FAQ: Did You Know
The purr box, as it is often called, has been a mystery for some time. Most researchers agree that it has something to do with air moving over the larynx (voice box) and the laryngeal muscles associated with the organ. The domestic cat is not the only one that can purr. Wild cats in the wild also have the ability.
The feline purr is a fantastic mechanism that serves the cat well and its human owners. Kittens learn to purr early in life. This lets the mother know where her brood is. It is a way to stay in touch or contact. It prevents the young kitten from wondering too far away from mom. People interpret purring as a soothing mechanism. It calms both the cat and lowers the blood pressure of humans listening to it. It has the same effect of listening to ocean waves lapping the shores hour after hour.
Getting bit hurts a lot! It is something that all veterinarians do not enjoy. The goal is to prevent bite wounds in the first place. Animals have to be restrained in exam rooms and treatment rooms to prevent the staff and veterinarian from getting bit. We have to do our job. It is imperative that the owner also not get bit. I also know how to read an animal well. Signs of tail and ears down and hair standing up are signs that the dog or cat does not want to be there in the first place. Cats are even quicker. Their claws can rip you to shreds in seconds if the animal is not held correctly. With that said, I have been bitten about 3 times in a 33 year career. I am quick.
Cats are always on alert. In the body of that little domestic cat are the genes of their wild ancestors. Cats are predators and always on the alert for their prey. A domestic cat, at home, is always on guard for any sound or motion. Their ears are like an antenna. A cat that is lounging on its back is in the most relaxed position possible for a cat. It is totally defenseless. It is happy and content and all is right with the world!
Urinary tract obstructions can be life threatening if not resolved quickly. 99.99% of all urinary tract obstructions occur in male animals. The obstruction is caused usually by grit or a small stone plugging the urethra. The female animal has a much larger urethral opening than the male. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside during urination (micturition). This larger opening (lumen) allows females to pass most stones that would obstruct a male. Males also obstruct due to prostate enlargement; anatomy that is not present in females. In my 33 year career, I have never had an obstructed female. Well, almost! A female Bichon Frise passed a urethral stone WHILE SITTING ON THE EXAM ROOM TABLE; followed by a flow of urine. That was good.
All cats, domestic and wild, have sets of whiskers that protrude from the left and right side of the face; right behind the nose. These whiskers serve numerous functions but an important one is to help maintain balance. Cats love to walk on tops of doors and other trapeze type actions. They consider this fun. If the whiskers are cut, the animal will have balance problems which can get it into trouble. So do not cut your cat's whiskers. If you did, they will grow back!
Dogs and cats are the ultimate carnivores. Just open up a dog or cats mouth and look at those long canines and large incisors that are used to tear and cut flesh! Domestic animals have been trained to eat grains and other fortified foods that taste good and that take care of all their nutritional needs. Diets are also available to help treat many medical conditions. Sure, dogs would prefer a T-bone steak at every meal but that would get quite expensive.
Allergies in mammals develop in response to proteins that are foreign to its body. There are many types of allergies but in this case, people think that it is the animal's hair that is making them sneeze or rub their eyes. That is erroneous. When a cat or dog licks itself while grooming or scratching, saliva attaches to the hair fiber. This saliva contains proteins and it this protein found on hair dander that sensitizes the person to the pet. The response? Sneezing and runny eyes.
Cats are extremely intelligent. They can sense emotions of everyone in a room. They know the people that want to pet them and pick them up but to a cat, how could you not like me?! Horrors! A cat senses this antagonism and wants to break the ice or wants to be friendly and make up. This produces the response that the person dislikes but the cat sees as a friendly gesture.
Dogs are often found sleeping under coffee tables and we all know that cats love to hide under beds. A dog feels much more secure when you put a blanket or towel over a dog crate. Why is this so reassuring to the pet? In the wild, dens provide protection and support to a young, wild animal. It is those genes that are expressed in domestic animals today. Dogs and cats just feel safer and protected when something is over them.
Veterinarians all know that leaving a pet for surgery is a nerve wracking process for most pet owners. Owners want to have their pet near them for care after a surgical procedure. As with human beings, the first prescription for post surgical care in the dog or cat is cage rest. Being confined in a cage or other areas promotes wound healing by fibrin (a byproduct of the clotting mechanism) and it facilitates the healing of the abdominal musculature that is incised to view the abdominal contents. Allowing a pet to go home and run around dramatically increases the chances of wound dehiscence. This means a mechanical breakdown in the surgical site that can open the abdominal contents to the outside. That is life threatening. If you insist on taking a pet home the same day after abdominal surgery, be prepared to sign a waiver of liability.
It is not uncommon to see all little, tiny dogs shake or shiver. Chihuahuas are a classical example. Just looking at a Chihuahua will make it shiver. This is just a case of nerves. All mammals develop a shivering mechanism as a response to a subnormal body temperature. Exposure to extreme cold weather will cause hypothermia if the animal is not shielded from the cold. If the body temperature drops below normal (102.0 F), the dog or cat will shiver. Shivering is just involuntary contractions of the animals musculature. It is this contraction that generates heat. This heat elevates an animal's lower body temperature back to normal. This mechanism only works for a while. If exposure to the elements continues and the body temperature drops to about 95.0 F the shivering reflex stops. At this point, hypothermia can be lethal.
It is not a good idea to let a non-breeding dog or cat go through its first estrous cycle. Doing so increases the chance of breast cancer by 8%!! That is a huge increase relative to the pets age. Each heat cycle in the future that a dog or cat goes through will increase the risk of developing mammary tumors or metastatic (spreading) issues. All female pets should be spayed before the animal enters estrous for the first time. This is usually between 5-6 months of age in dogs and cats.