28

Gypsy Katt: Front and Center

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Hello. I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Gypsy Katt. I go by Gypsy, although Mom has called me Gypsy Rose a few times. I moved here with my other human Mom and the two little humans. Originally, I was staying in the sun room with my sister Angel. But Angel kept eating all of the food and I lost a lot of weight.

The humans got worried and decided to bring me upstairs to live with Onyx (my other sister) and Sgt Stripes. At my other house, I was kept separate from the other kitties because they thought I was too territorial. Here I can roam around the entire floor. Sgt Stripes and I get into the occasional tiff, but nothing major.

I really like it here. There are four adult beds plus two toddler beds and only three cats. Nobody tries to eat my food. Mom (the one who lived here before) lets me sleep with her at night. Sgt Stripes and I share the kibble bowl and fountain. Onyx kinda keeps to herself. This is the best place I’ve ever been.

When I moved in, there were two downstairs cats: Snoops and Kommando Kitty. As you know, Kommando went over the Rainbow Bridge last month. Apparently, the original set-up was the Snoops bonded to the older male human, and Kommando bonded with Mom. Now, unfortunately, the older male human and Kommando are gone. Snoops is now Senior Cat in the house, so all the hmans give her cuddles and pets. But Mom’s pretty sad about what happened to Kommando.

So I decided that since I don’t have a human, and she doesn’t have a cat, I should apply for the position of primary cat to Mom. I checked with my old Mom, and she said that she was pretty bonded with Onyx. So I asked Snoops how I would go about becoming Mom’s new cat. (Don’t worry about Sgt Stripes; he’s connected with the other male human here – his human brother. And Angel’s buddies with the little humans.)

Snoops wasn’t really sure how humans and cats bonded; it just seemed to happen. But she gave me some questions to see if it might be a good fit.

What is the #1 house rule? I know this one! No eating family members. Apparently this also applies to using teeth when playing.

How much time each day do you spend cuddling with your current human? I never really had my own human. I like to lie next to Mom when she’s reading in bed or using her computer. I don’t have much experience as a lap cat, but I’m trying to get used to it.

How do you feel about human snuggles and hugs? Umm. I wasn’t really hugged before. It seemed a little uncomfortable the first time I was hugged. Mom called it “kitty cuddles”. I wasn’t really a fan. I could probably learn to live with it.

 

What time does your day usually start? I like getting up with the sun. Mom usually gets up at 6a for work, so I’m trying to adapt to that. It’s weird, though. Apparently, there are days when she doesn’t have to work and sleeps later. I think I have a better alarm system. My tummy wants food at the same time every day. We’re working on a compromise.

When do you sleep at night? I really love having a regular bed. I go to sleep when Mom goes to sleep. She has a tummy warmer (she calls it a bed warmer). Sgt Stripes and I love the tummy warmer at night.. I usually don’t move much at night.

What kinds of human food do you like? I don’t think I’ve had human food. But I really like cat food with fish and chicken, so I would probably like that.

Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this job? I’ve never really had a human, so I don’t have any bad habits to break. I think I could get better at the cuddling stuff with some practice. There’s a human with no cat and a cat with no human. It just makes sense.

Snoops said that she would present my answers to Mom and let me know what she says. Keep your fingers crossed for me,

21

Sgt Stripes and the Great Vole Hunt

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Sgt Stripes here. I love being an indoor kitty. I have humans to take care of me and lots of windows to look out. I have plenty of toys and can pretty much get tummy rubs on demand. I even have an electric tummy warmer. (Mom calls it a bed warmer.) But there’s one thing that has taken a little getting used to: the food.

Back when I lived outside, I had to hunt for food. We live in a pretty open area. Mom has two acres and there’s forty acres on the lot next door. I didn’t have much trouble getting what I needed. (Don’t tell Mom, but I got a few treats from the neighbors too.) I was attracted to Mom and my human brother because they put kibble out regularly. It was a nice contrast to my diet of field mice and voles.

When I came inside, they tried to feed me kibble and wet food. I love the kibble, but the wet food tasted really weird. I didn’t like it. I kept trying to tell them that I really wanted a vole, but they never seemed to understand. I asked Mr Google to find me some vole-flavored food, but I didn’t have any luck. All I could find was ways to get rid of voles. I don’t want to poison them. If I poison them, I can’t eat them.

Right now, I’m eating mainly kibble. Occasionally, I’ll have some chicken and tuna stew and some treats, It’s not that I don’t like my kibble, but it gets a little boring. I’d really like something fresh. My human brother gave me goose one time. That was pretty tasty, but I really don’t like human food (except ice cream).

I talked to Snoops about it. She lived outside for a while before she ended up at the shelter. She understood what I meant. She says that’s the main reason she occasionally eats the mice she catches. It’s a flavor that none of the canned foods can match. We don’t really understand why there are vegetables in some cat food, but no mice or voles.

I tried eating a couple of the mice I found upstairs. (It’s one of the advantages of living in an old farmhouse. It’s easy for mice to get in.) They were pretty tasty, but they really didn’t taste like the ones I had outside. Snoops says it’s because of what they eat. Apparently the humans aren’t really good about keeping all the food in the pantry locked in airtight containers. It has come to their attention that mice love sweets. On occasion, they’ve eaten large (for a mouse) quantities of chocolate chips and baking chocolate.

I guess I prefer grass-fed mice and voles. There have been a few mice since I came inside, but no voles. I saw that one of the pet stores around here has voles. I tried to talk Mom into buying a couple, but she wouldn’t do it. She won’t buy any of the fun animals: no mice, no voles, no gerbils, no hamsters. So I’m kind of stuck.

I think Mom feels bad because I don’t like wet food. I think she’s tried every flavor they make. I don’t want to make her feel bad; it’s not her fault that cat food doesn’t come in the really good flavors. Maybe I could write a letter to the cat-food companies and suggest they try something different.

In the meantime, I’m going keep living the good life and eating kibble.

 

20

Cats and Spring Fever

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It’s been a very weird winter here in Southeast Michigan. The humans here have hardly complained about the weather at all. Not much snow and warmer than usual temperatures for the most part. It doesn’t really matter all that much to us cats, although no melted snow on the carpeting has been nice.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been warm enough for the humans to hang out outside, so we’ve been cooped up with the toddlers for weeks. I think they might be getting on everyone’s nerves. Mom’s been talking about something called Spring Fever. We thought she was just making up a name for being grumpy, so we looked it up on Mr Google.

Turns out it’s really a thing that some humans get. The symptoms are:

  • Feeling energetic – That would be a good thing. More playtime for us and earlier breakfast on the weekends
  • Sleeping less – More time for cuddles.
  • Eating lighter – Hmm. We hope that doesn’t mean less meat. Most of the rest of what she eats is disgusting.
  • Smiling and happy feelings – That would be a nice change. She’s been kinda grumpy lately.
  • Desire to get in shape – Don’t really see that happening.
  • Feeling of romance – Better not happen. There’s already too many humans around here.
  • Taking up new hobbies – Maybe she could learn how to make homemade cat food. That would be cool
  • Scatterbrained and unfocused – Not sure we’d be able to tell.
  • Urge to spring clean – Doesn’t really sound like her.
  • Sense of Claustrophobia – Why would she want to leave the house? We’re in it.

Okay. It might not be a bad thing if Mom got Spring Fever. Then we began to wonder if we could get Spring Fever too. Of course, since humans are so fascinated with us kitties, some have studied this. And we can get Spring Fever!

It’s a little different in cats than in humans. Here are our top common behaviors when the weather gets warmer:

Increased Activity – Generally speaking, we become more active and energetic in the spring. We are more prone to zoomies. And we like to spend more time playing and exploring. Part of that may be because there is more sunlight. And warmer temperatures mean we don’t have to spend energy keeping warm.

Interest in the Outdoors – Even us indoor cats enjoy the outdoors more in the spring. There’s more stuff to look at out the windows. And spring is the beginning of catio season. Some of us kitties even like to go out on leashes or harnesses. (In our neighborhood, it’s not safe to be outside alone. The road is busy and we have coyotes and raptors.)

Increased Grooming – Most of us do more grooming in the spring. We have to clean up the loose furs from losing our winter coats. And we want our warm-weather fur to look spiffy.

Vocalization – Some kitties like to talk more in the warmer weather. We’re just so excited to see the world coming back to life outside.

Playfulness – We generally feel more energetic in the sun than in the cold gloom of winter. Pouncing is a lot more popular this time of year. We also sometimes want more attention from our humans. Mom says she’s not sure she has more attention to give. We’ll have to test her.

Territorial Behavior – New season, time to re-establish boundaries. We may increase our scratching and rubbing against objects. Some of our less well-mannered brethren may even spray to mark their territory. We would like to remind them that it is really only acceptable as an outside activity. We prefer the tactic of taking a spot and refusing to move.

Changes in Eating Habits – All that increased activity can lead to an increased appetite. And the sight of prey outside can make us hungry too (even if we can’t get out to eat it).

We admit that we have never paid enough attention to tell whether we get Spring Fever? Have any of you experienced it?

15

Sgt Stripes: I am Not the Crepuscular One Anymore

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Sgt Stripes here. When I moved in a year and a half ago, Mom used to complain that I got up too early. Every morning, I’d want to get her up at dawn. I was the first cat she had who had lived outside, and I was a hunter. Our feline ancestors hunted at dawn and dusk because of our ability to see well in low light. That’s called being crepuscular (cool word, huh?). It let them sneak up on their prey. Then they’d sleep during the day. I was just following the call of my tribe.

Mom solved a lot of the conflict by having a cat tree in the east window of our bedroom. It let me survey my domain and got rid of a lot of the zoomies. I also discovered that my human brother had a tree outside his window that was really good for cat TV. The three of us got into a pretty good rhythm.

Then Gypsy moved in. That cat is WILD. As soon as it is anywhere near light, she’s racing around the room jumping on things. She jumps on everything – the night table, the jewelry stand, the bed, the armoire. I thought it was obnoxious when she stole my side of the bed. She was NOT getting my tree. So I hang out in my tree, and she races all over the room (including Mom).

I started feeling bad for Mom because Gypsy wakes her up almost every morning. I thought that I would ask Mr. Google how to handle the problem. Mr. Google was not particularly useful in my opinion. Here is what I found:

Play Before Bed – It says you can use up all your cat’s energy by playing before going to sleep. Our human brother plays with us almost every night. I sleep nicely; she’s still racing around. I guess we need to get her a gym membership or something. Maybe she could do cat yoga.

Ignore the Behavior – I wonder how long that’s supposed to take. Mom doesn’t get up or play with her. She just lays there. It hasn’t worked so far. Although I have noticed that Mom is sleeping right on the edge of the bed so she can’t get in her face anymore.

Offer a Meal Before Bedtime –  We get a bowl of kibble to share right before bed. And we have a running fountain of water. The food is supposed to direct our energy toward digestion instead of running around. Also, we’re less likely to wake Mom up wanting food if we’ve already eaten. Maybe she needs to give us a different kind of food. More protein. I haven’t had a vole or field mouse since I came inside.

Don’t Let the Cat in the Bedroom – NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. We all share the bedroom. I am not going to lose access to my bedroom because some other cat can’t control herself. And I don’t want to be locked in either. The door needs to stay open.

Keep the Cat Awake Longer – The human is supposed to keep the cat from taking naps in the late afternoon or evening. That’s crazy. Cats rule. We nap when we want to nap. What are they going to do? Take a stick and poke us to keep us awake?

Keep the Cat Entertained While the Human is Away – I kind of like this idea. They suggest leaving the TV on for us (maybe a nature show). Or using feeding puzzles or smart bowls to make mealtimes more fun. I think they should give us tablets or smart phones so we can order our own treats and games.

Be Patient – Most cats can adapt to sleeping through the night. The human has to be patient. NEVER punish the cat – cats don’t understand cause and effect according to Mr Google. (We’re not going to tell him any different.) I’m not too sure about the patience thing though. Gypsy’s a lot older than me. I would have thought she’d be better at waiting for Mom to wake up.

I hope Gypsy calms down soon. Mom gets grumpy when she doesn’t get enough sleep.

23

Snoops and the Editors: Change is Hard

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Things have been pretty busy in the editorial offices at Cheeseland. Lenny and George, the mice editors, have been scurrying around trying to figure out what’s next for the blog. It’s been around for almost eleven years. It started out as a place for Cat to vent about whatever was on her mind. Apparently not much, since it switched over to all animals all the time after a couple of years. But it didn’t really take off until Snoops and Kommando Kitty started writing        . Now that Kommando is gone, it’s probably time for another change.

Lenny: What are we going to do? We had a two-cat show with a bunch of supporting players.

George: I know. Cat kinda figured that she and the cats were going to retire together in a few years.

Lenny: Ooh. Maybe we can turn it into a retirement blog.

George: Don’t be dumb. She’s not retiring now.

Lenny: Oh yeah. That’s right. We need to figure out how to replace Kommando.

They both jump when they hear a loud hissing behind them.

Lenny: Oh, hey Snoops. Didn’t hear you come up.

Snoops: You are so lucky you’re considered family so I can’t eat you. We can’t replace Kommando. She was special.

George: We know. That’s why we’re trying to figure out what to do with the blog. You wanna do a solo thing? Something like “Snoops Speaks”?

Snoops: Nah. I don’t have the energy for that. The best part was having someone to share the ideas and research with.

Lenny: Maybe we could find you a new partner?

Snoops: I do not want another cat in the house. It was bad enough when Sgt Stripes moved in, but at least he stayed upstairs. Now we have the three who came in with my human sister and the two little humans. NO MORE CATS.

Lenny: Okay. Don’t get excited.

George: You know you scare Lenny when you get mad.

Snoops: Sorry, Lenny. Didn’t mean anything personal.

Lenny: It’s okay. I know you’re upset.

George: What do you think about partnering with one of the kids? The blonde one said he’d like to work with you.

Snoops: No chance. I don’t like children. Besides, we write about animals. He’d want to write about human stuff.

Lenny: Eww! How boring.

Snoops: Yeah. Besides, he’s loud and messy.

George: Excellent points. No small human partners.

Snoops: I think we need to keep the focus on cats.

Lenny: But the alligators and bears are pretty popular too.

George: And hedgehogs.

Snoops: That’s true. We’ll be mainly cats with a few other animals thrown in.

George: Could you work with one of the new cats?

Snoops fluffed up and arched her back.

Lenny: I’d say that’s a “no”.

George: What about Sgt Stripes? He joined you and Kommando for a few posts.

Lenny: And he’s an excellent researcher. He really loves Mr. Google.

Snoops: He tried to eat Kommando when he moved in. I had to jump on him to protect her.

George: He says that was a misunderstanding. He wanted to play pounce.

Snoops: Grrr.

Lenny: I think he’s afraid of you now. He doesn’t even really try to come downstairs when you’re around.

George: He might want to be friends. He’s trying to be friends with the lady cats upstairs.

Snoops: I don’t know. I’m not thrilled with any of the options. I’ll have to think about it.

She curled up to sleep while the mice tiptoed off.

17

Sgt Stripes: The Male Purrspective

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Hi folks, it’s Sergeant Stripes!  Last week, you all heard a very interesting story from my new housemate Onyx.  I’m here now to offer my purrspective.  Let me begin by saying I’m very flattered, but I really was just trying to be nice to both my new housemates.  I’m not madly in love with anyone. 

For starters, Onyx stole my room.  Mom explained that it’s because she’s a poor kitty with no place else to go, so we have to be nice, but I used to have four bedrooms, and now I’m down to two, maybe three.  It depends on whether you count the one Mom shares with me, since I also have to share it with Gypsy now.  And don’t get me wrong, she’s a nice kitty… when she’s not hissing and swiping at me for getting too close to her.  I think she might still be holding how we met against me.  

I didn’t mean to scare anyone, I just really like playing pounce.  And Onyx and Gypsy were playing along too, because their eyes got really huge and they tried to run away, just like they were actually prey!  Or, uh, that’s what I thought.  Mom told me they were actually scared I was trying to eat them.  Like I would forget the most important house rule (No eating family members.).  Um, again.  [Editor’s Note: This is something of a recurring problem for Sarge.  Poor George still has nightmares. Sometimes he has trouble editing the pictures.]  

But anyway, that’s why I was trying to make up for it by being extra nice to the two new kitties!  Because even if I’m not entirely sure why they have to get my bedrooms (And my litter box.  And my humans.  And my kibble!), I know we need to be good hosts.  So I started spending more time with both of the new arrivals.  I didn’t think Onyx would take it the way she did, especially after she got so mad when I tried to share her food (that’s why I stopped spending time with her).  I didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings.  

That’s why I’ve decided that Onyx and Gypsy should both be allowed to spend  as much time as they want with me!  I’m bigger than both of them, so if they want to, they can both cuddle with me at the same time.  I’m not sure about romance just yet, but I do want to make friends.  Right now, nobody wants to play pounce with me.  And Gypsy doesn’t always share my cool Christmas blankie with me.  But I figure we can all be friends, we just got off on the wrong paw.  

Mom says that they were more territorial because they didn’t have four bedrooms where they came from.  Actually, Gypsy didn’t even have one.  So I guess I get why I have to share.  I can’t even really use all four bedrooms at once, so it’s not that big a deal.  Although I wouldn’t have minded a housewarming vole.  I figure if I’m extra nice and we all get along, then they won’t mind sharing with me, and I can get my beds back.  Even if I don’t, two beds isn’t really a bad deal for two new playmates!  

And Gypsy can be a really fun playmate.  Even when we’re not playing pounce, we do have a lot of common interests, like shredding toilet paper.  She found a roll that the humans left out, and it was just like when I first got here–they still haven’t gotten all the shreds picked up!  She also has really good taste in kibble.  She also likes wet food though, which I think is kind of weird.  But it does mean that I get treats while she gets her wet food!  

Onyx has been tougher to get close to.  She got really hung up over when I shared her treats.  It wasn’t my fault she didn’t get any, she was just too slow!  …I guess I should say sorry about that one.  I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings Onyx, and I agree that creamy dairy treats, fluffy blankets, and jingly balls are the best.  I hope you’ll come out and play with us soon, and you can bat around my jingly silvervine ball!  It’s awesome.  Then all three of us could hang out, and that would be awesome, too.  

23

Onyx: A Love Story Gone Wrong

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Hello! 

It’s everyone’s favorite black cat, Onyx. And I have awful news! If you didn’t know, my human moved herself, both mini humans, and Angel, Gypsy, and myself in with her mom (AKA my editor) and her brother (AKA my purrsonal chef). And while we sadly were split from Thunder, we got to make friends with all of the northern kitties! One of whom is Sgt Stripes (although my human calls him Big Kitty). When we moved in, I was scared because the big human my person lived with was loud and mean. So when I met Sgt Stripes, I was not very nice (he wanted to play “Pounce”. As in, all 14 pounds of him pounced on all 6 pounds of me. I thought he was hunting me. I was terrified). So I hissed and hid under the bed from him (turns out, he can fit under the bed). And then the mini blonde human started feeding him MY treats. And MY kibble. It was awful! But still, he decided I was his uptown cat. And he was in love with me. 

So here I am, getting all of this attention, some snuggles, love, and it’s great! (Or, at least, when Stripes wasn’t stealing my food, it was great.) And I’m thinking I could get used to this, I’m not ready to get married or share my sunspot, but yeah, Sgt Stripes is cool and I’ll keep him around. When out of nowhere, Gypsy moves upstairs (where Sarge and I were coexisting). Now, Gypsy and I have a history. She forced me into a corner and was terrorizing me when she moved in with us. So I’m not her biggest fan. But apparently, Angel was eating all of her food downstairs, so she had to come upstairs to rehabilitate, as she looked starved. I was not happy. But Gypsy mostly stayed in my editor’s room, so I figured I could make it work. I could stay in my human’s room or the bathroom and ignore Gypsy. 

Apparently before all of the uptown cats moved in, Sgt Stripes reigned supreme over the whole upstairs, including our editor’s room. So Gypsy (at about 3 pounds) forced him out. But then he kept hearing from the humans that “he could sit on her and crush her” and “he shouldn’t let her force him out of his spot”. So Sgt Stripes gradually started sitting with Gypsy. First in the room, then on the bed with her. And before long, he was courting her! 

To Sgt Stripe’s credit, at first he tried to stay with me while remaining cordial with Gypsy. But with me, it’s either all or nothing. So then he tried to be friends. But I don’t do friends. I tried that with Thunder, and she moved away. My human says I have antisocial purrsonality disorder, but I disagree. I just know my worth. So then, Sarge started totally ignoring me for Gypsy! I couldn’t believe it! I’m the prettier, smarter, better of the two. But I guess we all have to make our own mistakes. 

And to top this off, he dumped me right before Valentine’s Day, and he’s still eating my treats and kibble! Everyone knows that my favorite treats are the Temptations creamy dairy or the beef. So instead of eating his favorite, backyard BBQ or lobster, Sarge steals my one joy in life. He also tries to steal my human on her work from home days! Even when she gets up in the morning, he runs right up to her, wanting jaw and tummy rubs. And Gypsy keeps trying to demand food from my human! They have no respect what-so-ever. And it’s not like they would starve for either food or attention. My editor and chef can take care of them, probably better than my human can! 

So now I’m left broken hearted, with no friends and no cats to hang out with, all because Gypsy had to come upstairs and ruin everything. It’s hard to blame Sgt Stripes; he’s a big, adorable, loveable goofball. And while he is responsible for his own actions, I’m sure he was taken back by my beauty (and the tastiness of my treats! It’ll take a while for me to forgive him for that one). 

Now, my human had said that this was my fault, but we all know that’s not true. I was so betrayed. My boyfriend left me for my arch-rival! All because I hissed and hid from him (but let’s be real, he was terrifying when he played Pounce. I feared for my life)! Everyone says he’s the sweetest cat ever and would never hurt a fly, but if he’s capable of stealing my kibble, who knows what else he was capable of! 

And that concludes my horrible, awful, truly terrible love tale. Take it from me, relationships are just not worth it. Instead of a companion, get yourself some creamy dairy treats, a fluffy blanket, and a jingly ball to bat around. You can’t go wrong with that! To Gypsy and Sgt Stripes, I hope you’re both happy, but that I get the best sunspots. And to all of my readers, have a wonderful Valentine’s Day, and don’t forget to adore all black cats you come across!

We want to thank everyone for the beautiful words and thoughts you’ve been sending us regarding Kommando Kitty. And especially Ingrid Rickmar for the beautiful badge at the upper right and Ms. Ellen for the wonderful card.

78

We Miss You Kommando Kitty

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Snoops here. I have some very sad news. Wednesday night, Kommando Kitty unexpectedly went over the Rainbow Bridge. She was fine the night before, cuddling with Mom. But when Mom went to get her for breakfast, she was gone. She was eleven years old and seemed to be in good health.

I remember when she moved in. She tried to jump in the window, but missed and ended up in the window well. A utility worker got her out, but then she did the same thing again. I had just been separated from my kittens at the shelter a few weeks earlier, and she was only four weeks old. I adopted her and taught her how to be a cat.

She didn’t learn everything. She never learned how to jump. And she couldn’t hiss. When she was little, she could pass between the balusters on the staircase upstairs. When she got older, she never understood why she couldn’t keep doing it. But she was the sweetest cat anyone had every met.

I was “Dad’s” cat, and she was “Mom’s” cat. Mom’s pretty devastated right now. After Dad died (exactly five years before Kommando), the three of us sat on the sofa every night when Mom couldn’t sleep. One of us on each side of her. So I just it’s just Mom and me now.

She really didn’t take to Sgt Stripes or the new cats. She was afraid they were going to eat her. I needed to protect her. She was my little buddy.

We’re all going to miss her a lot.

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.

18

Gator on the Loose – Part 2

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Two cute alligators | Two alligators of the Walter Zoo lying… | Flickr

Where we are: Uncle Stu had been missing for three weeks. The gators had not heard from either him or his lady friend they had located on GatorGram. Granny was ready to file a missing gator report with the police. Stan and his family were watching curling on TV when they heard a knock.

Stan: Stu! Come in!

Stu walked slowly into the house, followed by a lady gator. He had a bandage around his tail.

Justine: Uncle Stu! What happened to you?

Stu: It’s nothing. Just a little frostbite.

Justine: How’d you get frostbite?

Adele: Hello Stu! It’s good to see you! Who’s your friend?

Kiawah Island Gator Female | A nice mature female alligator … | Flickr

Stu: This is Amanda. She’s the lady I met last year when I got lost up here.

Amanda: Hello, everyone. It’s nice to meet you.

Suzy: Are you the lady from GatorGram?

Amanda (laughing): Yes, I am. I didn’t respond because Stu and I have been on a little adventure.

Stan: What kind of adventure?

Stu: I signed us up for a Caribbean cruise.

Justine: Ooh! That sounds nice! Why didn’t you tell anyone?

Just one of the Alligator sightings - Picture of River Lilly Cruises, Port Saint Lucie - Tripadvisor

Stu: My son Vince was being kind of a jerk at Christmas. He told me I was too old for a girlfriend. That I should be saving my money in case I need it for some kind of emergency.

Amanda: Stu decided that he would prove Vince wrong. He came up to South Carolina and told me we were going to the Bahamas.

Suzy: That sounds pretty amazing.

Stu: Yeah. It probably would have been. Unfortunately, I got in the wrong line. We ended up on some kind of winter adventure in Nova Scotia.

Amanda: It is really cold in Nova Scotia in January.

Stu: We almost got iced in. I guess I spent a little too much time up top on the boat talking to the captain. My tail got a touch of frostbite.

Alligators stick their snouts above freezing waters to breathe | CNN

Adele: Are you going to be okay? You’re not going to lose your tail are you?

Amanda: They were a little worried. We had to get off the ship. Stu spent the last few days in a hospital. They saved the tail, but he can’t be anywhere cold again.

Stu: Yeah. I guess I’ll be staying down here from now on. I’d look pretty funny without a tail.

Justine: That sounds really painful.

Stu: It’s not too bad. I’m a tough old gator.

Stan: Well, we’re glad you’re okay. Does Granny know you’re safe? She’s ready to report you missing.

Watch This Angry Alligator Invade a Family's Porch and Refuse to Go Quietly

Stu: That’s my sister. Always overreacting. I’ll call her when we’re done here.

Stan: You did disappear with no trace.

Stu: I guess. But Vince should have known better.

Suzy: He said you’d show up when you were ready.

Stu: And here I am.

Justine: Why did you come here instead of going home?

Stu: I had to bring Amanda home. I don’t know what I would have done without her. She’s the one who realized we were on the wrong ship.

Amanda: Unfortunately, by the time I saw the paperwork, we were already at sea.

Winter means hibernation for some — but not all — of Kodiak's bears - Alaska Public Media

Stu: I probably should have known we weren’t in the right place. We were the only alligators on board.

Amanda: There were a lot of bears.

Stu: Bears are really nice. They helped keep up warm when we got up north.

Amanda: They probably saved his tail.

Suzy: Wow! Who knew? They look kinda mean in pictures.

Stu: You should never judge others by the way they look. Anyway, Amanda also got me a good doctor. And made the arrangements to get us back here. She only lives a few miles away.

Amanda: We stopped by on our way home because you had sent me the message saying you were worried.

This gator house call: | Animals, Weird pictures, Alligator

Stu: We didn’t want to worry anyone. I just didn’t like Vince telling me I’m old.

Stan: It sounds like you’re lucky Amanda was there to take care of you.

Stu: I definitely was. And that’s why I asked her to marry me.

The family looked at Amanda, and she nodded.

Amanda: I said yes! I think we’re going to be very happy together.

Stan: Congratulations! I’m very excited for you.

Adele: Stu can definitely use someone with a little common sense.

Stu growled at her.

Justine: Uncle Stu, you know she’s right. Now you won’t get lost anymore.

Stu: That is true. She can take care of all the travel arrangements.

Stan returned with some sparkling swamp water, and they all toasted the happy couple.

Road Trip! The Gators' Summer Vacation | Adventures in Cheeseland

Pictures courtesy of Google Images