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Cats suffer stress, experts say
BBC News ^ | 10/27/04 | BBC News - Scotland

Posted on 10/27/2004 2:08:00 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

Cats can suffer from stress-related illness like humans, a study by animal experts suggests.

Rivalry with another cat is the biggest source of feline anxiety closely followed by moving home or the arrival of a new member of the owner's family.

Experts compared 31 cats with bladder disease to 24 healthy cats in the same households and used a control group of 125 other healthy cats.

Sick cats generally got more stressed by other cats in the house, they said.

Stress trigger

Dr Danielle Gunn-Moore, senior lecturer in feline medicine at Edinburgh University's school of veterinary studies, said feline lower urinary tract disease was frustrating for vets and owners because most cases had no apparent cause.

"This group of diseases of the bladder is most commonly seen in pedigree, middle-aged, overweight male cats which don't go out much and eat a dry food diet.

"We believed stress could be a trigger and wanted to identify differences in the cats' environments and temperaments which might cause this condition."

University researchers suggest cats with such illnesses should be fed wet food and encouraged to drink more fluid by adding tuna-flavoured ice cubes to water.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Animals has welcomed the research.

Spokeswoman Doreen Graham said: "We've always known cats are extremely sensitive and this study highlights a problem more widespread than previously thought."


TOPICS: Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: cats; experts; stress; suffer
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To: brianl703

Thanks so much. I'll check that out and show it to my hubby.

I can hide my dog's pills in food (she'll eat anything), but this cat is very smart about hiding and then spitting out the pills.


21 posted on 10/27/2004 2:25:31 PM PDT by vrwcagent0498 (Mark Levin and Ann Coulter are my patron saints.)
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To: Shryke

Brought to you by NRA "Pistol Pussies" for Bush.

22 posted on 10/27/2004 3:00:43 PM PDT by newzjunkey (Keep crime down: NO on CA Prop 66. Pray for America and Vote BUSH!)
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To: Slings and Arrows

ping.


23 posted on 10/27/2004 3:02:00 PM PDT by Serb5150 (Look at me! I don't need subtitles!)
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To: Slings and Arrows

meow


24 posted on 10/27/2004 3:02:21 PM PDT by mingusthecat (Mingus has again opined. Like any cat, she doesn't really care what YOU think.)
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To: NormsRevenge
GIMMIE MY DAMN TUNA FLAVORED ICE CUBES!!!


25 posted on 10/27/2004 3:10:02 PM PDT by w_over_w (BREAKING! High Times Newspaper just endorsed Kerry. Wow . . . light up another one man.)
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To: NormsRevenge
Who are these people feeding me and living in my home????


26 posted on 10/27/2004 3:13:18 PM PDT by w_over_w (BREAKING! High Times Newspaper just endorsed Kerry. Wow . . . light up another one man.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Sushisicles for everyone!


27 posted on 10/27/2004 3:19:33 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows (Am Yisrael Chai!)
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To: mingusthecat; Serb5150; Slings and Arrows; Glenn; quantim; republicangel; Bahbah; Beaker; ...
Thanks for the ping! Passing it on...

---
Kitty Ping List alert!

[Freepmail me to get on or off the Kitty Ping List.]

28 posted on 10/27/2004 3:22:23 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows (Am Yisrael Chai!)
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To: Slings and Arrows

29 posted on 10/27/2004 3:58:01 PM PDT by Lady Jag (Used to be sciencediet but found the solution)
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To: NormsRevenge
STRESS??

30 posted on 10/27/2004 4:06:39 PM PDT by Lady Jag (Used to be sciencediet but found the solution)
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To: Slings and Arrows

Thank you! My poor nine are stressed out now because I am stressing about November 2nd... but normally they are pretty calm :)


31 posted on 10/27/2004 4:19:10 PM PDT by Borax Queen ("Either you're with us or you're with the terrorists." (President Bush, 29 Nov 2001)
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To: vrwcagent0498

You have freepmail.

And make sure to push the pill, with one fingertip, all the way at the back of the cat's tongue, almost pushing it down the throat.


32 posted on 10/27/2004 4:47:29 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: Tragically Single; NormsRevenge

My cat gets stressed when we have visitors. He hides until they leave. Since we never know where he hides when company comes over, we can't figure out if he watches the visitors or can sense when they leave. But he always manages to come out seconds after they walk out the door. LOL!


33 posted on 10/27/2004 5:07:17 PM PDT by tuliptree76
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To: vrwcagent0498
Anyone know of an easy way to get a cat to swallow his pills?

Have you tried crushing up the pills and putting it in a little bit of food or with something like tuna or another treat so that he would eat it all up?

Otherwise, the only way I could ever get my cat (who is now in kitty heaven) to take her pills was by gently holding her mouth open and then dropping the pill near the back of her throat - and hoping it was far enough back so she wouldn't be able to spit it out.

34 posted on 10/27/2004 5:18:26 PM PDT by tuliptree76
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To: tuliptree76

Same with one of my cats, except that not only does he not like strangers, he also hates to be held. If you pick him up, it'll take about 10 seconds before he starts meowing, LOUDLY.

This is the same cat that'll start purring if I so much as touch him. He'll run away (still purring) if he's had too much petting.

I guess he's just a very sensitive cat.

The other one will get right up into stranger's faces if they let him.

He's a bossy cat.


35 posted on 10/27/2004 5:22:58 PM PDT by brianl703 (Border crossing is a misdemeanor. So is drunk driving. Which do we have more checkpoints for?)
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To: tuliptree76

Same with one of my cats, except that not only does he not like strangers, he also hates to be held. If you pick him up, it'll take about 10 seconds before he starts meowing, LOUDLY.

This is the same cat that'll start purring if I so much as touch him. He'll run away (still purring) if he's had too much petting.

I guess he's just a very sensitive cat.

The other one will get right up into stranger's faces if they let him.

He's a bossy cat.


36 posted on 10/27/2004 5:23:47 PM PDT by brianl703 (Border crossing is a misdemeanor. So is drunk driving. Which do we have more checkpoints for?)
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To: brianl703
I've seen and used a pill popper for pets. It's basically a tube with a rubber tip that you put the pill in, and there's a piece inside the tube you push on to pop the pill out of the rubber tip

Thanks Brian, I have some experience in these matters and can take it from here. With a cat, what we're looking for is a conduit to pass the pill thru. Any small tube will do - metal, plastic, glass, steel pipe from Home Depot, ductwork, pyrex will work, too. If you don't have tubing lying around, solids will also work well if you jam them in and then lift up - a chopstick, for example. The main thing is to open a passage for the pill to pass thru. Remember, if you don't get the pill there, your cat could die - do you want that on your hands?

37 posted on 10/27/2004 5:29:47 PM PDT by searchandrecovery (Socialist America - diseased and dysfunctional.)
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To: brianl703

Cats all have their own personalities. Most of the cats that I've had didn't care for strangers. However, I once I had a cat that loved everyone. She would purr all the time, never cried, let anyone (including children) pick her up, and loved sitting on laps. She had cancer and passed away a couple of years ago. I still miss her.


38 posted on 10/27/2004 5:35:27 PM PDT by tuliptree76
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To: vrwcagent0498

The late Wimpy had hyperthyroidism when he was about 12 or 13. We tried the drugs before we went to the very expensive but very successful radioactive iodine treatment. Ask your vet about it. It's pretty expensive (it cost us $850 several years ago) but it actually solved the problem. The cost scared us off at first, so we tried the drug (I can't remember the name, but it's the same one they use for people) and he developed every side effect in the book--it's the only time in his life he ever felt really bad. If you can possibly, possibly afford it, radioactive iodine is the way to go. Wimpy went on to live 5 more happy years.

But in the meantime, giving a cat a pill takes some practice, but it involves opening his mouth with one hand and shoving the pill down his throat with your finger, preferrably all in one swift motion. The faster the better. It takes practice.

Your vet can sell or give you a special "pill-shooter" thingamajig that basically takes the place of your finger. It works pretty well.


39 posted on 10/27/2004 5:35:39 PM PDT by wimpycat (John Kerry has a fevah, and the only prescription is "MORE COWBELL".)
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To: brianl703; All

Say, maybe you (or anyone here) can help me. A couple of weeks after Wimpy died (3/29/2003, bless his little old heart!) I got a new cat. She was almost a year old then, so she's a little over 2 years old now. She's not afraid of anybody, she's boisterous, loves to play and has lots of energy, and does all sorts of cute, strange, funny things. We've often thought about getting another cat just to keep her company, but are afraid of what might happen if things go wrong. Once I agree to take a cat permanently, then it's permanent. I don't believe in giving up a pet except for extraordinary circumstances.

To make a longer story short, we are going to give a kitten a trial weekend at our house. Her present owners also have a grown female, and she can't stand this kitten. The owners won't send it to the pound if it doesn't work out with us, but will give it to a no-kill rescue operation.

So I've got a grown spayed female, and I'm going to try to introduce an un-neutered male kitten and I need to see in the space of a weekend if this is something that will work out, or if it's going to be a disaster.

Any advice?


40 posted on 10/27/2004 5:47:35 PM PDT by wimpycat (John Kerry has a fevah, and the only prescription is "MORE COWBELL".)
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