Month: March 2015

Zen Cats: Meditations for the Wise Minds of Cat Lovers (2023 Review)

Books| 3 Comments

Zen-cats

Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn’t
anyone who doesn’t appreciate kindness and compassion. – His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Zen Cats: Meditations for the Wise Minds of Cat Lovers opens with the lovely quote above, and it purrfectly sets the tone for this gem of a book. This little volume features gorgeous cat photos alongside excerpts from the Dhammapada, a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form and one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures.Continue Reading

About the author

The Cat Sitter’s Whiskers – Book Review

Books, Giveaways| 96 Comments

The-Cat-Sitters-Whiskers

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 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 Whiskers, Dixie’s heads off early one morning to see her first cat client of the day. Continue Reading

About the author

How to Star in Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin’s New Book

Feline Behavior| 1 Comment

Jackson-Galaxy-Kate-Benjamin-book

If you’ve read Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin’s New York Times Bestseller Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!), you’ve no doubt been inspired to tackle a few catification projects of your own. I came away with quite a few ideas; the first one I implemented was our kitchen catification.

Jackson and Kate are working on their new book, Catisfy to Satisfy, and they want to hear from you! All you have to do is show them pictures of your catified space and tell them a little about yourself and life with your cats. Continue Reading

About the author

How to Keep Your Cat’s Teeth Healthy

Feline Health| 33 Comments

cat-healthy-teeth

Dental disease is the most frequently diagnosed health problem for cats. According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, an astounding 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3.

What is dental disease?

Normal teeth should be white or just a little yellow. Gums should be light pink and smooth (except in breeds with pigmented gums). Oral disease begins with a build up of plaque and tartar in your cat’s mouth. Without proper preventive and therapeutic care, plaque and tartar buildup leads to periodontal disease, which manifests in red and/or swollen and tender gums, bad breath, and bleeding. When the gums are swollen, they can be painful – a good rule of thumb is that if it looks like it might be painful, it probably is. Cats are masters at masking pain – when in doubt, assume that your cat is experiencing at least some discomfort.Continue Reading

About the author

No Better Medicine by Kelly Meister-Yetter (2023 Review)

Books| 5 Comments

no-better-medicine

There’s no secret that cats have healing powers – and so do other animals. It stands to reason that the more animals you’re surrounded with, the stronger this healing power can work, right?

This has certainly been the case for Kelly Meister-Yetter. She spent much of her life in darkness following childhood abuse, and the resulting depression led her to often isolate herself from other humans. Animals turned out to be her salvation: spending time around animals, and helping them, contributed to the healing of old childhood wounds.Continue Reading

About the author

Operation Catnip Trains Veterinarians to Help Community Cats

Feline Lifestyle| 13 Comments

operation-catnip

An innovative Florida program that has been spaying, neutering, and vaccinating community cats since 1998 is about to share its successful model with the nation.

Founded by Dr. Julie Levy, director of the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, the trap-neuter-return (TNR) program known as Operation Catnip has been running free high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinics for community cats in Gainesville for more than 16 years. Since its founding, the organization has cared for more than 45,000 cats. In 2014 alone, they helped 2,693 cats and prevented the births of a projected 6,142 kittens who might have been born to the now-sterilized cats in the first year following surgery.Continue Reading

About the author

How to Speak Cat: 2023 Review & How it Helps Children Understand Cats

Books, Feline Behavior| 4 Comments

Chylothorax in Cats: Causes, Signs, Care & Personal Experience

Feline Health| 132 Comments

Veterinarian examines white cat

Chylothorax is a relatively rare condition in the cat in which lymphatic fluid or chyle accumulates in the pleural cavity between the lungs and the inner lining of the chest wall. The lymphatic system collects waste from the body’s tissues and returns it to the bloodstream. Chyle is the lymph fluid collected from the intestines. Since the intestines absorb fat from the cat’s diet, this fluid has a high fat content and milky appearance. When this fluid leaks into the chest cavity, it can partially collapse the lungs. This will cause breathing difficulties.Continue Reading

About the author

Review: KeeKee’s Big Adventure in Athens, Greece

Books| 2 Comments

KeeKees-Big-Adventure

I don’t often review children’s books, but the KeeKee’s Big Adventures series by Shannon Jones is so adorable, I wanted to share it with you. KeeKee is a calico cat who travels the world in a hot air balloon. Her previous stops included Paris and Rome.Continue Reading

About the author

The Original Cat’s Trapeze: Feline Version of Cirque du Soleil

Products| 5 Comments

cats-trapeze

When I first heard about the Cat’s Trapeze, I had visions of Allegra and Ruby flying through the air in a feline version of Cirque du Soleil – Cirque des Chats anyone?

Okay, no. It’s not that kind of trapeze. The Cat’s Trapeze is a unique product designed to provide active cats with an alternative to climbing the curtains and furniture. The sturdy cotton fabric withstands heavy use and the soft cushions provide a perfect place to nap. You can read our review of the Cat’s Trapeze here.Continue Reading

About the author

The Scoop About Cat Poop: Normal, Issues, Constipation, Diarrhea & More

Feline Health| 162 Comments

White thai moon diamond cat in litter box

Sometimes a headline just writes itself… but seriously, your cat’s feces can tell you a lot about her health. And while it may not be the world’s most pleasant topic to discuss, it is a part of sharing your life with cats. It’s important to know what normal stools look and smell like, and what any deviations from normal might mean.Continue Reading

About the author