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Just when Alexa and I thought we had seen everything, we’re surfing along the web looking at cat toys and just look what we came across: A Cat DVD for Cats
! I’m not even lying, she raised her eyebrows. I’m pretty sure she’ll be wanting Santa to bring her one this Christmas.

The DVD has this to say for itself:
Over 3 hours of digital video footage to entertain your cats or dogs. Squirrels, goldfish, mice, birds, laser pointers and much more!

What a great idea! When Prissy’s eyes did more than just look beautiful, she’d love to “watch” tv. She’d sit on the couch all evening and watch whatever happened to be on. Her favorite shows were NASCAR races and Disney or NICKELODEON shows. I guess she loved the brightness and the voices of the children.

As for NASCAR, she just liked to cheer on her favorite drivers, Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip and Ryan Newman. She wasn’t much of a Jeff Gordon fan. She wouldn’t speak for days when he won.

Check out the Cat DVD for Cats by clicking the link. I think it’d make a lot of dogs and cats feel like 14 year olds at a Miley Cyrus concert.

Prissy loves her, too.

Want. Much.

I’m needing a new keychain and I think I’ve found the one I want. This little cutie (the one on the right) is actually a LEATHER COIN PURSE but it comes with dual keyrings, meaning it’d be more than happy to serve as a key ring in addition to change purse.

The genuine leather is embroidered with an adorable cat (or dog) expression. The zippered pocket is roomy enough for carrying extra change - but my change kind of prefers running amok in the bottom of my purse. It sadistically loves to watch me scamper and search for it at the most inopportune moments. It’s a game we play - I’m just not that good at it.

Something I am good at, though, is shopping and I’m about 5 minutes away from snagging this little guy.

If your cat’s joints are achy, she’s going to be all kinds of miserable. Anyone who has felt this sort of pain can certainly relate to this misery.  It’s especially hard on a helpless animal who can’t head on over to the medicine cabinet to throw themselves at the mercy of Tylenol - or to the heating pad for much needed relief.

That’s why I’m thrilled to see so many manufacturers addressing joint health for pets. NO ONE wants to see their pets suffer!

One of the most recent supplements I’ve read about is the Cosequin Cat Joint Health Supplement (Capsules).  They’re  available online from Shop.com and I’ve seen the packages in Petco as well.  I’ve only read positive feedback from pet lovers.

From The Website:
Cosequin is a patented, scientifically researched nutritional supplement to help cats maintain healthy joints. As cats age, it is common for their joints to become less flexible which impacts their mobility and quality of life. Natural chicken and tuna flavored sprinkle capsules can be added to wet or dry food for easy consumption.

Our elderly baby, Prissy, gave us a horrible scare Friday night. She had a housefull of people in tears. My husband, our middle daughter, and I had gone to the movies (We had a date with The Mummy.)

After the movie, when we came in the back door, our oldest daughter (Emily) and her boyfriend (Dill) were eating cookies and watching Prissy. Stephany and her boyfriend (Rusty the snake catcher) were nearby as well.

Apparently, Prissy had had some sort of a seizure. Emily said that she started going around in circles, disoriented and even fell over. She picked her up and held her for a while - telling her everything was all right, etc. When she put her back in her bed (on the kitchen floor, near her food), she was restless and kept getting up - but couldn’t walk, she kept going extremely to one side and falling down.

The kids rubbed her and got her to lay down and go to sleep.

When we came in, Prissy heard the door and was getting up as Emily told me about what had happened. Sure enough, she kept falling - breaking everyone’s heart in the process.

Given the fact that our girl is almost 20 (her birthday’s next month), has lost her sight entirely, and weighs less than 10 pounds, we thought this was pretty much the heartbreaking end. I got out of my clothes and into my gown and took up my rightful place by my baby.

Alexa stayed nearby, keeping a concerned watch over everything. She kept looking from me to Prissy, then back to Prissy… I held Prissy and offered her water and food - she seemed grateful for all of it, especially the holding. She didn’t seem to mind that I was crying all over her. I just kept thinking how I wouldn’t allow her to suffer or to die slowly. I made up my mind that I’d take her to a vet and have him help her along. Oddly enough, even through all of the drama, Prissy (the sweetest cat in the world - I swear) managed to purr.

Stephany knew me well enough to bring me a pillow and cover - she knew I wasn’t going anywhere. I spent the night sleeping on and off on the floor beside Prissy’s bed. We had frequent visitors through the night, everyone checking in from time to time - on both of us. I’d always loved our white marble kitchen floor before, but it’s miserable to sleep on! Around 3:00 am I was certain that it was the coldest, hardest floor ever made.

Saturday morning, Prissy seemed much better. With my arms steadying her, she even managed to walk to her food and water rather than them coming to her. The improvement felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off of my chest. By Sunday, her movement was even better - she ventured pretty far a couple of times… Purring the whole time, of course. She was pretty proud of herself.

The emotional rollercoaster has left all of us drained. I know full-well that the time will come when she doesn’t rebound. I know that, at 20, she’s really pushing the envelope. But she’s still happy, able to eat, drink, and do her business. She loves to be talked to, rubbed, and brushed. She enjoys life and I can see that. She gets excited over food, fresh cool water, and (oddly enough) when I give her fresh blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals to cozy up with. If they’re fresh from the dryer, she really gets excited! She loves attention and was born to be the star of the show. I know that our days with her are coming to an end. I know we dodged the lightening this time and probably won’t be so lucky the next time.

But I also know that my baby is right in the next room, still with me after nearly 20 years. It means so much to me that she AT LEAST makes it to her 20th birthday, but if she begins to show signs of suffering even in the slightest or (as my husband put it), losing her dignity and pride, every other concern will go flying out of the window. She’s always been a very proud, “prissy” little diva - which is how she got her name in the first place. We owe it to her to make sure she’s able to leave this world with as much pride as she entered it.

God willing, it will be peacefully in her sleep after a day spent in the center of the stage - receiving the love and attention of her audience. That’s how she’d want it and it’d be a fitting end to our little star.

But, for now, the show goes on and I thank God for the extended performances!

My evening on the cold, hard floor a few nights ago made me think a lot about a cat’s comfort. Prissy’s days of lying on the couch and beds, because of her blindness and age, are a thing of the past. Not only does it seem to bring her discomfort to jump - I’m scared to death she’d fall. So I’ve created her a plush, pillowy bed in the kitchen near her food. I’ve actually created a little bedroom for her, with walls, pillows, and a stuffed Bugs Bunny (she loves him muchly - Emily says it’s her boyfriend, the strong silent type).

I think we should all put ourselves in our pet’s place. We should ask ourselves how we’d want to be treated if we were the pet - what sort of bed would we want to sleep in (warm, clean, safe, and soft), what sort of water would we want to drink (always fresh, please!), etc.

You’ll notice that I post a great deal about pet beds on this blog. That’s because I believe every pet should have a wonderful, soft bed - especially older pets, since they spend SO much time there! Plus, their little bodies can be full of aches, so the softer, plusher, and warmer this bed is, the more comfortable they’ll be.

The Heated Cat Bed you see pictured above is an answer to a cat’s prayers. Recommended by veterinarians, this comfortable and therapeutic bed for cats is gently heated to soothe older pets and those with physical conditions such as arthritis.

The bed stays at a constant 102 deg F, which is the bed temperature suitable for most pets. The 4-watt heater has two intelligent thermostats that sense and maintain the bed’s optimal temperature. The soft micro suede cover is removable and washable; lined interior is coral fabric to evenly distribute warmth, with a cushioned orthopedic polyurethane foam base.

Click through the link or picture to learn more about the bed any pampered pet would love.

So Happy, c.1958 Art Print
Warhol, Andy
Buy at AllPosters.com

Aren’t these some of the most incredible cat prints you’ve ever seen? They’re by Andy Warhol and, framed or not, they’d make whatever room they’re hanging in the envy of all the other rooms in the house.

Click through to learn more. Frankly, I want them all. Look at the expressions - it’s all in the eyes!

Green Cat, c.1956 Art Print
Warhol, Andy
Buy at AllPosters.com

Red Sam, c.1954 Art Print
Warhol, Andy

Buy at AllPosters.com

Warhol, Andy

Buy at AllPosters.com

Oh, want…want…want….want….

You and your cat will have hours upon hours of fun playing with the Cat ‘N’ Mouse Cat Powered Cat Toy (9.75″ W X 2.5″ H) from Petco. My cats and I speak from experience! From my vantage point, there’s nothing quite like seeing my babies having so much fun - they look so incredibly cute when they’re plotting to finally get the elusive mouse!

Just a swat of the cat’s paw sends the little mouse racing in circles inside this durable plastic toy.

The sisal pad on top is great for clawing and scratching - two of Alexa’s favorite pastimes. Right up there with eating and bird watching.  I’ve noticed that my cats absolutely love having their own toys.  You can practially “feel” Alexa’s excitement and joy each evening when I get on the floor with her and we gather her favorite toys around.  Sometimes, I’ll intentionally “forget” one and she’ll walk over to it and look back at me - it’s her way of making sure all the toys make it to the party!

It’ll come as no surprise to you when I say that I look forward to our play time as much as she does. 

Prissy, when she was younger, also loved to play. She’d get so excited, she’d go on what we called “rips” - where she’d run through the house, jumping on every piece of furniture she could find - only to return to where you and her toys were.  Then she’d lay down, calmly and look at you like, “What?”

Alexa’s not much of a runner, though.

Svenn and Bo are more about giving and getting affection than they are playing.  However, after they feel like their head rubbing, nose kissing, and back stroking quota has been met, they love a good game of swatting and/or chasing toys.  Svenn isn’t too terribly quick - if he possesses any speed, he’s conserving it, but Bo and Alexa’s reactions are amazingly fast.

I just happened to glance over at Alexa, who is sleeping nearby.  She’s totally out of it, resting up, no doubt for our evening play.  When I go to the grocery store in a few minutes, I’m going to buy her a new toy (one with catnip oughta make her delirious), then I’ll spring it on her when the toys are being gathered up. 

I love the way her eyes get wider when something new shows up!

Click the following link to learn more about what’ll fast become one of your cat’s favorite toys: Cat ‘N’ Mouse Cat Powered Cat Toy

Alexa and I got the scare of our lives Friday. It involved the thing I’m most scared of in this world (hissssssss).

I noticed her at the sliding doors in our home office. She’s a totally fearless cat, so her odd, sort of frightened demeanor freaked me out immediately. It was also weird that she was looking upward - as in about 4 feet off the ground. Oddly enough, I never even suspected a human. We live sort of out in the country, so I knew it was an animal (or bird) of some sort. Problem was, Alexa has never shown any fear toward birds or any of our other frequent visitors (rabbits, raccoons, possums, skunks, cats…) She even saw a coyote (through a window) once and just bugged out a little.

But this time, she was sort of transfixed, almost frozen - yet she was trying to back away. I oh so carefully walked over, bent down to her level (while baby talking her, of course - she loves that stuff), and followed her gaze.

AAAUUUUGHHHH!!!!   You’ve heard of a rebel yell?  I gave a “Kill me now” yell.  This thing was quite big - and had slithered up the bricks, cut over sideways and presently was jutting it’s ugly face toward the glass, all the while sticking out its God-forsaken tongue.

My daughter (Stephany) and her boyfriend (Rusty) were in the driveway, getting ready to go somewhere. Being the brave person that I am, I went for their help.  I knew they’d get a thrill or two out of it - they love the Animal Planet channel and watch it religiously.  In fact, they’d just left the living room where they’d been “visiting” with bears.

My brave little Stephany stayed on the safe side of the glass doors with me and Alexa, while Rusty got a huge stick and got the snake down.  She got her camera to “capture” the drama as it unfolded!

Even though I’m scared to death of the vile things (snakes, not Rusty and Steph), I was honestly very impressed with the way Rusty handled the situation.  He never (not once) was agressive toward the snake or even gave it cause to think it was in danger.  Granted, my brain was thinking, “Club it! Kill it! Destroy it! Make it wish it’d never been hatched!”  - but the snake was very lucky that Rusty has a respect for all living things, even snakes.   If it had been poisonous, it would have met a different fate.

He “led” the snake away from the wall and the windows - for which all of us females were grateful.  He even let it all seem like it was the demon’s idea.  He sort of coaxed it with the stick - it kept “feeling” for the stick with its black tongue.  Gross!  Sorry, that just slipped out.   When he got it to an open area, he gently touched it’s back (?) with the stick a few times.  It kind of got into a little coiled heap (ugly) and Rusty put the stick down.    I love the kid, but I thought he’d lost his mind entirely when he made his next move.  He reached down, grabbed the thing close to the head (so he wouldn’t get bitten), while holding it’s tail end with the other hand.

The whole time, Steph and I were afraid  that Rusty was about to face a certain death, but Rusty seemed to like the fool thing.  He kept talking to it. I’m pretty sure that IF I ever did speak to one, it’d be through screams and possibly even profanity.  Rusty spoke to it calmly, though.  Then he took it to a field and let it go.

In all honesty, watching the whole thing actually made me a little less afraid of snakes.  I have no intention of ever befriending one, mind you, but I think it and Rusty both handled themselves remarkably well.  And I’m struck by the fact that Rusty wasn’t the least bit scared the whole time.  He treated it the same way I’ve always treated stray animals when they make their way onto our property.  I, of course, go way out of my way not to scare them and I always do what I know is best for the animal.  He did the exact same for the snake.

This experience showed me that snakes are simply wildlife, too.  Like the raccoons and possums I leave food out for and joyfully watch, rabbits I toss carrots to, and birds I feed every day - they’re pretty helpless in a lot of ways. 

I even thought one was kind of cute one time.  My husband, knowing my intense phobia, has often tried to expose me to them - in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, I’d become a little more reasonable.  The first time he ever took me near them, it was in a Snake House in a zoo in Kansas.  The minute I saw one, I ran (not walked) out of there, screaming the whole time. 

Calm.  Cool.  And oh so collected.

Fast forward about 10 years and we were in a pet store.  Behind the glass were some of these things.  One was curled up in what appeared to be a dog’s food dish.  I said, “That’s cute.”  Of course, I immediately turned and walked away, but at least I didn’t find it totally vile.

I’m still mystified by Alexa’s reaction. I just don’t think she knew what to make of it. She was actually born outside (her mother was the very essence of a wild cat… and I still miss her), and until I brought my baby girl inside, she lived outdoors. So, I’m pretty sure she’d seen snakes before. But she seemed completely out of her element and was very unAlexa-like.

Hopefully another one of those unwelcome visitors will never come calling again. She and I still go to the glass doors and peek out, like, a couple of billion times a day - sighing with relief when the only thing on the patio are cardinals, furniture and a grill. The things that belong there!

This cat video is a really cute one. I was halfway through another one (and had every intention of posting it), but it didn’t pass my STRICT guidelines. I refuse to post a video that shows a situation where the cat is/was in obvious danger, all for the sake of a video. It’s ridiculous.

I don’t like the segments where cats are put in high places so they’ll jump down. Oooooh, how entertaining. I also don’t like when the cat’s being scared just to get a reaction. Not even remotely cool. I saw one clip of a woman who threw a kitten upwards toward a wooden ceiling, so it’d “land” claws-first into the wood.

If she and the photographer don’t have anything better to do than that, they probably shouldn’t be proving it to the world.

It’s also not cool to tempt a cat to jump toward a ceiling fan… I mean, come on, are these people even thinking?! Cats are funny enough little characters on their own - they don’t need directors.

Especially if the director isn’t taking their safety into account.

Okay, rant over.