All Cats Are Beautiful

A catblr blog discussing the issue of free-roaming cats and other feline matters. NO Terfs, NO Zoophiles

[catsindoors]

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You can find me at @felinefractious discussing coat colors, purebred cats and genetics or @declaweddisabledpurebred where I promote adoptable cats.

The majority of posts here are not written by me but are articles, images and research sources from elsewhere. All of these are sourced appropriately back to the original publishing.

I’m not answering advice questions but feel free to ask me about my cat. If you say stupid shit in my inbox I will be mean.

Read through the #pinned tag for important announcements abd information on the status of asks, reblogs and so forth.

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[Image Source]

Maine Coons and Intestinal Intussusception: Breed Predisposition and Clinicopathological Features

Objectives

To evaluate Maine Coon predisposition to intestinal intussusception and compare clinical and biochemical features with non-Maine Coon cats.

Materials and Methods

Cross-sectional study (2004 to 2023) comparing Maine Coons with age-, sex- and weight-matched sick non-Maine Coon controls. Moreover, Maine Coons and unmatched non-Maine Coons with intestinal intussusception presented during the same period were also compared.

Results

A total of 371 sick Maine Coons were included. Age and sex were similar to matched controls, but Maine Coons were heavier (median difference 0.7 kg; 95% CI, 0.2 to 0.8), with lower body condition score (median difference 0; 95% CI, −1 to −1), lower serum cholesterol (median difference −11 mg/dL; 95% CI, −18 to −4) and higher simplified Feline Chronic Enteropathy Activity Index score (median difference 1; 95% CI, 0 to 1). Gastrointestinal diseases were more frequent in Maine Coons (25.2% vs. 11.1%; prevalence ratio 2.27; 95% CI, 2.2 to 3.17). Intussusception occurred in 18 Maine Coons, versus none of the controls (prevalence ratio 37; 95% CI, 2.24 to 611.74). During the same period, 12 non-Maine Coons also presented with intestinal intussusception. Compared with them, intussuscepted Maine Coons were younger (median difference −89 months; 95% CI, −130 to 9), heavier (median difference 2.3 kg; 95% CI 0.8 to 3.9) and had lower serum cholesterol (median difference −44 mg/dL; 95% CI, −80 to −4). Maine Coons more often had idiopathic intussusception (33% vs. 0%; Cramér's V 0.57) and lower hospital mortality (6% vs. 42%; prevalence ratio 0.14; 95% CI, 0.02 to 1.00).

Clinical Significance

Maine Coon shows a higher prevalence of intestinal intussusception, younger age, milder intestinal disease and lower short-term mortality.

>>[Read Study Here]<<

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Guideline for Feline Rabies

by the European Advisory Board on Cat Disease (ABCD)

Key Points

Rabies occurs worldwide, with geographical exceptions. Large regions of Europe are free of terrestrial rabies, although not from bat lyssavirus infections that can induce rabies-like disease.

There is a low risk of cats becoming infected from bats.

Cats can transmit rabies from foxes or other wildlife to humans.

Rabies virus is shed in the saliva a few days before the onset of clinical signs.

The average incubation period in cats is 2 months but can vary from 2 weeks to many months.

Two disease manifestations occur: the furious and the dumb forms. Nearly all rabid cats (90%) show the furious form.

Rabies should be considered in an unvaccinated outdoor cat living in endemic areas (or travelling from such areas) showing sudden onset of behavioural abnormalities, especially aggression, as well as progressive paresis/paralysis and other signs of acute encephalitis.

Rabies is an incurable disease and death occurs 1–10 (usually 3–4) days after the onset of clinical signs.

Definitive diagnosis can be made post mortem only.

Rabies vaccines are very effective in prevention of infection and disease.

In endemic areas, outdoor kittens should be vaccinated at 12–16 weeks of age and revaccinated 1 year later. Some vaccines protect against rabies for 3 years or more, but local legislation can require annual boosters.

>>[Read Full Article Here]<<

>>[PDF]<<

>>[Fact Sheet]<<

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Hidden Health Risks Found in New York City's Free-roaming Cats

Shared from Phys.org.

Cats may be cute and adorable, but stray and feral cats can sometimes pose a risk to human health. Veterinary researchers have discovered that more than 50% of free-roaming cats in New York City carry parasites that could potentially be transmitted to humans.

The Big Apple has a cat problem, with colonies scattered throughout the city. While all animals harbor potential disease-causing organisms like viruses and bacteria, little was known about the prevalence of zoonotic parasites (parasites that can jump from animals to humans) among New York's street-dwelling cat population.

Researchers from Rowan University and Long Island University in New York examined blood and fecal samples from 87 outdoor cats captured through the city's TNR (Trap Neuter Return) program.

To look for parasites, they mixed stool samples into a special liquid that makes eggs float to the surface, a technique called fecal flotation. This allowed the team to count the number of eggs under a microscope. They also used tests to screen the samples for specific parasite proteins, DNA and antibodies that might reveal past exposure to parasites.

Hidden Hitchhikers

The findings, published in the journal PLOS One, showed that parasitic infections are incredibly common among the city's outdoor cats. "Overall, 57.5%... of cats were positive for at least one endoparasite species detected by fecal flotation," the team wrote in the paper.

The dominant parasite was Toxocara, a roundworm that can infect humans through contaminated soil containing microscopic eggs shed in cat feces, causing the disease toxocariasis.

"Male cats were significantly more likely to be infected with Toxocara spp. (OR = 4.36) and, along with juvenile cats (<1 year), shed significantly higher numbers of eggs ... identifying young males as high-intensity 'super-shedders' driving environmental contamination."

Ancylostoma species, a genus of hookworms, were also common, occurring in 13.8% of the animals. Some species of these parasitic worms can infect people, usually by penetrating the skin, although some can also infect the human intestine.

The third most prevalent type of parasite was coccidia, single-celled protozoa that infect the intestinal tract. In total, about one in five cats were infected with multiple parasites at the same time.

Analysis of the blood samples revealed past exposure to Toxoplasma gondii, meaning some cats had previously been infected but were not necessarily actively shedding the parasite.

Protecting Public Health

Because of the potential threat to public health, the study authors recommend combining disease tracking and parasite treatments, where possible, into TNR programs throughout New York City.

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via Blue Ridge Wildlife Center

This nestling Killdeer was rescued after the finder witnessed a cat chasing this baby into a sewer drain, where both the cat and the killdeer became trapped. Thankfully, this finder was able to rescue this youngster from the drain and bring them in for us to evaluate them.

Unfortunately, it was evident this baby had been caught by the cat at one point, as our team found multiple punctures. We immediately started this baby on antibiotics and pain medications and got an incubator set up to allow this bird to finally rest after an extremely traumatic and stressful day.

While this killdeer was harmed by this cat, it's possible the cat could be harmed by this killdeer. These birds are considered a high-risk species for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, and while we often see a lower incidence of this virus in the warmer months, we have received several positives throughout the year and know it's here in our area. Domestic cats have been documented several times to be susceptible to contracting this virus, primarily through exposure to wild birds and infected dairy cows, resulting in severe illness and often death. There has even been documented evidence of a person contracting avian influenza directly from an infected cat, making indoor-outdoor cats a risk of disease transmission to their human families, and free-roaming cats a risk to spreading it through the environment.

Keeping your cats indoors or contained on a leash or in a catio doesn't just keep wildlife like this baby killdeer safe, but it also keeps your cats safe (and vet bills lower!). This baby could've been raised happily with their parents, but now the odds are stacked against them, as cat attacks carry a low success rate for release, even with treatment. However, we're giving this kid a chance to recover, and hopefully make it back out to the wild.

>>[Original Facebook Post]<<

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[Image Source]

A Deadly Fungus That Can Infect Cats and People is Spreading

Shared from Science News.

Microbiologists are used to looking at gross pictures and hearing scary statistics. So when a moderator of a session on emerging fungal infections at the ASM Microbe meeting uttered the words “somewhat terrifying,” it caught my attention. He was referring to a sexually transmitted skin infection that is becoming increasingly drug resistant. But what came next was even more horrifying to me.

Medical mycologist Shawn Lockhart stepped to the podium and began describing a fungal disease that attacks cats, causing oozing skin ulcers and worse, and spreads to humans. It isn’t yet in the United States … that officials know of. But the disease, caused by Sporothrix brasiliensis, has sickened and killed thousands of cats and infected more than 11,000 people and at least 200 dogs in South America since its emergence in Brazil in the 1990s.

“What we have right now is this ginormous ongoing outbreak of Sporothrix brasiliensis in Brazil,” Lockhart, a senior adviser at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said June 7. The fungus has spread beyond Brazil to cats, dogs and people in Paraguay, Chile, Argentina and most recently Uruguay.

“It’s just a matter of time” until the fungus reaches the United States, Lockhart told me after the session. “We’re waiting.”

Here’s why he’s so concerned.

He worries about the fungus spreading in big cities such as Istanbul and Bangkok where “cats are just everywhere,” and in rural areas in the United States where large populations of farm cats roam freely. “All it takes is one traveler [from South America] bringing their cat with them, and it can emerge anywhere,” Lockhart said during the presentation. “This is something we are very, very worried about.”

Infected cats develop skin ulcers and nodules and swollen lymph glands. If the infection isn’t treated with antifungal drugs, it can become a respiratory disease and spread throughout the body. “Without treatment, it’s 100 percent fatal, and even with treatment, it has a pretty high fatality rate,” Lockhart said. In people, it causes painful skin ulcers. If untreated, the disease can also be severe and may kill those who have weakened immune systems.

Risk of contagion is complicated because symptoms don’t always show up right away. Two members of a family who moved from Brazil to the United Kingdom developed the disease three years after the move, health authorities reported in 2022. One of the family’s two cats turns out to have been infected with Sporothrix brasiliensis. A vet who treated the cat was also infected.

The fungi’s unusual properties may help it conquer new territory.

The cat-infecting fungus is a relative of Sporothrix schenckii fungi that cause skin infections, called sporotrichosis or rose growers’ disease. Like many other soil-dwelling fungi, Sporothrix fungi are dimorphic, meaning they have two forms. “It is a mold in the cold and a yeast in the beast,” Lockhart said. That means it grows as long, stringy filaments known as hyphae in soil but then changes to single-celled yeast when its spores infect people or animals.

Most fungal infections happen when people inhale spores or, in the case of rose growers’ disease, when spores enter skin through scratches and puncture wounds from rose thorns. But S. brasiliensis can spread in its yeast form, Lockhart said. “That doesn’t happen with any of the other dimorphic fungi.”

Cat behavior may be why felines seem more susceptible to catching S. brasiliensis, Lockhart said. “Those of you who have cats, you know they do two things: They’re loving all over each other, grooming each other, licking, or they’re fighting, biting and scratching. Those are their two most frequent activities, both of which allow the transfer of Sporothrix brasiliensis from one to another.”

Cat scratches and bites may inject the yeast directly into other cats, people, dogs and other animals. “I’m convinced that half of the human cases that come from cats are people who are trying to stuff pills down their cat’s throats to treat the sporotrichosis,” getting scratched and bitten in the process. Grooming may also spread the fungus around the cat’s body or to other cats, he said.

The fungus has another unusual means of spread: Cats can sneeze out infectious yeast, researchers reported in Medical Mycology in 2022. “When the cat’s sneezing, it’s going on the surface, it’s going on the lab coats, it’s going into the air, it’s going everywhere,” Lockhart says.

The firehose of fungus-laden snot from a cat’s nose might also pose a danger to humans and felines after the infected cat has left the room. That’s because the fungi may live a long time on surfaces, Lockhart said. Up to 10 weeks, according to one lab experiment testing how long the fungi could grow on stainless steel discs that mimic the examination tables in veterinary offices. By contrast, Candida albicans, fungi that people naturally carry and that sometimes cause yeast infections, lasted 48 hours. Candida auris, a fungus that can cause infections in those with weakened immune systems, died after about a month, he said.

S. brasiliensis’ persistence means that if veterinarians miss a spot while cleaning, the lingering fungus could infect other patients. The good news is that the fungi is easily killed with bleach and ethanol, Lockhart said.

There’s no commercially available test for S. brasiliensis and cats coming into the United States just need a certificate from a vet saying that they appear healthy. That makes the disease easy to miss.

Because veterinarians may be the first to notice when the fungus arrives in a new country, Lockhart urged pet health professionals to notify local public health labs or the CDC if they start seeing cases of sporotrichosis. “There is an opportunity for it to spread quite easily,” he said. “We need veterinarians working with infection prevention and public health to make sure that this doesn’t get here and happen in the U.S.”

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Agreement of Feline Grimace Scale Scores Between Chatbots and an Expert Rater

The performance of large language models (LLMs) during acute pain assessment in cats has not been evaluated. This study evaluated the agreement of the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) scoring between four chatbots (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude AI, and Perplexity) and an expert veterinarian, including bias and limits of agreement (LoA), and whether bias would be reduced when retested after two months. Fifty cat facial images were scored twice, two months apart, by each chatbot using the FGS (ear position, orbital tightening, muzzle tension, whiskers change and head position). The Bland–Altman method was used to analyze bias and limits of LoA. Chatbots showed positive bias, indicating underestimation of FGS scores. Claude AI presented an acceptable bias (< 0.1) suggesting good agreement after retesting. However, its LoA spanned the FGS threshold for analgesia (0.39). The LoA of ChatGPT did not span the threshold, but presented unacceptable bias (> 0.1). Gemini showed unacceptable bias and LoA spanned the FGS threshold. Perplexity showed unacceptable bias and its LoA spanned the threshold after retesting. Most chatbots showed poor agreement and could have compromised analgesia during testing and/or retesting; pain scoring could be overestimated or underestimated to an extent that would cause overtreatment or undertreatment of pain.

>>[Read Full Study]<<

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Those are a lot of words for “Free Cat”

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Grieving the Loss of Your Cat

Shared from the Cornell Feline Health Center.

Losing a cat can be a life-changing event, one that can be as difficult as the loss of a human companion. The pain associated with such a loss can be devastating, whether the loss is sudden or has long been expected. Even when we understand that our cat’s life will end, our response can be significant when this time comes.

Our cats are our companions, and a constant presence in our daily lives. We experience the love they provide, delight in their behavior, and share life events. It’s no surprise that when they are no longer with us, we are often left with a significant void that can impact our daily life.

Grieving is a healthy, natural response to loss. It may be helpful to know that others have shared this experience; however, the process is unique to each person who has loved and lost a feline friend. There is no “normal” timeline for grief. “It takes as long as it takes” may be a useful mantra. Additionally, each experience of loss is unique and may result in a variety of emotions. Whether you are feeling sad, anxious, tired, guilty, or relieved, this is normal. There is no “correct” way to grieve the loss of your cat.

Understanding grief

Grief may be experienced in stages that can include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Not everyone experiences all of these stages, nor are they experienced in a particular order or for any prescribed period of time.

At first, we may find it difficult to believe that our cat is truly gone (denial), and when we acknowledge the reality, we can be angry. “It’s unfair that my cat had this accident or that illness. Other cats who are the same age are fine. Why did mine have to die?”

We bargain by asking “what if?” - type questions, believing that if we had only recognized an illness sooner, given medications on a more precise schedule, or hadn’t let the cat outdoors, s/he would still be with us. Sadness can set in, manifesting as low motivation, crying, or sleep difficulties. This feeling can range in intensity and can ease over time or persist.

Eventually, we accept that our cat is gone. When grieving, we may continue to feel sad while remembering our loss, but we typically regain a sense of normalcy as time passes. We are able to cope with life’s stresses, look to the future, and enjoy our usual activities.

If our daily functioning (such as sleep, eating, ability to perform regular tasks or interact with family and friends) continues to be compromised, we are likely to benefit from professional support.

Grief following euthanasia

The word euthanasia is derived from the Greek euthanatos, which translates as “good death”. The option of euthanasia is often considered to be a compassionate and reasonable alternative to prolonged suffering. Even when euthanasia feels like a kindness, making the decision to euthanize can be very difficult.

When to consult a professional

You deserve all the support that you need following the loss of your cat. For some people, family and friends can provide all needed support. Other people find professional support more useful.

People seek professional grief counseling (with a social worker, psychologist, family therapist, or other provider) for many reasons, including feeling uncomfortable sharing their loss with people they know, not feeling validated in their grief experience, having pre-existing concerns resurface with the loss of their cat, experiencing relational stress following the loss, or becoming concerned about impairments in daily functioning. If one is having trouble sleeping, eating, interacting with friends and family, performing daily tasks, or has any other concerns related to activities of daily living, consultation with a mental health professional can be a helpful support.

Coping with loss

There are a number of strategies to help cope with loss, including:

Choosing symbols of remembrance:

Organize a memorial gathering

If cremation was chosen, spread the ashes in a meaningful location

Save fur clippings

Plant a tree or flowers

Create a photo book or video

Make a donation in your cat’s name to an organization with importance to you

There are hundreds of memorializing options that can be found online, including jewelry, urns, garden stones, and other objects. These items are meaningful for some people; others prefer to keep their memories alone. You have to find what resonates with you.

Organizations and other resources

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Pet Loss Support Hotline

Best Friends Animal Society

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Cat Disease Challenges What Scientists Thought About Coronaviruses

Shared from UC Davis.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have uncovered new details about how a once-deadly coronavirus disease in cats spreads through the immune system. The findings may help scientists better understand long COVID and other long-lasting inflammatory illnesses in people.

The disease, feline infectious peritonitis, or FIP, is caused by a form of feline coronavirus that changes inside some cats. If left untreated, it is almost always fatal. While FIP only affects cats, it shares many features with serious coronavirus-related conditions in humans, including severe inflammation that can damage multiple organs, as well as symptoms that can persist or return.

A broader attack on the immune system

For years, the prevailing belief was that the virus behind FIP infected just one type of immune cell.

“What we found is that it actually infects a much broader range of immune cells, including those that are critical for fighting infection,” said lead author Amir Kol, associate professor with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

The study was published in the journal Veterinary Microbiology.

The researchers examined lymph node samples from cats with naturally occurring FIP. Lymph nodes are key immune system hubs where white blood cells gather and coordinate responses to disease. The team found viral material inside several types of immune cells — including B lymphocytes, which produce antibodies, and T lymphocytes, which help the immune system recognize and eliminate infected cells.

They also found evidence that the virus was actively replicating itself inside these immune cells, rather than simply leaving behind harmless fragments.

Why this matters beyond cats

In people with severe or long-lasting coronavirus illnesses, scientists suspect that the virus may persist in the body or continue to disrupt the immune system. Studying this directly in humans is difficult, because doctors rarely have access to immune tissues such as lymph nodes.

Cats with FIP offer a rare opportunity to study these processes up close.

“This is where cats give us a unique opportunity,” Kol said. “We can directly study infected immune tissues in a naturally occurring coronavirus disease — something that’s very difficult to do in people.”

The researchers also found that traces of the virus could remain in immune cells even after antiviral treatment ended and cats appeared healthy. Because some immune cells can live for years, this lingering infection could help explain long-term immune problems or disease relapse.

A model for long-term coronavirus disease

The findings suggest that FIP may serve as a valuable real-world model for understanding how coronaviruses interact with the immune system over time. Insights gained from cats could help guide future research into chronic inflammation and post-viral syndromes in humans, including long COVID.

By bridging veterinary and human medicine, the study highlights how naturally occurring diseases in animals can help answer critical questions about human health.

Other authors of the study include Aadhavan Balakumar, Patrawin Wanakumjorn, Kazuto Kimura, Ehren McLarty, Katherine Farrell, Terza Brostoff, Jully Pires, Tamar Cohen-Davidyan, Jennifer M. Cassano, Brian Murphy and Krystle Reagan of UC Davis.

Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health and the Sock-FIP fund at the Center for Companion Animal Health at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. It was also supported by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Kasetsart University in Thailand.

Media Resources

Previous research finds a new cell therapy that boosts immune recovery in cats with FIP.

Learn more about how federally funded research has helped cats with FIP.

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Hey I'm not sure if it matters to you, but when I clicked on the link underneath the post about cats in Australia, Facebook said "see what caldaer baenarn sent". I thought this might be your name or something, and if so that you might not want everyone who clicks on that link to know. If it's not your name or if you don't care if people see then nevermind!

It’s a fake account I use in part to share these links because Facebook does that and I’m not sure how to get it to stop. Thank you for the concern!

[catsindoors]

via Invasive Species Council

These numbers are staggering! Feral and roaming domestic cats are one of the greatest threats to Australia's native wildlife and, since colonisation, these natural hunters have driven at least 25 native species, like the desert bandicoot and lesser bilby, to extinction, causing more mammal extinctions than any other invasive species or environmental threat. This is often in combination with foxes.

Why? Not only are they highly skilled hunters, but since the decline of Tasmanian devil and dingo populations, there isn’t anything to hold them back.

Australian wildlife evolved without cat-like predators and often have low reproductive rates, making them especially vulnerable to such efficient hunters.

Fire, livestock grazing and land clearing make things worse by creating open hunting grounds where cats can easily target ground-dwelling species.

Unfortunately for so many of our native wildlife, they are the perfect-sized snack.

On average, cats kill 2.92 million mammals, 1.67 million reptiles, 1.09 million birds, 0.26 million frogs and 2.97 million invertebrates every 24 hours. It’s a wildlife emergency!

A single feral cat in the bush can kill around 791 native animals annually, with domestic cats killing an average of 110 when allowed to roam.

Sadly, many of our most vulnerable wildlife continue to fall prey to cats, like numbats or the Western ground parrot, of which only 150 remain.

Australia’s battle against feral cats has been a story of underestimation, plagued by inconsistency and underfunding.

It wasn’t until the 1990s that they were widely recognised as a major threat.

Feral cats were listed as a key threatening process under the national environmental law in 2000. But progress on reducing the threat has been slow. Feral cat control has mostly been sporadic, under-resourced and poorly coordinated. More research is needed to develop consistently effective methods.

The most effective programs have been the eradication of feral cats on islands, including world-heritage-listed Macquarie and Dirk Hartog islands, to create cat-free havens for threatened mammals.

For domestic cats, some states, like the ACT lead the way with mandatory cat registration and containment laws, but others like New South Wales have lagged, creating significant gaps.

A series of national threat abatement plans, the first in 1999, have included promising elements, but have been poorly implemented.

In 2015 a national plan was released, which included some promising elements such as an increase in predator-free havens and island eradication programs, however, the fragmented funding was grossly inadequate for meeting the plan’s objectives, leading to limited progress.

In 2020 a parliamentary inquiry into feral and domestic cats recommended a reset of current policy and planning, including a new iteration of the national plan and a revised Threatened Species Strategy.

A new threat abatement plan was released in 2024. Encouragingly, all state and territory governments (except Queensland) have agreed to jointly implement it.

It includes strategies like island eradication and supporting Indigenous rangers but at least $60 million over the next 4 years is needed to see the ambitious plan come to life for our native species.

[Original Post]

[catsindoors]

Response to Rabies Vaccine in Kittens Under 12 Weeks of Age

We used a prospective observational study to determine whether the administration of rabies vaccine to kittens under 12 weeks of age would induce protective antibody titers. All 10 enrolled kittens had Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Tests (RFFIT) titers of less than 0.1 IU/mL prior to vaccination, indicating their susceptibility to the rabies virus at approximately 9 weeks of age. All kittens demonstrated a robust immune response to vaccination (i.e. titers > 0.5 IU/mL) on samples collected 28 days after vaccination. These results suggest that, in the absence of maternally derived antibodies (MDAs), kittens approximately 9 weeks of age would be susceptible to the rabies virus but can also have an excellent immune response following vaccination against rabies virus at the time of surgical sterilization.

>>[Read Full Study]<<

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Charity Issues Harness Warning Amid Rise in Owners Taking Cats for Walks

Shared from STV News.

A cat charity has warned of a rise in people using harnesses to take their cats outside, preventing the animals’ natural fight or flight response and leading to them feeling stressed and scared.

Almost one in six (15%) cat owners use a harness to take their cat out, according to a survey by Cats Protection, up from 10% a year ago.

A spokeswoman for the charity said: “Taking your cat for a walk on a harness and lead is not recommended. It is likely to be very stressful and scary for them.

“Harnesses can be uncomfortable for cats or allow escape. Most importantly, cat harnesses prevent the flight response and feeling trapped can significantly escalate stress in cats.”

Other findings include a shifting demographic in cat ownership – with those acquiring cats tending to be younger, more affluent owners living in urban areas.

The charity said a new breed of young, affluent pedigree cat owner is replacing the “older cat lady with moggy” stereotype, with one in three 18 to 34-year-olds (31%) now owning a cat.

Ownership among those aged 35 to 54 has declined, and there has been a trend away from cat owners being predominantly female towards a more even split of male and female owners.

There has also been an increasing popularity in pedigree cat ownership, and for the first time, of the cats acquired in the past 12 months, more than half are pedigrees (51%).

The survey found an increasing trend in cat owners turning first to social media for advice when they need it.

And they are more likely to buy a cat than adopt one, including pedigree breeds with known health concerns.

Cats Protection said people looking to acquire cats are increasingly less likely to adopt from welfare charities, and suggested this is because they are increasingly less likely to be able to provide for the shifting demographic.

Rehoming policies that do not favour urban, indoor environments are more likely to be a barrier, and charities are less likely to have the pedigree cats that are increasingly sought after.

The charity suggested its findings show that cat ownership is moving towards being a luxury, with cat acquisition skewing towards higher socio-economic groups, pedigree cats and purchase rather than adoption.

The survey, which involved more than 10,000 participants in the UK, found neutering numbers have fallen to 82%, continuing a downward trend from 88% in 2020. This means that 1.5 million cats (15%) are not neutered.

In England, microchipping has been a legal requirement for all pet cats since June 2024, but younger owners are less likely to have had their cat microchipped.

Younger owners are also significantly more likely to use technology such as GPS trackers for keeping tabs on their cat.

As well as often being bulky and potentially uncomfortable for a cat to wear, these trackers can be easily removed if a cat is stolen, so they are never a good direct replacement for a microchip, the charity said.

On the issue of cat harnesses, the report said cats are a territorial species and prefer to be allowed to choose how they roam, rather than planned leisure outings or excursions away from their familiar home.

When a cat does need transporting, such as for a vet visit, a safe and sturdy cat carrier should be used, rather than a cat backpack.

There are 10.2 million pet cats in the UK, with the average number of cats in cat-owning households currently standing at 1.5.

Sarah Elliott, Cats Protection central veterinary officer, said: “In the UK, cat acquisition is increasingly skewing towards pedigree cats and purchase over adoption.

“We therefore need to motivate cat owners to help reverse the increasing popularity of buying and become enthusiastic adopters by championing the moggy, as well as highlighting all the benefits of adoption – including the adoption of pedigree cats from rescue organisations, when they occasionally become available.

“When adopting from Cats Protection, like many other rescue organisations, not only does your pet come neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and with a clean bill of health, but there is also the huge satisfaction of giving a home to a cat the really needs one.”

Indoor Cat Adoption in the UK

Bushy Tail Cat Aid

County Cat Rescue & Sanctuary

Ragdoll Rescue UK

Strawberry Persian + Pedigree Cat Rescue UK

Harness Training

Harness And Leash Training For Cats

How to Teach a Cat to Walk on a Leash [Video]

Leash Training for a Happier, More Confident Cat

Leash Training Your Indoor Cat

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How to Spot Fake Shelters and Give Safely

Shared from Bitdefender

Animal shelters are warning about a cruel twist on online fraud. Scammers create look-alike social media pages, lift photos and videos of sick or abused animals from real rescues, and post urgent pleas for money. These posts are designed to trigger an instant response from kind people—and to siphon donations away from legitimate organizations.

This sits inside a wider wave of “fake rescue” content: staged cruelty or stolen clips engineered to go viral and funnel cash. In 2024, the Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC) documented 1,022 links to suspected fake rescues across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and X in just six weeks, generating 572 million views. About 21% of creators asked viewers to donate, often via PayPal.

What the Instagram animal rescue scam looks like

New or low-history accounts impersonate a real rescue or invent a “shelter.” They post graphic, urgent cases (“closing tomorrow,” “puppies need surgery today”) and steer you to direct payments (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal email) instead of Instagram’s nonprofit tools. Comments may be limited; DMs push for quick payment.

Stolen or staged content. Photos and videos are taken from legitimate rescues—or from the broader “fake rescue” churn. A quick reverse-image search on the most emotional photos often finds them reused elsewhere.

Platforms acknowledge the pattern. For example, Meta lists “charity fraud and scam”—especially urgent appeals that ask for direct payment details—as prohibited. Instagram’s Help Center also warns about donation scams.

Real-life story

Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue (FMAR), a shelter that’s been placing pets in homes for roughly two decades, discovered recently a look-alike social media profile posing as them. The scammers’ page reused FMAR’s photos of sick and injured animals and urged people to donate.

The facility operations manager, Michelle Eastlake, said that one of their Facebook supporters reached out to them after noticing the copycat account was using FMAR’s logo and a nearly identical name.

Read the story, here.

How to check a shelter or animal welfare organization before you donate

Look at how they ask for money. Legitimate charities on Instagram use the built-in Support/Donate tools (which route through PayPal Giving Fund in supported countries) or send you to their official website to give. A bio that lists only personal wallets (PayPal email, Cash App, Venmo, crypto) is a red flag.

Confirm the organization exists. In the US, you can search them on the IRS Tax-Exempt Organization database or Candid/GuideStar. In the UK, check the Charity Commission Register.

Cross-check the account. Is there a real website in the bio? Do they use the same name/handle across platforms? Do older posts show staff, volunteers, local events, and outcomes (before/after stories, adoption updates)? When in doubt, call or email the shelter using contact details on its official site, not the Instagram bio.

Reverse-image search the emotional posts. Take a couple of the most dramatic photos or clips and run a reverse-image search. If the same media appears under different names, locations, or dates, you’re likely looking at a fake.

Use Bitdefender’s free tools as a quick safety net.

Bitdefender Link Checker — Paste the URL from a bio, Story, or post to flag phishing, malware, or look-alike domains before you click.

Bitdefender Scamio (free scam detector) — Paste the text or link from a post or DM (screenshots work too). Scamio highlights pressure tactics, personal-wallet requests, vague details, and other red flags in plain language so you can decide safely. [WARNING: GEN-AI]

What to do if you spot (or fall for) one

Report the account in-app for Impersonation or Fraud/Scam. Instagram also has a dedicated impersonation form.

Dispute the payment with your bank or PayPal and save evidence (screenshots, handles, DMs). The FTC has step-by-step guidance for donation scams.

Warn others and consider logging the case with BBB Scam Tracker to help surface patterns.

What to do if your organization is impersonated

Your goals: get the fake taken down, cut off the money flow, and warn your community.

Collect evidence. Screenshot profiles, posts, Stories, DMs, bios, payment handles, and the profile URL. Note dates and usernames.

Report to Instagram. Use the in-app Report tool (Impersonation or Scam/Fraud). If your media or logo were stolen, also file copyright and trademark reports.

Warn supporters everywhere. Post an alert on your website, pin a post, add a Story Highlight (“Imposter Alert”), and email your list. List your official accounts and approved donation paths.

Notify authorities. File an online report for online/economic fraud (use your country’s channel; in Denmark, politi.dk).

Secure your accounts. Turn on 2FA for all admins, remove unknown devices/sessions, review Page/Business Manager roles, and revoke risky third-party app access.

[catsindoors]

3 kittens available for adoption to indoor homes in the United Kingdom through Cornpop Critter Rescue.

Here is the original post, you’ll need to contact the organization directly if you’re interested.

They showed up in my Facebook feed, I have no affiliation with the rescue. Apparently they’re having a difficult time placing them due to the outdoor cat culture in the UK, none of the applicants are willing to keep them indoors thus far.

The first kitten pictured is female and the other two are male. They’re socialized around dogs.

[catsindoors]

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Declawing in Cat is Associated With Neuroplastic Sensitization and Long-term Painful Afflictions

Abstract

Declawing of pet cats is widely believed to cause chronic pain and negatively impact animal welfare, leading to bans in many jurisdictions. However, little is known on how post-declaw pain develops and affects feline well-being. Existing data often fail to account for other sources of chronic pain, such as osteoarthritis (OA), which affects most aging cats. Here, the aim was to distinguish chronic post-declaw pain from OA-related pain. A secondary analysis of eight studies on feline OA was conducted, comparing somatosensory, biomechanical and functional assessments between healthy control cats, declawed OA (DOA) cats, and non-declawed OA (NDOA) cats. DOA cats exhibited significant somatosensory alterations (hyperalgesia and allodynia) and greater biomechanical (worse in heavier cats) and functional impairments, compared to NDOA cats. The alterations were not dependent on the number of declawed paws (two forelimbs vs. four paws). This alarming phenotype was associated with objective nervous conduction abnormalities indicative of worsened axonopathy in DOA cats. Our findings highlight the impact of chronic post-declaw pain and support the need to develop therapeutic strategies to alleviate chronic pain in DOA cats and highlights the pertinence of establishing a global ban of this elective procedure.

Introduction

Elective feline onychectomy, commonly known as declawing, involves the surgical amputation of the distal phalanx (P3) of all digits on a cat’s forelimbs, or on both forelimbs and hindlimbs. The procedure is most performed to prevent damage to household items and reduce the risk of injury to humans. In a 1991 survey, only 2% of 276 owners of declawed cats expressed dissatisfaction due to guilt over the procedure. However, ethical concerns about animal welfare have led to bans on onychectomy in many jurisdictions, including most of Canada and Western Europe. Notably, the procedure remains legal in most of the United States and parts of Canada. In 2001, it was estimated that nearly 25% of American cats were declawed while a 2014 survey of veterinarians (with nearly 3,500 respondents) reported that 72.7% performed onychectomy at least occasionnally. While some veterinarians consider onychectomy a last-resort alternative to relinquishment or euthanasia the purported benefits of the procedure for cats remain largely unsubstantiated.

Like other surgical procedures, onychectomy can lead to both short-term and long-term adverse effects. One early retrospective study reported a perioperative complication rate of 50% at a veterinary teaching institution8 with the most common complications being pain, lameness, infection and hemorrhage. Acute postoperative lameness may persist for over 12 days despite opioid analgesia.

The long-term complications of onychectomy are less understood. The most reported issue is the presence of remnant P3 bone fragments, detected radiographically in 52.5–62.8% of declawed cats and linked to back pain. Additional long-term complications include persistent or intermittent lameness, pain on paw palpation, nail regrowth, P2 protrusion, reluctance to jump and behavioral changes such as aggression and house soiling (with occurrence of 1.7–32.6%). Onychectomy has also been implicated in flexor tendon contracture in four cats and in the development of osteosarcoma in a retained P3 fragment in one case. Some complications, such as lameness, remnant P3 fragments, and nail regrowth, have been reported to be reversible with additional surgery. However, much of evidence for chronic complications stems from surveys and retrospective studies, often lacking thorough, objective clinical evaluations, making causation difficult to establish.

One major challenge in assessing the long-term effects of onychectomy is the high prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) in aging cats. In Western countries, OA affects 25.6% of adult cats rising to over 60% in cats aged six years or older and over 90% in those aged 12 years or older. As a leading cause of chronic pain and mobility impairment in adult cats OA-related pain may confound the assessment of post-onychectomy pain. While one study reported increased back pain and behavioral issues in age-matched declawed/non-declawed cats – particularly when an inadequate surgical technique was used – interactions between OA and onychectomy have not been thoroughly investigated. In 2022, the American Veterinary Medical Association Animal Welfare Division issued a policy on declawing concluding that “conflicting scientific evidence exists regarding the implications of declawing”. Given the growing pet cat population in North America, (approximately 74 million in the U.S. in 2024 and 8.5 million in Canada in 2022), and their role as family members it is critical to understand the potential neuroplastic changes induced by onychectomy.

Recent advancements in pain transmission and nociceptive processing research, both in healthy and pathological states, have provided valuable insights. Over the past decade, the Groupe de recherche en pharmacologie animale du Québec (GREPAQ) has developed and validated several methods to study OA-related pain and impairment in cats through behavioral analysis and systems neurobiology. These include kinetic podobarometric gait analysis (PGA) using a sensitive walkway mattress a standardized functional assessment scale named the Montreal Instrument for Cat Arthritis Testing, for use by Veterinarians (MI-CAT(V)) and quantitative sensory testing (QST) to assess sensory alterations. These tools have been shown to differentiate OA-affected cats from healthy controls (specificity), detect responses to treatment (sensitivity), and produce reliable results (reproducibility and repeatability). Additionally, nerve conduction studies can provide objective evidence of distal nerve dysfunction following onychectomy.

In this secondary analysis, we hypothesized that these validated methods could be used to assess long-term post-onychectomy pain, with declawed OA (DOA) cats exhibiting more severe dysfunction than non-declawed OA (NDOA) cats. The main objectives of this study were to compare three populations of cats, assessed over a decade, i.e., DOA, NDOA, and healthy, non-declawed control (HC) cats, based on biomechanical impairment (PGA), MI-CAT(V) scores, QST results, and nerve conduction abnormalities in a subgroup of cats.

[Read Full Study @ Source]