Category Archives: cats

14

Scritch, Scritch, Scritch – It’s Dry Skin Season

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If you are like us and live in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s winter. And in addition to being cold, winter is full of dry air. Also, the same process that keeps us warm usually dries out the air. As a result, a lot of us are scratching. And scratching is not good for us, It irritates our skin and can lead to infection.

How Do You Know You Have Dry Skin?

  • Skin flakes on your fur (your human may say you look like you have dandruff)
  • Bald spots (if the scratching gets out of hand and you pull out some fur)
  • Scabs or scaly spots
  • Constant need to groom and/or scratch
  • Itching

How to Bathe Your Cat in 5 Easy Steps - Allivet Pet Care Blog

What Can You Do?

  • Hot Towel – Soak a towel in hot water. Squeeze it out thoroughly and wrap yourself in it. (We think you’re going to need your human to help with this one. Actually, a human helper would be useful for most of these.) Five minutes wrapped up will soothe the irritation and refresh the dry kin.
  • Oatmeal Bath – Not gonna lie. This one sounds awful to us. But it’s all over Mr. Google, so apparently it works. Have your human use a food processor to break down the oats, then mix them with water. How much water you depends on whether you want a paste for one or two spots or a full immersion bath. The oatmeal needs to stay in contact with the skin for at least ten minutes.
  • Coconut Oil – One way to use coconut oil is to spread it on your skin. If you’d prefer, you can add one teaspoon of coconut oil in your food daily. This remedy is contingent on you not hating the taste of coconut oil. It is full of antioxidants. Also keep in mind that coconut oil is a natural laxative.

The 10 Best Cat Brushes of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

  • Brushing – Hopefully, you are being brushed regularly. Brushing is an excellent way to spread the oil from your skin through your fur and keep you glossy and gorgeous. If you are starting your brushing program in the midst of dry skin, be gentle. Brushing may further irritate sensitive skin if done too aggressively.
  • Eat Wet Food – If all you are eating is kibble, you may not have enough moisture in your diet for optimal skin health. Fun fact: Tasty little mousies are 70-80% moisture; kibble is only 10% moisture. Look for foods that have lots of protein.
  • Talk to your human about using a humidifier. They may need to add extra moisture to the air to keep you skin glowing. Remember – A healthy cat is a happy cat.

Tips for Keeping Your Cat Relaxed - NYC Pet

  • CBD-Rich Hemp Oils – Don’t worry, this part of the hemp plant won’t make you high. But some cats swear by its effectiveness in treating dry, itchy skin. It also has the added benefits of being an anti-inflammatory, appetite stimulant, energy stimulant, and pain/anxiety reliever. Some of these products haven’t been around for an extremely long time, so make sure you’re getting the real thing without too many additives.
  • Lower Stress – The more humans study stress, the worse stress sounds. Stress can lead to our skin becoming itchy and dry (doubly bad in this dry season). Impress on your humans the need to keep your lives stress-free.
  • Address Allergies – If you have allergies year round, it is probably not the dry air. Your human should look at the food you’re eating (your vet can help with that). Or if you were fine until until your human stated using a new cleaning product, that may be the problem. Ask your human to avoid fragrances and harsh chemicals when they clean. Our sense of smell is 40x stronger than theiirs, so they might not even really they’re making the place stink Besides, we’re closer to the floor where a lot of the cleaning takes place.

Itchy Cat? Here's Why Your Cat's Scratching So Much | BeChewy

One Final Note

If the scratching doesn’t go away with the cold weather, it may be related to something a little more serious. The following conditions can all cause dry, itchy skin:

  • Parasites like fleas, mites, and ringworm
  • Fungal and bacterial infections
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Diabetes

How to Keep Your Cat Safe and Warm in Winter - Hastings Veterinary Hospital

We are wishing you all a happy, non-itchy rest of the season. We’re off to Amazon to find humidifiers for cats. There are a lot of choices, so Mom might have to buy several.

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

20

Sgt Stripes: Reporting from Sick Bay

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Sgt Stripes here. We want to thank you all ‘s for your well wishes to our humans. Our human brother and sister are doing much better. Mom seems to have gotten the worst of it. She even went to the doctor yesterday (that’s like a vet for humans). They gave her three kinds of medicine. She is still coughing a lot, but we are hoping that annoying habit will end shortly.

The ladies and I have been sharing nurse duties. Upstairs, I have been assisted by one of our newcomers. Not Onyx. She remains aloof and stand-offish. My aide is named Gypsy. She is a beautiful dilute calico. Snoops and Kommando have been handling the downstairs duties. We make sure that she is never cold or lonely. We also still let her feed us so she doesn’t feel useless. (She’s not doing much else.)

We know that none of our readers would ever question whether a cat knows that their human is sick. But there are apparently humans out there who think that we are all aloof, unfeeling balls of fur. In case you ever run across one of them, you can tell them the following about how cats know when their humans are sick.

Smell Cat GIFs | Tenor

Humans smell weird when they’re sick – There are chemical changes that take place when humans get sick. They only have about 5 million smell sensors, so they can’t tell a lot of the time. We kitties have about 200 million smell sensors. We know when something’s not right. In fact, studies have shown that cats can detect high blood sugar and cancer through smell.

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Humans act weird when they’re sick – We know your normal behaviors. And we notice when you’re acting different. We love our routines, and when you’re sick, you mess up our routines. (Like our breakfast was 2 hours late today.) Humans lay around a lot when they’re sick. We can tell when you hurt, and we want to help you. We spend our lives around our humans. We want them to be in top shape for us.

Why Is My Cat So Needy? - 7 Reasons Explained | Cute cat memes, Cat memes, Funny cats

Cats exhibit some common behaviors when their humans don’t feel well.

We get clingy – Obviously, all cats are different. Some cats are more cuddly than others under any circumstance. But, generally speaking, cats want to cuddle with their sick human. This is particularly true if the humans has a fever. We cats love to be warm. We’ve been working in shifts. Snoops and Kommando sit on Mom downstairs. Gypsy and I lay with her upstairs. Sometimes, I’ll let Gypsy handle the bed while I take the cat tree, but it’s usually the three of us together.

Separation Anxiety - Lolcats - lol | cat memes | funny cats | funny cat pictures with words on them | funny pictures | lol cat memes | lol cats

We get anxious – If the human is sick enough that they can’t fully care for kitty, the cat can feel anxious and get frightened. Mom’s not that sick, so we don’t have that issue. However, we do find the extended coughing spells very annoying.

Cute Cat licking : r/aww

We lick – If we think our human is stressed or upset, we may try to help by licking them.  It de-stresses us, and we want to help.

Lolcats - medical - LOL at Funny Cat Memes - Funny cat pictures with words on them - lol | cat memes | funny cats | funny cat pictures with words on

Mom says that she used to have a cat that she called her “get-well kitty.” Critter always knew when someone was sick and would stay with them until they felt better. Apparently none of us are quite that good, but she says that I’m the closest she’s seen. Hopefully, it’ll only be a couple more days. This is exhausting.

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

34

Happy New Year!

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Greetings fellow felines. We hope you are all well. Our humans are ALL sick (some kind of really nasty virus). We had to beg to get any kind of post out today. Mom is our typist, so she made us pick an easy topic. We wanted to talk about our plans for the new year, but she said we couldn’t do anything with the little humans who have moved in.

When Mom was little, she would spend New Year’s Eve with her grandma from Scotland. Grandma had some strongly held opinions about what needed to be done to bring luck in the new year. There was a lot of cleaning and candle-burning to get rid of the bad luck from the previous year. We decided to see if we could find any countries that linked luck to kitties. Here’s what we found:

England

If a black cat crosses your path from left to right, it’s good luck. If a black cat crosses your path from right to left (or walks away from you), it’s bad luck. If a woman receives a black cat on her wedding day, the marriage will be prosperous. Newlyweds with a black cat will have a loving, happy marriage. However, if an unmarried woman steps on a cat’s tail, she will not get married that year.

Why is My Cat Constantly Sneezing? | Heart + Paw

France

In the south of France feeding black cats and treating them well will bring good luck. The rest of the country considers them unlucky. If you cross a stream with a cat in your arms, it is an omen of death for a loved one. If a cat sneezes near a bride on her wedding day, it will be a loving and prosperous marriage.

15 Grey Cat Breeds - Most Popular Gray Cats

India

In the ancient Hindu religion, cats were the symbol of childbirth and fertility. Grey cats are believed to be especially lucky. Black cats are lucky, and you should welcome them into your home. If a cat meows as a person leaves the house, it is an omen of danger for that person. If a cat washes its ear three times, an unexpected guest is coming. If you are setting out on an adventure and see a cat on your left side, you will have good luck. If a cat follows you out of your house, you can expect financial gain in the near future.

Why Do Cats Hate Water? 5 Reasons & Tips for Bath Time

Indonesia

If you pour water over a cat, it will rain.

Premium AI Image | Black cat walking on the street at night

Ireland

There is a belief that kittens born in May are particularly troublesome; they may even bring snakes into the house. Killing a cat can bring you 17 years of bad luck. If you see a black cat cross your path in the moonlight, it is a omen of an epidemic-related death.

How to Incorporate Your Cat in Your Wedding – CatGenie

Italy

If you hear an Italian cat sneeze, it’s good luck. But if it sneezes three times, you’ll get a cold.  If a bride hears a cat sneeze on her wedding day, she will have a good marriage. However, black cats are considered bad luck in parts of Italy.

cat washing face | kuro | Flickr

Japan

In Japan, cats are considered lucky. In particular, black cats are lucky. Owning a black cat increases your chances of romantic success. Black cats also guard homes against evil. An additional belief is that if a cat grooms its face, you will have unexpected visitors. (No word on whether that’s lucky or not.)

Speaking "Cat" - Morris Animal Inn

Netherlands

The Dutch believe that cats are gossips. If you have a private conversation with a cat in the room, they will tell all of your secrets. There is no record of how far they will spread the news.

Fun Facts About Russian Blue Cats | ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance

Russia. 

Russians consider Russian Blue cats to be particularly lucky. When you enter a new home, you should let the cat go in first. If the cat doesn’t want to enter, it’s a sign of bad luck. Black cats are considered bad luck. If a black cat crosses your path, move to the other side of the street or spit over your shoulder three times to ward off evil spirits.

Black Cat With Fangs Looks Just Like Dracula - ABC News

Southern Europe

If a cat jumps across a person’s grave, they will live again as a vampire.

Fluffy white cat, large, blue eyes, walking down road towards camera

United States

If a cat sits on someone’s grave, their soul is possessed by the Devil. However, if two cats are fighting over a grave, an angel and demon are fighting over the soul. If you see a white cat on the road during the day, or dream of one, it’s good luck. But seeing a white cat at night is unlucky. If you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb and palm it in your hand. If you make a wish, it will come true. If a Pennsylvania Dutch woman wants to get married, she should feed a cat from her shoe.

We wish you nothing but good luck in the coming year!

Happy New Year Cat Images - Free Download on Freepik

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

24

Kommando Kitty: Proud to be Piebald

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Greetings. Kommando Kitty here. It seems like Sgt Stripes has been running the blog lately. First he took over the upstairs, now he’s getting pushy on here. Mom said I could have a week to talk about whatever I wanted to. At first, I thought about just running a bunch of pictures to show everyone how cute I am. But you guys already know that. Then I was going to talk about how stressed out I am with our new living arrangements. But you guys already know that too.

I’ve decided that I will talk a little bit about my most obvious trait: my gorgeous white-and-grey coat. Mom once said that I was colored like a type of cow, a Holstein-Friesian. I was really offended; she really hurt my feelings. Then I discovered that other people call us cow cats too. Or Moo Cats, which is even worse. (Some people think cows are cute; humans are weird.) Apparently, I am officially a piebald. Piebalds are white cats that have spots of any other color, even tabby. Or, technically, cats of other colors with white spots. Tuxedo cats are officially piebalds. Everyone thinks they’re elegant, so I guess that’s better than being a cow cat.

There’s an actual science associated with bicolor cats. It happens when a cat inherits a piece of a “white spotting gene.” The actual piece of the gene with the coding is called an allele. Alleles can be either dominate or recessive on the gene. If a kitty has two dominant white spotting alleles, they will be more than half white. If a kitty receives one dominant and one recessive white spotting alleles, they will have a more even mix of white and some darker color.

The coat patterns are divided into a scale:

  • Less than 40% white – low-grade
  • 40-60% white – medium-grade
  • More than 60% white – high-grade

That means that I’m a high-grade kitty. (But I already knew that.) The Cat Fanciers have a bicolor rating system: 1 has no white and 10 is all white. White spotting generally starts on the chest or belly, then moves to the front paws, sides, and finally to the legs and face.

There are several common patterns of piebald cats

Tuxedo – predominantly black with white tummy, chest, pay, and sometimes chin and/or nose

Cow – predominantly white with black spots on the torso

Van – predominantly white with black on the head and tail only

Mask-and-Mantle – black back, shoulders, and head; white underside

Cap-and Saddle –  predominantly white; black on the top of the head and on the lower back, near the tail

Locket – black with a small white patch on the chest or tummy

A few other random facts:

  • Cats that look like me are also called harlequins or magpies.
  • More of us are short-haired than long-haired for some reason.
  • Our coloring helps us hunt in areas that have patches of light and shadows
  • Because there are so many kitties with these types of markings, some humans think we’re “common” and want a more unusual-looking pet when they go to shelters.
  • We are generally mixed breeds which means that we will usually enjoy a long, healthy life

I couldn’t find any famous cats that are piebald who aren’t tuxedo cats, which was a little disappointing. But I still feel better knowing I have so many piebald buddies out there.

26

A Day in the Life of Sgt Stripes

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Hello! Sgt. Stripes here! I’ve been hard at work lately. My human sister, Blondie, has been working from home. And I’ve been getting to help her! Even better, I’ve also been able to attend therapy with her (she has anxiety and depression. She’d never make it as a cat). She made my formal title “Tummy Time Therapist with Office Management Requirements”. And it’s hard work! I’m going to share a typical day in the life in the workforce. 

6:30AM: 

This is when Blondie (and the mini humans) wake up. She gets them dressed and off to the day shelter, where they play and do art. Blondie calls it a daycare. But Snoops says it’s more like a shelter. I get to sleep through this, since I don’t do cars. Or mini humans. 

7:45AM: 

Blondie returns home. She gets our laptop out, and makes sure that it and our work cell are charged. She also gets her notepad ready. This is usually when I do my big kitty stretch and prepare myself for another strenuous day. 

8:00AM: 

Time to start work! We start by logging onto her email, her Teams (a Skype descendant), and her scheduling tool. I usually get to send a message to a few of her coworkers. Today alone, I said hello to the group chat (all 20 people!), the checkout person, and the echocardiogram coordinator, along with one of the medical assistants. Everyone loves my welcome messages! 

8:10AM:

Once we say good morning to our team, we review our email. Blondie makes a lot of phone calls, but won’t start until 9. So I get to help send out letters to patients who didn’t show up for their appointments, schedule urgent add on surgeries, and review our load for the day. I’ve discovered this is best done by sitting on the keyboard of the laptop. That way I’m warm, and am close enough to the screen to see. 

9:00AM: 

Now I get to start helping with phone calls! Usually the morning calls go to patients who need a presurgical workup. I don’t actually talk to these people (it sounds pretty depressing, honestly). But I definitely do my part. I sit with one paw on Blondie while she types, and I make sure to sit on the phone cord. You know, in case the phone tries to escape or something. These calls usually take most of the morning. 

12:00PM: 

Lunch break! Usually Blondie goes downstairs and gets tea and a sandwich, but I get to chow down on kibble (or cereal. She eats cereal and we share sometimes). I’m hoping my employee of the year luncheon features vole. I really like vole, But after I eat, I usually use the facilities, stop by the scratching post, and get a nap in. 

1:00PM: 

Back to work! The afternoon is usually a little more interesting. We usually start by calling patients that need pacemakers or ablations. I really, really like this part. We have to email them a surgical packet, and I’m really good at adding attachments or screenshots. I discovered if you push a bunch of random keys all at once, the computer will do fun things! Blondie gets a little weird about this, though. I start on the computer, but usually end up on her chest. At least I still get to supervise. 

3:00PM: 

If Blondie has therapy, this is usually when it happens. I like to sit up by her head and meow at her therapist. He needs to know who the really important one is. Although they just talk a lot, which is boring. So I usually use this time to get some tummy rubs. Or jaw rubs. Or both. I just really love rubs. 

4:00PM: 

Therapy is over (finally). Unfortunately, that means my tummy and jaw rub session slows down, as well. But we get to start scheduling my favorite things: MRIs! These are really fun, because I can make the appointment move by laying on her mousepad. I also really like to interact with these patients. I’ll headbonk the phone, purr into the speaker, and rub the phone so Blondie drops it. These patients are usually more fun than our surgical ones. One time, I scheduled the MRI in the totally wrong year. But I don’t feel bad. It’s a complex system, and I’m still learning it. 

5:00PM: 

The day is over! Man, these days are exhausting. I usually try to persuade Blondie to stay and nap. She never does though. She has to go get the mini humans from the day shelter. So I help her put her items up (I love batting at the phone cord!) and then I usually protect her work case. It’s a really comfy spot to nap. 

After work is over, I only have 15 hours to eat, bathe, play, groom, and relax. It’s quite stressful somedays! But I know my hard work is paying off! Although I think I’m going to request a pay raise and a really nice bonus this Christmas. Maybe some vole ice cream, and silvervine cereal. Hopefully your work days are just as productive! 

20

Cats v Toddler Noise Pollution

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Greetings fellow felines. Snoops and Kommando Kitty here. We’re here with an update to our living situation. As you may know, our human sister moved back home a couple of months ago with her miniature humans. They are two and three years old. We are slowly adjusting to the new situation. We have both returned to the main floor, although we are doing our best to avoid the small creatures.

Kommando: It’s gotten a lot better since they started going to the human shelter during the day some days.

Snoops: I think the humans call it a daycare.

Kommando: I guess that explains why they come home every night.

Snoops: Yeah. That was pretty disappointing the first couple of times it happened.

Kommando: At least we get to eat in peace now.

Snoops: At long as we’re done before they get home. That blonde one still eats our food if we leave it down.

Kommando: Yeah. I don’t get it. We won’t eat the wet stuff after a few hours, but he doesn’t seem to have a problem with it.

Snoops: Even the salmon which isn’t that great when it’s fresh.

Sgt Stripes: Hi ladies. That sounds pretty rough. By the time they come upstairs, it’s bedtime. So I only see them for a few minutes. Of course, every morning they wake me up. Apparently they don’t like getting ready for that daycare thing.

Snoops: Do they scream and yell?

Sgt Stripes: Pretty much every morning.

Snoops: That’s the worst.

Kommando: I dunno. They’re really loud sometimes when they’re not screaming too.

Snoops: You know, cats have really sensitive hearing.

Kommando: That’s what makes us such excellent hunters.

Snoops: Our ears are really cool. The outer ear consists of the ear flap and canal. We can rotate our ears independently to hear sounds coming from different directions. Then we have the middle ear that’s full of small auditory bones and the eardrum. The inner ear has the cochlea and semicircular canals of fluid that help us maintain our amazing balance.

Kommando: And our ears are ultra cute too.

Sgt Stripes: I found a list of seven kinds of sounds cats hate on Mr. Google. Let’s see how our new housemates compare to the list. The first one is hissing.

Kommando: Ooh, yeah. I hate it when Snoops hisses at me.

Snoops: I only do that when you’re annoying.

Kommando: Well, the kids are super annoying, but they don’t hiss.

Snoops: I guess we don’t annoy or scare them.

Sgt Stripes: The second sound we don’t like is banging. It says that we don’t like pots and pans banging or doors slamming.

Snoops: That one is a major issue. Those kids are always banging things around in the kitchen.

Kommando: And our food dishes! Mom got us those nice stainless steel dishes, and they’re all over the house.

Sgt Stripes: How traumatic!

Snoops: It is. We have to talk to Mom about it.

Sgt Stripes: The next thing on the list is high-frequency sounds, like the ones that come from computer screens and television remotes.

Snoops: They have tablets that are pretty annoying. Although they don’t use them all that much.

Kommando: No, but I really dislike Peppa Pig. She is super annoying.

Sgt Stripes: Apparently we also dislike balloons popping. Do they do that?

Kommando: No. I don’t think that’s a problem.

Sgt Stripes: I don’t think the next two are really an issue either. Some of us don’t like thunderstorms or fireworks either.

Snoops: I don’t think those are a problem.

Kommando: You sleep through almost anything.

Snoops: You’re just a scairdy-cat.

Kommando: I wish I knew how to hiss at you.

Sgt Stripes: I think the last one is a problem. It says that cats don’t like loud yelling or arguments. It says that the sounds coming from young children can be very stressful to kitties. We don’t like it when our humans are stressed out.

Kommando: The little humans are stressing us out!

Snoops: So what are we supposed to do?

Sgt Stripes: It says we’re supposed to find a  quiet place where we can calm down.

Kommando: I have a better idea. Let’s find a quiet place to put them.

Snoops: Let’s think about this.

18

World Toilet Day: Let’s Talk Litter

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Seven Steps to Toilet Training Your Cat | Hartz

Greetings everyone! We learned that tomorrow, November 19, is World Toilet Day. The United Nations is highlighting the sanitation crisis in much of the world. We really don’t know (or care) about humans and toilets, but it did getting us thinking about kitty waste.

Sand Cat Debuts at Smithsonian's ...

In the wild, cats usually try to find soft or sandy soil for their toilet. It allows for easy burial. Outdoor kitties use their paws in a backwards, sweeping motion to bury their leavings. A litter box tries to replicate this experience. Humans usually refer to litter boxes as a cat things, but other animals use them too. Rabbits, ferrets, miniature pigs, and small dogs have all been litter-trained. The difference is is that we cats generally do it instinctively. (The humans won’t say it, but we’re smarter.)

Lolcats - litter box - LOL at Funny Cat Memes - Funny cat pictures with words on them - lol | cat memes | funny cats | funny cat pictures with words

Humans like litter boxes because they contain our waste. We like litter boxes because we are generally clean animals and like to be able to cover up our waste. A clean litter box helps us be happy, healthy members of the family.

Lolcats - litter box - LOL at Funny Cat Memes - Funny cat pictures with words on them - lol | cat memes | funny cats | funny cat pictures with words

There are a wide variety of litters. Generally speaking, we kitties prefer unscented, low-dust varieties. We have sensitive noses that are easily offended by strong smells (unless it’s mackerel). We need two to three inches to allow for proper burial. And it should be scooped daily. The most common type of litter is clay-based. They also make silica-based litter. Silica is dangerous if you eat it. (Although we do not recommend eating any type of litter.) Other alternatives are wood chips, wheat, sawdust, grains, corncobs, and newspapers.  Some of it clumps for easier removal. We recommend you work with your human to find what’s best for you.

Where to Put a Litter Box: 6 Essential Considerations - Bob Vila

There are LOTS of litter boxes to choose from. Around here, you can spend anywhere from five dollars to several hundred dollars, depending on how fancy it is. The simplest ones are just a tray that your human fills with litter.  It should be big enough so you can comfortably get in it to do your business. You don’t want your tail hanging out the end. You also need to make sure the sides aren’t too high to enter and exit comfortably. Here are your choices:

Open Litter Box – These are the traditional litter trays. They are usually the least expensive, so they are a great choice if you need multiple boxes. Some kitties like them because they can keep an eye on what’s going on around them.
Whisker Litter-Robot 3 Connect Wi-Fi-Enabled Covered Automatic Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box Beige LR3C-1000 - Best Buy
Covered Litter Box – Basically a tray with a lid. The lid helps keep the odors down, but it’s harder to clean. A good option for the more private cat.
Self-Cleaning Litter Box – These boxes have a raking mechanism that sifts through the litter and collects the waste into a tray. Your human just needs to dump the tray. But they make noise, and some kitties don’t like that.
Designer Catbox Cat Litter Box Enclosure, Hidden, Dog-Proof Pet Furniture with Cover, Elegant, Covered, Odor Contained for Large Cats, Cat Litter Box ...

Designer Litter Box – These are made for the discerning cat. They look like high-end furniture and match the rest of your human’s decor. Needless to say, they may be a little pricey. But you’re worth it.

Where to put the cat litter box?
Sifting Pan Litter Box –  One box with a grate on the bottom sits inside a slightly larger pan. Your human lifts the first box, shakes it a little, and lets the unused litter filter through the holes in the grate. Then they dump the dirty litter. We have a couple of these. Our humans like them better than the plain trays.
Disposable Litter Box – Every day, your human just throws everything away. The best ones are made of biodegradable materials that will disintegrate along with the waste.
FIRST RULE OF LITTER BOX CLUB - Lolcats - lol | cat memes | funny cats | funny cat pictures with words on them | funny pictures | lol cat memes | lol cats
Finally, make sure that your human has enough litter boxes for you and your furry siblings. There should be at least one litter box on every floor of a house. Additionally, each kitty should have their own litter box with a spare. Generally speaking, litter boxes should not be in sight of each other. (Note – we have two in one room and it really doesn’t bother us. But that’s just us.)
Cat laughing : r/cats

We will leave you with a couple of jokes:

A cat gives birth in a public park and is fined $50 for littering.

Why did the mother cat pick up her kittens? She didn’t want to litter

What do you call books written for cats? Kitty litter-ature

What do you call a cat that can’t use the litter box? Ill-litter-ate

Pet Releaf

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

21

A Kitty’s Thanksgiving Feast

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Wow. We can’t believe it’s less than two weeks until Thanksgiving here in the US. The humans keep talking about all the food they’re going to have. We decided that we would look into what it means for us cats. To be perfectly honest, it was a little disappointing.

Of course, the centerpiece (at least at our house) is going to be a turkey. We love turkey and were happy to hear that we are allowed to share the main course. There was a former cat here who would sit in the kitchen and wait on the table for the bird to come out of the oven. We’re not that bad, but turkey is yummy. But the science people say that we’re not supposed to eat the skin or bones. That sounds reasonable. But they also prefer if we avoid the dark meat because it has more fat. Hmmph! Like we’re going to get fat on one meal.

Can Cats Eat Turkey? - Cats.com

The rest of the meal doesn’t sound all that appetizing to us. But maybe some of the rest of you will be happy with the side dishes. Apparently, we’re supposed to eat them plain, no added sugars, salt, or butter. (We’re very disappointed – butter is our favorite part of veggies.)

Can Cats Eat Pumpkin? Veterinarians Explain | Trusted Since 1922

We can eat pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Pumpkin is full of all kinds of nutritious stuff that’s good for us. But no pumpkin pie! And no marshmallow on the sweet potatoes. Generally speaking, cats prefer their pumpkin and sweet potatoes pureed. After all, we don’t have the right kind of teeth for grinding. (Maybe a tiny bit of whipped cream wouldn’t be missed.)

Present Simple Negative | Baamboozle - Baamboozle | The Most Fun Classroom Games!

Apparently, some kitties really like veggies. Most of the lists we looked at said that we could be given green beans, carrots, spinach, broccoli, and cabbage. Steamed green beans are a favorite for some kitties. Most of the others are best if they are cooked at least a little bit, although some cats like raw carrots. None of us eat vegetables, but feel free to indulge if you’d like.

Can Cats Eat Apples? Are Apples Safe For Cats? | Cats, Cat facts, Pet news

Humans eat both apples and cranberries this time of year. You can try either if you are so inclined. Have your human seed the apples and cut them up small enough so you don’t choke (or make you unsweetened applesauce). Cranberries, on the other hand, are kind of sour. Your human should probably cook them and mix them with something a little sweeter like apple or pumpkin.

Truthfully, we really weren’t all that impressed with the human foods for Thanksgiving. So we found a few recipes that your human can make special for you.
Will Those Holiday Leftovers Poison Your Cat? - CatGazette
Turkey Triangles
  • 1/2 cup ground turkey
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
  2. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Knead the dough into a ball.
  4. Spread flour over a flat workspace.
  5. Roll out the dough to 1/4″ thickness.
  6. Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  7. Score the dough into (cat) bite-sized triangles. Do not cut all the way through (Score 1/2″ wide rows, then diagonal cuts across the rows, finally diagonal cuts in the opposite direction.)
  8. Bake for 20 minutes.
  9. After cooling, snap into triangles.

Is it safe to feed fish to cats? | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Tuna Yum Yums

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1/2 can of tuna
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable or fish oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon of catnip (optional)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
  2. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
  3. Break the tuna into small pieces and mix in the flour and milk.
  4. Stir in the water and vegetable oil.
  5. Beat the egg in a separate bowl, then add to tuna mixture.
  6. Mix until dough-like.
  7. Shape the dough into small balls, about the size of blueberries, and place on the baking sheet.
  8. Cook the dough for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Stick a toothpick in to check that the treat is fully cooked.
  9. Cool for an hour before serving.

Fancy Feast Released a Cookbook of Companion Recipes for Humans

Kitty Casserole 

  • 1 can  tuna or salmon
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 can of your favorite food
  • 1 teaspoon dry cat food or treats
  1. Mix all of the wet ingredients together.
  2. Pour into a storage container.
  3. Top with dry food or treats.

We hope you have a terrific Turkey Day with lots of yummy treats followed by excellent naps.  Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

27

Fall Back and Get Ready for Nap Time

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Greetings fellow felines! This week is the end of Daylight Savings time here in the US. It’s the final sign that fall has fallen. If you’re like us, winter is the time for snuggling on electric blankets and hanging out on the humans. We thought we’d share some interesting stuff we found out about cats and sleep.

Cats sleep for about 2/3 of our lives – Young cats sleep about 16 hours each day, and older cats sleep up to 20 hours per day. Our main activity as wild cats was hunting which takes a LOT of energy. So we adapted to spend a lot of time storing up energy for the hunt and recovering from it.

Cats can snore – One of the previous cats here snored so loud, the humans could hear her across the room. Some breeds are more likely to snore (e.g., Persians, Himalayans), but a lot of times it just depends on the position we choose to sleep in. If our airway becomes partially blocked by our soft palate, we will snore. Generally, if we are snoring, we are really relaxed.

Cat experience REM sleep similarly to humans – REM stands for rapid eye movement, and it’s named that because of the way our eyes move behind our eyelids. It happens when we are in deep sleep. And it is a sign that we are dreaming. A lot of times our eyes and ears will twitch when we are in REM sleep. Studies have shown that we dream about 30-40% of the time we are asleep.

The weather can affect how much we sleep – Cats generally sleep more on wet, dreary days. Of course, there’s not much else to do when the weather is yucky.

Cats can go partially to sleep – We are far enough asleep to get rested, but alert enough to notice smells or sounds. When we’re in this state, we can wake up almost instantly to get away from danger. And of course, we are able to fall asleep easily in almost any circumstance. We can even sleep with our eyes open! (Or partially open.)

We sleep in a variety of positions:

The crescent – This is the most common position for kitties. You curl up on one side with your head bent towards your feet and your tail tucked in. It protects your tummy and keeps you warm. Because you feel safe, you can enjoy a nice, deep sleep. If we get too hot, we may relax a little and just sleep on our sides with our paws more relaxed.

Sheltered – Every cat loves a good box. Or drawer. Or nest of blankets or sweaters. We like sleeping in sheltered spaces because it keeps us safe from predators. Or toddlers.

Tummy Up – A cat who sleeps tummy up is a happy cat. You’re exposing your most vulnerable spots, so you trust your surroundings and are fully relaxed. Cats are more likely to sleep this way in the summer because it is a good way to cool down.

Loaf-Shape – We’ve all turned ourselves into a loaf at times. You’re upright with your paws and tail tucked it. It’s an excellent way to conserve heat in cold weather. It’s also good for protecting your vulnerable spots and being able to spring into action at a moment’s notice if there’s a threat.

Pretzel-Like – You know the position. You’re kinda  twisty with your paws going different ways. Cats do it when we’re relaxed. Your tummy is usually exposed and it’s hard to move quickly out of it. Humans think we’re super cute because they can’t bend that way.

Hiding our Face with Our Paws – We sleep like this to protect our eyes and nose. It also keeps out noise and light. It’s really comfortable. And we look really cute sleeping this way.

Sitting Up/Laying Flat – Yep. We can sleep in a sitting position. And laying flat on our stomachs. And pretty much any position in between. And we’re comfortable. Humans are very jealous of this trait.

Cuddle Puddle – A lot of like to sleep with fur siblings or humans. If we’re willing to sleep with someone, it’s a sign of deep trust and affection. Of course, sometimes, we sleep with others to stay warm.

Having said all of this, we are off to find a good spot to relax.

19

Sing Us a Song, You’re the Piano Cat

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       Hi everyone! It’s Sgt Stripes! I was going to make a post on the hassles of being an “administrative assistant supervisor”, but I want a few more weeks of purrfecting my skills before I go into that. So I decided to take a page from my cousin Thunder’s book, and do a musical blog. Except, instead of Christmas songs, I decided to reformat Billy Joel. Blondie listens to him a lot. He’s pretty good. But my lyrics are better, and I’m really excited to share them with you! (I wanted to rewrite every song. Blondie said no, that we’d be here well past nap time. So I selected my 10 favorites.) 

“Uptown Girl”– renamed “Uptown Cat”

“Uptown cat! I bet she’s never had to hunt a rat!

I bet she’s never had to slide on by, and steal a fish from some random guy!

I’m gonna try for an uptown cat!

She’ll be furry, and pretty, and black. She’ll be used to high luxury. And down feather beds on which she sleeps.

And then she’ll leap.

And when she’s purring, she’ll say that she’s mine.

And when she’s defurring, she’ll be so divine.

She’ll see I’m not so tough, just because I’m in love with an uptown cat!” 

“Vienna” 

“Calm down you crazy cat.

You roll so much that your fur has mats.

But then if you’re so groomed, tell me why are you still so scruffy?

Where’s the brush, where’s the nail clippers? You better find them now so you can fix your furs.

You’ve got so much to lose, and you don’t want to have to be shaved.

But you know when the truth is told that you can get what you want or you can sit and yowl.

You’re gonna kick off and scratch the human badly too. When will you realize, Vienna isn’t for you?

“You May be Right”– renamed “I’m Always Right” 

“Friday night I broke your vase

and Saturday I smashed your cake

and Sunday came and all I did was nap.

I was only having fun!

I wanted to lounge in the sun.

But the humans kept yelling and I stayed awake!

I’ve been stranded with some grumpy humans,

I feel a sense of settling doom and now I am annoyed and upset.

I will twitch my tail and hiss! T

he humans will give me a kiss!

And it’s all because they don’t want to play!

I’m always right! Just deal with it. Even when you are annoyed with me, you are wrong. Don’t try to fight!

I’m cute, I’ll win this.

I’m always right, you’re always wrong,

and life goes on.” 

 

“My Life”

“Saw a bag with my human, it had a new coat.

It was warm and furry and quite pristine.

He set down the bag and I wanted to take a look.

I decided the coat was bought for me.

I don’t need you to worry about me at night!

I’ve got this lovely coat to snuggle with.

It’s not as great as cuddles with you, but oh well!

This is my life and how I choose to live! I

never wanted you to spoil me with luxuries…

I never demanded the best things in life…

Don’t get me wrong, I deserve them all! Y

ou must give them to me, so I stay happy!”  

“Only the Good Die Young”- renamed “Only the Good Lie Down”

“Come out Onyx, don’t let me wait!

This nap is planned to take all day.

Sooner or later you’ll come out and play.

And then we’ll be best friends…

They got you a pillow, got you a bed.

Got you a nice place to lay your head.

But my bed is better than your bed, you and I could have fun…

only the good lie down!

That’s what I said… only the good lie down, only the good lie down.

You might have heard that I jump and I purr really loud.

But I’m a large kitty and of this I am proud.

I might be playing a bit too loud.

But that never hurt no one.

So come Onyx cat, show me a sign.

Send up a signal. I’ll throw you a line.

You can chase and pounce and jump on mine.

The things that we might have done…

Only the good lie down!”


“Why Should I Worry”

“One day I’m outside the house.

Then the next I’m upstairs inside.

I went from eating voles and a mouse, to getting kibble and silvervine.

I said ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh, I’m street smart, with a big heart.

I said ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh,

I’m street wise, and that is how I survived!

Why should I worry? Why should I care?

I have a human, he’ll take care of me here. Why should I worry?

Why should I care? I’m a spoiled kitty, and everyone is aware.

The rhythm of the farm house, oh once you get it down, you will be a king cat, you can wear a crown!

Why should I worry? Why should I care?

I have a human, he’ll take care of me here. Why should I worry? Why should I care?

I’m a spoiled kitty, and everyone is aware.” 

“The Entertainer”– renamed “Big Time Hunter”

“I am a big time hunter!

And I know just where to pounce.

I’m mastered at getting voles, I’m working on a mouse.

Today you won’t go hungry. Because I got a kill.

But I gotta go out and I gotta shout my hunting cry, and then I’ll sigh when I’m back in the house.

I am a big time hunter. The nip has nothing on me.

I am going to be successful as a hunter kitty. I

’ll go out to the garden. And get some juicy bugs.

And I’ll bring them to mom with a joyful song and I will not care when she fluffs her hair and lets the bugs run on the rug. 

“Big Shot”– renamed “Big Cat”

“Well, you arched your back and you hissed at me, and fluffed your tail up too.

You thought you’d act so big that everyone would be afraid of you. A

nd you growled and mewed and hunkered back, trying to act scary.

But just know that everyone thinks that you’re a sweet kitty cat.

You had to be a big cat, didn’t ya, trying to scare off everyone? You had to be a big cat, didn’t ya, oh your tail is so fluffed up!

You had to have the last hiss last night, so much fun to be around.

You had to have the bright hot spotlight, you had to be a big cat didn’t’ ya? Ohhh.”

“Scenes From an Italian Restaurant”

“A bottle of milk. A bottle of cream.

Perhaps a bottle of the finest tuna juice, please.

We’ll get a table near the stream so we can catch fresh fish and sleep curled up, nice and warm…

a bottle of milk, a bottle of cream.

Some fresh catnip would be nice this evening.

We’ll curl up nice and warm on the table near the door, in our Italian restaurant. 

“River of Dreams”

“In the middle of the night. I wake from my sleep.

Having the urge to get some freshly cooked meat.

I go stalking and searching. My tummy rumbling loud.

I try to wake my human. But he is snoring loud.

And I stare and I think about how I must get some food…

and then a kibble dish appears in my sight, thank goodness for you! I

n the middle of the night, I wake my from my sleep.

Having the urge to get some freshly churned cream.

I am quite thirsty. After my kibble feast.

But all I can find is water.

This I will have to keep. In the middle of the night!” 

I hope you enjoyed reading my interpretations of Mr. Joel’s songs as much as I enjoyed writing them (my typist would like to apologize to Mr. Joel in advance. I don’t know why. She just doesn’t get it)!