Cats, the medical black box: Feline medicine lags behind its canine counterpart

Veterinarian Richard Borecky (left) and veterinarian technician Melanie Velazquez examine a cat in Tampa, Florida. Over the last few decades, veterinary medicine has made enormous strides, allowing pets to receive highly advanced care but feline medicine has lagged behind its canine counterpart. — OCTAVIO JONES//The New York Times

When my husband and I took our cat to the vet early last year, we were hoping to hear that we had nothing to worry about.

Olive, a longhaired tortoiseshell kitten who had been the runt of her litter, was naturally quiet and skittish, prone to hiding in closets and napping behind the shower curtain. That made her hard to read – and sometimes simply to find.