Follow a claim to a relevant publisher

Sources should help you check the point being made, not merely decorate a page. Numbered references in a guide lead to its Sources & reading list. Open the source and look for the passage relevant to that claim, including its intended audience and limitations.

For example, litter-box placement needs a source about access and toileting; a general adoption page is not enough. A breed profile can describe a coat, while individual symptoms need veterinary assessment rather than a registry description.

The types of evidence we use

  • Veterinary professional organizations: environment, interaction and other published feline-care guidance.
  • Veterinary universities: general health and nutrition information written for cat owners.
  • Cat-welfare organizations: practical home preparation, play and household-care guidance.
  • Breed registries: documented breed descriptions and standards, with limits on what they predict.

Initial publishers include FelineVMA, Cornell Feline Health Center, Cats Protection, ASPCA, CFA and TICA. Linking to an organization does not establish affiliation, endorsement or a veterinary review of PurrAtlas.

What check dates mean

A checked date records when a source was reviewed during preparation or revision. It is not a live availability check, certification of every statement on the publisher's site or guarantee that the link never changes. A source may move, revise its wording or restrict access.

If a source is inaccessible, try the publisher's own search and report the broken link through contact. Do not replace it with an unrelated page simply to preserve a citation count.

Search research is separate from care evidence

Google search results help reveal the questions people are trying to answer. Google Trends shows relative interest in selected terms, not an individual cat's needs or a care recommendation. We use these tools to choose clear wording; factual care claims still require appropriate sources.

Examples and measurements

Worked arithmetic and household scenarios are labeled as examples. They show how to apply a method without claiming a veterinary outcome. Owner observations can help a professional conversation but do not validate a diagnosis.

See the editorial policy for corrections and AI-image disclosure. To challenge a fact, send the exact URL, passage and relevant original source, so the issue can be checked directly.