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The Ubiquitous Hairball
Although people sometimes joke about hairballs, there is nothing funny about them. Hairballs can be serious problems for cats, to the extent of creating serious blockages, sometimes requiring surgery. 
photo © Franny Syufy
A couple of nights ago, we heard our Billy coughing, and I was concerned because of his chronic bronchitis, and his HCM diagnosis. The coughing didn't last long, though, so we all relaxed. The next morning, however, I found three cigar-shaped hairballs on the carpet - evidence that he needs more frequent brushing. Read more to learn how to recognize hairballs, how to prevent them, and how to manage them, for your cat's comfort and health.
| Feline Asthma
Much like human asthma,feline asthma is an allergen-caused upper respiratory condition that causes distressed breathing. It is sometimes also called bronchitis or feline bronchial disease. Bronchial spasms cause the individual bronchi to constrict or tighten, and the resultant swelling of surrounding tissues puts the cat into a full-blown asthma attack. If you suspect your cat has asthma, you should take him to your veterinarian for testing and diagnosis, as it can be a life-threatening condition.
| Weird Cat Behaviors
I've noticed a weird behavior both my Jennifur and Jaspurr share. Yesterday, while in our office, I watched Jenny vigorously scratching at the bottom of the cat tower, then racing back to the litter box are in the closet at the other end of the room, and frantically scratching at the Litter Genie next to the litter box. After she did this three or four times, I also noticed the pungent odor of fresh poop. Upon investigating, I saw two "steamers" on top of the cat litter. It suddenly occurred to me that Jenny doesn't know how to cover her poop! I've also noticed Jaspurr standing outside another litter box frantically scratching the Litter Genie and also the rice-paper shoji screen I use to hide it. I finally realized that since Jaspurr, Joey, and Jenny had all been outdoors as kittens, their mothers had never taught those poor kittens the acceptable way to cover their waste in a litter box. We've all noticed other quirky little habits cats display - some are endearing, some are puzzling, but all of them display the essence of catness. 12 Weird Cat Behaviors | Readers Share Weirdest Cat Behavior Stories
| Cat Picture of the Week: Kitty Cat
Kitty Cat is featured as the third Cat Picture of the Week for September, 2013. She lives with the Cox family, who rescued her as a young kitty from the neighborhood. 
photo © Guest, tcoxok420
Since she was a neighborhood stray, she continued roaming the neighborhood for ten years, but now is content to be an indoor-only cat, even a lap cat, although she still loves her scratching post. Sadly, her sight is failing, and she sometimes howls in the night, but at the sound of her beloved human's voice, she calms down again. Read more about Kitty Cat, and find out how to submit your own senior cat's photos and story.
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Feline hyperthyroidism wasn't even know until it was discovered by Dr. Mark E. Peterson in the early 1970s. Since then, we have learned of a number of contributing causes of this disease, including the potential of its being hereditary. This was the driving force when I made the initial appointment with our veterinarian. Jaspurr is starting with oral medication - a very small dosage of liquid methimazole given twice a day.
