It has been a while since I posted information here on my blog.
I wanted to share a story today, well actually a dream that I had
last night where Cuddles appeared from out of nowhere.
Cuddles has been gone for almost two years now, and I still miss
her a lot, I still expect her to walk around any corner and jump
up into my lap to sleep.
I was lying in my bed not wanting to get up and start my day, since
it was Saturday and I could enjoy a few extra minutes of rest. I
looked over the edge of the bed to the floor and my heart jumped
as I saw Cuddles sitting there looking up at me. I could not believe
it, I thought that she was gone.
I called to her and she jumped up into my arms and I held her close.
It wasn’t long before she wanted to get down and play with her sister
Tiggy. My heart just filled with warmth as I watched her trying to
play with her.
I also noticed how much smaller she seemed to be now. I sat there
wondering how she got here, it seemed like she had been gone for
so long. Cooper and Leena stayed away and kept their distance, which
confused me as Cooper is always so curious.
I was awed by how beautiful she looked. I wanted to hold her again,
so I called for her. She would not come back.
Then I woke up. Wow!!! The emotions were flooding me this morning.
I immediately looked to see if Cuddles really was there and she was
not. I do not know why I had this dream.
It could be because I read a very touching post on Dr. Joe Vitale’s blog
about the loss of his cat Tiger. I could feel the love and admiration that
he felt about his cat, just the same as I do about all of mine. You can
read his article about Tiger at http://blog.mrfire.com/animals/super-tiger/.
I hope to have many more dreams like the one I had with Cuddles last
night. I can keep the memory of her alive in my dreams and look
forward to each day.
Is Catnip Bad For Your Cat And Why was written by Elise Rogers
Most people are familiar with the affinity cats have for catnip.
After viewing your cat’s reaction to catnip, you may become
concerned and ask some common questions in relation to products
composed of this substance. Here are a few facts and answers to
common questions about catnip.
What exactly is catnip? Catnip is an herb from the Lamiaceae
family group, and it is known as Nepeta cataria in scientific
terms. It originated in the Mediterranean area, but is now
commonly found in England, North America and Canada, though it
can be grown almost anywhere. Most of these plants are
herbaceous perennials, but some grow annually as well.
What does a catnip plant look like? It has a thick and sturdy
stem, with heart shaped green to grayish leaves. The catnip
plant has flowers, and they are usually pink, lilac, blue, or
white in color. The flowers are tube shaped, and are sometimes
flecked with tiny purple dots.
What are the effects of catnip on cats? Some cats react more
dramatically to catnip than others. Common effects of catnip
include running, jumping, excessive meowing or growling,
licking, salivating, sniffing, pupil dilation, and rubbing or
rolling on catnip. Instead, some cats may become sedated,
tranquilized, or tired. Once a cat experiences a reaction to
catnip, they lose interest and cannot be affected by it for at
least an hour, sometimes two after their original exposure.
How does catnip work? The primary active ingredient in catnip is
called Nepetalactone, which stimulates a response from the cat’s
olfactory system. Some people believe that catnip may also be
tied to stimulating a cat’s pheromonic receptor. That is, a
pheromone produces a chemical reaction within a body (or plant)
and produces an effect on behavior. Some common pheromones
include: aggregation, primer, territorial, and sex pheromones.
How does catnip effect kittens and elderly cats? Catnip does not
effects kittens under the age of 3 months, and elderly cats are
generally not effected either. In fact, approximately ten to
thirty percent of the entire cat population does not respond to
the effects of catnip, no matter what their age. The reaction to
catnip is also genetically based. Some cats are “made” to
respond to catnip, while others simply aren’t.
Can catnip be dangerous? Catnip is often inhaled by cats, not
ingested. This means that they cannot “overdose” or consume too
much. If a cat happens to consume catnip, they may vomit, but it
is not harmful or toxic. Most times, when you see a cat nibbling
on catnip, it is not because they want to eat it; they are
simply trying to release the scent of the plant that activates
their senses.
Cats love catnip. It is an herb that triggers their senses that
elicits a playful response. It is not dangerous or toxic to your
cat, as the scent is inhaled and the plant is not usually
consumed. So, catnip toys and scratch posts are fine for your
kitty; let them have a little fun, and enjoy their treat of
catnip!
About the author:
Elise Rogers is an avid pet enthusiast who writes articles for
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Have you ever walked into the toy section for pets and wondered
which toy to buy?I have on several occasions meandered over to
the pet toy section when I am out shopping only to get totally
confused by the vast array of choices.There are so many toys of
all different sizes, shapes, and colors to choose from for your cat.
As I stand there looking, which sometimes could be almost an hour,
for a toy for my cats I am just not sure which one I should get.I do
tend to buy the toys that have more than one in a package as they
often get lost behind or under appliances or furniture.
I do not buy a lot of the toys from the store, as I have discovered
that my cats do not always like the toys I bring home from the store
and will find their own amusement in something that you would least
expect and that you already have around the house.My cats are often
attacking shoes that are lying around on the floor and dragging them
from one room to the other by the shoe strings.Most cats just love to
play with string and my cats all love to play with string. I can get all of
them to sit around in a circle while I bounce the string around from one
to the other.It is so much fun to watch them trying to get the little piece
of string.It is also about the only time that I can get all of mine to be in
close proximity to each other without any hissing or growling.It is amazing
how they interact when they are concentrating on something so intently. I also do not let them play with the string when I am not around, it can be
dangerous for them if they were to swallow it.
I have also found that a cardboard box or paper bag are great tools of
amusement for a cat.I will often find one of my cats curled up in a box
sleeping.Cooper also just loves to play in the box, jumping in and out and
scratching inside of it as if he is digging for gold.He also loves to play in a
paper bag; it will keep him occupied for hours.It is so much fun to watch
him jump in the sack and peek his head out.Another homemade toy that
Cooper loves to play with is the empty toilet paper roll.At first I didn’t
know how the empty rolls were getting all over the house, until we caught
him taking it out of the basket and batting and chasing it all over the floor. It was so funny to see him play with that empty roll.Then he started to
play with the toilet paper that was still full, I am not sure if he wanted to
get to the empty roll or if he just wanted to have toilet paper all over, it
was something else that amused him, although; that did not amuse me as
I had to pick up all that he had unrolled onto the floor.
The few toys that I have purchased for my cats that they have loved to play
with are the little plastic balls with bells inside.They love to bat them around
the floor, but they do tend to get under furniture and I have to drag them out
from time to time.Cuddles really enjoyed playing with a little cloth ball that
was soft enough that she could grab it in her mouth and run around with it, now
that was a cute sight to see.There are two toys that Cooper gets the most
enjoyment out of that I bought from the store. One is a little stuffed animal that
he will pick up in his mouth and toss it in the air and chase after it.It is the most
comical thing to see him do.He also loves playing with a plastic tube with a ball
that rolls inside.He will lay by it for hours pushing the ball around inside, but
I have to keep that toy up at night as he tends to get a little noisy when he gets
really excited and pushes it across the floor.
I have also purchased the toys with feathers on the end, but they do not last
very long.The feathers get all mangled and wet from being chewed on a lot. I have even bought some toys that you can hang from a doorknob for your cat
to play with, but they do not pay too much attention to it.I find that they have
more fun when I take the same toy and just play with them instead of hanging
it on the doorknob for them to play themselves.
The next time you are standing in the toy section and wondering what to get
your cat, pick out something that you can both play with or something that you
will enjoy watching them being silly.Some of the best toys are already in your
house waiting for your cat to discover them, and for the adventure to begin.
Cooper is playing in a paper bag in the video clip below.
A cat’s mesmerizing eyes create the feeling that you can
look deep into their soul.Have you sat and looked deep
into your cat’s eyes?Wondering what they are thinking
or if they are trying to tell you something?I know that I
have sat gazing into my cat’s eyes looking for something
magical to happen; searching for answers to questions like
“Can you understand what I am saying?” or “Are you trying
to tell me something?”Their eyes are so mysterious looking
that I just feel like I am falling deep within their being as I
look into their eyes.
Cat’s eyes can give you signs of their current mood by the
size of their pupil.When the cat’s eyes are open and the
pupil becomes large, the cat can be very excited or frightened. I have seen my cats’ pupils become very large when they
suddenly get frightened by something.The large pupils in
this instance are also usually accompanied with the hair on
their back sticking straight up and their tails bushed out.I
will immediately try to calm them down when I find them in
this state.When the pupils become narrowed, looking like
slits in the cat’s eyes, it could be an indication that the cat is
angry or the sun is in the cat’s eyes.I have watched, on many
occasions, Tiggy go from being in a peaceful mood to being
very angry and seeing it in her eyes.The nice calm look of
her pupil as it is large turning into a very narrow slit just as
she becomes irritated.Her irritation is usually the direct
response from one of Cooper’s momentary agitations.He
really loves to get her going, and when I watch him I can see
his excitement has his pupils get larger.
The pupils also change in size by the amount of sunlight that
enters the eye.When the sun is bright and shining directly
into the cat’s eyes, their pupils will become narrow.The
brighter the sunlight, the narrower their pupils will become;
appearing to be the size of pinpricks.The opposite happens
when there is little or no sunlight.Their pupils become large
and sometimes almost spherical to allow as much of the
available light to enter.
Both pupils will simultaneously be the same size at all times. When one becomes a different size it is an indication of an eye
condition that can range from mild to serious.It would be good
to seek medical attention to be sure that it is not serious.When
the cat’s eye color changes it could also be an indication of a disease
and should be consulted by a veterinarian.
Another interesting part of the cat’s eyes is the color.Most
cats have eye colors that range from gold to greenish-yellow. I find it fascinating to look at the colors in my cats’ eyes.I also
find it odd that of the four cats that I have owned, the ones related
to each other, have had totally different eye color from each other. Tiggy has yellowish colored eyes and Cuddles had green to yellowish
colored eyes.They were sisters, yet their eye colors were different. Kittens are born with blue eyes that will change when they are
between 4 to 8 weeks old.Blue eyes are also found in cats with
pointed coats such as the Siamese.
Since the cat’s eye is so interesting and mysterious looking, have
you wondered what they see while looking through their eyes? I think that it would be interesting if we were able to look through
the eyes of a cat and see exactly what they see.It would give me
a different viewpoint on what I look at everyday.Did you know
that your cat is not color blind?They can see colors, just not the
same colors that we see.Cats can see green and blue but not red.
I still find the cat’s eyes to be mysterious and amazing.I can sit
for hours looking deep into the souls of my cats through their eyes. The next time you are near your cat, look deep into their eyes and
see if you find something mysterious lurking there.
This article was written by Denise at The Gardener’s Rake. I thought
that it would be a good article to post for other cat lover’s to read
about, especially if you have plants or want to get some. If you also
want more information about Organic Gardening, Denise offers great
tips and information at The Gardener’s Rake.
Cats are frequently attracted to your houseplants. If you’re like me you
love the plants as much as you love the cat and there has to be a way to
get them to live in peace without the cat digging, chewing or attempting
to use the plant as a kitty litter box.
There are several different ways to keep the cat away from your plants.
To prevent chewing you can spray Bitter Apple or Bitter Orange on
the leaves. These are special sprays made to use on plants and will not
harm the plant or cat. The only disadvantage is cost for the spray but
with regular use the cat will learn to leave the plants alone and you can
stop using the spray after a while. When I first bring a new plant in the
house I spray Stay Off training spray by Hartz on the pot. My cats know
this spray and know it means keep out. The smell sends them running!
You can dust the plant lightly with cayenne pepper. This will usually break
the cat from touching plants. I have done this in desperation but it’s not my
favorite practice. I am not sure how humane it is for the cat.
Plants provide cats with needed nutrients and may be why they are
attacking your plants. My favorite practice is to grow some Lemongrass
or catnip for my two cats. Both plants are easy to grow and attractive.
I put these plants near the place my cats like to watch birds and rest and
they will enjoy these plants and leave my others alone. Both plant types
can be placed on porches or in the yard if your cat goes outdoors. You can
even make a special place in your yard for you cat to enjoy these plants
and play. Place a few toys and a litter box in this area and the cats will
head to their play area.
It’s been suggested for digging or urinating, you should cover the dirt
with aluminum foil or gravel. If the plant needs it, you can add some
vinegar to the soil to counteract the ammonia in the urine. This works
but unless the plant needs foil on the soil I prefer the Rose Technique.
A friend of mine suggested using rose clippings and it works! Trim some
rose bushes and put the smaller stems and prickly rose parts in the soil.
When the cats go to dig in the soil they notice the rose clippings immediately!
They may try digging one more time but after that they stay away from
the plants. This is fast and effective and does not harm the plant or cat.
It’s also helpful to provide a variety of toys for your cat to play with while
you’re away they will forget about you houseplants. Cat towers and automatic
laser chasers, or wall or door mounted toys that they can swipe at make
great make good “play-alone” toys. You may want to buy teething kittens
special toys. And as old as a cat may get, they still seem to like balls, string,
cardboard boxes and paper bags.
One last suggestion is to get rid of any plants that could be toxic to your cat.
Toxic plants include azaleas, caladium, dieffenbachia, ivy, lilies, mistletoe,
poinsettias and philodendron. I do own a poinsettia but it’s up and away from
where my cats go and has rose trimming to keep the cats away, just in case.
Have you ever experienced the tickle from one of your cat’s
whiskers as they brush against your face or neck?I have
been tickled on many occasions from each of my cat’s as they
rub up against me for attention or curling up on my shoulder
to go to sleep.I never really thought about what they use their
whiskers for, all I really knew is that they tickled me a lot.
Besides giving each cat their own unique distinction, whiskers
are a functional part of a cat. Whiskers are a sensory system
for cats made up of nerve endings that allow them to feel the
lightest touch, even an air current.
Cats are known to be farsighted and they will use their whiskers
to move around in those areas that they are not able to see clearly. Even cats that are blind or their vision is deteriorating will rely
more on their whiskers to move about.Cats that are born with
their vision impaired will often have longer whiskers to help them
move around.If a cat were to lose their whiskers, they would
more than likely bump into things.
You also can tell the mood of your cat from their whiskers.When
your cat is calm you will see that their whiskers will be pushed
forward.And if your cat is stressed out or is being defensive their
whiskers will be pulled closer to their face.
If you have more than one cat, have you noticed that the whiskers
of each of them are not the same?The length of a cat’s whiskers
even varies between breeds.I currently have three cats and have
noticed that each one has whiskers that are different in length to
the others.I have also noticed that Tiggy my oldest cat has a few
whiskers that are not all white, but have some black in them.While
the other two, Leena and Cooper, have whiskers that are all white.
Most of us see the cat’s whiskers above their eyes and around their
mouth, also called muzzle. But did you know that they also have
whiskers on the back of their front legs or what would be considered
their wrists.I never knew that, but after I read about it, I looked on
mine and they have them. They are not as long as the whiskers on
their face, but they have them.
Whiskers do get very long and some people are tempted to trim them
thinking that they should be to help the cat. But whiskers are never to
be trimmed, cut, or any other method of removing them.The cats do
have nerve endings in the whiskers and they will feel the trimming and
it will not be pleasant for them. Have you ever touched one of the whiskers
on your cat’s face?Did you notice them blink or twitch?It is because
their whiskers are very sensitive and should be treated with care.
Whiskers can be ticklish when applied to us in the right fashion, and
they are a very distinctive characteristic on a cat.We should always
leave a cat’s whiskers alone, as they are their guide to moving around.
It is that time of year when many families will be preparing
to put up their Christmas trees. It all starts either by getting
your tree out of the attic or storage place, or going and picking
out the perfect tree from a tree farm or local store.No matter
which way you start with, if you have a cat or two in the house
you need to consider a few potential dangers when preparing
this yearly ritual.
The type of tree is important to consider, if you do not keep it
in a separate room away from your cat.Live Christmas trees
can be deadly to a cat.If they eat the pine needles they could
puncture the intestines.Pine is also toxic to cats causing damage
to the liver or death.An artificial Christmas tree is safer than a
live one, but it can also cause blockage if it is eaten.
I put up an artificial Christmas tree, not just for the safety, but
also for the convenience of the clean up.It still takes more
planning and preparation to keep the cats off and away from
the Christmas tree.
Start by finding a good spot where you can place the tree that
will allow you to secure to something so that the cats cannot
knock or pull it down.It is also a good idea to keep the tree away
from other items, such as tables, chairs, or anything else your
cat can climb on that will give it closer access to the tree.
After you have found the perfect spot for your Christmas tree,
the next part of the yearly tradition is going to be the most fun.
Decorating the tree! Now this is the best part of getting the tree
up and ready, but it can also be the most mind boggling and nerve
wrecking task.Especially when you have to consider the placement
of all of the decorations in proportion to your cat’s interest in any
and all of the decorations.
Now, I have learned the hard way with placing my decorations on
the tree, that you must never put your glass bulbs near the bottom
where the cats can reach them.The first year that we had our cats
and I decorated the tree not thinking that they would play with it, I
put the glass ornaments as well as other ornaments on the bottom
branches. Well, later that day I heard a bang, and smash of glass
breaking, only to look out and see that both cats were playing with the
dangling ornaments and knocking them on the floor.A lot of our
ornaments were smashed and broken that year, but I learned to not
do that again.I now put the ornaments on the upper branches, and
I no longer use glass bulbs or any other ornaments that they can break.
Another thing to consider doing if you have cats is not to put tinsel on
your tree.When I was growing up, we always put tinsel on our Christmas
tree. I never liked putting up the tinsel because it was so hard cleaning
up and getting it off of the tree.I am glad that I do not put tinsel on my
Christmas tree, especially since I have cats and it can harm them if they
swallow it.It is better to not put tinsel on your tree if you have cats.
Also, take care in the placement of the lights.You do not want your cat
to chew on the cord and get a nasty shock.I did have two cats that liked
to chew on cords and I took extra care on making sure that they were
placed where they would not be tempted to chew.A wonderful tip to keep
your cat from chewing on the cord is to place it in a plastic strip and tape it
to the floor.Another thing to do is to tape down or remove the tag that is
attached to the lights; this is often a tempting object for cats to chew on also.
Once you have your tree up and decorated it is now the time to become
creative in keeping your kitty away from the tree to keep your decorations
safe from its curiosity.There are a few things that you can try to keep your
cat away from the tree.You can place foil or two sided tape around the tree,
they do not like the feel of it and will often times stay away. Another tactic to
try is to place citrus rinds or fresheners around the tree; cats do not like the
smell of citrus and will stay away.You can also spray your cat with water each
time it attempts to get close to the tree and it will soon stay away.I have found
that using the water bottle to be the most effective and easiest for me to do.
Try each one and find one that will work for you and your cat.
Make this Christmas a memorable one and do not forget to keep your cat in
mind when making preparations for your Christmas traditions, especially
those involving a tree.
If you live in the United States, you would have just observed
Thanksgiving. This is a time that many will reflect on the blessings
in their life.This Thanksgiving was no different than the previous
ones for me, except that I have been more aware of the little Furry
Angels in my life.
I have been reflecting on all the things that I am thankful for in my
life.The most important of course is my family and the relationships
that I have built with each one of them.The next most important thing
that I am very thankful for are my little Furry Angels.Polar Bear, Tiggy,
Leena, and Cooper have brought many joyful days in my life. They also
bring frustration and worry, but their love and devotion outweighs any
trouble they bring.
I also cannot forget the other Furry Angels that have appeared throughout
my life. The most recent that passed was Cuddles who will always be
remembered as she was always loving and willing to give you her attention
when you needed it most. I also have had other pets that have always brought
something special to my life that helped me to cope and get through some
difficult times.
My little Furry Angels will always have a special place in my heart.It is
amazing how they can shower you with love without even a second thought. I feel that they really are little Angels watching over us. They are there when
you need someone to talk to, even if they do not understand what you are
saying.They are there when you need someone to warm you up, they make
great lap warmers.They are there when you need some laughter, they can
do something funny and off the wall to make you laugh.I am very thankful
for my little Furry Angels.
There are many of us who consider our pets as part of our family and share
our lives with them. We also realize that they give us as much as we give them
and sometimes even more.They truly are wonderful beings, and I will always
keep mine safe and give them all of my love.
Thanks for reading my blog.
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