Veterinarian – Pain In The Bud

Caturday: Do Felines Fart? Plus: Happy Human, Happy Cat Study

Do cats roar from the rear? Scientific American investigates feline fecal fumes and fart frequency.

Continuing its mission to probe the greater enigmas of the natural world, and knowing many of us must have pondered the question, Scientific American has set out to determine whether cats break wind.

In what it calls “an investigation into the mysteries of feline flatulence,” the magazine confirms that, yes, our furry friends do pass gas.

The good news? They are infrequent cheese cutters with minimal ass acoustics, particularly compared to the notoriously flatulent canines.

The bad news? When cats do fart, they are silent but deadly (SBD) affairs that deliver maximum olfactory potency due to the sulfurous mix of proteins and amino acids broken down by their digestive systems.

I can personally confirm that factoid, having been on the receiving end of a particularly insidious squeaker while Bud was sitting on my chest and nuzzling against my face. Once second I was rubbing the top of his head and telling him what a good boy he is, the next I was nearly gagging.

Farting is a normal biological function for cats, veterinarians told the magazine. While New York-based Cat Practice’s medical director, Eric Dougherty, says he doubts “anyone’s ever measured the exact quantity of cat farts in a scientific study,” you should have things checked out by a veterinarian if your little pal’s getting insane in the methane with concerning frequency.

“If you’re coming home and your cat is ripping farts every day,” Dougherty said, “you probably want to have it looked into.”

Same study, different interpretations

A few weeks ago we wrote about a Japanese study that found oxytocin levels spike in cats and their humans when they’re in close proximity.

The chemical – which is essential for bonding and often corresponds to positive feelings – rises in our respective bloodstreams when we’re interacting, the research team found.

Interestingly the effect is tied to distance, or rather lack of it. That means if your little buddy is bonded to you, you’re both at your happiest when you’re next to, or in physical contact with, each other.

The study didn’t find causation, just correlation, and the standard “we need more research” caveat absolutely applies here.

Person with curly hair cuddling and kissing a gray tabby cat — Credit: Sam Lion/Pexels

While the research team went to the effort of observing interactions in homes where cats live, and of testing cat and human urine samples for real data on biochemical levels instead of relying exclusively on questionnaires, the sample sizes were small. The team collected complete data on only 24 cats and 17 people.

It also found an unsurprising link between negative human moods marked by higher cortisol levels and stress in cats. That makes sense, as we’re extremely important to our feline friends. We’re the ones who care for, feed, shelter and love them, and they’re highly attuned to our emotions.

VICE, which ran a story on the study on Nov. 5, had a different take, claiming the study found “the oxytocin levels of humans and their cats appear to rise and fall in sync.” That’s not exactly what the paper describes, as negative human emotions were found to precipitate lower levels of oxytocin and higher stress hormones in cats. Again, the paper doesn’t establish causation, so we’re left to infer that our negative emotions are the catalyst without hard proof.

A handful of other publications published articles with interpretations similar to those of VICE, while a story by phys.org concentrates on the proximity aspect and notes that it could account for why different research teams have had varying results when trying to figure out whether having a cat leads to greater happiness.

Caturday Open Comments: You’re welcome to comment on anything, suggest stories, talk about your own cats, or leave a message for Little Buddy about what a really, really ridiculously good-looking cat he is.

Young man standing indoors in front of window blinds with subtitle text reading “Really, really, ridiculously good-looking.”

Man Rescues Adorable Kitten From Desert Road, Falls In Love

The little one was in a bad way, but she’s since recovered and is growing into a strong, healthy cat with a doting human dad.

Maybe there’s something to the idea that people who claim they don’t like cats just haven’t met the right cat.

In this video a man named Sam shares the story of how he rescued and adopted his kitten, Scythe. The gray kitten had been abandoned or somehow separated from her mother at just four weeks old and was in a bad way.

At first Sam thought the little shape on the side of the road was a dark-colored rock and was shocked when it popped up and started moving toward him. It was a tiny kitten, her eyes gummed up and shut, following the sounds of his van’s engine. (External playback on the Youtube video has been disabled by the channel’s owner, but you can see Sam and Scythe in action here.)

Scythe immediately after Sam rescued her from a desert road.

Sam took her inside the van where his air conditioning was blasting and cleaned her up a bit. The next day he took her to the vet, but could tell she was suffering.

“She was just looking up at me, so small and scared,” he said. “I hated feeling so helpless, knowing I couldn’t do anything to make her feel better.”

Despite the hardship she’d suffered, Scythe warmed up to Sam quickly.

“I remember the first time she felt love,” he said of her reaction when he began gently petting her. “It felt like the most healing thing for her was knowing people cared about her.”

He felt her tugging at his heartstrings, but there were two big problems: he’s allergic to cats, and his job requires him to hit the road for days at a time, often parking in places where the van bakes in the sun.

“I wasn’t thinking about keeping her at first. I had some friends saying ‘Oh, we’ll take her.’ But we had so much fun together, I ended up being like, I can’t give this cat away.”

Sam decided he’d compromise and bring Scythe home, where his parents care for her during his work trips. When he returns, the little cat is overjoyed and can’t wait to play with him.

“I already knew from a few days in that our bond was so strong, and we both began to feel it much more as we traveled together,” he said. “I never thought I’d be a cat dad, but now I can’t believe I ever hesitated to keep her.”

How sweet! It reminds me of me and the Budster, except with a lot less cat-slapping-human action and more gratitude. That’s okay, though. I love my feline overlord too. This is further proof that all it takes it one special cat to convert nonbelievers to the feline side.

Six Cops Storm Woman’s Home, Break Door Down With An Axe To Seize Cat

Now the cat’s caretaker is suing to get her pet back and says she’s worried the authorities will have the tuxedo shorthair euthanized. The RSPCA says it responded to serious concerns about the cat’s health.

Usually when complaints about UK police hit the headlines, it involves sheepish constables knocking to talk to a “suspect” about a social media post that offended someone.

This seems to be a whole different level of crazy, and neither the police nor prosecutors are denying that six police officers and an official from the RSPCA showed up at the North London home of Katherine Theodotou, chopped up the front door with an axe and charged in.

The 79-year-old Theodotu, through her attorney, said she was recovering from breast cancer surgery and couldn’t make it to the door quickly. The police, she said, came through the door just as she was reaching it and knocked her over.

They also provided images of the door after the May 27 “raid” on Theodotu’s home:

Theodotu says the police searched her entire home and an adjoining Greek school, which she founded.

The RSPCA and Metropolitan police tell a different version of the story, although they do not dispute the urgency and violence with which they entered Theodotu’s home. They say veterinarians who examined and treated Rita the cat had serious concerns about her health. Rita, who had a congenital condition, cannot use her back legs and requires special care. Theodotu’s attorney said the former human rights lawyer turned educator can prove she’s paid significant sums for Rita’s rehabilitation and care, including a recent veterinary surgery.

But veterinarians who examined Rita after the RSPCA took her found her condition “extremely concerning and consistent with a significant deterioration since discharge, alongside evidence suggestive of prolonged inadequate hygiene, nursing care, and monitoring within the home environment,” said Mark Townsend, an attorney for the RSPCA.

Theodotu is suing the RSPCA and the police for taking her cat and asking the court to prevent the RSPCA from potentially euthanizing Rita. Let’s hope the courts are able to sort out if the cat was receiving proper care and rule in the animal’s best interests.

In the meantime, the London Metropolitan Police should probably review whichever policy allows its officers to break into homes as if they’re ending a hostage situation, not collecting a cat. Unless a real life Jason Stathamesque character is barricaded in his home and making violent threats, it feels like one cop just to make sure everything stays civil and the temperature remains low would be the appropriate response. Two is overkill. Four is almost comical. But six? With an axe? Chopping the door down? Nah. You’ve gotta revisit your protocols, gov.

Cat Beds, Feline Football Experts, And The ‘Elitism’ Of Paying For Veterinary Care

Do cats ever do what we want them to do?

I expected something truly extravagant when a reader wrote to Slate’s advice column to say she was considering doing something “wildly elitist” involving her cat.

What could it be? I wondered. Pure gold or silver eating and drinking bowls, a la Choupette? A fashionable $600 pet stroller like the young, childless women of Tokyo favor for their felines? Feeding premium meat from the butcher exclusively to her cat?

None of the above, it turns out. The allegedly “wildly elitist” thing this woman was deliberating was simply paying a veterinarian to have dental work done on her cat, with costs estimated at between $800 and $2,000, depending on the extent of the kitty’s cavities.

To make matters even stranger, the letter writer says the cost won’t be a financial hardship for her family. Their cat is only three years old, she notes, and the family has had him since he was found on the street as a kitten.

“I guess I didn’t think that part of taking him in would entail thousands of dollars to keep him alive at this stage of the game,” she wrote. “At what point do people draw the line on what it costs to save a cat’s life?”

The writer was essentially looking for “permission” to have the cat put down, for Slate’s advice columnist to virtually pat her on the head, say “There, there!” and agree that taking care of your own cat is “wildly elitist.”

Thankfully, Slate columnist Athena Valentine was having none of it, telling the woman seeking advice that “when you adopt an animal, you take financial responsibility.” Spending money on veterinary care when needed, Valentine noted, is “exactly what you signed up for” by adopting the little guy. A cat who, by the way, could easily live another decade at least.

“If you do not want to pay for your cat’s treatment, please surrender him to a rescue that will,” Valentine wrote. “The rescue will raise the funds you do not want to part with to pay for his teeth and will then adopt him out to a new home that understands the responsibilities of pet ownership. I also advise you to not adopt any more animals until you’re fully ready to accept the financial obligations that come with it.”

Cheers to Valentine for not taking the bait.

Do your feline overlords use their own beds?

One of the first things I bought for Bud, along with his litter box, bowls and toys, was a bed. It’s nothing extravagant, but it does look pretty comfortable.

He has never used it.

Or rather, he lounged on it a handful of times when he was a kitten, but he claimed my bed as his own. He was very clear on the new ownership situation, and generously allowed me to continue sleeping on my his bed as long as I accepted the fact that he would use me as a pillow, which he has been doing for more than a decade now.

A Newsweek story details the efforts of a woman who bought her cat a new bed, hoping he’d let her sleep at night, only for the feline overlord to drag his new bed onto her bed. Essentially, she bought him a new pillow.

Do cats ever do what we want them to? That’s a rhetorical question, by the way.

A cat whose fantasy soccer team ranked 222 out of 13 million players

At The Athletic, Conor Schmidt writes about creating a fantasy football (soccer) team for his cat, and letting the little guy choose who to draft and trade by writing the names of players on a dry erase board and putting treats next to each name. The first treat his cat goes for is the one whose associated player is dealt or drafted.

He says his cat reached an astonishing world ranking of 222 out of almost 13 million players on the same platform worldwide, which means either the little dude has incredible luck, or he’s a genius who knows a lot more than he lets on.

Maybe I should register a fantasy basketball or baseball team for Buddy, smear turkey gravy next to players’ names, and see how he does.

It’s Never Easy With Bud

Little man’s got acne and won’t let me use a hot compress. Will a topical cream work?

The gross picture you’re looking at is the underside of Bud’s chin.

I knew he’d gotten acne again, but was surprised to see it’s this bad.

So I turned to Google, read a bunch of stuff, and watched a video in which a veterinarian had her arm around calm cat, who allowed her to rub its chin with a warm compress and witch hazel.

These veterinarians with their calm cats! You never see them with a cat like Bud, and I know there’s no magic to their approach because I’ve warned vet techs about him before and have seen them still come away with scratches.

Buddy’s selfie, triggered by the little guy himself when I was trying to get a clear shot of his acne so I could assess how bad it is.

I don’t have any witch hazel, but figured a warm compress could help. I should have known better. He won’t let me do it, just like he won’t let me trim his claws, brush him for more than two seconds at a time, or do just about anything else for his benefit.

When it’s his idea, of course, I can rub his chin until his heart’s content, as well as the top of his head, his cheeks and around his ears. But at all other times? Terrible! Unacceptable!

He is such a pain in the ass. A Pain In The Bud, you might even say. I love him very much and he’s generally a good boy, but what a pain in the ass.

I already have stainless steel bowls for him, so unfortunately this may be my fault for either not cleaning them well enough or not running them through the dishwasher enough to kill off all potential bacteria with heat as well as soap. Normally I wash them by hand with soap between meals/water refilling, and once a week in the dishwasher, but it looks like I’m going to have to be a lot more thorough and really scrub the hell out of them.

In the meantime, can anyone recommend a good topical cream? Bud won’t let me apply anything with a warm cloth or even a soft tissue, but I think I may be able to distract him and apply a topical cream with a Q tip. Then hopefully he’ll realize I’m only trying to help and allow me to apply it.