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Cats

Feline Pheromones: The Science Behind Them

Article

Reading Time: 5 minutes If you have a cat, you’ve likely encountered pheromone products available in the form of diffusers, sprays, wipes, or collars. These products claim to stop unwanted behaviors such as scratching, spraying, litter box mishaps, hiding, and fighting. Maybe you’ve read reviews touting pheromone products as a magic charm or, conversely, describing them as nothing more […]

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Cats

Catnap Connoisseurs: How Cats Sleep

Article

Reading Time: 5 minutes Stretched out, twisted and contorted, or curled into a ball, cats have mastered the art of sleep. As an homage, the word catnap formally entered the English language in the 1800s. Some people have the notion that cats are lazy layabouts sleeping the day away. It’s time to hit the snooze button on that misperception. […]

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Cats Life at Home New Pets Veterinary Care

The Cost of Cat Companionship

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes From aww-dorable kittens to Zen seniors, our feline companions provide us emotional comfort, unconditional love, and priceless purrs. If you’re one of the estimated 42.7 million U.S. households with a cat, congratulations! You’ve gotten everything on your supplies list to ensure your new BFF will have the best life possible: high-quality cat food–check. Litter and […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home Training & Grooming

Sound Matters: Tips on Living With a Deaf Cat

Article

Reading Time: 6 minutes Sixteen-year-old Winifred is a grande dame. She is stubborn and opinionated but sweet and affectionate with people, prefers not to interact with the other cats she lives with, and lord help the cat who gets in her favorite spot in the catio. Winifred is also deaf. Leslie Cobb, cat artist, adopted Winifred in 2018 from […]

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Cats Life at Home

Why Do Cats Have Vertical Pupils? The Hunt’s the Thing

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes My mother is a Cat Lady in training. Because she has severe allergies and asthma, the last and only cat she lived with in my lifetime was nine lives ago way back when I was in high school. That changed three years ago when my sister rescued a tiny, tailless, longhaired black kitten who was […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home

Good Vibrations? Cue Cat Music

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes The power of music is as old as the first human heartbeat. Music communicates emotions, inspires creativity, and provides healing. From 1697, literature gives us William Congreve’s play, “The Mourning Bride” with the famous opening line: “Music has charms to sooth a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” Scores of studies […]

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Cats Dogs Other Veterinary Care

How to Become an Exceptional Veterinary Client

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes Earlier this year, my 15-year-old cat, Ivan, had a behavioral upheaval that required several veterinary visits, tests, medication, and weekly follow-up calls to his veterinary team. Because Ivan’s condition required tweaking until we found just-the-right remedy, I felt like a nuisance until my trusted veterinarian gave me the highest compliment. She said I am a […]

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Cats Life at Home

Masters of Meow: Feline Vocalizations

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes Of my two cats, Ivan is chattier with an extensive vocal repertoire. He gives a friendly “mrrp” for a greeting or invitation to play, “me-owt” when he’s at the sliding door asking to go out, and a raspy, bordering on obnoxious, “mrne-ow” when insisting on more treats. Should I ignore his appeals he yells, “ME-NOW!” […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home New Pets

Will Work for Mice

Article

Reading Time: 5 minutes When you have a killer resume, elite skills, a lifetime of experience that requires no on-the-job training, yet you’re not people-oriented, where do you look for work? If you’re of the feline persuasion, look no further than “working cat” or “barn cat” programs. They help save lives of unadoptable cats by finding them alternative placements […]

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Cats Training & Grooming

Luxe Locks: Feline Supermodel Hair Care

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes With their plush fur, double- and triple-coated cats are in a feline supermodel league of their own. Their lavish coats feel rich to the touch and provide insulation from natural elements, especially the heavy snow that is a feature of the original habitats of some of these cats—think Maine Coons, Norwegian Forest Cats, and Siberians. […]