Tag Archives: helping pets

Household Hazards and Your Feline Friends

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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.

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

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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!

Holidays Coming? Gifts For Cat Lovers!

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Places to shop for for Cat Lovers:

Drs Foster and Smith all manner of fun and useful gifts.

Felinerina has kitsch black cat oriented gifts.

Moggies: Home of the Online Cat Guide in the U.K. for those who don’t know, Moggies is a term that means mixed breed cat. Notepads, calendars, cards, jewelry, soft toys and more.

When I went to Pricegrabber.com I typed in “Cat Lovers” and found over 70 books, and some other things. I go there to find the lowest prices on various items, especially expensive ones. Searching under “cats” gave me over 8000 results :-) Cat furniture, Feline Pharmaceuticals, gifts etc. Keep in mind that not all of products suppliers are listed by them.

Teezz sells beautifully embroidered cats images on shirts, caps, bags, etc. (U.K.)

Gifts that Keep on Giving — For buying human gifts that help cats:

The Animal Rescue Site has lots of clothing, jewelry, household goods many cat themed. Supports many shelters in the U.S. Great service, I have bought lots of gifts and things for myself :-) from here.

Best Friends Gifts of Life and Love you can sponsor a cat, make a donation, or buy a gift membership in this animal rescue group.

Endangered Species Chocolate supports wild cats through donations

The Mountain Lion Foundation supports intelligent conservation and public education for those of us who live in mountain lion territory.

Purina’s Pet Hug Fund when you order a plush cat or dog toy, Purina donates $1.00 to the Pet Hug Fund which gives money to many animal therapy organizations. These groups help people (and pets) by bringing them together for the emotional and physical therapy they provide.

Teaching Aids: Spread the word about Humane and Compassionate Treatment of Pets

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The Guardian Campaign addresses topics including how to start a humane education program in your community (i.e. a grassroots effort to raise public awareness, a club, etc.) Towards this end they offer free downloads of lesson plans and materials for educators, homeschoolers, and others who want to teach anyone from grades 2 through college age and beyond.

Their philosophy:

“I promise to:
  • Make a lifetime commitment to my animal companion
  • Adopt animals only through responsible rescues and ethical breeders
  • Spay or neuter my animal companion for their health and to prevent overpopulation
  • Provide nutritious food, fresh water and daily exercise for my animal companion
  • Care for the emotional needs of my animal companion
  • Understand and work through my animal companion’s behavioral issues
  • Treat my animal companion with compassion and gentleness
  • Report suspected animal abuse or neglect
  • Call myself and others “guardians” rather than “owner”
  • Encourage others to embrace guardianship
The Guardian Campaign
The Guardian Campaign promotes the usage of the term guardian instead of owner when referring to our animal companions. More than an exercise in semantics, this shift promotes a more compassionate relationship between person and animal. Although the term does not change any legal standing, guardian connotes the responsibility we have for the care, welfare, treatment, and quality of life of an animal in our charge.”

Some of their first suggestions:

“Know your community. Each community has different animal-related problems. Talk to community leaders to get a grasp of issues and priorities and possibilities. Meet with members of the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the Junior League, and other influential organizations to set goals and plan programs that have their support.

Assess your resources. Determine the cost of offering a humane education program. Consider time, transportation, and materials, among other expenses. Will you depend on volunteers, paid staff, or both? Can you secure donated materials? How will you publicize the program? How much time will be involved in selling the program to your audience? The answers to these questions will help you fashion a program that’s achievable within your budget.
Determine your audience. Humane educators bring their message to everyone from pre-schoolers to retirees in continuing education classes. You need to decide whom you want to reach and how often. Knowing your audience will help focus your outreach and maximize your resources.”

Feline Veterinary Practioners

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The web site of the American Association of Feline Practitioners is primarily for veterinarians. If you use their “find a practitioner” it will only show you member veterinarians, not all veterinarians that care for cats.

If you go to their Practice Guidelines page, you will find a few really large .pdf files detailing their suggestions to all veterinarians on many subjects including feline pain management, zoonoses and assisting aging cats. This group and the European Society of Feline Medicine which is linked with the Feline Advisory Bureau(UK), publish the bimonthly Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. While a large part of the site focuses on technical matters, the Feline Advisory Bureau web site also has practical information about catteries, boarding facilities, and useful information for those who are owned by their cats. :-)