General Health Links
The Cornell Feline Health Center - Online information on feline health from one of the most respected names in Feline Veterinary medicine. We at Zirdeli Cats encourage you to become a supporting member of the Cornell Feline Health Center, as a way to support their tireless efforts to learn more about how to keep our cats healthy!
Feline Health Related Links - If you didn't see what you're looking for in our list of links, we highly recommend you try the following link. Originally started by the Internet Cat Club, this comprehensive list is now at Cats Centerstage! Zirdeli extends its kudos to the creators of this list for doing an excellent job with excellent resources!
Dr Susan Little's Website for Breeders and Fanciers - Practicing in Ottawa, Canada, Dr Little has been in feline practice for over 10 years. Her main areas of interest are cattery medicine, feline reproduction and management of stray and feral cat populations. A former breeder/exhibitor of pedigreed cats, she currently is a member of the Health Committee of the Cat Fanciers' Association and a board member of the Winn Feline Foundation. She writes and lectures extensively on pedigreed cat health issues for the public, veterinarians and breeders.
Infectious Diseases and Vaccination
CatShots - Educating Cat Owners about Feline Vaccine-related Cancers because Prevention is the Best Cure! Your cat doesn't need every vaccine on the market just because a company makes it! Your strictly indoor cat doesn't need annual vaccinations! Learn what vaccines your cat should have, and those he may not need, based on your cat's age, health and environment!
Feline Vaccine Associated Sarcoma Support - We speak from first-hand experience - if your cat is diagnosed with a vaccine or injection-related cancer, this group is an excellent source of support and provides a wealth of information!
Feline Genetics, Anomalies, and Pedigrees
Flat-Chested Kitten Syndrome - This mysterious syndrome can occur in kittens of any breed or pedigree and in randomly bred cats. It's cause is unknown. Kittens appearing normal at birth begin to show poor weight gain and poor nursing at 4-6 days of age. This is due to what is believed to be a disorder of the intercostal muscles. This disorder causes a deformity of the rib cage, which limits the space available to the kitten's lungs for expansion, and if severe, can adversely impact cardiac function. The excess energy needed for the kitten to breathe leads to poor weight gain, weakness and poor ability to nurse. The syndrome occurs in various degrees. Kittens may survive if the syndrome is not severe and they are supplemented, as needed to maintain their weight, through the first three weeks of life. This link is the most informative that we were able to find when one of our kittens developed this syndrome. Should you need to visit this link, be sure to read the Veterinary information page. If you have a kitten with this syndrome, join the FCKS support list.
THINK - Thoracic Investigations in Kittens - This organization was started by a group of breeders and a vet who were concerned by illness and death in young kittens related to thoracic deformities. The organization has four main objectives: to identify the various forms of thoracic deformities that occur in kittens, to educate the general public and the veterinary profession about thoracic deformities in kittens, to fund research, and to help breeders and vets to treat the condition.
Color Genetics FAQs - CFA's list of Frequently Asked Questions, with answers, about Color Genetics in cats.
The Feline Genome Project - Headed up by Dr. Leslie Lyons, this University of California at Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine study hopes to find genetic markers specific to individual breeds of cats. For those breeders who wish to participate, this link will give you the basic information on how to proceed.
Vangoran - For Turkish Angora and Turkish Van pedigree enthusiasts, this web site, based in Europe, and available in both English and Swedish, may help you to find the pedigree for your Turkish Angora or Turkish Van cat.
CatPedigrees.com - This site includes pedigrees for several breeds, including the Turkish Angora cat.
Feline Nutrition, Gastrointestinal Disorders and Feline Diabetes
Feeding Your Cat - Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition - This web site was created and is maintained by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM. If you're feeding your cats exclusively dry food, or kibble, you need to read this! In increasing numbers, Veterinary nutritionists are strongly recommending canned cat food instead of dry kibble. I learned this the hard way - when our cat Toby required surgery to remove a bladder stone and when Flurry - the kitty pictured at the top of this page - was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). This site was my starting point for all of the research that went into my choice of a well-balanced and natural canned food for my cats. A good diet will help to prevent or treat not just bladder stones and IBD, but also feline diabetes, an ever-increasing problem in cats. I recommend that everyone print out the page on Commercial Canned Foods!
Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Each of the links below have a slightly different level of information, but I found all four very useful in my quest to try to understand this somewhat elusive disorder, which may present itself quite differently from one cat to another. It also requires individualized treatment and there is no "one size fits all" understanding of this disease, it's treatment, or how it reveals itself.
Feline Diabetes - Complete with 24 hour a day support through a message board, this web site is extremely comprehensive, and is perhaps the best place to start for information on Feline Diabetes.
CatNutrition.org is a web site that was created to provide information to people who might be interested in feeding their cat a raw meat diet. The site's author shares her personal experiences, tips and recipes.
Other Feline Health, Behavior and Support links
The Winn Feline Foundation - The Winn Feline Foundation is the only charitable foundation that funds only feline medical research. Through your donations, the Winn Feline Foundation provides a way for you to contribute to feline health research. find out what feline health studies are being supported by the Winn Feline Foundation and how YOU can help today!
Think Twice Before You Declaw - Written by Steve Dale, syndicated columnist of "Steve Dale's Pet World", this informative article doesn't just tell you why declawing is undesirable. It give you practical alternatives and realistic instructions about how easy it is to train your cat using deterrents, scratching posts and cat condos.
Feline Health Support and Information Groups:
Feline Vaccine Associated Sarcoma Support - if your cat is diagnosed with a vaccine or injection-related cancer, this group is an excellent source of support and provides a wealth of information!
Feline Inflammatory Bowel Disease - if your cat is diagnosed with IBD, this group of over 2,000 members is there to help!
Flat-Chested Kitten Syndrome - if you have a kitten that you suspect has this syndrome (visit the links above for the symptoms), this group is a must!