Month: January 2012

Natural Remedies for Feline Asthma

tabby cat sneezing

Feline asthma is a respiratory condition that involves inflammation and excess mucous build-up in the airways. Muscles spasms cause constriction of the airway, resulting in respiratory distress. Feline asthma shares some characteristics with asthma in humans, including symptoms.

Signs of feline asthma may be as mild as an occasional soft cough and/or a wheeze. At times it may seem as though your cat is trying unsuccessfully to bring up a hairball. In extreme and chronic cases, one might notice a persistent cough along with labored, open-mouth, harsh breathing. At this point, an asthma ‘attack’ could culminate in a life-threatening crisis.Continue Reading

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Valentine’s gifts for cat lovers

valentines-cat-card

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.

valentines refrigerator cat magnet

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

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Book review: Good Cat! Practical Answers to Behavior Questions by Steve Dale

Good-cat-Steve-Dale

Steve Dale is one of the most dedicated champions of cats, cat health and cat behavior you’ll ever encounter. He is one of the co-founders of the CATalyst Council, a member of the board of directors of the Winn Feline Foundation, the American Humane Association, and the Tree House Humane Society, a cat shelter in Chicago. This pet expert, writer, radio and tv personality and cat lover extraordinaire is passionate about cats’ health and happiness.

In his new e-book Good Cat! Practical Answers to Behavior Questions, Steve answers common and not so common feline behavior questions. Steve is frequently quoted as saying “Cats are the Rodney Dangerfield of pets; they get no respect,” and sadly, this is true. Cats are more often given up to shelters than dogs, are less often adopted, and more are euthanized.

Much of this is due to the misconception that cats can’t be trained, and that they are often misunderstood. In Good Cat!, Steve dispels these mistaken beliefs, and offers answers and solutions.Continue Reading

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Glacier Point Cat Fountain Review in 2023: Features Benefits & More

glacier-point-cat-fountain

Water is critical to keeping your cat healthy. Cats as a species don’t have a high thirst drive, and this can lead to chronic low-level dehydration if a cat is fed mostly dry food, which in turn, can lead to urinary tract and kidney problems.  “Water flowing through the urinary tract system is the most important factor in keeping your cat healthy,” says Dr. Lisa Pierson on her website, catinfo.org. “Cats on canned food have been shown to consume at least double the amount of water (from food and water bowl) when compared to a dry food-fed cat.”

While cats get moisture from a raw or canned diet, they should still have plenty of fresh water available at all times. One way to encourage your cats to drink more water is with a fountain.

I’ve never used a fountain for any of my cats, so I was intrigued when Glacier Point offered to send us one to try out. There are multiple benefits to having a fountain for your cats:Continue Reading

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Sleeping With Cats

cats-sleeping-bed-cute

I couldn’t imagine not sleeping withy my cats. Every cat I’ve ever had has slept on the bed with me. In fact, the few nights one of them didn’t, it was usually because something was wrong.

Feebee used to sleep in the crook of my arm, with his head on my shoulder. When I was still married, he used to sleep in between me and my former husband. In hindsight, perhaps that was not a sleeping arrangment conducive to marital bliss? Well, let’s just say picking the cat over the ex-husband was a good decision on all levels.

Amber slept curled up in my arms most nights. When Buckley joined us, she started out sleeping at the foot of the bed, but inevitably, at some point during the night, she would make her way up to where Amber and I were sleeping and wedge herself in the small space left between the headboard of the bed and the arm that was curled around Amber. This occasionally made for a rather uncomfortable sleeping position for me, but the joy of having the two cats softly snoring next to me was worth the discomfort, and I often waited until my arm fell asleep before I changed position.Continue Reading

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