Thursday, August 30, 2007

Supplier Dropped

I've had to drop a supplier - a major supplier. There are lots of changes because I'm de-listing pages until they are updated. Any pages that are listed are up to date. At least I hope they are.

Meanwhile, I'm busy getting links for you with new suppliers for a whole new group of products! Cat safe chemicals, supplements and shampoo are all represented at ONP:
http://www.for-the-love-of-cats.com/ONP
Even if I'm not recommending a particular item, their stuff is good. If you have any questions about use or whether something is applicable to your situation, get hold of the cat whisperer.

So, until I get links for individual items up, use the ONP link here. As I get more links up, you will see the pages listed in your RSS feeder.

Thanks for your patience!

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Your Cat Made Famous!

Make your cat famous!

http://www.for-the-love-of-cats.com/StorySubmit.html

Submit your story and photos online right now!

My host company, SiteSell! has created a new module, or capability, for sites on their network and in their plan. This makes the submission of your cat stories much easier! You can even include your cats' photo. The program can only accept one photo at a time, and if you want to add more, just let me know. I'm glad to accept them.

Now, if you don't have a cat to tell me about, but you just want to make a comment on the website in general, you can also do that. This module makes things truly interactive! I'm really excited about it. You should be too!

If you are interested in getting an interactive site of your own, they can make it happen! Click on this link and you can get a free e-book that tells you how to get started.

With a company like SiteSell!, you can't go wrong. It's the only hosting company I trust on the internet.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Sign up for CatLover Magazine

You can get my eBook, Cat Urine Odor Solutions (a $7.99 value) just by signing up for the newsletter, CatLover Magazine.

CatLover Magazine is an online magazine with lots of training tips and news about cats, published at least once monthly. Best of all, it's FREE! I try to always include specials for you, too. I don't always get that many, but some times, I get really good deals!

You always need the newsletter to get the specials, so you want to sign up NOW. The publishing schedule means that the next issue will be going out in a few days, and you don't want to miss out on anything!

Friday, August 10, 2007

Common Cat Illnesses

Recently, a visitor was looking for some information on common cat illness.

The most common cat illness is sands, or crystals in the urine. This is caused by the foods we give our babies. If left untreated, the waste can back up in the system. This is potentially life-threatening. Any cat having trouble urinating should be seen by a vet immediately.

Next are parasitic diseases, such as fleas, worms and other nasty things that come from parasites. Best way to handle that is to control the flea population - meaning eliminate it.

The most usual reason for a cat to die before their time is dehydration. Cats may stop drinking water if they can't smell it. An older cat is particularly prone to this because of confusion and loss of the sense of smell. If you see your cat is not drinking or the skin is losing it's elasticity, get some children's unflavored pedialyte into your cat if you can, and get the baby to the vet to be seen. The vet can hydrate the cat to keep it alive and try to figure out why the dehydration is happening in the first place. Be sure to tell the vet how long ago you noticed it and how much pedialyte you got into your cat.

There is FeLV and FIV, both scary cancer-type disease. FeLV is feline leukemia. Treatment is blood transfusions and medication. The other is FIV, or feline immunodeficiency virus - kitty aids. Both of these are very contagious. You need to keep your cat away from other cats. Wash your hands after handling your cat so that you don't pass these on.

I've had experience with something called rodent ulcer. This is a condition where the skin is raw and fur falls out around the mouth and face. Prednisone helps. I recently had something that looked like rodent ulcer, but was an irritation from a flea collar.

Rabies has a vaccine, and you should get your cat vaccinated. I know that it's something about the brain and water, but other than that, I'm not a doctor. I know that it used to be very bad. Many wild animals carry the disease, and if you allow your cat outside, you must vaccinate your cat.

There is something called feline distemper, but I have never seen it. Maybe all those vaccinations really work!

So, that's what I know about diseases in cats. I hope this helps you with your search.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Scoop-N-Smooch Technique

The "Scoop-n-Smooch" technique is used to promote a cat's well-being and to allow a cat to feel special in a household of many cats. It promotes bonding with the human elements in the home. It can be perpetrated on the cat by one or all humans in a home, depending on the needs to the cat.

The actual technique is simple:
Pick the cat up and hold like a baby. Kiss the cat on the head, shoulders, chest, face or cheeks - where ever you feel comfortable kissing the cat. Then gently place the cat on the floor on his or her feet.

Now, the timing is what makes this technique work!
The human will do this to the cat each time the human returns from outside. It is very important that it is done each and every time the human returns! It doesn't matter if the human was at work for hours, went to the mailbox, or just to check the sprinkler in the back yard. Each and Every Time!

The cat will resist, particularly at first. This is to be expected. Even later, when the cat expects it, the cat may well resist. This is to show the other cats in the house that the subject is "above that sort of thing" but don't believe it! The cat will expect this treatment and will actually pout if the treatment is not given.

Why would a human servant of cats do this? Well, if a cat is grieving, or having other emotional issues that cause stress; or if there is a recent change in the household that causes the cat to feel left out, such as a new pet or baby. The Scoop-n-Smooch treatment helps the cat to feel special, and lets other animals in the house know that the cat getting the treatment is special to the food-givers.

Monday, August 06, 2007

How to Introduce a New Cat to an Existing Cat

When introducing cats, you might want to think about the existing cat and how it will respond to the new cat. The new cat will deal, but the existing one will have some problems.

First off, your cat thinks it is being replaced in your affections. Doubly so if the new cat is a kitten - or just smaller. This makes your cat insecure, and it may have problems accepting the new cat. Your cat that formerly had fastidious litter habits may begin to soil all over the house in frustration, making everyone miserable.

You will need to add a litter box at the beginning, whether your cats decide to share or not. Don't expect your new cat to be comfortable using the existing litter box, and don't expect your existing cat to lightly share his private potty!

Bonding play is extremely important, too. Get your existing cat used to play and then offer the toys to the new cat. Usually, this is the way things need to be done, but sometimes, you might offer the toy to the new cat first to get the scent on it. Another way to get started is to get each cat their own toy and then a new one for joint play. After your cats are playing individually, you can begin to help them bond as a team.



Don't forget that love and cuddles are your best training tools when introducing cats. Your existing cat needs a lot of love right now. Later, you can cuddle the new cat in front of your existing cat, but at the beginning, don't you dare!

The "scoop and smooch" is a great tactic to help your cat accept the new littermate. Be sure to do this each and every time you come in from being outside. More on that, later.

The existing cat may have other problems as well. If the new cat wants to play all the time and your baby isn't used to that, your existing cat may feel that s/he is being attacked all the time. Time-outs are very important in this situation. If the new cat can't or won't leave the existing cat alone to potty, sleep or eat, put a belled collar on the new cat. If nothing else, it will give your elder statesman warning when the new cat is coming, and perhaps time to prepare or hide.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Feeding Time!

I've been working with Beasley for over 2 years - he eats too fast and then regurgitates his entire meal.

When it was just Beasley and me, way back in the beginning, I would heat his wet food (kept in the fridge) to room temperature and he would eat it. Dry food was no problem. He ate well, didn't gorge himself, and didn't vomit, even with hairballs.

However, for over 2 years, he's had a real problem. Ever since Princess came to us. She doesn't eat at the same time, doesn't eat wet food, and was a virtual ghost for the first 3 months - she hid under the bed all the time. This didn't matter to Beasley, though, because he began to gorge himself when food was put down. Poor Princess became the problem, and she was no problem at all.

I treated him with hairball treatment, and sometimes that would work. I began to restrict his access to food. I put down 1/2 teaspoon at a time and allow some time to go by before he got any more. Between the two treatment methods, he seemed to get better. Then the girls came.

Now, with 5 cats, it's pandemonium every time I walk near the kitchen. Fluffy was severely overweight when she came so she needed a special diet to reduce her girth. Bugs is allergic to all wheat products and gets terrible smelly diarrhea if she eats any, so all the dry food is specialized and wheat-free. Queenie will eat anything she can get, especially since she was spayed. Bugs hangs in the kitchen for meat, but won't eat it - she's just underfoot.

Beasley comes in, sees the crowd, and leaves. I have to bring him back in. Lately, I've been using the hairball remedy again. He sees me coming toward him to apply it and he leaves the kitchen. By the time he gets back to the kitchen, Queenie or Fluffy have finished what was in his bowl.

So, I'm trying a special food: Wysong Feline Archetype which is a meal where you add a little water and it becomes a soft food. It guarantees nutrition for a small amount of food. You can use it as a "seasoning" to other foods, as well. I've been impressed with Wysong for a long time now, and this will be my first venture into the archetype food - which is not available around here. I have to get it online, just like you.

I'll let you know how things go. I hate to see the upset Beasley goes through every day. At least it's only food-related! I'm grateful he's not sick, just high-strung.