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Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” sequence, the place each Monday we convey professional recommendation directly from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assist our readers higher perceive their cat’s well being and well-being.
Whether or not you’re a brand new puppy mum or dad or a seasoned cat lover, Dr. Paola is right here to offer solutions for your maximum urgent questions. From diet pointers and preventive care to troubleshooting commonplace behavioral problems, Dr. Paola is able to be offering insights that may stay your kitty glad, wholesome, and pussycat effective. Keep tuned for professional steering on a spread of subjects that subject maximum to you and your cat, so you’ll make knowledgeable choices and give you the highest imaginable take care of your bushy spouse.
Have a query? Ship it in right here!
Assist! I Have a Sneezy Hepper!
“ I’ve noticed my cat Penny sneezes occasionally. I haven’t really been able to figure out the trigger yet, it’s maybe three sneezes/day on a bad day, but only one most days. Should I be worried about her being a little sneezy?” – Helen
Hello Helen,
There is not any wish to be fascinated by Penny’s occasional sneezing. Usually, rare sneezing in cats is commonplace and will also be attributed to minor irritants like mud or gentle allergens within the surroundings. Sneezing is helping give protection to the breathing machine by way of eliminating those small debris. Then again, if Penny’s sneezing turns into extra widespread, or it’s accompanied by way of different indicators reminiscent of nasal or ocular discharge, coughing, or adjustments in job ranges or urge for food, you’ll want to talk over with your veterinarian as the ones indicators point out well being considerations. Type regards!
Best possible needs!Dr. Paola
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Assist! My Hepper Loves Licking Plastic Luggage!
“My cat loves licking plastic bags, generally ones without food in them so it isn’t food that’s drawing her to them. I keep them away from her as best as I can but she is like a moth to a flame and if I ever leave one unattended for a second she finds it. Could this be related to something serious? And how can I stop her?” – Freddie
Hello Freddie, it isn’t unusual for cats to be hooked up to plastic baggage. It can be the feeling or the sounds, however your cat isn’t the one one. Some cats additionally provide this suckling habits the place they “nurse” on their human’s finger or inanimate items like blankets, clothes, or for your cat’s case, plastics. This habits is regularly seen in kittens who had been separated from their moms too early and is extra commonplace in oriental breeds like Siamese and Burmese, which could have a genetic predisposition to it.
The primary worry along with your cat presenting this habits will be the possibility of asphyxiation or choking and the possible ingestion of the plastic baggage, which would possibly result in unhealthy obstructions that require emergency surgical operation. To control this habits, supply selection actions like interactive toys to redirect their focal point. You’ll additionally wish to proceed doing all your highest to stay the plastic bag out of her achieve to steer clear of pointless dangers.
Sincerely,Dr. Paola
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Assist! My Hepper is a Blank Freak!
“Bernie has started giving himself extra-long grooming sessions, especially after I pet him. Is this him being a clean freak, or does he just think I’m messing up his fur-care routine?” – Tyler
Hello Tyler, petting Bernie could be a glorious strategy to bond with him and display him your affection. Then again, it’s vital to stroke him in the similar path the fur grows. Petting towards the herbal lay of the fur may reason discomfort and would possibly result in tangling or matting, particularly if Bernie has lengthy hair. Maximum cats desire delicate strokes that practice the herbal path in their coat.
If you don’t assume this is the reason for the lengthy grooming classes, you will have to needless to say many cats have a brief tolerance for buying treated and Bernie would possibly simply now not respect the petting up to you desire to or think. Don’t fear, regardless that, there are lots of different ways to turn Bernie how a lot you like him!
Grooming is a self-soothing habits for cats, so please stay a detailed eye on him. Attempt to observe if the extra-long grooming classes are most effective brought on by way of your petting or if he’s beginning to broaden a compulsive habits because of different elements that may well be inflicting him pressure and nervousness. The primary factor this is that you do not need this to develop into a addiction after which a compulsion as a result of cats can finally end up with infected pores and skin that ends up in infections or even alopecia. Overgrooming is the time period we use to explain when cats nicely…overdo it. Just right good fortune!
This text is part of our weekly Ask Dr. Paola sequence
