It is the still, small voice that the soul heeds, not the deafening blasts of doom. -  William Dean Howells

“Learn to Be Still” is the fourth track on When Hell Freezes Over, the first album released by the Eagles in 1994 after a fourteen year silence. The album title is a reference to Don Henley’s comment after the 1980 breakup that the band would play together again “when hell freezes over.”

The song became my anthem that year.

1994 was an extremely challenging year for me: within a four-month period, my marriage of thirteen years ended and my mother died. After emerging from the initial shock and grief, I went through a period of re-examining my life and beginning my journey of finding my bliss. Those of you who’ve read me for a while already know that cats have been the catalyst (pun intended) for some very major life changes for me. What you may not know is that music is also very important to me. Continue reading…

Congratulations, Jen! You’re the winner of our Furminator De-Shedding Tool giveaway!

Look for an e-mail from The Conscious Cat.

As far as cat rescues go, Maloos has taken one of the longest journeys to safety of any cat I’ve ever heard of: all the way from Iran to the United States. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Maloos was rescued by Sayeh Animal Guardians in Tehran when he was found covered in wounds and abscesses, with a piece of shrapnel in his face. Veterinary care in Iran is limited, and the people who recovered Maloos wanted to make sure he got the care he needed. He was treated in Iran, then escorted on a plane to San Francisco. Sadly, one of Maloos’ legs needed to be amputated. He is recovering well, and his veterinarians are hopeful that he will be adopted some day. Read the full story on the SF Gate Blog.

Hello Kitty fans, this next story is for you! The Globe and Mail reports that Taiwan’s Eva Air offers up a complete Hello Kitty experience based on the adorable cartoon kitten. Continue reading…

Diamond Pet Food began recalling certain lots of various dog food brands due to possible salmonella contamination in April. The recall has now been expanded to include two products for cats sold at Costco:

• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
• Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)

To determine if their pet food is recalled, consumers should check the production codes on the back of bags Continue reading…

Jackson Galaxy’s long awaited first book, Cat Daddy: What The World’s Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean, is coming out Thursday, May 10. You can still pre-order the book and help homeless cats at the same time: Jackson’s publisher will donate $1 for every pre-order, click here for details on how to make your pre-order count.

If you don’t want to pre-order, you’re going to want to be at the bookstore first thing on Thursday and snatch up your copy of this book. And you’re going to want to set aside a good chunk of time to read it, because once you start, you’re not going to be able to stop.

This book is no ordinary cat memoir, nor is it an ordinary cat advice book. It is an inspirational tour de force that offers an intimate glimpse at Jackson, the man, and Jackson, the Cat Daddy. This is one of the most unconventional memoirs I’ve ever read, but then, I didn’t expect anything less from Jackson. Continue reading…

Last month, I published a post on how to pill a cat, filled with tips and tricks to help even reluctant felines take their medications.

This week, I’m offering a humorous take on the subject. You’ve probably seen it before, but it makes me laugh every time I come across it, so I thought I’d share it with you. There are several versions of this floating around on the internet. This version is generally attributed to Peggy Althoff.

1. Grasp cat firmly in your arms. Cradle its head on your elbow, just as if you were giving baby a bottle. Coo confidently, “Thats a nice kitty.” Drop pill into its mouth.
2. Retrieve cat from top of lamp and pill from under sofa.
3. Follow same procedure as in 1, but hold cat’s front paws down with left hand and back paws down with elbow of right arm. Poke pill into its mouth with right forefinger. Continue reading…

BlogPaws, the first online pet community to establish a conference designed entirely for pet bloggers, recently announced the First Annual BlogPaws “Nose-to-Nose” Social Media Pet Blogging Awards. Nominees will be judged by a panel of professionals on their expertise, creativity, and performance in one or more of 12 different categories.

I enjoy bringing you all the information you need to keep your cats and yourself happy and healthy, and I love the community of cat lovers this blog has created. If you appreciate us as much as we appreciate you, I’d be very grateful it if you would take a moment to submit a nomination for us.

Nominations will be accepted through Sunday, May 6. Continue reading…

Congratulations, Pat (and Coco and Calypso)! You’re the winner of our giveaway of an NVR Miss Litter Box!

Look for an e-mail from The Conscious Cat.

If you read my review of A Street Cat Named Bob: How One Man and His Cat Found Hope on the Streets, you already know how much I loved the book. I couldn’t put it down, but at the same time, I didn’t want it to end! I definitely wanted to know more about James and Bob.

I was delighted to get an opportunity to interview James, and to share more about this amazing story with you.

How has your life changed since the book came out?

It hasn’t changed a huge amount really, I still play music most days with Bob around Covent Garden in London. That said, we do get a lot more attention than we did before.

Has his newfound fame changed Bob? Continue reading…

The SureFlap Microchip Cat Door is a new-to-the U.S. product from the United Kingdom. It uses RFID technology to read a cat’s veterinarian-inserted microchip and determine whether or not to let the cat inside. This prevents strays, and other animals, from entering a home and adds a high-tech level of convenience to the homes of outdoor cat owners.

Last year, SureFlap was kind enough to send me one of their doors for review. Since Allegra and Ruby are indoor kitties, I passed it on to our former feline vet, Fern Crist, DVM, who provided a comprehensive review of how well the SureFlap works for indoor/outdoor cats.

I recently came across a different use for these innovative cat doors. Continue reading…

When a friend loses a cat, my heart aches for my friend. Today, the world lost a very special tortie named Steeler.

I never met Steeler. She belonged to my friend Bernie, but she also “belonged” to a group of friends who met via one of my blog posts about Tortitude: The Unique Personality of Tortoiseshell Cats.  Bernie found the post when she did a  Google search after Steeler first arrived on her door step, because, as she said “I was curious to see what kind of a cat I had taken in. She just looked so exotic to me.”

Bernie found the abandoned tortoiseshell cat crying at her backdoor one night. She had never had a cat before, and knew nothing about cats. The little cat wanted in. Bernie did not want a cat. When it became colder, and no shelter would take her, Bernie decided that any cat that wanted a home that badly could stay. Continue reading…