We Heart Cats

Mornin’ cat lovers,

Seems every cat in the world has their own blog. I guess cats are just natural-born bloggers since they have such a short attention span. Ms. Blanca (who is helping me with the National Take Your Kid to Work Day) just surfed around and found this great list of cat blogs she thought I should share with you. Ms. Ginger is in with the Husband, who’s working at home today, making sure HE’S busy, too. Somebody has to keep an eye on him.

Here’s the link to the cat blogs:

CAT BLOGS

And here’s Ms. Blanca, keeping a close watch to make sure I’m working.

bobbi c.
Copyright ©2007 bobbi a. chukran. all rights to photos and text reserved.

Take Your Kids to Work Day, white cat pictures, cats who blog

After seeing that silly Nora Cat yesterday playing the piano, I decided that I would take over the blog for Ms. B, my fav Two-Legged this morning. She had a headache anyway, because she drank a bunch of that red stuff at dinner last night. Anyway, I should introduce myself…my name is Roja, and I love to blog! Well, I would if I knew what a blog is. So today I log in and find out that Ms. B. has been nominated for a Thinking Blogger Award! Mewwww! But can you imagine? Her??? Thinking?? Oh well, I’m supposed to find five other blogs that make me think. Hmmm, that’s hard. Oh dear.

Here’s a little badge thingy they said to put here:

It says that Ms. Cheysuli over at Chey’s Place nominated Ms. B. for this award. I wonder, what does she win? Some lovely catnip perhaps? Or maybe some dead rats? I do so adore dead rats!

ACK! Here comes Ms. B! I better run and hide….mewww!

Mornin’ cat lovers! It seems that Roja has let the cat out of the bag that I was awarded for a Thinking Blogger Award! I’m honored to be chosen.

At any rate, as Thinking Blogger, this post has a few simple rules:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote.

It’s really hard to pick only five blogs since there are so many good ones. But these are the five I choose (with a little help from Roja):

Derek Andrews over at Craft Videos! Derek has been gathering a great collection of videos profiling artisans and craftsmen that make a whole array of cool things. It always makes me think in different ways when I see something new and different.

Louie paw-picked PsychoKitty….great blog that makes me think I don’t want any more boy cats! LOL! Just kidding. Louie can SO relate to Mr. Psycho Kitty.

I also pick Cyndi over on Bead Arts because her blog makes me think I want to make some jewelry!

I also nominate Cynthia Leitich Smith over at SpookyCyn because her books are way different than many of the other young adult books out there. Her newest one is a Gothic Fantasy called *Tantalize*!

And I also choose Barb over at the Feral Cats in the News blog. Lots of good information there!

Til tomorrow….

bobbi c. and the critters (sounds like a rock band, doesn’t it?)

Thinking Bloggers Award, Derek Andrews, Cyndi Lavin, Bead-arts.com, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Tantalize, Feral Cats in the News

If you think you can’t afford to spay or neuter your pet, check out this link from the Pet Over-Population Prevention Advocates!

http://www.poppainc.org/spayneuter.asp

bc

low cost spaying and neutering, pet overpopulation, prevention pet overpopulation, Pet Over-Population Prevention Advocates

Thanks to Cyndi over on Bead-Arts.com for sending me this link of Nora, the Piano-Playing Cat.

Makes me wonder…since Ginger Snap’s always been our “Audio Cat,” maybe I should let her play my piano? You never know, do ya?

Hisses and purrs,

bobbi c. and the herd

Nora the piano playing cat, musical cats

Dear cat lovers,

This time of year, all of our local animal shelters are over-filled with new kittens. These come from various places–from irresponsible pet owners who don’t get their animals spayed or neutered and rescued cats from the wild. When we went to adopt Roja and Blanca, the local county shelter (which is a “kill shelter”) literally had tiny pet carriers stacked four levels high, filled with sad, scared cats and kittens, in addition to their regular rows and rows of cages filled with older animals.

I urge you to visit your local pet shelter or ASPCA facility and adopt a new pet…..older cats are in plentiful supply, and have had their shots and have been spayed/neutered. This will lessen your up-front expenses. Many of these animals have been life-long pets to older humans who have either passed away or entered nursing homes–they don’t all come from the wild.

A great resource is the Petfinder website. Petfinder lists over 215,000 pets around the country that you can find with a simple search feature. They also have lists of pet shelters and rescue groups that you can also search by location. And although, of course, I’d love for you to adopt a cat, they also list dogs and sometimes even other animals such as rabbits, chickens, horses, etc.

All of our six current cats were either rescued from the wild, or adopted from a kill shelter. They have all been wonderful pets to us and none of them had major health problems when we got them.

Frequently, large pet stores will sponsor a Pet Adoption Day, and that’s a good place to scope out the animals, too. Although I’ve found that some of the best pets (our Demi, for example) are not good travelers, and are often left behind at the shelters during these events.

So please, at least visit your local shelters. You never know what a great friend you might bring home with you.

I leave you with that thought, and an arty photo of Louie, who was rescued from the top of a tree after being chased by Two Big Bad Dogs. He had a torn back leg muscle, but was recently clocked racing through our house at approximately 150 miles per hour.

Hugs and hisses,

bobbi c. and the herd
Copyright ©2007 bobbi a. chukran

pet shelters, ASPCA, county shelters, Petfinders.org, petfinders, pet adoption

Mornin’ cat lovers…

My first cat as an adult, Bushwhacker, was an outside and indoor cat, mostly outside. Over the years, he’d wander, disappear for days, give me no end of worry about what had happened to him, then return, usually with some other poor cat’s claws stuck into his legs or head. When he got older, he became an indoor only cat. When we moved out to a rural area where there are many wild creatures to worry about, I decided to make all my cats indoor pets only. Although sometimes I want to boot them outside when they get too crazy (especially Mr. Big), I know it’s much healthier for them inside.

Here’s a blog post with a lot of links to information on why you should keep your cats inside. I know it’s a hard decision to make, but it really is best for our cats.

Izzy June says “Happy Earth Day!”

Until tomorrow,

bobbi c. and the herd
Copyright ©2007 by bobbi a. chukran. all rights reserved.

indoor cats, keeping cats indoors

Print out this list and take it to the store with you, and if they are still selling these brands, please remind them that the foods are on the recall list and should be removed ASAP. There are still some stores not complying with the recalls.

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/petfoodrecall/#All

bobbi c.

pet food recalls, FDA list of recalled pet foods

Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund

April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia Tech community and the world beyond.

To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.

The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:

• Grief counseling
• Memorials
• Communication expenses
• Comfort expenses
• Incidental needs

If you plan to give, please click the link below:

Mornin’ cat lovers,

I hate to harp on this story, but I think it’s very important. It seems that the latest pet foods recalled, Nature’s Balance venison flavors (Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Foods, and Venison & Brown Rice Dog Foods), are also contaminated with melamine. That’s the same substance that showed up in the wheat gluten. Basically, it’s a substance used as a fertilizer that has NO business being used on food crops. Thing is, this time, it’s in rice protein also used in these particular foods. Here’s a link to a press release from the company explaining this in more detail.

It seems that the Chinese government has blocked requests from the FDA to send inspectors to China to look over the manufacturing facility there. Other information is sketchy at this time, although there is some evidence that the protein might have been used at Diamond Pet Foods, a manufacturer who has had problems in the past with tainted animal food.

As a woman in the grocery store yesterday told me “Pet owners don’t know what to do now, or who to trust.” She’s right. In general, I try to avoid as many processed ingredients as possible in my pet foods, just like I do in my own food. Avoid cheap foods that are filled with fillers such as wheat gluten, rice protein, rice or wheat flours, etc. If you can, feed raw, but do some research online and find out what the proper nutrients and supplements are that have to be added.

If you see a store or shop selling these recalled foods, make a ruckus! Demand that they be pulled from the shelves. A lot of recalled foods are still on the shelves, and some are even being sold in veterinarian’s offices.

We’re still feeding Wellness brand canned foods to our cats, but I’m watching them closely. As long as pet food manufacturers use the cheapest possible ingredients, and buy them from non-organic sources, these things will happen more and more often.

Hug your kitties!

bobbi a. chukran

pet food recall, Diamond Pet Foods, Nature’s Balance, Wellness

Mornin’ cat lovers,

I’m just overwhelmed at all the horrible stories that are coming in about the pet food recall. It seems that several other companies have added more foods to the list.

Here’s a link to a really good article that sums up the problem, with resources you can check, other links to food brands, etc.

CLICK HERE

I mostly agree with what this article has to say, but am annoyed at the ASPCA’s stand on feeding raw foods. I think they should rethink their opinion, especially in light of these current problems.

Also, it’s important to be aware that some stores are still selling the recalled foods! Also, some veterinarians are selling it, too. Help us spread the word about these possible dangerous foods!

Some people who aren’t pet owners might not pay attention to this issue, but they need to. It seems that the Chinese company that imported the wheat gluten into the US also imports human food here! That’s just sick, IMHO. Some people think globalization is a good thing; I, however do not. Especially when it comes to food. Especially when the US is perfectly capable of growing enough food ourselves. Why don’t we? Greed, pure and simple. Manufacturers (for the most part) go for the cheapest possible ingredients, and our pets are the ones who suffer for it.

bobbi c.
Copyright ©2007 by Bobbi A. Chukran

pet food recall, cat food recall, Green Guide, information on pet food recall

Link to a news story about further recalls of pet food:

CLICK HERE

And for those of you who wonder why the he** melamine was found in cat food, here’s the answer….Chinese farmers (who grew the wheat to make the wheat gluten used in the foods) use melamine for FERTILIZER.

And BTW, some of our human foods come from these same companies. Just another reason to Go Organic!

bobbi c.

Mornin’ cat lovers!

Several readers have asked to see more photos of my cats. I’ve sprinkled a few of them here and there in this blog, but set up a special page on my website yesterday as a “cat photo album” of sorts. I still have lots to add. It seems that taking pictures of their cats is a favorite hobby of cat owners. I myself have thousands of mine on CDs, and periodically print out a few of them to frame or to turn into greeting cards for friends and relatives.

It’s funny, some of our cats love having their photo taken, and some don’t. Louie runs and hides under the quilt on the bed when I get the camera out, but Roja and Blanca strike a pose and look pretty. The new calicoes are still a bit camera shy, but in general copy anything that Roja does, so I suspect they’ll turn into little prissy divas in no time at all.

Photographing cats is a fun, although frustrating, activity!

All the best fishes,

bobbi c. and the herd
Copyright ©2007 bobbi a. chukran. All rights to photos and text reserved.

pictures of cats, photos of cats, cat photography

Mornin’ cat lovers,

I get a lot of questions about cat health, and although I have lots of experience with my own cats, sometimes I hesitate to give advice that could possibly be harmful. A lot of the time I rely on my friends over at the Holisticat.com forum. You should check it out. The owner, Sandy Arora, has written a book (Whole Health for Happy Cats: A Guide to Keeping Your Cat Naturally Healthy, Happy, and Well-Fed) about healthy cats and has years of experience writing and talking about cat health. The forum includes cat owners who have dealt with every possible situation, and they are all friendly and eager to help.

In particular, there’s a lot of talk over there about a raw food diet for cats. Sandy’s book includes a lot of recipes for homemade cat food, AND there’s a companion website that also includes a lot of information. These folks were feeding homemade food before the pet food recall forced them to!

There’s a nominal fee to join the forum, but it’s SO worth it. I’ve had questions late at night, and they were answered within minutes by knowledgeable cat owners who had gone through the same types of issues with their cats. You’ll get recommendations for feeding, cat nutrition, health problems, grooming, you name it.

So get on over there and check it out!

As for us, we’re finishing up the income taxes. Blech. Ginger’s helping me sort receipts.

Purrs and head-butts,

bobbi c. and the herd
Copyright ©2007 by Bobbi A. Chukran.

holistic cat care, natural cat care, holisticat.com forum, Sandy Arora, raw food, homemade cat food

Mornin’ cat lovers!

Most cat people I know see the inherent humor in that animal known as CAT. There are hundreds of cat humor sites online, but I thought I’d share one of my favorites with you…Miss Kitty’s Cat Humor Pages. (CLICK HERE) to visit the site.

Our “Demi” cat who passed away last year was one of the funniest cats I’ve ever seen. She had this quirky white eyebrow and she was a tortie, full of attitude—or “tortitude” as a friend described her. I miss her a lot. She was my original “Prozac Princess.” Here’s a photo.

Cats remind us over and over again not to take ourselves too seriously. Their too-short lives remind us that we should play while we can and sleep and eat the rest of the time!

Sounds like good advice to me!

Purrs and hisses,

bobbi c.
Copyright ©2007 bobbi a. chukran. All rights to text and photos reserved by author.

cat humor, cat jokes, funny cat stories, funny cat website

Mornin’ cat lovers!

I took Ginger to the vet yesterday, fearing the worst. Ever since Demi got sick last year and died from complications of feline diabetes, I’m a tad paranoid about the health of my babies. Ginger had been throwing up now and then, not consistently, but wasn’t gulping water or doing the profuse urine thing (that’s two signs of diabetes in cats). She was gulping food, though, and seemed to be hungry most of the time, and has lost a few pounds. Oh, and basically she’s a little terror and has been hissing and fighting with all the other cats.

Turns out, according to the vet, she just has major allergies! The oak pollen is horrible this time of year, and even though all our cats are indoor cats only, and although we have our house air filtered out the WAZOO, the stuff still gets in. I try keeping the floors clean, but with six cats, hairballs happen, man.

The vet said that every time she opens her mouth, her ears probably pop, and I know how painful that can be in a human bean. She’s lost weight because her body is trying very hard to fight off the allergies. He gave her a cortisone shot, which should last for a month. By then the pollen should be mostly out of the air. I don’t as a rule like the idea of using steroids because it does suppress the natural immune system, and you can get into a vicious cycle where the allergies get worse, then you give them more medication, and over and over. But she was in such agony I decided to do it this time. He also gave her some eye cream.

She’s still hissing this morning, but wasn’t gulping food. We’ll see if the shot helps or not.

Maybe she’s just allergic to US? ACK.

Hisses and head-butts,

bobbi c. and the herd

Copyright©2007 bobbi a. chukran. all rights to photos and text reserved by author.

cat allergies, allergies in cats, allergic cats, cortisone, cats immune system