National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Linda

This week is National Animal Shelter Appreciation week. It was launched in 1996 to promote the valuable role the shelters play in our community. Shelters have changed so much over the years from a place to just drop off unwanted animals. A lot of shelters also provided spay and neutering for a reduced rate as well as other veterinary care. Shelters take the cats and dogs to art shows, craft fairs and to the mall to try and find homes for them. Some are paid workers and some are volunteers but, they all have the same goal to find homes for all the animals. The SPCA in our area has very few cages to house the cats. They are in large rooms with furniture, play areas and windows for the cats to enjoy the view.

Because of irresponsible pet owners, there are way to many cats and dogs with no home. Shelter staff have their hands full everyday. More animals come in then go out.

So, if you can go by your local shelter and take home a pet. You won’t be sorry, a cat or even a dog will give you unconditional love and will always be glad to see you. If you can’t do that, stop drop off some supplies and tell them thanks.

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Feral Cats

Posted on October 2, 2011 by Linda

On my way to run errands I noticed a yellow tabby dead along side of the road. No one to claim it, I felt sad for it. I have two grey tabbies and there is no way I would let them roam but, feral cats are unwanted. They are the result of domesticated cats that were owned by someone being abandoned. Left on their own to fend for themselves. They haven’t been spay or neutered. They come in heat and produce feral litters. These kittens are afraid of humans and learn to eat where they can. You will see them around restaurants, stores and anywhere food is discarded. They often get a bad rap because, they kill birds to survive. What are these cats and kittens suppose to do? Their lives are short, they face starvation, diseases, harsh weather, cruelty and loss of life to predators. It is estimated that there are about sixty million feral cats in the US. People need to be more responsible for their pets. If you take a pet it is yours for life. If that can’t happen don’t just turn them out, they have depended on you to take care of them. Find a home for them or turn them over to the SPCA. If you are afraid that they won’t find a home and will be euthanized if they are taken there. Imagine the suffering they are going to endure being turned out on their own after being cared for.
Most importantly have your cat spayed or neutered by the age of six months. A female cat will usually come in heat at around six months old. After she has kittens she can come in heat before she completely weans the ones she just had and if all the females she has comes in heat at six months old, the number of offspring can be phenomenal in just a short period of time.
I love cats and if you love yours have them spay or neutered, keep them in your house and only let them out with you. My cats are proof if you do these things they will have long healthy lives.

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Saving Libby

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Linda

This video showed up on my Facebook today and I just want to keep sharing it. Only healthy cats and kittens make it in the humane society. There are so many cats coming in that most of the time a cat in Libby’s condition would have been put down. But, Libby had at least two lives left and they saved her. Please watch this, it is amazing. It might bring a tear to your eye, it certainly did that to me.

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500 Cats – A Nice Cat Book

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Linda

I have a friend that knows how much I love cats so, she always buys me books on them. She recently gave me the book 500 CatsChildren’s Cat Books)
, by Jill Rappaport.   It is about a 12 acre no cage sanctuary called Cat House on the Kings in California ran by Lynea Lattanzio.  It has been around for about 19 years.  There have been thousands of cats pass through there in the years it has been around. Cats stay there until a forever home is found. If that doesn’t happen for them they get to live out their lives in this wonderful place.

It is a children’s book but, I liked it.  It is beautifully illustrated and the story is very cute. It is about a kitten named Mittens who comes to live there while he waits for his forever home.  The story takes you through a life in the day of Mittens.  Oh, by the way they have a few dogs that live there too.  Well there goes the neighborhood.

Check out the cat sanctuary on the internet at http://www.cathouseonthekings.com

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My Millie and Her Eating Habits

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Linda

My Millie has decided she doesn’t want to eat at the same time Marvin does.  I feed her at the same time but she either doesn’t come when I call her or walks away and leaves her food.  Since I am not a cat owner I am owned by my cats, I pick it up and put it away so Marvin or our dog Suzie doesn’t eat it.  When she is ready to eat I get it back out for her and stand guard so the others don’t eat it.  She takes her time because she knows that if she doesn’t eat it all now she can come back later and there I will be at her beck and call to wait on her.  She has me trained well.

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Cat Teamwork and Spiders

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Linda

I hate spiders and I think my cats know it.  At night before I go to sleep I always sit in bed and work my crossword puzzle. My cats will come and get in bed with me. There they are Marvin and Millie staring at the ceiling or the wall behind my head. I hate when they do that.  I call their names, nothing will make them stop staring.  I can’t stand it longer, I just know that there must be a spider.  I have to get up and look myself.  Nothing, I don’t see anything.  Out of the corner of my eye I swear I see them wink at each other as they get all comfortable in the spot I just got up from.

 

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I Love Cats

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Linda

I like dogs but I love cats.  People who don’t, really have never owned a cat.  They will say cats don’t greet you at the door, cats don’t come when called and cats are aloof.  Those people don’t know cats.  I am sure all the cat lovers out there would agree with me. They are always there to greet me when I get home. If I have had a bad day they aren’t demanding more from me.  I don’t have to take them out or play with them when I get home.  I can sit down to relax and Marvin or Millie will climb in my lap, curl up and purr. It is so soothing to me.

I have had cats all my life and hope to have them until my days are done.  I always tease my girls, telling them that they better marry a man who loves cats.  Since they will be taking care of me in my old age and I will be bringing a cat.

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Trip to the Vet

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Linda

Taking my two grey tabbies to the vet is an experience. Some how they know it is time to go to the vet.  Forcing them into their carriers is a job in its self. Marvin is a real sweet heart but, at the vet you would think he is a devil cat.

He constantly growls and hisses.  Of course the vet uses his hissing as an opportunity to see in his mouth. He really is scary.  I try an convince the vet tech that he isn’t like this at home.  I’m sure she doesn’t believe me.  If you were to see and hear him you wouldn’t either.  He really is a lover cat at home, honest.

 

His sister Millie thinks she is Houdini at the vet. She wiggles, twists and turns constantly, the tech tries wrapping her in a towel which she manages to escape from.  Finally she has her restrained and she starts to drool.  I don’t mean a little, a lot.  She has a small river forming.

When the vet is finished with their exams and shots they bolt from the table right into their carriers, you don’t even have to force them back in.  Fortunately for all of us this a once a year event.

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Mugsy

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Linda

In 1979, having recently lost my sweet Mewsette, I wanted a new kitten.  My Dad and I  rode out to the Robert’s farm to pick out one.   Their cat had had a litter of 5 kittens, there was this beautiful white one I really wanted but it was the little grey tabby that wanted me.  His head looked bigger than his little body, not really the cutest one of the bunch. He came home with us and I named him Mugsy after a cat my Mom had when she was a little girl.  So, began my love for Tabby’s.  He was simply the best cat ever.

He loved me and helped me through the loss of my parents, always there to comfort me.  Whether I was singing or crying he would come from where ever he was in the house reach up with is paw and touch my face. As if to say are you okay.

In 1991, I married my husband.   Of course he was a cat person too.  I would tease Rob saying ” if Mugs hadn’t liked you I guess we wouldn’t be married”.  He had a cat Cocoa, who never really accepted poor Mugs coming into her house.  She would stop and hiss at him every time she had to pass by him.  After Cocoa passed we got our first cat together, a little orange tabby, we named him Rusty.  Needless to say Mugsy didn’t like him.

In 1994,I found out that my Mugsy suffered from renal kidney failure.  Since there is no cure for this we did our best to take care of him.  Changing his diet and taking him to the vet often.  On November 4th 1996 I had to put down my beloved Mugsy.  It was one of the hardest things I had ever done.  I have had three other cats since then and I have loved them all but, none have been like my Mugsy.  Mugsy was special, he was placed in my life when I needed him most and he will always have a place in my heart.

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Your Role in Cat Pregnancy

Posted on July 5, 2009 by Cathy

Hello, I’m Cathy! I wanted to take a bit of time to talk to you today about cat pregnancy. You see, if you have not spayed it’s likely going to happen.

Cats will usually go into heat at about 3-4 months of age and after that we will have only one thing on our minds, mating. After the heat cycle begins it will be very hard to keep female cats inside the house. They will yell alot and creep around the door just waiting for the oppurtunity to sneak out.
If they get out you can be sure that we will have no problem finding a companion. Sometimes the male cats will even fight for the oppurtunity.

If you decide that your furry friend is pregnant you should take her to the vet immediately for a health check-up. During the last four weeks of pregnancy you should switch to kitten food and stick with it until she is done weening her little ones. It might also be a good idea to get her a calcium supplement to prevent eclampsia.

When your cat is finally ready to give birth you have it easy, they take care of that themselves! Just make sure that she has a nice box lined with newspaper to give birth in. While she is giving birth take the kittens and place them into a seperate box with a heating pad covered with a towel. This will keep the babies from getting chilly.

After that mess is over with put your queen and her kittens in a new towel lined box big enough for everyone. If you can put them in their own room and be sure that it is very warm and quiet. Keep the mom’s litter box, and food nearby and keep feeding her the kitten food. After about three days the kittens should open their eyes. At one to two weeks they will be crawling around, aren’t they cute?

At three weeks your kittens should be walking and playing. Now you can give ‘em some wet food, show ‘em the litter box and let ‘em do their thing. You and your vet should be able to take it from here. If not come back and talk to me at fuzzycat.com.

 


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