Spotted Cat Designs

Today is the 9th anniversary of the day Panther came to live with us (nine is a special number for cats, the way ten is special for humans). Since he is First Cat, this is also the anniversary of the beginning of cats being part of our family. Dates before this are considered B.C. (Before Cats) and after this C.E. (Cat Era).

Panther is still sleek, beautiful, black, and very special, as befits a cat who was able to call out to me telepathically as I walked through the county shelter, probably just days before they would have taken him out of this world. That’s pretty special indeed, because as cat listeners go, I’m pretty much deaf.

Panther is by far our oldest cat but still manages to get a twinkle in his eye and chase Jennifur around the living room every two or three weeks

Every year in the U. S. a substantial number of undesired kittens and pussies are tend to be eliminated it is often because there are not enough homes for each one of them. This can be extraordinarily depressing yet true reality. If youare planning about bringing a new pet for your family, well attempt to think about adopting. If you require apurebred cat, like a Maine coon or a Siamese then you do not want to worry for there are a few cat rescues in US that specialize in the adoption of a particular breeds.

One example is the Siamese Rescue Organization, they rescued about 15, 000 pussies all around the globe and theyare sincerely devoted to locate a new homes for their misplaced, abused and abandoned Siamese pussies. This organization has rescue centers that may be found at California and Texas also in the Pacific and in the Rocky Mountain regions of the country.

If you are one of those people that have an interest in embracing a kitten to be part of your family, then spring time is the perfect time to procure. However some shelters accept kittens every day of the year and mostly there are stuffed with kittens in the spring. Once you are actually certain in adopting one, you should create a listing of questions prepared ahead before you head into the relief center. The more you have a power of knowing the specific moggy or kitten better.

So here is a list of Cats questions that you might need before homing a new pet. What is the possession charge? Just how much human contact does the kitten obtain since ithas been it the possession of the center? If the actual kitten or its litter box trained? If their health background present? If theyare been allotted by their owner, what should be the possible reason?

If they obtain anyCats medical Problems what are the causes if you got in touch with them? And how much will it cost you to treat their illness? How will they behave when there are other animals on site? Have they contact with other animals while theyare at the rescue center? When on the shelter, where do they sleep? In the cage, foster home or open room? Any background of the organization you are rescuing your cat from? Can you spend a little time with the moggy or kitten in a room and examine how will it interacts with you?

As it pertains for you to add a new kitten or pussy to your family, adopting is the perfect alternative. It must be the best thing to do. When you select adoption, not only you give a homeless pet a new chance in life but you may also save them from hunger and death. If you are not ready to adopt a pet to be with you and your family you because of some medical reasons you may want to give something to the rescue centers and become a foster parent for they’re going to use your donations in order for them to operate.

Cats hail from the feline family. They are carnivorous mammals that are small but exhibit all the personality of a feline like a tiger – consisting of prey hunting, marking terrain and etc. Cats are also branded as domestic or house cats. They have been domesticated and staying among man for the last nine thousand five hundred years. Because of their being capable to provide friendship and their capacity to destroy pests like rodents they have stayed popular pets for a long time. They are clever enough to understand simple orders and do them. They understand several things on their own too like operating simple equipements like a door knob which they have the ability to unlock or lock by simply jolting and winding with their paws!

Cats are very talented at showing their disposition and worries through non oral sounds and utilizing their body parts. They meow, purr, chirrup, grunt, squeak, trill and so on. They curve their backs, rustle their tails, strengthen their body, and bristle their fur and so on. For example a purring cat could mean that it is pleased, a whooshing tail could signify fury and so on. Ultimately, only you will be able to tell what your cat is telling you. Each cat is different, and it takes time for an owner to find out just what their particular pet is trying to tell them. It does come over time, however, and all owners will learn to communicate with their pets eventually.

There are a number of kinds of cats a lot of which have been polished by man thoroughly for specific traits. A pastime also known as cat fancy entails procreation and registering pure breed pets which is practiced by cat aficionados all over the world. Even though cats were originally believed to have started being domesticated in Egypt evidence in recent times have shown that they were originated in Cyprus even before their times in Egypt.

Cats have been gifted with sensitive parts to be expert predators – including eyes, whiskers, ears and nose. Cats are nocturnal hunters and their eyes are so strong that they have the ability to notice in the night very noticeably. They have the ability to hear ultrasonic sounds and high frequency sounds. Rodents produce ultrasonic sounds which may be picked up by cats and that is how cats stalk the pests without difficulty. Their whiskers have the ability to sense a touch and air flow differences. This too assists to steer smoothly in the dark. Their sense of smell is very operational too and they have the ability to smell distinctly from quite far away if the wind route is exact.

When you encounter transferring to a different house you are likely to come under “moving stress”. After all you will have concerns about transferring your things securely and the cost involved in the relocation method. With a pet anxiety levels will possibly soar since you are worried as regards the secure transfer of your cat(s) also. A specialized service like moving company in Florida may offer complete packing and transferring services; they may also provide you a moving truck rental alone – you do the packing and moving yourself.

In their latest (March 2009) issue, Consumer Reports has a very readable article , including quotes from a Cornell University vet, about whether it’s worth spending lots of money on fancy cat food (for those who don’t like clicking on links, here’s the answer: no). Unless your cat(s) have specific health or age issues, any decent generic food should do if their little cat tummies tolerate it.

And since wet food is 75% water, it costs a lot more per ounce of real nutrition, so the same rationale goes here: unless they need wet food for a specific reason, dry will do fine. What with the recession and all, it makes sense to save money on regular purchases (like food) to serve as a cushion in case of unexpected medical bills, or whatever.

Of course, none of this means you shouldn’t buy cans of salmon or fancy treats for your dear cats. Just use them as treats, not everyday meals!

When people first see a Balinese cat, they often think that this elegant looking cat must be haughty and unsociable. However, nothing could be further from the truth. This breed may look refined, but it is actually incredibly friendly and fun loving.

The Balinese has a graceful body that can move in unusual ways and helps it get into all kinds of places. This flexibility and ability to escape from seemingly impossible places causes many people to compare the Balinese breed to the great magician Houdini.

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The first time you see an American Curl, you may think that the cat has a deformity. After all, cats don’t usually have ears that curve back toward the back of their heads. The American Curl has varying degrees of curl to the ears, from ears that barely tip back to ears that curve so far back that they form a crescent shape. Only cats with ears that form a crescent curve are suitable for showing, but all American Curls make delightful pets.
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When we are paying almost $30.00 for insulin hypodermics and about $90.00 for a bottle of Lantus/Glargine insulin for Panther, I thought it best to comparison shop. So after searching for over an hour I realized that no on-line places sold Lantus, but lots of places sold the syringe sets. Strangely enough, our local Safeway pharmacy had the best prices! And no shipping fees!

While wading through the possible places to buy from I found VetAmerica
We bought a few none prescription items. Found some things I did not know existed for cats. Accurate descriptions, great service and reasonable prices. Check it out!

At about 5 A.M. Panther started softly crooning. It was pre-dawn, and the moon had set. Panther, like some of our other cats sings in the morning, and all of them are indoors only — unless we take them out on harness and leash. (see walking your cat) This particular time, I heard him sing about some of his favorite outdoor activities.

After the Moon
The sky slowly darkens
Grass smells fresh

Good to Roll in
Pleasant to eat
Fresh grass and warm soil
Glorious!

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.

Some random useful information:

Perdue Veterinary School lists plants that are toxic to animals, and especially pets. Click on each link for the plant photo, description, symptoms, first aid and more.

See my basic article called How NOT to Poison Your Cat for some general ideas on cat proofing — hint: it is a a lot like toddler-proofing your home — and for the same reasons!

One of our cats was chewing on an electrical cord. Not good. It turns out her gums were bothering her. Nipped in the bud so to speak. More intensive at home dental care was begun.

With the holidays coming:

Keep wrapping paper, ribbon, scissors and tape away from cats. Clean up any bits leftover from wrapping gifts. Your cat may try to eat some of it!

No traditional holiday plants are safe for cats!!!
If you can reach the plant, so can your cat.

If you use a wood or pellet stove as many of our neighbors do, protect your cats from getting burned paws or singed fur.

Some Possibilities:

• Keep your cats out of the room the stove is in
• Don’t use your the stove
• Clicker train your cats to avoid the area
• Buy tall fireplace safe un-tippable three wall barriers to keep your cats at least 2 feet from the stove

None of these is actually foolproof, except not using the stove. Jennifur was taught to avoid the wood stove. Two winters ago, after one of her more exuberant mad dashes around the family room, we smelled singed fur. Haven’t used our wood stove since.