Holey Cats

Lower blood pressure, reduced risk of heart disease and decreased stress hormones are not the only medical benefits cats may provide us. A small number of cats develop chronic kidney disease (CKD) and this progresses in a similar way to human CKD. Humans with kidney problems are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis – where the bones become thin and prone to fracture. The same is true of cats, who have a similar bone structure to us. In this study researchers analysed cats that had died naturally from CKD (with permission from their owners). Pictured are CAT scans from cats: on the right, bone from a CKD cat is less dense and has increased numbers of cavities compared to bone from a control on the left. This has helped to understand why the bones are more fragile and will lead to improved treatments for both cats and human with CKD.

Written by Julie Webb

Julie Webb

Writer

Julie began her career as a researcher in genetics. In 2000 she won a Wellcome Trust award for her work on a collaborative science drama, staged at the Edinburgh Festival. She now works as a freelance science writer and communicator.

• Image from work by Anna Shipov and colleagues
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
• Originally published under a Creative Commons Licence (BY 4.0)
• Research published in PLOS One, October 2014