Month: July 2014

Less is More When it Comes To Handling Cats in the Veterinary Clinic

Feline Health| 13 Comments

cat_with_vet

The findings of a feline health study conducted by Bayer Health Care revealed that 52% of America’s 74 million cats are not receiving regular veterinary care. I would bet that the actual number is probably much higher, since this study only captured data from cat guardians who do seek some veterinary care, not those who never take their cat to the vet. And while some of this may be due to cat guardians not understanding how vitally important regular veterinary care is for your cat’s health, it may also be due to the fact that most cats hate going to the veterinary clinic.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has been educating veterinarians and veterinary staff on how to make practices more cat-friendlyContinue Reading

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Lymphoma in Cats

Feline Health| 409 Comments

lymphoma_in_cats

Lymphoma, also known as lymphosarcoma, is one of the most common cancers in cats. It accounts for 90% of all blood cancers in cats, and for about a third of all tumors overall in cats. Lymphoma affects the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that plays a critical role in the immune system.

Since the lymphatic system transports lymph fluid throughout the cat’s system, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the body’s cells, lymphoma can appear almost anywhere and affect different organs.Continue Reading

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Review: A Tiger’s Tale by Laura Morrigan

Books| 5 Comments

A_Tiger's_Tale

As is often the case for me, the cover of A Tiger’s Tale is what initially drew me to the book. My eye immediately went to the little black kitten on the rock! When I read the synopsis, I was hooked:

When a normally mellow tiger at a rescue facility trees a terrified vet, animal behaviorist Grace Wilde needs to use her psychic ability to get to the root of the problem…

A Tiger’s Tale is the second book in Laura Morrigan’s Call of the Wilde series, featuring veterinarian and animal behaviorist Grace Wilde. Continue Reading

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Five Pillars of a Healthy Feline Environment

Feline Behavior, Feline Health| 6 Comments

cat_on_cat_tree

At their core, cats are still wild animals, and while we’ve invited them into our homes to share our lives, we can’t expect them to completely give up all their instincts. We have to look at our living space from the cat’s point of view and provide an environment that keeps them stimulated. Feline behavior experts agree. Jackson Galaxy introduced the concept of catification on his hit show My Cat From Hell. Catifying your environment means providing a space for your cats where they can exercise their natural instincts in the safety of our homes.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) introduced the five pillars of a healthy feline environmentContinue Reading

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Review: I Could Pee on This and Other Poems by Cats, Plus an Interview with the Author

Books| 4 Comments

I_Could_Pee_on_This

I’ll be honest: I had my reservations about this book. I appreciate a good humor book as much as the next cat lover. But I balked at the title. To me, there’s just nothing funny about a cat peeing on things. I get far too many emails from desperate cat guardians who are dealing with this problem. That’s why I hadn’t even picked up I Could Pee on This when it first became a bestseller.

I do, however, enjoy author Francesco Marciuliano’s internationally syndicated comic strip Sally Forth, so when his publicist asked me whether I’d be interested in interviewing him, I agreed to take a look at the book. And I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised.Continue Reading

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The Optimal Litter Box for Your Cat

Feline Health| 45 Comments

cat_in_litter_box

The average cat uses the litter box three to five times a day. It would make sense that something that is used so frequently on a daily basis requires that we humans put a lot of thought into it. Unfortunately, cat guardians often select a litter box for all the wrong reasons – or at least for the wrong reasons from the cat’s perspective.

I was delighted to see that the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) devoted an entire section of its new Feline House-Soiling Guidelines to designing the optimal litter box. Their recommendations closely mirror what I’ve been telling my readers and clients for many years.Continue Reading

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Review and Giveaway: The Cat Sitter’s Nine Lives by Blaize and John Clement

Books, Giveaways| 137 Comments

The_Cat_Sitter's_Nine_Lives

The Cat Sitter mystery series, featuring Dixie Hemingway, a pet sitter who lives on one of the Florida keys, has been a favorite of mine ever since the first book in the series, Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter, came out seven years ago. The series was originally written by Blaize Clement. Her son, John Clement, continued the series after her death in 2011. Blaize had been collaborating on plots and characters for future novels with John.

In The Cat Sitter’s Nine Lives, Dixie witnesses a head-on collision on the main road that runs through her beach town. After pulling one of the drivers from his car just before it explodes, Dixie heads to the local bookstore, where she meets Cosmo the bookstore catContinue Reading

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The Conscious Cat and Spirit Essences: Proud to be Rescue Cat Sponsors at National Capital Cat Show

Feline Lifestyle| 5 Comments

Spirit_Essences_The_Conscious_Cat

Each year, the National Capital Cat Show invites local shelters, rescue groups, and animal awareness organizations to the show, and each year, these groups find forever homes for a large number of kittens and cats. I’m proud to announce that this year, Spirit Essences is partnering with The Conscious Cat to be the Rescue Cat Sponsor!Continue Reading

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Review: Pet Fusion Elevated Pet Feeder

Products| 6 Comments

elevated_cat_feeder

I love well-designed cat products that are both functional and beautiful, and the Pet Fusion Elevated Pet Feeder meets both of those criteria.

The elevated design makes eating more comfortable and can also help improve digestion. Elevated feeders are also a great choice for senior cats with arthritis. They allow the cat to eat standing up, rather than crouching with already painful joints.Continue Reading

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