Granted, these will help cats

THE WINN Feline Foundation recently awarded more than $173,000 to nine feline medical research-grant projects. The organization is supporting studies of a variety of diseases affecting cats, including gastrointestinal disease associated with E. coli infection in kittens; feline infectious peritonitis; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the most common form of heart disease in cats; oral squamous cell cancer; feline calicivirus; and new drug treatments for Tritrichomonas foetus. Another study continues investigation into the use of stem cells to treat chronic kidney disease in cats.

*  The New Hampshire legislature is considering a bill that would include pets in domestic violence protection laws. Dogs, cats and other family pets are often threatened, harmed or even killed by abusers, making it difficult for abuse victims to flee without fearing for an animal's well being. New Hampshire does not currently have any domestic-violence shelters that permit pets, but some animal shelters work with crisis centers to provide temporary housing for pets belonging to abuse victims. Veterinarians, boarding kennels and volunteers are also available to help.