10 useful sites for researching cat health issues
If you need to do some cat health research and don’t want to waste time on the outdated, the misinformed, the dubious, and the sales-centric, this list should help.
I’ve spent way too much time vetting cat health websites. For every cat health topic, I like to:
- Investigate the conventional vet-endorsed info
- See what holistic cat experts are saying
- See what regular folks are saying about real experiences with natural options
Here are some online picks for these sources. (Though books are important too.) I’m not saying that every resource here is purrfect, but I’ve found the following to be better than most at what they offer.
P.S. Need a holistic vet you consult with by phone?
Conventional cat health info
1. Good symptom checker on Pet Education.com. (Feline hypochondriacs: beware!)
2. Helpful Cat health conditions section on the “vet certified” PetMD website. Provides lots of reader-friendly information about conditions and treatments.
Holistic cat health info
3. The Health section of holistic vet Dr. Jean Hofve’s LittleBigCat.com is an excellent place to search or browse for helpful facts and insights.
4. The Conscious Cat site has many holistic health gems you can find with the Search field.
5. (NEW addition) BarkandWhiskers.com is a great resource thanks to outstanding content from the holistically-smart Dr. Becker.
6. For Chronic Renal Failure info, I am impressed with FelineCRF.org. It includes many (conventional and holistic) tips that are helpful for anyone caring for a cat with a serious disease, including “Obtaining affordable supplies” and “Persuading a cat to eat.”
7. Alternative cancer treatment options for pets are summarized and evaluated by holistic vet Dr. Charles Loop. He seems to keep this section updated, and provides some helpful details I have not seen elsewhere. (I wish I could tell you there are other good sites on this topic, but I have not seen them…yet.) Note that this list is for cats and dogs, and note he says that with cats one must be more selective. (Remember, essential oils and alpha-lipoic-acid can be bad for cats.)
General cat health info
8. There’s an about.com Cat site that can be useful for researching cat health topics. Most of the information you find there is conventional, but Franny Syfuy writes in a helpful way and she does touch on natural options at times. The Fatty Liver Disease section is great.
Real people on experiences with natural options
9. The EarthClinic’s Cat Remedies section is a place where real people weigh in on what’s working or not working for them. Now, this is not a place to take anyone’s word as medical fact. Treat it like an interesting conversation with people who have already tried some of the things you are researching.
Tip: There is also a holistic cat forum hosted by author Sandy Arora, though there is a subscription charge.
“Is that toxic for cats?” info
10. The Aspca Poison Control Center is a place I trust with questions like “Is this flower toxic to cats? Can my cat eat this food?“
How about you? Any sites you want to weigh in on?
I’m sure I’ve overlooked some good ones. I hope you’ll share them in the Comments below.
Thank you!
Basically, I like petmd,littlebigcat for cat health info though there are more sites for that. But it’ll be the best to contact with a good vet. By the way, Liz done a good work. All we should bookmarked this page as this is very important page for us.
Incredibly useful! Thanks so much for this post. I always Google questions I have about cat health, but it’s nice to also read up by browsing through sites one by one since I don’t always know what kinds of things to research about.
Hi. It’s so great to read this article. I need these articles to take care my cats. Good blog, i will visit again 🙂
I wanted to provid this link for all Feline owners with IBD :
http://feline-nutrition.org/health/feline-inflammatory-bowel-disease-nature-and-treatment
WOW just what I waas searching for. Came here by searching for cat cancer
Hi Liz,
Excellent and useful resource list – thanx! Glad you only listed good sources – nice filtering.
I can personally vouch for Conscious Cat, PetMD, ASPCA, and LittleBigCat.
You’re right – the about.com page is a good starting point. I’ve used that one on more than one occasion.
I’d also add that pet-health-care-gazette.com is a good one.
“(Feline hypochondriacs: beware!)” = good humor 🙂
Sometimes I will ask a question on Yahoo Answers or look to see if i can find it posted already.
Other times I will just type my question in Google if I can’t find much about it on any of the specific sites.
Another good resource is to call the vet if something is serious.
Great list and now thanx to you we have more resources to turn to.
=^-^= Hairless Cat Girl =^-^=
wwwvetnegligence-vaccinescom
I was wondering if you would be willing to share my story and/or website with your readers. Thank you for your consideration..Jena
Hi Liz, I agree with Ingrid’s links. It’s good to know more holistic sites are popping up, but as always it’s “consumer beware”. Just because something is labelled holistic doesn’t mean it’s current accurate info. It’s one reason I’m bringing my vet on board for a vet 101 Q &A at my blog.
Michele Yasson, DVM has a great site. I learned about Neoplasene cancer medicine, and have taken off tumore from one of my cats with it…we must exchange notes! And yes, of COURSE send folks who want to adopt!!! I must find homes so that I can take in more,!
Thank you Cynthia! Dr. Yasson’s site is a good point. I listed her on the “holistic vets to call list,” but neglected to recognize the usefulness of her site. Looking forward to exchanging notes with you and helping to get the word out about your awesome holistic rescue program.
I discovered your blog last week and started follow your posts religiously. I have not commented on any blog just yet but I was thinking I would love to. It’s really exciting to actually contribute to a article even if it’s only a blog. I really don’t know exactly what to write other than I really enjoyed reading through 2 of the articles. Nice articles indeed. I sure will keep visiting your blog weekly. I learned quite a bit from you. Thx!
I just ask my ex. She’s a vet. *hangs head*
Great resource listing. I’m honored that you listed The Conscious Cat!
A couple of sites I also like:
Veterinary Partner (for traditional veterinary information): http://veterinarypartner.com/
Healthy Pet (the American Animal Hospital Association’s site for pet owners): http://healthypet.com/
Mercola Healthy Pets (holistic pet health information): http://healthypets.mercola.com/
Thank you Ingrid and Cat Guy! Your input is very much appreciated.
I am so happy to be reminded of the mercola site because I wanted to list another good holistic one. This title may have to change to “10+ useful sites…”
Thanks for compiling this list – what a great resource!
Having had a CRF kitty, I spent a lot of time on http://www.felinecrf.org learning about CRF and what to expect. There is a lot of very helpful information there – I certainly recommend it.