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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The Great Cat Food Dilemma: Squeebert vs. Wet Food

Pudgy Pudgy Squeebert

How many of us have thought "I'll never let my cat get fat?" and then suddenly looked at him/her one day and thought "oh-oh."  Yeah, that's a sort of special moment, isn't it?  Cuz you KNOW that getting them to exercise more is all on you (and not exactly easy!) and switching foods?  Er, yeah.  It shouldn't be called switching cat food, it should be called "Exactly how much money can I throw down the garbage disposal in any given week and not have to move to the poorhouse?" And then add a little diarrhea in when you hit a "wrong" food for your cat for a good laugh Gawd, I hate this.  

I never thought I'd have a fat cat.  I've had all sorts of critters....correction ~ HAVE all sorts of critters and not a one is overweight.  Not healthy = vet bills!  So when Squeebert had his last thyroid test and the internal medicine vet looked at him and said "Why, what a little butterball!"  ]=  Oh no.  Admittedly, his neurologist said she didn't know a thing about cat nutrition (and knows her own 2 cats are a chubby) and so she never said anything before....and I thought his extra skin and flabdomen were just...well....him!   Wrong-o!!  I should have known when we started calling him Mr. Taterman at home.... Royal Canin Adult Fit (Ha. fit. think that vowel in the middle is wrong) is Squeebert's addiction of choice.  He LOVES his dry food....so much so that he used to eat it so quickly that he'd puke it up afterwards! That problem was solved with a japanese teacup put in the center of the bowl....but ironically the solution to one problem became another problem ~ without all the throwing up, he started to gain weight.....sneakily and sloooooowly.  Damn. 

The problem is carbs.  Dry food has all these carbs that cats just don't need....cat food manufacturers don't list the carbs on the cans/bags/websites....it's such a swamp of info out there that it's ridiculous!  Squeebert's vet want him at less than 10% carbs.  His dry has 34%.  Yeah, you read that right.  Mommy mortification sets in.  So we go in to the swamp....and we try the high end wet food....we try them, we try them.  Nope. Couple of little snakey licks and Squeebert turns up his nose.  When we got to THE food according to most feline folk (Wellness Chicken) and he waddled off in a huff.... well, then it had to be a texture issue, right?  So I tried mixing dry with wet.  No go.  I tried watering it down to a soupy mess. Nope.  A fresh can every day?  Nuh-uh. (In the meantime, Beastly is LOVIN' it all!)  I cut the free fed Royal Canin to 1/2 cup for both cats per day and the wee bass turd is STILL holding out for that feeding time....while gaining weight!!! ????!!!!!  AAAAuuuuggghh!!

So now we're at Weruva.  Paw Lickin' Chicken.  Squeebert will lick the juice off (which is an improvement!)  but leaves the WHITE BREAST MEAT in the bowl.  White breast meat.  Folks don't even get that much white breast meat in a bucket of KFC!!  What the @*$&???  Sigh....  I know I'm supposed to NOT free feed...but it just seems so counterintuitive to give a cat 2 large meals when he barfs cuz he eats too much too fast...

So I come to you, loyal readers....what the heck has worked for you???  What are you feeding? How often do you change it?   Wits End is a crazy place to live, and that's where i am now!! 

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PLEASE give to the Animals of Japan.....

When you click on the Chip In link it will take you to Paypal... it'll be in US dollars, but you'll need to click the drop down menu on the upper right hand side to change to "english"......give what you can....help the ones who have no-one to help them....thank you.

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