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.

 You can check it out by clicking on the Games/Puzzles page or
by clicking this link Click Here.

I have added the first puzzle that will be fun and challenging to
complete.  The link to the puzzle can be found on the Games/Puzzles
page.

Have fun and enjoy!!!!  Let me know what you thought of the
puzzle.

 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
Discount Pet Mall. Visit their site today for great savings on

<a
href=”http://www.discount-pet-mall.com/pet-supplies/dog-beds/”>pe
t beds</a>, <a
href=”http://www.discount-pet-mall.com/pet-supplies/elevated-dog-
feeders/”>raised dog bowls</a> and <a
href=”http://www.discount-pet-mall.com/pet-supplies/dog-ramps/”>d
og ramps</a>.

Add to Onlywire

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.

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.

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.

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.