News Briefs for the Week of April 14, 2002
By Marcella Durand for Cat Facts
- Arthritis May be Common in Older Cats
While some cat owners may chalk up their cat's creakiness to old age, there may be a more insidious cause. A new study, conducted at the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University, found that an astounding 90 percent of cats they examined had osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease (DJD). All cats in the study were 12 years old or older.
Since cats often hide their pain, they may not appear lame, as osteoarthritic dogs frequently do. Instead, they show subtler symptoms. They may start missing the litter box or may not groom themselves as well as they used to. They may also be a lot grumpier-which is understandable. If you couldn't get to your favorite spot on the couch because your bones hurt too much, you'd be grumpy, too.
The researchers suggest that veterinarians look to osteoarthritis as a possible cause of these subtle symptoms. "Because many cats now have an extended life span," says the report, "there is a need to characterize the prevalence, causes of, and clinical signs associated with DJD in cats... They are notorious for hiding signs of lameness in the veterinarian's office."
If you suspect your cat has osteoarthritis, talk to your veterinarian about your options for diagnosing the condition and improving kitty's quality of life.
- Young Lions Carry Good Wishes to Kabul
They're big pawprints to fill, but two young lions will do their darndest to fill them. In the process, they may even help restore a small bit of peace to a war-ravaged country.
In a symbolic gesture of friendship, the Beijing Badaling Safari Park and Chinese conservation societies have decided to donate two three-year-old lions, named Zhuang Zhuang and Kai Nui, to the Kabul Zoo in Afghanistan. The lions will replace Marjan, the zoo's neglected and abused lion, who died earlier this year at 26 years of age.
According to China Daily newspaper, Abdul Basir Hotak, the head of the Embassy of the Afghan Interim Administration in China, visited the two lions in March with his two daughters and formally accepted them on behalf of the interim Afghan government. According to Hotak, the people in Kabul will be "very happy" to see the two lions in the zoo, because lions are symbols of love and peace.
The two lions "get along well and will, hopefully, produce offspring next spring," says the zookeeper at Beijing Badaling Safari Park. Before the lions leave China, around the end of April, they will be given new names representing the good wishes of the Chinese people.
After news of Marjan's sad condition spread worldwide, individuals and animal welfare groups donated tens of thousands of dollars to rebuild Kabul Zoo, with part of the money going toward a new lion enclosure.
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