Purrfect Pets

“Do you want a silver bullet for your cats?” That’s what my allergist asked me a year ago as I was walking out of his office. He was joking, of course, but he wasn’t terribly happy with me keeping my beloved cats even though I have cat allergies. The fact is, though, my cats are my babies - I will never give them away due to my allergies. I’ve learned to deal with my allergies with medication and household practices.

Are you like me? Do you have pet allergies, but refuse to give up your beloved pets?

Unfortunately, Benadryl, Allegra, Allavert, Zyrtec, and other allergy medications can make you dizzy, droswy, and/or unable to function. The United States Food and Drug Administration has recently approved a non-drug over-the-counter gel for allergies, which may help you combat pet allergy symptoms, such as runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing.

You simply apply the gel, called Allergen Blocker, below and around your nostrils and above your upper lip every four to six hours in order to prevent allergy symptoms. The product’s website also recommends applying Allergen Blocker to your face again if your face gets wet.

Allergen Blocker is approved for preventing allergy symptoms from pet dander, house dust, dust mites, pollen, and ragweed. While the product is specifically for preventing allergies, if you already suffer from allergies like I do, the Allergen Blocker website says it is okay to use the product anyway. Allergen Blocker claims to prevent airborn allergens from entering your nasal passage, which may prevent further suffering from allergy symptoms.

Allergen Blocker was developed by Ashok Wahi, an engineer who wanted to help his daughter, who suffers from cat allergies.

You can find Allergen Blocker in the pharmacy section of department and drug stores as an over-the-counter gel. I have not tried this product, so if you decide to try it, please let me know if it is effective!

Sources:

Cat Channel: News: Cat Allergies Are Nothing to Sneeze At

Chloraseptic Allergen Blocker: Frequently Asked Questions

Not only is it improtant to regularly scoop your kitty’s waste from the litterbox, it is also important to clean the entire litterbox whenever you change all of your cat’s litter.

In order to clean out the entire litterbox, first empty all of the dirty litter into a large garbage bag. If any litter remains on the sides or bottom of the box, take the edge of your kitty litter scoop and pry it free. Once you have all of the dirty cat litter in the trash bag, close the trash bag, and put it outside where you keep your other trash or throw it in the dumpster.

Next, take the empty litterbox and it’s lid (if it has one) to a sink (preferrably a laundry sink) or outside. If you wash the litterbox in a sink, use warm water and dish soap to scrub away any dirt or waste that remains on the litter tray or lid. Even if you do not see any dirt on the lid, it is a good idea to wash it anyway.

If you take the litterbox outside to wash it, fill a bucket with warm soapy water, again using dish soap to make the suds. Get an old rag and use the warm dish soap water to wash out the litter tray/s and lid.

After you have finished washing the litterbox, be sure to rinse it thoroughly and dry it completely with an old rag or towel. When the box and lid are completely dry, fill it with fresh cat litter.

Please note it is not advisable to use anything stronger than dish soap to clean your cat’s litterbox as stronger chemicals may either poison your cat or may cause a bad smell, which may lead to your kitty not using the box at all.

Washing your cat’s litterbox whenever you dump all of the dirty litter out of it will benefit your cat’s health and will help ensure your kitty continues to use the box.

Please tell me what you think in the comments section below!

Cats are clean animals. You might even say they are obsessed with being clean with as many times a day as they bathe themselves. Cats also like their litterboxes to be clean. In fact, the root of many litterbox problems stems from a dirty litterbox.

Your cat would really like you to follow him or her around and clean the waste of of his or her litterbox every time he or she uses it. However, most of us don’t have time to do that amidst our work, household chores, and spending time with our family, friends, and our pets. You should clean your litter box daily or even twice a day if you can.

If you have a litter box with a slotted tray, your job may be a little easier than if you don’t have a slotted tray. If you have a slotted litter tray, gently pick the tray up out of the litter pan, shaking it gently to allow the loose litter to fall into the litterbox. The tray should catch all of your kitty’s waste, but you may want to shake the litterbox gently in order to see if any waste wasn’t caught in the tray. If you find any waste in the litterbox, scoop it out into a trash bag.

If you don’t have a slotted tray, you will need to use a slotted litter scoop to scoop out your kitty’s waste. First, scoop out all the waste you can see on the surface of the litter. Then, gently shake the litter from one side to the other to find hidden waste burried in the litterbox. Scoop all the waste you find into a trash bag. Top off the litter with some new litter when you are done scooping out the waste. Tie the trash bag up and put it outside or inside a trash recepticle.

While I understand cleaning out your kitty’s waste isn’t the most exciting job in the world, it is necessary for your cat’s health. A clean litterbox also cuts down on litterbox problems.

Please tell me what you think in the comments section below!

Most people think cats and dogs don’t like each other, and this is certainly the case at times, but it isn’t always the case. Recently, a dog named Angel was abandoned by her owners when they moved and chose not to take her with them. She was taken to the Nevada Humane Society, where Frank Gomez and Joel, his 9-year-old stepson have been working as volunteers over the summer.

As they were taking Angel on a walk, the dog became very interested in a bush, but Gomez didn’t take Angel seriously at first because he just though Angel was being her typical curious self.

However, Gomez finally inspected the area and discovered a box with six orange tabby kittens in it, who had apparently been abandoned.

Gomez went back to the shelter to get help to rescue the kittens. However, when he returned with help, they noticed a kitten had escaped from the box. Angel was instrumental in finding the lost kitten, resucing him again.

Thanks to Angel’s great senses and curiosity, the kittens are now safe and sound at the Nevada Humane Society. The kittens will need to be in foster homes before the animal shelter can put them up for adoption.

If you are interested in adopting Angel or fostering any of the rescued kittens, you can contact the Nevada Humane Society. They also have several other wonderful dogs and cats who also need good homes.

You can reach the Nevada Humane Society by calling: 856-2000 or e-mail: info@nevadahumanesociety.com. The animal shelter is located at: 2825 Longley Lane, and they are open from 11am-6:30pm Sunday through Friday and 10am-6:30pm on Saturday.

Source:

RGJ: Dog Finds Kittens Near Humane Society Facility

Jesse Benson was driving from Montana to California with a new black kitten in the car beside him. Benson was bringing the little kitten to his girlfirned, Tiphany Fiallo. Unfortunatly, Benson’s car rolled three times, killing him, but amazingly the tiny kitten, Bozeman survived the horrible crash.

It took several animal lovers to get the kitten to Tiphany Fiallo and Jesse’s mom, Joy Benson.

At the site of the crash, a Utah state trooper realized Bozeman was limping, and he decided to take him to a clinic in Utah for treatment. Next, an animal control officer, Kelly Webb tracked Bozeman down at the clinic, after she heard from Joy Benson, who inquired about the kitten. Finally, Jennifer Krause, an employee at the Best Friends Animal Society was kind enough to drive Bozeman home to Benson’s girlfriend and mom.

Tiphany Fiallo and Joy Benson are still grieving the loss of Jesse, but they take some comfort in having Bozeman home safe and sound. Joy Benson said, “When I touch the kitty, I imagine Jesse petting him in the car on the ride home. It’s comforting. Having the cat is like having a living part of Jesse with us.”

Bozeman is a true survivor.

Source:

Cat Channel: Kitten Survives Car Crash

Have you ever heard having a cat or a dog improves your health? It’s true. An article in Cat Fancy reviews more scientific evidence cats help improve their owners’ health.

Cats: Good for Your Heart
First, cats help improve heart health. According to the article in Cat Fancy, one study found people who have had or currently had cats as companions suffered from heart disease and heart attacks less often than people who never owned a cat. More specifically, those who never owned cats were 40% more likely to die from a heart attack than those who had or have had cats as pets. Additionally, those who never had cats as companions were 30% more likely to die from stroke or chronic heart disease than those who had owned cats.

Continue Reading »

Newspapers and news stations everywhere are buzzing about Yoda, the four eared cat. That’s right, a cat with four ears! Apparently, a genetic abnormality led to Yoda developing four ears instead of two. While the condition can also cause hearing impairment, Yoda is fortunate enough to hear just fine, which has been verified by several veterinarians, according to Fox News.

According to Fox News, Ted and Valarie Rock initially saw Yoda at a bar, where he was the last of a litter of kittens who was put up for adoption. Unfortunately, the couple had lost their 20-year-old cat just six months prior to meeting Yoda. The couple fell in love with the adorable kitten and took him home with them. Their son, who is into “Star Wars” decided to name the cat Yoda.

The Rocks told Fox News:

“He’s a perfectly normal cat, hears well, energetic, cute little cat. Very friendly, very social.”

They do worry about catnapping, though because Yoda is so unique. They do not allow him to go outside as they have with other cats, but they report Yoda has a blast playing with the grandkids.

Yoda seems like a truly unique cat, who is loved very much by his family. If you would like to see a picture of Yoda, you may do so by going to Fox News’ article about him: Yoda the Cat Astounds With Four Ears.

Please tell me what you think in the comments section below!

Source:

Fox News: Yoda the Cat Astounds With Four Ears

Sometimes cats do the funniest things! Oftentimes, my cats will run down the hall as if they were chasing something, but upon investigation, I find nothing is there for my cats to be chasing! It’s like they just feel like going crazy and doing something wacky just because. My cats never cease to fail in making me laugh!

I just added some great blogs to my blogroll, on the right hand side of my blog, which contain some amusing, funny cat photos.

Lolcats i s notorious for making people laugh. Cats here are caught doing the wildest and craziest things. Lolcats even have cute, funny captions to go along with their pictures.

Another blog, Funny Cat Pictures, has some fantastic pictures of cats doing silly things.

Carmine, my orange cat, absolutely LOVES to sit on anything and everything he can find. He’ll sit on stacks of papers, boxes, book shelves, chairs, scratching posts, the DVD player……he’ll sit on just about anything! However, apparently other cats like to lay UNDER things. Check out Stuff on My Cat to see amusing photos of cats who lay under various things.

One of my favorite photos from this site is: Pick A Card, Any Card.

What’s your favorite humorous cat photo site?

Please tell me what you think in the comments section below!

I’ve always known cats are amazing creatures. They know things. They know when their human companions don’t feel well or are in danger. They know when their human companions are coming home and greet us at the door to tell us about their day.

Yet this story completely blew me away!

Last week in Berlin, Germany, a woman had left a candle burning before she and her son fell asleep that night. Apparently the candle fell over, and the woman’s Siamese cat took it upon herself to wake her companion. The Siamese cat, Sina, ran over her owner’s face and proceeded to knock over a lamp. Sina’s actions woke the woman, who said her bedroom was already filling with smoke and she could see flames from the living room where the candle had been burning.

Due to Sina’s actions, the woman was able to get herself, her son, and Sina out of the house and call the fire brigade. All three occupants of the house were treated for smoke inhalation, but are doing fine now.

The woman attributes Sina to saving her life as well as that of her son:

“I am only alive because of my cat. I am so grateful to her.”

What an amazing story!

Source:

Cat Channel: Siamese Cat Saves Owner From Fire

So far, I have been extremely lucky and I have not had to face the challenge of natural or man-made disasters with my cats. However, in the case of emergencies, it is important for all pet owners to be prepared to not only protect themselves, but their furry friends as well.

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters has created a guide for preparing yourself and your pets for natural or man-made disasters. Best of all, this guide is free for you to download!

The disaster preparedness guide was created by the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ Disaster Prepareeness Committee. Not only does the guide include instructions on how to prepare your pets for tonadoes, thunderstorms, winter storms, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, extreme heat, wildfires, earthquakes, and volcanoes, but it also provides instructions on creating a disaster supply kit and a form for pet identification.

This guide is not only for dog and cat owners, the guide will also help bird, reptile, and other small animal owners.

A few suggestions the guide offers include:

-Keeping your pet’s vaccinations up-to-date
-Creating a disaster preparedness kit including your pet’s pet identification forms, three week supply of food, familiar toys and blankets, and vaccination records
-Reviewing your disaster plan with your family, friends, neighbors, and pet sitter

Much more information can be found in the disaster preparedness guide! Please download your free copy by visiting the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. You will find the link to download the free guide under the heading, “NAPPS Disaster Preparedness Guide for Pet Owners.”

Please let me know what you think in the comments section below!