Your cat sleeps 14 hours a day, knocks one pen off the counter, screams at a moth, and somehow still acts like your full-time absence is a betrayal of historic proportions. Fair enough. Indoor cats are safer in many ways, but safe does not always mean stimulated. If your cat spends the day pacing, overgrooming, scratching your couch like it owes money, or inhaling food with the intensity of a shop vac, boredom may be part of the problem. The good news: you do not need to buil

If your cat is doing that tragic little litter box squat, hopping out, and then glaring at you like you caused this personal injustice, constipation may be the issue. It’s not glamorous. It’s not fun. And yet here we are, talking about cat poop like mature adults. The good news is that mild, short-lived constipation in an otherwise healthy cat can sometimes improve with simple home support. The big four are hydration, fiber, gentle movement, and a low-stress setup. The not-so

Your cat is suddenly camping out in the litter box like it's a tiny, terrible Airbnb. Maybe they're peeing tiny amounts. Maybe they're squatting and glaring at you like you caused this problem. Maybe they've decided your bath mat is now their personal emergency toilet. None of that is normal, and I promise you shouldn't brush it off as "weird cat behavior." Here's the tricky part: the signs people call a "cat UTI" often look exactly like other urinary problems, including some

If you live with a cat over 15, congratulations: you share your home with a tiny retired monarch who has fully earned the right to ignore you whenever they damn well please. Cats in this age group are often called super-seniors. That sounds cute, but it also means their needs change in real ways. They may sleep more, jump less, meow at 3 a.m. for mysterious reasons (are you kidding me?!), and suddenly develop very strong opinions about bowl placement. This is not them being d

Your senior cat has suddenly become a water critic, a picky eater, or a furry little roommate who looks vaguely offended by everything. Is this just "getting older"? Plot twist: it might not be. One of the most common health problems in senior cats is chronic kidney disease (we call it CKD because we love our acronyms). And the tricky part? Cats are absolute pros at hiding illness until things are well underway. Like, Oscar-worthy performances of "everything is fine" while th

Your cat skips a meal and you think, "Well, that was dramatic, but very on-brand." Cats do love to keep us guessing! One minute they're screaming for dinner like they haven't eaten since 2009. The next, they sniff their food, glare at you like you served betrayal in a bowl, and walk away. But here's where things get serious (and scary): when a cat stops eating, it can become dangerous fast. So, how long can a cat go without eating? Technically, a healthy adult cat with water

You know the sound. That deeply horrifying hack-hack-hurk that makes you sprint across the room like your life depends on it. And then there it is—a soggy little hair sausage on your favorite rug. Glamorous. I've been there, staring at what looks like a tiny brown crime scene, wondering if my cat is secretly plotting my demise. Here's what I learned: hairballs are common, but they're not always harmless. An occasional hairball? Totally normal, especially in long-haired cats o

Your cat has suddenly turned your litter box into their personal headquarters. They're camping out like they're paying rent. And you're thinking, "Oh no, it's a UTI." I get it. That's where my brain goes too. But here's the thing that'll make you want to pull your hair out: urinary tract infections in cats are only one possible cause of this chaos. Many cats with the exact same signs actually have something completely different—bladder inflammation, crystals, stones, or (and

This post is part of a series on: "How to... (Cat Health Edition, Everything You Need To Know)" You decide this is the perfect moment. Your adorable house panther is deeply asleep on the living room sofa. You sneak over, armed with a tiny pair of clippers, gently lift their fuzzy little paw, and prepare to snip. Suddenly, your sweet, angelic kitty transforms into a highly caffeinated ninja. They twist, they kick, they deploy their tiny "murder mittens," and before you can ev

This post is part of a series on: "How to... (Cat Health Edition, Everything You Need To Know)" One of the absolute biggest lessons I learned growing up around a veterinary clinic is that animals are absolute masters of disguise. Cats can feel like a mystery before you speak their language, but this may be the most important reason to bust out the translator. Right now. If you're here, it means you're a flipping fantastic cat parent! You want to be close with your cat while p

This post is part of a series on: "How to... (Cat Health Edition, Everything You Need To Know)" It’s 3:00 AM. Everyone’s favorite time of the day. You are deep in a glorious, peaceful sleep. Suddenly, from the foot of the bed, you hear the absolute most terrifying sound in the pet parenting universe: hurk... hurk... hurk... You freeze. You frantically scramble in the dark, trying to gently push your adorable house panther off the nice down comforter and onto the hardwood floo

This post is part of a series on: "How to... (Cat Health Edition, Everything You Need To Know)" It is a beautiful Saturday morning. Your gorgeous house panther jumps onto your chest for some morning cuddles. They lean in close, purring like a tiny, extremely fluffy motorboat, and let out a big, happy yawn right in your face. Instead of smelling like sunshine and rainbows, their breath smells exactly like the bottom of a hot garbage can. Yikes! Today, we are going to dive deep

This post is part of a series on: "How to... (Cat Health Edition, Everything You Need To Know)" Congrats! You recently brought home a tiny, fluffy, adorable little kitten. You have set up the perfect little bed, bought all the best toys, and you are monitoring their litter box habits like an absolute hawk. But as the hours tick by, you realize something is missing. There is no poop. You watch your tiny baby hop into the litter box, push, strain, let out a pathetic little sque

This post is part of a series on: "Why Does My Cat Do This? Behaviour Edition." It happens. You dropped a heavy baking pan. You accidentally stepped on a fluffy tail in the dark hallway. Or maybe you simply tried to pick them up when they were not expecting it, and they panicked. Now, the furry roommate you adore is hiding deep under the guest bed, watching you with wide, suspicious eyes, and dipping out of the room the second you walk in. Of course that hurts. Your stomach d