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.

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!

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.

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.

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...

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...

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!

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....

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.

Christmas may be over, but...

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