Annie Shirreffs

Brush your cat regularly. Hairballs are a common cause of constipation in cats, so removing excess hair before your cat grooms on their own can cut down on the hair they might swallow. Depending on the cause of the constipation, therapeutic diets with varying amounts of dietary fiber types (soluble and insoluble) can help treat constipation or prevent its recurrence, Dr. Ward says.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and many cat advocacy groups recommend neutering by 5 months of age. However, some veterinarians say 4 months is fine.

What makes a cat beautiful? For some people, the cat breed’s coat color or pattern put them on the most beautiful cats list. For others, it’s the color of the eyes. For Rick Hoskinson, an all-breed judge with The International Cat Association (TICA), a registry of purebred cats, it’s a combination of these qualities that makes a cat truly striking. “A beautifully balanced cat with stunning condition is always an attention getter,” he says.