Articles: kitten

Cats and kittens – they’re the focus of this past week’s WGN Radio Steve Dale’s Pet World radio show with a very crowded studio. HEAR Dr. Elizabeth Colleran (who flew in from California to do this), past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP); Dr. RuthAnn Lobos of Purina and from Windy Kitty…

Filmmaker/actor Paul Castro Jr. with actress Aly Miller produced a movie called “Aeris.”  The short award-winning short film is about a very unusual topic for a movie: a kitten with a presumed fatal disease called feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). We talk a bit about what FIP. Paul says he made the movie because he and…

Speaking with my pal Dr. Kim Kendall, a cat veterinarian from Sydney, Australia who feels very strongly that two kittens are better than one. She explains here on my national Steve Dale’s Pet World radio show. Kittens need to play and learn and to bite, and if there’s not another kitten, you might be the…

Felines first! Today (October 29) is National Cat Day! Of course, according to our 16-year old cat, Roxy – everyday is National Cat Day. Roxy no longer bounds across the house at full speed or herds our dogs; instead she’s settled nicely in retirement. If she so desires, she snuggles with us at night. If…

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) has eluded veterinarians since the fatal disease was first discovered.  Dr. Neils Pederson, professor emeritus at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, was among the first to describe FIP in several published articles, and in his still groundbreaking text, “Feline Husbandry: Disease and Management in the Multiple Cat Environment.” Understanding…

When Jenny Tiner opened Windy Kitty Cat Cafe, her goal from day one was to save cats. And she’s done just that. What’s more she’s been saving cats from Chicago’s municipal shelter, Chicago Animal Care and Control. Instead of being euthanized, the lucky cats land in the home-type setting of the cafe, until they are…

Nothing like being on the radio with the Great Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder, this time from Windy Kitty Cat Cafe. For me and Bill, the Windy Kitty is like heaven on earth. HEAR the conversation, as I talk on WGN Radio about how Windy Kitty takes cats and kittens from the City’s municipal shelter…

How can we save cats’ lives? Well, we can get them to the veterinarian. One huge result of kitten socialization classes is that as kittens, they learn to like or even love going inside the carrier. The car ride isn’t so bad because the veterinary visit the kitten is headed to is acceptable, or even…

Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) is the right thing to do. By “fixing” and vaccinating cats, humane population control occurs. The cats are fed and often looked after by caretakers. Attempting to adopt cats that are truly feral isn’t a fair proposition. Because they’re terrified in shelter settings, they are less adoptable and more susceptible to illness. Feral…

Kittens going to school? Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kersti Seksel, who initiated Kittie Kindies in Australia, explains the concept HERE on my national Steve Dale’s Pet World radio show. I love this idea, and I’ve taught kitten classes myself. Seksel explains the many benefits, including getting cats accustomed to their carriers, the car ride to the…