Cat Health: Lymphoma in Cats

Although cats get cancer at half the rate dogs do, when they do get cancer, it is usually more aggressive.

When you take your cat to the vet, you will probably get not only a rabies injection, but also one for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and one for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Cats, especially outdoor cats, can be exposed to these viruses, which raise the chance of the cat developing a cancerl called lymphoma.

What is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a disease that is a cancer of the lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell.

It may cost money to have your cat vaccinated each year, but the pain and cost of cancer is so much higher.

Lymphoma cancer can develop in different places in a cat's body. Most commonly, it develops in the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms can include weight loss, loss of appetite, vomiting, & diarrhea.

Lymphoma can also grow in the lymph nodes in the chest cavity. The most likely cats to develop this type of cancer are younger ones under 5 years of age, particularly oriental cats like the Siamese. Symptoms for this type of lymphoma include difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, and regurgitation. I know that sounds like vomiting, but it isn't. Vomiting involves retching, when the cat's sides are heaving, trying to throw up. Regurgitation means that the food is blocked and just comes right back out without retching.

Another kind of cancer is spinal lymphoma. This is usually found in younger 3 or 4 year old males cats. The first symptom may be having trouble with their hiind legs.

What Should You Do?

Take your cat to the vet to be tested. Tests for lymphoma include blood tests, tests for FeLV or FIV. Chest x-rays can find chest lymphoma and ultrasound scanning can find abdominal lymphoma. Tests for spinal lymphoma more extensive and expensive, involving using special dyes with x-rays and a spinal tap.

Treatment

The same treatments are used on cats for cancer as are used on us, including surgery, radiation, & chemotherapy.

Your best chance of having your cat recover from lymphoma is if they find a mass in the intestines that can be removed by surgery. The worst case is when a cat is found to have a cancerous growth in the spine.

If you are interested in getting pet insurance against the day your cat needs any kind of expensive treatments, check out Cat Insurance

If you are interested in comparing different kinds of insurance for cats, you can do research on different kinds and costs of cat insurance.

Cat Product Reviews: Tropical Flower Cat Condo/Tree

Cat Product Review:

Tropical Flower Cat Condo/Tree

Hi, there. My dear cat is getting older and started having trouble jumping up onto her big cat tree. It has been her nest for catnapping for many years — her home within her home. However, I could see that it was beginning to be difficult for her to get up, and more difficult for her to jump down. I decided that I needed to get her a smaller cat tree/cat condo that she would be able to access more easily.

Tropical Flower Cat Condo/Tree

I ordered her the Tropical Flower Cat Condo/Tree. It is absolutely adorable to look at, and it only stands 3 feet tall, with big leaves that are easy for her to get up on, and then jump up onto the cat bed in the middle of the big flower on top.

Each of the leaves and the bed on top are made with heat retention liners inside, so while she naps on top, it reflects her body heat back to her, keeping her cozy and warm.

At first, when her big cat tree went down to the garage — I took it away to donate to Last Hope, a no-kill shelter here in Minnesota — she gave me such a look. “You fiend!”

The first day, she ignored the new little tree completely. The second day, she would come in, sniff at it, and then walk out of the room.

The third day, she enthusiastically “pulled claws” on the thick carpeting. That did it. She decided it was GOOD. She then jumped up and made herself right at home. Now, she sleeps in it every day next to my computer while I’m working. It’s comforting to me to listen to her little kitty snores while she is sleeping, and I know the heated liner is keeping her comfortable, too.

Below is a video I made of the change-over. A happy cat at last!

Cat Facts: History of Cats-1

Cats Facts: History of Cats-1

How long have we owned cats?

According to research reported in the Smithsonian Magazine, an archeologist digging in Cyprus found a gravesite where someone was buried with their pet cat over 9,500 years ago. Since Cyprus is an island, cats had to get their with people by boats, which will give you an idea of how long people and cats have loved each other!

Cats Facts: Egyptian Wild Cat

The research journal Science published a report on the genetic analysis of domestic cats and found that they are all descended from the Middle Eastern wildcat (felix sylvestris).

It has long been taught that cats first became domesticated in Egypt when people first began farming. Then, when they tried to store grain for the future, the mice came, followed by the wild cats, who found a good food source hanging around the storehouses, instead of having to go hunting through the wild.

Of course, keeping the mouse population down made the farmers very happy.

We made friends with each other and it’s been a friendship that has lasted through the millenia.

Did you know that cats are more popular than dogs as house pets? Researchers have found that over a third of homes in America have a pet cat, putting that number at over 90 million!

Cat Product Reviews: All Wooden Cat Trees

58" 3-Level Cat Tree

The newest products for a green, eco-friendly cat are the selection of all-wooden cat trees. Each one is hand-made out of North Woods trees with pine bases and the cat trees and perches out of birch. The bark is stripped off, and then the wood is treated with a pet-safe eco-friendly finish so that the wooden tree will last longer.

All cats love to climb trees and all cats love to scratch and pull their claws. These trees are perfect for both. They look great and your cat will love having their own tree indoors to climb, perch, and scratch on.

If you are trying to go organic in your life, let your cat share in that lifestyle, too!

Check out the selection of all-natural hand-made wooden cat trees, from 3-feet tall to 6-feet, 3-inches tall! Safe, beautiful, useful, long-lasting, and even biodegradable! What cat could ask for more?

Kitten Care: Finding a Lost Kitten

Kitten Care: Kitten

A few weeks ago, my neighbors knocked on my door at night on a dark and stormy night. They had heard a kitten crying out in the rain and brought it into their garage. However, they had never been around cats and didn’t know what to do. Since they knew I owned a cat, they asked me to come over.

I ran over with a towel and a small bowl of my cat’s food. The poor little thing was so frightened and wet. I picked her up in the towel and examined her. She looked healthy and in good shape, just soaked and scared. When I set her down by the bowl of food, she immediately started eating.

They asked me if I wanted her, as they were allergic to cats and did not want to even touch her. I told them that I regretted that I couldn’t bring her home, as my cat and I have lived together for years, and, as she is the Queen of the household, I did not think bringing in another cat would sit well with her.

I gave them an old cat carrier I had, and put the kitty in it, and they took her to the Humane Society.

That was good and kind of them, but I was left with the question. What was the best course? Taking it to the Humane Society could get her adopted or could get her euthanized. On the other hand, she seemed healthy. Perhaps she already had a microchip that they could read and contact her owners, who might be frantic trying to find their little kitty.

After thinking about it, I decided that I should have taken her home and kept her in my garage with some food and water and a spare litter box overnight. Then, I could have taken her to my vet, who could check for a microchip and given her an exam for fleas. If she did not have a microchip, she might need rabies shots, deworming, or other tests.

Then, I could have taken her home, put an ad in the paper for a Found Cat, put up fliers in our neighborhood, and contacted Pet 911 listing a Found Cat.

Deciding what to do with a found kitten is a hard decision and I will always wonder if I did the right thing. Everyone has to decide for themselves. However, I do know that the worst decision would have been to leave her out in the cold dark rain. Those of us who love cats know that we don’t just love the ones we have in our homes and our hearts, but all the little furry ones.