Best Cat Health Websites: Top 5 Resources
Posted October 2, 2018 by Dr. Dale Rubenstein.
Try searching for “Best Cat Health Websites”, and within seconds Google can provide you with thousands, if not millions, of results. With so much information and particularly misinformation available online these days, we have a few sites that we generally can recommend without reservation. They may not appear on the first page of your Google search results, but they will provide you with accurate information.
So here is our list for the best cat health websites. The sites listed below are not necessarily in any particular order. Each offers different information, so which is best for you will depend on what you are looking for. But when you read an article about a feline health issue on one of these sites, you can believe what it says. These sites only use information provided by top feline veterinarians. That is unlike many other sites, whose articles may be written by someone with no medical training at all.
#1. American Association of Feline Practitioners’s (AAFP) site, Catfriendly.com
This website is written for you, the cat owner. It’s a great general resource for many cat topics. There are sections covering all aspects of cat care, from basics of cat care at home, to keeping your cat healthy and cat disease information, to how to be a Cat Friendly caregiver. Browse their list of FAQs, where you might find the answer to the same question you’ve been wondering about. Adopting a kitten or adult cat? Their Adoption section has tips to help provide a smooth transition into your home. Do you have a senior kitty? Visit the Seniors page and browse through the topics there. If you want to jump directly to a specific topic, use the search bar at the top.
#2. Cornell Feline Health Center
The Cornell Feline Health Center was the first center dedicated solely to the improvement of feline health. It started focusing on cats in 1974, back when cats were often treated like small dogs. But as any cat lover knows, that is not true! Cats have very different medical behavioral and medical needs. The center supports many research studies and shares the results with the veterinary community and cat owners as well.
In their Feline Health Topics section, there is an alphabetical listing of topics from Aging and Anemia, through Eye Problems and FIV, to Urinary Issues and Zoonosis (diseases transmissible between animals and people).
You can also subscribe to their monthly newsletter, CatWatch, which provides up-to-date information on a variety of feline health issues.
#3. VeterinaryPartner.com
Before everyone had a smart phone in their pocket, back in the days before even toddlers had access to the internet, veterinarians had to get information from textbooks, journals, and attending continuing education lectures. But the sharing of new information was still a slow process.
Today, information is passed along at lightning speed. And in the case of medical breakthroughs, that is a very good thing. So the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) was started to provide veterinarians with a way to connect to one another, read about the latest research studies, and share information about what was working in their private clinical practices, all in one place.
VIN was so successful, they started a partner site for pet owners, which is VeterinaryPartner.com. This site is updated frequently and provides the latest information about pet health care. They have an extensive list of topics related to four major categories: cat diseases and conditions, care at home, toxicities, and behavior. All the articles are written by veterinary experts. Use the search bar at the top, or just browse the hundreds of articles.
#4. The Indoor Pet Initiative
The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine started the Indoor Pet Initiative (IPI) to help cat owners create a stimulating and healthy environment for their indoor cats. Their ideas for providing the best environment for your cat are based on the soundest, most up-to-date science available.
This site focuses on how cats’ emotional health can benefit their physical health. This is a go-to site to research any behavioral problems or questions you might have regarding your cat. Start by reviewing their information on Basic Indoor Cat Needs, then try the articles on Understanding Cats. There’s a section on how to help your cat deal with various Life Stressors (new baby, moving, new pets), and another on solving specific Problems (cleaning up cat urine, conflict between cats, increasing activity).
#5. International Cat Care
International Cat Care is an organization whose mission is “To engage, educate and empower people throughout the world to improve the health and welfare of cats by sharing advice, training and passion.” Their website has a section with Advice for cat owners on general topics ranging from general Cat Care, Cat Health, and Behavior. It also has several videos demonstrating various techniques for handling cats in situations your cat may not be too crazy about, such as getting used to a carrier, administering medications, and home blood glucose testing.
Of course, we encourage you to browse through our own Blog posts on this website, for articles on topics ranging from Microchips for Cats to Anti-Anxiety Medication for Cats, from Cat Fleas and Ticks Prevention to Panreatitis in Cats. Check out our page Videos page as well. We even have a search bar so you can jump directly to whatever topic you are interested in learning more about.
And please remember, none of this wonderful information is a substitute for a consult or examination with your veterinarian. We provide this information because we believe in the importance of educating our cat families. But especially when dealing with a medical issue, you should only use the information you find on these websites to help you understand what’s going on with your cat. It can help you recognize when things aren’t quite normal, or what questions to ask your vet. Following an examination with your veterinarian for a diagnosis and treatment plan, you can again use online information to help you more fully understand the treatment process.
Think your cat has a disease problem you just read about on one of these sites? Schedule an appointment or call the office at 301-540-7770 today!