Cat version of circling the wagons. Have to try to stay in the shade.
Name: Rugrat
Nicknames: Monkey or Moo
Turned: 8 in 2006 (pound kitty)
Job: Comic Relief
Flaw: Blind
by Tjflex2
Meet my friend Catkin. He lives in my neighborhood. If he didn't have a home already, I'd take him home with me. He likes that idea too. He's tried to come home with me a couple of times. I think he just wanted to visit though. He has a cool white spot on top of his back, right in the middle of his orange. He's sweet and laidback, but spunky too.
by optically active
Really painful poor kitty. I hope she is just fine and healthy now.
I am glad that you will stay in our home forever. Not bad, isn't it!
Juri will stay in our home now and shall make cat ladies happy here. I can't give him in an other home. It would have breake our hearts.
by Buntekuh
This little boy kitty, Icicle, and his sister Avalanche were abandoned not in one of the more usual cruel ways. They were abandoned in a heinously cruel way, by being thrown out of the window of a moving car. I hope whoever saw that happen got a license number and description of the monster that would do that. Avalanche was not in the compartment with him; so I am hoping she got adopted already.
Maybe she was just getting some medical attention. Here is hoping for a happy ending for these little kitties.
I saw him today at Heartland Humane Society in Corvallis, Oregon. I picture the cats and kittens and sometimes dogs there, not for people to zero in on one in particular and call long distance and demand that it be shipped to them, but rather so local people know about them, and the long distance people can realize how lovely and varied the animals are at their own local humane society. I do not work for Heartland. I am not an official volunteer there. I do pet the kitties, and cats and take lots of pictures and donate towels and things like that, and try the make the animal's lives a little better with some attention. So I am more of an unofficial ambassador.
It is indeed a heart-breaking story. But, Pixel Packing Mama, you did a generously good work. Many thanks!
When a cat starts scratching, it is cause for concern, constant scratching can mean fleas. Fleas are more than a mere discomfort for you pet, they are a serious issue that needs to be dealt with before they cause health issues for your cat as well as issues for you and your family.
Because fleas can cause a condition in cats known as "pruritus" or an allergic reaction, keeping them at bay is an important step to keeping your pet healthy. For most cats, fleas are a nuisance; for cats that suffer from flea allergies, they can be life threatening. Knowing a little about fleas will help you to control them and to protect your pet better.
If your cat happens to be one of the more unfortunate felines who develops a flea allergy, quick elimination of these parasites is essential. A flea allergy can cause the cat to loose fur and weight and if the fleas are left unchecked they can eventually kill the cat. Additional medical treatment may also be required even after the fleas are gone.
Flea control is important to cat disease prevention even if your cat is not allergic to them. Fleas can cause health issues for cats too including anemia from the loss of blood, tapeworms (fleas eat the eggs and transmit them to other animals) and skin infections from the bites caused by fleas. Any one of these flea related health issues can have dire consequences for your pet.
So then, cat flea control is very important. The question now is how to go about it. There are multiple methods open to a cat owner. Powders and dips can be effective, but their inconvenience often means that they are not used properly or often enough to adequately control fleas.
When choosing to use the dips, powders and sprays it is often a good idea to combine them with the use of a flea collar. Be aware however, that flea collars can also cause an allergic reaction for your cat, especially if they already have an allergic reaction to the fleas. Perhaps the best defense against fleas is a spot flea treatment. This type of preventative is placed on the cats neck and protects against fleas, ticks and tapeworms.
When it comes to the environment, there are also several options for flea control. Flea bombs can kill fleas in carpets and bedding, though careful washing and vacuuming will help greatly in this endeavor also. For outside use, yard sprays can be quite effective.
Whatever you use for flea control, be sure to be consistent and follow the directions. Flea control products only work if they are applied often enough. Misapplication can lead to fleas slipping through the cracks, and neither you nor kitty wants that.
----------
David Lee
Cat Health & Furniture
included image source
Years ago, Carl and I weren't cat people. We had dogs and were perfectly happy with them. When we moved out to the country, Carl built a barn, and shortly after we started seeing a little orange cat who had decided to make the barn her home. We didn't pay much attention to her (she was wild and wouldn't let us touch her anyway) and we certainly didn't feed her.
Then one day Carl came running into the house, yelling that I had to come look.... It was the little orange cat and she was carrying something into the barn.... it was a teeny tiny little kitten! It ended up that she had three kittens in all, and she brought each one and hid them behind the firewood we had stacked in the barn. Carl began feeling sorry for the little mother cat, and started giving her tuna fish once in a while. We couldn't start buying cat food because afterall, we didn't "have" cats!
We started to really admire that little "Mama Kitty". She worked so hard to take care of her kittens. Each day we'd watch her leave into the woods or fields around our house, but a little while later she'd return with a mouse to feed her kittens. As soon as she delivered their food, she'd go right back out to catch another. Eventually we felt so sorry for her, working so hard to take care of her family, we started buying cat food. Mama Kitty began staying home a bit more, but she never gave up her feral ways, and continued to go out hunting at least once a day. This continued for a few months until one sad day, while I was on my way to work, I found Mama Kitty dead in the road... she'd been hit by a car.
Although Mama Kitty was gone, her 3 kittens stayed here for a while. There was a short-haired orange boy (our original "Milo"), a long haired orange girl we called Princess, and a tiny little orange girl who looked just like her Mama, who we named Binky. They all were feral, like their mother, but Binky was the worst. If you happened to corner her by accident in the barn, she'd hiss and spit like a wild cat. She was scary!
Eventually Milo and Princess disappeared. We felt badly about it, but we didn't worry about it too much, because we still didn't believe that we "had" cats. We didn't go out and buy or adopt them afterall... they just showed up here one day and we were just helping them out by giving them food.
But still, little Binky continued to live in the barn. And just like her look-alike mother, she brought home mice and moles and even a rabbit once in a while. She was/is some hunter!
Over time we noticed that Binky's stomach was getting awfully round, and then suddenly one day she was skinny again. She'd obviously given birth, but even though we searched around the barn, we couldn't find the kittens. I even tried to follow her out into the woods, but she was smart and knew that I was following her, and she lost me pretty quickly.
And then one day I stepped outside and saw Binky and the most beautiful little kitten laying in our driveway. After she brought the kitten home, I guess Binky saw me holding him and being kind to him, because she turned into a friendly cat after that. She still doesn't like to be held very much, but she does love a good scratching once in a while. That little kitten is now our "Baby". They both continue to live here and hopefully will forever.
That was 4 years ago, and since then, Binky has had more kittens, and more stray/feral cats have shown up and decided to call our place their home (I think Binky must tell all her wild friends to follow her home.... she knows a couple of suckers who won't turn them away!). At the moment we have 12 cats in all, but that could change at any time since we never know when a new one is going to show up!
We've finally had to realize that we really do "have" cats.... we spend enough on cat food each week to prove it! And a little bit at a time, we're getting them each neutered/spayed.
And that's the story of how we unintentionally became "cat people".
Image and story by Boered
As a loving cat owner, you want your feline friend to be as healthy as possible, and a big part of that means taking care of her eyes. You should frequently inspect your cat's eyes, and if you notice any changes or problems, seek prompt medical care, before your cat's health is impacted. There are many things that you can do for your cat on a regular basis that can help keep her eyes healthy, but are you willing to invest the time to do them?
One of the easiest things that you can do for your cat is to keep her eyes clean and free of mucous, which could build up and turn into a raging eye infection. Use a damp cloth and gently wipe her eyes at least once a day or whenever you notice mucous. This small step goes a long way in caring for your cat's eyes.
You should also protect your cat's eyes anytime that you need to use chemical treatments on her skin, such as flea dips. Talk to your veterinarian before treatment, and ask him for suggestions on how to protect your cat's eyes from the chemicals. He will likely give you a neutralizing ointment, which you will apply to your cat's eyes before using the chemicals, and will neutralize any chemicals that may inadvertently come into contact with her eyes.
If your cat has long hair, you should keep in trimmed so that it stays out of her eyes. Anything that comes into contact with the eyes can cause irritation, and even lead to infection, so this is an important step in your cat's eye care.
When you look at your cat's eyes, they should be moist and clear, as well as free of mucous. Anything to the contrary could indicate a problem that may need veterinary treatment.
Although your cat won't enjoy it, you should clean her eyes at least once a week, even if you wash then with a cloth and water everyday, they still need to be cleaned. You can ask your veterinarian for tips on doing this, and he may suggest a commercial product that you can use, or you can make your own. To make your own cat eye cleaning solution, mix about 1 capful of baby shampoo with about 20 capfuls of water. Dip a cotton ball or Q-tip into the solution, and use it to clean your cat's eyes, starting with the eyeball and working outward. Once you have finished, use another cotton ball with just water and rinse the eyes in the same manner.
If your cat develops an eye infection, your veterinarian will likely prescribe antibiotic medication, which you apply directly to her eye in the form of eye drops. Again, your cat will not like this treatment, but it is for her own good, and something that you must do if you want her to be healthy. Eye ointments are much easier to use, however if you apply too much at once, you could worsen the problem, so you have to be careful.
Few people realize how important it is to take care of their cat's eyes, and often don't even think about it until a problem develops. By properly performing cat eye care, and seeking veterinary care for any problems promptly, you are ensuring that your cat stays healthy and happy, so that she can be with you for a long time to come!
-----------
Jean Morgan
Cat Eye Care
included image source
On any given day, watching the news, it's easy to see how quickly things can happen. House fires, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods. Most people, particularly those who live in areas at high risk for disaster such as near a river, in a tornado hotspot, or in fire-prone zones, prepare carefully for such possibilities. What many people don't consider is what to do about their pets in an emergency.
So what will happen to your pets in case of emergency? We can't plan for every contingency, but there are certain things you can do to ensure your pet's well-being in the event of a crisis.
- Make sure to obtain a pet rescue sticker for your windows or door. Pet rescue stickers alert rescue teams to the presence of your pets in the event of an emergency. These stickers, usually bright red for visibility, allow you to check off what type of pet you have, from birds to cats and dogs, and the number of pets in your residence. Put the sticker in a prominent location where any rescue personnel will be sure to see if should the occasion arise.
- Let neighbors know you have pets. If you aren't home in a time of emergency, someone should know that there are pets that may need assistance.
- For those living in apartments or other rental properties, let the management office know about your pets. Many rental companies require emergency contact information from renters. Often this includes number and type of pets at your residence. Fill it out and make sure to notify the management office if there are any changes.
- Keep pet carriers or a collar and leash handy, preferably someplace where you'll be able to find them in the dark or in heavy smoke.
- Make plans in advance. In case of evacuation, know where you pets will go. Are there friends or relatives who can take your pets in the event of a hotel stay? Many hotels and motels now allow pets. Know which ones in your region do.
- Keep emergency information for your pets in a handy place. This includes the numbers for their veterinarian, animal emergency, plus lists of medications and pertinent health information.
- If you keep an emergency kit for yourself, expand it to factor in your pets. Keep crucial medications and emergency numbers with the emergency kit.
- Make sure your pets wear name tags with your phone number so that if they're lost, they can be returned safely home.
When we adopt pets, we take on responsibility for their lives--their health, their well-being, their safety. This should include disaster preparedness. So don't forget to take their safety and well-being into consideration when planning for emergencies.
-------------
Lisa A. Koosis
PetLovers.com
included photo source
