Month: February 2016

Leap Year Cats & the Gift of Extra Time

Domestic cat lying on owner's lap

Do you have a cat who was either born or adopted on February 29? If so, then technically, you only celebrate his or her birthday or “gotcha day” every four years. And while all cats are special, maybe leap year kitties extra special?

According to astrology, people born on February 29 have unusual talents and personalities.Continue Reading

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Mews and Nips: This Cat Takes Better Selfies Than You

Manny-selfie-cat

It was inevitable: the selfie craze has gone to the cats. And while cat selfies may be nothing new, Manny has takes better selfies than most humans and has become an internet star. According to The Telegraph, Manny’s guardians left him with a Go Pro to see what he might be up to while they were away. Supposedly, he somehow figured out by accident how to push the shutter during filming. Manny has been featured on multiple news outlets and has his own Instagram account with a following of more than 197,000.

If you missed any of the stories featured on the Conscious Cat this week, here’s a recap:Continue Reading

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Review: Alley Cat Rescue’s Guide to Managing Community Cats

Alley-Cat-Rescues-Guide-to-Managing-Community-Cats

There is a lot of misinformation in the media about feral and stray cats, often also called community cats. Feral cats are descendants of a domesticated cat that have returned to the wild. Feral cats are born in the wild, as opposed to stray cats, who are usually cats who have been lost or abandoned.

Community cats have gotten a bad rep via misguided and uninformed campaigns by wildlife and environmental organizations claiming that these cats are a threat to wildlife. In Alley Cat Rescue’s Guide to Managing Community Cats, Louise Holton debunks myths and misinformation about community cats,Continue Reading

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Review: Abby Pet Hut by Urban Paw Plus Special Discount

Abby-Pet-Hut

Ruby was super excited when I told her that the folks at Urban Paw were sending us another pet bed for review. Unlike Allegra, Ruby likes sleeping in the various pet beds we have around the house, and she’s always up for testing new ones. We previously reviewed The Luna Orthocomfort Cuddler and Milo 2-in-1 Pet House, both of which Ruby loved.Continue Reading

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Coping With the Pain of Losing a Cat: A Round Up of Resources That Can Provide Comfort

happy cat with closed eyes hug owner

Even if our cats live into their late teens and sometimes early twenties, it’s just not long enough. The price we pay for sharing our lives with these wonderful companions is that sooner or later, we will experience the pain of loss, and it can be as devastating. Joelle Nielsen, a veterinary social worker at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, says she often compares the loss of a pet to the loss of a child or a close family member. Nielsen says the big difference between losing a pet, compared to losing a human, is that “much of society is not aware of the strength of the human-animal bond, so pet loss is often seen as ‘disenfranchised loss,’ meaning it is not socially recognized.”Continue Reading

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Risks of Secondhand Smoke for Cats in the #CATmageddon Commercial

Cat on examination table of veterinarian clinic

The health risks of secondhand smoke for humans are well known, but have you ever thought about how it can also affect your cats? Cats’ lungs are much smaller and have less reserve than human lungs. Additionally, cats will also be affected by the residue of cigarette smoke that ends up on their fur and skin and on furniture and carpets even after the air has cleared. This is known as thirdhand smoke, and it causes its own set of dangerous problems.Continue Reading

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The Pet Parent’s A-Z Home Care Encyclopedia (2023 Book Review)

Cat-Facts

Cat Facts: The Pet Parent’s A-Z Home Care Encyclopedia is the result of 25+ years of researching, loving, and writing about cats. Amy Shojai, the bestselling author of more than 30 pet books, offers a comprehensive reference guide for adopting, keeping, and maintaining a happy, healthy cat.

From answering questions about preventive and holistic care to fascinating facts about cats to details about specific conditions, Cat Facts has it all. Continue Reading

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Are Millenials Changing Our Relationship With Cats? Studies Explained

Owner hugging her cat

According to data released by research firm GfK during Global Pet Expo 2015, millennials have supplanted baby boomers as the largest US pet-owning population. That means 35.2% of the US’ 75 million Millennials, defined by GfK as people age 18 to 34, own a pet, compared to 32.8% of Boomers. According to a study conducted by Purina, nearly half of  pet owning millenials share their lives with cats.Continue Reading

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Kidney Disease Diet for Cats: The Right Things to Look For

Veterinarian giving advice on pet food to cat owner

Written by Dr. Elizabeth Colleran

Frequently, the first advice guardians of a cat who was just diagnosed with kidney disease hear from the veterinarian is that the cat should eat a renal “prescription diet”. That’s because there are research trials that have shown that restricted protein diets can prolong renal function. However, there is more to feeding a cat with compromised kidney function than simply restricting protein. The consequences of making poor dietary choices in these cats can be dire.Continue Reading

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How to Tell Your Cat I Love You

tell-your-cat-i-love-you

I bet we all tell our cats we love them a thousand times a day. We tell them with words, we tell them with touch, and we tell them by taking care of them and keeping them happy and safe.

Allegra doesn’t like to be picked up, so I tell her I love her by kissing her nose (she kisses back!) and by gently petting her for short periods of time. Ruby, on the other hand, loves to be held, so I can snuggle her to my heart’s content, and she reciprocates by rubbing her face against mine.Continue Reading

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Keeping Track of Your Cat: GPS vs. Microchip Technology

cat microchip getting scanned at vet

Written by Loren Brutsch

One in three pets go missing in their lifetime. Over 10 million pets go missing every year. Sadly, many are not reunited with their guardians. In addition to the heartache caused by a lost pet, it can cost hundreds of dollars even when a pet is found. This is why an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.Continue Reading

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