Thursday, December 30, 2010

URGENT! Pet Food Recall

Please stop using these brands

The following products, all with sell-by dates of October 23-24, 2011 are being recalled:
  • Pet Pride Cat Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages
  • Pet Pride Cat Food sold in 18 lb. packages
  • Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages
  • Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food sold in 18 lb.
  • Pet Pride Kitten Formula Food sold in 3.5 lb. Packages
  • Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food sold in 22 lb. packages
  • Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food sold in 50 lb. packages
  • Kroger Value Cat Food sold in 3 lb. packages
  • Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food sold in 15 lb. packages
  • Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food sold in 50 lb. packages

 Full details can be found here....

Food Recall

Return the bags to your retailer for assistance! 

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Fluffy

Fluffy has found someone she loves almost as much as she loves me - my soon-to-be ex-roommate. He's moving across country, but she's staying. Here is a photo showing her on his duffle bags.  They are currently filled with dirty clothes, so have his smell on them. 

Cats choose their people.  She loves me because I got her out of the cage, but it's more gratitude.  With him, she just loves him.  She picked him when he first came to live with us.  The others are friendly, but Fluffy decided that he belongs to her. 

She walks up to him and teases him, and he teases back.  If he would let her in his room, she would love it.  She doesn't sit in his lap like she does with me, but it may be more logistics.  She rubs against him at every opportunity.

She's sure going to miss him.  As much as I will.  He's a good one...

Thursday, December 02, 2010

e-zine not ready, so not sent

I still haven't got the December e-zine issue done, so it isn't that you didn't receive it - it hasn't been sent.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Flea Update...

Well, it turned out that Bugsie was telling me all about the fleas. I rubbed her down with NEEM oil, and they quieted for a while.

I ordered some Siphotrol premise spray...
http://www.for-the-love-of-cats.com/Siphotrol-Plus

which took too long to get here by UPS for my comfort (actually only 5 days) and when it arrived, I ordered some Advantage...
http://www.for-the-love-of-cats.com/ss-advantage

which arrived a few days later by mail. I've treated all the cats and the fleas are dying. I need to treat the premises again, since the fleas were so bad that they were hiding in places I didn't think to spray - like the closet, under the bed, the cat beds, and so on. I've changed sheets twice, and I'll have to do it again, and spray each layer as I add the sheets back.

Yep, we were infested alright!

Now, I have to purchase advantage another month-worth, and get the infestation out of the yard, which is where they are coming from. I'll need a yard fogger and more premise spray. The diatomaceous earth is good, but just not good enough.

Part of this is carpet. I haven't had carpet for several years, so they have a place to hide now. I have to keep the carpet treated all the time. I have DE in the carpet now. However, it's sitting on top of the carpet - even after 2 weeks. It needs to get down to the base of the fibers. I'll have to invest in a rake to get it there, and keep the top of the carpet sprayed with the premise spray. Salt works too.

The other part is where they are coming from - the yard and driveway. We humans walk from the cars to the house, and they jump on us for a free ride inside. I need to treat the yard and entire premises.

So, this might be entitled - "How to De-Flea Your Home" instead of Flea Update!

**********

It would be really nice if I could take the cats out for a flea-dip and fog the house, but Queenie won't have it. I can't get her near a carrier. At least not and keep my skin intact....

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Cat Meowed All Night

I tossed Bugsie out of the bedroom last night. She likes to cuddle by burrowing into my underarm area. She kept this up last night and kept waking me up, so I tossed her out of the bedroom for a cat-free night. She wouldn't quit complaining about it.

All night, she tried to get back in the bedroom - rubbing on the door, burrowing under it, and meowing. Not until I finally got up 20 minutes early, and talked to her - including a floor cuddle - did she stop. I think she felt really rejected that I turned her out after she tried to cuddle.

The issue is the fleas. I'm working very hard to keep them out of my bed. I clean all the flea-dirt off the sheets in the morning before I make the bed. I use an extra flat sheet to cover my bed during the day, and I change that often. I try to keep the cats away from my pillows and head. Still, I've had to wash sheets twice extra in the past 2 weeks because I'm changing the sheets more often. The fleas are horrible!

I'm exhausted. Another cat-free night tonight, with ear plugs.

I wish the mailman would come and bring my flea stuff. It would make things a lot more pleasant.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Flea Report

I tried the diatomaceous earth, and it seems to be making the fleas jump on the cats and the furniture. I wiped down the cats with NEEM oil, and it made their fur nice and shiny, reduced mat creation and helped the mats come out easier, and seems to keep the fleas away a little bit - but now they are all on the furniture.

I sprayed my furniture with Siphotrol, but I'm almost out, so I ordered more.

We are covered up with fleas! Man! So, I'm going for Advantage.

I saw a commercial on TV from 1-800-Pet-Meds, saying how their flea stuff was cheaper, but I compared them to Entirely Pets, where I usually go, and EP is cheaper. And the shipping is free over $85, so you know where I'm getting my flea stuff.

For the record, I'm paying what you pay. See the link here...

Entirely Pets Advantage Purple, 4 months

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

It Never Fails...

It never fails me...

As soon as I schedule time to work on the site, something happens. In this case, I got sick. I planned to spend all last weekend turning the site into an e-book that you (or anyone) could purchase, so I can re-vamp it.

The site, while still effective, is not as focused as I want. It needs some help. It's gotten away from me in 5-1/2 years. It's time for an update and some polish.

In website talk, there are too many "bounces;" or folks going to one or two pages and then leaving the site. I want for-the-love-of-cats.com to be the place you want to spend time and where your problems are addressed.

So, I've had to put it off once again. I'll keep at it, though. Maybe it will all be a "page-at-a-time" deal, where I put all the pages together later, instead of doing the whole thing at once...

Grasshopper: Master, how do you eat an elephant?
Master: One bite at a time, grasshopper.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Cat Food Review

It's rare that I have to make an unflattering review of any product. I hate to do it, really. But my integrity with my readers is too important for me to fudge the truth. Here goes...

The product is ProPac Superpremium Adult Cat Food, Hairball Formula.

The truth is, my cats would rather go hungry than eat it.

I bought a 6 lb bag at Agri-Feed Pet Supplies for $9.97. Not cheap, but not the most expensive food on the shelf, either.

Results, as seen with my 5 cats...

There were 2 bowls full of food with clean fresh water between them. The cats were begging for food, and the bowls were not touched. This was after they had eaten the food for about a week. Something really bothered them about it. I then replaced one of the bowls with a bowl of cheap (by comparison) Friskies and put it next to the bowl of ProPac. The cats cleaned out the bowl of Friskies for several days running, never touching the ProPac bowl.

This is disheartening to me. ProPac brand has all the good things I want for my cats - no grains, added nutrients, 29% protein, and so on. The laboratory analysis says it should be perfect for my cats. And the ingredients are what I'm looking for - wholesome, people-grade protein sources.

This is not a reflection on Agri-Feed at all. They did nothing but carry this food. Their price and service was exceptional, as always. They are a serious source of alternative and quality foods - in fact, they carry my (and the cats') favorite, Innova Evo, which is out of our price-range right now. I only mention them to tell you how much I paid for the food and the source.

This review is about the food, not the store.

The local shelter can use the food. Maybe some of their cats will eat it. Mine certainly told me that they won't.

Friday, November 05, 2010

Cheap Flea Stuff....

I've talked about this before. Most of my readers have one or two cats. But when you have 5 cats, flea stuff gets really expensive! And fleas are running rampant around here right now.

I just don't have the funds to buy Advantage or Frontline right now. So, I'm trying some herbal and holistic methods. I've giving NEEM Oil and Diatomaceous Earth a try in combination. Not that I don't believe in this stuff, because I do.

The Diatomaceous Earth product I've been using has additives, and I'm not sure how good they are for use on a cat's skin and fur. So, I got some edible Diatomaceous Earth and found some for a reasonable price. It's fairly inexpensive and it works well.

I found that a shaker is the best way to apply it. A salt shaker or spice shaker works. Keep it dry, and it will sprinkle well. You can add teaspoons to your food to clean out your digestive tract, too! But we are adding it to your cat to remove fleas, remember?

I'm still using salt on the carpet. It's cheap and easy. I also use salt on the mattresses and furniture. I leave it for a few days, then vacuum it up, along with hair and flea eggs. I spread the salt again after vacuuming.

NEEM oil is mixed with olive oil or for human use, with Neutrogena Body Oil. I spray it on and the fleas leave me alone so I can sleep. The product here can be used directly on the cats.

Yep, they are bad right now. These measures will make things better, though.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Cat Litter Review

I tried the "Cat It" litter and my experience is this...

The cats were very suspicious. There is an additive that they detected and didn't trust. Once they started using it, the litter is great.

I've had it out for about a week, and my thoughts are that it would be good for a freshly de-clawed cat. The grains are small, like play sand, which I normally recommend. However, if you like the convenience of clumping litter, this is an excellent alternative.

There is little dust. However, while I didn't notice dust when I filled the box, I did notice some when I was digging around and cleaning out the box. This may actually be body powder, though, since the litter box is in my bathroom, and everything gets covered with powder in there... I will check back again mid-week, after I've cleaned it again.

For the record, I did not get this litter free or at a reduced price. I purchased it at a retail outlet in Knoxville, Agri-Feed, which carries certain items I like, including the "PawBreaker" catnip ball.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Trying New Brand of Cat Litter

I ran out of cat litter while cleaning out the litter boxes last weekend.

I went to get cat litter on Sunday, and the place where I went didn't have the usual stuff. I have tried one that they had, and while OK, it's a little expensive. I ended up getting something called "CatIt Clumping Litter" in the 18 pound bag. The bag filled a box a little higher than I'd intended.

I've been using 27# and 40# containers, and filling 2 boxes, then I'm out of litter. So I figured 18# would be a good amount for the box. I guess the volume is different in this litter, because I ended up with 6 inches of litter in the box!

So far, the cats haven't used the litter. Mr. Beasley is protecting the box from the girls, though. I think he's claimed the one in my bathroom.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

New Job, Diversions for Cats

I started a part time job a few weeks ago, and my cats became very lonely. They were used to me working at home, and always being there for snuggles and clicking away at the keyboard. So, I got them a kitty DVD as a diversion.


I've used the bird feeder for about a year now, and that works well. We have finches, cedar waxwing, sparrows and cardinals pretty much year round. We use a good seed mix.

I also get the songbird mix, and put it on pine cones that I've collected. I take the pine cone and put some peanut butter on it, filling all the crevices really well. Then, I roll it and press bird seed into the peanut butter. I freeze it so that the seeds become set, and then I hang it outside from a tree. The pine cones are recyclable, and can be reused next year. Just be sure to keep them frozen when you aren't using them in the landscape.

So, my cats are adjusting to me being gone several hours during the day. It's so important to keep them entertained!!! If I don't things could get nasty... Cats and dogs left unattended can be very destructive.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Diatomaceous Earth

I'm trying a new type of Diatomaceous Earth. The new stuff is food-grade and can be taken internally. Fleas have been very bad this year, and I can't keep up with them. I have the DE around the outside of the house, but the wonderful product I have has some added ingredients that make it not quite food-grade. There are no pesticides in it, but if the cats or myself eat it, we may not like it.

So, I've purchased a food-grade version of DE, and I'm going to put some on the cats in their flea-infested hotspots, and then rake a little into the carpet. That should finish with any fleas we have in the house.

What I've been finding is that the fleas are not getting in, but they are breeding on the cats. Fleas have a lifecycle that is purely based on their feeding cycle...

They feed and lay eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae about 10-20 days. They mature into adult, biting fleas in 20-30 days, and the cycle begins again. If you can stunt their growth in the larval stage (Frontline, Ovitrol) then they never mature to lay more eggs and die off. If you have adult fleas, you need to kill them (Advantage, Siphotrol, pyrethrins) and then treat again in 30 days - but they may already be laying eggs, so I recommend a third treatment to fully rid yourself of fleas.

And all the places where fleas can hide must be treated: rugs, furniture, pets, bedding (including yours), and the landscaping around the entrances to your home. That's what makes DE so convenient! It can be left out year-round, and not hurt the beneficials. It also kills other pests (such as beetles, silverfish and earwigs) and parasites (such as the worms caused by fleas - when ingested).

I'm also curious regarding DE's general health effects for humans. It clears out the parasites and muck in the digestive tract, and can be good for overall health. So, I'll report back after I've received it and tried it for about a week or so.

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Some photos...

queenie kitty
Missy Queenie

bugsy kitty
Miss Bugsy









my beasley
Mr Beasley










Fluffy
Fluffy

Fluffy








Princess Kitty
Princess





Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Articles on the website

Did you know I publish articles on my website? I do. Not all of them by me, either. You can read other author's articles, too. I try to add at least one a week, so the website is always growing. Some of the articles are in a feed, so you get a teaser. Other articles are printed in their entirety on their own page. There are links toward the bottom of the page with all the articles listed that are currently on the website.

Check back often so you can get the latest!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Toys for Cat Sitting?

Yep! Toys for cat sitting, too! When I sit a kitty, they get a couple of new toys, and those toys really do need to be NEW! I never give a cat a toy that has been used by another cat. There are many reasons for this, including disease and jealousy.

I rub the toy to get my scent on it, so the cat will come to me and get used to me. The cat also realizes that I'm not a bad person, and I'll be there to play. That always helps to reduce the loneliness and they toys reduce the boredom while they wait for me.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Catnip for Cat Sitting?

Catnip for Cat Sitting jobs? Sure! I bring a little of the good stuff with me when I first start a cat sitting job.

Cats can be pretty finicky when their owners go out of town. They don't want to see anyone, they are lonely, they are a little snitty. So, I bring catnip and dig around for an old ratty washcloth or clean rag. I'll put a little bit of catnip on the cloth (about 1/2 teaspoon) and rub it around to break up the leaves and get it aromatic. I'll then give the cloth to the cat.

They go nuts!

My favorite catnip is Cosmic Catnip. It comes in a plastic tub and stays fresh to the very bottom of the tub. Much better than the stuff at the local store in a plastic bag!

Friday, September 10, 2010

New Website About Pets

I've joined a friend in his website about pets in Knoxville, TN. If you are a pet-related business, don't be surprised if you get a call from me. We are accepting paid advertising (very reasonable!) and using some affiliate programs to add to and round out our offerings.

Right now, it's only cats and dogs - but we will include horses, reptiles, birds and ALL animals as time goes on. Anybody who has a pet will want to know about us! And we want to know about you!

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

More Cat Sitting Charges....


This is Poe. He's 17 years old! He likes to sleep a lot, and meow to hear the echos. His mom trusted me to drive 30 miles round trip, twice a day, to see him and feed him. He only has 2 teeth left!

He has bad arthritis, so he needs medicine in his food every other day. He's a black kitty, but he is so sweet, you don't feel scared at all!

Friday, September 03, 2010

Cat Sitting...


This is Mica (meeka). She was my cat-charge about 2 weeks ago. This is the third time I've watched her for her person. I finally remembered my camera!

She likes to play, talk, and eat! She's a real character! She needs to have a good play session every day, because she gets so lonely.

She bites me the first couple of days to show her displeasure that I'm not her mom. But she comes around and snuggles later, too.

She's a cutie pie!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Fur People Update, Life Intrudes...

I've had a really hard time lately, in the financial arena. I put out a call to friends for referrals for work, and was able to make a little money.

One friend stepped up to provide cat litter. Another friend stepped up for cat food.

Meanwhile, I've cut the wet food to one can a day for the 3 who eat wet food, instead of 2 cans. That's 3.5 oz of wet per day. When you force a cat to eat dry food or go hungry, they will eat the dry food. However, that dry food must be of high quality, or the exercise is futile. The food I had in the house was for urinary tract health, which is an excellent start. Low magnesium is a good place to be.

However, my main issue with these 5 long haired cats, is hair balls, so, I've picked up some foods directed toward that malady. I have IAMS, CORE, Wellness and some Purina in the house right now. I've mixed them up for a nice variety, and I'm feeding all at once.

Mr Beasley is not very happy about it, but he's eating the dry food. He's my biggest complainer, and my baby, as you know. I accept full responsibility for making him that way...

Monday, July 26, 2010

Tale of Two Tails...

During morning feeding, I noticed these two tails....
Fluffy is on the left, Beasley on the right. Her tail is curled up, and his is straight out away from his body.

I thought it was so cute, I had to take a photo!

Yes, they both have mats - please overlook that. We had a flea infestation, and their biting the fleas caused them. I'm slowly removing them - as the cats allow.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Comments...

I've been doing this (cat whispering) for about 5 years, now. I love each contact I have with my clients, and I love each and every cat. I started because I wanted to keep cats in their homes.

The 6 reasons I see for cats losing their homes most often are...
  • Missing the Litter Box
  • Not Getting Along
  • Aggression
  • Foreclosure (the only thing I can't help with)
  • Inappropriate Meowing
  • Allergies
For foreclosure, please try to contact a rescue organization before you resort to the local animal shelter, to give your cat the best chance of finding a new home. Please don't just abandon your cat. For all the other reasons, I'm available for counseling. Even allergies can be helped!

I just want you all to know that I love and appreciate your support over these 5 years. Let's go forward into year 6 with arms linked....

~ Morgen

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Morning Wake-Up Service

Mr Beasley, my erstwhile favorite, wakes me every morning around 6-7AM. I'm tired. I don't sleep particularly well, and then he wakes me up.

Now, granted that I got up at that time for 2 years, without fail, every morning, and gave him breakfast.

I have a magnet I found someplace (no, I don't have one to sell you, although I sure wish I did!) that says "There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast" and that is truly what happened this morning. Both of the crunchy bowls were empty.

So, yes, I got up and fed them. Reinforcing the behavior, of course...

Boy! Cats sure know how to train people! :-P

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Poor Bugs!


My little Bugsy has been getting the short end for a while now. She's usually the instigator, so I allow the others to pick back at her. Lately, however, they've just been picking on her out of spite. So, I've been protecting her a little bit. She's been coming to cuddle, sit in my lap, at the top of my chair, and so on. That may be the cause of the latest round of bullying, but I'm not really sure.

If anyone would like to adopt Bugs, just let me know. She needs a home of her own, anyway. She's very sociable, and loves all the visitors who come around. She's the first kitty to come say "Hi" and to snuggle.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Cats Care!

I was very sick and in bed for about 5 days. My cats somehow got fed twice a day, and the litter box got changed in the middle (don't ask me how!).

They were on the bed with me most of the time - except when I was in my most restless periods.

I had a version of a cold, but it started in my lungs, like pneumonia. I still have a lot of congestion. I took Tylenol 8-hour (no compensation for this mention!) for the fever, and that really helped. When I remembered to take my temp, it was 100.9F, so it was pretty high for someone my age and general health. That was after taking the Tylenol, too. Goodness knows how high it was without treatment...

So, the cats really care! I had one on each side of me, most of the time. They laid right next to me, pinning me under the covers. When I turned over, they all jumped down, only to get back on the bed a few minutes later.

Beasley and Fluffy were close most of the time. Bugs would curl up in my elbow when they took a break, Princess would come check on me at least twice a day, and Queenie took a little time off from being the top-cat to check on me when Princess wasn't. In fact, Queenie and Princess are vying for top-cat position again. When they weren't really close, they were on the foot of the bed, or at the base of my dresser, which is basically in the same place but with a walkway between the bed and the dresser.

I don't know how I managed it, but I was able to keep them fed and the litter box clean. I was delirious, so I'm not really sure how that happened. Maybe my neighbor helped. She got some cough syrup for me when I ran out.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Working on Newsletter - Preplanning

I've been working on the newsletter today. I've put together the basics through February 2011. It saves me a lot of time and guarantees that the newsletter goes out, if I do it this way.

The drawback of course, is that I use articles published by other folks, so they may not be as well written as if I'd written them. I try to add something relevant to each issue, but that isn't always possible.

However, I can plan the issues better this way, too. I can revolve around a certain set of issues, plan the deals with the merchants, and otherwise help my readers to focus on related areas of cats' lives.

If there are any areas my readers would like to see featured, I'd love the feedback!

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Cost of Cat Foods!!

I just went to the pet store for more cat food. The dry, cheap stuff... NOT!

It wasn't cheap, that is...

If I get the stuff with no corn or wheat fillers, it runs about $10 for a 3.5 pound bag. Expensive!

Bugsy is allergic to both wheat and corn. It gives her diarrhea and bloating, and she never seems to get filled/sated. She's always looking for food.

This is a common problem with cats and these grains. Cats should not be fed grains. Not all cats want wet foods - as is the case with Bugs. She doesn't care for the wet food at all. She wants her crunchies.

I bucked up and paid the premium, but how many of us can do that these days? I'm not rich, either. We're all in the same boat these days.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Adjustments to Pages

I made some adjustments to some of the pages on the site. There is no new content, but I had to make a few changes by adding some keywords and advertising blocks. This doesn't mean anything to most of you. Don't worry about it. The feed reflects the pages that were changed. I hope the ads are not distracting.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

New Testimonial - Petsitting

I did a cat-sitting job for a friend, and she has always been a little skeptical of "Cat Whispering" for her cat. Her cat is very needy, vocal, and part Siamese. Of course, she's also an only-cat!

So, I guess she didn't have anyone else to call, so she called me. I agreed to do the job for half my normal fee, because I know of her skepticism.

I set an appointment, went to meet the kitty, find out where things were and how the place should look (basic furniture placement, and so on) so that I would know what to look for. My service includes a sense of security because of this extra bit...

So, she goes off on her trip, and I start coming daily to care for Mica. Normally, I come twice a day, stay about 45 minutes and then leave. For Mica, I stayed 2-3 hours and only visited once a day. I brought 4 toys and some catnip on my second day, when I saw her boredom with her existing toys.

About day 5, she started meeting me at the door with meows and crying. Very excited! I would pick her up to greet her, and she would walk on my shoulders and I'd put her onto a counter (she'd walk there) and then jump down. She would entwine herself under my feet. She was so excited, she wouldn't eat!!!

Well, I would sit down, play with her, or just watch TV. Mica would calm down, and eventually come to sit with me or on me - snuggling.

Eventually, it would be time for me to leave. She would accept it - watch me leave and not complain. She grew accustomed to my visits. I always left her with a little catnip on a washcloth.

The last day, I went to check on her and the key was gone. I figured mom came home, so I called. Sure enough, mom was home and was very pleased! Dishes done, trash out, Mica happy and sassy.

So, I've posted her comments on the contact page. I hope you find comfort in them. I sure did! I don't think my friend will be so reluctant to call me next time. And I'll be happy to take care of Mica again...

Sometimes, you have to release your skepticism to find the jewel inside the claim...

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Personal Note to my Visitors and Readers...

I'm going into the hospital on Tuesday, April 13 for surgery to make me better. I've been ill and getting worse for a while now, and finally have the whole thing set up.

I'll be away from the computer until at least April 23. If I start posting earlier than that, who knows what I'll be saying????!!!!

Anyway, I've taken the Payment link and contact form off the website. You can still mail questions to me, but it will be a bit longer before I get them - and can get back to you.

Please read the FAQ pages if you have need, and isolate your cat until I get back.

Love your cat extra hard, too!

Snuggles and purrs to you all...

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Newsletter put to bed for April

The e-zine is ready for April 1 delivery to your inbox. No, not an April-Fool's joke. Really!

I cut the length, so maybe you'll actually have time to read it!

Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Princess Waking Me Up!

Princess kept waking me up last night. I got up about 4am to go to the bathroom, a nightly occurance, but she insisted on waking me up every 45 minutes after that.

She wanted cuddles and snuggles. She's very insistent, but she can't just lay there and snuggle quietly - she needs my hands on her. She nudges and nibbles.

I'm about to lock her out of the bedroom at night. That means I'll have to put a litter box on the bathroom for the ones who get trapped with me overnight. I hope Beasley doesn't have a fit....

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Foster and Smith has pulled out....

Foster and Smith has ceased [affiliate] operations. This is in response to the pending legislation taxing internet sales.

The problem is that the merchant - the seller - has to keep track of where the stuff was sent, and pay the local sales tax on the sale.

This puts undue pressure on the merchant to keep track of local sales tax rates. In my state, this means each county. How can a merchant know which county a person lives in? By zip code?

Anyway, the nightmare of reporting and paying the taxes is driving out several players in the online product sales game. The expense of tracking these sales is more than most merchants want to deal with.

Expect to see more merchants pull their products and programs over the next few months.

I fully expect that if this legislation passes, online sales may completely cease. You won't be able to buy anything online. Contact your legislators to stop this - unless you want your choices to be completely limited to what Walmart and it's ilk have in stock.

That means that if they don't carry it, you can't get it. Period.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Christmas may be over, but...



This is a bit cute, even if it's not Christmas anymore. The cat is very patient...

Friday, January 29, 2010

Woo Hoo!!! Thank you Everyone!








Paws Up Recognition from Drs. Foster and Smith
SPONSORED BY Doctors Foster and Smith

Pet Supplies -
Cat Supplies -
Pet Meds




Thank you to everyone who voted. I appreciate this more than you could possibly know!!!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

WooHoo! E-zine is put to bed....

Feb Issue is done! Great items on sale this month! Fun articles, a little off-beat. Look for it!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Trademark Issues...

I got a very nasty set of e-mails from someone who said he was an attorney in New York. He said I was to stop using the term "Cat Whisperer" because they had trademarked it.

I contacted an attorney of my own, instead of blindly doing what he demanded (yes, demanded!)

My attorney took a look at the documentation, said the guy was full of hooey, and had no business talking to me like that. I'd given him no reason to be that nasty, and I was very short and direct in my answers, but not rude.

Anyway, it boils down to me trademarking a similar term, since the term "Cat Whisperer" cannot be trademarked. You can't trademark the word "Cat" and the term "Cat Whisperer" is too short to trademark. Meanwhile, my attorney and I have decided to trademark the term in such a way that I won't ever have to deal with the likes of this supposed attorney or his ilk, again.

So, I need $1,000. Anybody need help with their cats? Not asking for a loan or a donation, but I'd sure love to earn it!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Oy! Vet day!

Yikes! I tried to get all the cats to the vet on the same day - didn't work.

I got Beasley, Fluffy and Bugs in. Queenie took a big chunk out of my hand and Princess took cover, nowhere to be found.

It will probably take a good 2 weeks for my hand to stop throbbing and the muscle to fully heal. She got me in the middle of the back of the hand, right down to the muscle, and it totally disabled my hand for about 15 minutes. Not a good bite for me, but an excellent defensive tactic on Queenie's part. The funny thing was, I had full control over her paws and her body. She couldn't get away. She squirmed, bent over and bit down hard.

Maybe if I'd let go, she wouldn't have gotten the second bite in...

Live and learn.

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I'll get her in later, I guess.

Claustrophobia isn't just for people, I guess. The small confines of a carrier can terrorize a cat.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Kitty Visual Catnip...

My cats have been having a ball, watching the birds outside the window. I can't keep the bird feeders full.

The birds have this deal where they tip the feeders over, and spill the seed on the ground. I need some feeders that can't be tipped, I guess.

So, anyway, I finally stopped filling the things to the top and wasting all the seed. I now only put a little in every other day.

And the cats love it!

I've got the Sparrows, of course. They are greedy little feeders.

But I've also got Cardinals. Male and female juveniles and adults. They are so pretty!

No Finches yet. I think I need a different seed mix for those. No Grackles, either, or Starlings. I've had a few Ravens, but they moved on.

I hear the kitty chirping going on, even now...

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It's been very cold here - about 15 last night. My neighbor's very tame and indoor-only cat got out a couple of days ago, and no one has seen her since. I'm worried that she's frozen to death. I checked what I could, and notified the neighbors on the other side, but I'm afraid there is little hope for her.

We'll keep looking.