With Christmas behind us and the New Year on the horizon, you’ve likely been thinking about your goals for 2022. While you’re dialing in those New Year’s resolutions, why not consider setting some goals for your feline friend, too? The dawning of a new year is an excellent time to establish habits that will benefit your cat for the rest of their life.

December is Winter Weather Safety Month, making it the perfect time to remind pet owners of the dangers that come with the cold winter months. From hypothermia risk and protecting sensitive paws to leashing your dog and ensuring adequate shelter for outdoor cats, there are many precautions to take to ensure your pets continue living their best lives straight through this cold, snowy season.

There’s nothing quite as exciting as bringing home a new bundle of joy — especially when it’s a furry one! Adding a kitten to your family is a fun and rewarding experience, but it’s important to remember that a new home filled with brand-new sights, sounds, and smells can be frightening for a tiny kitten. After all, your new baby likely just left behind their mother, a litter of playful siblings, and the only home they have ever known.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to make the transition a bit easier.

When any holiday rolls around, we want our pets to be involved in the fun festivities since they’re a beloved member of the family. However, a few holidays require keeping an extra eye on our fur friends, and Halloween is one such holiday. When pets’ stress levels are elevated and outdoor dangers pose a threat to their safety, it’s best to be on high alert. Below are some tips to help keep your pets safe and stress-free on this spectacularly spooky night.

Vaccinating your cat is the best way to protect them from a wide range of contagious — and potentially deadly — diseases. From Rabies to Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, your feline friend could fall victim to many illnesses if you fail to keep them up to date on essential vaccines. Even if you keep your cat strictly indoors, it’s vital to keep their vaccinations updated. It only takes seconds for a cat to slip out a door or window, and if mice or other pests find their way into your home, you never know what types of diseases they could be carrying.

Just about anyone can be a cat owner. But it takes a special person and some serious effort to be a great cat owner. Sharing your home with a feline friend is about more than feeding them daily and keeping their litter box clean. It’s about creating an environment that meets their needs, keeping them safe, and ensuring they get to spend lots of healthy, happy years by your side. As veterinarians, clients often ask us how they can be better cat owners and what they can do to give their pets the best life possible, especially if they’ve never had cats in their lives before.

One of the challenges many cat owners face is getting their cat to the vet clinic. Many of us are fellow cat parents, so we can appreciate the arduous task this can be. As veterinarians, we also know that regular vet care is essential for our feline friends' overall health and longevity. Many cat owners put off wellness exams and other vet visits because of this challenge, but doing so can have dire consequences.

Spring is in full swing, with summer fast approaching. This means that flowers are on every corner, freshly cut on most tables, and possibly blossoming in your own garden. If you’re partaking in this extravaganza, more flower power to you. Be aware, however, that if you’ve got a furry feline that is fairly curious (read: all of them), there are some plants and flowers that are toxic or at least potentially toxic to cats.