conscious living, health and happiness for cats and their humans
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When it comes to nutrition, the same is true for cats as for people: whole, unprocessed or minimally processed food is better. The optimal diet for a cat is a properly balanced raw or gently cooked diet. Even though conventional veterinarians caution against making your own food, with the appropriate recipe and ingredients, homemade food can be a viable option for cat parents who prefer this to a commercial diet.Continue Reading
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Zen and the Art of Caring for Pets is both informative and profoundly moving. Part memoir, part pet care book, the book chronicles Dr. Kelleher’s experiences in veterinary medicine, from working in conventional and critical care practices to starting her own holistic practice.Continue Reading
During a recent bout of deep cleaning I found the two cat care guides pictured above at the bottom of a drawer. Your Kitten’s First Year was published by Purina in 1982. Pat Widmer’s Cat Book has a publication date of 1981. I got both books when I got my first cat Feebee in 1984.Continue Reading
A friend recently gave me two cat care guides from the 1960’s. The Common Sense Book of Kitten and Cat Care is from 1966, Cats is from 1969. Looking through the books was a fascinating exercise in realizing how far we’ve come in understanding cats better over the last 50 years.Continue Reading
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I had a chance to take a look at an advance copy of Jackson Galaxy’s new book, Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life With Your Cat, due out October 31. To say that I’m excited about this book would be an understatement.
With the help of his co-author, Mikel Delgado, who is our resident cat behaviorist here on The Conscious Cat, Jackson offers the most comprehensive guide I’ve ever seen to helping cats and their humans live a truly happy life together. Continue Reading
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I’ve never liked the “for dummies” or “idiot’s guide” series of books, available on just about any topic you can think of, including cats. While they certainly seem to be popular, and while they often provide good information, the self-deprecation implied in the titles just doesn’t resonate with me. Wanting to learn more about something doesn’t make you a dummy. The newer “for the Genius” book series takes a somewhat more positive, tongue-in-cheek spin on this approach, but I’m still not crazy about it.
However, setting aside my admittedly very personal opinion about the book’s title, Ramona Marek’s Cats for the Genius is a fantastic, comprehensive guideContinue Reading
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If you’re reading The Conscious Cat, you probably already have an interest in holistic modalities. I believe in an integrative approach to medicine, both for myself and for cats (and dogs.) The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) at the National Institutes of Health, defines integrative medicine as “combining mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.” In other words, integrative medicine lets you pick the best of both worlds.Continue Reading
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No matter how much any of us think we know about cats, they will always remain just a little mysterious. And while there are explanations based on behavioral science for many of their habits that we may think of as odd, I would be that for every weird feline habit explained, there’s another quirky one that defies logic. In Making’ Biscuits: Weird Cat Habits and the Even Weirder Habits of the Humans Who Love Them, Deborah Barnes explores the lighter side of feline behavior.Continue Reading
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
There are a lot of great cat care books on the market. Some of my favorites approach cat care from a holistic standpoint. Classics like Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM’s Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life, The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care by Celeste Yarnall and Jean Hofve, DVM, and Anitra Frazier’s The Natural Cat: The Comprehensive Guide to Optimum Care are my “go to” books when people ask me for recommendations. But even though these books define for me what a good cat care book should look like, I’m always interested in looking at new additions to this genre, because I believe that cat guardians can never have too much information, provided it comes from a reputable source.Continue Reading
A new book from National Geographic, How to Speak Cat: A Guide to Decoding Cat Language, helps children gain a better understanding of cats by explaining feline body language and behavior. Veterinarian and President and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA Dr. Gary Weitzman serves as the guide throughout the book.Continue Reading