Cat Scratch Diesease

For almost 100 years, cat scratches have been associated with illness in people.

Cat Scratch Disease (CSD) is also called Cat Scratch Fever and benign lymphoreticulosis. While CSD is found all over the world, it is an uncommon disease.

One estimate by the Centers for Disease Control found that there were 2.5 cases of CSD per 100,000 people per year in the United States. While multiple cases of CSD in one household can occur, this situation is rare. A study in Florida found that more than one member of a family contracted CSD only 3.5% of the time. The majority of individuals who contract CSD are under the age of 17, and are usually under the age of 12.

Typically, a small skin lesion (resembling an insect bite) develops at the site of a cat scratch or (less commonly) a bite, followed within two weeks by swollen lymph nodes and sometimes a fever.

The illness is mild and self-limiting in the majority of patients, although it may take some months for the swollen lymph nodes to return to normal. Treatment is usually not required.

Reports over the last few years, however, have extended the spectrum of problems associated with CSD to include such things as tonsillitis, encephalitis, hepatitis, pneumonia and other serious illnesses in a very small number of cases. People with compromised immune systems, such as AIDS and cancer patients, are most at risk and can become most seriously ill.

Diagnosis of CSD may not be easy. There is no simple diagnostic test. Most physicians rely on history of exposure to a cat , the presence of typical clinical signs, failure to find another cause, and examination of tissues, such as biopsy of a swollen lymph node. Other diseases, such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, and lymphoma, can cause similar symptoms.

Over the years, the cause of CSD had remained elusive, although bacteria were commonly suspected to be the culprit. In 1988, a bacterium called Afipia felis was cultured from the lymph nodes of patients with CSD. In recent years, many studies have implicated the gram negative bacterium Bartonella henselae as the primary (but not the sole) cause of CSD. B. henselae is related to the agent of Trench Fever, B. quintana, a disease common in the trenches of World War I. Other Bartonella species may also be involved in CSD.

Cats are the main reservoir for B. henselae. Surveys for B. henselae antibodies in cats in the United States have found average infection rates to be from 25% to 41% in clinically healthy cats. The lowest rates were in the midwest and great plains regions (4-7%) and the highest were in the southeast (60%).

Warmer, more humid climates are most supportive of fleas, which have been shown to transmit B. henselae from cat to cat. It appears that the majority of cats do not become ill when they are infected with this bacterium and kittens are more commonly infected than adults.

Experimental infections in cats, however, have caused a mild illness with fever, anemia, and transient neurological dysfunction. Once infected, cats carry bacteria in their blood for many months. It is important to note, however, that despite widespread presence of B. henselae in cats, CSD itself is uncommon. It appears that CSD is not easily acquired.

While most patients with CSD have a history of a cat scratch or bite, not all do. Some patients have had no contact with cats at all. This makes the exact modes of transmission unclear.

It is likely that CSD can also be contracted from environmental sources of the bacteria or from other animals. For this reason, the term “bartonellosis” is a better way to describe the variety of illnesses that are caused by B. henselae. Recently, it has been found that dogs can become ill with a related Bartonella species and the role of dogs as a possible reservoir for human infection is undergoing study.

CSD is primarily a concern in homes with immuno- compromised people. Since kittens are more likely to carry B. henselae than adult cats, it is recommended that people with compromised immune systems adopt cats older than 1 year of age as pets to reduce the risk of c ontracting CSD. Any cat suspected of carrying B. henselae should be isolated from sick or immuno - compromised individuals.

However, there is no reliable and available diagnostic test to determine if a cat is a carrier of B. henselae. Since carrier cats are always healthy and multiple cases of CSD within a household are rare, euthanasia of a s uspected carrier is not warranted.

Onychectomy (declawing) is also not recommended, since infection can occur without a cat scratch. As is always the case, any cut or scratch should be promptly washed with soap and water. In addition, children should be taught not to tease or annoy cats and rough play should be discouraged. A common sense approach is the best way to safeguard against CSD

Cat Scratch Diesease

For almost 100 years, cat scratches have been associated with illness in people.

Cat Scratch Disease (CSD) is also called Cat Scratch Fever and benign lymphoreticulosis. While CSD is found all over the world, it is an uncommon disease.

One estimate by the Centers for Disease Control found that there were 2.5 cases of CSD per 100,000 people per year in the United States. While multiple cases of CSD in one household can occur, this situation is rare. A study in Florida found that more than one member of a family contracted CSD only 3.5% of the time. The majority of individuals who contract CSD are under the age of 17, and are usually under the age of 12.

Typically, a small skin lesion (resembling an insect bite) develops at the site of a cat scratch or (less commonly) a bite, followed within two weeks by swollen lymph nodes and sometimes a fever.

The illness is mild and self-limiting in the majority of patients, although it may take some months for the swollen lymph nodes to return to normal. Treatment is usually not required.

Reports over the last few years, however, have extended the spectrum of problems associated with CSD to include such things as tonsillitis, encephalitis, hepatitis, pneumonia and other serious illnesses in a very small number of cases. People with compromised immune systems, such as AIDS and cancer patients, are most at risk and can become most seriously ill.

Diagnosis of CSD may not be easy. There is no simple diagnostic test. Most physicians rely on history of exposure to a cat , the presence of typical clinical signs, failure to find another cause, and examination of tissues, such as biopsy of a swollen lymph node. Other diseases, such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, and lymphoma, can cause similar symptoms.

Over the years, the cause of CSD had remained elusive, although bacteria were commonly suspected to be the culprit. In 1988, a bacterium called Afipia felis was cultured from the lymph nodes of patients with CSD. In recent years, many studies have implicated the gram negative bacterium Bartonella henselae as the primary (but not the sole) cause of CSD. B. henselae is related to the agent of Trench Fever, B. quintana, a disease common in the trenches of World War I. Other Bartonella species may also be involved in CSD.

Cats are the main reservoir for B. henselae. Surveys for B. henselae antibodies in cats in the United States have found average infection rates to be from 25% to 41% in clinically healthy cats. The lowest rates were in the midwest and great plains regions (4-7%) and the highest were in the southeast (60%).

Warmer, more humid climates are most supportive of fleas, which have been shown to transmit B. henselae from cat to cat. It appears that the majority of cats do not become ill when they are infected with this bacterium and kittens are more commonly infected than adults.

Experimental infections in cats, however, have caused a mild illness with fever, anemia, and transient neurological dysfunction. Once infected, cats carry bacteria in their blood for many months. It is important to note, however, that despite widespread presence of B. henselae in cats, CSD itself is uncommon. It appears that CSD is not easily acquired.

While most patients with CSD have a history of a cat scratch or bite, not all do. Some patients have had no contact with cats at all. This makes the exact modes of transmission unclear.

It is likely that CSD can also be contracted from environmental sources of the bacteria or from other animals. For this reason, the term “bartonellosis” is a better way to describe the variety of illnesses that are caused by B. henselae. Recently, it has been found that dogs can become ill with a related Bartonella species and the role of dogs as a possible reservoir for human infection is undergoing study.

CSD is primarily a concern in homes with immuno- compromised people. Since kittens are more likely to carry B. henselae than adult cats, it is recommended that people with compromised immune systems adopt cats older than 1 year of age as pets to reduce the risk of c ontracting CSD. Any cat suspected of carrying B. henselae should be isolated from sick or immuno - compromised individuals.

However, there is no reliable and available diagnostic test to determine if a cat is a carrier of B. henselae. Since carrier cats are always healthy and multiple cases of CSD within a household are rare, euthanasia of a s uspected carrier is not warranted.

Onychectomy (declawing) is also not recommended, since infection can occur without a cat scratch. As is always the case, any cut or scratch should be promptly washed with soap and water. In addition, children should be taught not to tease or annoy cats and rough play should be discouraged. A common sense approach is the best way to safeguard against CSD

How To Give Medicine To Your Cat

If you own a cat, you already know how hard it is to get the little beggar to do anything he or she doesn't want to, and that includes taking medicine! Pills and capsules are a particular problem - it's almost impossible to get a cat to swallow a pill, so your only option is to crush it to powder and hide it in the cat's food. Cats have a good sense of smell, so you may have to hide it in a stinky treat, like salmon, for example.

If your cat is too smart for you, you could try getting your vet to prepare the medicine in a liquid form that the cat can't detect. Never forget that you can never count on a cat getting hungry - most cats have several houses in the street to 'stock up on' if the main home food dispensary starts playing up! Why only the other day, Woohoo brought home this fine cat - how could I possibly not feed him too?!

I'm against the use of plastic tubes to force the medicine down your cat's throat. You can traumatize the little fella if you do this - he almost certainly won't want to be your friend for days afterwards! No matter how sophisticated the tube (and some have 'launch mechanisms' etc), your cat will struggle, and this won't be fun.

In an absolute emergency (for example, when you know your cat has eaten something poisonous, and there is no time to call the vet) there is one guaranteed technique that could save your cat's life. I repeat, NEVER use this technique except in dire emergencies. Pick your cat up by the scruff of the neck and angle the cat's head backwards making his mouth face upwards. This is how mummy cats pick up kittens, and they have a reflex to temporary immobility in this position. You can then drop the medication straight down the cat's throat. The cat's usual reaction will be to swallow, although watch out for the cat breathing in - you don't want to pour it down his airways! Once swallowed, you can gently let the cat down. Remember to give her lots of strokes and treats after this kind of thing, because it is kind of traumatic for the cat (and the owner!).

If you have enjoyed this article, why not sign up for http://www.petmillions.com ? You can support your favorite cat charity, and get a chance to win a million! You can even vote for Woohoo while you are there! vote for Woohoo! . Just enter his pet id (3151) and away you go! Ta! Jules.

Cat Breeds

Over the last thousands of years, cats have pretty much handled their breeding themselves. In the beginning, they were used for one purpose - hunting and killing rodents. As the years progressed, we began to breed cats more to our liking. Now days, there are several different breeds of cats - which you can tell if you look closely.

These days there are over 70 distinct cat breeds, which are recognized through cat registries. There are several registries that will recognize around 40 breeds or so, as they exclude the more domestic breeds such as tigers. There are also many variations as well, including wild cats that have longer hair.

There are some cat breeds who have roots going back quite a bit in history. Some Japanese breeds, such as the Japanese Bobtail, can be traced back more than 1,000 years in history. These cats were very common and well known throughout Medieval Japan. Now days though, they are all but a myth throughout Japan and the entire world.

The more common cat breeds that are found in North America include the alley cat, long haired cat, and Persian cat. Siamese cats are also common, although they are well known to be destructive and to have a foul temper. Persian cats are very popular, proving to be loving companions. Persian cats can be very expense, depending on where you get it and what type of Persian cat it is.

Alley cats are the most common in North America. There are actually several different breeds, although most of us just refer to them as alley cats. They make good pets, although there are literally thousands of them in existence. Cats are known to breed more than any other pet, and they will continue to breed until they are stopped. Alley cats are among the most bred, as there are hundreds of thousands of cats that are homeless - and have nothing to do but breed.

The look of the cat is the easiest way to tell what breed he or she may be. Some people choose to go by color, although color isn’t as easy to identify. Different breeds of cats have different looks, such as the Siamese and Persian cats. Siamese cats are almost always black, and easy to identify by their color and their eyes. Persian cats on the other hand, are easily identified by their body type and their hair.

Over the years, there has been quite a few breeds come along. Cats were one of the first pets, and easily one of the most popular. Millions of people around the world own cats, with many people preferring a cat over any other pet - including dogs. No matter breed of cat you get - you’re sure to get a pet who make for a great companion for years and years to come.

Guide to Your Cat’s Grooming

Your cat are already spent so much time for their grooming, but it will be more rewarding if you will help them do the grooming to make them look even better. Through good grooming you are giving your cat the chance to reduce shedding, increased opportunity for bonding, and as the owner, you can easily detect any physical problems like fleas, ticks, or tumors. However, what are needed for your cat’s grooming?

Moistened wipes are an important thing that your cat grooming kit must have. This will not only keep your cat clean between baths, but also, it is perfect for cleaning and wiping off mud on your cat paws on a rainy day.

A perfect brush is also another important thing you must have for your cat’s grooming. A good brush will keep your cat’s fur from matting and it will reduce excess shedding as well. Just like the human hair, your cat’s coat will be shinier with frequent brushing.

Using a glooming glove is also recommended when you give your cat a good and relaxing massage or when you are in the mood of removing your cat’s loose hair. Using a glove will protect you and your cat from possible harm.

An eye and ear wash is also another important thing your cat grooming kit must contain. For your cat’s eye and ear care, you can consult your vet for the best eye and ear wash for your pet cat.

A nail cutter or nail trimmer is great to your cat’s claws even and healthy at all times. Nail trimming is a very important part of your cat’s grooming.

If the nail cutter or trimmer is important, then you must also keep a styptic powder on hand at all time. This powder will serve as a first-aid product that will immediately stops bleeding when trimming your cat’s nail.

A shampoo and conditioner is important to keep your cat’s fur shiny. Choose the right shampoo that suits best for your pet’s coat. Choosing a shampoo and conditioner in one is a great choice. Also, keep in mind to choose a shampoo that does not sting to your cat’s sensitive eyes.

Make sure that you also have an odor remover for your litter box.

Having a cat treat in your grooming kit is a great idea to keep your cat’s teeth healthy, as it removes plaque and prevents odor.

Keep your cat free from intestinal tract by preventing them from digesting their hair by having a hairball remedy in your kit.

Owners must also consider buying a cat shampoo that are in powder or foam form. These type of shampoos does not need water to apply, which is best if your cat hates to be bathe.

A skunk odor remover is also great to be handy, for this will works best if your cat will be sprayed, because it removes the smell in an instant.

Mentioned above are a few of the important things a cat owner must have in their grooming kit to keep their cat good looking at all times.

A Great Cat Lover Gift!

• Wonderful cat lover gift ideas
• Tips and suggestions to personalize your gifts
• Fun cat articles and stories
• In-depth pet product reviews and recommendations

Finding the perfect cat lover gift will be a breeze!

With so many cat-themed websites out there, searching for the perfect gift might be daunting. Few of us have enough time and energy to do a thorough research.

The purpose of cat-lovers-gifts-guide.com is to simplify the whole process.

Cat-lovers-gifts-guide.com provides you with tips and ideas to help you find unique gifts for cat lovers. You will also find great pointers and suggestions to help you design your own cat lover gifts, and unleash your creativity!

Introducing a New Cat

Adding a new cat to an existing cat's territory is not always easy. I have had to do this on four different occasions

Different cats have different personalities. They also vary according to age and gender.
I found it easier to introduce males to males and males to females. Females seem to have more of an attitude toward both sexes. The younger the cat, the more accepting they are to a new cat.

It is sometimes hard for a cat that has been the king/queen of his/her domain for so long, to share with a new feline. It can also take months for everyone to tolerate each other.

The first thing I do when I bring home a new cat, is to show her where the food and litter box are located. Then I just put her down on the floor and let the cats meet on their own.

Some cats will accept each other right away. This can happen with an older female meets a younger kitten when she is in heat (the mother instinct kicks in) or two younger cats introduced, may start playing, cuddling up and sleeping together.

I have sometimes had hissing and clawing at first, which is how the dominant cat makes her point that she is boss. It usually sounds alot worse than it actually is. But if things seem to be going too far, I get out the squirt gun filled with water and spritz them. This also works to keep cats off furniture, counters, and other places)

Cat Litter Box Tips-6

If your cat is not using the litter box consistently or even at all, here are 6 things to try that could make a huge difference to your cat and you.

1. Keep it Clean--Your cat's nose is much more sensitive than human noses. So keeping the litter box clean and inviting is one of the easiest ways you can entice your cat to use the litter box rather than your carpet or rugs.

2. Fine Tune the Location--Cats need their privacy too. Placing the litter box in a place that is easily accessible to your cat, but is out of the main traffic pattern through your home will make a big difference.

You probably don't necessarily want to watch your cat defecate, and it would probably enjoy privacy as well. The laundry room, bath room or hallways are all great picks. Be sure to put plenty of space between the food and litter box.

3. Check on Health--Sometimes a cat who suddenly develops improper elimination issues has a urinary tract infection or some other health problem that presents this way. Seek immediate advice from your vet.

4. If the problem stems from a physical problem, quick diagnosis and treatment can avoid having this behavior turn into a habit.

5. Maintain a Routine in the Midst of Change--Cats are creatures of habit, and a disruption to their schedule can wreak havoc with their elimination habits. A new baby, another pet, a move to a new home, or even a change in work hours of the primary care giver can all cause your cat to be stressed.

Stress often translates into inappropriate elimination. Reduce your cat's stress by gently guiding it to the litter box when it makes a mistake. Harsh treatment, perish the thought, only increases stress and will cause even more problems.

Pick a spot for the box that is always accessible and does not depend on your opening a door for your cat to use it, and leave it in the same place so your cat always knows where to find it.

6. Try a Different Type of Litter--Cats do have a reputation for being finicky, and maybe it just doesn't like your pick of litter. Try changing from one type to another by slowing adding more of the new as you decrease the old. Scents can be off-putting, so try a brand without an odor.

7. Don't Make Them Share--If you have more than one cat, provide a box for each one. Even though we think nothing of sharing a bathroom, cats don't like it, and you will probably have more success if each has a litter box of its own.

Cat on the Cutting Edge

In full scrubs and armed with a scalpel, Clare Gregory hovers over an anesthetized light-brown tabby named Wink. He cuts through the vessels connecting the cat's kidney to its circulatory system and drops the walnut-sized organ in a dish of ice. A nurse sets the hands of a large timer on the wall of the operating room, which begins the countdown from 60 minutes. That's the amount of time the vets have to connect Wink's kidney inside Binky, a very sick kitty, whose own kidneys have failed.


Joe Toreno
Forget lab rats: Household pets are being used to refine advanced cloning and surgical techniques, and to pinpoint our DNA trouble spots.
In the operating room, the two cats are tied down on adjacent tables, paws taped back in spread-eagle fashion. Breathing tubes are stuck down their throats, and drip tubes deliver anesthesia through veins in their wrists. Their tongues hang out of their mouths, and their eyes are open and glassy. They seem dead except for their opened chests, which move up and down in a slow rhythm controlled by expensive machinery. They look nearly identical.

In fact, though, they're quite different. With Binky's kidneys failing, his blood chemistry has gone haywire. At 11 years old, he's highly anemic and unable to flush his own blood of nitrogen, urea, and other respiration by-products. His emaciated and shaved body looks more like a skinned rabbit than a cat that once weighed a hefty 14 pounds - he's now shrunk to 8. Wink, on the other hand, is downright porky. Just 2 years old, he's spent his entire life as a research animal in a nutrition study at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where he did nothing but eat and sleep. Now he's been selected to donate an organ. The deal is that in exchange for one kidney, the recipient's owner must adopt donor pet Wink, liberating him from the lab. So to save one cat, you get two.

Now, sitting over Binky's draped body, Gregory and fellow surgeon Lynda Bernsteen peer into the patient's abdominal cavity through a giant microscope built for two. Gregory asks that no one bump the table as he begins cutting into the aorta and vena cava to plug in the new organ. "Time?" Bernsteen asks between careful incisions and minute sutures. She moves so quickly it almost looks easy. A quick cut here, an expert stitch there. The doctors work the miracle of modern surgery, and it's hard to remember that the patient is a cat. After what seems like only moments, a nurse reports that 32 minutes have passed. That leaves only 28 to finish.

All this energy to save poor Binky might seem a gross indulgence. But Binky's owner, Gayle Roberts, a vet herself, would willingly part with one of her own kidneys for any member of her family. That clan - in addition to Binky, a husband, and two kids - includes Blackjack, Bedbug, Dark Crystal, Penelope, Helen, Kiwi, and Lucifer. It's hard to remember who is who. Is Dusty her son or the Australian shepherd? Although Binky's kidney transplant will set Roberts back $9,000 for surgery, drugs, and post-op care (for canines, the cost runs upwards of 15 grand), when it's close kin, it's hard to say no. Forced to choose between Binky and mortgage payments, Roberts chose her cat. Since then, her bank has threatened to foreclose on the house.

One hundred years ago, Americans considered cats little more than rat catchers and gave even beloved dogs almost no medical treatment. But as the the middle class grew wealthy enough to include animals in their families, and as the automobile displaced the horse in the early 20th century, urban veterinarians began looking for new markets. They gradually found work spaying, neutering, and fixing the broken bones of a growing population of household pets: cats and dogs. The growth proved contagious. In 1950, there were roughly 9,000 members of the American Veterinary Medical Association; that figure is now 70,000.

As pet owners pour more and more money into advanced treatments, it's not just the Binkys who are benefiting. Animal medical procedures are pushing vets into the most experimental regions of science. Demand for sophisticated pet care has brought terms like gene therapy and MRI into the vet lexicon. Surgeons at UC Davis now complete 25 kidney transplants a year and are trying out experimental drugs on pets with terminal brain tumors. At Iowa State, dogs are getting artificial elbows, and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, vets are saving damaged limbs by implanting the bones of dead animals. Over the years, the passion of pet owners has created a discipline poised to inform medicine as a whole.

"Our pets have this huge veterinary profession scrutinizing them, with thousands of observers of disease graduating from veterinary schools each year," says Stephen O'Brien, chief scientific officer at the National Cancer Institute's Laboratory of Genomic Diversity.

All this data provides a window into human medicine that researchers otherwise wouldn't have. For starters, vet science gathers information that policy or mores make inaccessible in human science. Advanced cloning technologies, for instance, have allowed vets to begin using embryonic stem cells in ways that are against the law in human medicine.

Then there's the quality that drew humans to these animals in the first place - their emotional dimension. Drugs and other therapies affect moods in cats and dogs much as they do in humans. "The dog can look at you, and you can see if he's anxious or uncomfortable," says Stanford medical researcher Emmanuel Mignot. "You can see the side effect of a drug immediately. You can't see that in a mouse."

But a happy patient's wagging tail reveals only a fraction of what pets' congenital health problems can teach medicine in general. In our carefully propagated companions, there's a huge reservoir of diseases and mutations that result from efforts to breed the most skin folds in a shar-pei, the best eye color in a Siamese, perfect contours in a boxer, and herding qualities in a border collie. Generations of refinements have created extremely inbred populations, much more distinct than any found in the human species. Which means: Doberman pinschers get heart disease, schnauzers develop cataracts, and English bulldogs suffer from sleep apnea. By linking mutations in pets to their breed-specific ailments, scientists can find out which genes are active in certain disorders and apply that knowledge to the human model. Animals also share many of humanity's more common ills: Cats suffer from diabetes, hemophilia, retinal degeneration, and more than 250 other human diseases. Veterinary medicine has been cataloging these ailments for decades, creating a massive library of data that's applicable to people.

The Perfect Cat Foods

Depending on a cat's age and activity level, they will require different types of foods.
google_protectAndRun("render_ads.js::google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad);
A kitten needs 3-4 times the fat, protein, vitamins and minerals for proper growth, and should eat special kitten food. Adults may require different foods depending on activity level and health needs. Seniors have special nutritional needs too due to their age and level of activity. Luckily, All foods do state which stage of a cats life they are intended for so it is easy to determine which is the right one just by looking at the package.
Adult cats have different activity levels and should eat cat foods designed for those needs. Housebound or sedentary cats can be fed a light food, while cats with hairball problems or urinary tract problems can be fed foods that cater to those conditions.
Please check with your vet to determine if your cat can benefit from one of these types of foods.
Senior cats are less active and do not need as many calories so light foods may be good for your senior. Starting around 7 years of age, you may want to switch your cat from an adult food to a specially formulated senior food. Makes sure you switch gradually, mixing in the foods in graduating amounts over a 2 week time span so that your cat's digestive system can adjust.
There's even special cat foods for overweight cats! If your cat is overweight, try a light food, it has less calories and fat than a reduced calorie food. If your cat is merely slowing down and needs to cut calories but doesn't have a big weight problem, reduced calorie cat may be the way to go.
Dry or canned?
Your cat will probably like canned food better but dry cat foods may be better for him. Dry food is better for teeth and gums and much less messy especially if you tend to leave food out all day. Also canned food has more water in it, thus you are paying more for less actual food. Semi-moist foods are convenient but tend to have more additives and preservatives.

Wool Sucking Cats

Sucking on wool or other fuzzy fabrics seem to be a common occurrence among cats. This can be merely an annoying habit, potential health issue or an indicator of a physical or emotional problem. Wool sucking can be a life-long habit but, in many cats, it begins in mid-life. The exact cause(s) of this behavior have not been fully studied but, many theories abound:

1. Early Weaning - Most domestic cats are weaned at 6-7 weeks but, sometimes early weaning occurs, due the death of the queen or someone adopting out the kittens before they are fully weaned. The instinct to suckle is very strong in young kittens and they may continue to try to suckle anything soft, warm and fuzzy that resembles a mother cat. This may be a blanket, a toy or your favorite cashmere sweater.

2. Stress - If a cat is stressed, it may exhibit obsessive-compulsive behaviors, of which wool-sucking is one. Others include fur-pulling, paw-sucking, tail-chewing or flank-licking.

3. Genetics - Oriental breeds, such as Siamese, Balinese, Tonkinese and their crosses seem to be more prone to wool-sucking than European or North American breeds.

4. Diet - The wool-sucking cat may be lacking fiber in its diet and cats cannot distinguish dietary from non-dietary fiber. If the cat confines its sucking to wool only, it may be attracted to the taste of lanolin (this may also be the reason cats like to lick human skin after lotion has been applied).

5. PICA - This is the abnormal compulsion to eat non-food substances, such as clothing, plastic, wood, etc. It is most often associated with pregnant women but is also seen in non-pregnant women and animals.

In addition to being hard on your wardrobe, wool-sucking can lead to health problems for the cat. Just like hairballs, ingested fibers can impact in a cat's digestive tract, causing obstructions requiring veterinary care, up to and including surgery or (in extreme cases) euthanasia. If the cat becomes lethargic, constipated and/or begins vomiting excessively, have it checked by a vet for a vitamin/mineral deficiency or gastrointestinal obstruction.

If your cat has a wool sucking problem, the right course of action would be to consult your veterinarian first and a cat behaviorist next. Here is a quick review of here are several methods to prevent or discourage wool-sucking, but please note that different cases may require different action plans. An experienced Cat Behavior Consultant can help you determine which is best for your cat.

1. Avoiding Early Weaning – One of the best ways to prevent a wool-sucking problem is by making sure that kittens are never separated from the mother cat before the age of 12 weeks. Professional ethical cat breeders would never part with a kitten before it is 12 weeks old and sometimes even 16 weeks old, for that reason.

2. Diet - Feeding the cat a high-fiber diet of dry cat food sometimes eliminates or decreases wool sucking, as does feeding lanolin. The lanolin has the added benefit of easing the passage of hairballs.

3. Aversion - If the cat has one favorite object and it won't harm the fabric, pet deterrent sprays may sometimes help. This, and other deterrence techniques, should be used with caution, as they do not address the cause of the problem. Read here more about the concept of preventing your cat from behaving in undesirable ways.

4. Diversion - When the cat is observed suckling, replace the item with a fuzzy toy, an old sock, rawhide chew or a beef bone. There is also a product called The Catsifer. This is a cat-shaped pillow, covered in faux fur on one side and has four latex nipples on the other. The manufacturer claims that this allows the cat to safely satisfy the need to suck.

5. Isolation - Keep all blankets, sweaters, etc. safely put away. If the cat's desired object is a piece of furniture, isolate the cat from that room. The latter could be a problem, if the object of desire is the blanket on YOUR bed.

6. Medication - If the wool-sucking is caused by stress, antidepressants, such as clomipramine (Clomicalm), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft) have proven effective. These drugs may take four to six weeks to start working and peak effects may not be seen for up to three or four months. When antidepressants don't work, anti-anxiety medications, such as buspirone (BuSpar) may sometimes do the trick. In some cases, 0.5 mg of thyroid hormone has been effective. Care must be taken, when administering these drugs, as they can interact with other medications the cat may be on. As always, your Veterinarian is the only person qualified to determine if a course of drugs should be used and how.