While not technically a cat book, with a cover like this, how could I not review this book! Add to that the fact that Lisa Scottoline is one of my favorite authors, and that I loved the previous two books in this series compiled from her wildly popular columns for the The Philadelphia Inquirer. I previously reviewed Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog- The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman and I also enjoyed My Nest Isn’t Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space.

Best Friends, Occasional Enemies: The Lighter Side of Life as a Mother and Daughter was like visiting with a good friend who shares your views on a lot of things, only she’s much funnier than you are. Whether you’re a mother or a daughter, you’re going to recognize yourself in this book. You’ll find yourself chuckling, nodding in agreement, and laughing out loud at some of Lisa’s and Francesca’s revelations. Continue reading…

Congratulations, Jeanne! You’re the winner of our giveaway of $50 worth of cat food and supplies from Mr. Chewy!

Look for an e-mail from The Conscious Cat.

When Cat Daddy Jackson Galaxy recommended Fizzion Pet Stain and Odor Remover on a recent episode of My Cat From Hell,  I wanted to learn more about it. The friendly folks at Fizzion sent me a bottle so I could try it out.

I’ve used any number of cleaners and odor removers in the past, and there are a couple that I consider my go-to products, so I was curious to see how this one would measure up.

Fizzion is non-toxic and environmentally friendly – definitely a plus as far as I’m concerned. The solution is designed to go to the root of the stain and  odor, and form a shield around the stain while it works on it. Unlike enzymatic cleaners that can require long waiting periods to activate, Fizzion is said to work instantly on contact. Continue reading…

It’s been almost a whole month since I got to write something on here. I guess Mom has been so busy writing her own stuff, she hasn’t made room for me! This doesn’t mean that I haven’t been busy myself. Keeping my sister in line is just about a full time job, and I still have to take care of Mom, too. It’s a wonder I find time to nap and play with all of that going on.

And speaking of playing – something really interesting, and fun, has been happening with that here. A couple of weeks ago, Mom was on the phone with this man she calls the Cat Daddy. She asked him a lot of questions about something called My Cat From Hell.

I know what that is! It’s something that happens on the big screen in our living room. I started watching it with Ruby the other night, but I had to leave the room. It was just too frustrating for me. Some of the cats on that show are so upset with their humans, it got me all upset, too. Of course, Ruby wasn’t bothered by any of it. In fact, she practically stuck her nose into that Cat Daddy man’s face! Continue reading…

Do you exchange Valentine’s gifts with your friends and family? If you do, there’s bound to be a cat lover or two on your list. Even if you just send cards (and who doesn’t love to receive a real card in the mail in this age of e-cards), you’re probably looking for something that expresses your love for cats. Here are some suggestions that will be sure to delight the kitties or the cat lover in your life.

Deborah Julian offers a number of wonderful cat-themed Valentine’s cards (like the one at the top of the post) in her Etsy shop. I also love this refrigerator magnet - wouldn’t it make the purrfect gift for the cat guy in your life? Continue reading…

Going to the vet’s could soon become a little less stressful for cats. The American Association of Feline Practitioners unveiled its “Cat Friendly Practice” initiative last week at the North American Veterinary Conference in Florida.

According to Veterinary Practice News, the initiative provides strategies to help practices become more accommodating to the needs of cats and certifies practices as “Cat Friendly Practices.” The AAFP launched the program in response to declining clinic visits by cat owners and intends to help clinics increase veterinary visits for felines and boost the level of healthcare cats receive.

Studies show the number of feline veterinary visits is declining steadily each year. For example, a recent industry survey revealed that compared with dogs, almost three times as many cats hadn’t received veterinary care in the past year. Continue reading…

We are a sleep deprived society. According to the National Sleep Foundation, we’ve managed to squeeze almost a month of additional work and commuting time into each year. Meanwhile, we’ve sacrificed 2 hours of sleep every night in order to keep up with the increased demands of our fast paced lives. On average, adults are  now sleeping only 7 hours per night as opposed to the 8 hours sleep specialists recommend.

I’m all about learning from our cats, and they are no slouches when it comes to sleeping. The average cat sleeps between 12 and 16 hours a day. And since you don’t see cats stressing out over their to do lists, they must know something we don’t.

While I’m not suggesting that you should strive to sleep 12 to 16 hours a day, I’m betting that many of you don’t even get the recommended 8 hours most nights. Here are some tips that can help you sleep better: Continue reading…

Following up on last week’s top story, Loew’s Hotels suspended trapping feral cats at their Portofino Bay and Royal Pacific Resort properties in Orlando, FL. The story gained momentum beyond the world of cat bloggers when USA Today picked it up Wednesday. On Thursday, Dorian Wagner reported on Catster that Alley Cat Allies, a national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats, has been in contact with Loews and is offering to work with them to find a way for the cats to stay. Loews maintains that the cats have to go because of “guest liability issues,” and has been deleting virtually all comments related to the situation on their Facebook page. For more information and some wonderful photos of the cats in the center of the controversy, please visit Catster.

My favorite story of the week is about Cate Hughes, a 10-year-old girl in Queens, NY, who told friends and family to take any money they might spend on her birthday gifts and instead donate it to her neighbor, Janet Denaro, who rescues cats. Continue reading…

I love bringing you information every day to create a happy life for yourself and your cats. Knowing that cats are living better lives because of something someone may have read here on this site makes me feel good. Allegra and Ruby enjoy entertaining you with their purrsonal columns.

All three of us would love it if you would take a moment to nominate us for the About.com Readers Choice Award for Best Website About Cats.

About.com’s definition for this category is: “The Best Website About Cats will be one which provides information in a professional but friendly manner on all aspects of cats, including, but not limited to cat care, health, behavior, senior cats, special needs cats, and the feline-human bond. Continue reading…

When a video of a cat and crow playing together went viral (shown below), and was seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show, National Geographic, and Animal Planet, to name just a few, some people were initially skeptical and wondered whether this amazing friendship could possibly be anything but the result of creative editing. However, the story is true. For four years, Moses the crow and Cassie the cat met in Ann and Wally Collito’s yard in Massachussetts, delighting viewers around the world with their antics and captivating their hearts.

In Cat and Crow: An Amazing Friendship, Lisa Fleming, a former newspaper columnist and freelance writer with a passion for animals and wildlife, tells the story of how these two natural enemies became best friends.  Continue reading…

The story of Carmina the Cathedral Cat, the resident cat at Washington’s National Cathedral, captured my readers’ hearts when I first wrote about her in November of 2010. I thought her story should be shared with a wider audience, so I pitched it to Cat Fancy magazine a while back. Last week, my editor approved the story for the June issue of the magazine.

I got in touch with the media contact at the Cathedral to get updated information on Carmina. I didn’t expect the following e-mail:

We are saddened to tell you that the Cathedral Choral Society’s beautiful kitty, Carmina Chanté Schumann, was fatally struck by a car on Woodley Road on Tuesday evening, November 1, 2011. Witnesses reported that she was frightened by a dog and ran into the street.

Carmina has entertained everyone in the Cathedral Library since June 2010, when she was adopted from an animal shelter. Continue reading…