Cat Q&A: Real Answers from Vet Experts

Can cats eat pistachios?

Pistachios are not considered poisonous to cats; however, like all nuts, they do contain fats which can cause gastrointestinal upset in your cat. Also, many nuts are heavily salted which is not good for our pets. Finally, pistachios and their shells can be a choking or intestinal obstruction risk.

I have a cat that just had 2 kittens. She has not eaten the placenta, and the kittens' umbilical cords are still attached to their mother. What do I do?

Ensure the mother has cleaned their noses and nothing is obstructing their breathing. If the mother has not broken the cords you can tie off the cord with some cotton or dental floss sterilized with boiling water. Tie two very tight knots at least one inch from the kittens belly and half inch apart and cut between the two knots with sterilized scissors. She may eat the placentas when she is completely done with the [queening](https://www.petcoach.co/article/queening-giving-birth-in-cats) (delivery). If she doesn't, you can dispose of them after a few hours.

Can I Change to Non-Prescription Cat Food for Urinary Problems?

Moisture content or water intake is more important than brand, although you do want to stay away from discount or store brands. Choose a quality canned food since they are 75% or more moisture. If your cat eats dry, soak it in water before feeding. A grain-free diet is best since cats don't "need" carbohydrates. You can also feed a raw diet. There are several commercial diets available. Again, add water if necessary. Always monitor your cat for straining to urinate or bloody urine though and see a vet promptly if you notice either.

We give our cats (2 of them) wet food every other day but still always keep two bowls of dry food out for them. Our oldest, biggest, and grumpiest cat does not eat her dry food any longer and holds out for wet food. We don't want them only eating wet food expensive and we know dry food is good for their teeth and we buy quality wet and dry cat food because we care about what they eat. I think she's really hungry and grumpier on days we don't give wet food. Solution?

In this type of situation where the pet is holding out for wet food and going on hunger strikes, it is actually more harmful to try and force Gambino to eat the dry food; than to just give her what she wants. Yes dry food does help with the teeth, but so does daily brushing and/or dental treats (Greenies work extremely well for my cats and come in all flavors). The benefits of wet food is far superior in my opinion because it helps keep the kidneys and bladder happy and healthy, which in grand scheme of things is a lot harder to correct once they start to malfunction than periodontal disease. So I would say stick with the wet food, because even though it is more costly at least you are not wasting money on dry food that you will have to toss anyway because she refuses to eat it, and you can't make her because quite frankly she's a cat, but it will lead to an overall healthier cat with potentially fewer medical visits dealing with urinary and/or kidney problems in the future.

Can you give a worming tablet to a cat in chronic renal failure

Hi and thank you for your question on Boop by Petco! Most deworming medications are generally ok to give to patients with renal disease, but it does depend on the medication being used. If you can provide the name of the medication, I can give you a bit more guidance. Thanks for posting!

My male cat has to get off of orijen and should only eat a wet food to prevent urinary blockage and promote urinary health. The vet recommended s/d feline but are there other canned wet food brands that are good for preventing urinary issues and crystal that do not have wheat, corn, soy or by products? And what is the daily serving of wet food for a 12 lb cat?

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. Besides Prescription Diet s/d, there are urinary diets manufactured by Royal Canin & Purina. Do not purchase an over the counter urinary diet, as they rarely work well. Unless your Lio has a specific allergy or sensitivity to wheat, corn, soy, or by-products, do not worry about their presence in the food. You should only be concerned about preventing urinary blockages. The normal daily amount to be fed to a 12 pound cat is 6.6 - 9.9 ounces daily. Take care.

Is it ok to feed my cat anti-hairball dry cat food every day if she's not having hairball problem these days?

Yes, depending on the food. Most of the brands that claim to have efficacy against hairballs have some kind of formulation that has added fiber designed to help hairballs to pass. Some foods are more effective than others at this (stick to Science Diet, Royal Canin, or Purina for over-the-counter non-prescription diets). These are not usually prescription diets and are almost always ok to feed as a maintenance diet to normal, healthy cats.

My cat has the basis of several nails dark, black, as if they were dirty or with brown blood

This can be a sign of a fungal infection of the nail base. If the nails do not appear normal it could also be a sign of certain autoimmune nail diseases. I would recommend seeing a veterinarian - ringworm is one type of fungus that could cause an infection and the treatment is very different from a yeast fungal infection so your veterinarian may want to run some tests. If there are changes to the nail or paw pads your veterinarian may want to take a sample for biopsy to rule out immune diseases like pemphigus.

Is it safe to vaccinate a pregnant cat if they have never been vaccinated before?

It is never recommended to vaccinate a pregnant pet. Modified live virus vaccines should never be given. Killed virus vaccines (such as rabies), may be given later in the pregnancy if necessary but only under the advice and guidance of your veterinarian.

Black spot under my cat s chin! I read about acne and plastic bowls. She has a cat mate water fountain she loves it and I clean it almost weekly. Do these photos look like acne? I have not been able to get my cat to the vet I a month . I had to cancel 3x’s and realize she must be seen which I plan on doing. however it might be a while and I am looking for reassurance or someone to tell me I should not wait any longer. Thanks in advance Catherine

Feline acne can present as a single papule (bump) or pustule (pus filled bump) that can be red and painful. If it ruptures, it can crust over and create a dark area like you are seeing on Mrs. Jones' chin. There isn't any way to tell from the pictures exactly what is going on under the dark area which is how we could determine what is going on . Feline acne results from an overgrowth of normal bacteria and yeast on the skin. It can become a problem when it involves a significant amount of the chin and/or is painful. If the crust is dried and non-painful, I would not recommend cleaning it or medicating it since that will sometimes makes them more irritated. If the area is red, swollen, painful or enlarging, Mrs. Jones needs to see her veterinarian. If this area resolves, but she is continuing to develop new areas, then I would also have your veterinarian examine her to see what can be done to prevent further outbreaks. There are topical products that we will use to help treat and prevent mild outbreaks. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Last night, my cat was diagnosed with lymphoma. We were given the option to euthanize, or spend hundreds on further exams and treatments. Are we doing the right thing by euthanizing her? She’s only 8 years old, but her lymphocyte levels and wbc levels were extremely high, and her red cells were very low.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! I am sorry to hear that. Lymphoma is an aggressive disease in cats, especially when in the gastrointestinal system and in circulation. Usually even with chemotherapy you are looking at a prognosis of 2-6 months depending on the exact type of lymphoma. You could try prednisolone as a palliative treatment to make her feel better for the time being and perhaps extend her survival time for a few weeks. If she is already anemic, she may also require a blood transfusion making things a bit more complicated. If she is not doing well and you are not interested in pursuing therapy knowing the prognosis then euthanasia is a good option. Let me know if you have further questions regarding her disease. Sorry for the sad news!

My cat somehow found a coq10 pill and I found it popped in the floor I’m not sure that she actually ate any of it but is it harmful to her if she did ingest some of it?

She should be fine. Coenzyme 10 is safe to give in high doses and she likely did not ingest enough to cause any problems. If you notice any signs such as vomiting, lethargy, inappetance, diarrhea, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine scarlett so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

So I put cat ear mite drops in my kitten and I didn't read that it was for adult cats and my cat is going crazy. She is shaking her head and running around the room jumping on things and won't stop itching her ear I don't know if that is normal. Also, I think I accidentally put too much drops in her ear... she wouldn't stop moving.

Hi there. Poor Chloe! Even adult cats with a high ear mite load often respond similarly-there is intense itch with the mite die off as well as the ear itself often have some open wounds from them-the medication will burn. If Chloe is having any true neurological signs like seizures, intense shaking, strange looking pupils, etc-best to get her to an emergency room right away for treatment. If you see nothing of this matter the side effects should subside soon. Hope this helps, my best to you and Chloe.

Symptoms of a broken rib? My kitten is nearly 8 weeks old, last night she was accidentally stood on. What other possible injuries may she have?

Poor Blue! Symptoms of a broken rib would include fast or labored breathing, and crying or acting painful when her chest is touched. In some cases, you may even be able to feel a fracture by running your fingers over her rib cage. If she was stepped on, she could also have other internal injuries such as damage to her liver, kidneys, or spleen, bruising of the lungs, or internal bleeding. If she is acting painful or lethargic, I would definitely recommend having her examined by a vet as soon as possible - she may need x-rays to help determine the problem and find out what can be done to help her.

Will fixing my cat make her stop peeing everywhere? we have tried everything to get her to stop.

That must be so frustrating for you! I recommend taking her into your vet if you haven't already to rule out a medical cause behind this behavior. Cats with a UTI will urinate everywhere, and she will need antibiotics to treat it if she does have one. Once a medical cause is ruled out, I would recommend spaying her. Female cats will mark to attract a male, and spaying her will help decrease this behavior. Even if it is a UTI causing this, I would still recommend spaying her. She may continue to mark to attract a male, and spaying will have many health benefits for her, including prevention of a pyometra ( a life threatening infection of the uterus) in addition to decreasing the marking behavior.

Cat Vet Q&A

Can cats eat pistachios?

I have a cat that just had 2 kittens. She has not eaten the placenta, and the kittens' umbilical cords are still attached to their mother. What do I do?

Can I Change to Non-Prescription Cat Food for Urinary Problems?

Can you give a worming tablet to a cat in chronic renal failure

Is it ok to feed my cat anti-hairball dry cat food every day if she's not having hairball problem these days?

My cat has the basis of several nails dark, black, as if they were dirty or with brown blood

Is it safe to vaccinate a pregnant cat if they have never been vaccinated before?

My cat somehow found a coq10 pill and I found it popped in the floor I’m not sure that she actually ate any of it but is it harmful to her if she did ingest some of it?

Symptoms of a broken rib? My kitten is nearly 8 weeks old, last night she was accidentally stood on. What other possible injuries may she have?

Will fixing my cat make her stop peeing everywhere? we have tried everything to get her to stop.