We Heart Cats

I usually end the week with a post about cat products - many thanks to those who’ve shared their opinions on what works and what doesn’t! Next week, I will be discussing the best and worst cat products on the market, so if you’d like to share some more opinions, please do, and I’ll include it in one of the posts!

And now, a word about cat shedding. This morning, as I was getting ready for work, I walked into my living room and saw a large puddle of vomit on the couch. Nearby was the hairball. Indeed, all I have to do is pat one of my three kitty companions, and all of a sudden a large clump of fur comes off!

What can be done about these heinous hairballs? Well, it really is just a matter of making sure that you brush your kitties once daily to get any excess fur off. Additionally, food brands like Iams have special formulas to control hairballs. So, after what I found on the couch today, let the new food and daily brushing begin!

So, you’ve just gotten a new kitten, and you delight in the little fur ball’s antics. However, kittens have claws, and claws are used for climbing fun things, like drapes. So, how do you as a new kitty parent make sure that your kitten is safe? Well, first of all, tie back the drapes that you have, if you have them. Next, make sure that potentially hazardous materials, like paper clips, etc., are far away from kitty’s reach. Don’t leave any food out uncovered, because chances are you’ll find little nibble marks! Also, when it comes to areas like the bathroom, unless the litterbox is in there then shut the door, because some cats have been known to jump into the toilet and get themselves in trouble.

Really, kitty proofing your home is much like child-proofing your home, so make sure you check everything - you’ll feel so much better knowing your kitty is safe!

As cat lovers, we all would like to do our best to make sure that cats have the best of treatment. That means volunteering at a local shelter, or giving a donation to a feline charity. A list of cat charities can be found HERE.

Continuing on with Part 2 of the discussion, I’ve had firsthand experience as to how stray cats can be welcomed into a home. When I was in the 3rd grade, I often used to go over to visit my grandparents. They lived near a field, and said field often yielded a large variety of stray cats. However, while many of them ended up being quite friendly, the majority of them would end up hit by cars while crossing the busy street that bordered the field.

One day, my grandmother took a liking to one of the kittens that were orphaned thanks to that busy street. The kitten, a small grey tabby/Maine coon mix, was nearly starving to death. She nursed the kitten back to health, and called her Hobo.

Hobo remains in my thoughts as one of the smartest cats I’ve encountered. She knew to bring specific items, and she was very affectionate. However, whenever someone went to touch her head, she would squeal and hiss. This we initially attributed to aggressiveness, which is something that happens in all cats (although especially feral ones) that haven’t been properly socialized.

It turns out that while still a stray she had gotten into a fight, and that fight left her head vulnerable. She exacerbated it by getting into trouble again when she frequently escaped from the house (she was small, so whenever someone would leave she darted out the door). The head injury was such that it was internal and only inflamed later, so it wasn’t one of those situations where it was immediately apparent that she needed serious medical attention.

Unfortunately, despite everyone’s best efforts, Hobo died when she was just 4 years old from her head injury, which had resulted in a stroke. To this day, my grandmother gets misty-eyed thinking about it. Thus, the next time you see a friendly stray, keep in mind potential health problems, and also be aware that past history sometimes dictates the overall lifespan. In the end, all you can do is share your patience and love.

I live near a farm, that’s situated on acres of forested land. So, it only makes sense that there would be stray cats in the area. Indeed, I’ve noticed that wherever there’s an abundance of brush and forest, there’s stray cats taking refuge. A few years ago a stray gave birth to kittens behind my shed. They were all very skiddish, so I decided to just keep an eye on them so they could be weaned from their mother. One of the kittens from that litter, now an adult, was taken in by a neighbor. However, because of the need to be outside, stray cats simply cannot be content with the indoor life of a domesticated cat. Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2!

So, my oldest cat has hyperthyroidism, which is prevalent in cats his age (17). I’m supposed to get him to gain weight, so the topic of cat obesity has never really crossed my mind. However, I did find a site that offered some really helpful information on the topic of cat obesity. The site also provides information on the heaviest/largest domesticated cats ever. Check out the site HERE

Check out a cute website with cat trivia and a quiz about famous cats HERE

Honestly, while I think that some of the many sounds a kitty makes are pretty much obvious to discern, there are other sounds that might be harder to decode. So, I did a quick web search, and found an interesting site on why cats make the sounds that they do. You can check out the website HERE

Well, we’re in the middle of a heat wave here, and my cats are all understandably sweltering. Imagine how you’d feel in 90 degree weather with a fur coat on! I certainly wouldn’t want to imagine it! So, what can we as kitty parents do to keep our kitties relatively cool in the summer? It’s simple: make sure they’re in air conditioning.

If you don’t have air conditioning, make sure you set a fan up in an area of your home in which the cats normally sit. They will certainly appreciate the extra breeze! Also, you might notice that your kitties “disappear” during epecially hot weather. This is because they want to find a safe hiding spot where it’s both darker and cooler. Cats will thus tend to go underneath something, because their instinct tells them that heat rises.

Of course, keep lots of water out, and give your kitties space, since cats in hot weather generally become cranky!

Believe it or not, in some cases the answer is yes! I’ve observed firsthand that it can happen. I’ve had two of my three cats since I was nine years old (I’m in my twenties now). During that time I’ve had four hamsters and, as of last Friday, a guinea pig. My oldest cat Buster adopts every little guy who comes into this house - it’s really quite unique and sweet. Why it happens remains a mystery to both myself and the veterinarian, but I think it’s because of his docile nature. As for Ruby, well, she’s a female cat, and by nature they’re more dominant in the cat world. I keep any and all critters out of her way. Mozart, because he’s still a young cat and was raised alongside a Teddy Bear hamster, looks at them more as playmates than prey.

Specifically, I had a wonderful little hamster who liked to burrow in Buster’s fur. Buster would rub up against him, and protect him. Well, last Friday my hamster passed away from old age, and Buster noticeably grieved along with the rest of us.

I now have a baby guinea pig, which was welcomed by two of the three cats, as well as my little Yorkie, who lapped the guinea pig’s head. However, the guinea pig isn’t really thrilled with his big brothers and sister, and thus avoids them. However, whenever I have the guinea pig out on my lap, Mozart has to come and sit next to me. This is much the reaction of what a child will have when a new sibling is brought into the home.

So, the important thing is to give everyone equal attention. A cute e-book I found called The Secret Art of Spoiling Your Cat Rotten gives some good advice on ways you can give your cats some extra attention.

To be honest, I haven’t really given it much thought. Each cat I’ve brought into my home was already litter box trained, and that would have been the main thing I’d want to teach them. I’ve found that, try as I might to dissuade my youngest cat Mozart from jumping in the kitchen sink, he does it anyway. I read somewhere that spraying water lightly on a cat will do the trick, but Mozart LOVES water!

However, because cat are as intelligent as they are, they can, I assume, be trained. For all you kitty parents out there who have questions about the cat training process, check out Complete Cat Training for more interesting information.

Cat urine is something that all kitty parents will have to deal with. Of course, the ideal situation is as it is being neatly scooped up from the litter box. However, some cats are a bit more free with their peeing habits. So, after noting this firsthand, here are some reasons I’ve found out why:

A female un-spayed female might urniate outside of the litter box when in heat. A male will do the same thing.

Males who are not neutered will mark their territory by urinating in the corner of rooms, regardless of whether or not it’s mating season.

Cats who think their litter box is too full will urinate somewhere else until the litter box is cleaned.

Stressed cats (this could be from health problems, or a change of residence) will urinate out of nervousness.

If a cat is accidentally shut in a room and has to urinate, it will find a hidden spot and urinate there.

Urination outside of the litter box also happens often in homes with a dog or multiple cats.

Websites that can help:

18 Ways To Stop Cat Urine Odor

Train Your Cat to Use a Human Toilet!

How To Get Rid Of Cat Urine & Odor From Your Home

PeeAway Pet Urine Neutralizer

How To Make Your Own Cat Urine & Odor Remover

Cats are quite a popular addition to a home, and for good reason: they are as lovable as they are intelligent! However, too many cats have ended up in a shelter because of improper adjustment to their new home. A website that I found that has a lot of information on how to deal with various cat behavior problems can be found HERE .

As a responsible kitty parent, here are some tips to make the new kitty feel more at home:

First of all, a cat should always have a companion. If the kitty parent will be home most of the time, then the cat will be fine on its own. However, for those kitty parents that have to be at work most of the day, it’s very important to have a playmate for the cat - get two cats instead of just one to keep each other company while Mom or Dad are away.

If you do plan on getting two cats contingently, make sure they’re the same age. I found this out the hard way. When I got my youngest cat Mozart two years ago, I thought he’d keep himself busy with the two older cats I have. However, since the two older cats are, in fact, so much older, they weren’t really all that interested in playing with him. Thank goodness for my little Yorkie Spunky, because he will play with him!

Of course, I ran into a bit of trouble with dominance on the part of Mozart and my oldest cat, a male named Buster. Buster, then fifteen, had ruled the roost, and now here was a young whippersnapper trying to take over his territory. The result? Many a fight. Mozart didn’t try to challenge Ruby because she’s female. Needless to say, it was quite hectic around my home for a while, trying to break up fights and making sure that poor old Buster didn’t get hurt. I consulted the veterinarian about it, and he said that it is a natural process and to let them duke it out until it really looked like one of them was going to get hurt. Nowadays, there’s still the occasional fight, but everyone’s pretty much accepted everyone else.