Tag Archives: Cats

* Model helps identify drugs to treat cat eye infections
It’s a problem veterinarians see all the time, but there are few treatments. Feline herpes virus 1 (FHV-1) is a frequent cause of eye infections in cats, but the drugs available to treat these infections must be applied multiple times a day and there is scant scientific evidence to support their use. Now scientists at […]
Tags: Cats, Ophthalmology, Virology


* The snow leopard — world’s most mysterious big cat — may be more common than thought
The snow leopard has long been one of the least studied — and therefore poorly understood — of the large cats. No longer. Scientists studying snow leopards now say the big cats may be more common than previously thought. New estimates focused on areas described as ‘Snow Leopard Conservation Units,’ covering only 44 percent of […]
Tags: Behaviour (Ethology), Cats, Zoo/Wildlife
Cats seem to grasp the laws of physics
Cats understand the principle of cause and effect as well as some elements of physics. Combining these abilities with their keen sense of hearing, they can predict where possible prey hides. These are the findings of researchers from Kyoto University in Japan, led by Saho Takagi and published in Springer’s journal Animal Cognition. Previous work […]
Tags: Biotechnology (Ethics), Cats, Neurology

* Reintroduction of lynx requires larger numbers to avoid genetic depletion
For successful reintroduction of lynx into the wild, the number of released animals is crucial. If only a few lynx are reintroduced to found a population, the genetic diversity is too low to ensure their long-term sustainability. An international research team has recently published these findings in the scientific journal Conservation Genetics. The researchers highlight […]
Tags: Cats, Genetics, Zoo/Wildlife
New guidelines explain how to monitor and treat hyperthyroid cats
Over the last 30+ years, veterinary professionals’ understanding of clinical feline hyperthyroidism (FHT) has evolved tremendously. Initially FHT cats were referred to a specialist and now primary practitioners routinely manage these cases. The disease reportedly affects from 1.5-11.4% of cats around the world and is the most common endocrine disease of cats over 10 years […]
Tags: Cats, Endocrinology

Evolution of the Javan leopard
An international team of researchers from Germany and Indonesia has discovered new insights into the evolutionary history of the Javan leopard. The results of the study confirm that Javan leopards are clearly distinct from Asian leopards and probably colonised Java around 600,000 years ago via a land bridge from mainland Asia. The study, published in […]
Tags: Cats, Zoo/Wildlife

* Surface mutation lets canine parvovirus jump to other species
Canine parvovirus, or CPV, emerged as a deadly threat to dogs in the late 1970s, most likely the result of the direct transfer of feline panleukopenia or a similar virus from domesticated cats. CPV has since spread to wild forest-dwelling animals, including raccoons, and the transfer of the virus from domesticated to wild carnivores has […]
Tags: Cats, Dogs, Genetics


* Much longer survival for heart transplants across species
A new immune-suppressing therapy has led to the longest survival yet for a cross-species heart transplant, according to new research conducted in part by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM). The study involved transplanting pig hearts into baboons. The results could lead to increased use of xenotransplantation, the transplantation of […]
Tags: Cats, Soft Tissue Surgery, Swine
* Chronic kidney disease in cats: Expert guidance on a quality of life issue
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common, complex and progressive disease that is estimated to affect more than a third of cats over 10 years of age. Affected cats often present with a variety of clinical signs and complications including inappetence, nausea, vomiting, anemia, hypertension and urinary tract infections — as such, the disease can […]
Tags: Cats, Internal Medicine (Cardiology)

HIV vaccine candidate confirms promise in preclinical study
Mymetics Corporation (OTCQB: MYMX), a pioneer in the research and development of virosome-based vaccines to prevent transmission of human infectious diseases across mucosal membranes, has announced that its innovative HIV vaccine candidate has shown to generate significant protection in groups of twelve female monkeys against repeated AIDS virus exposures during part of the preclinical study. […]
Tags: Cats, Vaccinology
Zika researchers release real-time data on viral infection study in monkeys
Researchers in the United States who have infected monkeys with Zika virus made their first data public last week. But instead of publishing them in a journal, they have released them online for anyone to view- and are updating their results day by day. The team is posting raw data on the amount of virus detected […]
Tags: Cats, Laboratory Animal Science, Virology

Cats domesticated in China earlier than 3000 BC
Were domestic cats brought to China over 5,000 years ago? Or were small cats domesticated in China at that time? There was no way of deciding between these two hypotheses until a team from the ‘Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements’ laboratory (CNRS/MNHN), in collaboration with colleagues from the UK and China, succeeded in determining […]
Tags: Behaviour (Ethology), Cats

Feral cats: Computational study looks at how best to fix the nuisance
Working with faculty members in mathematics and biology, a Duquesne University undergraduate has created the first computational model to track the size, location and nuisance of feral cat colonies. This issue concerns communities nationwide that hold some 70 to 100 million unhoused cats and kittens. By the nuisance criteria, the traditional Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) method that […]
Tags: Behaviour (Ethology), Cats
Levetiracetam shows promise for treatment of feline audiogenic reflex seizures
A group of UK-based investigators from Davies Veterinary Group and the UCL School of Pharmacy, who recently engaged the veterinary world with an article defining the previously undocumented syndrome of feline audiogenic reflex seizures (FARS), have published follow-up findings about the treatment of the condition. Their paper, ‘Levetiracetam in the management of feline audiogenic reflex […]
Tags: Cats, Neurology, Pharmacology

Cats retain multiple functional bitter taste receptors
The bitter truth: Kitty’s picky eating habits further unravelled. According to new research from the Monell Center, cats have at least seven functional bitter taste receptors. Further, a comparison of cat to related species with differing dietary habits reveals that there does not appear to be a strong relationship between the number of bitter receptors […]
Tags: Cats, Physiology (e.g. Exercise Physiology)


Meet the first Iberian lynx on the Iberian Peninsula
The remains of an Iberian lynx specimen which lived 1.6 million years ago — the oldest ever discovered — were found resting in a cave in Barcelona (Spain). This discovery not only allows us to shed light on the origins of one of the world’s most endangered feline species, but it also means that the […]
Tags: Cats, History, Zoo/Wildlife

Standing on their own four feet: Why cats are more independent than dogs
Domestic cats do not generally see their owners as a focus of safety and security in the same way that dogs do, according to new research. The study by animal behaviour specialists at the University of Lincoln, UK, shows that while dogs perceive their owners as a safe base, the relationship between people and their […]
Tags: Behaviour (Ethology), Cats


Dogs, cats, and big-wave surfers: Healthy heart lessons from animals and athletes
Heart rates of big-wave surfers are among the surprises from 30 years of studying exercise physiology in people, wild animals. For over 30 years, Terrie Williams has been studying exercise physiology in wild animals: African lions and wild dogs, dolphins and whales, coyotes and mountain lions, as well as a few human athletes. She has […]
Tags: Cats, Dogs, Physiology (e.g. Exercise Physiology)
In the spotlight: X chromosome inactivation
A nice example of X inactivation can be observed in the fur of tortoiseshell and calico cats. The gene for fur coloration resides on the X chromosome, while each of the two X chromosomes codes for a different color: black or orange. In an orange ‘patch’, only the X chromosome encoding the orange color is […]
Tags: Cats, Genetics


* Countering pet obesity by rethinking feeding habits
In America, 190 million people share the luxuries of human life with their pets. Giving dogs and cats a place in human homes, beds and–sometimes even, their wills–comes with the family member package Amongst these shared human-pet comforts is the unique luxury to overeat. As a result, the most common form of malnutrition for Americans […]
Tags: Behaviour (Ethology), Cats, Dogs


Competition from cats drove extinction of many species of ancient dogs
Competition played a more important role in the evolution of the dog family (wolves, foxes, and their relatives) than climate change, shows a new international study published in PNAS. An international team including scientists from the Universities of Gothenburg (Sweden), São Paulo (Brazil) and Lausanne (Switzerland) analyzed over 2000 fossils and revealed that the arrival […]
Tags: Cats, Dogs, History

Fateful instinct: Open windows can be dangerous for cats
The summer months are dangerous for indoor cats. A large number of cats have accidents every year when they fall out of open windows or from balconies. Every year the University Clinic for Small Animals at the Vetmeduni Vienna treats about 70 to 80 cats that suffer from bone fractures or internal injuries after such […]
Tags: Behaviour (Ethology), Cats

* Cat pheromones may cause increased scratching, focus on scratching devices
A study by animal behavior expert John McGlone theorizes cats scratch more due to pheromones left behind from previous cat scratching. Cats have long been some of the most independent and unpredictable animals on the planet. They were revered by Egyptian pharaohs and have been used as symbols by many cultures for their grace, elegance […]
Tags: Behaviour (Ethology), Cats


* Pet owners reluctant to face up to their cats’ kill count
Pet owners are reluctant to face up to their cats’ kill count, a new study suggests. Cat owners fail to realize the impact of their cat on wildlife according to new research. Cats are increasingly earning themselves a reputation as wildlife killers with estimates of animals killed every year by domestic cats in the UK […]
Tags: Cats, Human, Zoo/Wildlife

Stress in pet cats. How it manifests and how to manage it
A variety of day-to-day events — from conflicts with other cats to changes in their daily routine — can cause cats to become stressed. This can trigger a number of behavioural changes and be detrimental to their welfare. A group of veterinarians from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, in Spain, have published a review in […]
Tags: Behaviour (Ethology), Cats
* Gold standard management of the diabetic cat
An expert panel of veterinary clinicians and academics has been convened to produce practical guidance to help veterinary teams deliver optimal management for the increasing numbers of diabetic cats that are presenting to practices. The International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), the veterinary division of International Cat Care, has convened an expert panel of veterinary […]
Tags: Cats, Endocrinology
* High-pitched sounds cause seizures in old cats: Certain breeds more susceptible
When the charity International Cat Care asked veterinary neurologists at Davies Veterinary Specialists, UK, for help with several enquiries it had received regarding cats having seizures, seemingly in response to certain high-pitched sounds, the answer was that the problem was not documented and little, if anything, was known about it. Mark Lowrie and Laurent Garosi […]
Tags: Cats, Neurology

Cats relax to the sound of music
According to research published today in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery by veterinary clinicians at the University of Lisbon and a clinic in the nearby town of Barreiro in Portugal, music is likewise beneficial for cats in the surgical environment. But not all music is equal in this respect — cats, it seems, […]
Tags: Behaviour (Ethology), Cats

Habitat loss threatens the world’s felids
Despite conservation efforts, news on how Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) are hit by vehicles on Spanish roads has been reported. The status of the most endangered felid in the world is hardly improved by the continual ‘incursions’ into its territory.. Ever-shrinking and broken-up habitats affect the future of the lynx. To assess the situation of […]
Tags: Behaviour (Ethology), Cats

* Cats put sight over smell in finding food
Felines have a tremendous sense of smell and vision, but the new study by researchers at the University of Lincoln, UK, has for the first time investigated which sense they prefer to use under test conditions — and suggested sight may be more important than smell. A group of six cats were placed in a […]
Tags: Behaviour (Ethology), Cats