How big is hepatic amyloidosis in Siamese and Oriental cats?

How much of a breed specific cat health problem is hepatic amyloidosis in Siamese and Oriental Shorthair cats? It should be rare, very rare because it is not mentioned in the best book on cat health on the market, Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook. Neither is it mentioned in best book dedicated to genetic diseases in purebred cats, Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Aspects of Purebred Cats.

Yet this disease is invariably fatal and extremely nasty. It is not the same as renal amyloidosis which occurs in Abyssinian cats.

Apparently veterinarians often misdiagnose it, which perpetuates the fact that it hardly registers on the cat health map.

Cats become jaundiced and anemic. The liver is malfunctioning hence the jaundice. The liver is affected by amyloid cysts.These eventually destroy the liver and the cat can die suddenly. There are periods of remission beforehand when the liver regenerates itself.

Symptoms other than mentioned above are:

1. high white cell count
2. low red cell count
3. feeling poorly
4. it may start when another illness suppresses the cat's immune system

There is a page here on the subject of hepatic amyloidosis in Siamese and Oriental cats. Apparently Dr Lyons of U C Davis has agreed to research this disease so that a genetic marker can be isolated to help prevent perpetuation of the disease in breeding programs. You can go to this page (external website) for more and details.

Cat Health Problems

Photo: Priority Pet Hospital

Cat health problems from the perspective of a cat owner usually revolve around a core set of issues. There are obviously many possible cat health problems but there are some mainstream problems that crop up time and again. There are also cat health problems that are associated with specific cat breeds; the Siamese and Persian are two well known breeds that have more than their fair share. These are genetically linked diseases in purebred cats. We should have a general knowledge of what to look for in a healthy cat.

As cat owners (I prefer cat caretakers) we don't often have to deal with cat health emergencies. Perhaps other people do but I don't. Not much happens in the way of emergencies. I had to take a stray cat, Timmy, to the vet for a cat abscess acquired in fights and my lady cat broke a bone in the foot once jumping off a fence. That is it.

However it probably makes sense to keep a cat first aid kit. Few people will, though. Dealing with a cat in an appropriate way after suffering an injury and before getting her or him to the vet is important. Burns and broken bones can occur in and around the house.

One fairly commonplace health emergency is cat poisoning. My mother's cat died from a poison. Poisoning can be accidental or deliberate. There are a host of items in the house and garden that can poison a cat.

Signs of dehydration can be considered an emergency. In countries such as the USA cats can suffer bites from insects and spiders etc. that can cause severe health problems.

One core cat health problem is worms! Those horrible parasitic creatures that we hate. I am talking about gastrointestinal parasites. They are many and varied. We should have a reasonable understanding of these parasites and think about deworming treatments. Another type of parasite that lives in the gastrointestinal tract is the protozoan toxomplasmosis gondii. This is far more common that we care to think. Both people and cats have been exposed to this parasite. People say that pregnant women should get rid of their cat. I disagree with this. There are some misconceptions about toxoplasmosis.

Most cat health problems concern infectious diseases. There are a number of bacterial diseases and bacterial infections can follow injury and viral infections. The mainstream viral infectious diseases are fairly well known, Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (Feline Aids or FIV), Panleuk or Feline Panleukopenia also called feline distemper, FeLV and the upper respiratory tract infections (URIs). Pink eye or conjuncitivitis is common. The herpes virus and calicivirus are major culprits.

Cat scratch fever is something we can get from our cat and is a bacteria. Cat ringworm can also be acquired from our cat (zoonotic disease).

Cat vaccinations are important of course but they are about risk management. We shouldn't automatically assume that our cat, no matter what her age or lifestyle, should be routinely vaccinated year in and year out. Vaccinations carry risks to health.

Shelter cats and multi-cat households are exposed to contagious diseases. This is a real cat health issue that should be recognised by people adopting from shelters and people assisting in homeless cat adoptions.

An easy diagnostic tool is the condition of your cat's coat and skin. Cat coat shedding is governed by light. The cat flea is perhaps the biggest single nuisance to cat owners and their cats. Fleas can bit people. Some cats are allergic to fleas. The flea is part of the tapeworm life cycle. We need to use flea treatments carefully and treat the environment and the cat in unison. Hair loss in cats can be due to a wide variety of cat health problems. Allergies and over grooming are two causes. Many vets would say that cat food allergies are a growing cat health problem. This is due to modern ways of manufacturing cat food. Raw food is best but it carries risk. If fleas are bad ticks are horrible. They need careful removal and can cause disease in the cat and us.

Cat eye disease is a cat health problem that I have not had to deal with personally but it is worth knowing a bit about these diseases. This page lists them all.

Cat ear mites are nasty and cause great discomfort in our cat. We need to be alert to them. Deafness in cats, particularly blue eyed cats is also something that it is good to be aware of. Deaf cats cope well. Male cats can acquire damaged ears in fights over territory. That is why they fold them down and back before fighting and it is why the cat abscess is often on the ear.

With regards to the cat's nose, the obvious cat health problem is discharge from it due to a URI. When the cat is healthy, should the nose be wet or dry?  Sneezing, if persistent, is an obvious sign of ill health.

The biggest cat health problem concerning the mouth is periodontal disease - gum disease. Teeth and gums should be checked regularly. Some cats are genetically predisposed to gum disease. Cats sometimes have pigmented mucous membranes inside the mouth which is normal and healthy. Drooling is a sign of ill health and is not normal. It could be caused by gum disease or an obstruction.

Regarding the digestive system, cats are good at vomiting. It is normal to a degree. When should we be concerned that vomiting is a sign of ill health? Food allergies are not uncommon. Hypoallergenic cat food will be prescribed. IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) is on the increase. Is it due to modern cat food? Doing our cat litter provides us with the chance to check on our cat's health by monitoring our cat's stool. Is there diarrhea or constipation. A good stool consistency is important - blood?. As is regular and normal urination. Flatulence is normal to a certain extent. But needs dealing with if excessive. Feline diabetes is also on the increase as is cat obesity. Is cat food the reason? Dry cat food high in carbohydrates can cause sugar diabetes.

A cat coughing persistently needs attention and cat purring is not always associated with contentment. Different types of abnormal breathing gives us clues as the reason. Feline asthma is more accurately called feline allergic bronchitis.

Regarding the circulatory system, we can check our cat's heart beat - pulse as a health monitoring process. We can also check for heart murmur. Heart murmur can be a symptom of HCM. HCM is not uncommon in purebred cats particularly Bengal cats. See also cat heart disease. Feline anemia is often one symptom of a serious infectious disease preventing the production of red blood cells. Heartworms are a cat health issue as well.

Regarding the nervous system a typical injury is to the spine in a car accident. The tail can get trapped pulling on the spinal cord causing paralysis. Seizures are discussed on this page and feline stroke. Maine Coons can suffer from spinal muscular atrophy. Feline cerebellar hypoplasia is a nervous system disease that we should be aware of.

With respect to the musculoskeletal system declawing immediately comes to mind. It is a cruel and unnecessary process. Also what comes to mind is the fairly common hip dysplasia in cats and patella luxation in large cats especially purebred cats such as the Maine Coon. Burmese cats can suffer from hypokalemic myopathy and the Devon Rex from hereditary myopathy.

The urinary system is an ever present and major area of concern with respect to cat health. Feline kidney disease is a major cause of death in cats.  PKD (polycystic kidney disease) is routinely dealt with in Persian purebred cats. Feline cystitis is a urinary tract disease caused by a bacterial infection. It can be caused by a constant diet of dry cat food. Carefully prepared raw cat food is the best but carries risks too. Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is one of the core cat health problems.

Most of us will not deal with cat pregnancy and cat neutering is unfortunately essential. A cat in heat behaves in a very noticeable way. Ideal kitten food can include raw cat food in my opinion. If you are breeding sexing a kitten is important! And home made kitten formula may come in handy. Fading kitten syndrome is an important area.

Old cats bring new cat health problems one of which is dementia. Urinary tract problems are common for old cats. I have a page on geriatric cats.

You can buy certain medications over the counter but seek veterinary advice where appropriate. Good nutrition is essential to good cat health. What is the best canned cat food in the USA and the best dry cat food in that country?

Cancer is one of the major causes of cat fatalities in part because of FeLV. Feline fibrosarcoma are highly malignant, highly aggressive, tumors. This page discusses cat health and cancer and lists the types.

How do cats get ear mites?

Ear mites are highly contagious between different animals but are rarely on people. They can be found on rabbits, dogs and ferrets for example.

It is likely that a cat has been infected from going outside and picking them up from the ground where another animal has been.

I have read that cats can become infected even though they are full-time indoor cats. Perhaps the humans walked the mites in.

They can travel from the ear canal to other areas of the body.

Ear mites are distressing for a cat and should be treated promptly. A veterinarian should check this out.

Your cat will show signs of the presence of ear mites by shaking his head and scratching and/or pawing at his ears.

You can see dry crumbly, dark brown waxy discharge inside the ear. It can smell badly. Scratching the ears might break the skin causing scabs and loss of hair.

See cat ear mites for more. And this page contains information about a natural treatment for cat ear mites.

Cat Bacterial Infection

Here is a list of cat bacterial infections.

Salmonella  - causes a gastrointestinal infection. It is more prevalent in crowded unhygienic conditions. The bacteria can stay alive in soil and manure for many years. It is acquired by cats when they eat raw food contaminated by the bacteria or by licking manure or diarrhea (from coat or paws). An infection causes a fever, vomiting and diarrhea leading to dehydration and weakness. There may be blood in the stool. Other symptoms include pink eye and abscessed organs such as the liver and kidneys. The acute part of the infection lasts for 4-10 days. It can be fatal. Some cats are carriers but have no symptoms themselves. Treatment is antibiotics and re-hydration. Prevention is concerned with providing high quality sanitary conditions for cats.

Campylobacteriosis - causes infectious diarrhea in kittens (and humans incidentally). Cats with intestinal infections and in rescue facilities can suffer from this bacterial infection. An infection is acquired through ingesting contaminated water, animal feces or uncooked meat. Symptoms is watery diarrhea that can be bloody. Treatments include treating the diarrhea, administering antibiotics where appropriate and rehydration. Prevention is as for salmonella. Kittens' diarrhea may contain zoonotic pathogens (an infectious agent that can be transferred from cat to human).

Clostridium perfringens - A bacteria that produces airborne spores and a toxin that causes severe diarrhea that may contain mucus and blood. Treatment: antibiotics and correction of cat's hydration.

Tetanus - this is the Clostridium tetani bacteria - rare in cats due to good immunity to the infection. The infection is acquired through the skin (open wound). The bacteria produces a toxin. The toxin affects the nervous system of the cat. The signs might include: spastic contractions, rigid legs, difficulty opening mouth and swallowing. Treatment: full veterinarian care. Prevention: attending to wounds promptly and properly.

Helicobacter pylori - cats can be infected asymptomatically.  Causes vomiting, diarrhea and pain in the abdomen. Treatment: antiacid and antibiotics.

Tularemia - this is the Francisella tularensis bacteria. It is rare in cats but present naturally in wild animals. Acquired through a bite from a tick or flea or direct contact with an infected wild animal. Symptoms include weight loss, fever and depression. There may be pneumonia or mouth ulcers. It may also cause discharges from eyes and nose. Treatment: antibiotics. Prevention: exterminating parasites from the environment. Full-time indoor cat living. Don't feed cat rabbit meat. The disease is zoonotic. People can acquire it through a cat bite or scratch.

Plague - this is the Yersinia pestis bacteria. Cats acquire this disease by flea bite or contact with their mouth of infected rodents. The signs are high fever, depression, apathy, loss of appetite, cough, mouth ulcers, difficulty breathing. There are swellings from enlarged lymph nodes (under chin). Abscesses form from the swellings. 30-50% of cats die from the disease. People should be very cautious as the disease is zoonotic - transferable from cat to person. The flea bite is the most common form of transmission to people. If your cat might have the plague, see your doctor urgently. Treatment: antibiotics. Prevention: control of the flea.

Tuberculosis - Mycobacterium - Acquired by cats by ingesting cow's milk or contaminated uncooked beef. In cats the bovine type of this bacterial infection affects the gut. Signs are loss of condition and wasting even when eating well. Abscesses in intestinal lymph nodes and liver plus lung infection leading to labored breathing. Treatment: antituberculous drugs. Prevention: pasteurization of milk has had a major impact. Humans can become infected.

Bordetella - the Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria. URI. It is a secondary infection to a viral URI. Seen in crowded, stressed conditions such as at shelters. Signs are lethargy, fever, coughing, anexoria, nose and eye discharges and swelling under chin (lymph node). Treatment: antibiotics

Feline Pneumonitis - Feline Chlamydiosis - Chlamydophilia felis bacteria-like organism. Signs are pink eye and mild, persistent URI.  Treatment: Tetracycline drugs.

Feline Mycoplasmal Infection - Mycoplasma felis - may occur secondary to viral infection of upper respiratory tract. Signs: nasal discharge and pink eye. Treatment: Tetracyclines.

Feline Infectious Anemias - Cytauxzoon felis and Mycoplasma haemophilus. Causes feline anemia.

Is declawing in the UK illegal?

Yes, declawing in the UK is illegal under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The operation to declaw a cat would fall under section 4 - Unnecessary suffering.

This is because declawing is unecessary for medical reasons. It is carried out at the cat owner's convenience to protect furniture and so on - i.e. for non-therapeutic purposes.

Sometimes, extremely rarely it might be possible to argue that it should be carried out for the cat's health. Under these circumstances the operation would not be illegal as it would be a necessary operation.

The operation to declaw a cat would, it seems, also be a crime under section 5 - Mutilation.

Obviously the chopping off of the last phalange or phalanx (bone above the last joint of the toe) of each toe of the forepaws is a mutilation of the cat. It is irrelevant that the mutilation is carried out under anesthetic by a skilled person, the veterinarian.

Declawing is illegal in the UK and a crime. The maximum penalty on conviction is a year in prison and/or £20,000 fine. The crime never occurs because the act of declawing for non-therapeutic purposes never crosses the mind of a UK vet.

Cat life expectancy

Cat life expectancy is dependent on the individual cat and the cat's circumstances. We all know that feral cats live very short lives on average in comparison to domestic cats living in good homes, particularly full-time indoor cats.

Cat life expectancy various between about 3 or 4 years for feral cats to over 20 years for domestic cats. The average might be about 15 years. Purebred cats tend to live shorter lives because of selective breeding which often involves inbreeding that compromises the immune system and which brings forward recessive defective genes. The purebred cat might live for 3 years less than the average moggie.

As is the case for people, some cats are programmed by their genes to live long lives. Others will die of natural causes at a younger age.

I am sure that the availability of good veterinarian care plays a role in average cat lifespan. Where there is good veterinarian care on tap the average must be extended. Accordingly it is possible to argue that in well developed countries the life expectancy of domestic cats is longer than in the less well developed countries. But that is a guess. Unnecessary operations (declawing) carry the risk of death under surgery for example.

Wild cats have variable life expectancies too. My reading indicates to me that on average the wild cat might live to about 10-12 years of age in the wild. In captivity you can add on a few years to that lifespan. The lifespan of wildcats is reduced through persecution by people - shooting or poisoning for sport or for body parts etc.

My old lady cat is about 20 years of age and at the end of her life. She is a moggie and has good genes!

See a chart that converts cat years to human years.

My cat broke his leg!

My cat broke his leg. People use this phrase on the Internet to find out what to do. It has never happened to my cats. My cat broke her paw once and it was strapped up by the vet. It recovered naturally. It happened when she jumped down from a fence.

There are two types of completely broken legs in adult cats: open and closed. Open breaks are when the bone protrudes through the skin. There is a high chance of infection with this sort of break.

Me and my broken leg - Photo by treehouse1977

Leg breaks lead to shock and blood loss. There may be other injuries to internal organs. Don't assume the injury is confined to the leg.  "Shock" in this instance means traumatic shock. Your cat may pant and have a rapid heart beat and high pulse. Try to calm your cat. Speak in a calming voice. Make sure your cat is as comfortable as possible when being transported to the vet for immediate treatment.

The leg has to be immobilized. This can be done with an empty toilet roll and tape for a break of the lower leg - below knee or elbow. For a higher break the leg is immobilized by binding the leg to the body. If unsure the best method and perhaps most practical is to place your cat in a towel and gently hold him or her while ensuring that the broken leg is in a natural position and static while held. The person holding the cat can be a passenger in the car that takes you to the veterinarian. It will no doubt be very difficult because the cat will want to move and he or she will need to be immobilized for a considerable time.

What are cats allergic to?

A number of allergens can affect the domestic cat. The most obvious are allergens in food, airborne allergens, contact with chemicals such as cleaning materials, and fleas.

Many allergic reactions cause skin irritation. Your cat will scratch. The scratching may be bad and damage the skin causing an infection.

Some allergies are caused by a breakdown in the immune system. It fights itself. A possible example is the crusty nose that affects some Bengal cats - Bengal nose.

Cleaning liquids and sprays can cause an allergic reaction in the domestic cat because the chemicals used contain an allergen.

Some cats are allergic to the flea bite. Some cats don't mind the bite that much. If the cat is allergic to the flea he or she will scratch repeatedly around the neck. Check for fleas with a 32 teeth to the inch flea comb. You'll see the fleas combed out. Deal with that routinely and the problem for your cat will go away. See cat flea treatment.

It can be hard to find out what your cat is allergic to. Do it by deduction. Change the food to a hypoallergenic food. Change the cleaning materials or stop using them. Remove each potential cause and see if your cat has improved.

This page - feline allergies - deals the subject in more depth.

Do cats fart?

Yes, they do. It's normal. In my experience you don't get the sound effects that accompany the human version!

They are no more stinky than that which is caused by human flatulence in my opinion. More than the normal amount of gas in the gut is a medical problem. It should be dealt with if persistent and in any case it can cause discomfort.

I have a page on cat gas that may give some clues as to what to do.

Are cats supposed to pant?

The answer is yes, under certain conditions. They are supposed to pant when hot and/or stressed or frightened.

Panting is a normal event after exercise for example. My lady cat pants when she travels in the car. She gets agitated and overheats a bit and starts to pant. This is only moderate but if a cat pants excessively and if it is labored watch out for heat stroke.

Panting lowers the cat's body temperature. Water in the mouth, on the tongue and in the lungs evaporates and cools the cat. The cooling effect comes from the process of the latent heat evaporation.

Why do cats eat grass?

We don't know for sure why cats eat grass. The best theory is as follows. Grass contains a vitamin called folic acid. Domestic cats chew on the grass to extract the folic acid. Folic acid plays a role in the production of haemoglobin.

Haemoglobin carries oxygen in the blood. Snow leopards living at altitude eat unusually high amounts of vegetation. This may be because it aids with getting the maximum amount of oxygen into the body where the air is thin. A deficiency in folic acid can cause feline anemia. Sometimes it can cause vomiting.

This has given rise to the idea that the intention is to cause vomiting to remove hair balls. But I presume that the vomiting is an unwanted side effect that is of little concern to the cat. Cats vomit with ease.

Other theories are that grass acts as a laxative to remove hairballs. Or to ease stomach irritation.

Eating grass or vegetation is not a from of Pica (eating non-nutritional material).



From Why do cats eat grass? to Home Page

What Percentage of Cats Have Toxoplasmosis?

What percentage of cats have toxoplasmosis? This is a question that people ask on the Internet. There are no clear answers.

A research paper that I refer to on this page concludes that "45% of stray cats and 47% of domestic cats in Iowa and Kansas, USA, had antibodies to toxoplasmosis indicating its presence..." There are often no symptoms.

The same figure applies to people. "About half the human population...." carry evidence in blood serum and other bodily fluids that they have been exposed to toxoplasmosis (Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Guide page 68). They too are often asymptomatic.

What does this tell us? You cannot automatically conclude that the disease was transmitted from cat to human. Humans are nearly always infected by eating raw or undercooked meat (lamb and pork).

I think I have answered the question. Read more if you wish.

Are cats' noses supposed to be wet?

You lookin at my nose...! Clear off.
Photo: by Tomi Tapio

Are cats noses supposed to be wet? No. My healthy cats have very slightly moist noses because of the moisture in the breath that comes out of the nose. But the nose is not "wet". A wet nose indicates a runny nose, which in turn indicates a URI (upper respiratory infection). Neither is the nose dry. We should really use the cat fancy terminology of "nose leather", which is that part of the nose that surrounds the nostrils. Obviously the upper part of the exterior of the nose will be dry at all times.

The environment as well as the health of the cat affects whether the external part of the nose is warm and dry or cool and moist (or wet).

The Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook says, at page 220, that a warm dry nose is frequently the sign of a healthy cat. But it can also mean that the cat is dehydrated and/or has a fever! So there are no clear answers and we should not read too much into the condition of our cat's nose except for the obvious as mentioned - URIs. Another example cited by this excellent book is that a cool, moist nose might be due to the evaporation of "a runny discharge".

What they are saying is that you read the condition of the exterior of the nose as part of a diagnosis under the circumstances, both environmental and in terms of the cat's health,  that present themselves to you.

What causes cat scratch fever?

The rickettsial organism Bartonella henselae causes cat scratch fever. The organism is between a virus and a bacteria in type. It is in infected fleas. If the cat has fleas the disease is transmitted to a person by a bite or scratch as the organism is in the cat's mouth and/or on the cat's claws from grooming.

Homes should be treated for fleas and the cat should be flea combed regularly. Avoid heavy duty chemical treatments as these are toxic.

The symptoms occur about 3-10 days after being scratched. At the site of the scratch in about half the cases, the skin becomes red and raised. The lymph nodes in the armpit, groin and neck become tender. This can last for several months.

Rarely the person suffers more severe illness and in 5% of cases the person suffers from flu like symptoms.

Cats are usually asymptomatic (no signs).

People who have cat scratch fever should consult their GP. If the cat does show signs take him or her to the vet. Treatment includes the drugs azithromycin and doxycycline.

This is absolutely not a reason to declaw a cat.

What percentage of cats are lactose intolerant?

If a cat has lactase enzyme deficiency (meaning lactose intolerant) it can cause diarrhea. Lactase breaks down the milk sugar before absorption into the blood stream. A deficiency leads to the cat's inability to break down the milk sugar - lactose.

The same problem affects 50 million American people! That is why there is no information of the internet about cats - it is all about people.

The answer I believe is that all cats are to a certain extent lactose intolerant but the Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook alludes to the fact that some cats are not lactose intolerant, "if a cat has a lactase enzyme deficiency"....Clearly some cats don't have a lactase enzyme deficiency.

There is nothing on the internet or in the best books I have that tell me the percentage of cats that are lactose intolerant.

I would make an assumption that all cats are lactose intolerant to varying degrees and don't feed cow's milk to a cat. There are special cat milk products at pet shops.

What percentage of cats with blue eyes are deaf?

White cats with two blue eyes have a 85% – 64.9%  chance of being deaf in both or one ear.  White cats with one blue eye have about a 40% chance of being deaf in both or one ear.  White cats with no blue eyes have about a 19% chance of being deaf in both or one ear.

Source: AETIOLOGY, PREVALENCE AND DIAGNOSIS OF DEAFNESS IN DOGS AND CATS by George M Strain published in this instance by Science Direct (the study).

The figures are surprisingly high. You can read more about deaf cats on these selected page:

• Deafness in Cats
• Deaf Cat
• My Deaf Cat Annabelle Had An Accident

If you use the search box you can see lots more....

What percentage of cats die from cancer?

Thirty-two percent of all cats in the United States that are over 10 years of age will die from a type of cancer. That answers the question I hope. The high cancer rate in the cat population is probably in part due to the (a) feline leukemia virus - FeLV and (b) the feline immunodeficiency virus - FIV - feline AIDS.

People ask, "what percentage of cats die from cancer?" Here are some feline cancer facts:

• Of all cat cancers 25% are skin cancers. 50-60 of these are malignant.
• 0.025% (about one in four thousand) of female cats develop mammary cancer.
• 17% of all feline cancers are "mammary related".
• 0.2% of cats will get feline lymphoma (cancer affecting a type of white blood cell). FeLV cats are higher risk to contract this disease.
• 10% of cat cancers are in the mouth.
• 0.1% (one on one thousand) of cancers are caused by vaccinations.
• 3% of cat cancers are bone marrow cancers.

Devon Rex Health Issues - Hereditary Myopathy

The elfin faced Devon Rex can suffer from the autosomal (non-sex linked) recessive genetic defect called hereditary myopathy.

The signs are visible at 4 to 7 weeks of age. Kittens have low energy levels (low exercise threshold) and the head is flexed downward when the kitten walks or on the toilet. An associated disease is an enlarged esophagus. This causes swallowing problems.

There is no treatment for this condition. A short life is expected. Sorry.

See more at Devon Rex health.

Burmese Cats Health - Hypokalemic Myopathy

Burmese cats can inherit through an autosomal recessive gene a condition called hypokalemic myopathy. The signs are evident at about 3 to 4 months of age. Kittens affected show periods of paralysis and weakness. Their heads tend to be "flexed downwards".

The treatment is a dietary supplement of potassium. This reverses the symptoms. The supplement needs to be provided until the kitten can regulate their potassium metabolism. This varies from cat to cat.

See also genetic diseases in purebred cats.

Cat Separation Anxiety Treatment

We shouldn't really be thinking about cat separation anxiety treatment. We should be thinking about how to remove the cause of the cat separation anxiety. Now that may not be possible of course.

Anxiety in a cat caused by the cat's separation from his or her human caretaker is probably fairly common. Incidentally I see no reason to assume that it cannot occur when a cat is separated from another cat.

Some cats may be predisposed to cat separation anxiety because they are for any number of reasons anxious cats. The classic underlying reason is early weaning.

Anxious cats are more likely to become aggressive as a defensive measure as they are less confident. Confident cats are probably the best cat companions if managed properly.

I have just responded to a young women's request for help to stop her male cat urinating on her clothes and bed when she is away. These are classic signs of cat separation anxiety. My ex-wife had the same problem because she liked to work hard and play hard. She was not at home enough. No criticism intended by the way.

It is probable that full-time indoor cats are more likely to suffer from anxiety on the departure of their companion because there is less going on around them to stimulate and distract them. These cats may indulge in displacement activities such as over grooming leaving bare patches of fur usually on the belly.

Provided all steps have been taken to improve the cat's environment to reduce stress and anxiety a last resort is drugs, medication.

If treatment of that sort is decided upon, the most natural form of medication must be the best starting point.

The one below is all natural. I would give it a try if you're stumped as to what to do and are tired of cleaning that damn duvet covered in your cat's pee!

Here is an earlier post on cat separation anxiety.