by Nomi Berger   As the days grow darker and shorter, and the thermometer plummets, so does the mood of millions of people living in the Northern Hemisphere. But humans are not the only ones affected by what scientists refer to as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. Our cats – even the happiest, most […]

  by Nomi Berger   For centuries, black cats were revered. Then, in the blink of a great, green eye, their fortunes were reversed. What changed history’s good luck charm into a symbol of all things bad? Is it similar to a child’s game of broken telephone, where the message mouthed at the beginning is […]

  by Nomi Berger   Not only are white cats rare and valuable, they are also vulnerable. Why? Because the white of their coat isn’t actually a color, but the ABSENCE of color. And why is this so vital? Because these exquisitely beautiful cats have no protection against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. The variety […]

    by Nomi Berger   Thanksgiving is a festive time, filled with feasting, family, and friends. But it’s also a time of potential distress for our feline companions. Any changes in a cat’s regular routine – a calm home now crammed with new scents, sounds and strangers — can send even the least “fraidy […]

    by Nomi Berger   Has your puss-in-boots lost the spring in her step? Has he turned tail and taken off at your approach? Has she given her food a sudden “paws down”? Has the love light dimmed in his eyes? Then, perhaps all’s not well in kitty town. The more attuned you are […]

  by Nomi Berger   A cat diagnosed with the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is still an ADOPTABLE cat. What, then, is FIV? FIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus and is in the same family as feline leukemia virus (FeLV). A slow virus, it attacks the immune system over a period of […]

  by Nomi Berger   A cat diagnosed with Feline Leukemia (FeLV) is still an ADOPTABLE cat. What, then, is FeLV? FeLV is a virus that weakens a cat’s immune system, predisposing it to certain infections, severe anemia, and potentially leading to cancer. Most at risk are kittens born to FeLV positive mothers, cats under […]

    by Nomi Berger   Their bodies may be imperfect, but their spirit remains intact. So it is said about the special needs cat. Although caring for one can be challenging, more and more people are opening their hearts and their homes and adopting them. For this reason, more and more cats that might […]

  by Nomi Berger   Familiar with the axiom: “There may be snow on the roof top, but there is fire in the furnace”? Now, imagine it this way: “There may be snow on the fur/hair, but there is fire in the soul.” Not to mention a springy step, a feisty spirit and a loving […]

  by Nomi Berger   How many times have we humans heard the expression, “You’re only as old as you feel”? And why is it that some days, despite our actual age, we feel younger than we are, while other days, we feel older, much older? So it is with our older feline friends, starting […]

  by Nomi Berger   Salmonella is the bacterium behind enteritis or salmonellosis in cats and lodges itself in their intestinal tracts. Cats typically contract the infection from the saliva or feces of other infected animals, or from ingesting contaminated meat or foods. Rarely seen in cats and seldom causing complications, most cats will simply […]

  by Nomi Berger   Run Rings Around Ringworm Despite its name, ringworm is NOT caused by a worm but by a fungus. Known as dermatophytes, these fungi can infect the skin, hair and nails of any cat anywhere and is highly contagious, easily spreading to other household pets as well as to people. Classic […]

      by Nomi Berger   28 September also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur’s death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine. World Rabies Day is September 28   What is rabies in cats? Among all of the viral infections that can afflict our cats, rabies is indisputably the […]

  by Nomi Berger   SOS! Kitty’s In A Tree Imagine your cherished cat in a tree and you on the ground looking up! Who ya’ gonna call? The fire department? Not anymore. Most fire departments no longer rescue cats. Understandably, they’re unwilling to commit their resources to pets in trees when human lives may […]

  by Nomi Berger   Are you hesitant about planning a vacation because of your kitty? Are you haunted by visions of your beloved, four-legged furry friend meowing mournfully in a boarding kennel run by well-meaning strangers? Consider, then, the alternative image of your puss-in-boots purring, safely and satisfyingly, at home. Cared for by someone […]

    by Nomi Berger   As creatures of habit who crave their creature comforts, cats don’t always make the best road trip companions. But by mapping out kitty’s trip together with your own, you can curtail her bad “backseat driver” behavior, and turn a potentially negative experience into a purr-fectly paws-itive one. Consider the […]

  by Nomi Berger   Picture yourself on a sweltering summer day wearing a long fur coat. Are you hot yet? Itchy? Thirsty? Desperately searching for shade? Now picture your cats on that same summer day. And you’ll have some idea of how THEY feel. Keeping cats cool and comfortable is essential to keeping them […]

  by Nomi Berger   Pregnant and wondering how to break the news to your kitty cat (who was there first?). Contrary to the fear that an addition to your human family may mean the loss of your feline one, there are many paws-itive ways to ease your cat’s stress, to assist her in welcoming […]

  by Nomi Berger   The fear of a pregnant woman’s contracting toxoplasmosis should never be a reason to relinquish the family’s cherished feline companion. In fact, people are more likely to become infected with toxoplasmosis by eating unwashed vegetables from their garden or by ingesting undercooked meat than from their pet. If yours is […]

  by Nomi Berger   That Peculiarity Called Pica Pica (from the Latin term “magpie”) is the term for a feline’s affinity for eating anything that isn’t FOOD. And although it appears most frequently in young cats, it can affect older cats as well. Many cats may “nurse” on fuzzy items like wool, fleece and […]