When it comes to cat vaccinations, cat owners can have a ton of questions. Mostly, the questions center around the safety. We wonder if we should vaccinate our cat and, if we do, will it lengthen her life?
Thanks to Paw Nation, much of the mystery and controversy has been dealt with. Paw Nation spoke with veterinarians Kristen Nelson, author of “Coated with Fur: A Vet’s Life,” and Christine Bellezza, co-director of the Feline Health Center at Cornell University.
When and why should pet owners vaccinate their cats?
The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) recommends that kittens start getting their shots at around 6 to 8 weeks of age, the time when the immunity they received from their mothers starts to wane. “It’s important to vaccinate cats because the viruses that we’re vaccinating against are very prevalent in the environment,” Bellezza says. “Cats that aren’t vaccinated are very much at risk.”
Despite that high risk, not all cat owners follow the guidelines.
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of incorrect information on the Internet related to vaccinations,” says Dr. Nelson. “As a result, I have observed an increase in the number of people who refuse vaccinations for their pets. Now I am beginning to see an increase in the number of animals who contract these diseases.”
To read the rest of the interview (one that all cat owners should read from the first word to the last word), please visit Cat Vaccines: What You Need to Know
Presenting your precious cat with a new toy is every bit as fun and rewarding as presenting a child with a new toy. And why not, our pets are our babies after all! Not only are cat toys fun for cats to play with – giving them entertainment and enjoyment, cat toys are also vital to a cat’s health. They provide a little exercise for your cat (or a lot, depending upon your cat’s energy level!).
Cat toys also keep an inside cat, who doesn’t have other cats or dogs to play with, from getting bored. They keep her mind active and provide a level of the unexpected that she craves nearly as much as she craves tuna. Nearly.
I recently bought Alexa a new toy and she has delighted herself with it for hours since.
Her favorite toys are balls and she’s absolutely on top of the kitty world when we’re in the floor playing baseball. I roll it to her and she swats it with her paw back toward me. She can’t be bothered with running the bases, of course, because she’s conserving her energy and has been since she was a day old.
She also doesn’t go for any “loose” balls if I happen to roll it too far to the left or too far to the right. It’s up to me to retrieve all of these, as well as the ones she swats pass me.
I get quite a workout crawling around like a 12 month old.
Alexa has a toy box (actually a basket) that she loves to grab toys from – but, of course (like all kids) she never puts them back. That’s also left to me.
Cats just love toys like the ETHICAL/SPOT SPRING DING CAT TOYS ASSORTED
above. Alexa has this adorable cat toy pegged as the next addition to her toy collection.
Since she is one pampered little girl, it’s jut a matter of time. I look forward to chasing this cute little cat toy around… and then putting it back where it goes.
One of us has to.
*** Cat Toy Safety: Be sure to examine your cat’s toys for pieces that have come loose – small parts that could choke your cat. Also, never allow anything near your cat that she could get wrapped around her neck.
Alexa once had, somehow, found a long paper ribbon left over from Christmas. She managed to get part of it down her throat and was as struggling to pull it out. Thanks be to God, I happened to be walking through the room at the time and pulled it out.
Meet Max. This handsome cat is one lucky little guy.
Here’s his story: The 9-year-old cat (who reminds me of our own little Hannah) went missing in Boulder, Colorado in mid-June. A naughty little boy, he snuck out of the hotel that his family, the Deraneys of Niedernhausen, Germany, were staying in. They had spent the summer at the hotel, and were visiting a family member when Max stepped out.
Despite an intense search, Max had not been located before the family had to return to Germany. Can you imagine?!
Max was found October 5th, less than a mile from the hotel. A cat-loving couple saw him roaming the streets and took him to the Humane Society, hoping to adopt him if he didn’t have an owner. A microchip scan showed that Max did have a home … a German home – 5,000 miles away!
Max’s survival for four months could “quite possibly be due to the kindness of people in the community,” said Kim Terlau, animal services supervisor at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley.
“He is an active cat and does show interest in prey behavior, but to be honest, I’m not sure how skilled of a hunter he is,” she said. When he was first brought to the shelter, he was famished, scarfing down his food as soon as it was set in front of him.
Max’s mother came to the states for him and flew him back home to Germany. I’m pretty sure he didn’t even get a stern “talking to.”
How wonderful is it to hear about animal story with a happy ending? Warms the heart.
I’m sure you already know this…after all, if you love your cat enough to hang out on a cat blog, you’re the coolest of the cool….but I wanted to remind you of something.
Be sure to always pay special attention to your baby (or babies!) when you come home from the store or work – or wherever it is you’ve wandered off to. A lot of cats come to greet their beloved people – ready to welcome us back with open paws , and far too often we get so busy taking our shoes off, checking our phone messages, throwing up our e-mail, etc., that we don’t take enough time to acknowledge the warmest, sweetest welcome we could ever hope for.
We should put down whatever we have and give our cats all of our undivided attention. After all, their cats, so that means they’ll get their feel of all the touchy feely emotions fairly quickly – then we can get off to all the other stuff. The stuff that comes way after them in importance anyway!
Lazy Afternoon Art Print
Buy at AllPosters.com
This cat art print pretty well sums up the beauty of cats. They’re so gracefully beautiful and relaxing to have around. Couldn’t you just lie down next to this cat and sleep the afternoon away? At least until he/she wakes up hungry!
One of Ming Li’s kittens, Jelly Bean, has become a member of the family. Since his mom (Ming Li) and dad (Jet Li) were both feral, he’s very, very cautious of humans – including this cat-obsessed human even. However, unlike his two siblings (nameless until I determine their sexes), he comes close enough to touch.
He lives in the garage with Hannah and she has sort of assumed a motherly role with him. Ming Li came through about a week ago and was majorly pregnant. I haven’t seen her for a few days, but I have a feeling that when she shows up again, she’ll be her slender self again. Jelly Bean went running up to her, glad to see his cat mommy – but she hissed at him and stopped him in his tracks. He ran back to Hannah’s side.
Can’t say I blame him!
A few nights ago, I took out a couple of Alexa’s toys to entertain Hannah and Jelly Bean. Hannah is hilarious when she plays. She’ll sit really still, acting like she’s only half-interested in the ball, feather cat toy, catnip mouse (whatever). As I rub her head, she seems only interested in that – nothing else in the world seems to matter. Then, all of a sudden, she’ll prance on the toy and give it heck.
Then…. back to the head rubs.
The first time Jelly Bean saw a toy ball, he looked so adorable sweet it brought tears to my eyes. He hunkered down, sort of unsure of what he’d do next, then he threw caution out the window and joyously pounced on the ball. Then he swatted it in my direction. When I rolled it back to him, he swatted it back again.
Even wild, feral babies enjoy a good game of pitch and catch.
His siblings – who are both beautiful with dark gray fur and black stripes – always watch the playing but never approach a toy until I’ve gone back inside. When it comes to cats, patience is my middle name, so I’ll win them over. Funny thing is, these two are going to be really hard to tell apart. One was a lot smaller, but it has caught up with the other one. Jelly Bean is totally and completley black – even the bottoms of his paws are black. He doesn’t have any white or gray on him whatsoever.
When I lost Bo and Svenn, the outdoors (which I’d always loved with a passion) just seemed sad and empty to me. I can’t tell you what a blessing it is to have Hannah, Jelly Bean, Ming Li (when she shows), and ???? and ??????. It’s as though God knew how empty my yard felt to me and filled it with something that means the world to me – precious, beautiful, wonderful cats!
**** I’ll add pictures of the kittens as soon as possible – I also have new pics of Alexa and Hannah to add.
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!
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.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the highly popular online resource called Real Age, where you can find out what your “real” age is. The information is priceless – not only is it enlightening, it’s potentially life-saving.
I got an e-mail a few days ago about Cat Age, a website to determine the “real age” of your cat. It’s all pretty subjective, of course, because no expert (no matter how highly skilled or educated they are) can give a 100 percent diagnosis online, without actually seeing your cat in person.
However, the information is, again, priceless and has the potential to save lives. I consider myself pretty knowledgable when it comes to my little feline babies, but there were quite a few things I found out that were new to me. I was able to see what I’m doing right as well as what I could have done differently.
Apparently, spaying your cat is a great reason – for more than just the obvious. It’s actually healthy for your cat and can protect her from certain potential problems. That’s an area that caused Prissy to score a little bit higher than other cats in her category. However, given the fact that she’s 20 years old, I’m still feeling pretty good about her care.
Did you know that spaying your cat minimizes the risk of breast cancer and uterine infections? Alexa has been spayed (because she spent the months year of her life outdoors, until she got a taste of the good life), but Prissy has been a house cat since she was a kitten – so we just never saw the need.
Something else I learned – the teeth-cleaning treats we give our cats are good for treats serve a useful purpose. They help protect against periodental disease, which can ultimately affect various organs of the body and nervous system.
My cat’s ages were also positively affected because they live in a smoke-free environment. We know that smoke (even secondhand) is bad for humans, but sometimes we forget that it’s bad for our cats and dogs as well.
It’s a very fascinating survey and you get your cat’s diagnosis immediately – I highly recommend Cat Age!
Every cat in my family wants one of these. It’s the Two Tier Cat House – Cradle & Tunnel -Country Blue
Not only is it gorgeous (which I approve of for apearance’s sake), but it’d give the adventurous streak in any cat a real workout.
From the website:
Perfect for play or for a nap – this Two Level cat house features a cradle and a tunnel. This cat furniture is great for single or multiple cats. Your cat can snooze in cradle, or frolic through the tunnel. Not only is this a terrific cat lounger, it also is a scratching post. A solid pine pole is wrapped in all-natural sisal rope, which provides an outlet for busy paws. Available in nine colors – Cream, Tan, Brown, Red, Navy Blue, Country Blue, Green, Gray, and Hunter Green. With such a range of colors, you’re sure to find one for even your most finicky of felines. And remember – not only do cats love having their own area, but a good scratching post will deter your cat from scratching your furniture! This item ships directly from the manufacturer. Product usually arrives in 14-21 business days, depending on destination, including order processing and shipping.
My 4 are sold!
***P.S. For those of you following Miss Prissy’s health – she’s still kicking! As you know, she lost her sight earlier this year, but she gets around remarkably well (for an antique baby). I keep her safe and secure in a private area all her own when we’re sleeping or away from home. Alexa (who is much, much, much younger than Prissy’s 20 years) still doesn’t “get” that Prissy doesn’t play. In fact, Alexa wouldn’t think twice about stalking her and rolling her.
Can’t let that happen, given the weight difference, Alexa would crush poor little Prissy.
As a matter of fact, Prissy’s pacing right now which pretty much means she’s ready for supper. Stat!
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