgical removal.

Melanomas found on the eyelid, eye, scrotum, toe, or in the mouth are more often malignant than in other locations. One estimate puts the percentage of oral melanomas being malignant at 60%, another at about 50%. On the claw bed, 30% to 60% of them are malignant, those figures including dogs as well as cats. Iris spots are said to metastasize about 20% of the time. On the skin, 53% to 71% of tumors are malignant melanoma.

Once the melanoma metastasizes (spreads), the prognosis is more guarded. This can occur without being noticeable on X-rays, and without blood work showing it. Even with radiation therapy used after surgery, a melanoma that has already metastasized will return around 67% of the time.

In any event, once melanoma is diagnosed and treated in your cat, you'll be visiting the vet about every three months for follow-ups. X-rays will likely be taken twice a year to check for any spreading of the cancer.

Preventing Melanoma in Your Cat

Sun exposure is a common cause of melanoma in humans, and it may also be a cause of melanoma on a cat's ears, nose, and other places where the coat is thinner or white. So keeping your cat out of the sun may help prevent it, especially if your cat is among the higher-risk groups. If your cat's favorite thing is to bask in a sunny window all afternoon, put a UV-blocking tint on that window. If your cat is going outdoors, use a pet sunscreen.

But the causes of melanoma are not widely researched in cats. One study reported that experiments had produced melanoma in cats by injecting a particular strain of feline fibrosarcoma virus. There does not appear to be any predisposition to developing melanoma among any particular breeds, nor any strong correlation with age, sex, or coat length.

Veterinary oncologists have been using an enzyme called tyrosinase as a sort of "vaccine" against melanoma in dogs. However, this therapy has not been extended to include cats.

As with all types of cancer, the earlier the tumor can be identified and treated, the better. So keep a close watch on your cat, do frequent physical exams disguised as cuddle sessions, and make note (in writing, including the date) of anything out of the ordinary so you can mention it to your veterinarian.

Sources: "Skin Cancer in Cats: Types and Treatments", WebMD; "Malignant Melanoma in Cats", Dr. Bari Spielman, Pet Place; "Eye Tumors - Melanoma in Cats", VCA Animal Hospitals; "Malignant Melanoma in White Cats", Vet Pet MD; "Iris Melanoma in Cats", Eyevet.info; "Melanomas in Dogs and Cats", Webvet; "Malignant Melanoma", Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DipABVP, The Pet Health Library; "Skin: melanoma", Dr. Philip K. Nicholls and Dr. Marion O'Leary, Vetstream; "Feline Melanoma: A Comparative Study of Ocular, Oral, and Dermal Neoplasms", A.K. Patnaik and S. Mooney, Veterinary Pathology Online; "Tumor of the Eye in Cats", Pet MD; "Melanoma", Vetbook.

Read More