Saturday, October 28, 2006

connection reset

Sorry about that, the connection reset during publishing, so the entry got published twice.

Connection reset

Sorry about that, the connection reset during publishing, so the post got done twice. No link to the title above, either.

Wow! It's been a while- flea treatments

I got the flea collars and Ovitrol from Entirely Pets on Tuesday or Wednesday. I put the collars on the cats. They are supposed to last 8 months! Boy, that was a nice surprise! I also sprayed the building as much as I could.

The fleas are now biting ME! So, I've been dealing with flea bites and getting rid of them as best I can. I comb the cats as much as they will allow it. The alcohol on the comb really works, and I can get the fleas dead before they jump off and go someplace to hide and bite me again later. It's the ones that get away that end up biting me.

Princess has been very skittish - not surprising considering the flea treatments going on around here, but she's slowly warming up again. She spent some time snuggling this morning.

Everybody else is doing well. Even missy Bugs is doing well! She slept on the bed last night and didn't squirm around at all - now it's Queenie doing the squirm dance. The black cohosh is still working.

Bugs has come up with a new behavior - when you flush the toilet she comes running to see if the lid was left up and she can get water without the tea in it. I tell her that the chlorine isn't good for her and to drink the water in her bowl. She looks very disappointed, but does what she's told. It's cute, but I've been so tired at night after work that it feels annoying.

Work is very difficult during the last 10 days of the month. And, since the holidays are coming up and I work in a church, it will only get more busy and hectic in the next 2 months.

All I can do is pray, breathe in and out and tackle the next item on my list. I'm working on the effect of stress in my life, and office work always touches that nerve.

On the bright side, the website is doing gangbusters! I'm very pleases. Google is doing their every-other-month dance and traffic is dropping (in my case holding steady) and every one is complaining about it. My site seems to be holding it's own, and the financial end is excellent with the new structure. I got the books split into several pages so that things are easier to find, and now I'm finally moving on with other product pages. I have the collars, tags and leads in process.

I started the next newsletter issue, and I have subscriber-only specials in the newsletter itself instead of on the specials page, so that's a change. I'm also publishing more often. I need to write my article on black cats and hallowe'en, but it feels like I let time get away from me and it won't ever get done.

That's it for now.

Wow! It's been a while- flea treatments

I got the flea collars and Ovitrol from Entirely Pets on Tuesday or Wednesday. I put the collars on the cats. They are supposed to last 8 months! Boy, that was a nice surprise! I also sprayed the building as much as I could.

The fleas are now biting ME! So, I've been dealing with flea bites and getting rid of them as best I can. I comb the cats as much as they will allow it. The alcohol on the comb really works, and I can get the fleas dead before they jump off and go someplace to hide and bite me again later. It's the ones that get away that end up biting me.

Princess has been very skittish - not surprising considering the flea treatments going on around here, but she's slowly warming up again. She spent some time snuggling this morning.

Everybody else is doing well. Even missy Bugs is doing well! She slept on the bed last night and didn't squirm around at all - now it's Queenie doing the squirm dance. The black cohosh is still working.

Bugs has come up with a new behavior - when you flush the toilet she comes running to see if the lid was left up and she can get water without the tea in it. I tell her that the chlorine isn't good for her and to drink the water in her bowl. She looks very disappointed, but does what she's told. It's cute, but I've been so tired at night after work that it feels annoying.

Work is very difficult during the last 10 days of the month. And, since the holidays are coming up and I work in a church, it will only get more busy and hectic in the next 2 months.

All I can do is pray, breathe in and out and tackle the next item on my list. I'm working on the effect of stress in my life, and office work always touches that nerve.

On the bright side, the website is doing gangbusters! I'm very pleases. Google is doing their every-other-month dance and traffic is dropping (in my case holding steady) and every one is complaining about it. My site seems to be holding it's own, and the financial end is excellent with the new structure. I got the books split into several pages so that things are easier to find, and now I'm finally moving on with other product pages. I have the collars, tags and leads in process.

I started the next newsletter issue, and I have subscriber-only specials in the newsletter itself instead of on the specials page, so that's a change. I'm also publishing more often. I need to write my article on black cats and hallowe'en, but it feels like I let time get away from me and it won't ever get done.

That's it for now.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

General Conditions of my cats

The cats now have 4 litter boxes, as I got another one last weekend. When I cleaned the bathroom, I removed the food and water bowls from there, so they only eat in the kitchen now.

They got fleas from my walking through the building where Muffy was running loose, but they have a much worse infestation at this point.

Bugs is doing very well. She's cuddly and loving. Queenie is now sitting in my lap when Beasley is not there, and Beasley is no longer running away from her all the time. Whe had a spat the other night, and it was Princess on Queenie.

Pretty Girl is very snuggly. She has an opportunity to go to a pet rescue event tomorrow, but I'm waiting to hear if they have a large cage to show her off in.

Beasley is allowing me to use the flea comb on him. I found an article that said using alcohol on the comb will stun the fleas, making it easier to get rid of them. I filled a little jar with alcohol and put it next to the comb so I can dip the comb and have better luck getting rid of them - instead of combing them off onto ME! So, we'll see how that works.

I rearranged the bedroom last weekend, and the cats are having fun with the new arrangement. I put the bed against a different wall and completely re-made it. The frame fell apart when I tried to move it (not unexpected) so I had to get bolts and nuts to put it back together. Then I could put new sheets and stuff on it. But I really re-made the bed. It should hold together for another 3 months, at which time I need to get or make a new frame. I won't be able to fix it again. It's made from particle board, so it falls apart easily. Without tools, it's hard to repair things made of wood!

Fleas!

I ordered the flea control measures. I got 5 breakaway collars and some Ovitrol. I'll be de-fleaing the entire building, and I have to do it twice, 10-days apart. Next week, I get the de-wormer. I'll put some in the wet food and give it straight to the others.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Muffy

I feel totally whipped by this cat! I hate to admit that, but I do.

She will only use the litter box once a day - to poop. She squatted over the tub drain and looked straight at me and let loose. I've tried everything I recommend. I wiped the inside rim with feces and urine, I changed the litter type to clumping after 3 days, I put her in the box when she wants to use the tub. The only time she'll use the box is during my shower when she can't get to the tub.

I have too many cats to allow one free run who won't use the box. The others would be drawn into the bad behavior and that's going backwards. I hate to do it, but she needs to be an outside barn cat or something where her habits won't be an issue. She can't come back.

When I placed her after the initial rescue, she had impeccable litter habits. The people I gave her to let her box get really bad and didn't deal with it. Then, there were changes in the household - the daughter showed up and left, her son went to live with his dad and finally a new boyfriend showed up. That was the end of her good behavior. She pooped in an inappropriate place and he threw her outdoors. She never had a chance! When they moved out and left her, taking her in seemed like the right thing to do.

She's so eaten up with fleas that she's miserable, and the worms have her tummy very distended. She needs serious attention. The bathroom is covered in little blood drops from the flea bites. I'll need to use bleach when I clean it.

I feel really bad about this, and I hate to admit I'm whipped, but I need to clean my bathroom from the flea dirt. It's been over a week, and she's not using the box. She goes to the humane society today. Maybe someone needs a barn cat. Let's pray for her.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Muffy's Progress

Miss Muffy is quite a challenge! She got to where she would poop in the litter box using regular clay litter and then I changed the litter type on her to the clumping stuff. She's totally off the box again.

She put up with such a bad litter box for a while where she was living, that she started going wherever she was - so they started making her an outdoor cat but intended to leave her because they couldn't take her to the new place.

Now, she won't even use the box - and I have to either remove her from the home or let her run loose Wednesday morning. That's the deal - 3 days, and I need my bathroom back. It's really bad in there!

She's still a little afraid of the box, but she's purring and wants attention. I wish she would use the box, I hate the alternative....

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Muffy's Litter Habits/Litter boxes

Well, Muffy seems to have completey forgotten how to use a litterbox!
I cleaned the box, washed it out and put new litter in it. She's still using the tub. She stopped hissing and growling, however.

I'll be getting a different litter type this weekend, so I'll let her remain in isolation and put the new litter in her box then and see what happens. The tub is easy to clean out in the meanwhile. Hey! It's better than carpet or my bed!!! Besides, until I know for sure that she's litter trained, she stays in isolation.

I'm just like any other cat owner - I hate the smell of cat urine and I don't like cats to be going where ever they feel like it.

It's hard on the others, though, because this cut them from 3 boxes to 2. I'll need to get another litter box so that I have enough for the 6 cats. With one cat dominating a litter box, it makes it very important to clean the litter boxes regularly - not a problem in my case, but just a general observation.

In any case, 2 boxes for 5 cats (the cats with free run of the house), that's not enough boxes. I try to keep at least 1 box for 2 cats, so I had 3 in use - now Muffy is dominating the 3rd box. Bugs will use the furniture if she can't get to a box whenever she needs to. That stinks! So, I need another litter box.

I don't know if this is making any sense, but it does to me.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Bugs and Queenie

Bugs is behaving in the middle of the night. She's still miserable, but won't take any more of the herbal concoction. I've got it in the water, so she gets some whether she likes it or not. The other cats are also getting some.

Queenie needs it at this point. She's gotten so bad that poor Mr Beasley can't even come onto my lap while I knit - she comes looking for him. She's so attached to him! He can be in any part of the house and she will begin crying and looking for him. He's so unhappy, he won't even help me type anymore!

Soon, soon. The vet visit is set for November, so we just have to get through till then. Did I mention that we need more vets???? We really do!

More stuff added to Newsletter subscriber specials

I found some more deals and steals so I posted them to the newsletter specials page. If you aren't subscribed, you are missing some great deals!

Poor Little Muffy

Little Muffy is so malnourished! I had no idea...

She is so skinny that she looks skeletal. She's going to need lots of quality food and love to get better.

She's kind of funny. She hisses and growls at me while seeking cuddles and love. Her breath is bad, too.

She is tub/box trained at the moment. She won't pee in the box. I didn't have time to change the litter so the box smells like the rest of the cats and she's peeing in the tub. She uses the box for poo. I'll change out the litter and wash the box and that should help.

She's very pretty, by the way. That was one reason it was so easy to place her. Half her face is beige, the rest of it is black. Right down the middle. Her chin is tortie. She's a medium hair tortie. Her colors are pronounced. She has orange, beige and black, a little bit of tabby striping in one of the orange spots. A photo will really help. Her ears are big, indicating that she is attentive to people. She's very curious, but she always was. She needs a home where the owners will love her and take good care of her. She's been through so much!

She's about 22 months old, spayed and her shots are up to date. However, I no longer have any paperwork on her health, so she'll need to see the vet for more vaccinations and certs.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

OH NO! Another Cat!

OH NO!!! Another cat has come to live with us! Now there are 6!

Let's back up a little bit, shall we? When I took on the 3 fosters I currently have, I picked up a 4th cat, Muffy. I found her a home right away. She was "lucky" and ready to go. I placed her and now I've had to re-rescue her. The lady I placed her with is moving and intended to abandon the poor cat. So, since I couldn't get her into the humane society or any of the other shelters, I had to keep her.

She's currently in the bathroom to give everybody else a chance to get used to the idea. She hisses at me when she smells the others on me, but my pride is doing fine so far.

Mr Beasley is probably going to try to run away pretty soon - too many females!

At least this cat is spayed! As soon as I get her socialized and get a good photo, she'll get a spot on the website so that I can get her placed. Yes, she is up for adoption - like Pretty Girl, Bugs and Queenie.

I PROMISE I will NEVER foster again - EVER!!!!

Too many cats - too many cats - too many cats - too many cats - too many cats

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Newsletter Only Specials

They were late, but they got posted. If you are subscribed to the newsletter, you have the address for the specials page. I hope you like this month's selection.

I've noticed a few sales of flea items lately, and I will continue to search for these to help my visitors.

It's the first week of October, so I'm working on an article about Black Cats and Hallowe'en. Many of my articles deal with cat abuse and neglect - I've seen so much of it over the years. This one will be cautionary for those of you with black cats. I have one, Miss Queenie, and I certainly want her to be safe during this time of year.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Cat Urine Odor Is the MOST Common Problem with Cats

Cat urine odor is the biggest problem cat owners face. More cats lose their homes to urine odor than for any other reson.

I wrote a little booklet about this that you can get for FREE just by signing up for the newsletter, CatLover Magazine. However, the instructions are also on:
http://www.for-the-love-of-cats.com/UrineOdorControl.html
although the instructions are more generalized on the website.

Before you get rid of your cat and face the same problem with another cat because you haven't deodorized properly, please read this page. It will help a lot! Who knows, maybe your "incorrigible" cat can be redeemed, and your relationship with your cat will be stronger for it.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

We need more Veterinarians!

We need more vets!

Veterinary colleges only accept 40 students a year, so the colleges are highly competitive. If you think you want to be a doctor, try vet school first. If you can get in, go for it!

To get into vet school, you need to have excellent grades (top of your high school class, honors) and a demonstrated interest in animals. 4-H members have a good shot, but that doesn't mean you can get in. There are only so many vet colleges and only so many spot open in any year!

Petition your local university to offer veterinary degrees. Because these colleges are so exclusive, you can present it as prestigious to the university or college. To become a vet, it costs students an average $161,000 to complete their degrees. The courses are expensive to put on, and expensive to take.

Over the life of a veterinarian, the DVM will make an average of $80,000 a year or more. Out of that, they will pay their staffs, and cover the office costs.

A good vet-tech in the office can bring in other income as they can offer vaccinations without the veterinarian's actually having to be in the room. The Veterinarian is ultimately responsible for oversight of staff and treatment, but can delgate a lot of responsibility to less highly skilled staff.

A surgical nurse can be used to help with spay and neuter activities or a clinic can be put on that is subsidized by the Humane Society or rescue organizations once a month.

Please consider this career path. We really need more vets!

Herbs for Cats

Well! The Black Cohosh is amazing! I had to stop giving it to Bugs and Queenie after 3 days - they hated the process of dosing. But - it's still working for them!

Bugs is sleeping well at night and doesn't stiffen when I pick her up. She still wriggles a bit on the floor when she gets scratches, but when she's on my chair, she's snuggly and cuddly. Queenie wanted to sleep near my pillow last night, and actually purred for the first time.

So, I suggest that if you are like me, don't have enough vets in town to spay your girls or have to wait for some other reason, try this concoction. It really made a difference in my girls. My appointment is in November - we were unable to get anything earlier! We really need more vets in Knoxville, TN!!