Cats Content

More Than Meows: How Bacteria Help Cats Communicate

Andy Fell — November 15, 2023 - 10:15am

Many mammals, from domestic cats and dogs to giant pandas, use scent to communicate with each other. A new study from the University of California, Davis, shows how domestic cats send signals to each other using odors derived from families of bacteria living in their anal glands. The work was published Nov. 8 in Scientific Reports.

Wild and Feral Cats in Populated Areas Release More Toxoplasmosis Parasites

Katherine E Kerlin — June 21, 2023 - 1:57pm

More humans and temperature fluctuations may exacerbate the spread of T. gondii and other infectious diseases, a ��ϲ��Ͽ� Davis study found.

��ϲ��Ͽ� Davis Researchers Study Telemedicine for Cats

Amy M Quinton — January 11, 2023 - 1:27pm

��ϲ��Ͽ� Davis researchers have found cats show fewer signs of stress with telemedicine or virtual veterinary appointments.

��ϲ��Ͽ� Davis Launches Clinical Trials to Treat a Deadly Coronavirus Disease in Cats

Amy M Quinton — August 10, 2022 - 10:15am

��ϲ��Ͽ� Davis researchers have launched new clinical trials to help treat a coronavirus disease in cats called feline infectious peritonitis, or FIP.

Cats Injured in Wildfires at Risk of Deadly Blood Clots

Amy M Quinton — July 14, 2022 - 10:30am

Cats injured in California wildfires are at risk of deadly blood clots, according to research from ��ϲ��Ͽ� Davis.

California Budget Includes Money to Help Homeless Animals

Amy M Quinton — July 28, 2021 - 9:00am

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed budget legislation that includes $45 million in one-time support for a statewide Animal Shelter Assistance Program.

Personalized Medicine for Cats With Heart Disease

Amy M Quinton — July 06, 2021 - 10:30am

Veterinarians at the University of California, Davis, have found that a cat’s DNA alters how it responds to a life-saving medication used to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, a heart disease that affects 1 in 7 cats. The study was published in the Nature Portfolio journal, Scientific Reports.

Feeling Anxious? Why a Cat May Be Your Purr-fect Companion

Amy M Quinton — June 11, 2020 - 11:00am

The COVID-19 pandemic may have many people feeling anxious. But if you happen to own a cat, they may be benefiting from your anxiety. A new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis, and California State University, East Bay, finds that the more neurotic and anxious cat owners are, the more trust and affection they have for their cat. The study was published in the journal Anthrozoös.

Are Cats the ‘Canary in the Coal Mine’ for Wildfire Effects on Human Health?

dmhoang — February 26, 2020 - 9:00am

Cats who suffered burns and smoke inhalation in California wildfires had a high incidence of heart problems.

Microbes Make Chemicals for Scent Marking in a Cat

Andy Fell — September 13, 2019 - 4:06pm

Domestic cats, like many other mammals, use smelly secretions from anal sacs to mark territory and communicate with other animals. A new study from the Genome Center at the University of California, Davis, shows that many odiferous compounds from a male cat are actually made not by the cat, but by a community of bacteria living in the anal sacs. The work is published Sept. 13 in PLOS ONE.