This year, more than any other year I can recall, I am really eager for spring to arrive.  It’s been a very long and snowy winter here in the Mid-Atlantic.  There are still some dirty snow piles left from the back-to- back blizzards we had the beginning of February.  So when I saw the first crocuses on my walk the other morning, I felt a seemingly disproportionate amount of joy – I can’t ever remember being this happy to see a little yellow flower emerge from the ground!

Spring is a time of new beginnings, of renewal.  Nature renews itself, at first slowly, like those first spring flowers peeking out from underneath the dull winter grass, and eventually bursting into full bloom as the days become longer and warmer.  Spring can also be a time for mental and spiritual renewal, and for this, we can take our clues from nature.  It’s time to emerge from the darkness of winter, time to open windows and doors to let the spring breezes in, both physically and in a larger sense.  

For many people, this is also traditionally a time for spring cleaning – there is something very satisfying about airing out rooms that were closed up for most of the winter months, clearing cobwebs out of forgotten corners, and getting the dust bunnies out from under the bed.  Clearing the clutter and getting organized for the new season on a physical level can also help clear your mental and psychic energy.  Cluttered environments drain our energy.  Just think about the last time you organized your desk or cleaned out a closet – remember how you not only felt a sense of accomplishment, but how you also felt somehow lighter? 

So why not do some mental and spiritual cleaning this spring?  The following suggestions can help you with this:

• Clear out old beliefs that no longer serve you.  A belief is only a thought you keep thinking, and you have the power to change your thoughts.  Replace old beliefs that hold you back with new ones that are in alignment with what you want for yourself and your life.
• Let go of limiting self-talk.  Frequently, we’re not even aware that we’re putting ourselves down, since it’s often done jokingly, but just like old beliefs, these little jokes can be insiduous and get stuck in your energy field.  Start becoming aware when you put yourself down, or talk about why you can’t do something, and redirect your thoughts.
• Get rid of a pattern of negative thinking.  Do you like to complain, or participate in conversations with others who are complaining about how bad things are?  Do you tend to focus on what’s going wrong rather than on what’s going well?  Thought patterns can be deeply ingrained, and it takes time to become aware of them.  Focusing on what’s not working keeps you stuck in negative energy.  Once you realize that this is your pattern, you can begin to turn your thoughts into a more positive direction.

Just like nature, spring is your opportunity to grow and blossom into a life filled with light, color and joy.  Mental spring cleaning is a great way to start this process.

Amber says she doesn’t understand why humans hang on to all of this mental clutter.  She thinks that humans could learn a lot from cats - they live in the moment and don’t waste time thinking about the past or worrying about the future.

We know from human nutrition that the less processed our foods are, the healthier they are for us.  This is no different when it comes to feline nutrition.  Cats are obligate carnivores and as such need animal-based proteins to thrive.  They cannot get enough nutritional support from plant-based proteins such as grains and vegetables, because, unlike humans and dogs, they lack the specific enzyme that processes plant-based proteins metabolically. 

Commercial pet foods are highly processed and most are too high in carbohydrates for cats, leading to all kinds of health problems.  Dry food in particular can be the source of many of the degenerative diseases we see in cats, ranging from allergies to intestinal problems to diabetes and urinary tract issues.  While a quality grain-free canned diet may be a better choice, the meat in those diets has to be cooked.  Cooking degrades the nutrients, leading to loss of enzymes, vitamins and minerals.  To make up for this, pet food manufacturers must add in supplements to make up for these losses.  Supplementation is not always exact, and depending on the manufacturer, may be done with synthetic rather than natural supplements.

There are numerous benefits from feeding a raw diet to your cat, including improved digestion, reduced stool odor and volume, increased energy, ability to maintain ideal weight, better dental health, and better urinary tract health.  With the numerous pet food recalls over the past several years, raw feeding has gained wider attention.  Embraced for decades by holistically oriented pet parents and holistic veterinarians, it is becoming more mainstream as pet parents look for alternatives to feeding commercial pet foods.  But many pet owners are still leery of the idea of feeding raw meat to their pets, and myths about raw feeding abound.  This article will help sort through the myths and facts surrounding raw feeding.

Myth:  Cats need dry food to keep their teeth clean.

Fact:  Dry kibble does not clean your cat’s teeth.  Most cats don’t chew their kibble long enough for any of the scraping action that is the theory behind this myth to kick in.  Some pet food manufacturers offer a “dental diet” that is made up of larger than normal sized kibble to encourage chewing, but in my years at veterinary practices, I’ve seen many cats swallow even those larger size pieces whole.  Additionally, dry food leaves a carbohydrate residue in the cat’s mouth that actually encourages growth of tartar and plaque.

Myth:  It’s dangerous to feed raw meat because it contains bacteria.

Fact:  Cats have highly acidic digestive tracts, which makes them pathogen resistant.  Their digestive tracts are also much shorter than humans – food passes through their digestive system in about 12 hours, compared to two or three times as much for humans.  This doesn’t give bacteria enough time to proliferate in their system.   As long as you use safe handling procedures with raw meat, the risk to your cat is minimal.  In fact, the emphasis on safe handling that you’ll hear from most proponents of raw feeding is for the humans in the household, not for the cat.

One caution:  this applies to healthy cats.  Bacterial resistance in cats with an already compromised immune system may be diminished.

Myth:  Raw feeding is complicated and requires grinding of meat, bones and a lot of preparation time. 

Fact:  Raw feeding doesn’t have to be complicated.  While some cat owners want to make their own raw foods, there are many companies that offer frozen raw food that is already nutritionally balanced.  Two that I like are Feline’s Pride and Nature’s Variety.  It really comes down to thaw and feed – no more effort than opening a can!

Myth:  It’s dangerous to feed raw meet because it may contain parasites.

Fact:  The companies I mentioned above, and I’m sure there are many others as well, source their meat from reputable farmers and test for pathogens and parasites.  Of course, there is no way to be 100% sure, but then, neither is there a 100% guarantee that commercially prepared foods are going to be free of toxins, pathogens or other contamination, as the 2007 pet food recall showed us in such tragic proportions.  Do your research and find out where the company you’re buying from sources their ingredients.  Reputable manufacturers will be happy to answer your questions.

Myth:  Raw diets are not complete and balanced. 

Fact:  That depends on the diet you choose to feed.  Some raw diets are balanced and include proper levels of supplements, others will require adding a good vitamin and mineral supplement.  The reality is that no one food can be nutritionally complete.  True nutrition comes from a varied, whole foods diet.  This is why it’s a good idea to mix and rotate different meats and maybe even different manufacturers.

The idea of raw feeding has initially been a big leap for me.  For starters, I’m semi-vegetarian and don’t eat red meat or poultry, so I wasn’t crazy about having to handle raw meat, even if it was best for my cats.  The twelve years I spent in the veterinary profession taught me a lot about animal health, but initially, not a lot about nutrition.  Traditionally, veterinarians don’t receive a lot of training in nutrition, and what training they do receive in veterinary schools is funded by major pet food manufacturers.  I was fortunate that I eventually worked with several holistically oriented vets, and I began studying feline nutrition on my own as well.   Look for more articles on feline nutrition here on The Conscious Cat in the future.  If you’d like to see something in particular addressed, leave a comment.

To conclude, I’d like to offer the following wonderful resources for feeding raw food to cats:

Feeding Your Cat – Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – this site contains a wealth of information by veterinarian Lisa A. Pierson, DVM

Feline Nutrition Education Society – a site dedicated to educating cat owners about the benefits of feeding raw, showcasing some of the leading voices advocating change in how we think about feline nutrition.

I told Mom that she had to let me blog during our anniversary week celebration – after all, I am the inspurration behind this site!  It’s been such an amazing year for Mom, and also for me, because when Mom is happy, I’m  happy.  I think it’s a bit ironic that the first real post on this site that Mom wrote was titled Amber is on a diet - but I guess I really needed it then, even though I still think that I was only big-boned and fluffy, and didn’t really need to loose any weight.  However, I know Mom wants me to be healthy for a long long time, and I guess being overweight is as bad for kitties as it is for people, so I reluctantly cooperated with the whole diet thing.  (This is where opposable thumbs would come in handy – I’ve figured out how to open the cabinet where Mom keeps my food, but I can’t seem to figure out how to open the cans…)  I’m happy to report that a year later, I’m back to less than 13 pounds, which Mom says is a good weight for me (and our vet, Fern, agrees).  Mom’s been feeding me some really yummy stuff lately - it’s called raw food, and you’ll soon read more here about why it’s so good for kitties.   It sure tastes good!

This past year, I’ve written eighteen posts in my own Amber’s Mewsings category.  I got to write about everything from how much I love to be my Mom’s mewse to what it felt like to be forced to have my teeth cleaned (nothing to love about that!).  I have fun writing my column, and I know it gives Mom a break from having to come up with new stuff to write three times a week, which I guess can be challenging for a human.  I keep telling her to let me blog more, because I have lots more to say!

There are lots of exiting things coming up for our site for this next year.   Mom said she’s going to do something called a teleseminar series – I don’t really know what that means, but she says that it’ll be another way to teach people stuff about cats and their health and their lifestyle.  Sounds good to me.  There’ll also be lots more giveaways - I guess humans love getting stuff for free, and Mom likes to give stuff away that she thinks our readers would enjoy, so look for more of those things.  And most importantly, there’ll be lots more mewsings coming from me!

And don’t forget to enter our anniverary giveaway for the cool gift basket my mom’s friend put together for us!

Guest post by Clea Simon

“How’s Musetta?” These days, people I know ask about my cat more often than about me. “Is she still plump? Have you had her teeth cleaned yet?”  While I answer (well, yes, and soon again) with the facts about my real cat, the flesh-and-blood feline who often sleeps in a chair behind me as I work, snoring gently, I know that’s not who they really mean. These inquiries are often from readers, and they’re really addressed to my little pet’s black-and-white doppelganger: the feline heroine of my Theda Krakow series.

I started writing those books in 2003. By the time the first, Mew is for Murder, was published in 2005, the real Musetta – whom we adopted in 2001 – was already a full-grown housecat. But in the book, she’s still a tiny little tuxedo kitten, an awkward lost stray who wanders into my heroine’s life and steals her heart. She grows up in the subsequent books – Cattery Row and Cries and Whiskers – to the point where she has “fish breath” and needs that dental appointment in Probable Claws. And by that point, I have managed to not only endanger her person, Theda, and several of their two- and four-legged friends, but also Musetta herself, as my real kitty has never, ever been. When the fictional Musetta apparently gets lost in a wild winter storm in Cries and Whiskers, I had trouble writing. (The real Musetta is indoors only, though she did once creep up my apartment’s back stairs and gave me a scare.) When she gets into worse trouble – I’m not telling – I found that I was typing as fast as I could, and had to remind myself to breathe. Only the presence of the flesh-and-blood jellicle on the chair behind me reassured me, and helped me finish the scene.

In many ways, this literary version of my pet is restorative for me. After all, she was first introduced in my nonfiction book,  The Feline Mystique. She is the kitten I adopt after the death of my long-time pet Cyrus, the little bundle of love that begins to heal my broken heart. And I get to relive that reawakening, that healing, that warmth, every time I write about her, particularly every time I risk her in some fictional adventure – and then get to write about how happy she is, safe home at last, in Theda’s arms.

But there’s another side of feline love, and I have tried to bring that to the pages of my Dulcie Schwartz books: “Shades of Grey” and the new Grey Matters. These books deal with a beloved cat, very much like my Cyrus, who is no longer with us. But unlike the real Cyrus, who lives on in my heart and my memory, Mr. Grey remains a palpable presence in Dulcie’s life. As we so often hope our pets will, perhaps in part of our hearts believe they do, he stays with his person. A loyal cat to the last, Mr. Grey appears when Dulcie needs him – when she discovers her roommate’s body or falls out with her boyfriend, her professor, and her roommate –  and, unlike the real cats in my Theda books, he also dispenses advice, going over her various predicaments with the kind of bemused affection I always imagined a cat would have.

I wrote him like that because this is so often what I wanted, after Cyrus was gone. And it was so often what I felt I almost had – the voice I almost heard in the wind, the weight and warmth at the foot of the bed As for the rest, I figured that, as a ghost, he would be exempt from most of the restrictions placed on real cats. But because he is, after all, still a cat in spirit – if not in body – his advice would be enigmatic and loving, wise but never exactly direct.

While I have thoroughly enjoyed writing Theda and Musetta, and like to think that even without words, Musetta managed to make herself very well understood, I’m enjoying this new direction. Correction: I love writing a talking cat. It’s so much fun! Like our real pets, our fictional cats can have such distinct personalities. And since I’m now meeting them in the realm of fiction, I am free to let them express themselves however they want.  It is liberating.

A confession: At various times, I have spoken out against “talking cats” in mysteries – and now I’m living to happily eat my words. In fact, I am now sending around yet another mystery manuscript, a book in which the protagonist – a bad-girl animal psychic – takes a lot of grief from her cat, a crotchety tabby named Wallis. And I am also preparing to start on yet another Dulcie Schwartz book, too. So as I begin to think about “Dulcie #3” (as my publisher calls it  – I’m thinking “Grey Zone”), I find myself listening – an ear for the wind, for my real-life Musetta’s purr – hoping to catch Mr. Grey’s voice, once again.

Clea Simon is the author of the Dulcie Schwartz and Theda Krakow mysteries and the nonfiction The Feline Mystique – On the Mysterious Connection Between Cats and Their Women as well as several other nonfiction books.  For more information about Clea, please visit her website or her blog.

Amber and I are excited to announce
The Conscious Cat Teleseminar Series!

Join us for monthly teleseminars on a variety of topics!   You’ll be able to learn more about your favorite cat writers and get a chance to ask them questions.  You’ll learn about cat health, cat nutrition, how to keep your cat’s environment safe and toxin-free, and how to care for a sick cat.  We’ll offer help in coping with pet loss and the devastating grief that follows.  We’ll be adding more topics, and we’d love to hear your suggestions for topics you’d like to see covered. 

Our first Teleseminar will take place on Tuesday, March 30 at 8pm Eastern.  We’ll be talking with Clea Simon, author of several cat themed mysteries, including the brand new Dulcie Schwartz mysteries as well as the Theda Krakow mysteries.  Clea is also the author of The Feline Mystique:  On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats, and several other non-fiction books.  Clea will talk about her latest release, Grey Matters, her fictional and her real cats, and more.  She’ll also answer questions from listeners.  If you’ve always wanted to ask a mystery writer about her work, here’s your opportunity! 

On Thursday, April 22 at 8pm Eastern, we’ll have our first Ask the Cat Vet Teleseminar with Dr. Fern Crist.  You already know Dr. Crist from the pages of Buckley’s Story and from some of Amber’s Mewsings - this will be your chance to get to know her better and get your cat health questions answered.  Dr. Crist has ben practicing veterinary medicine since 1982, and has been working exclusively with cats since 1993.  She served on the board of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.  Dr. Crist is married with five children, two of which are not fuzzy.

The seminars are free, but long distance phone charges may apply.  To participate in the conference, dial 1-712-432-3100.  When prompted, enter conference code 674470. 

We’re looking forward to having you join us for the seminars!  If you have suggestions for future topics, please leave them in a comment.

And don’t forget – we’re celebrating our blog anniversary all week long.  Don’t forget to enter our fantastic anniversary giveaway!

It’s our First Blog Anniversary!

The Conscious Cat is one year old today!   And what an amzing year it has been – a year ago, I couldn’t have imagined how quickly this blog would become popular and how fast our readership would be growing since our first post.  Thank you to all of you who read, comment, and share what you read here with others – this site wouldn’t be what it has become without your support. 

I started The Conscious Cat to share my passion and knowledge about conscious living, health and happiness for pets and their people.  Over time, I began to include book reviews, author interviews, feline lifestyle articles, and more.  Amber, the inspiration behind this site, has her own category, Amber’s Mewsings, where she shares her feline wisdom with us mere humans.

We’ll be celebrating here all week long!  To kick off the celebration, we’re offering a fabulous giveaway – a gift basket from Whimsy Cats that includes an autographed copy of Buckley’s Story and lots of fun surprises for your feline family members.

To enter the giveaway:

• Leave a comment on this post.
• Tweet about this giveaway or share it on Facebook for an additional chance to win and leave the link to your tweet/share in a separate comment.
• Subscribe to The Conscious Cat via  e-mail.  If you’re already subscribed, you’re automatically entered in the giveway.
• Blog about this giveaway on your blog and leave the link in a separate comment.

The giveaway is open until midnight Monday, March 15.

Our birthday week celebrations continue tomorrow with an announcement of some exciting new things coming to you from The Conscious Cat.   On Wednesday, we’ll have a very special guest blogger.  And of course, our birthday week celebration wouldn’t be complete without Amber’s Mewsings on Friday.  We hope you enjoy our birthday week!

I had been eagerly anticipating the release of Grey Matters from the moment I finished Shades of Grey, which was the first book in Clea Simon’s Dulcie Schwartz series.  Grey Matters picks up a few months after the end of Shades of Grey (click here to read my review of Shades of Grey).  Dulcie is a doctoral student at Harvard university who is fascinated with 18th century Gothic novels.  She is deeply immersed in the fall semester, hard at work on her thesis, and frustrated with her thesis advisor, who seems distracted and uninterested in her work.  When she finds the body of a fellow graduate student on her advisor’s doorstep, her life gets even more complicated. 

Her best friend is busy with her own studies and a new man in her life, Dulcie’s boyfriend is working long hours and seems to be withdrawn and distracted, she hits a significant snag in her thesis, and finds herself on her own as she gets caught up in investigating the murder.   The ghost of Mr. Grey, her beloved deceased cat, returns to offer his wise and comforting, but often veiled and cryptic advice.  Dulcie’s new kitten is trying her best to make her way into Dulcie’s heart, but since she doesn’t “speak” to Dulcie in the same way as Mr. Grey’s ghost, it’s slow going on that front.

Immensely likeable and multi-dimensional characters, exceptional plotting, and a fascinating academic setting make this a highly entertaining and enjoyable read.  The cats are an important part of the book.  Unlike other cat-themed mysteries, they do not help with solving the crime, but rather, are an integral part of the story.  I absolutely loved the ending of this book. 

A real treat for cat lovers and mystery lovers alike!

Clea Simon is the author of the Dulcie Schwartz and Theda Krakow mysteries and the nonfiction The Feline Mystique – On the Mysterious Connection Between Cats and Their Women as well as several other nonfiction books.  For more information about Clea, please visit her website or her blog.

Did you know that many commercial cleaning products can be extremely toxic, and even deadly, to your pets?  Cats are especially susceptible since they groom themselves by licking and as a result ingest anything that comes in contact with their feet or fur.  

Dangers of Chemical-based Household Cleaners

Many household cleaners contain contain hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents and petroleum based chemicals which can release volatile organic compounds  into your indoor air. Some ingredients in household cleaners are known to cause cancer in animals and are suspected human carcinogens. Inappropriate use, storage and disposal of these hazardous household substances may impact your personal health and the health of our environment.  Lysol, Pine-sol and other products containing phenols are deadly to cats as they can cause serious liver damage.  Chlorox bleach, especially when concentrated, can cause chemical burns when it comes in contact with sensitive pet paws.

Non-toxic Cleaning Products

With the wide variety of naturally based and non-toxic cleaners available, there is no need to continue to use unsafe, toxic products.  Brands such as Seventh Generation and Method offer every type of cleaner imaginable and are available in all major grocery stores.  If you have cats, try to steer clear of natural products containing essential oils.  Even though many manufacturers of essential oils claim that they are safe to use around cats, this is not always the case.  Tea tree oil in particular can be deadly to cats. 

Some of the safest and least expensive cleaners are baking soda and white distilled vinegar.  Some suggestions for use are:

Baking Soda:

• Pour a layer in the litterbox before adding fresh litter to quell odors.
• Add 1/2 cup to the laundry to freshen pet bedding.
• Use as an abrasive cleaner for sinks, bowls, and non-porous surfaces.

White Distilled Vinegar:

• Use to disinfect feeding dishes, the litterbox, and non-porous toys.
• Add 1 cup to the wash cycle to freshen and soften pet bedding.
• Apply a diluted solution (one part vinegar and one part water) to help remove the appearance and odor of urine stains from carpets.
• Baking soda and white vinegar combined make a great non-toxic drain cleaner – pour some baking soda down the drain, follow with a cup or so of vinegar.  The mixture will foam, and the foaming action will clear your drain.  Repeat if necessary.  For tough drains, follow with hot water.

If your pet does come into contact with toxic chemicals, contact the Animal Poison Control Center for help.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners and the American Animal Hospital Association released the Feline Life Stage Guidelines, a 12-page document designed to promote important information regarding wellness care for cats.  The guidelines have been developed in response to statistics that show that while cats outnumber dogs as pets, they receive significantly less veterinary care.  Studies have also shown that many cat owners are unaware of their cats’ medical needs, citing an inability to recognize signs of illness or injury. 

The guidelines address wellness exams, recommending annual visits for healthy cats under 7 years of age, and twice yearly visits for cats 7 or older.  They address a lenghty list of items that should be covered in an annual or bi-annual exam, including looking at behavior and environment, medical and surgical history, elimination, nutrition and weight management, dental health, parasite control, diagnostic testing, and vaccinations.

The guidelines also address how to overcome barriers to veterinary visits.  Many pet owners perceive cats as being self-sufficient because they hide any discomfort, pain or illness so well.  There can also be a lot of stress associated with getting kitty to the vet – many pet parents don’t want to be the “bad guy” by putting their cat in a carrier and taking him to the vet’s.  Recommendations include ways to reduce the stress of transport, making cat and cat parent comfortable at the clinic, and keeping the clinic environment as calm and stress free as possible.  (For more on how to tell whether a vet clinic knows how to accommodate cats’ unique needs, read Is Your Vet Cat-Friendly.)

There is only one area where the guidelines fall short, and that’s nutrition.  I would have liked to have seen a firmer stand on what constitutes good nutrition for cats.  With statements such as “both canned and dry foods have been found to support health during all life stages”, “satisfactory diets for cats contain all the required nutrients in proper balance, are palatable and digestible, and are free of spoilage and contaminants. The specific source of nutrients in feline diets is irrelevant when these criteria are satisfied” do not make me feel comfortable that there has been much progress when it comes to educating veterinarians about nutrition.  The guidelines cite evidence-based studies for the effects of feeding canned vs. dry food (including contribution to dental health) and state that based on the available data, specific recommendations in favor of any of these practices cannot be made.  I supsect that most of these studies have been funded by major pet food manufacturers.  Thankfully, many veterinarians are starting to see evidence that their feline patients who are fed grain-free, canned diets or raw diets have fewer degenerative health issues, maintain their weight, have healthier teeth and gums and fewer allergies and intestinal problems, and are recommending these diets to their patients. 

However, aside from the section about nutrition, the Feline Lifestage Guidelines are an important step towards getting cats the care they deserve.  Ultimately, cats and their parents will benefit from these guidelines.

Congratulations, Nancye Davis – you’re the winner of this giveaway!

Look for an e-mail from The Conscious Cat.