Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: cat + biting + 0.17  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/7/2008)

Animals and Pets : Why Does My Cat Bite My Hand When I Stroke Her? SkyNewswire.com (press release), Netherlands - Jul 16, 2008 What you should not do is punish your cat for biting your hand. That simply does not work. Cats are more likely to identify the punishment with you rather ... Tampa Tribune Cats Susceptible To Heartworms; Diagnosis Can Be Devastating Tampa Tribune, FL - In Florida, mosquitoes frequently come right through an open door into your home, so preventing a mosquito from ever biting your cat or kitten is impossible ... OverTheLimit.info Ancient shark had colossal bite BBC News, UK - Aug 4, 2008 "Pound for pound, your common house cat can bite down harder, " explained Dr Stephen Wroe of the University of New South Wales, Australia. ... Ancient Shark's Bite More Powerful Than T. Rex's LiveScience.com all 54 news articles » Rabid cat in Bethel Park McMurray Almanac, PA - Aug 5, 2008 The cat tested positive for rabies after biting one person on Aug. 1, when it was captured, killed and submitted to the Health Department for testing. ... Alert issued after cat bites person in Bethel Park Pittsburgh Post Gazette all 7 news articles » Analyze your cat - Veterinarian studies feline psychology Idaho Press-Tribune, ID - Jul 31, 2008 Your cat grooms excessivelyWhy they do it: ?It?s their version of nail biting,? Hazel Carney said. vet. Carney teaches owners a bit about massage therapy to ... Sometimes, the bad guys catch themselves Tampabay.com, FL - Aug 1, 2008 Update NJ fat cat We have learned new things about the 44-pound cat found in Camden County, NJ, as reported in Thursday's edition. First, it is now a start, ... AssociatedPress all 83 news articles » Alabama Game and Fish Magazine Hot Cats In The Southeast Alabama Game and Fish Magazine, AL - Aug 4, 2008 But catfish love the summer heat, and keep right on biting. Catch yourself a few at these recommended sites this month. (August 2008) By Bob Kornegay In ... How Jamaica's Volatile Dancehall Scene Can Avoid a Biggie vs ... Village Voice, NY - Aug 5, 2008 The beef between Mavado and Kartel produced some wickedly biting tracks?and, allegedly, several high-profile shootings in Kingston. ... McCook Daily Gazette New TV Series Idea McCook Daily Gazette, NE - Aug 3, 2008 Her favorite past times include: biting her owners, beating up her own children and eating. She likes Troy but she Loves me. ... Every Dog doesn't have Its Day Radiance Viewsweekly, India - Jul 28, 2008 The guy who wrote ?dog biting man is no news, man biting dog certainly is? must be spinning in his grave. Why? Now man biting dog is no news! ...

Why is our cat biting herself?

It sounds as if your cat is suffering from hair loss (or alopecia), which can be caused by several factors.

It can be due to a problem with the hair follicles, abnormalities of the hair growth cycle or due to trauma or scarring.

It is important to take your cat along to the vet's, as a chronic skin condition can be difficult to treat.

• Abnormalities of the hair follicles. These can be congenital or acquired. With congenital problems the cat's hair disappears within 4 weeks of life, or else are born without any. If the abnormalities are acquired, this can be due to, for instance due an infectious disease or a hormonal disease, such as diabetes.

• Hair growth cycle abnormalities. These can be due to an acquired symmetrical (the same on both sides) hair loss, where the actual cause is unknown. It can be due to a stressful circumstance, such as fever.

Trauma. Hair loss can also be due to excessive grooming. This can be due to fungal infections, fleas, localised pain or dermatitis, amongst others. The most common is fleabite hypersensitivity. The cat reacts to one of the 15 protein fractions in the flea's saliva that is injected into the skin when the flea is feeding. This reaction is the cause of most of the itching with a flea infestation, causing nibbling and self-trauma leading to a 'hot spot'. Fleas can also be difficult to eradicate, and the vet will be able to advise you about this.

• Scarring of the follicle. A bacterial infection, for example, can cause hair loss.

As you can see from this long list of causes, it can often be quite difficult to reach the cause of the hair loss, and sometimes there is no reason to give any therapy if the possible side effects of the drugs outweigh loss of hair.

It is worthwhile getting your cat checked over by a vet to see if there is a serious problem behind this. Take along a urine sample from your cat at the initial consultation, so the vet can test for diabetes.

Getting a urine sample from a cat is relatively easy. Put an impervious material in the litter tray, such as shredded tin foil. Some cats don't like gravel as they may feel it is too painful to walk on. Decant the urine into a very clean screw top container that you have rinsed out with previously boiled water.

If you have not registered your cat with a vet already, there is a list of the local ones in Yellow Pages.

Remember Elaine cannot replace the vet who normally looks after your pet and they should always be the first point of contact. If you are concerned your pet may be ill, don't delay contacting your own vet.