If you’re not already one of the hundreds of thousands of fans of James Bowen and his street cat Bob, this is a good time to get to know the amazing duo. Since the publication of A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life was first published in 2012, Bob and James have been capturing hearts around the world. The book became an international bestseller which has been translated into 25 languages, and there are rumors of a movie deal.
Arthritis in cats is a common, but under-recognized condition in senior cats. The signs are often subtle, and can be hard to distinguish – cats can’t complain about their aching joints, so all cat guardians see is a response to pain. Cats with arthritis might avoid the activities they used to enjoy, some may become depressed or change their eating habits, others may simply seem grumpier than usual.
There are multiple modalities to address arthritis pain, ranging from anti-inflammatory medications, acupuncture, and Reiki to supplements.Continue Reading
Stress is the body’s response to a stimulus, such as fear or pain, that interferes with normal physiological equilibrium. It can include physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension. And just like humans, cats experience stress. Experiences such as moving house, abuse, injury or death in the family can all cause stress. However, there can also more subtle stress triggers, such as visitors in the home, other cats, or even something as seemingly simple as installing new carpet.
Unlike humans, cats can’t tell us when they’re stressed, so it’s up to us to recognize the signs. Any noticeable change in behavior can be an indication that something isn’t quite right.Continue Reading
Today is Memorial Day in the United States, a day when we honor the memory of the men and women who have died in military service. It’s also a day to recognize the sacrifices of our military personnel and thank them for their service. And one of those many sacrifices involves leaving beloved pets behind during deployments.
It’s not surprising that many soldiers take care of the stray cats they meet overseas to get a little bit of furry love while they’re away from home. Continue Reading
I doubt that anyone reading this blog needs convincing that cats are family members. In fact, for most of us, it’s hard to understand that not everyone feels the way we do, but the fact of the matter is that cats (and dogs) were once wild animals. In Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs, Science deputy news editor David Grimm explores the changing status of cats and dogs in our society, from their wild origins to their current status of the most loved and valued animals on the planet.
I spend a lot of time looking at cat food labels so I can stay on top of all the latest information on feline nutrition, so it was a refreshing change to spend some time looking at cat food labels purely for fun. Cat Food for Thought: Pet Food Label Art, Wit & Wisdom is a charming little book featuring cat food art from the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.Continue Reading
Bravo is recalling select lots and products of Bravo Pet Food because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.Continue Reading
Taking cats to India….three of them! Everyone thought I must be joking….
I’m Australian fashion designer, Lisa Hall. My label, Madame Hall, creates one-off women’s clothing from my home in the remote town of Bhuj in India. I’m living my dream life….but, it was only possible because I could bring my three Australian cats to India with me.Continue Reading
Millions of Americans have conditions that compromise their immune system, including diabetes, kidney failure, HIV, autoimmune disease, organ transplants, and cancer. While some physicians still advise these patients to get rid of their cats, many studies have shown the value of pet ownership for immunocompromised people on both mental and physical health. By following simple, common sense guidelines, immunocompromised patients can minimize the risk of infection without having to give up their feline family members.
Possible risks
Diseases transmitted from animals to humans are called zoonoses. The most common diseases that may pose a threat to humans are intestinal infections caused by salmonella and Campylobacter or Cryptospiridium bacteria, cat scratch disease, which is caused by the Bartonella bacteria, and toxosplasmosis, which is caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. Two fungal diseases, dermatomycosis (also called ringworm) and sporotrichosis, are also zoonotic and may cause infections of the skin in humans.
Simple precautions minimize risk of infection
The following guidelines will help protect immunocompromised individuals:
Always wash your hands with soap and warm water after handling your cat.
Practice safe food handling for all cat food, including dry and raw food. This means washing off all surfaces and utensils that touched the food, and not preparing any other food on the same surface until it has been thoroughly cleaned. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling cat food. If you feed your cat a raw meat diet, you do not have to discontinue this practice if you are immunocompromised. The majority of recent pet food recalls have been for DRY food contaminated with salmonella.
Litter boxes should be scooped daily. Have someone else perform this task. If that’s not an option, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands with soap and warm water afterwards.
Avoid handling cats who have diarrhea. If you must handle a cat with diarrhea, wear disposable gloves.
Avoid touching stray cats.
Keep your cat’s nails trimmed to avoid getting scratched. Do not declaw your cat: declawing is inhumane, and declawed cats may bite instead of scratching, which increases the risk of infection.
Make sure your cat gets regular veterinary check ups.
Following these precautions, and working in partnership with your veterinarian and your physician, will ensure that you can keep your cat through your illness.
This article was previously published on Answers.com and is republished with permission.
Not too many people know that I like heavy metal music. Actually, I like pretty much every genre of rock, from classic to alternative to yes, heavy metal. But rock music and cats don’t always go together, especially since most cats don’t like loud noises (I make sure I only blast my music at top volume when I’m in my car, away from Allegra and Ruby’s sensitive ears.) I definitely never thought I’d ever see a book that combines two of my loves: cats, and heavy metal music.
