Purrfect Pets

A while ago, I talked about how cats use their tails to tell other cats as well as humans how they feel. Cats also use their ears to indicate how they feel.

Eats straight up and forward: When you cat’s ear are straight up and forward, he or she is listening to something that is interesting or intriguing.

Ears are flat against the head: When a cat’s ears are flat against his or her head, he or she is very scared and may attack. Cat’s instinctually put their ears flat against their heads when they attack in order to protect them during fight.

Ears pointed forward and slighty outward: When a cat does this, he or she is happy and relaxed.

Ears twitching nervously: When your cat’s ears are twitching in a nervous manner, your cat is nervous and agitated.

Ears are pointing back or are inbetween defensive and alert positions: Your cat is feeling aggressive and may attack.

Learning to read your cat’s body language, include what their ears are telling you in different positions is important to effective communication between you and your cat.

Source:

Cat Communication

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) just announced the winners of their annual Humane Awards last week.

Each year the ASPCA asks the public to submit their opinions on what animals and humans should be honored with an award for helping their companions or other animals. The ASPCA chooses one winner for each of eight categories.

ASPCA “Tommy Monahan” Kid of the Year: This award is given out to a child who does something extraordinary for animals.

This year’s winner is Mimi Ausland, a 12-year-old girl who resides in Bend, Oregon. Mimi decided she wanted to do more for animals than just volunteering in her local animal shelter, so she worked hard and did some careful planning, and after four months with support from her parents, she launched a website called Freekibble.com in April, 2008. Mimi’s main goal is to give food to the animals who reside at the Humane Society in Central Oregon, but she eventually wants to give food to animals shelters throughout the entire nation!

She has even made the cause appealing for people to contribute to; they can play a video game on her website when they donate money to buy food for the animals in the Oregon shelter. So far, Mimi has been able to donate over 29 million kibbles of food to the Humane Society in Central Oregon, which has helped feed 601 cats and 240 dogs since April 1, 2008.

This award is given out in remembrance of Tommy Monahan, a 9-year-old boy who passed away as he tried to rescue his beloved dog from a house fire.

Cat of the Year: This year’s winner is a cat named Libby. Libby served as a seeing-eye cat, but not for a human. No, Libby served as a seeing-eye cat for her companion and best friend Cashew, an elderly Shar Pei/Lab mix! Cashew was both blind and deaf, and Libby, who is 10-years-old, helped Cashew get around the house, avoid obstacles, find his food and water bowls, and provided him with companionship.

Libby even slept with Cashew at night. Libby’s human companions report Cashew and Libby were inseperable. Unfortunately, Cashew passed away several years ago, and Libby still misses her good friend.

ASPCA Presidential Service Award: Stache, a black lab is this year’s recipient. Stache helps in search and rescue missions. This past year he and his human companion were asked to aid in a search and rescue in Iraq for several American men and women who went missing. Stache successfully found nine separate service men and women, but he and his handler, Jim, had a close encounter with death on their mission.

An IED (Iprovised Explossive Devise) went off in their path. Stache suffered temporary hearing loss, but he has since recovered and is back to searching and rescuing now. Stache recently visited two soldiers who befriended him while he was in Iraq. The two soldiers also suffered serious injuries from the same explossion.

The animals and people who are awarded with ASPCA Humane Awards do extraordinary things each year to help their companions or other animals in need.

To see all of this year’s winners, please visit the ASPCA’s Press release.

Source:

ASPCA: ASPCA Announces Winnders of the 2008 Humane Awards

In my last post, I talked about how there are dangers in our own homes for our feline friends. One of these dangers are some types of human food. Specific human foods are actually toxic to cats, and cats should never be allowed to ingest them.

Root Vegetables: Root vegetables include: onions and garlic. According to About Cats, onions contain a substance known as N-propyl disulphide, which destroys red blood cells in cats, which leads to a form of anemia. Garlic contains a lesser amount of a similar substance, and, therefore, cats should never be given anything with garlic in it.

Milk: A lot of cats love milk, but it is not very good for their digestive systems. However milk is not toxic to cats. Milk tends to upset cats’ stomaches and often leads to diarrhea or vomiting.

If your cat insists on having milk, give him or her a drop or two to lick off of your finger. I do this with my cats so they can get a taste of the milk without it upsetting their stomaches.

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As cat owners, we do our best to protect our beloved companions, but not all dangers that face cats are outside. Some of the most dangerous hazards to cats’ health are within our own homes.

Cleaning products: One of the most obvious dangers to a cat’s health are chemical cleaners we use to clean, such as Pledge, Windex, Mr. Clean, bleach, Scrubbing Bubbles, Tilex, Lysol, and more. If you utilize these products to clean in your home, ensure the surfaces you cleaned with the products are rinsed thoroughly before allowing your kitty to come near the surface.

It’s best not to use these chemical cleaners if you can help it. Instead, use cleaning products that are not poisonous to your cat.

Wire: Electrical cords are very dangerous for curious cats! It is not uncommon for kittens to try to chomp on cords, but if your kitten or cat bites through a cord, he or she can suffer severe electrical burns and/or electicution!

To prevent your cat from chewing on electrical cords, spray them with Bitter Apple or buy plastic cord covers. You can purchase Bitter Apple in pet stores and you can purchase plastic cord covers in department and home supply stores.

Rolling office chairs: Office chairs that roll on wheels also pose a danger to cats. Owners can easily run over a cat’s paw, leg, or tail if he or she rolls backward in the chair without looking behind him or herself first.

ALWAYS look around you to ensure your cat is not in your path before you roll around in your office chair.

Dryer sheets: Dryer sheets are also dangerous to cats. Cats may like playing with these, but dryer sheets contain a poisonous chemical for cats, so cats should not be allowed to play with them. Make sure you throw away your used dryer sheets immediately after you take your clothes out of the dryer and put unused dryer sheets in a place your cat is unable to access.

Plants: There are many common household plants that are also poisonous to cats. You should not have these types of plants in your house at all because cats tend to like to eat plants! I will provide a list of poisonous plants for cats in another post in the near future.

Human food: There are some specific types of human food cats should not ingest, as it is poisonous to them. Please check back in the near future, as I will provide a list of foods that are poisonous to cats.

These are only some of the household dangers for our feline friends. In order to protect your cat from these common household dangers, please do your best to avoid using or having these things in your home. Your cat will thank you for it!

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

Introducing one cat to another can be challenging, but when it is done correctly, the two cats can form a friendly bond that lasts for years. These are the steps generally recommended to help your cats get acquainted with one another.

First, have a friend or neighbor bring your new kitty into the home (if you can) in a carrier. Have him or her set the carrier down with the kitten or cat still inside and allow your old and new cat to smell one another. If the cats are curious, this generally means they will probably get along, but if they try to attack each other, it probably means their relationship will not be a good one.

Take the new cat in his or her carrier to a separate room where you will keep the new cat for a few days. The purpose of keeping the new cat in a secluded room for a few days is to allow the cat to adjust to your home and to begin learning the rules.

Make sure to spend time with your new kitty in the secluded room during the first few days so that he or she can start developing a bond with you. Do not allow your other kitty to enter the room yet.

Next, after a few days have passed, swap the cats’ beds or place a towel down in each of their favorite spots to nap and swap the towels. This allows each kitty to get used to each other’s scent. Keep switching the towels or beds for another few days to allow the cats to get used to the idea of one another.

Next, allow your cats to sniff at one another through the door of the secluded room. You might even want to feed your cats on either side of the door. If they seem okay with one another on either side of the door, open the door and allow the new kitty to venture out of the room whenever he or she feels safe to do so.

Do not make your cats meet one another. They will seek each other out when they are ready to meet. When your cats first come face to face they might hiss, spit, and growl at one another. This is normal behavior for cats, so don’t be too alarmed. Do not interfere unless the cats are actually hurting each other. If they are just hissing or growling at one another, let them be.

Eventually, the cats will learn to accept one another, and may even learn to like or love one another.

Following these steps will help you introduce your cats to one another in a way that’s best (and least stressful) for each cat.

Do you have any good or bad experiences in trying to introduce a new cat to your home? Please share your experiences in the comments section below!

Source:

Perfect Paws: Introducing Your Cat to Another Pet

The Automobile Association of America (AAA) is currently holding a cat photo contest for their 11th edition of Traveling With Your Pet, a book that tells pet owners how to safely travel with their pets.

The AAA would like to see photos of pets that are not posed of pets who are having fun on the road.

The AAA will feature two winners on the cover and spine of their new book. The first place winner will receive a $350 Visa gift card, and the second place winner will receive a $200 Visa gift card. Additionally, the first place winner will receive five complementary copies of the 11th edition of the book Traveling With Your Pet, while the second place winner will receive two complementary copies of the book.

Rules:

Photos cannot shots taken professionally in a studio.

Photos should have a travel theme and must include at least one pet.

The entrant must have all rights to the photo being submitted to the contest.

The entrant must be at least 18 years of age or older and a U.S. or Canadian resident.

Only one photo per household may be submitted to the contest.

For more information regarding the AAA’s contest including how to submit your photo into the contest, please visit the AAA’s website.

All entries must be received by November 30, 2008, and winners will be notified by mail in early January, 2009.

Good luck to anyone who decides to enter!!

Sources:

Cat Channel: AAA Anounces Pet Photo Contest
AAA: The AAA PetBook Photo Contest Official Rules

Cats love milk. But it really isn’t good for most cats. Milk often makes cats’ stomachs upset and may cause vomiting or diarrhea.

Carmine, for instance loves milk, but if he drinks very much of it at all, he gets an upset stomach and vomits a short while later. As much as he loves cow’s milk, I cannot let him have more than a couple of drops. I know he really wants a bowl of milk, but I cannot allow him to have it, as it does not settle well with him.

Milita on the other hand loves milk and *can* tolerate it. I could allow her to have a dish of milk occasionally, but I usually do not give either cat any milk because Carmine can’t have it, and I don’t feel it is fair for Carmine to have to watch Milita drink milk while he cannot have it.

In general, I recommend not giving your cat milk due to their inability to digest it well. However, if you really want to give your cat milk, either allow your cat to lick a drop or two of milk off of your finger or buy some CatSip, a special kind of milk designed for cats’ digestion.

I’m not sure where you can find CatSip, unfortunately. I haven’t been able to find any in my area yet. If you happen to know where to find CatSip, please leave a comment below!

Do you ever allow your cat or cats drink milk? If so, how does he or she react to it?

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

I received this cat video in an e-mail today, and I just had to share it! It’s so cute and humerous.

Watch the video at:
http://www.petplace.com/cat-videos.aspx?p=17&utm_source=catcrazynews001et&utm_medium=email&utm_content=petplace_article&utm_campaign=dailynewsletter

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and Do Something.org have teamed up to give 10 teens or young adults a $500 grant to do a community service project on animal welfare.

Teens and young adults who want to apply for one of these animal welfare grants to make a difference for animals in their communities must apply by September 30. All applicatns must be under the age of 25 and be a legal resident of the United States or Canada; winners will be required to prove their age and citizenship upon winning a grant.

Winners will be announced on October 14, 2008.

The ASPCA and Do Something.org want to award grant money to projects that will benefit a significant number of pets, that have potential sustainability, and that have the teen or young adult at the center of the project’s implementation.

If you are a teen or young adult interested in applying for one of these grants, please visit the ASPCA or
DoSomething.org f or more information.

The ASPCA and Do Something.org hopes to make these grants an annual event.

Nancy Lublin, CEO of Do Something.org said, “Together, I know we can turn teen passion for animal welfare into action for animal welfare.”

Sources:

Do Something.org: Grant Eligibility Guidelines

ASPCA: Pressroom: ASPCA & DoSomething.org Inspire America’s Youth to “Do Something” for Animals

Ever wonder what your cat is saying? You can learn - sure, it’d be easier if cats spoke the same language we do, but this is more fun

Cats communicate with their tails, ears, and meows. Here’s what your cat is trying to tell you with his/her tail:

Tail arched and puffed out: Your kitty is scared and getting ready to defend itself or attack something. Your cat’s puffing up its tail is an instinctual thing he/she does in order to make him/herself appear bigger.

Tail is low and tucked behind its hind legs: Your cat is showing defeat or submission

Tail is quivering a bit while straight up in the air: Cats do this when they are going to spray and mark their territory. When a cat has been spayed or neutered, he or she will still move his/her tail this way to say, “hi” to you.

Tail held to one side: Generally only female cats in heat do this, as this is a sexual invitation.

Tail straight up or slighty curved in a question mark: Cats do this when they are very interested or excited.

Tail is puffed out and held low: Your kitty is very afraid.

Tail is straight up, and the tip is tilted to one side: Your cat is friendly and happy or intrigued and interested by something.

Tail is straight up and puffed out: Cats do this when they are angry, aggressive, and ready to attack!

Tail is curved downward and then back up again at the tip: Kitty is content and very relaxed.

Tail is still, but the tip is quivering: Kitty is sort of irritated, and if the twitching becomes violent, your cat may attack.

Tail is wagging violently or quickly: This behavior can be seen during playtime or fights; your cat is about to attack something. Tail wagging in cats is not the same as it is in dogs.

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

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