
Columbus, OH - Different routines, strange noises, and negative attention can cause healthy cats to exhibit signs of sickness a three-year study conducted at Ohio State University reveals. The study included 32 cats, twelve of which were healthy, and the twenty others exhibiting signs of sickness and distress. The sick cats were provided by owners who were otherwise opting for euthanasia. The study showed that as stress levels were reduced the sick cats became healthier. Some of these cats suffered from chronic pain syndrome that affected the bladder and other conditions such as feline interstitial cystitis (FIC). The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was conducted by Doctoral candidate Judi Stella, Tony Buffington, a professor of veterinary clinical sciences, and Linda Lord, an assistant professor in the school's Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, who observed the colony of neutered and spayed cats at the OSU's research lab. The early parts ...