Cat Health

Cleaning a newborn kitten can be easy, using the proper techniques. Many times a mother cat abandons her litter, leaving your to care for her kittens. Cleaning a newborn kitten is easy, but...

Kittens can be a lot of work. The first few weeks after birth are critical for your kitten's survival. A normal weight can determine if you are on the right track to raising a healthy cat.

Hair loss affects not only humans, but animals too. The condition of hair loss is called alopecia. Though it can affect any part of the body, hair loss on the tail is common in kittens. A number...

Pregnancy in cats is a swift process; their pregnancies last for about 65 days and multiple times there are more than one kitten per litter. If you've befriended a stray cat or have found your own...

Kittens are infected with a type of roundworm -- Toxocara cati -- through their mother's milk. If the mother cat has had an infection of roundworms during her life (and most cats have) the larvae...

Your pregnant cat requires special nutrition. By paying special attention to the types of foods you feed your pregnant cat, as well as how often you feed her, you can improve the health of the...

A cat's gestation is 62 to 65 days. During that time, you should keep your cat indoors, give her good and nutritious food and a clean litter box, and monitor her general health. A few weeks before...

Most cats become infected with roundworms at some point in their lives. Whether obtained as kittens or contracted during adulthood, roundworms are common parasites that live in the intestines of...

Cat overpopulation is a daunting problem for animal lovers. No matter how many alley cats are brought in off the streets, thousands more are homeless, hungry, and not likely to find a nice warm...

If you've ever seen a cat or kitten that is different from the others--it may stumble, wobble and even fall over--it may have a condition similar to cerebral palsy in humans known as cerebellar...

Sarcoptic mange, or scabies, is a highly contagious condition that can affect kittens and is caused by a mite. Kittens who have mange will often scratch excessively and can have hair loss and...

Chlamydia in cats is also referred to as feline pneumonitis. It largely affects the eye and parts of the upper respiratory tract in felines.

There are several species of ear mites that infect kittens. Though they are called ear mites, the parasites can live anywhere on the kitten's body. In fact, they often infect the tails of cats and...

Sometimes kittens will develop crusted and matted eyes. Often this occurs in newly born kitten because the eyes are becoming used to seeing. Then again, this may be the result of a bacteria or...

Cats and kittens can be prone to diarrhea for many different reasons. A single incident of diarrhea is usually nothing to worry about, but for chronic diarrhea the cause must be determined in...

Ringworm is the most common skin condition in cats. It is very infectious and easily contracted by kittens over four weeks of age, but can be safely treated with different medications and...

One of the most common parasites infecting cats are hookworms. (Reference 1) Hookworms get their name from the prominent hook-like mouth the worms use to hook onto the intestinal wall for feeding....

If you have two day old kittens and they are already infested with fleas, it means both the mother and the area they are living in have a flea problem. Because of this, the only way you can...

Ticks are not only creepy, but they can be dangerous as well. Carrying a host of diseases, ticks are blood-sucking creatures that can make your kitten severely sick and can also affect you and...

Fleas and ticks are a common problem for pets and pet owners. These parasites are known to carry and spread disease as well as irritate the animals they infest. If that animal happens to be a...

Rabies vaccinations are not required for cats, and the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine says "the number of reported feline rabies cases in the United States far exceeds that of...

Feline constipation can happen to cats of any age, even newborn kittens. Symptoms of cat constipation include a cat not wanting to be touched around the abdomen, a distended abdomen and passing...

The Winn Feline Foundation cites the Dipylidium caninum tapeworm, or flea tapeworm, as the most common tapeworm found in cats. Cats acquire tapeworms whenever they ingest adult fleas infected with...

Roundworm infections are common in young kittens that do not have a fully effective immune system. They can be transmitted through their mother's milk if she is infected, and they can be ingested...

Rabies is a virus that affects the brain in most mammals. It is transmitted through saliva into an open wound. Kittens and cats with rabies will display the same symptoms. At first, the symptoms...

Cats, and especially kittens, are often infected with intestinal parasites, commonly referred to as worms. There are different medications that treat worm infestations in cats, but the type of...

Spaying your cat is essential to keeping the cat population under control. Without spaying, countless unwanted kittens end up in shelters. What's more, a spayed cat will also be more contented,...

Kittens are very susceptible to hypothermia, which occurs when the body temperature becomes dangerously low. Kittens don't develop shivering reflexes until they are six days old, so hypothermia...

In comparison to puppies, kitten ear infections are not very common. If you suspect your kitten has an ear infection, it's important to take him to a veterinarian to be examined. Have patience...

Suckling is a normal action by kittens when feeding on their mothers, but some cats will continue to suckle after being weaned. That often happens when kittens are weaned too early, so the kitten...

Hookworms are a common intestinal parasite that can cause mild to severe symptoms in animals. In cats, they occur in large populations or in cats with weaker immune systems, such as kittens and...

Intestinal parasites are a common problem in cats and kittens. Those little, round bellies of fluffy kittens often harbor worms that have been passed down from their mother. One of the most...

Barn cats are useful because they catch mice and eat spiders, even if they are not always friendly. Barn cats live outside all year round, so often the litters of kittens that they have do not...

Even though there are many safe and effective flea treatments for both adult cats and kittens 4 weeks and older, younger kittens are equally susceptible to flea infestations. Very young kittens,...

Diarrhea is a common symptom in kittens and generally resolves quickly without veterinary treatment. Persistent diarrhea may indicate one of several health concerns and requires a veterinary...

Lice are visible parasites with no wings, six legs and a compressed appearance. The egg casings are tiny white spots that are called nits. They are particular about where they like to infiltrate...

Diarrhea in kittens may not seem like a serious condition, but a kitten's small size makes it prone to dehydration. Even if the condition does not have a serious cause, it can become...

There is no over-the-counter product that can be used to induce cat labor, but a cat that is about to have kittens can be prepared for by providing material for a nest. Encourage cats to have...

Frontline, Frontline Spray and Frontline Plus are brand names for the antiparasitic drug fipronil. According to Frontline's manufacturer, Merial, no Frontline product should be used on any nursing...

First-time owners of female cats may not be familiar with the stages of a cat's pregnancy, but the stages are relatively simple to detect. The female cat will initially go into heat, followed by...

Cats and kittens should be dewormed on a regular schedule. There are several types of worms that can infect cats, and deworming medication depends on what type of parasite has infected your cat or...

There are many reasons why cats can get constipation, but the result is the same--a cat in pain. The longer it takes for the stool to pass, the harder they become, which makes the cat even more...

Advantage is a flea-control medication taken monthly to provide fast relief and prevention. There are formulas available for both cats and dogs. For cats, there are two dosages, depending upon the...

Pregnant cats show different signs at different stages. The entire pregnancy takes between three to three-and-a-half months. During the first two stages , there will not be immediate physical...

Most cats will develop constipation at some point in their lives, but these are usually temporary situations. Chronic constipation can be quite painful for a cat. This is when a cat will produce...

When a cat becomes pregnant, she goes through stages. A cat takes roughly three to three and a half months to go from initial contact with the male until the kittens are born. Your cat will show...

Just like a human, a pregnant cat will go through some important changes. She will start to eat more and she will gain weight. During this period, it is important to help her have a nutritious...

One of the most striking physical characteristic of a Siamese cat is the rich blue eyes. In order for a Siamese to be registered and shown, the cat must have blue eyes. Occasionally, a Siamese...

Female cats may become pregnant as early as six months of age if they are not surgically sterilized. Pregnancy in cats usually progresses well, and the mother cat, or "queen," usually delivers a...

Not every type of flea treatment is going to be appropriate for kittens that are younger than 12 weeks old. There are flea treatments that are appropriate for kittens that have no reached the...