Many of us spent the past weekend worrying about friends and family in Florida as Irma unleashed her fury on the state. And most cat lovers also worried about the six-toed cats at Hemingway House on Key West. After officials ordered a full evacuation of the Florida Keys, the general manager of Hemingway House refused to leave. She felt that she had an obligation to see the house its feline residents through the storm. Thankfully, the cats and their human attendance were safe inside 18-inch thick limestone walls of the house. Read the full story in the New York Times.

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About the author

Ingrid King

Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.

Aurora is just a 4-month-old kitten, but she might have saved her human’s life. According to the Friends for Life Facebook page, it was Aurora’s crying and pouncing that pulled Gabrielle from her sleep and made her realize that her apartment was flooding. The water reached thigh height, so Gabrielle grabbed Aurora and ran to a higher floor. There, they were rescued by a boat, and later traveled by bus. Both are now at the George R. Brown Convention Center, which is being used as a shelter. Friends for Life has been working tirelessly to help thousands of animals and people by dispensing desperately needed food and supplies, providing free veterinary care, and finding emergency housing for animals whose humans might otherwise have to abandon their pets in order to find shelter for themselves. For more about their work, and how you can help them, please visit their Facebook page.

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About the author

Ingrid King

Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.

Did you get to see the eclipse on Monday? Did your cats do anything out of the ordinary before, during or after? Allegra and Ruby were a little more agitated than usual, but I think that was mostly due to the fact that for about two hours that afternoon, I was in and out of the house quite a bit to watch from my front yard. I loved seeing the eclipse through my special glasses, but what I found really enchanting was seeing the eclipse shadows under the trees. I thought it was magical.

The Washington Post reported on an adventurous Maine Coon kitten named Tolstoy at the centerline of totality in its liveblog of the eclipse.

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

About the author

Ingrid King

Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.

I love it when shelters get creative to encourage adoptions. The New Albany Floyd County Animal Shelter in Indiana will be hosting a “Total Eclipse of the Cat” event on August 21. Adoption fees for all black cats will be waived that day. Black cats are often overlooked. Visit WLKY Lousiville, KY for more on this story.

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

About the author

Ingrid King

Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.

I know none of really need scientific studies to tell us that cats are the most amazing creatures on the planet, but it’s still nice to see that there are more and more studies confirming just how awesome cats are. A recent article on cbc.ca rounded up a number of studies of how smart they are and how good they are for us. Read more about how awesome cats are on cbc.ca.

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

About the author

Ingrid King

Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.

There’s no question that cats own the internet. But a fascinating new study of DNA of more than 200 ancient cats shows that cats’ quest for world domination began more than 10,000 years ago. The study reveals when and how wild cats made their way from the edges of civilization into our homes and hearts. An international team of researchers found that cats’ dispersal happened in two waves, first from the Fertile Crescent and later from Egypt, and their migration likely included voyages on Viking ships. For more on this study, read the full story in the Washington Post.

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

About the author

Ingrid King

Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.

According to an article in Tuesday’s New York Times, it’s become a tradition at the paper’s foreign bureaus: far-flung foreign correspondents who populate their sometimes isolated outposts with local feline companions. Visit the New York Times for more on these cats and how they help journalists cope with being posted in war torn areas (includes wonderful photos of the cats.)

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

About the author

Ingrid King

Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.

Japanese IT company Ferray introduced an office policy several years ago that allows staffers to bring their cats to work. A total of nine cats eat, sleep and wander around freely in the firm’s small offices. Company chief Hidenobu Fukuda also gives 5,000 yen ($45) a month to any staffer who rescues a cat. Click here to read more about this cat-friendly company.

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

About the author

Ingrid King

Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.

Last week, the New York Times featured an outstanding article exploring the topic of feline hyperthyroidism. 40 years ago, this disease did not exist. Today, it has become an epidemic among domestic cats. Increasingly, scientists think that PBDE’s, a class of flame retardants that is routinely added to household products ranging from furniture to carpets to electronics, may be to blame for this alarming increase in cases. The Mystery of the Wasting House Cats is a must read for all cat parents.

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

About the author

Ingrid King

Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.