A Michael Broad Blog
Mapping all 20,000 genes of the domestic cat is intended to allow scientists to (a) improve human health (b) improve cat health and (c) better understand the origins of the domestic cat (and how it spread across the world) and provided cat breeds are included in studies, the evolution of the cat breeds. Until …
If your cat has been badly injured and is unconscious don’t presume he is dead. This could happen to anyone but it appears to happen very rarely. But do we know how rarely? Bart, a black-and-white cat was hit by a car in Tampa, USA. His owner buried him. Bart had appeared lifeless. “Appeared” …
Amitriptyline (Elavil) is administered to cats with ‘behavior disorders’ such as inappropriate urination and destructive behavior and for medical conditions such as cystitis, separation anxiety and more. It is an anticholinergic drug. It inhibits acetylcholine activity. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter (a chemical transmitter). In people, amitriptyline is used for all kinds of conditions such as …
A kitty gives his owner a shoulder massage but is the cat missing his claws and if so can we enjoy the cuteness of it? Yes, this cute kitty gives his human a shoulder massage but, wait a minute, I don’t see claws. Do you? Am I imagining that this cat has been declawed? …
I wonder whether shelter staff deliberately underestimate the ages of the cats in their care to assist rehoming. On Facebook, Elisa Black-Taylor tells us of several occasions when she has fostered/adopted cats from her local shelter, Greenville County Pet Rescue, when the age of the cat has been underestimated by such a margin as …
The California Spangled is extinct but, that said, cat breeds can’t become extinct. Sarah Hartwell says, “The breed was considered extinct in the 1990s”. You won’t get a better authority. This is about 20 years ago. If there were some individual cats with some breeders perhaps they have died. There may be some individual …
Facebook Likes are down right now. They’ll come back but it got me thinking about this bloody button. At this precise moment in time the Facebook like button is not working. It is not counting and buttons are not loading. I have checked other sites and they have the same problem. It is, therefore, …
There is no clear cut answer as to whether laser pointers can cause OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) in cats. The likely answer is that if a cat is stressed or predisposed to OCD, the condition may be triggered by playing with a laser pointer and extended play with the device makes it more likely. …
