Saving Your Pet in a House Fire (it can be done!)

Any cat lover that surfs the web has seen the countless pictures and stories about firefighters who have rescued pets from fires...it's something that we all dread (the fire) and dream of (the saving of our critters) at the same time.  So what does it take to rescue a pet from a fire? Well, first it has to be found.  Cat folks know that this can be extremely difficult, especially if you have a kitty like Squeebert, who is skeerd of EVERYTHING.  Secondly, the fire engines that respond have to be equipped to handle pets.  So basically it sounds like we, as cat proprietors, don't have a lot we can control in this situation.... if I'm not home I can't tell them where to look and I don't run the fire department so I can't tell them to get pet saving equipment...

Squeebert Hiding (a regular occurrence)

Happily, I have proven my thought process above to be completely incorrect!!  We CAN make a difference for our pets if they are ever at risk in a fire.  I recently came across an article about a person who donated 50 pet oxygen masks to a local Fire Department, who distributed the masks throughout it's trucks....and started using them right away to save folk's critters.  Could I find the source so that I could donate one to my local fire station?  YES I CAN!  Yucko's sells to the general public, and handles donations to Fire Departments on a regular basis.  The best thing is that they aren't hideously expensive....the mask set (3 sizes for all pets) is just $69!  They also sell those brilliant window clings that offers firefighters information on what types of pets are located inside the home, which is CRITICAL in helping them find kitties.  I wrote on mine in big black letters "ONE CAT UNDER BED" because I know dang well that's where Squeebert will be.

So call you local fire station and ask if they have pet oxygen masks...if they don't, think about donating one.....the life you save may be your own pet's.....

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The Sleepypod RAWKS!!

Those of you that have been reading this blog for some time, know that I spend a great deal more time than I want to hauling Squeebert to and from the vet's office (which is a dastardly 50 minute car ride, complete with the "kitty song" being howled at fabulous decibel levels).  Needless to say Squeebert doesn't appreciate this any more than I do.

Squeebert

First off, there's the issue of the stress. Every cat I've ever owned has not been enamored of the Vet Experience. (Well, except once.  Beastly's first visit to the vet she truly thought was a joyous outing....til the thermometer appeared.  Click here to see the pre-thermometer antics of the innocent!)  Honestly, because it stresses the cats out, I end up getting stressed as well. Now we can add the extra bonus points of "stress can trigger asthma" to the equation.  rah.

So then there's the car safety issue. Big rectangle plastic carrier, super-clangy metal door to make lots of extracurricular noise on bumpy roads, and how exactly do you get a seatbelt around one of those things anyhow??? Very carefully, and with hopes it won't slide off the plastic....


Well, before Christmastime, I was gifted with what I consider to be one of the ultimate kitteh-owner gifts: A Sleepypod.

photo courtesy of Sleepypod

How do we love our Sleepypod?  Let us count the ways!!!  The furry ones just KNEW there was something exquisite and wonderfully useful in the box when it arrived.

Beastly and Squeebert "WHAAAAIZZZZZITTTT??"

Everything about this company says "Practical and Cool", from the packaging, to the design, to the choice of color...right down to the accessories that are made for the Sleepypod.


First, the unveiling.

"ooooooh!!!"

The Sleepypod is made to function as a bed when it's not being used as a carrier.  The top zips on and off easily to reveal a round, foam-padded bed covered with plush material.  The cats couldn't wait to get in it....ANY of it!

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!"

The outside material is a sturdy nylon that my husband thought I was nuts to ask for in white.  (Due to Squeebert's asthma, I didn't scotchguard it, but I probably would if he didn't have his special issues.).  The mesh on the dome top is a heavy plastic material, that I really like, as it seems to give the cat a sense of "not being seen" as much as the average carrier door does.

Beastly at home in the Sleepypod

I ordered the heating pad because Squeebert is a heat seeker....because of his hypothyroidism.  The kittehs immediately took to the Sleepypod as a bed, but from the moment I plugged that heater in, it is the coveted spot on even slightly chilly days!

...sharing...

But the true test was the first vet visit.  Squeebert had to go in for some tummy issues and I can say that the Sleepypod made a difference in how he travelled.  Proof?  The kitty song wasn't as constant and didn't sound as stressed as other vet trips.  I truly think that the time spent at home in the Sleepypod as just a place to dream kitty dreams made that difference.

Squeebert waiting his turn.....

Then there's the brilliant way that the Sleepypod is put together.  Under a plush fur-like liner is a nylon covered foam insert.  Both of these zip out easily to be washed, which is a good thing...no, I take that back.  It's a GREAT thing, as on that first (and second!) vet trip, Squeebert was sedated (more on this in a future blogpost) and had widdle accidents.  Both time when I got home, I unzipped the liner, unzipped the insert and stuffed them into our washing machine, which destroys clothes on a regular basis.  Both times, it came out clean and in fabulous shape.  Zip, zip, and the kitties were fighting over it on the couch again like nothing had ever occurred.  This thing rawks.

True, the Sleepypod is a little awkward shaped ~ the roundness of it causes it to rest a bit "unstably" on your hip, and Squeebert did slide to the lower side of the pod.  But I also think that the roundness works for the cat.  There are no corners to back into to make a cat feel...well...cornered! The pod curves in the shape of a cat when it's curled up, comfy and relaxed...that's got to have a positive psychological effect.  My only pseudo complaint (more like a suggestion to the manufacturer actually) is that I'd like to see some additional velcro closures to completely secure the bottom of the sleepypod to the top.  In light of the missing kitty stories (like Jack/American Airlines), one does have a tendency to think about the "what ifs" a bit more... But I have to say that our sleepypod has given us no sign that the top would ever separate from the bottom. It's sturdy, well made and absolutely brilliant.

(not us.) photo courtesy of Sleepypod

And people will look....trust me. In a good way.  Squeebert goes to the hippest, most expensivest (ha!) specialty vet clinic in town and even THEY commented on his new carrier.  We felt tres chic...and Squeebert felt tucked away and safe....and that last part makes it all worth it.


A highly recommended product.  See more at www.sleepypod.com 

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If Anything happened to you, what would happen to your pets??

Every pet owners fear is that if something were to happen to them that their fur kids would end up orphaned and at a shelter.  We know we NEED to do something about it, but there never seems to be the time, money or knowledge to make a plan to keep our pets safe in case of our untimely demise.  (That last part isn't all that fun to think about either....maybe I've partially put this off due to my fear of my own mortality...)  And besides, as far as I'm concerned, any demise of mine will be considered untimely.  [=


Well, it wasn't exactly a new year's resolution, but I've decided to get off my duff and make sure that the critters have a plan.....to make sure that they end up somewhere that will give me peace of mind.  I'm happy to report I've come across an organization that starts the process for pet owners by organizing steps to take to make this happen.  www.2ndchance4pets.org  is that organization. 


Thousands of companion animals are euthanized in U.S. animal shelters each year simply because their human caregivers died or became ill and made no arrangements for the continuous care of their pets. What will happen to your pets if they outlive you? Take a look.  Start the process.  Get that peace of mind.  I'm going to do it right now......

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My BIGGEST kitty epiphany this year REVEALED!

I discovered something this year, and I need to share it with you, because as fellow cat people, I KNOW you've experienced it.


You go to the vet with your cat.  You say "my cat has started to "____________". (you can fill in anything here, literally....my cat has started to blink more often, my cat has started to eat the curtains, my cat has started to complete my sentences, etc. ) The doctor tilts his head like a dog that hears a funny noise and you try to further explain.  "He/she does this little thing where...." and then you are pantomiming/imitating/impersonating your cat in the vet office, complete with sound effects, movement and facial expressions, while your cat crouches motionless in the carrier, not moving.  The vet, then pretending to vaguely understand what you're trying to explain, takes said immobile kitty from the carrier, where it either lays like a boneless chicken on the table, or shreds every hand that comes near it. And yes, the chances of the worrisome behavior being observed by the vet in person are....well....minimal, unless it's critical (as opposed to moderate or mild, which we, as sensitive cat people, are very in tune with).  The vet guesses at what it might be, gives you an estimate for some general tests, and hopes that something is revealed....


Been there?  Oh, I have too.  It's frustrating, time consuming and expensive.


But, almighty readers of this blog, I have found an answer for this dilemma!!! It's easy, available and doesn't cost anything extra.....and it's already saved me 2 visits to the vet.


"WHAT IS IT???!!!" the readers scream in unison.


Ready?  [=   Use your phone.  You know, the video recorder in your phone!!!  I'm serious.  The little concerning behaviors that you take your cat to the vet for that you see at home, and you know the cat will NEVER do at the vet....just video them and either take the video in, or better yet, get your vet's email address and send the video. (if you do this last one, make sure to make the clip short, so that's it's an emailable length)  When I noticed that Squeebert had a strange swallow at random times I taped this clip at home, took it to the vet, and he prescribed Pepcid a/c immediately.....this piece of video made the visit SO much simpler!!!

So use your phone's video camera to capture those elusive feline moments that are hard to explain....it makes things clearer, easier and in the end will save you a load of money. 

Happy New Year from Cat Hair Everywhere!!!!

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Oh, the irony....my cat has asthma.

No, you read that right, folks....my CAT has asthma.  Now we, as the feline lovers that we are, know that cats are notorious for triggering "people" asthma.  Well, following in the freak-like fashion of our feline-lovin' lives, we recently found out that Squeebert has asthma.  I'm sure you have 2 (or more) questions:


1. How did you find out your cat had asthma?
1 1/2. (what is he allergic to??)
2. HOW the heck do you treat asthma in a cat??


1. How did you find out Squeebert had asthma?


He was doing this weird snuffy sneezing...like "snuff, snuff, snuff, SNEEZE!"...but it was a dry sneeze.  Then I noticed he'd assume the "hairball position" (a bit flattened out with neck extended) and cough, but it was a dry cough...not a moisty hairball cough.  I thought that was weird.  So I looked it up on (click on the light blue words to jump to the video) youtube....yep, fears sadly confirmed, and I made a vet appointment for the next day.  After  the vet did X-rays, the official diagnosis was/is: moderate asthma with mild symptoms. Trust your gut instincts, kitteh owners.  If you think something is up, you're probably right.


1 1/2. What is he allergic to???


Who knows.  At the time, the neighbor had just bought tons (literally) of burned hay that came from a feed store that caught on fire.  The smell was acrid...horrible.  We had to leave our windows closed all the time and run air purifiers just to make it comfortable for us to breathe.  But the hay could have just been the straw (ha.) that made the symptoms noticeable.  Since then, we vacuum more regularly, I got rid of all scented candles (WAAAH!) and only use natural cleaning supplies. We replaced curtains (dust gathers here!) with blinds in the bedroom. I use a humidifier when the air is dry, and make sure we're on top of flea control.  Could it have been any one (or more) of those things? Could he still be allergic to something in his food??? Let me tell you, it's frustrating as all get out.  We even had a consulting vet say it could be caused/aggravated by Squeebert being overweight from his hypothyroidism...sigh...  The bottom line is we have no earthly idea and that it will be a matter of slow elimination to figure out a truly perplexing mystery.


2. How the heck do you treat asthma in a cat???


Oh yes, my friends, we use an inhaler.  A regular old human-type inhaler, with something called a "spacer".  They use these on infants/toddlers who have asthma, and you can purchase one called an Aerokat that is specifically designed for kittehs.  Thank GAWD we clicker trained both Beastly and Squeebert when they were younger!!!  It made it easier to introduce the spacer/inhaler to Squeebert, but the MOST important thing I think we did was NOT have the vet's office give him the first dosage from the inhaler.  We wanted that to be at home, where he was more relaxed and things were a lot less skeery!  We took it slow, training him to accept the wee mask and then to accept the noise of the inhaler when it gave a "puff". Here he is 2 months later....although he's not thrilled, he accepts the treatment...and we're so grateful!!!  Now if we could only get him to do the dishes....

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The Verdict is In....New Cat Fountain is WORTH THE MONEY!! (which is saying a lot!)

Squeebert loves it....(elapsed time from beginning to end of video was less than a minute) It's dead easy to clean and it's actually one of the more attractive things in my house!! Ha! Goodbye cheap-o plastic fountains that take hours to clean.  I love this dang thing.  You can get one at Thirsty Cat Fountains. 

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Cat Drinking Fountain Battles Are OVER!!

And I can't WAIT...but i have to....cuz I'm too cheap to spring for overnight shipping. [= Let me s'plain:


 I have been battling war of the mildew smell on my pet water fountains (the plastic ones) for 2 years now.  I started with the Platinum Drinkwell, which is NOT made of platinum as the name may make some believe...it is made of plastic.  Plastic that holds the smell of mildew in it.  Like a grody fish tank with no fishes.  


Yes, I cleaned it every 2 weeks.  Yes, I changed the filter.  No, it wasn't ever in the sun.  I even used bottled water.  Stink, stank, stunk.  Now the "Platinum" has a resevoir for holding additional water.  Even the inside of that stunk.  When I called up the Drinkwell company, they said they'd never had that complaint before.  "Did you try baking soda? bleach? vinegar?" Yepyepyep.  So although I'd done everything right, I had to buy a new resevoir and their special cleaning brushes just to make sure I was doing the job right.  6 months later, guess what? Same crap.  So I blamed it on the resevoir.  I bought a Drinkwell 360, which doesn't have a resevoir and is easier to clean.....but there's no filter for the pet hair that gets into it, so you end up cleaning at least once a week and guess what? [= Yep, after 3 months, mildew smell in the water again. (roll eyes here.)


Ok, could it be my really too excellent sense of smell?  Perhaps.  The cats were still lightly using the "Platinum" prior to me giving up on it.  The 360 they used for maybe 3 weeks max.  So now, what to do ....what to do.....

AHA!!!!!

Man, you just gotta love Etsy.  Here is a true alternative to the plastic cleaning nightmares that come with pet fountains! Thirsty Cat Fountains makes these by hand...Here's the info from the seller that made me plunk down a chunk of change for one last ditch effort on the drinking fountain for our furry roomates:



 Handmade of 100 % food-safe ceramics
- Promotes feline health with fresh flowing, oxygenated water 
- Cats prefer moving water and will drink more and stay healthier
- Cats can drink from the bubble-spout or from the bowl
- Ceramic bowls do not scratch and do not harbor bacteria
- 10 cup capacity
- Easy to assemble, easy to clean.
- One of a kind, handmade in America
- 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not completely happy with your fountain you may return it for a full refund of the fountain price.


Now, you know I couldn't help myself and had to purchase the attachment that goes with it, just cuz if I were a cat, I'd want it:

cat tap accessory in copper

OOOOOOOOOOH!!!  I'm more excited than a bird with a french fry!  I will review when I get it, but in case any of you have the itchin' to spend some money on your furry critters right this very minute on etsy, the seller is CatFountains.  The fountains are a bit spendy, but I'm hoping they are worth every penny......

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