Update on Panther -- Lessons We Have Learned

Last year our beloved first cat, Panther developed diabetes. So we learned about injecting insulin and glucose curves. Last fall, he vomited violently 3 times, and we rushed him to the pet emergency clinic on a Saturday night. We learned about pancreatitus (again) and giving subcutaneous fluids.

Panther has had several more episodes of pancreatitus. So we keep an I/V unit with a pouch of Ringers Lactate ready in the closet. We already had one cat chew through the tubing, so the closed closet is safest. When his fur looks bad and I tent his scruff which doesn't go down quickly -- with Steven's help I give him subQ fluids from 50 to 150ccs at a time. Sometimes once a week, sometimes twice a day.

When Panther meows and makes me follow him, then jumps on the "insulin perch" I know to give him his 1/4 unit of Lantus/Glargine. But only after he eats!

We learned that Panther has a "sensitive" pancreas. That's the organ that produces insulin and various digestive enzymes. So he eats prescription Hills Science Diet I/D and canned Purina Proplan salmon/fish or turkey and giblets. The canned food is amongst those recommended for diabetic cats.

During this time Panther has willfully downgraded himself socially from top male cat to the bottom of the social scale. So no more energy expended in boxing matches with Charger.

Panther is wise enough to direct us in what he needs and when. And we have become wise enough to listen. That is why he is still alive and experiencing a decent quality of life.

Cat-Related Children's Toys

I was in the family room to see what my younger son was watching on TV this Saturday morning. The usual run of commercials showed up. One was pleasantly surprising: a veterinary hospital play set! I remember the LEGO zoo and farm play sets we bought when the boys were younger. Not much else was available, except for stuffed animals of varying quality.

I was intrigued. We like toys that stimulate the imagination and allow for role playing, while teaching our children to think. So I went on a short hunt for other pet-related play sets and toys. These toys can also be used to stimulate family discussions about nurturing, being responsible for a pet's life, etc. Or just for fun.

Fisher Price has Sonya Lee and Her Pet Salon and Chutes and Ladders with a pet twist: Rescue Hero's Pet Rescue

FurReal Friends: Jungle Cat (Leopard Cub) or the tamer Calico or Marmalade

Gund My Little Kitty Playset

A few of Hasbro's Pet Shop play set and add-ons:
Littlest Pet Shop Little Lovin' Pet Playhouse
Cat & Dog
Persian Cat with Carrier

Even the venerable toy icon Barbie has Barbie Pet Doctor Kit with Cat

Then there are these imagination prompting play sets, too:
Deluxe Complete Little Kitten Care Set for Children

Learning Resources: Pretend and Play Animal Hospital

Parents' Animal Hospital
Step2's Village Veterinarian Accessory Set

Take Your Cat on Vacation

While not the easiest to navigate, Pets Welcome.com is a great place to visit. They present detailed information on pet friendly Hotels and Motels in the U.S. and Canada, describing their site as having over 25,000 pet friendly hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, ski resorts, campgrounds, and beaches listed.

Search under Country, then by state or province, then by city. Many hotels/motels charge fees for pets ranging from $10 to $100 (not exactly pet-friendly). Some say dogs only, or that no pet must be left alone, or crated only. Once you find a hotel you like, you can click through for more information. Pets Welcome says they even have negotiated rates with some of these places.

I am amazed at how many hotel/motel chains accept pets these days!

They also list pet sitters and lots of other useful information for those who won't leave home without their furry friends.

Enjoy exploring...and vacationing!

Year Round Gift Donations that Help Cats and Make Humans Feel Good, Too

Not sure what to get? You need a gift for "someone who has everything"? Your friend said no gift this year? How about donating in their honor to one of these worthy causes.

Petfinder.com you can donate in Honor of or in Memory of someone (human or feline), or sponsor an unadopted pet waiting for a home. They also accept donations for their Disaster Relief Fund and the Animal Shelter Fund (Purina is the corporate co-sponsor).

Purebred Cat Breed Rescue not all abandoned cats are mixed breeds.

Operation Nobel Foster every time reservists and others in the armed forces are called upon to serve overseas, the drop off rate at shelters sky rockets. This group was formed to help prevent such heart wrenching events. Volunteers foster the cats of military personnel so that when they come home, their cats are waiting for them. No matter what your political leanings may be, please consider helping this worthy cause.

Consider your Local Shelter or volunteer adoption groups. Not sure how to find them? See my blog entry on how to find them in your area. They can always use: money, cat food, litter, beds, blankets, paper towels, coupons to pet stores, pet food coupons. Call and ask what they need. then make a donation in someone's honor. A gift that serves more than one!

Adorable Holiday Cat and Dog Cards -- And a Worthy Cause, too!

I found these kitten and puppy holiday cards on the American Humane Association's home page (right side of the web page in the middle).

The AHA's Shopping Page has children's books and other fun things. They also have two catalogs: one for animal welfare professionals and another for child welfare professionals. Both catalogs can be downloaded as.pdf files.

As they describe themselves: "Since 1877, the American Humane Association has been protecting children and animals from cruelty and mistreatment. From the Adopt-a-Cat Month to conferences on Family Group Decision Making (FGDM), the American Humane Association has a variety of outreach programs that promote healthy family relationships and animal care. You can help make a real difference in a child's or animal's life."

Buying and Safely Storing Pet Food

With 8 cats to feed, plus the strays that other people discard in my area, I buy our high quality cat food in 20 lb. bags where possible to save money. Then we transfer it to special air tight food safe containers. I also check the expiration date before buying. Eight cats go through a 20 lb. sack in about one and a half months. Overall, buying high quality cat food such as Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Hills, Purina Pro Plan, Nutro, Blue Buffalo, Wysong, etc. can save you money -- your cats will eat less and be healthier (thus saving on vet bills).

We are also supplementing with more canned food, especially for our diabetic cat Panther. The canned foods we chose are higher protein, fewer carbohydrates, thus straining his metabolism less.
When you are shopping be sure to check the expiration dates before you buy any pet food or treats.

To read the ingredients on some canned food bring your magnifying glasses (only half joking) -- until someone pointed it out -- I did not see that Wellness brand foods contains small amounts of garlic which damage the red blood cells of cats and dogs. The label print is tiny!

Be sure that taurine is in the cat food you buy, until it was intentionally added to cat foods, cats were having heart problems from a lack of taurine. The Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research's article explains this better than I can.

The article "Cats Are Different"by T. J. Dunn, Jr. DVM subtitled "Find Out How A Cat's Nutritional Needs Are Different From A Dog" is a terrific layman's level explanation of our pet's nutritional needs. Read and learn!

Lastly, I found this article and thought you might find it interesting, too: Pet Food Storage Tips, Part One: Dry Food

Morris the Cat, 9Lives Icon and Spokescat

We have seen the commercials and ads for years...but did you know Del Monte 9Lives company was helping abandoned cats, too?

From their Business Wire Press Release:

Celebrate the 500,000 Adoptions Milestone for Morris' Million Cat Rescue campaign

A shocking 3 out of every 4 cats that enter shelters do not leave alive. The reality is that 5.5 million cats are euthanized each year, representing 71% of all cats that enter animal shelters. Many don?t know that there are tremendous advantages for the entire family in owning a pet ? for adults, pet ownership can decrease the risk of having a heart attack by up to 6%. Pet ownership can teach children about responsibility, compassion and loyalty ? in addition, positive self-esteem is enhanced in children with pets. And pet ownership has been shown anecdotally to help children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to focus and concentrate.

About Morris the Cat

In 1968, a street-wise orange tabby from a Hinsdale, Illinois shelter was languishing for a loving home after being abandoned by his owner when the shelter staff noticed something special about the cat ? a certain star quality. They quickly contacted Bob Martwick, a professional animal handler who quickly adopted him on the spot, and ? 20 minutes from death ? Morris the Cat got a second chance. Recognizing his charisma, 9Lives cat food quickly signed him up, and the entire nation took notice of this new star of their television commercials."

"Morris' Million Cat Rescue mobile adoption bus will visit Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade between Santa Monica Boulevard and Arizona Street from 12:00 p.m. - 5 p.m. PDT to mark the momentous occasion and to promote pet adoption. The 500,000^th cat will be officially adopted by Audrina Patridge of MTV?s ?The Hills,? who will also participate in an exclusive check-donation ceremony. A grand total of $10,000 will be donated in her name to a local area shelter, Feline and Friends, to help them continue in their mission of finding loving homes for homeless cats.

According to Thomas, the Morris' Million Cat Rescue tour will be making additional stops this year in San Francisco (9/27), Sacramento (10/03), Portland (10/11), Seattle (10/18), and Denver (10/27) before going on winter hiatus. For more information about Morris? Million Cat Rescue Campaign, bus or van stops, visit www.9Lives.com."

Possible Toxic Pet Toys at Walmart??!! Cat Health Alert

Lisa Wade McCormick of ConsumerAffairs.com wrote an article about Walmart's public rebuttal to the ExperTox Analytical Laboratory analysis of toxins they found in certain cat and dog toys carried by Walmart. In the article she writes:

"ConsumerAffairs.com hired ExperTox to test four Chinese-made pet toys -- two for dogs and two for cats -- for heavy metals and other toxins. Two of those toys -- a latex one for dogs that looks like a green monster and a cloth catnip one -- revealed what the lab?s toxicologist called high levels of the toxic metals lead, chromium, and cadmium."

This lengthy article has detailed information from both ExperTox and Walmart, as well as other independent sources. Definitely worth reading -- then you decide which path to follow.

Free Cat Health Brochures and Information

I can cruise the net with the best of them :-) Anecdotal stories are often interesting. However, when it comes to caring for our precious family members -- that includes my sons as well as our cats :-) I prefer to get my medical advice and information from those whose jobs involve staying at the forefront of medical knowledge.

Cornell University Veterinary School's Feline Health Center has quite a few free online brochures related to various health and behavioral concerns. You can read them as an article or download as a .pdf file. Where appropriate they cross reference their own videos. From the link above, you can also access a glossary of feline medical terms, articles from their newsletter CatWatch.

At this writing there are 8 articles about general health issues ranging from what to do if your cat is "going outside the box" to dealing with aggression. There are four brochures about feline infectious diseases including zoonotic (transferable to humans) disease. And there are six about specific feline health diseases.

The American Veterinary Medical Association has lots of feline health brochures in English and Spanish; printable .pdf files and online readable files. Veterinary clinics can order mix and match packages of 50 brochures to give to clients. They also have a huge number of .pdf files concerned with disaster preparedness, mostly for veterinary practices and state organizations, however there are a few that are of use to pet owners such as Saving the Family (including pets!).

Go and see for yourself!

More Great Feline Health Videos

I had previously written about some videos that showed cats having asthma attacks. I have found some more useful videos that I thought important to share with you.

These How To Health Videos are from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Feline Health Center web site. These videos are:

• Caring for your Diabetic Cat
• Giving Your Cat a Pill or Capsule
• Giving Your Cat Liquid Medication
• Trimming Your Cat's Claws
• Taking Your Cat's Temperature
• Brushing Your Cat's Teeth

Official Source of Pet Food Recall Information - Cat Health

The US Food and Drug Administration has a section comprised of many web pages devoted to the Pet Food Recall that started in March 2007. From the main page, you can get an RSS feed for any new alerts, as well as get on their Recalls Email Mailing List.

I have seen misleading information on blogs and private email lists -- check here before panicking.

POTENTIAL NEW FOOD THREAT TO PETS

I found this alert on another web site:

News for cats and dogs - Smokehouse Brand Dog Treats Pulled From PetSmart Shelves

I have seen these foods and some of these packages are marked "IRRADIATED FOR YOUR HEALTH, WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY AFTER HANDLING" All are labeled as "Made in China"

Here is the press release sent out by the American Veterinary Medical Association:

LAKEWOOD, Colo. ? The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has recently been made aware of several complaints from pet owners and veterinarians that multiple brands of jerky treats manufactured in China have been making pets sick. On Thursday, September 13th they posted a Media Alert to their website at www.AVMA.org. Symptoms of illness have included vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. To their knowledge, no deaths have been reported.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently testing these treats to see if a contaminant can be found. So far they have ruled out melamine, one of the chemicals that led to the massive pet food recall this spring, but have yet to identify anything that might be making pets sick.

While a list of brand/product names of affected treats is not yet available, the AVMA has learned that all complaints have involved jerky treats from China. They recommend that pet owners use their best judgment in this matter and continue to consult www.AVMA.org for updates. Diplomates in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM), who work in the field of veterinary nephrology and urology, had become aware of an unusual number of dogs with very similar presenting complaints and clinico-pathologic testing results associated with the ingestion of jerky treats from a variety of brands. No cats have been reported to date. (Italics mine)

They report that these are typically small dogs that present with a history of vomiting, lethargy and anorexia. They have all consumed jerky treats (mostly chicken jerky) within a few weeks prior to becoming anorexic. Physical examination has been relatively unremarkable. Blood chemistry in many of the cases has revealed hypokalemia and mildly increased liver enzymes. Blood gas analysis indicated acidosis. Urinalysis has consistently shown glucosuria and granular casts. These findings suggested an acquired Fanconi syndrome.

Fanconi screens on urine, when submitted, have been positive. The Metabolic Genetic Disease Testing Laboratory at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania can run urine screens for generalized amino aciduria and lactic aciduria tests of Fanconi Syndrome and other causes of PRTA. Their website can be found at http://w3.vet.upenn.edu/research/centers/penngen/services/metaboliclab/fanconi.html

The most common severe abnormalities appear to be acidosis and hypokalemia. Liberal potassium supplementation appears to be warranted during hospitalization and often needs to be continued orally after discharge. Most of the dogs did not require long term bicarbonate supplementation, although this should be considered based on repeated blood gas analyses. Azotemia does not appear to be a consistent finding and therefore cases will likely be missed in the absence of a urinalysis.

The vast majority of dogs have recovered from their acute disease. All clinical signs of disease including glycosuria have resolved in many of the patients within a few weeks of initial presentation.

The cause of this renal tubular/GI toxicity remains under investigation. Veterinarians should seek a thorough dietary history including treats when presented with a dog presenting with acute GI signs or PU/PD. Diagnostics should include a general blood screen and urinalysis. Treatment consisting of supportive care, electrolyte and blood gas monitoring should be instituted if this acquired Fanconi syndrome is identified.

For further recommendations and assistance on a case by case basis, veterinarians may wish to consult a small animal internist in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in their community. Please see www.ACVIM.org to locate a Diplomate.

Cat Theme Scrapbooking Products

Thinking about scrapbooking, I started to wander the internet. Dangerous....very dangerous, especially for my purse :-)

The Canadian CAT-a-Log.com

Pet Page Memories

The Fabulous Scrapstore

Pages in Time

"Diecuts with a View" Cat Theme Scrapbook Kit

Lots of others out there, just use Google and search under "scrapbooking cats".

The nice thing about these supplies is that you can use the papers to create gift tags, gift cards, and to paper small craft projects. The stickers and appliqués can be used to decorate notebooks, chore charts, craft projects, clothing (the appliqués you can sew or glue), picture frames, chalk boards, bulletin boards, electric switch plates, even you computer monitor or file cabinet. The possibilities for fun are endless!

Cat Tails and Tales :-)

Recently I acquired a female adult leucistic leopard gecko named Lucy. Her previous owner couldn't keep her anymore. So I volunteered. :-)

Yin (Yang's brother) likes to watch our lizards as they eat or walk around their terrariums. So there he is up on the cabinet, watching Lucy. At the same time, Lucy is stalking the tip of Yin's twitching tail. Hmmm, two predators following their instincts...Luckily for both her tank is locked! :-)

More Free Cat Theme Crafts for the Family

I recently wrote about free cat related craft activities for children (and parents!). Here are a few more good places to go.

Some sites with preschool age crafts:

Pre-school cat related lesson plan

Cat theme nursery rhymes, printable paper crafts, puzzles, mazes and word searches

Some sites with crafts for more than one age group:

Cat theme party favor

Free craft projects and patterns

Gifts to make for your cat

Listing of places for free crochet, knitting or sewing cat beds, toys, coats

Teen and adult level instructions for making cat usable beds, tents, toys and for drawing cats

For scrappy scrapbookers :-) a few themes all built around the Karen Foster Designs Themed Kits:

Purrfectly Playful
Kitty Layout
The Cats Meow
Cat Nap Layout
Little Tiger Layout

Or try Diecuts with a View: Cat Theme Scrapbook Kit in a stack 8''X8'' Pad) for something completely different

Jennifur and the Indy 500

Last night Jennifur decide to enter the Indy 500. She sought to prove her speed around fast turns and on straightaways. In our bedroom. At 4 AM. Across our bed, the tops of bookcases, dressers, window cat perches and occasionally, the floor. Instead of tire burns, she left a few slightly bloody scratches on us.

I think she qualified.

Cat Themes in Crafts: Idea Books for Year Round Fun

September is when I start my holiday gift shopping. I make handmade gifts year round (when I'm not sleeping, eating, blogging or at work... :-) )

I bead, sew, embroider, needlepoint, macramé, decorate cakes, bake, cook and write. I use my bread machine to make a sweet bread dough that I then shape into a cat face. Bake and decorate with a chocolate kiss smile and frosting eyes and licorice whiskers. Yummy! Next time I make one I'll put a picture up. Did I mention I have a creative streak? :-)

Here are some more interesting books for multi-media crafty cat lovers:

Sassy Cats: Purr-fect Craft Projects interesting ideas

Cat Crafts (Kids Can Do It) Elementary school age cat theme crafts

Pet Crafts: 28 Great Toys, Gifts and Accessories for Your Favorite Dog or Cat some are child friendly. Toys or useful gifts for for your furry friend, or gifts of a feline theme.

A Year of Cats...in Hats: Crafts to Make You Smile a little cutesy, but interesting and fun

Cat Purr-sonalities in Cross Stitch I prefer needlepoint and embroidery, but the patterns in here are nice

For woodworkers and carpenters you can buy inexpensive plans for making cat trees from Cat Furniture Plans.

Or try these two patterns:

Scardy Cats Paper Woodworking Full Sized Plans Great for Halloween!

Cat's Meow Scrollsaw Plaque Woodworking Plan a multi-depth pattern of jigsaw like cat silhouettes

For Quilters:

Two by the same author, I really like her realistic cats

Cats in Quilts: 14 Purrfect Projects

Kitty Capers: 15 Quilt Projects with Purrsonality

Also take a look at The Cat's Meow: Purr-fect Quilts for Cat Lovers, 10th Anniversary Special Edition for lots of great ideas!

Cats On Quilts is quite different from some of the static feline representations in quilting. These cats are shown being cats!

Great News From Our Vet!!

You may remember that Panther was diagnosed with diabetes last month. He just came back from his monthly glucose curve checkup. His numbers were so good we can halve his Lantus insulin doses! And he has gained about 8 ounces back since his last visit. I also learned that I must only give insulin if I have seen him eat, otherwise his blood sugar level can plummet into hypoglycemia.

The only minuscule downside: I have to draw out 1/2 to 3/4 of one Unit of insulin for each dosage. Which is about 1/16th of an inch. No worries!! :-)

Chinese Feng Shui and Cats

China and cats go back a long way. Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese cultural world view involving the flow of beneficial and harmful energies through the world, and how it affects all living creatures (that's us humans, too!).

In the past 20 years, there has been a popularization of Feng Shui methods and philosophy in the West. Lots of books, articles, talk show segments, and of course, a proliferation of information on the web. You can find books telling you how to re-organize your home (room by room), and your business, garden, and landscaping in order to increase the flow of beneficial life force energies (Chi). This is believed to increase your family's health, prosperity, and other aspects of personal and family life.

This article by Sharon Callahan, while a bit difficult to read due to the background, has some interesting information regarding cats and beneficial energy.

Carole J. Hyder's article tells why she believes that cats are experienced practitioners of Feng Shui. Another article clearly explains some of her clients' experiences and life improvements.

If you are interested in reading more about the basics, try this Feng Shui article. There are many, many articles on the Internet, some easier to follow than others.

A few humorous online articles:

Give Us A Home

Cats in Charge

Feng Shui for Cats

And books:

Feng Shui for Cats

Fang Shui: Feng Shui for Felines (Charming Petites)

Feng Shui for Cats: By Cats, For Cats

More on the serious side of practical Feng Shui:

The Western Guide to Feng Shui: Room by Room

Feng Shui for You and Your Cat

The Direct Path: Creating a Personal Journey to the Divine Using the World's Spiritual Traditions (mixes many western and non-western traditions)

Not specifically cat-oriented, but easy to follow. One of my favorite writers on this subject:

Lillian Too's Easy-to-Use Feng Shui: 168 Ways to Success

Lillian Too's 168 Feng Shui Ways to a Calm and Happy Life

There are other books, too, but many regard cats in a negative light -- more fools they!!!! :-)

Cats in Japan

I was looking for information on the Japanese Meneki Neko (lucky cat). For those who do not know what I am talking about, see "What is Mankei Neko?" Cats are important in Japanese culture. There are quite a few phrases that relate to cats. Nyanda Park in Chiba allows paying visitors to be with the resident cats. Here is a flyer about this Park in Japanese (warning: the automatic English translation is terrible).

Our friend "Neko" lives in Tokyo. She and other Neko Obasans (literally, "cat mothers") foster and neuter stray or abandoned cats that live in a small beautiful bicycle "pocket" park. They provide food, water and medicine. Most of these cats have no other home. See her blog about her cats, some of whom followed her home to be adopted. :-)

Single With Cat, Looking for Same

Many of the people I work with are single, or just getting married. Almost all of them have cats and other pets. It has not always been easy for some of them to find cat-friendly partners.

I remember when we got Charger, my 20 lb. Bengal male. He was advertised in a "For Sale" paper because the family did not want him anymore. The college daughter's boyfriend was jealous of this big friendly playful cat. Personally, I would have ditched the guy.

When I met my future husband, Dragon (David), I was wearing Bebe, my boa constrictor. He is still with us 30 years later. You can see one of the many things Dragon is into at Homerecording.com.

For those who are not so fortunate here are some places that seem reputable. YMMV!

Pets Friends
Must Love Pets
Pet People Meet
Love Me, Love My Pets
Date My Pet
Animal Attraction

Good To Know -- Free Pet Emergency Information

While browsing the Internet I came across some useful freebies and important safety and emergency information. While some focus on dogs, the basic information is applicable to all pets.

There is no substitute for being prepared for an emergency. A basic first aid kit for humans and pets seems a sensible thing to have. So does making sure that everyone old enough for the responsibility of caring for a pet, knows the basic signs of a medical problem, what to do and who to call. Talk with your vet, your family so you know what to do before something goes terribly wrong.

We have our veterinarian's phone number in the kitchen and on all our cell phones.

Cornell University's Feline Health Center "Max's House" covers detailed instructions on what to do in a given medical emergency, including recommended components for a first aid kit, normal respiration counts, how to restrain a frightened cat, and immediate first aid for breathing difficulties, bleeding, bone or soft tissue injuries and shock.

The same site offers the most detailed list of cat-toxic plants that I have found (by Common Plant Name), including the ASPCA toxic plant list. Cornell also lists the plants by the Latin Genus/Species. This second listing provides poisoning symptoms and treatment.

The ASPCA has a number of useful articles:

Non-Toxic plants

What to do if your pet ate or drank something that may be poisonous

The phone number for Animal Poison Control Center of the for ASPCA is (888) 426-4435. FYI they state "There is a $55 consultation fee for this service".

Be ready with the following information:
- the species, breed, age, sex, weight and number of animals involved
- the animal?s symptoms
- information regarding the exposure, including the agent (if known), the amount of the agent involved and the time elapsed since the time of exposure.

Have the product container/packaging available for reference."

Pedigree has a free first aid guide for pet owners. Go to the page and click on "downloadable" by the upper right icon. Their disaster preparedness brochure has very useful tips for evacuting your pets -- in part based on lessons learned from the Hurricane Katrina devastation.
Other canine related safety information can be found on their "First Aid and Safety" web page.

Other useful links:

Contents of a Feline first aid kit

Another list for a feline first aid kit If you scroll down, you will also find information on giving your cat pill or liquid medication, some poisonous houseplants, and some basic warning signs of illness.

Cat Channel discusses what to do for burns, broken bones, electric shock and insect stings. Good to know before anything goes wrong.

Online Places To Shop for Cats (and Other Pets, Too!)

We not only have cats, we have reptiles and fish at our home. Since I work full time, time for shopping and especially for browsing is limited. My solution, like that of so many others is to surf the Internet. A lot of these places have email newsletters that I have signed up for, so I know in advance about sales and special offers.

Some of my favorite web sites for pet products are:

Drs. Foster & Smith - The Trusted Name for Cat Products

Petsmart

Pet Planet (U.K.)

Only Natural Pet Store

Amazon.com
Amazon is a good place for comparative product reviews.

And for those with allergies to pets my favorite site is: Allergy Control Products.

Other sites to go to are:

iAllergy

Allergy Be Gone

See my article about human allergies to cats and coping with an allergic cat.

Cats and Crickets

I brought home crickets to feed my lizards. As usual, all the cats wanted to paw at the bag, and then watch me release them into the lizard homes. More than once I have "accidentally" let a cricket loose on the floor. Naturally, a crowd appears, tails waving and whiskers smiling. They almost never eat the cricket, mostly watch it hop around. I later recapture the wayward cricket.

My friend's cats like to eat the crickets she releases. Yin ate one once, but then he threw up so now he just watches.

Jennifur and Aurum are both transfixed by the lizards hunting inside their cages. Occasionally, Jennifur likes to "help" the geckos by batting at the crickets inside the terrarium. The lizards respond by running and hiding.

I just realized that all of our pets are predators...

The Unwanted Mother

This morning Charger seemed out of sorts. He started wrestling with Yang, but Yang thought things were getting too rough, started fighting back in earnest, and finally jumped up and ran away. Next, Charger went over to look out the glass door, joining Jennifur and Yin (who were getting along for once). Suddenly there was a shriek from Yin, who took off like mad with Charger chasing him.

Charger doesn't normally hurt anyone like that, so we became concerned and Susan said, "What's the matter with Charger?"

Like I knew. So (not being the cat whisperer in the family) I said, "Why don't you ask him?"

There was a long silence. Things were quiet...too quiet (insert your favorite similar cliche here). Finally Susan told me what Charger had to say.

It seems that Charger's mother had "called" to say goodbye. She was sick and her human had decided not to spend the money to have her made well again, so they were euthanizing her. In fact, Charger was saying his last goodbyes to her at that moment, having shown her what his life was like here, surrounded by friendly humans and other cats.

That kind of put a serious damper on the morning, but we've taken extra time with Charger to comfort him today.

A Talk With Jennifur

Today I decided to see if my guess was right about Jennifur talking to Little Kitty yesterday. I asked Susan to ask Jennifur whether this had happened.

Susan came back in a little while and said that while Jennifur was her usual laconic self, she had said that Little Kitty had been talking with her about survival and loneliness. Apt topics for feral cats to discuss!

But I'm really happy that Jennifur is talking to an outside cat. This is a nice change for her.

Jennifur and Little Kitty

This morning when I woke up, Jennifur was looking out the window. Not just "out", but "down", so I figured she was watching someone. I crept over and saw a feral cat we call Little Kitty, who's kind of a petite patchy calico, and who we think might be not only female, but pregnant as well.

Little Kitty also spooks easily, so as soon as she saw me she took off around the corner.

The odd thing about this is that Jennifur usually growls, hisses, spits, or otherwise attempts to convince outside cats to go away. While Jenni has been mellowing lately, this particular habit is pretty ingrained in her purrsonality, so I suspect that either (a) we're wrong and Little Kitty is a male and Jenni likes him or (b) Jennifur actually deigned to talk to Little Kitty, because that's exactly what it looked like she was doing.