Cat Clinic and Hospital

Newsletters

SUMMER 2023 Mewsletter
FELINE EXPERTISE, EXPERIENCE, AND EXCELLENCE FOR CATS!

A CAT'S SUPERPOWER

The sense of smell is the primary way cats identify people and objects. Cats have more than 200 million odor sensors in their noses; humans have
just 5 million. Their sense of smell is 14 times better than that of humans. Scientists estimate cats can smell their food from between 126 – 154 feet
away (roughly a football field wide). While the human nose contains roughly five to six million olfactory receptors, cats have up to 200 million.
Cats use their excellent sense of smell to detect any approaching predators — and for sniffing out their prey! They also leave a lot of pheromones as
clues to communicate with other cats.

The June 2023 Neuroscience News * reports that researchers have uncovered the intricate structure within a cat’s nose that aids in their exceptional olfactory abilities. Through a 3D computer model and simulations, it was observed that air inhaled by cats, splits into two distinct streams within a cat’s nose, aiding both respiratory and olfactory functions. Notably, this research suggests that the feline nose operates much like a highly effective gas chromatograph.

There are anecdotal reports about cats detecting cancer in their humans, but no formal studies to test cats' ability to smell cancer . In the future,
research may be able to understand more about the range of our cats superpower.
*https://neurosciencenews.com/cat-olfaction-23557/#:~:text=The%20study%20revealed%20that%20inhaled

NAIL CARE FOR CATS

Are your cat's nails snagging on carpeting, clicking on tile, or maybe just too darn sharp? Cat claw maintenance is essential to help your cat stay
active and play. Because nails should be trimmed at least once a month, you'll need to invest in a few items to make this possible. If you absolutely
cannot trim your cat's nails, and you feel they should be trimmed, you can arrange for a nail trim with one of our experienced veterinary technicians
at the Cat Clinic and Hospital for a $20 fee.

There are two main type of trimmers that most cat owners use....the 'scissor' style and the 'mini-guillotine' style. Both nail trimmers are especially easy to use because they provide a hole through which you place the cat’s nail. With the guillotine style, a sharp blade drops down once you have the nail in the proper place. As illustrated in this picture, you will want to avoid hitting the quick as it will result in bleeding.

It is advisable to keep styptic powder or a stypic pencil handy in case of an accidental cut to the quick area. Have the stypic powder ready to use so
you don't have to go looking for it in case of bleeding. The stypic powder isavailable through pet supply sources and is commonly used to quickly
contract the blood vessels and stop the bleeding. In between nail trimmings, providing your cat with scratching posts and pads will help keep nails in shape.

​Our veterinary technicians and/or assistants are available to answer any questions you may have regarding trimming at home, or making an appointment at the Cat Clinic to have them cut here.... 412-681-1122.

CATS....EITHER YOU LOVE THEM OR YOU'RE WRONG!

Our new T-shirts are in stock! "Cats.....either you love them or you're wrong." In blue (of course), and available for only $10 (50% off our regular price of $20) when you show us your copy of this newsletter on your phone (or print it out) through August 2023, or while the supply lasts. Gilden brand, 100% Softstyle Cotton, lightweight, ranging in sizes from Small to 3X.

Since 1979, we have cared for tens of thousands of Pittsburgh cats and kittens, and we bring our passion for felines to work with us. After 44 years, you know what we love. Every cat is treated like they are our own, and every human companion is treated with kindness and respect. A feline only practice is the truly fear free environment for cats!

April/May 2023 Mewsletter
FELINE EXPERTISE, EXPERIENCE, AND EXCELLENCE FOR CATS!

WHY ARE THE CAT CLINIC WALLS PAINTED BLUE?

If you read our Spring 2023 newsletter, you are aware that we just finished the interior remodeling and renovation at the Cat Clinic and Hospital. Before we started this project in November 2022, the question that kept on coming up was, "what color should we use on the walls?" Everyone had their favorites, but how about our feline patients? So, we did some research, and we found out something about what colors cats see better than others, and the ones they may prefer. Amazing, who would have known?!!

ARE CATS COLOR BLIND?

The science community had always told us that our cats were dichromatic, or only able to see two colors. But we now know that they can see green-yellow colors as well as blue-violet shades. But, because cats are red-green color blind, cats have difficulty telling the difference between red, brown,
orange, and purple. “Think of what a colorized picture lookslike when they use a pop of color in a black and white photo for dramatic effect (Olesen).”

BLUE IT IS!

The color cats see most clearly on the spectrum, according to research, is blue! The rest of the world has a dull gray tint to it. So, we chose to paint
the Cat Clinic and Hospital three shades of blue, throughout, because most felines tend to like BLUE the best! Blues and violet turn out to be the most
calming colors to cats. And because dark blue turns out to be the world’s most relaxing color for humans, it was the perfect choice. The color blue can actually help reduce stress in your cat.
What Colors Do Cats Like or Are They in Fact Color Blind? By Jacob Olesen

ENTER HERE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A CAT CLINIC T-SHIRT

Enter for a chance to win a free Cat Clinic T-Shirt! On May 1, three names/emails will be drawn at random for our newest T-shirt. Only one entry per name or per email. And of course, it only comes in BLUE. Free shipping to any of the 48 contiguous US States, only. Link to the Cat Clinic website and entry information here: Entry for t-shirt drawing

Spring 2023 Mewsletter
FELINE EXPERTISE, EXPERIENCE, AND EXCELLENCE FOR CATS!

April marks our 44th year of caring exclusively for cats in Pittsburgh
 
Remodeling and Renovation

We have been working over the winter months with remodeling and renovation projects to help us meet the needs of our patients and their human companions. Our next newsletter will have a walk through of the many improvements we have made to deliver quality care for your cat-family. We even chose the color blue throughout, with cats in mind. Can you take a guess why we chose blue?

Our Excellent Staff While some of our long time staff members are no longer with us, we welcome our new staff members, who join Dr. Robert Bebko and Dr. Donna Hughes to deliver excellent veterinary care for your cats and kindness and compassion for you, the human companion. The Cat Clinic staff and veterinarians represent over 100 years of feline experience!

Our Commitment to Caring for Cats Since 1979, we have cared for tens of thousands of Pittsburgh cats and kittens, and we bring our passion for felines to work with us. After 44 years, you know what we love. Every cat is treated like they are our own, and every human companion is treated with kindness and respect. A feline only practice is the truly fear free environment for cats! We hope to see you soon! Call for an appointment. And we always make time to see our patients in need! 412-681-1122