Keep Your Cat Safe at Thanksgiving...

Keep Your Cat Safe at Thanksgiving...

...and all through the holiday season! We expect our human companions to overeat on Thanksgiving. The temptation is to feed your cat all kinds of exotic treats. After all, it's a holiday, right? But doing so is asking for trouble!

Thanksgiving Foods Never to Give Kitty

Many of our rich holiday foods are too fatty for cats to digest easily. Gravy is awfully tempting to a cat, but filled with fat and other unhealthy substances. And think about the ingredients of most casseroles: salt, spices, and rich dairy products like butter and cheese that don't do well for a cat's lactose intolerance. That's not a fun litter box to clean...and hopefully kitty would make it to the litter box! Diarrhea can also be a symptom of pancreatitis, a more serious issue than just an upset tummy.

Spices and seasonings such as onions, shallots, leeks, and garlic are not easily metabolized by a cat's liver and can cause a problem known as Heinz body anemia.

Turkey bones can splinter and damage a cat's digestive tract. Yes, cats can eat bird bones, but those are typically much smaller birds and they haven't been cooked.

Desserts are not usually something cats even like; they can't taste sweetness. Raisins and chocolate (especially dark chocolate) are bad for cats. And if someone has sweetened a dessert with xylitol to cater to the weight-conscious, that's highly toxic to a cat. You don't need an expensive vet bill or, worse, a dead kitty, right here at the holidays.

Stuffing (or dressing, as we call it in the south), is not good for cats, as it usually has onions and other spices that can cause Heinz body anemia or an upset tummy. 

If you bake your own bread, make sure kitty doesn't get into the raw bread dough while it's rising. The yeast can cause digestive upset, and even convert to alcohol in kitty's system. Cats are crazy enough at the holidays without getting tipsy! Once baked, it's okay if your cat steals a roll, as long as it's not slathered in butter.

Similarly, in raw cake batter; the uncooked eggs in it may have salmonella. Many of those recipes also have butter, which is too fatty and can irritate lactose intolerance.

Thanksgiving Foods It's Okay to Give Cats..with Caveats

One of my cats loves greens and gets all excited every time I get out some lettuce, kale, or arugula. These are okay to give your cats if they like them, as long as they're raw, unseasoned, and without dressing. The same goes for green beans...just not the casserole made from them.

Cranberries are in some cat treats to keep the urinary tract functioning well. Plain, raw cranberries may be fine for your cats to eat (although they'll be far more likely to want to play with them instead). The cranberry sauce is filled with sugar and not as good a choice for a diabetic kitty, but a tiny taste for a cat who's not diabetic won't hurt. Just make sure your crafty feline doesn't chow down on the whole bowlful.

Turkey breast without the bones is fine to give your cats -- but remove the skin, bones, and gristle. Dark meat is too fatty. And make sure it's not heavily seasoned...remember those dangers from the garlic and onions. If you feed your cat a raw diet, kitty may like raw turkey, but always use safe handling procedures for it. Many of the turkeys we buy for Thanksgiving have salmonella if they are not cooked.

The giblets that come with the turkey should also be cooked before feeding to your kitty, for the same salmonella risks as the raw turkey itself. If you don't use the giblets in gravy, boil them in plain, unsalted water for your cats and chop them up, removing any gristle or bones, before feeding them to the kitties.

Plain canned pumpkin is often given to cats on a raw diet as a digestive aid. But not pumpkin pie, and not canned pumpkin pie filling. Again, the spices won't agree with your cat, and kitty won't likely want to eat this, anyway.

MeowPlace has a helpful article with cat-safe alternatives to many Thanksgiving foods that you may find useful.

Be aware that every cat's physiology is a little different, so what one cat can tolerate may cause another to get sick. You know your cats and what they usually eat; feed them some of their favorite food before the guests arrive, and you won't likely have any problems.

Other Holiday Dangers for Cats

When you're preparing the raw turkey, be careful to quickly wash the prep surfaces: cutting board, utensils, and counter top afterward to avoid kitty being tempted to lick up any juices that have dripped there. Salmonella is not pleasant for anyone, and you don't want to have to deal with it in your cat while you have a houseful of guests.

If you have a kitty who likes to explore the trash, empty it frequently keep it in a cabinet or another room with the door closed - a pantry or laundry room near the kitchen. If you're busy cooking and socializing with holiday guests, you may not notice a cat running by with a treasure found in the garbage! Dangerous trash items could include anything that was in contact with the turkey: wrappers, strings, or carcass bones, as well as things like onion or garlic peels, empty cans with some food residue in them, aluminum foil with food on it, or even twisty ties they could ingest.

After dinner, make sure you clear plates from the table promptly and scrape the leftovers into the secured trash. Kitty doesn't need to be tempted by Aunt Jenny's leftover casserole or Cousin Billy's turkey bones while you're in the other room watching football. And you know how fast those cats can be! Watch out for serving plates and bowls on the kitchen counters, as well. Make sure everything is securely covered or that the cats are locked in a separate room before sitting down to eat.

If any of your guests brought you a bouquet of flowers  or a plant, make sure everything in it is safe for your cats. In fact, if you're going to be visiting anyone for the holidays and want to give the hostess some flowers, double-check with your florist to make sure your bouquet is safe around whatever type of pets they have. Taking the wrong flowers could quickly take you from A-list guest to Never-invited-again guest! Lilies are a definite no-no, as are any decorations that could be easily pulled out of the arrangement and swallowed or chewed.

Your cat could easily get lost during a holiday gathering. Cats spooked by a lot of strangers can easily dart out a door without your knowledge. Make sure your cats are microchipped and wearing a collar or harness with your contact information on it. And make sure you've updated your information with the microchip company if you've moved.

If you have guests staying with you, they may have medications with them. If grandma drops a pill on the floor and kitty starts playing with it or eats it, that could be toxic. Even acetaminophen (Tylenol) is highly toxic to your cats if they get a hold of it. Keep your cats out of the guest bedroom and bathroom during your company's stay.

If your cats get stressed during the holidays when the house is abuzz with guests, you may want to try some calming remedies for them. Those may help them not only chill out, but some may even have them snoozing through the whole affair.

How Can I Tell if My Cat Has Been Poisoned?

Cats are masters at hiding their symptoms if they don't feel well, so you may not notice anything right away. But if your cat is hacking up something that looks unusual (as opposed to the usual cat vomit you see all the time), find out where kitty got it and save it to show the vet so you can seek proper treatment. Stinky diarrhea may also be a symptom that your cat has gotten into some dairy products or overly fatty foods and may be having a touch of pancreatitis.

After your guests have left, if your cat seems listless or won't eat, a vet trip could be warranted. Cats don't go on a diet intentionally. And cats can't go without food for an extended period of time, or they'll develop a condition known as fatty liver that can be serious or fatal. Not eating is a definite symptom that something's wrong.

If you'll have a houseful of guests for the holiday, make sure they understand not to offer your cats any treats that aren't sanctioned by you. If you have to make signs for this, do so. Some people think it's cute to offer some of their party food to someone's pet, and children may not know any better. If people insist on feeding your cats, make sure there are acceptable treats available for this. Or you could isolate your cats in a bedroom away from the crowd. Better safe than sorry when it comes to the safety of your feline companions!

Sources: "Thanksgiving Pet Safety" on American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) site; Dr. Eric Barchas, "Ask a Vet: Which Thanksgiving Foods Are Safe for Cats?" in Catster, updated November 15, 2018; Kelli Bender, "Which Thanksgiving Foods are Dangerous for your Pet?" in People, November 14, 2018; "Thanksgiving Safety Tips" on the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) site; Pam Johnson-Bennett, "12 Thanksgiving Safety Tips for Cats" on her own site; "Thanksgiving Safety Tips for Cats" on Petwave; Stephanie St. Martin, "Thanksgiving Pet Safety: Can Our Pets Eat Our Favorite Thanksgiving Foods?" on Care.com.

Understanding Your Cat's Immune System

Understanding Your Cat's Immune System

The cat pictured above looks perfectly happy and healthy, doesn't he? We thought so, too, until he developed some health problems, each about a year apart, that looked suspiciously like a disease known as FIP, Feline Infectious Peritonitis. 

FIP is an always-fatal condition caused by a fairly common virus to which virtually all kittens are exposed. Most of them develop immunity to it and never show any symptoms. But in some cats, it morphs into the full-blown disease. What makes the difference? To understand that, we must examine how the feline immune system works.

What Does the Feline Immune System Do?

In short, the immune system keeps your cat healthy by fighting off invading bacteria, viruses, and proteins that are foreign to the cat's body. These foreign proteins may come from things like pollen, dust, certain foods, parasites, poisons, venom, or toxins.

All cells have similar molecular structures known as antigens on their surfaces. Antigens are specific to the type of cell. For example, the antigens on the surface of Salmonella bacteria cells are different than antigens on oak pollen, which are different from the antigens on the calicivirus, which are also different from antigens on the cat's own body's cells. They even differ within specific types of cells: the calicivirus cells have different antigens on their surface than do the rabies virus.

There are multiple types of antigens on each cell, as well. Your cat's immune system recognizes the mixture of antigens on kitty's own cells and does not attack them. Different blood types (A, B, or AB in cats) are related to the antigens attached to blood cells within the body. This is why it's important that someone only receive blood transfusions from someone whose blood type matches their own: otherwise, the body's immune system would begin attacking the new blood.

When a foreign substance invades your cat's body, cells in the immune system detect these antigens, recognize them as being foreign to the cat's body and produce antibodies, proteins also known as immunoglobulins, to fight the invader. The type of antibody they produce depends on their past interaction with the antigens on that invading substance and how the body has programmed each of those defending cells to work.

The immunoglobulins have receptors on their cell surfaces that match the antigens on the invader. They bind to these antigens to form an immune complex. The match may be exact or similar. The immune complex neutralizes toxin cells, deactivates virus cells, or breaks apart bacteria cells. It also makes them more attractive to the types of immune cells that eat them.

What Makes Up a Cat's Immune System?

Several parts of the body contribute to a cat's overall immunity. The way they work together is miraculous. They include:

• bone marrow - Helps produce white blood cells
• intestines - Home to pro- and pre-biotics, friendly bacteria that help fight invaders
• liver - Helps educate white blood cells on how to attack pathogens
• lymph nodes - House large number of lymphocytes that attack pathogens - the immune system is actually considered to be part of the body's lymphatic system
• mouth - Certain chemicals in saliva are a first line of defense from many pathogens
• respiratory system - Mucus produced there is a first line of defense from many pathogens
• skin - The primary first line of defense for many pathogens
• spleen - Houses large amounts of lymphocytes that attack pathogens and filters antigens out of the bloodstream
• stomach - Both its acid and its mucous lining are first lines of defense from pathogens
• thymus gland - Helps produce mature white blood cells and teaches them how to do their job of defending the cat's body from invaders
• tonsils - One of the locations where NK lymphocytes mature

White blood cells are known as leukocytes. Different types of them have specialized purposes. Those in bone marrow known as phagocytes attack and eat anything they deem foreign to the cat's body. Monocytes, granulocytes, and macrophages are a few types of these cells. They are a part of the body's innate immune system.

While monocytes operate from within your cat's bloodstream, macrophages reside in kitty's body tissues for more specialized types of work. Granulocytes are present in both areas.

All these cells move throughout the body via the lymphatic system, which is a structure of vessels similar to the circulatory system for blood. A fluid known as lymph constantly washes the body's organs with the defensive cells.

The adaptive portion of the cat's immune system involves a variety of body parts that communicate with each other to attack specific types of invaders. They also remember how they defeated these invaders in case of future encounters with them. This is the part of the system that provides immunity to future attacks from the same type of pathogen. It is the reason that vaccines work. Each subsequent exposure to the same invading agent triggers a faster and stronger immune response. It typically takes a few weeks after the first exposure to an invader for the cells' memory to provide immunity.

Lymphocytes originate in bone marrow and are another specialized type of white blood cells. Some known as T cell lymphocytes spend time in the thymus gland as they mature or migrate to the fetal liver. Others remain in the bone marrow (these are known as B cell lymphocytes, or plasma cells).

A third type of lymphocyte is known as Natural Killer (NK) cells. These specifically attack cells infected with a virus, as well as cancer cells and microorganisms.

Once mature, B cell lymphocytes move through the lymphatic system, patrolling for invaders and spending a lot of time in the lymph nodes and spleen. They are the ones that neutralize toxins, break apart bacteria, and deactivate viruses. B cells are also the ones with the best memory for invaders previously encountered. They can also make invading cells more attractive to the phagocytes that eat them. Meanwhile, the T cells attach to the invader and send out a dinner invitation via lymphokines to those same phagocytes.

Each mature B cell and T cell lymphocyte has receptors on its surface that recognize specific antigens on invading substances. More than one type of lymphocyte will attack the invading cells (or molecules), each using methods based on the specific antigen it has been born and educated to recognize.

Kittens may receive some of these immune system cells from their mothers in the womb. They are also present in the colostrum in her milk.

What Weakens a Cat's Immune System?

Some cats develop a condition known as Weak Immune System, in which they have too few phagocytes. Several diseases (FIV, FeLV, FPV, FIV, diabetes, cancer) can cause this condition, or it may be congenital. In those cases, it may result from an underdeveloped thymus gland. Cats who have Weak Immune System are more prone to infections affecting the gastrointestinal or respiratory systems, as well as skin conditions.

With kittens, if something prevents them from nursing on a mother cat within their first 24 hours of life, they will not receive the protection of antibodies from the colostrum in her milk. Kitten formulas can fill their tummies and help them grow, but they do not provide that key immune-boosting function. Within 18-24 hours after birth, the kittens begin to develop their own antibodies and no longer need the colostrum. See this recent post on Cat Blood Types for more on a condition known as Fading Kitten Syndrome that can occur with young kittens.

Cats are highly susceptible to stress, which can weaken their immunity just as it does for humans. Stressors for kitties may include minor changes in the home environment, traveling, separation from a beloved human, introduction of a new animal or person into the household, other cats or animals they can hear/smell from outside the home, and grief/pining for a lost human or animal companion.

Certain drugs or parasites can suppress the immune system. The drugs may be given during organ transplants, to prevent the body's rejection of the new organ. Parasites suppress it so they can survive and continue to live in your cat's body. (Ew!)

An immune system can malfunction in ways other than failing to prevent disease, however. One of these presents as allergies caused by the immune system's overresponse to an invader by producing histamines. While allergens tend to cause most people to sneeze or cough, they more often show up in cats as skin issues. Some cats do sneeze or get asthma from allergies, as well. An anaphylactic reaction to an insect sting is another overly enthusiastic response of the immune system.

When something goes wrong in training the cells to recognize invaders, they may start to view the body's own cells as foreign and begin attacking them. This is an autoimmune disease. Sometimes drugs given to treat one thing can alter the body's red blood cells and make them appear foreign to the immune system.

Five common autoimmune diseases in cats are:

1. Pemphigus foliaceous - causes pustules and lesions on the ears, nose, chin, and/or feet
2. Myasthenia gravis - nerve disorder that can cause weakness, vocal changes, and problems with eating
3. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) - causes the body to attack its own red blood cells; in cats this is usually triggered by a disease, drug or toxin
4. Chronic progressive polyarthritis - inflammatory disease that causes arthritis symptoms in the cat's moving joints, with the immune system attacking the joint cartilage
5. Systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) - Persian, Siamese, and Himalayan cats are thought to be more susceptible to this autoimmune disease that causes lameness, loss of appetite, skin lesions or ulcers, kidney and liver problems.

Some immune system dysfunctions can result in feline cancers: tumors in the bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, or thymus gland. Obviously, leukemia is also a form of blood cancer that results from a malfunctioning immune system.

How Can I Protect My Cat's Immune System?

A very important way to keep your cat healthy is to feed a quality diet consisting primarily of meat. Raw is best, canned/pouched is second best, and kibble is the lowest quality. If you feed a prepared food, look for grain-free formulas with meat as the primary ingredient. Cats also need to receive enough Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and selenium to bolster their immune system.

Certain types of immune-boosting supplements may also be helpful. Ingredients that have been studied and found to be effective include the amino acid arginine, nucleotides, and salmon oil.

Interestingly, outdoor cats have likely been exposed to more diseases in their lives and may have developed a natural immunity to them through the body's own miraculous immune system. This does not mean that you should let your cat live outdoors, however; the dangers far exceed any immunity boost the cat may get, and many outdoor cats don't survive the diseases they encounter. It's far safer to keep your cats indoors.

One way to provide immunity to common feline diseases is to get your cat vaccinated. Cats should receive only three vaccines to protect from the following:

• Rabies
• Feline herpes, calicivirus, panleukopenia combination (FVRCP)
• Feline leukemia (FeLV)

If you are worried about over-vaccinating your cat, you can opt to have a titer test done instead. While many vets like to vaccinate cats annually, newer guidelines call for every 3 years. A titer test will tell you if your cat still has immunity from past vaccinations. Some vaccines, when given in kittenhood, may provide lifetime immunity.

Make sure you request that only non-adjuvanted vaccines be given to your cat. These are also known as modified live vaccines. These may cost a little more. Substances called adjuvants are added to many vaccines to purposely cause inflammation at the vaccine site, with the logic that doing so alerts the immune system to the invader and provides a quicker response. However, there is a strong correlation between adjuvanted vaccines and Injection Site Sarcomas (ISSs, cancerous tumors formerly known as Vaccine Associated Sacromas, or VASs) later developing at the injection site.

There are several other vaccines your veterinarian may recommend. However, at this time, these are not considered necessary. Some are even ineffective...and they may have negative side effects. You do not need to vaccinate your healthy cat against these, and I've lined through them to emphasize that point:

• Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
• Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
• Bordatella
• Giardia
• Chlamydia

Old Maid Cat Lady used to sell many products that help boost the feline immune system, but you can thank thieves and the banking system for taking away that option for you. Other online retailers also sell products for the feline immune system, although you'll need to do some research to make sure they are safe for cats.

Sources: "The Immune System of Cats" on the Merck Veterinary Manual; "Anatomy and Function of the Immune System in Cats" on PetCoach; "Vaccines for Cats: We Need to Stop Overvaccinating" on CatInfo.org; "Immunity Boosting Supplements for Cats: Do They Work?" on Petnet (2015); "Structure and Function of the Immune System in Cats" on Petplace (2015).

Blood Types in Cats

Blood Types in Cats

Humans have four main blood types: A, B, AB, and O. Do cats also have similar blood types? They do! Here's the lowdown on feline blood types:

Cats have 3 blood types, the same ones as humans, except for O. There is no universal feline blood donor. Most cats have type A blood, which is also the most common type in humans. 

Blood type is determined by the cat's genetic heritage. Due to fewer tests being done on cats than on dogs, it was 2007 before the genetic factors that determine a cat's blood type were identified!

And just as humans can be positive or negative for an Rh factor in their blood, cats have additional blood antigens. Cats are either positive or negative for these antigens in their blood; more on this below.

Some purebred cats are more likely to have type B blood. Approximately half of the Turkish Angora cats tested in one study were type B, 41% of both Cornish and Devon Rexes, and a third of British Shorthair cats. Another study by the University of Pennsylvania found 59% of British Shorthairs were type B, 49% of Devon Rexes, and a third of the Cornish Rexes.

There also seems to be a geographical correlation with type B blood: it runs through the veins of a higher percentage of the cats tested in Australia (26-36%), Turkey (25%), India (12%), France (15%), Italy (11%)...and London, England (31%) (but not as much so in England outside of London, which had only 3% type B cats). Within the United States, the highest percentage of cats with type B blood seems to be in the Pacific northwest - but that's only 6% of cats there.

Only rarely do we encounter a cat with type AB blood. The UPenn study referenced above found cats with AB blood type within a few breeds: British Shorthair, Ragdoll (from Italy), Scottish Fold, Somali, and Sphynx.

What Difference Does Blood Type Make in Cats?

People who have type A blood can only receive transfusions from others with type A. B-type only from B-type. Those with type AB can receive blood from any other type. Human type O is also known as the universal donor, because all blood types can receive type O blood.

It is the same in cats. If your veterinarian needs to give kitty a transfusion, there must be a donor cat on hand who has the same type of blood. Otherwise, the cat's body would reject the cells in the donated blood as being foreign invaders. This would cause serious health problems that could be fatal.

But cats are also unique among mammals, in that most of them produce a type of antibody that will attack the red cells of blood introduced to their system if its type differs from their own. These are known as alloantibodies. Kittens begin producing alloantibodies at about 8-12 weeks of age. 

The Mik factor is a type of alloantibody only discovered in this century. Others that have been identified are IgG and IgM. Again, because there have been less studies done on cats than on dogs, less is known about additional alloantibodies that may be as yet undiscovered.

Cats with type B blood have an especially high number of alloantibodies. They should not under any circumstances receive any amount of type A blood, as it could be fatal. Cats with type AB blood produce no alloantibodies and may receive blood from either A or B blood-type cats.

In breeding cats, blood type is also an important consideration. If a female cat has type B blood and is bred to a male with type A, any kittens born with type A or AB blood may not survive. They develop a condition known as neonatal isoerythrolysis (NI), or fading kitten syndrome. This is due to the colostrum in the mother's milk that is designed to protect them from diseases during their first 24 hours of life. Because of the higher number of alloantibodies in her type-B blood, they will attack the blood of any kittens with an A in their blood type and kill them, as well. 

If a queen has type B blood and is bred to a tom with type A or AB blood, it may be advisable to separate the kittens from her for the first 24 hours in case they are of blood type A. They could be bottle-fed or nursed by another lactating queen who has blood type A. This would be especially important in the breeds mentioned above with a higher tendency toward having type B blood.

Are There Blood Banks for Cats?

There are! However, most cats must be anesthetized for them to donate blood, so they are far less common than those for dogs. Most veterinarians have another cat in their clinic who can donate a small amount of blood for a kitty who needs it.

As with human blood stored in banks, donated feline blood must be handled and stored carefully to prevent contamination and remain useful. It can be stored for up to a month, but should be used as soon as possible after donation. Naturally, donor cats are screened prior to donation to make sure they are free of diseases such as FeLV and FIV, have been vaccinated against rabies, and are indoor-only cats in good health.

Nine Lives Blood Services in Michigan was the nation's first such feline blood bank. Their donor cats come from nearby shelters. Staffed by a veterinarian and a licensed veterinary technician (LVT), the blood bank doubles as a cat rescue facility that helps place shelter animals into homes.

The University of Pennsylvania maintains a feline blood bank where cat donors are kept for three years, then adopted into homes. The Ohio State University's Veterinary Medical Center keeps a list of available nearby feline blood donors on hand, to which they offer several free perks for enrolling that not only reward the donor kitties, but help keep them healthy.

Is Cat Blood Different From Human Blood?

Yes, cat blood and human blood are different. A cat cannot accept a transfusion from a human, and vice-versa, even if they are both of the same blood letter-type.

How Do I Know My Cat's Blood Type?

Veterinarians and labs use several methods to test a cat's blood for type. There is currently no home-testing kit to determine your cat's blood type. Vets who are testing cats for transfusions or organ donation must also test for alloantibody types present in each cat's blood, as these may cause rejection of blood or an organ if they are not matched that would likely be fatal to the recipient.

Sources: "Feline Blood Types: What you need to know and why (Proceedings)" on DVM360; "A Newly Recognized Blood Group in Domestic Shorthair Cats: The MiK Red Cell Antigen" on the National Institutes of Health's U.S. National Library of Medicine (March-April, 2007, pages 287-292); "Feline Blood Types (Transfusions and Neonatal Isoerythrolysis)" on the Winn Feline Foundation (2015); "Blood Donor Cats: Offering your cat to be used as a blood donor" on International Cat Care.

Kitty Losing Weight? A New Drug May Help!

Kitty Losing Weight? A New Drug May Help!

The FDA has approved a new drug, Mirataz™, to manage undesired weight loss in cats. Best of all for the kitties, it's absorbable through the skin, not given in pill form!

Many of our cats experience weight loss that accompanies other health issues such as dental problems, kidney disease, thyroid problems, or gastrointestinal issues. Due to their skill at masking disease, sometimes that's the first thing we notice that indicates our kitties are ill. While this drug does not treat the underlying disease, being at full weight can help the body's natural immune system work in tandem with treatment to help your cat recover more quickly.

Mirataz™, an ointment developed by Kindred Biosciences, Inc., is the first such branded treatment for feline weight loss. The company reports that it resulted in "significant weight gain in cats in as little as 14 days following topical application of 2 mg per day." While a generic mirtazapine ointment has been available from compounding pharmacies, this product uses a proprietary delivery technology they call Accusorb™ to ensure "measurable plasma concentrations" of the drug once given. Testing of the drug was accomplished thanks to a grant from the Winn Feline Foundation.

And if you've ever given your cat a pill (go ahead, look at your scars to prove it), you'll be thankful that Mirataz™ is given by applying a ribbon of ointment to the inside of your cat's ear pinna on a gloved finger. Gloves are recommended for applying it, since the drug is absorbed through the skin and you certainly don't want the weight-gaining properties of it to get into your own bloodstream!

Naturally, there are cautions: Mirataz™ is available by prescription from licensed veterinarians. It is not appropriate for cats being treated with MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors). Nor should it be given to kittens under 6 months old, or to pregnant or lactating mother cats. If your cat is being treated for liver or kidney disease, it should also be used with caution. After applying, you'll want to keep your cat isolated from any other feline companions for a couple of hours, so they can't lick off the ointment before it is absorbed. Monitor your cat's food intake once you stop giving the drug. Some cats during the trials had a mild reaction at the application site, while others exhibited hyperactivity and vocalization or vomiting after receiving it.

For more complete information on Mirataz™, visit Kindred Biosciences, Inc.'s website.