The challenge in feline medicine  |  Your cat may not receive the best medical treatment available. Sadly, evidence-based veterinary medicine is still not common practice. Too often, veterinarians act out of habit, based on recommendations from a salesperson or colleague, or rely on poor-quality scientific studies. Additionally, feline medicine and behavior are heavily understudied due to a lack of funding, with people often prioritizing the well-being of humans and dogs over that of cats. Veterinarians lack the time to read all scientific publications, do not have access to all of them, and are not trained to critically evaluate their quality and reliability. Studies with serious methodological flaws or financial conflicts of interest are all too common. Oftentimes, we are contending with veterinary pharmaceutical companies that prioritize profit over feline welfare. 

Our research approach  |  A team of ten volunteer scientists at Cowboy Cat Ranch dedicates their time to objective, basic science to better understand feline behavior and disease. We conduct only animal-friendly scientific experiments, either observational or using leftover samples from veterinary clinics. Furthermore, we write and publish Systematic Review articles that critically evaluate and summarize all scientific knowledge on specific topics in veterinary medicine. Because we publish open-access, these Systematic Reviews are readily accessible by veterinarians and will help improve the quality of life of cats. 

Our impact  |  Our first Systematic Review revealed that, contrary to popular belief, lysine given to cats to prevent or cure feline herpes infection is not effective and may even be harmful. Three additional scientific publications by Cowboy Cat Ranch have been read over 74,000 times globally, significantly raising awareness and leading to the increased use of cat-attracting plants such as silver vine and Tatarian honeysuckle to enrich the lives of both domestic and big cats. 

Need for funding  |  We are currently restricted to experiments that cost up to a few hundred dollars. Since 2014, the founders have invested over $10,000 of their personal money to support this research and cover the costs of open-access publishing. An annual budget of $10,000 would enable us to explore more diverse topics related to feline medicine and behavior, and would allow us to always publish our study results such that it is available to anyone for free. 

What makes us unique  |  We are the only independent feline research non-profit in the world, as we refuse donations from companies within the veterinary industry, and rely entirely on your support. We maintain complete transparency regarding the donations received and how we spent the money. Furthermore, we do not conduct experiments involving laboratory animals or those that result in stress, discomfort, pain, or death. The cats at Cowboy Cat Ranch are considered family.