30 September 2007:
This week, we have a special feature: An interview with Doctor Sarah, our
wonderful veterinarian. We've asked her some questions about what it takes
to be a veterinarian, what she loves about being a vet, and how people can
work with their vets to make sure all you kitties out there get the best
possible care. Read our interview in this
week's column. And thank you for taking the time to answer our questions,
Doctor Sarah. You're the other most important person in our lives! Purrrrrrrrrr!
23 September 2007:
Andrew and Alexandra recently rescued a stray kitten that had an eye infection.
They took her to the vet, who said that the infection has destroyed her
eyes and left her blind. Andrew and Alexandra have other cats and dogs,
and they want to know if there are any special tips we have for helping
them integrate their blind kitten into their family. Read our advice in
this week's column.
16 September 2007:
Jo's 2-year-old male cat is super-loving and very kind. But he has an issue
she finds really embarrassing: Every time he sits on Jo's lap or lies on
the bed with her, his genitals pop out, then he jumps off and licks them.
Jo is afraid of showing him affection because he seems to get aroused every
time she touches him. What, if anything, can she do to put a stop to this?
Read our answer in this week's
column.
9 September 2007:
Lori was surprised to find that her black cat, Pepper, had begun to sprout
white whiskers. Pepper is 10 years old, and Lori wants to know if gray whiskers
are a sign of aging, or if the change in the color of his fur might be related
to an illness. Read our answer in this
week's column.
2 September 2007:
Jennifer's Bombay cat, Phelonius, has asthma, the worst case her vet has
ever seen. And lately, it seems that the treatments are less effective.
She's worried about Phelonius and wonders how the medicines she gives Phelonius
work to treat the asthma and what, if anything, she can do to help him feel
better. Read our answers in this
week's column.
26 August 2007:
A devoted cat mama has a 17-year-old cat who was recently diagnosed with
hyperthyroidism and mild heart disease. She has to give her cat several
pills every day, but this medication regimen is torture for her and the
cat (whose poor, sick heart is being grievously strained by the stress of
being pilled). Is there anything she can do to make medicating her kitty
easier, or should this cat mama just accept that her cat's time is up? Read
our answer -- and it is good news -- in this
week's column.
19 August 2007:
Stefanie is getting ready to adopt a cat, her first feline companion in
four years. She and her husband have moved from the US to Belgium and have
just purchased a tiny apartment. Stefanie wants to make this apartment as
safe and cozy for her new cat as it is for her and her husband, and she
has sought our advice on how to do so. Read our suggestions in this
week's column.
12 August 2007:
Barbara's beloved cat, Zoe, died last week at the age of 5. In 24 hours,
Zoe went from healthy to severely anemic, wheezing and crying in pain and
fear. Barbara is still in shock and feeling guilty about her choice to end
Zoe's suffering. She wants to know if she could have saved Zoe's life if
she'd noticed some sign of illness earlier. It's never easy to lose an animal
friend, especially so suddenly and at such a young age. Read our answer
to Barbara's letter in this
week's column.
5 August 2007:
Karla's cat recently gave birth to a litter of kittens. The cat had a difficult
labor, and now the poor thing is walking around in circles. Karla took mama-cat
to the vet, who ran "a lot of tests" and found nothing wrong.
But the cat is still walking in circles. What's going on? Find out what
we think in this week's column.
29 July 2007:
About 2 months ago, Michelle's cat developed an infected paw. Although the
digit in question was treated with surgery and antibiotics, it seems the
cat still hasn't fully recovered. She's avoids jumping, she's not showing
her claws, and she acts distressed when Michelle touches her paws. Michelle
and her vet are stumped. What's going on? We've given a couple of possibilities
in this week's column.
Welcome
Thank you for coming to visit Paws and Effect. We hope to provide you with the information you need to maintain a good human-feline relationship, and to keep your animal companion's health in top form. You can visit this week's advice column by clicking the appropriate link, and you can scan our archives for other columns we've written that may be of help to you in dealing with issues about your cat. We encourage you to write to us with your questions, and we will answer all questions in the order they are received. You can also read some of our poetry and writings (which Mama calls "catterel" for some odd reason), see some of Mama's cat-related photos and writing (in Mama's Corner), check out our Paws and Effect merchandise, look through our links list to find other informative and entertaining cat-related sites, or view the recommended reading list Mama compiled, based on the books she has read over the years in her effort to learn all she can about cat health and behavior.
New goodies!
We
now have three new designs available at the Paws and Effect Boutique at CafePress:
Triple Moon Cat, Witchy Cats, and Love Cat. These designs are available on
regular T-shirts, mugs, tiles, magnets, stickers, wall clocks, dark shirts
and in plus sizes. Now that CafePress is carrying plus-size options, we are
adding plus-size gear to all of our other designs as well! Read more at the
Paws and Effect merchandise page.
A small request
Before you write to us with a question, please read the archives to see if we've answered questions similar to yours before! We receive literally dozens of letters a month from people asking questions about how to deal with inappropriate urination or spraying, for example, and we have dealt with this topic in several previous columns. Other topics we have written about extensively include traveling with cats, various types of destructive behavior, and introducing new cats and other pets to current feline residents.
Also, please be aware that Paws and Effect is a weekly advice column. That means we answer one letter a week. This advice is given free of charge, and letters are answered in the order in which they are received. We simply do not have time to answer every single letter, particularly when those letters are asking for advice on topics we've previously addressed.
Quick help is available if you need it
If you have a question you want answered right away, we will be glad to do so for a fee. For a donation of $15, we will give you a personalized answer to your question within 48 hours. You can make your donation via PayPal by clicking the "Make a Donation" button below. This account accepts credit cards and bank cards with the MasterCard and VISA logo, so you don't need a PayPal account of your own to use this service. In PayPal's "note" or "comments" box, please specify the e-mail you're referring to. If for some reason you don't receive a response within 48 hours after making a donation, please e-mail us again or e-mail our alternate e-mail address (Mama's home e-mail) to check on the status of your request. Also, please check the weather. We are based in Maine, USA, and if we are suffering some sort of natural disaster such as an ice storm or a blizzard that renders us without electricity, answers may be slightly delayed.
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