What is My Cat Thinking? Cat Lovers, You’re Going to Love this Book!

I absolutely love What Is My Cat Thinking?: The Essential Guide to Understanding Pet Behavior, by Gwen Bailey. As the mother of (currently) six cats (and countless cats in the past and future), I can tell you this: Gwen Bailey knows her kitties!

The photography in this wonderful book is gorgeous and the information is priceless. There’s a great deal of humor because, face it, cat’s are – by nature – hilarious little creatures.

Even if you’re as close to and familiar with cats as I am, I guarantee you’ll learn something from this book. It’s chock-full of fascinating insight and explanations for many of the mysteries surrounding the way our cats think and behave. While they revel in being mysterious and quirky, Gwen Bailey lets us in on a few of their secret thoughts and feelings.

It’s just an outstanding book that I turn to again and again.

Below are a few of the excellent and informative Did You Know’s from the pages of What Is My Cat Thinking?

• A cat that has been to the vet may come back smelling very different and may be treated like a stranger by other cats that once lived in harmony with him.  Separating them and swapping their scents with a cloth may help.
• Adult cats are more likely to adjust to a new kitten than to a new adult cat that is introduced into the household.
• By sniffing a male cat’s urine, female cats can tell whether or not he is a suitable mate.  They are able to detect by-products of his food, which tell them how much fresh meat he has eaten, and hence, how good a hunter he is.  This helps determine how suitable he would be as a father for her kittens (Ming Li, apparently never found a scent she didn’t approve of!).
• The amount of socialization a kitten has with people while he is between two and seven weeks old will determine how well he will interact with people later in life.  Good experiences in early life will produce a friendly, outgoing cat.

The last Did You Know is one that I certainly can attest to.    The friendliest, most outgoing cats we’ve ever had were ones that we had from very, very early on. Alexa and Bo, for example, were born to our beloved Carly – we were there when they were born and every day thereafter.  This produced very friendly, outgoing, and spoiled babies!

We got our precious Prissy when she was only about 6 or 7 weeks old.  She was babied and pampered from the time she was tiny enough to fit in one hand to the day, over 20 years later, when we lost her.  On each of those many, many, many days, Prissy was one of the sweetest, friendliest, most sociable cats I’ve ever loved.  She’d greet strangers at the door, sit in any available lap and insist on being in the middle of everything.

Needless to say, I still miss that little girl something fierce but feel incredibly blessed to have had her in our family for so long.

I’m also incredibly blessed to have the beautiful little babies we have now.  Alexa and Hannah are extremely outgoing and friendly.  Alexa is my constant companion – always within reach for chin scratching, head rubbing, and belly tickling (and what a belly it is!).

Jelly Bean – although he was born to our feral cat Ming Li – is coming around.  I can pet him easily now.  I don’t push things and always allow him to call the shots.  He’s a large beautiful, solid black cat with gorgeous big green eyes.  He feels like absolute silk and the fact that he allows me to rub him now just makes me smile head to toe.

Tristan, Gabriel, Bullet, and Scratch (also Ming Li’s) weren’t around us at all in the first month of their lives.  Ming Li brought them into our yard (and garage!) when they were past 7 weeks old.  They remain very much feral cats but I honestly believe I’m winning one of them (Scratch) over.  Tristan, the only girl, is a very tiny black cat and I don’t think I have any hope of ever petting her.

Bullet shows promise, but not quite as much as Scratch.  Feral cats are so frustrating to people who love cats as much as I do!

Jelly Bean honestly is a reformed feral cat – he sticks close to the house and is becoming downright sociable.  I have a large basket with a blue baby blanket in it for him on a shelf on our carport.  It’s his bed of choice and he can be found in it 85 percent of the time. He even lets me pet him and baby talk him in his bed, something I wouldn’t have ever thought possible a few months ago.

Click the link to learn more about What Is My Cat Thinking?: The Essential Guide to Understanding Pet Behavior, by Gwen Bailey and to order a copy for you and your cat(s)!

Safe Toys and Safe Play for Your Cat

One of the things I cherish the most in my e-mail inbox is the daily Cat Age Tip of the Week newsletter. (Click the link to find out how to sign up!)

In today’s tip, we’re reminded how important it is to keep out cats toys and playthings safe.

Here’s the daily tip:
Whether your cat prefers expensive store-bought toys or items found around the house, take care to keep your cavorting cat safe.

To prevent choking, avoid toys with parts that can become detached during play. Bring out the pounce in your pet with safe choices such as a ping-pong ball or a catnip mouse. Playtime with string or yarn should be carefully supervised to prevent your cat from accidentally swallowing it. Finally, secure free-standing kitty condos and cat towers to the floor or wall to keep them from toppling over.

Great advice! I’d also add the following:

• Decorative ribbon that’s used for gifts is very enticing to pets.  It’s fun to play a great game of tug and catch with them using the bright ribbon.  However, this kind shreds pretty easily and could be a real choking hazard to an animal.  Last year, Alexa found a strand beneath the Christmas tree and took off for the back of the house.  It was as though she knew she had something I didn’t want her to have!   I followed to get the ribbon to throw away and, in that little span of time, she had one end down her throat.  This year I didn’t even buy this type of rolled ribbon for our presents.  I subscribe to the theory of “better unbelievably safe than unbelievably sorry.”
• Inspect toys just as you would inspect them for a child.  Think of each conceivable possibility – will this small piece come off…. can that get wrapped around her/his neck… that sort of thing.
• I love the tip above about securing their towers and condos to the wall.  Just because you don’t think it could possibly topple over doesn’t mean it won’t.  I never in a gazillion years believed Alexa would be able to turn an ironing board over on herself, but she sure managed.  (Yes, as a matter of fact, she does have to be watched like a toddler!)  In fact, we have bamboo shelves in the kitchen that she occasionally likes to climb, I need my husband to anchor them to the wall. Our little girl is more of a busy body than Prissy ever was.  Prissy rarely climbed anything beyond the couch or the nearest bed.  Alexa’s convinced she’s part mountain lion.
• Watch out for newspaper left lying around.  If your cat is as inquisitive or playful as Alexa (Heaven help you), they probably like to attack the paper and see how fast they can shred it.  Little pieces of newspaper can get stuck on the back of the cat’s tongue and become a choking hazard quickly.
• While we’re talking about chocking hazards, watch out for the green grass that’s popular in Easter baskets.  Like the ribbon and paper, it can become dangerous very fast.  Be sure it’s out of your little one’s way.

I guess that’s all of the tips I can think of for now… at least until Alexa gets into something else!  If you have any to add, please do so in the comments.

Click the following link for a wonderful article: 10 Ways to Make Your Cat Younger.  Oy.  I’m almost certain Alexa has no waist definition. I mean, I know she has a waist… somewhere…. She’s all over the other 9 though.  She just needs to eat a little less… Maybe cut back to just 1 lunch instead of 3…

Water Fountain for Pampered Cats

Alexa picked up a cute little habit from Prissy – wanting her water to come from the faucet. She’ll perch on one of the bathroom sinks and wait for someone to come along and run her personal little water fountain for her.

I was searching online for a cat window perch earlier when I came across this Hagen CatIt Fresh & Clear Small Drinking Fountain for Cats. How perfect! I think all cats really prefer fresh, moving water and this fountain gives our pampered babies just what they want.

Product Description:
CatIt Fresh & Clear Small Drinking Fountain for CatsProvide an indoor source of moving water that will encourage your pet to drink more with the CatIt Fresh & Clear Small Drinking Fountain. The large water-to-air surface area maximizes oxygenation for fresher, better tasting water. Water is cooled and aerated by the re-circulating system while the multi-stage filtration consisting of a dual-sided foam and activated carbon filter rids your pet’s water of debris and impurities. Also suitable for small dogs.

I think we can categorize this as a MUST HAVE for pampered pets!

Our Cats Love Aristocats Cat Food

This is an old post from the old blog. I’m moving a lot of these posts to this blog, so that I can delete the dinosaur. Precious Prissy was still alive when I wrote this post, so it’s pretty bittersweet to read it. It’s always good to remember her, but I’ll always miss her beautiful little face and graceful, dainty, perfectly delightful disposition. She was so laid back – such a contrast to Miss Alexa!

This particular post actually had over 20 comments, which I’m not moving here, although they were great. I think it was split – about half of the commentators gave thumbs up to this cat food, while half said their cats didn’t seem to care for it.

What experience have you had with this brand? At the time, I hadn’t given Fancy Feast to my cats before, but since then, Alexa has fallen flat out in love with it.

Disney (a name that brings a smile to just about every face, including mine) has jumped, mouse ears first, into the $75 billion global pet care industry ($36 billion in the U.S., alone) with lines of products for cats, dogs, fish, and hamsters. I believe they started with an Old Yeller line of dog food products.

I really first took notice when I saw their Aristocats Cat Food on the shelves at Kroger. Our babies love to try new goodies, so I bought one of each flavor. (On a side note, the cans are perfectly adorable, with scenes from the movie on the side.) This was, honestly, one of the only brands of cat food that our cats, unanimously, loved. Whiskas and Aristocats now stand as the only two “wet food” varieties that result in extremely happy cats and over-licked cat dishes around our house, inside and out.

Prissy and Bo will absolutely eat anything you set in front of them. As though she was determined to prove it, the other day an olive fell off of my pizza and Prissy ate it before I could pick it up. Then she wanted more but I just couldn’t feel good about myself feeding olives to a cat.

Svenn and Alexa are pickier than Bo and Prissy. Usually, he only likes dry food (and only some brands, at that), but he threw himself into the Aristocats cat food. They’ve all requested that I grab more cans on my next Kroger trip. I’m a soft touch, so OF COURSE I’ll do just that!

Apparently, Disney is also planning to launch a line of cat products from the movie “That Darn Cat.”  My test panel is looking forward to it.

Beautiful Picture of Alexa

My daughter Stephany took this picture of Alexa a couple of nights ago.  Steph was at the computer and Alexa kept trying to “catch” the cursor.  She got the camera to catch her in motion, but Alexa took it as a cue to pose.

This cat loves the camera like crazy!  All of our babies do – Bo and Svenn included.  Prissy also loved to have her picture taken.

Fortunately for all of them, they’re my girls’ favorite photo subjects.

A Few Thoughts About the Reltionships We Have With Our Cats

If you’ve ever lost a much, much, much beloved pet (especially one you’d had for so long) you know how hard it can be. I’ve made it to the place where I can talk about Prissy and smile and/or laugh most of the time. For weeks, the of her little face or the mention of her name brought tears streaming down my face.

But now, when I think of my girl, I feel happy. She meant so much to us, for so long (over 20 years!), I feel entirely grateful and blessed to have had her in my life.

I’m also very blessed to have my adorable, mischievous little boy cats Svenn and Bo and my little angel girl, Alexa. They bring me so much happiness and love and, of course, fun. Alexa, as Prissy was, is a house baby. We don’t let her out at all. She is the perfect picture of a fluffy, beautiful, pampered cat and she lights up my world when she walks into a room.

I was reminded of something a few days ago. Alexa had apparently followed my daughter Brittany into the bathroom before she (Britt!) took a shower and began her lengthy process of washing her hair, drying her hair, flat ironing her hair, etc. I got to wondering where Alexa was because, quite frankly, she’s within arms length of me more times than not.

My oldest daughter, Emily, had gone outside earlier and I began to worry that Alexa had, somehow gotten outside. I looked in her regular hangouts – her food dish, a favorite bay window perch, my husband’s computer desk – all were Alexa free.

I didn’t even consider that she’d followed Brittany into the bathroom because she never does that (like all of us, we know that could mean being lost for hours!). Just as worry was really taking over, I heard the bathroom door crack open a little and Alexa came running out. Freedom!

She rushed over to me and I picked her up. We both purred.

It made me think. What if, when we’re gone to the store, out to eat, or out to work in the yard (for those who do that sort of thing!) – our cats wonder where we are?? That would explain why they’re so glad to see us when we come home. Alexa always comes running, meowing, as though to say, “There you are!”

It’s all the more reason to make sure we always pick our babies up and let them know that we’re just as glad to see them as they are to see us!

How Pampered Cats Roll

My entire family (which includes myself, my husband, three human daughters, one cat daughter, and two cat sons) want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of the sweet and kind words you expressed after we lost our little Prissy.   We all miss that little girl something terrible, but your kindness has honestly given us reason to smile.  Thank you so much, and much love to you and your cat babies.

The bed to the left is something I thought you might get a kick out of.  I think it’s positively gorgeous (almost as gorgeous as the beauty that’s enjoying it).

It’s a solid cherry bed with poplar slats, brass accents and a red plaid fleece cushion.  The bad will compliment any room and will go with any home decor. The Classic Bed is a unique, handcrafted piece of furniture that has a durable finish and will give your baby years of enjoyment and comfort.  If our pets live as long as Prissy did, that’ll be at least 20 years of comfort and contentment in their very own bed.  How sweet’s that?!

The cat bed  is also actually ideal for small dogs – but don’t tell your cat.  It  measures approximately 28″L x 19 1/2″W x 11″H.

Each bed comes with the hand made fleece cushion, which is machine washable and has a zippered end for easy removal of the pillow insert. The Classic Cat Bed arrives completely assembled, ready for use.  The fact that it comes fully assembled is just icing on the cake.

Something else I love (and sometimes I honestly think I’m the only person who’d even worry about such things) – the plaid fleece cushion is just as appropriate for a feminine little girl cat as it is for a macho little guy cat.  Which means it’s just as appropriate for Bo as it would be Alexa.  PLUS, it’s just as appropriate for a feminine little guy cat – like, well… like Svenn.

I very much needed a reason to laugh yesterday morning and my boy provided it.  I was in the front yard, observing the damage the ice storm had done to our beloved trees.  I was carrying Bo because, truth be told, he may try to act a little macho, but he’s a total momma’s boy.  Anyway, I suddenly saw Svenn run around the corner of the house toward us.  I set Bo up on a safe window ledge and grabbed Svenn.  We live out of the city, so it could have been anything from a dog or coyote after him or a raccoon or rabbit (don’t laugh, it’s Svenn).

When nothing ever showed (in spite of his hair sticking straight up, eyes bugging out, and ears pinned back like they’d been gelled that way) – I walked around the corner to take a look. Just then the wind blew and our Grill’s cover flapped in the breeze, prompting my baby to jump out of my arms and flee the other way – running for his very life.  I had to laugh in spite of myself as Bo crept up for a closer inspection.  He and I both determined that we needed a new grill AND grill cover, and be both agreed that neither were anywhere near the biggest loss we’d seen this week.

Hug your cat(s) today and tell them your world wouldn’t be the same without them.  (That’s my new tagline for this site.  It’ll appear at the end of each future post because, quite frankly, truer words were never spoken.)

To take a closer look at the stylishly beautiful Classic Cat Bed, click the link or the picture above.

Saying Goodbye to Prissy

Sadly, it’s time for the post that I knew would one day have to be written. We lost Prissy early Sunday morning, between 1 and 2 am – she always was the dramatic type.

If you have pets, you understand that I am completely and utterly emotionally drained.  Of course I’m relieved and grateful that she didn’t suffer.  I’ve been praying to that end for over a year.  I also prayed that I’d be able to tell her goodbye, something that I was also able to do.  However, even though I’m thankful, I honestly just wants to lie across the bed and cry until I forget how to stop.

We had that beautiful little girl for over 20 years! It seems so out of the ordinary and so impossibly unreal that I can’t walk into the next room and hear her purr as I pet her head and kiss her precious little nose.

When she first came into our family, she could sit in one of my hands. Her little face was so full, she almost looked like she’d topple over face first. Her body caught up to her cheeks (did it ever!) and she became one of the vainest, most beautiful cats I’ve honestly ever seen.

She was extremely active, nosy, spoiled and pampered for 20 years. Well, active’s pushing it a little bit. This past year saw her slow down a great deal – plus she lost her sight entirely.  Right before her sight was gone completely, I got some catnip filled toy mice for our cats.  I didn’t figure Miss Prissy would be interested, so I just got her one of her favorite snacks.  She showed me!  She waltzed over to Alexa’s mouse and swatted it away from her (as you can imagine, Alexa bugged out and looked at me in shock).

Alexa laid down to see what Prissy would do next, and I plopped right down in the floor with them.  Prissy batted it toward me and I sent it back her way.

She sniffed it a few times then walked toward me, meowing  – pretty pleased with herself.  She ate her snack, then went back to the couch.  When Alexa was sure the path was clear, she gave the catnip mouse a workout he’ll never forget.

We had to move Prissy into our large laundry room so she wouldn’t hurt herself. The last straw was a few months ago when the little nut somehow managed to crawl up on a toilet seat to get closer to one of my daughters who was doing her hair. She carefully got her down and brought me my little mountain goat, planting kisses on her head the entire time. (There was something about that little head that made you want to cover it with kisses!)

The thought of her breaking a leg, after living such a long, pain free life killed me, so the laundry room became her bedroom. She had a huge floor pillow and a pink baby blanket for a bed, a basket with covers across it for crawling into – it was her favorite spot during the day.

When she first moved into the laundry room, I’d get her out a few times a day. She’d lie in a bean bag while I worked. But about 4 weeks ago, she lost interest in doing anything but sleeping and eating. Eating was the only thing she loved more than being told how beautiful she was! When I picked her up, she still purred, but somehow it seemed to bring her discomfort.

When she didn’t eat anything at all Saturday, I knew that Sunday would be my first day in over 20 years without my sweet, beautiful little Prissy.

My husband, who became a “cat lover extraordinaire” the minute he saw that little wide faced white kitten, built her a little brick memorial in the corner of our yard. Fitting for a diva! I’m going to plant the most spectacular flowers around it that you’ve ever seen. They won’t be 1/4th as beautiful as she was, but I think she’d be pleased.

Alexa always deferred to Prissy, even though she was twice her size and 1/5 her age.   If Alexa was eating or drinking when Prissy came into a room, Alexa would stop and walk a few feet away.  She’d honestly wait until Prissy was finished before she went back to eating.  It didn’t matter if Prissy was at her own dish or Alexa’s – Alexa would make way for her.

Alexa has seemed sad the past few days as well.  A cat that normally plays for hours a day, she has barely even looked at her toys.  She’s sitting quietly on the computer desk beside me, almost as though she knows what I’m doing.  I’m sure the tears are giving me away.

I think it’s time for Alexa and me to find a few catnip balls that need a little attention.

Click HERE to read my little tribute to Prissy on Self Help Daily. I’m trying to stay as busy as possible – to keep my mind on a million other things. Because the minute it pauses, the sense of loss is overwhelming.

Lighthouse Cat Tower is Too Gorgeous For Mere Words

The Deluxe Lighthouse Cat Tower is so amazing, I can’t even believe it.

One of the things we all love the most about cats is the way they’re certain the world revolves around them. This Lighthouse Tower would be the perfect way to let them know that… yeah, it pretty much does!

Details:
At just over 6′ tall and 4′ wide, this amazing kitty tower has an attached house, which connects to the main tower through a doorway in the house’s interior.  The colonial-style house has four windows and its own kitty doorway.

A wide base prevents the tower from toppling.  (Thank goodness for that!)

Dimensions:

73″H x 50″W x 28″D The image shown of this piece is a prototype model. Your actual piece will be made with beautiful high quality carpeting and carpet inlays. The carpet colors will be as shown in the photo.

These beauties are custom made to order and usually leave the warehouse in 14 – 21 business days.

Order one for your little girl or boy today and enjoy years of entertainment.

Gift Ideas for Your Pampered Cat

Well, of course we cat lovers give gifts to our feline babies. If you think about it, we see them more during the year than we do most people in our own family. Theyr’e always there for us, they never criticize what we wear, they think we’re the best cooks on earth, and they make our world light up with just one purr. We love to buy things for them all year, but at Christmas time, it seems even sweeter.

Consider the following great tips and ideas from Cat Age:

Toys and treats: Stuff a stocking with catnip-filled toys and a few healthful treats. Your pet will love digging them out. Choose indestructible toys with no bells, baubles, or strings he can bite off and choke on. If in doubt about a toy’s safety, supervise during playtime.

Warm and snuggly: Wrap a padded plush bed in crinkly paper that kitty can tear into. The paper will entertain him for hours, and the bed will keep him cozy all winter.

Playground accessories: Keep his life interesting with cat climbers, scratchers, tunnels, and laser pointers.

At Prissy’s age, Christmas is just like any other day. As long as she has her food, her extra large pillow bed, plenty of chin scratching, and fresh water – she’s a tiny, purring, ridiculously happy 20 year old cat. Svenn and Bo love when Christmas season first arrives because they love sorting through the garage with me as we find all the santas, snowmen, trees, lights, etc. Truth be told, they aren’t a lot of help, but the company couldn’t be sweeter. Or cuter.

Alexa gets the most excited about Christmas though. Her splint is off her leg now and she’s getting around perfectly well. Every now and then, she’ll favor the leg – but I’m just so thankful my little girl’s back to her normal, enjoyable routines. She has assumed her rightful place in front of me on my computer desk and, somehow, all feels right with the world again.

One of the first things she wanted to do first (after being set free from her doggie kennel cage and splint) was explore the Christmas tree and presents. Last night, my husband and I were watching a few dvds. During the first one, she kept walking around on top of the presents and gift bags – swatting, chewing, and examining. Apparently, the second movie was more to her liking (She’s a Vin Diesel fan.) because she got on the couch beside my husband and watched with us.

In Prissy’s younger days, she would actually climb the Christmas tree, knocking ornaments and bows down along the way. I had to watch that girl 24/7 to make sure she didn’t hurt herself. Fortunately, Alexa (who’s weight would make things especially disasterous) seems content with staying on the ground.

I hope you, your furry babies and the rest of your family are enjoying every single magical second of Christmas! There’s really nothing quite like it.

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