The Mother of All Cat Trees

The gorgeous Cat Treehouse – Tan above has caught Alexa’s eye – both of them. She envisions herself sprawled out in the cradle for nap time and awakening to a rousing game of sharpening her claws as though her life depended upon it. She loves to climb and seems to think this cat tree would be both a hoot and a holler (excuse her accent, she’s southern after all).

Hannah prefers to stay low to the ground – I can’t imagine that she’d have much use for this particular cat tree. She would do something pretty unique, though. Even though she has been declawed (we didn’t do it, she was without her front claws when she adopted us), she goes through the motions of sharpening her claws.

For some reason, it somehow breaks my heart every time I see her do it. I suspect that she realizes that each time she does it, I swoop her up with an unusual amount of baby talk, petting, kissing – all of which is followed by something fishy and delicious.

Hmmmm, maybe that explains why she goes through the motion so often. Cats are incredibly smart and we cat lovers can be wrapped around their little paws so easily!

Product Description:
Your cat will be living the high life with this Cat Treehouse! Perfect for multiple kitties, this cat play house is ready for playtime or for naptime. Cats love being above the action – it gives them a chance to keep lookout! This tower features everything a cat could wish for – two cradles, a round bed, and it is topped with a mini-house. This piece of cat play furniture also has sisal scratching posts. Cats love the feel of sisal, and a good scratching post will deter your cat from scratching furniture. This Cat Treehouse uses solid pine poles, and heavy duty screws and bolts – it is supremely sturdy. Available in nine colors – Country Blue, Navy Blue, Red, Green, Hunter Green, Tan, Brown, and Gray. Give your favorite feline the ‘purr-fect’ home with the Cat Treehouse. This item ships directly from the manufacturer. Product usually arrives in 14-21 business days, depending on destination, including order processing and shipping. APO/FPO shipping unavailable This item/items are delivered by common carrier truck. The service will call to schedule an appointment for delivery.

Learn more about the Cat Treehouse – Tan by clicking the link.

Keeping Your Pet Safe This Halloween

ASPCA released the following News Alert concerning Pet Safety during this time of year. As Pet Parents, it’s up to us to protect them and keep them safe, so here are ten ways we can do just that:

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1. No tricks, no treats: That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy. Chocolate in all forms can be very dangerous for dogs and cats, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed. If you suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even occur if large pieces are ingested.

3. Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet could experience damage to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don’t put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume can cause undue stress.

6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn’t annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal’s movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe or bark. Keep a look out for small, dangling, or easily chewed-off pieces on the costume that your pet could choke on.

7. Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not obstruct her vision in any way. Even the sweetest animals can get snappy when they can’t see.

8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn’t dart outside.

10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and become lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you.

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Sorry For the Lack of Posts Lately!

Before I get to the post for today, I just have to apologize for the lack of posts lately. In addition to being a cat fanatic and blogger, I also build blogs and websites for a living. Usually, since I work from home , my work load is pretty light – allowing me to tend to my blogs – but the past few months have been crazy…exciting, but crazy! I’ve put up two new blogs and one website of my own, one website for someone else, and 5 blogs for others.

Since I’m also a wife and mother (of humans as well as cats!) , I only work for an average of 6 hours a day. So, needless to say, there wasn’t much time left over for my fun stuff – like this blog.

Fortunately things have settled down now – so things will be back to normal.

Also, I have to apologize for a few comments and e-mails that slid past me. I LOVE comments and e-mail, so I’ve enjoyed going back and reading them all – I’m in the process of responding. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of them! For those who were looking to exchange links, you’ve been added – and thanks a lot!

I’ve had several questions lately about my furry babies. Sadly, we lost our dog Wednesday a few months ago. He was a very old little guy, so we knew it was a matter of time. He had been fed, regularly, some of the food that was found to be tainted – but since he was, like 700 years old, I have no way of really knowing if it was the food or simply old age. He was losing his vision and hearing – so my little guy’s number was about up, anyway. Of course we miss him muchly. It still seems strange for my husband not to head off on his late night walks with him.

As for the beauty in the banner above – yes, indeed, that’s one of our babies! She’s Alexa and she’s, honestly, one of the prettiest cats I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen….heck, HAD, billions!). She’s a lot like her mother, Carly, was – in that she has zero tolerance for male cats, mice, and birds. Fortunately, she’s much, much more affectionate and friendly than my Carly was.

We still have Bo, Svenn, and Prissy (who might just out live all of us!). Beautiful Adam just didn’t show up one day in January and we haven’t seen him since. That’s, in my opinion, the worst way to lose an animal. You just don’t KNOW what happened, and if you let your mind hang around that thought very long, it’ll drive you crazy. We’re trying to convince ourselves that he followed off one of the little girl cats down the road and they’ve set up a family somewhere. Then again, someone could have taken him inside and thought they’d found a perfect housecat. He was is a gorgeous, gorgeous cat with the sweetest nature and personality you could hope for.

How my girl Carly could have had such sweet babies is beyond me! She was a perfect little mess. And, of course, we loved her to distraction.

Again, I’m sorry that I’ve been off my game – I am now climbing back on it! Thanks for your patience! The readers of this particular blog are an amazingly friendly and warm bunch of people – I guess that says a lot about cat people, huh?!

Joi

Mind-Boggling Fact About Cat Reproduction

I was reading an interesting article on cat health recently – mostly about their reproductive habits. Within the article included a letter from a cat owner who wondered why the kittens in her cat’s litter all looked so different. Two were long-haired and black, one was a long-haired white kitten, and still another was a short-haired, orange-ish kitten.

The thought of the babies made me weak in the knees, but the experts response made them buckle. Below was the answer:

“Believe it or not, they probably all had different fathers! One of the more bizarre biological attributes of a female cat is that she can go into heat while she’s already pregnant. So a single litter of kittens can have more than one father.”

That explains why I’ve seen so many litters with babies that looked nothing alike. Carly’s own babies, apparently had two different fathers. Alexa and Adam are both long-haired beauties while Bo has a short beautiful coat. I actually wish he had more hair with the weather being as cold as it is. If I weren’t afraid it’d get hung on a tree, I’d get him a sweater – he’s all about fashion, you know, and would embrace the chance to be big pimpin’.

But…alas, as clumsy as he is, he’d end up hanging himself or facing some sort of catastrophe – so I’ll just keep giving him plenty of straw to bury himself in.

Joi

Human Emotions, Stress and Cats

There has been a lot going on in our lives this year – some good, but most about as bad as it gets. The worst was in March, when my mom suddenly decided she wanted a bigger house – as in Heaven. (Honestly, the day before she passed away, she told me that “…by summer I want to move into a bigger house.” To which I said, “Okay, I’ll help you!” Turns out she didn’t need my help.)

We also lost two cats who we loved very much this year. One (Renee Elise), we hadn’t had very long at all. The other (Carly) was a well-established family member. Then, last month we had a close call with Bo that nearly did us all in…

We did get an addition to the family when we inherited “custody” of my mom’s MUCH beloved and very sweet dog, Wednesday. He’s become part of the family and we love having him around. (The cats have adjusted better than I thought they could or would.)

But I think all the losses and the stress that comes with it has taken a toll on all of us. I know I’m just now getting to the point that I feel relaxed….and almost my old self. For months, very little mattered – and I’m realizing that now as I’m trying to “clean up” some of the things I’d let go! My laundry room and flower beds may never forgive me. And I can’t say that I blame them.

I was thinking earlier about how our cats have been affected. Animals are very sensitive to change, as well as to human’s emotions. When they see one of us cry, for example – they know something’s wrong. My babies have seen a lot of that this year, because whenever I feel my emotions getting the best of me, I go outside. They, of course, come running and we all sit down on the porch or on the patio (sometimes in the driveway!) – it’s as though they intentionally try to cheer me up and/or comfort me. Adam and Svenn get as close as possible to me and purr louder than I’ve ever heard any cat purr. Alexa and Bo like to keep me busy….trying to save my feet from being mauled or my fingers from being chewed. It’s hard to feel sad when your cats are pouncing and stalking your houseshoes.

Prissy is a cuddler/purrer like Adam and Svenn – she’s just a lot older, so she falls asleep about 2 minutes into the comforting!

Until I really started thinking about it, I didn’t realize how many times they’ve lifted me up.

I’ve been trying lately to just chill with them like we used to do. No tears, no sadness – just smiles whether we’re just sitting around (praying for a breeze!), grilling, playing with tennis balls, ribbons, or sticks, taking walks around the yard, or doing yard chores like picking up fallen apples and tossing away the bad ones. (Bo’s favorite chore. When I walk out the back door with plastic bags, he heads for the apple trees ahead of me.)

I think we’re all learning how to live normally again. It’s just something that we sometimes forget when we should always remember – animals have emotions and they can feel stress just as we can. To make matter worse, their coping skills are even worse than ours! They rely on us to help them out, and often in doing so, we help ourselves as well.

Joi

The image above is available on t-shirts from . The website has a great selection of t-shirts, jewelry, calendars, frames, etc for those of us proud to call ourselves cat lovers!

10 Ways to Make Your Cat Smile!

1. Like a genie in a bottle, you gotta rub her the right way. Namely, the spots she can’t reach herself. My cats look like the picture of ecstasy when their rubbed under the chin, around their cheeks and at the base of their tails.

If you get a soft-bristled brush, they’ll think they’ve gone to kitty Heaven.

2. An old box, for a cat, is a new adventure. My husband and youngest daughter got a wild hair a week ago and decided to upgrade our tv. They wanted a bigger one, and one that played dvds. Personally I think they just wanted to torture me – more remote controls and what’s its to figure out.

Anyway, I’m not sure who’s happier now – Steph, with her fashion channels, Michael , with the golf channel, me – with my cooking shows, or the cats with their new box castle. Ultimately, everyone’s smiling.

3. Get floored. Lay right down on the floor, or ground, with them. Prissy loves for me to lie down on the floor – she cozies right up next to me and, after a little head-scratching and a lot of purring, she’s out like a light.

4. String them along. Grab some string or a shoelace and watch the party kick into high gear. The cool thing about cats is that they know when to stop playing. Whereas dogs will literally play for hours, cats will, after awhile, decide that they’re above it all.

10 minutes into some great string maneuvering, she might think, “I’d look much cooler over there.” Then she’ll strut off and lie down, giving you a “Yeah, we’re through here.” look.

5. If you have to be away from her for a while, leave something behind with your smell on it. A shirt, a pillow, a robe – something that’s distinctly you. Prissy has always loved sleeping on our bed – and if my husband tosses a top or his pjs on the bed, it’s where she sleeps for hours.

6. Don’t jack up the volume on tvs or cd players. Their little ears are sensitive.

7. Remember that your cat’s favorite time in the world is dinner time – so don’t feed her with an attitude of “Ewww, this stinks…” or “Here’s another chore I have to do…” – let her hear the smile in your voice. She’ll think you’re the coolest of the cool.

8. Look at her, right in the eye, and talk to her. Cats LOVE to be the center of attention – it’s right where they were meant to be.

9. Be aware of the times that she comes to greet you – and never pass right by without acknowledging her. Imagine how you’d feel if you rushed to welcome a loved one home just to have them pass you by without a word!

10. As with any relationship, don’t take them for granted. We always get comfortable in our relationships – thinking “We had them yesterday, we have them today, we’ll have them tomorrow.” Only two of those can be written in ink – the third’s very much in pencil.

We should never take anything or anyone for granted – we should make those who mean the world to us KNOW that they mean the world to us.

I see Bo at the patio window – I think he’s wanting “mommy” to practice what she posts, so I’m outta here!

Joi

Svenn and Alexa – An Adorable Picture

Svenn and Alexa have been buddying up alot lately. Thankfully Alexa’s “fixed” or we’d have Svenn kitties all over the place. (He fancies himself a ladies man.) For some reason Bo has decided he has little use for Svenn, so he hisses at him whenever he lays eyes on him – even if it’s half a mile away. Methinks Svenn just annoys Bo for some reason. Adam has no problem with Svenn….but then again Adam’s so laid back he doesn’t have a problem with anything or anyone – unless they get between him and food! Not even Svenn’s that careless.

Bo has actually gotten a little better the past few days – he and Svenn were even eating fish off of the same plate last night, so maybe they’ve patched their differences. I certainly hope so, I’d hate to take either one of those characters to be “fixed” – Bo would pout for a month and it’d make Svenn suicidal. A suicidal Svenn would be a very, very, very bad thing.

Joi

Baby Blankets Aren’t Just for Human Babies!

I bought an incredibly soft baby blanket not long ago and put it in one of our cats’ beds. As you can see from the pic, Adam and Bo are absolutely in love with it.

I think we need to get them a bigger bed – and maybe a few more baby blankets! It’s really a sight when Alexa climbs in there with them.

Carly Strikes Again

<center><img src=”http://www.cat-pause.com/cat3.jpg” height=200/></center>

Look at this happy guy.  Why’s he so ridiculously happy?  Because he obviously has never met <a href=”http://www.cat-pause.com/blog/snarly-carly/”>Carly</a>.  Therefore, he has no idea what real fear is.

She was sitting behind one of her babies (Adam) this morning and slapped him upside his little head for absolutely no reason whatsoever.    I went over to pick her up and she turned her purring motor on – like, “What, mom?  I was just playing.  The hiss?  Oh, that wasn’t a hiss as much as it was a… uh… a giggle.  Yeah, it was a giggle.”

She sat in my lap, nicely, for about 20 minutes after that – which is unusual because Carly doesn’t do anything nicely for more than 2 minutes.  I’m starting to get worried.  I think she’s up to something.

By the way – little Adam never knew what (literally) hit him.  He was busy attacking Bo’s tail at the time and never even knew Carly had whacked him.  That or her children are accustomed to her ways.

Sigh.

Meet Beautiful Soft-Spoken Adam

That handsome young man is Adam, one of the sweetest, gentlest, most laid back cats in the world – I can’t imagine one being MORE laid back than this little guy.

Since the day he was born, we’ve only heard a sound come from him twice (besides purring, which he does all the time). I guess you’d have to classify the two sounds as meows, but they really weren’t up to that level. Most of the time, he moves his mouth but nothing comes out. It’s a real contrast to Carly and Alexa who scream their meows, and Bo who just sort of shrieks and squeals.

Maybe Adam’s just busy listening to the rest of them. When they all get going, it IS truly something to behold!

Joi
Cat-Pause.com

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