If you’ve seen some my photos from BlogPaws, you’ve probably seen me hold a little grey blind kitten in a few of them. Odilia captured the hearts of many BlogPaws attendees, and I thought you’d like to hear more about her. Connie of Tails from the Foster Kittens brought little Odilia to BlogPaws all the way from Maine. Connie had very little information about Odilia when she rescued her from a shelter. Read Odilia’s Story to learn more about this special little girl.
It’s impossible to wrap your mind around the devastation in the wake of the Oklahoma tornadoes. Agencies from around the country are jumping in to help with rescue and recovery efforts. Vetstreet has compiled a list of organizations that are helping animals affected by the disaster by bringing in search dogs, donating food and supplies, and reuniting lost pets with their guardians. Hopefully, as a result of their hard work, and generous donations, we’ll see more happy endings like the one in the photo above of a woman who found her cat standing on the rubble of her destroyed home, as reported by Life with Cats.
The Conscious Cat is an award winning website published by writer and cat expert Ingrid King, author of Buckley's Story and Purrs of Wisdom. Here at The Conscious Cat, we're passionate about cats. Our mission is to educate cat guardians so that every cat, and every cat's human, can have a happy, healthy life together.
On this site, you will find expert advice from a seasoned cat consultant. The Conscious Cat features articles on cat health, cat nutrition, cat behavior, cat lifestyle, pet loss, and, of course, pictures of cats. We'll bring you product and book reviews, as well as news from around the cat world.
We'll also share Purrs of Wisdom: lessons in conscious living, inspired by the cats who share our lives. Other features include our Mews and Nips; fascinating feline stories from around the globe, and Allegra's World and Ruby's Reflections; written from the perspective of Ingrid's two feline companions. After all, who better than a cat to teach us a thing or two about how to live a joyful life!
And let's not forget, we have a soft spot for tortoiseshell cats and their unique personalities, also known as "tortitude."
We hope you'll enjoy our site. Please join our community of cat lovers: sign up for our newsletter and join us on Facebook. Your comments and feedback are always welcome.
*Winners were selected by random drawing. Winners need to provide a physical address to which the prize will be mailed within 72 hours of receipt of notification e-mail. If this information is not received, an alternate winner will be chosen
One Hot Murder is the third book in the charming Victoria Square mystery series by Lorraine Bartlett, but in the interest of full disclosure, despite the adorable cover, this is not a cat-themed book. The protagonist, Katie Bonner, shares her apartment with two cats, and they’re mentioned briefly here and there in the book. I will admit that the cute cover reeled me in at the bookstore, and despite the lack of cats in this book, I loved it, and wanted to share it with you. Additionally, I’m a big fan of Lorraine Bartlett, who, writing under the name Lorna Barrett, is also the author of the Booktown Mystery series, featuring Miss Marple the bookstore cat.
From the publisher:
Katie Bonner, the reluctant manager of Artisans Alley in the quaint shopping district of Victoria Square, is no stranger to ambivalence. Things have been going hot and heavy with pizza maker Andy Rust—so much so that Katie has moved in over his pizza parlor. Continue reading…
I’ve been writing a lot about the importance of playtime lately, sharing some of our favorite puzzle toys and interactive toys. The Catit® interactive line of toys offers a little bit of both.
These toys toy incorporate sight, sound and touch. The elevated tracks add a fast-paced exciting roller coaster element while the motion activated illuminated ball allows for fun day or nighttime play. A peek-a-boo track design allows cats to see, chase and swat the moving balls inside. The nice thing about these toys is that they can work as both an interactive toy- you can bat the ball along the tracks while your cats try to catch it or bat it back to you – and as a solo toy to keep your cats entertained when you can’t play with them. The Catit Design Senses Line toys stimulate, exercise, refresh, entertain and nurture cats all ages. Continue reading…
I spent four fun-filled days last week with about 300 of my fellow pet bloggers at BlogPaws 2013. This was my third BlogPaws experience, and just when I think it can’t possibly get any better than the prior year, it does. From attending top-notch presentations by blogging and social media experts to networking with other bloggers, the weekend was a blur of learning, networking, and socializing.
Allegra and Ruby got a surprise visit from our dear friend Robin Olson of Covered in Cat Hair last week. Robin was in town for BlogPaws. She’d been wanting to meet the girls two years ago when BlogPaws was held at Tysons Corner as well, and this year, we finally managed to find the time to make it happen.
Allegra, who loves visitors, took to Robin right away. She greeted her at the door, and led the way upstairs into our living room. Ruby, who tends to be a little more cautious with people she doesn’t know, didn’t take long to warm up to Robin, either. But why don’t I let the girls tell you about Robin’s visit in their own words.
Allegra: I love visitors, and I could tell right away that this lady was a cat person.
Cats have a reputation for being low maintenance, which is probably one of the many reasons why they have surpassed dogs as the most popular pet in America. Unfortunately, because of this reputation, many people think cats don’t need as much attention as dogs do. They couldn’t be more wrong.
Play is vitally important to a cat’s mental and physical health, and it’s especially important for indoor cats. Even though cats may sleep up to 16 hours a day, when they’re awake, they need stimulation, and the best way to accomplish this is with play. In the wild, when lions, tigers and other wild cats aren’t sleeping, they’re either hunting, or teaching their young to hunt. And play is nothing more than channelling your domestic tiger’s hunting instinct into play.
Benefits of Play
Exercise. Obesity is the number one health problem in cats. According to a recent survey, 55% of America’s cats are overweight or obese. In addition to feeding a species-appropriate raw or canned diet, exercise is the best way to keep your feline charges fit and trim.
Hyperthyroidism is a common disease that typically affects middle-aged and older cats. It is caused by an excess production of thyroid hormones, which are produced by the thyroid gland, located inside the cat’s neck. Thyroid hormones affect nearly all organs, which is why thyroid disease can sometimes cause secondary problems such as hypertension, heart and kidney disease.
Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis
For a comprehensive overview on what causes hyperthyroidism, what the symptoms are, and how it is diagnosed and treated, read Hyperthyroidism in Cats.
Treatment Options
Currently, there are three treatment options for hyperthyroidism in cats: Continue reading…
Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, and after spending the last three fun-filled days at the BlogPaws pet blogging conference, I am in desperate need of some rest! I’m going to follow Allegra’s lead and do absolutely nothing today.
I’ll leave you with this quote from Maya Angelou, on the importance of getting a day of rest:
“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” – from Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
Perhaps, I’ll need to take this advice every week, not just after attending a conference. Continue reading…
Last August, I was contacted by a British production company making a special for National Geographic called “Wild Side of Cats.” The program looks at the behavior of domestic cats and examines how that compares to big cat behaviour in the wild.
The production company came across a video clip that I shot of Allegra testing the Imperial Cat Scratch ‘n Shapes Sofa Scratcher Chaise. I always knew Allegra was a world-champion scratcher, but apparently, her technique in the video clip is so perfect that they ended up using it for the special they’re filming.
The special will air this Sunday, May 19, on Nat Geo Wild at 8pm Eastern. Continue reading…
