For the Cat Lover

Fewer things are more heart-breaking than the thought of a helpless animal in any amount of pain.  Yet a lot of pets live with pain in their joints from age and/or arthritis. 

Dr. Kenneth J. Frank has come up with an absolutely brilliant solution that seems to be working for countless dogs and cats.  If you suspect your beloved pet has joint pain, visit Dr. Frank’s website and read all about his revolutionary Joint Pain relief spray for dogs and cats.   You simply spray it on your pet’s food.

The website has lots of great testimonials and more information.  Even if you don’t need the spray now, bookmark the site, so you’ll know where Dr. Frank is when you need him!

Here’s the link:  Joint Pain Relief for Dogs and Cats

Obviously, someone who’s familiar with Alexa, Prissy, Svenn, and Bo used them as inspirations to create a bumper sticker. You’d think they’d at least send me one free, right?

The Cats running wild! Bumper Sticker lets the world know you love cats and gives them something to smile about at the same time.

You gotta love that!

Pinkie the Guinea Pig and Perky the Kitten, September 1978 Photographic Print
Buy at AllPosters.com

Alexa hates for me to use the word “precious” on this blog.  She has an image to maintain and says that the name, frankly, lessens her position in the animal kingdom.  I’m afraid I have to break the rules this time, though - I mean come on!!

I can’t imagine anyone looking at the art print above and not smiling with every muscle in their face. But I do know one thing, if the person exists, I hope to never meet them - they’d be the sourest almost human alive!

Now to face Alexa’s wrath… She has an rss feed for this blog, of course, so I’m about 3 minutes away from a cold front.

Oh, this is clever. Right up there with opening a Starbucks in my grocery store.

You Pet has created a MySpace type of community for pets and their owners, of course.  Pets need supervision - do you know how much trouble one could get into left to their own devices in an online community.

Svenn would be arrested inside of a week and Bo wouldn’t make it that long.  Truth be told, our male cats are unappologetically nefarious. As for the females, Prissy’s too old to raise much hell (it has to come to her these days) and Alexa…. well, since her operation, she’s not much of a player.  For either team.

From the website: 

Hey, we love our pets and we like meeting new people that own pets. We thought, “Let’s share our love and interest that our adorable animals bring to us.”

That’s why we decided to develop YouPet.com, so pet owners could have a safe and informative place to meet other pet lovers and have fun exchanging pictures, videos, blogs, and having discussions on our forums, or chat live in our chat rooms.

YouPet.com is an online social network devoted to Pets and their Owners who regard their pets as family. Pets are an important part of our lives, and we want you to share the joy and love your pet brings to you with all of us.

Have fun and don’t forget check out our online store where you can shop for cool YouPet.com products.

You can create a free profile and be on your way to meeting other pet lovers.  You can also find out how you can Win a $100 Petco Gift Card on YouPet.com! That last part has me reconsidering letting Bo and Svenn join. If I give in, be sure you keep an eye on your girl cats. And dogs.  And boy cats.  And dogs.  I’m just saying…

 

 

Keep in mind, I’m a proud and deliriously happy mother of three beautiful daughters, but, yes, I think this plaque is hilarious. 

The only thing is, the author obviously never met a cast of characters like the ones I live with.  Alexa often asks for money, Svenn would wear my clothes in a heartbeat if I let him (Even skirts?  But of course.), Prissy could outeat an entire camp of chubby kids, and Bo….come when called?  Are you kidding?  He’s like, “Take a number.“

I’m also not so sure about the “driving your car” line.  My gas tank is never as high when I get in my car as it was when I get out.  I can so see Bo taking Svenn for a spin - cruising for girls.

Fortunately, they don’t touch cigarettes or and water’s all they drink. Good think, actually, because Svenn would be a ridiculous drunk.

To see the larger version and/or purchase, click the link below. 

Once you’re on the site, type Prefer Cats in the search box - also, be sure to look around at all the amazing goodies on this website.  I absolutely love random things and this site is full of delicious randomness.

I could spend two forevers (and three fortunes) there.  

If, that is, Alexa lets me have my money back.

I was thumbing through the newest issue of Cat Fancy in our local bookstore a few days ago when I came across an article that had my angel, Prissy, written all over the subject - “Older Cats.”  Our beloved little girl is going on 20 and is really beginning to show her age.She’s still a beauty, of course.  There’s always been such a graceful elegance about her.  When she was younger, she didn’t walk, she glided.  The glide has kind of disappeared over the past two years, though.  I think her little bones must ache sometimes because she walks with her back legs kind of spread and it’s closer to a gallop.  Adorable?  Definitely!  But, graceful?  Not very.The article was a must read for anyone with an older cat.  I recognized Prissy in a few of the areas the author addressed, but she was nowhere to be found in others.

For example, according to the article, a lot of older cats lose their appetite.  I think Prissy’s increases with age!  She out-eats all three of our other cats, who are all much younger.  Sometimes I think she could EAT all three of the other cats….which is why we never let her plate get too empty for too long.  Not taking any chances.

The author said that if your older cat isn’t eating, the problem may be that their sense of smell has dulled.  They suggested dabbing a little warm water on the food - it’ll help release the aroma.  I’ve also heard that garlic powder entices a cat (or dog for that matter) to eat.

Another problem that older cats can face is disorientation.  I’ve seen this a little with Prissy.  They’ll get in a room and look off into space, as though they aren’t sure where they are.  Apparently some cats even get  into a corner and just meow until they’re “rescued.”  I’ll go on record as saying that’ll completely break my heart if that happens!

I have noticed a few “senile moments” with her, though.  When she first wakes up, she looks around as though she isn’t too sure what’s going on.  We always talk really softly and sweetly (as always) to her  - then she starts purring and we know we have our Prissy back.

The article also touched on something else I’ve noticed.  It said that older cats will frequently lose patients for other pets that they once got along with famously.  Prissy has done that with Alexa.  When Alexa first came along, Prissy was amused by her.  It actually wasn’t that long ago that they were playing together.  Alexa would get on bookshelves and knock things down for Prissy to scrutinize.  When I picked up on the game, I’d “plant” things up high like toy mice, tiny balls, etc.  Alexa will still knock things down to Prissy but now she usually just gets hissed at for her efforts!

They also used to run around and sort of mix things up together - then Prissy would go to her favorite bed and Alexa would know the game was over.  Now, though, when Alexa tries to get a rousing game going, Prissy hisses and looks at her as though they’d never even met.  It makes me sad for both of them.

We’ve tried to spend extra time playing with Alexa lately - especially when she’s especially frisky - it keeps her out of Prissy’s hair and keeps her from getting the “HSSSSSSS” (Though I gotta admit, Prissy’s awfully cute when she’s mad!)

Older cats also tend to have “bathroom” issues.  Doctors say that arthritic bones make climbing into and out of litter boxes painful, so they suggest using the flat “pans” that go under a lot of litter boxes instead.  They also suggest investing in several litter boxes, so your cat always has one nearby.

A tip I thought was worth its weight in gold was this:  Since your older cat may be disoriented and confused, gate off a section of the house - a couple of rooms they prefer.  This makes their world much smaller, much safer, and much…well, cozier.  Also, try to never let your older pet on stairs.  Arthritis can make climbing very, very painful - plus falls are always a threat, mostly for dogs.

Personally, I think it all comes down to three words:  TENDER LOVING CARE.  As our babies get older, we should give them all the TLC they can handle.  We want to make their last years as comfortable, as peaceful, and as enjoyable as possible.  If there are any unusual habits or concerns - always take your cat to the vet.  It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

We’ve always spent a lot of time with our pets - after all, there are five of us, so someone’s almost always here (I even work from home and my youngest daughter, Stephany, is always home as well.).  We’ve started giving Prissy EVEN more attention - when she’s awake, that is! 

Even though none of us want to talk about it or even think about it, we aren’t naive.  We know we won’t have her with us forever.  Just typing those words has left me with tears chasing one another down my face!  I can’t even imagine what I’ll do with myself when she moves on to Heaven with Carly…. (And, yes, Michael - I fully expect that IS where Carly went!!!!)  Well, I do know - I’ve been there before.  You live through days that hurt so bad you just want to go to bed.  You miss them like crazy (I still miss Carly terribly), and you cherish the pets you have as you cherish the memories of those you no longer have.

One more thing about older cats.  Naturally, they begin having vision and hearing problems.  I think Prissy has selective hearing.  Some things she responds to (can opener, the pantry door opening, Whiskas packets being ripped…), and other things she ignores.  Her vision’s not that great - I get the feeling she pretty much sees shapes more than anything.  Something we’ve always done, since she was a few weeks old was play a little game of “Nose Beeping.”  I fly my finger around in a little circle, then land it on her little nose with a “beep!“  About a month ago, though, I noticed that she’d jump right before my finger got to her nose.  So, we changed the rules of the game.  Now I just hold the finger out in front of her face, and she brings her nose slowly to it…. I whisper, “beep” and she purrs. 

Then I tell her what a very good and special girl she is.  Because she is.  I also tell her how much I love her.  Because I most definitely do.

With Nature’s Variety Prairie Homestyle Canned Cat Food - Lamb & Liver 5.5 oz. Can - Case of 24 - you provide your babies wiht a home-cooked taste with high quality nutrition.  These chunky stew formulas are made with real meat, poultry and healthy fruits and vegetables.

I admit it, I’m an overly protective mother, whether it comes to my daughters or my cats.  I even tend to overly guard the raccoons, possums, birds, and rabbits I feed as well as the skunks who sometimes help themselves into the scene - Right before everyone and everything else, except Svenn, flees.  Svenn loves skunks and could watch them for hours.  (And, yes, I do name each one….okay, maybe not all the birds…)  I care very much what my cats eat, and I watch their food like a hawk, especially after all of the controversites and tragedies.

A few of the “tainted” animal food manufacturers are back on the shelves again - and, while I’m sure they’ve taken unbelievable efforts to ensure their safety, I have to admit - I can’t bring myself to buy them ever again.

If I were them, I would have re-packaged everything, provided new names, new logos, etc.  I certainly wouldn’t have put the food back in the same packages that pet lovers had to throw away and hope and pray our pets weren’t going to die!

If you’re like me, you’re probably looking more and more into the natural products like the ones featured in this post. Click the link at the top or the cans below to learn more about a brand that’s as good as it gets.  As Svenn would say, “It’s almost as endearing as skunks.”  One of these days I’m going to have to break it to my husband - that cat’s not quite normal.

The Cloisonne Mini Cat Set—Set of 10 is just one of the absolutely, amazingly, and utterly gorgeous products on Good Orient.com. I’ve fallen hard for this web site and I plan on telling everyone else about it, so they can fall right along with me.

The colorful and delightful set of ten is made of beautiful cloisonne.  Click through for more information.

 

I’m  fascinated with the way animals communicate with us, and like all cat lovers - I certainly want to make sure I’m understanding everything my babies want me to know!

Our cats actually let us into their emotions and psyche in a very unique way:  Through their tails!

Tail lowered with just the tip curved up. This is a happy, relaxed cat.

Tail gently switching from side-to-side. This is a cat who has noticed something interesting like a bird at the window or the scratching sounds of a mouse. It can also signify indecision as to what to do next such as to climb a tree or stay on the ground.

If you approach a cat like this, she could be wondering whether you’re friendly or not.

Tail straight up. This is a friendly cat that is coming forward to greet you. If the tip is bent, this could mean he is a little insecure about his reception.

Tail tip swishing quickly and sharply from side-to-side.  This cat is irritated or angry. If pushed, it could swipe with a paw or even bite.

Tail swishing quickly and violently from side-to-side.  This is an angry or seriously frightened cat that could be getting ready to attack or flee. It’s best to back off until he calms down.

Staring at a cat is both threatening and provocative.  It’s best to look away and move away until the tail switching stops.

Tail bristled. This is an aroused cat. If lowered it can mean fear. If the tail is up, it can mean an aggressive cat. Cats bristle their tails and the fur on their bodies when aroused. This makes them look larger than they are in an attempt to intimidate whatever is worrying or bothering them.

Tail held straight up and quivering as the cat is backed up against a vertical object like a bush or tree.  This is a cat that is marking its territory with urine. If a cat is doing this inside your house, it’s time to get out the cleaner and find your cat another hobby.

Source:  MetCat.com