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From across the room, you hear gagging and retching sounds. Unfortunately, what comes next is your cat hacking up a hairball and you scurrying to clean up the mess. As a cat owner, this is a regular albeit unpleasant scenario. While hairballs can be gross, they are a common result of your cat’s grooming routine. Hairballs are harmless most of the time, although occasionally they can signal a bigger cat health problem.

Your pet’s paws are precious. Something about those sweet little feet can melt just about any heart. When there is something wrong with them, though, it can be absolutely anxiety-inducing for both you and your dog.

Dog paw problems are not uncommon, but at All Creatures Veterinary Hospital of Brooklyn we have the expertise and knowledge to get your pet back on their feet. 

For those who don’t know better, cats are commonly perceived to be aloof creatures who prefer to be left to their own devices and knock a tumbler of whisky off a table rather than interact with their human slaves. But for those of us in the know, cats are often anything but solitary, unfeeling creatures who would rather curl up on your lap and make biscuits while you sip on that much-needed whisky. 

Indeed, cats are, more often than not, intuitive and loving pets, who thrive on love, attention, and interactive play. They sense and respond to our moods, make us laugh, and generally love to nose their way into our affection on a regular basis.

With that in mind, it’s only natural that we would want to give our cats a little extra love from time to time. There are many ways to pamper your cat and, as their human companions, it’s likely that you know what they would best purr-fer, but in case you need a little inspiration, the team at All Creatures Veterinary Hospital has a few ideas to get you started. 

We would get so much more done if our human communications hinged on subtle expressions, sleek movements, and specific flicks of appendages. Cats are, unlike us, very efficient in their use of the eyes, ears, fur, body positioning and of course, their tails to convey exactly what they’re thinking and feeling. From fright to pleasure, suspicion to affection, feline body language is incredibly adept at communication. 

Amazingly, the more we know about the way our feline friends communicate, the deeper our human-cat connection can be!

Here at All Creatures Veterinary Hospital of Brooklyn, we are pretty impressed with the animal body. The complex workings and relationships between anatomy and physiology are truly incredible. When you really start to look at everything that goes into making a functional body, it’s amazing that things work flawlessly so very often.

The renal system is one of those complex body systems that our pets rely on for overall health. Sometimes, however, good kidneys go bad and problems arise. The feline species in particular is prone to trouble.

While cats and kidney disease are a common combination, that doesn’t mean there’s no hope. 

With many cats now living into their late teens and early twenties, we have even more time to love our kitties. Making that time together the best it can be is one of our most important goals at All Creatures Veterinary Hospital of Brooklyn.

Keep reading to see why senior cat care is so important, and what things you may need to be aware of when caring for your sweet feline.

Natural Instincts

Cats are mysterious creatures. Many people see them as fiercely independent and not in need of much care or human interaction, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Studies show that cats thrive and are happiest with regular and loving social interaction from the people in their lives. If your cat is hiding away, or your well socialized cat is suddenly not interested in as much interaction with you, it’s possible that one of their most basic survival instincts is at play – that of hiding pain and discomfort. If this occurs, it’s even more urgent to bring your kitty in to see us, as senior cats often hide because of treatable and manageable conditions. Continue…

The benefits of keeping your feline companion strictly indoors don’t need much of an explanation. With shelter from the elements and protection from disease and injury, indoor cats are simply safer.

There are downsides, however, when you’re a cat living on the inside.

Engaging your indoor cat is an important part of your pet’s overall well-being. At All Creatures Veterinary Hospital, it’s our goal to help you achieve the best for your furry housemate.

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Cats just don’t embrace travel the way most dogs do. In fact, for a cat who values territory and routine above all else, any time spent in a vehicle of any kind can be profoundly upsetting. And yet, a cat’s disinclination to leave home is only one contributing factor that results in fewer veterinary visits.

Another reason, of course, centers on the fact that cats are naturally quiet about illness or injury. As a means of self-preservation, this method inevitably leads to less attention when, really, addressing troublesome symptoms is what’s needed to maintain cat wellness. So, between an anxious, travel-hating cat and one who hides illness, what is a dedicated cat owner to do?

Nip Problems in the Bud

We understand the predicament very well. With a little training, coaxing, and positive reinforcement, your cat can adapt to crate-time and traveling away from the comforts of home. The benefits that stem from your commitment to routinely scheduled wellness exams multiply as the years go by.

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