Mirtazapine Ointment For Cats Increases Appetite, Reduces Stress

Here's some much needed relief if you're struggling to add an appetite stimulant to your sick cat's meds. Mirtazapine ointment for cats is now available from vets, and all you have to do is rub a little bit inside an ear flap. 

Mirataz, the transdermal formulation of the popular appetite stimulant, went on the market a few months ago. 

An Appetite Stimulant Just For Cats

The Daily Cat Quote

"If a cat spoke, it would say things like 'Hey, I don’t see the problem here.”
Roy Blount Jr.

No More Free Rides For Some Emotional Support Animals

© Okssi - Fotolia.com

Was your emotional support animal hoping for a free ride? Unless he's a cat or dog, that's not going to happen on United Airlines. And even cats and dogs will find their wings clipped by tighter rules that went into effect earlier this month.

The flap over emotional support animals apparently began when a woman tried to board a United Flight in Newark with a peacock named Dexter on her shoulders. 

Nothing against peacocks, the airline said, but Dexter was way too big to ride in the cabin. He and his human drove to California.

Ruffling Everyone's Feathers

The Daily Cat Quote

"If a cat spoke, it would say things like 'Hey, I don’t see the problem here.”
Roy Blount Jr.

Abused Cats And Dogs Could Get Their Own Lawyers In New Jersey

Sadly, we've all heard about awful cases of animal abuse. And often, the abusers get off with minimal or no penalty. But that could change in New Jersey, where Democratic Assembly woman Annette Quijano recently introduced legislation that would help abused cats and dogs get their own lawyers.

The lawyers or advocates would be volunteer attorneys and law students.

Voices For The Voiceless

The Daily Cat Quote

“The cat wrinkled its nose and managed to look unimpressed. "Calling cats," it confided, "tends to be a rather overrated activity. Might as well call a whirlwind.” 
― Neil Gaiman, Coraline

Alexa, Call The Vet! VCA & Amazon Team Up To Automate Services

So we all know Alexa can turn on the lights, read us bedtime stories from Kindle books, accidentally send private messages to friends and order groceries on Amazon. But now the smart speaker has a new trick. If you're a VCA client, try saying, "Alexa, call the vet."

VCA and Alexa have teamed up to offer services that used to require a computer, or at least a telephone. Now, if you're tired of listening to your vet's on-hold recording, being able to simply say "Alexa, call the vet" could be just what the (cat) doctor ordered. 

'Alexa Call The Vet And Make An Appointment'

The Daily Cat Quote

“As anyone who has ever been around a cat for any length of time well knows cats have enormous patience with the limitations of the human kind.”
Cleveland Amory, The Cat Who Came for Christmas

Transdermal Furosemide: Ineffective For A Cat With Heart Disease

If you use transdermal meds for your cat with heart disease, this isn't the best news. A new study published by the Winn Feline Foundation found that transdermal furosemide (Lasix) "is unlikely to be effective."

The study looked at just six cats though, so perhaps we shouldn't leap to conclusions just yet. 

Furosemide 'The Mainstay Of Therapy'

The Daily Cat Quote

“When I am feeling low, all I have to do is watch my cats." 

Charles Bukowski

Cats And Their People Share Personality Traits

Have you been thinking your cat's almost as introverted as you are? Turns out that's not just the idle thought of a slightly crazy cat lady. A new study shows that cats and their people share personality traits. Or that's what the humans think. No one asked the cats.

Researchers in Australia asked people who live with cats to complete a 52-question online survey about their personalities and their cats'. Then, they used a sophisticated computer program to analyze the data. What it came up with was five general types of cat personalities. Three overlap with human personality traits. 

How Cats And Their People Share Personality Traits

The Daily Cat Quote

“I am not a cat man, but a dog man, and all felines can tell this at a glance - a sharp, vindictive glance. "
― James Thurber

Petco Will Ban Food With Artificial Ingredients From Its Stores

You know that colorful dry cat food with pretty red and yellow pieces? You won't find it at Petco stores after May 2019. Beginning in January, Petco will ban food with artificial ingredients from its stores. The pet supply chain says all food with the offending ingredients will be gone by May.

While this may sound like corporate concern for your cat's health, marketing might have been one of the reasons why Petco will ban food with artificial ingredients from its stores.

In a survey of 1,300 animal caretakers, 87 percent said food without artificial ingredients is essential to their animals' health.

Ingredients Petco Will Ban

The Daily Cat Quote

“I have found it is surprisingly difficult to remain sad when a cat is doing its level best to sandpaper one's cheeks.”
― R.L. LaFevers, Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh

A Petcare Wellness Center At Walmart Offers Affordable But Limited Cat Health Care

Jon Schulte-Fotolia.com

Coming soon to a store near you: a VetIQ Petcare Wellness Center at Walmart. Think of it as a MinuteClinic for cats. The walk-in wellness centers don't take appointments, and offer a limited menu of services at prices considerably lower than you'd pay at a conventional veterinary clinic. Twenty locations are open now. But VetIQ expects to be in 1,000 stores by 2023.

For Healthy Cats Only