Search Results for: blog help for hairballs

Plants That Are Dangerous For Cats

Many years ago, when I lived in a small apartment with two cats, I had a friend over for the first time. She was looking around our lovely little apartment, when all of a sudden my cat started to vomit violently. Oh yes, and things were coming out the other end of the cat too. It was full on cat festivities, and the friend looked moderately horrified as our chat came to an abrupt end and I packed the cat into a carrier to take to the emergency vet clinic – it was a holiday, of course. Several hundred dollars … Continue reading →

Multi-Pet Households: Separate Vet Trips or All Together?

What to do when both pets are due for their vaccinations? The Vaccination Report Murph’s rabies wasn’t technically due until the beginning of September, but his DHP and Parvo were expired. Since we’re kenneling him when we go to Alaska, I had to get those last two in particular updated. He also needed a heartworm test since I can’t remember the last time I gave him a heartworm preventative chewie. Mr. Meow has been overdue for his rabies, but I also wanted to get him checked out because (a) he’s getting up there in years, (b) he’s been limping here … Continue reading →

What a Hairball Looks Like

It looks a lot like poop, doesn’t it? For the first six years of living with Mr. Meow, every time I found one of these piles I thought he’d had an upset belly and hadn’t made it to the litter box in time. It wasn’t until 2005 that I learned what it really was: a hairball. “That’s a hairball?” In 2005, shortly after we moved to Nashville, the neighbor across the street befriended us. Her little boy loved Murphy and always begged her to stop by so he could say hi. Usually in the afternoons after they came back from … Continue reading →

Your Cat’s Tongue

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What does your cat’s tongue feel like? Sandpaper? Little pins? Unlike a dog’s tongue, a cat’s tongue has some very special features. A cat’s tongue has a special area in the center. In the center of your cat’s tongue are papillae — little hooked, hair-like growths that face towards the back of the mouth. These strong hooks are made from keratin (the same stuff found in human fingernails). What are papillae used for? Self-grooming. The hooks help clean and separate the cat’s fur. This doesn’t mean your cat won’t appreciate some help with grooming sometimes! Brushing your cat can help … Continue reading →

Another Shedding Season is Upon Us!

Although domestication has changed many automatic behaviors in pets, it hasn’t quite gotten rid of the hair problem. Spring and fall, many pet owners find themselves wading through a river of fur as old coats call out and new ones grow in. My parents joke that their long-haired chow mix Becca leaves tumbleweeds of shedded hair in the hallways. Shedding can be a much bigger hassle with a pet with long hair! But it’s no picnic with short haired dogs like Moose and Lally, either. Moose tends to shed all year… at least a little. It gets more noticeable in … Continue reading →