Paula Randazzo

Snoring in cats, while not as common as in dogs, is usually caused by some kind of partial obstruction in the upper airway. The low-pitched sound, called stertor, usually results from soft tissue or fluid interfering with the smooth passage of air through the nose or throat. As in people, it may be just positional…

Cats scratch furniture for a number of reasons. Scratching is a good form of exercise for them. They get to stretch out their bodies and extend and retract their nails. When they scratch, the movements help remove the outer nail sheaths. Cats also scratch to leave visual and olfactory (scent) markers. Their interdigital glands, which…

Cats often get unfairly labeled as lazy and aloof when, in fact, they can be quite expressive and frisky, even though their actions can at times seem perplexing. Take the twisting gyrations some cats perform on their backs. Catnip could be one culprit, but there are also other reasons your kitty might do this shimmy.…

It doesn’t make sense. Your cat loves to look out the window, but when you bring out the leash, she takes off and hides. What gives? “It’s normal for a cat — especially more fearful or timid cats — to be frightened by a new experience that is introduced too quickly,” says board-certified veterinary behaviorist…

But while most felines aren’t too inclined to meow their opinions, there are some cats who are downright chatty. According to Dr. Ilana Reisner, DVM, PhD, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist at Reisner Veterinary Behavior & Consulting Services in Media, Pa., if it’s clear that the object of a cat’s meow is a human, she likely…

While cats are not yet counted as viewers in Nielsen ratings, it’s not uncommon for some kitties to become engrossed in TV programming. Dr. Jillian Orlando, DVM, a veterinary behavior resident at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, says that you’re more likely to find cats watching “the real-life soap opera” going…

One reason cats knock over things is simply because it’s fun. As numerous hilarious Internet videos show, our cats seem to love to knock things off high places. Why do they engage in this funny — but also sometimes annoying or even dangerous — behavior? Anyone who has cats knows they are very adept in…

Does your cat sometimes fling litter out of her box like party confetti? If so, there are usually some very simple reasons why. Let’s consider normal feline elimination behavior. When cats eliminate in the litterbox, they typically follow a certain behavior pattern. First, they may inspect the litter material. Next, they may dig a shallow…