Category Archives: Cat Research

Hemp Oil For Cats | An Impurrfect Solution?

CBD Oil For Cats, Cat Healthcare, Cat Research

Hemp oil for cats or CBD may be the current big thing. But new research shows it might not be all that good for them.

New research shows hemp oil for cats, like this long-haired beauty, could affect their blood chemistry.

Are you using hemp oil for cats or CBD? It could be affecting you cat’s blood chemistry.

So you’ve heard all the buzz about the wonders of CBD, or hemp oil for cats, to help with everything from anxiety to cancer. But it turns out that no one has ever really researched the correct dose of hemp oil for cats. And now, new research shows it might not be all that good for them. The Food and Drug Administration isn’t exactly high on hemp either. 

ElleVet Sciences, a company that makes CBD oil-infused treats and other supplements, did the study in collaboration with other researchers.

Study Shows Hemp Oil For Cats Needs More Research

…

Read More+

Finally! There’s A Cure For FIP In Cats

FIP, Cat Healthcare, Cat Research

Researchers believe they’ve found a cure for FIP in cats. But you’ll have to order it from Asia to get it.

Finally! There's a cure for FIP in cats that could help this kitten.

Finally, there’s a cure for FIP in cats.

Of all the awful diseases that can affect our cats, FIP is the absolute worst. It’s a cruel disease, and it’s almost always fatal. But after years of study, veterinarian Niels Pedersen, professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, says it’s time for FIP in cats to lose its lethal label.

The first phase of clinical trials for a drug that could cure FIP ended in the fall of 2016. Researchers at Kansas State University treated eight cats who were sick from FIP with the antiviral protease inhibitor, GC376. Sadly, two of the cats became so sick they were euthanized. But the other six recovered and were still doing well eight months later. And that was just the beginning.

While further research uncovered some problems with GC376, Pedersen found another compound, GS-441524, to be highly efficacious.

Jumping Over Hurdles To Cure FIP In Cats

…

Read More+

Allergic To Cats? Purina Finds A Solution

Cat-Human Bond, Cat Research, Veterinary News

Cat food coated with an egg product could provide relief for people who are allergic to cats. It’s not going to be on the market for a while though, so check out our suggestions for dealing with cat allergies in the meantime.

 

This little girl is allergic to cats. But the Purina Institute is working on a solution for cat allergies.

The Purina Institute is working on a solution for cat allergies.

Allergic to cats? There might be a cure for cat allergies in the not-too-distant future, and it doesn’t involve injections or human doctors.

Researchers at the Purina Institute have been searching for a way to help people who are allergic to cats for more than 10 years. There’s been some urgency to the search. Eighteen percent of the cats relinquished to shelters are there because a family member is allergic.

The long-awaited solution: coating cat food with an egg product ingredient. 

Cat allergies “have created a huge barrier to cat ownership and may limit the loving interactions between cat lovers and cats,” immunologist Ebenezer Satyaraj, Ph.D., director of molecular nutrition at Purina and lead investigator on the research, told DVM 360.

“Our discovery has the potential to transform how people manage cat allergens.”

It’s A Tiny Protein, Not Fur, That Causes Cat Allergies

…

Read More+

Yes Cats Know Their Names | Now There’s Proof

Cat Research, Cat Names

Do cats know their names? A study says they do, although they may choose to ignore you when you call.

New study shows cats know their names.

A new study shows cats know their names.

It’s official. Our worst suspicions are confirmed. A new study shows cats know their names. So if they don’t come when you call, they really are ignoring you. 

A team from the University of Tokyo watched 76 cats listen to recorded words that included their names. 

Although the cats seemed to tune out most of the human conversation, they all reacted when they heard their names, no matter who was saying them. 

But that didn’t mean they ran into their loving humans’ arms. They showed recognition by moving their heads or ears or twitching their tails

Cats Know Their Names And Understand Words With A Purpose

…

Read More+

Study Shows Today’s Cats Are Bigger Than Their Wild Ancestors

Cat Research, Purrpourri

Unlike other species, today’s cats are bigger than their ancestors. But no one seems to know why.

Today's cats are bigger than their ancestors.

Today’s cats are bigger than their ancestors, but no one seems to know why.

Most species, including dogs, get smaller when they become domesticated. But, perhaps due to their sometimes perverse nature, today’s cats are bigger than their wild ancestors were. 

Why are cats different? No one knows for sure, but experts theorize the reason might be as simple as regular meals.

And it’s possible that this applies only to cats in Denmark. That’s where researchers had the grisly task of sifting through bags of ancient animal bones looking for some that belonged to cats. 

The Vikings And Seafaring Cats

…

Read More+

Transdermal Furosemide For Cats May Be Ineffective

Cat Healthcare, Cat Research
Study shows transdermal furosemide for cats may be ineffective.

 

Study shows transdermal furosemide for cats may be ineffective.

Study shows transdermal furosemide for cats may be ineffective.

If you use transdermal meds for your cat with heart disease, this isn’t the best news. A new study published by the Winn Feline Foundation found that transdermal furosemide (Lasix) “is unlikely to be effective.”

The study looked at just six cats though, so perhaps we shouldn’t leap to conclusions just yet. 


Furosemide For Cats ‘The Mainstay Of Therapy’

…

Read More+

Cats And Their People Share Personality Traits

Cat-Human Bond, Cat Behavior, Cat Research

Study shows cats and their people share personality traits.

Study shows cats and their people share personality traits

Do you tend to be moody? Chances are your cat does, too.

Have you been thinking your cat’s almost as introverted as you are? Turns out that’s not just the idle thought of a slightly crazy cat lady. A new study shows that cats and their people share personality traits. Or that’s what the humans think. No one asked the cats.

Researchers in Australia asked people who live with cats to complete a 52-question online survey about their personalities and their cats’. Then, they used a sophisticated computer program to analyze the data. What it came up with was five general types of cat personalities. Three overlap with human personality traits. 


How Cats And Their People Share Personality Traits

…

Read More+

Study Shows Link Between Kidney & Dental Disease In Cats

Cat Healthcare, Cat Research

A recent study shows a link between kidney and dental disease in cats. FVRCP vaccinations are implicated, too. 

Brush your cat's teeth! A recent study shows a link between kidney disease and dental disease in cars.

Brushing your cat’s teeth could help ward off kidney disease.

If you’ve been putting off that dental your cat needs, maybe you should drop everything and call the veterinary dentist right now. A new study confirms what vets have suspected for a long time: There’s a link between dental and chronic kidney disease in cats.

The study, reported by the Winn Feline Foundation, looked at 56,414 cats who had periodontal disease when their vet clinics enrolled them in the study. Researchers followed them for 11 years.


Which Cats Are Most At Risk Of Kidney Disease?

…

Read More+

Feline Diabetes Risk Factors: Dry Cat Food & Cats Living Strictly Indoors

Feline Diabetes, Cat Healthcare, Cat Research
A new study shows dry food and a strictly indoor lifestyle are two risk factors for feline diabetes.

 

Getting a cat outside on a harness and leash can reduce the risk of feline diabetes.

Getting a cat outside on a harness and leash can reduce the risk of feline diabetes.

Here’s a good reason for making sure your cats get some outdoor time. Among the feline diabetes risk factors: dry food and living strictly indoors. This news comes from a study by a Swedish pet insurance company and published by the Winn Feline Foundation.

Using a Web-based survey, the insurance company looked at 396 diabetic cats and 1670 control cats. Among the findings: The risk of feline diabetes increases for inactive and moderately active cats who live strictly indoors.

All of the cats in the study were the same age.

The cats least likely to develop diabetes: females, cats who are not overweight, cats who have access to outdoors and cats who free feed (but not dry food). Living with a dog helps, too!


Top Feline Diabetes Risk Factors

…

Read More+

Do Cat Colors Dictate Personality? Maybe…

Cat Behavior, Cat Research, Cat-Human Bond

It’s never good to paint things with a broad brush, but a study shows cat colors dictate personality.

 

A study shows cat colors dictate personality, and that could be why this torti has an abundance of "cattitude."

Does your torti have an abundance of cattitude? Blame her colors.

Are you thinking your tortie gives new meaning to the word “catitude?” Is your calico a bit feisty when things aren’t going exactly her way? A study by UC Davis veterinarian Elizabeth Stelow shows that cat colors dictate personality. And that proves what a lot of us have suspected all along. Torties and calicoes tend to be diva cats and can be more than a little challenging to their people.

Stelow and her research team surveyed 1200 cat parents online. They found that calico and tortoiseshell cats are more likely to “hiss, chase, bite, swat or scratch during interactions with humans.” Gray and white and black and white cats seem to have an abundance of cattitude, too and are likely to be a bit more aggressive than cats with other coat patterns.

 

 

…

Read More+