Cats & Dogs - Soul Mates?

Soul Mates?

I had heard more than once how Chows are very cat like in their demeanor and attitudes and since I have had two of them in my life I can confirm this! Given this similarity I was still unprepared for my current Chow’s love of cats. My last dog chased cats like every genetically correct pup should do, so I was amazed at my current pup and her feline fascination.

My pal Keisha was only five months old when she met her first cat. His name was Pongo and he was also five months old. We were visiting with family in Omaha Nebraska for Christmas and Keisha was determined to make friends with Pongo.
Pongo would have nothing to do with her!

They tip toed around each other for three days even coming nose to nose eventually. Then on Boxing Day we had just finished our lunch of leftovers…you know turkey sandwiches and such, when we heard a crash in the kitchen. Assuming nothing serious we were slow to react.

When we finally moseyed into the kitchen to get going on the post lunch cleanup they were caught in the act! There they were…Pongo and Keisha nose to nose eating the turkey that someone (?!?!?) had pushed off of the counter onto the floor. They had a fine feast together and even after their tag team mischief, Pongo was still reluctant to become fast friends although I think he was beginning to warm up to the idea, after all Keisha had eaten the turkey and not him!

Unfortunately we had to leave before the relationship was cemented. We have not seen Pongo since but Keisha responds most enthusiastically to his name still, over three years later.

Keisha is almost four years old now and since meeting Pongo she has tried to make friends with every cat she meets. They have all wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. And then came MOJO.

Mojo is owned by a neighbour and is an outdoor cat. He totally suits his name and struts through the “hood” as though he owns it and has complete control over all that goes down in it. He definitely has his MOJO goin on!

At first Keisha approached him cautiously, and he would bat at her with his paws, but never with claws out. Slowly but surely they came closer and closer to each other. There was the dancing around each other period that looked really funny as each would take their turn jumping forward then backward not unlike some ritual. Then came the purring and then the rolling over and belly sniffing. After that Mojo began to walk around and under Keisha strategically putting his tail in her face. She managed to maintain her aloof dignity when he does the tail in face thing. All of this has progressed to Mojo coming for walks with us, he come to visit and waits at the door for Keisha to come out to play. Keisha will put her paw on his bum to get the game of chase going and if Mojo is in the mood he will start the game by running or he will roll onto his back and swat at Keisha with all four paws. Mojo is the alpha in the relationship in spite of his 10 lbs to Keisha’s 60!

It is the most wonderful thing to observe and the neighborhood is mesmerized by these two fast friends.

To see them together one wonders why some cats and dogs get along and others want to destroy each other. Is it perhaps a past life spent together? Early influences like Pongo? Maybe Keisha was a cat in her last life and thus the affinity for cats and cat like behaviour? Or are they just all very different souls with very different personalities and perspectives? Who knows for sure? All I know is that my heart always warms when I see them together and am awed by this amazing friendship that truly looks like soul mates in action.

Readmore "Cats & Dogs - Soul Mates?" » |

The Cat Whisperer

A cat whisper is somewhat similar to a dog or horse whisperer, although cat whisperers relate quite well with cats. These types of people are unusually lucky and very successfully with cats. In most cases, a cat will be abandoned or just show up at someone’s door. In this event, the cat will adopt this individual as the cat whisperer.

Often times, alley cats and black cats will show up at someone’s door and decide to move into their homes. This can be a result of abandonment, or the cat’s family moving away and simply leaving the cat behind. Sometimes, the cat may decide that he likes someone else’s home better and decide to move there instead of staying with his owner.

A lot of people will tell you that a cat whisperer can be thought of as a therapist for cats. Almost all cat whisperers haven’t have any type of training, what they know just seems to come to them naturally. These types of people understand the way a cat thinks and knows how to work with the cat to achieve the results they want. Even though many think of a cat whisperer as a therapist, it actually couldn’t be further from the truth.

Cats who have been abused or mistreated, often times won’t respond to anyone but a cat whisperer. Although others may have tried to help the cat, it will only make matters worse by making the cat feel scared and afraid. In most cases, these cats will end up in a pound. This is very tragic, as the cats have already endured more than they ever should have. A majority of the cats who have been abused were once loved pets. Along the way, they were abandoned, mistreated, attacked by dogs, and in some cases tortured.

Cats who have been treated unfairly often times won’t trust anyone. They are often times confused, in a lot of pain, and not sure what they should do. Like humans, cats feel pain. Those that have been physically abused are a sad sight indeed. Emotionally damaged cats may appear to be in perfect health on the outside, although their emotions are a wreck. Emotionally abused cats are much harder to get through to, especially if they were stray cats to begin with.

Cat whisperers on the other hand, can communicate with physically and emotionally abused cats. Cats know who they will choose to be their cat whisperer, which is normally an individual they sense trust with. Cat whisperers are common with cats, although most people have never heard of them before. Even though a cat whisperer may be able to communicate better with cats, it will still take time to heal a cat that has been abused.

Readmore "The Cat Whisperer" » |

Cat Health and Cat Care

As a cat lover, you would naturally want to know as much as you can about your kitty's health! Your little bundle of fur can be practically considered as part of the family, so why wouldn't you make sure that he is happy and healthy?

Cat health is strongly affected by what kitty eats. Obesity is a major factor in heart disease particularly as your cat gets older. Choose a pet food for your cat that is right for it’s age but feed it regularly. If in doubt get your veterinarians advice as your cat can have completely different nutrient needs to what you would expect!

Long haired cats should be groomed regularly for optimum cat health. Use a pet brush and groom no less than once a week. This is a great way to bond with kitty!

The litter box can be a danger to both cat health and human health if it isn’t cleaned regularly. Change your pet’s litter no less than once every four days or more remembering to clear the tray of faces as since cats are very clean animals and can smell up to 10 times better than humans! Your kitty will just love you for it! Also be careful as some litter can be very dusty, which can irritate kitty's asthma.

If choosing to declaw your kitty, this can be a major factor in Cat health. If you choose to declaw your pet it is important to remember to keep them inside at all times! Although I would never recommend to declaw kitty as this is taking away what makes him a cat! Also sometimes declawing can be very paintfull for your cat and he may become resentful! If you are worried about your furniture, invest in a cat scratcher and rub some cat nip over it, you will be surprised! Another option is only to trim the claws with great care.

Stressful situations like moving, traveling, natural disasters or even changes in the family can affect cat health as cats are very sensitive creatures. To minimize the effects of stress on your pet, ask your vet or pet store what to recommend to slightly sedate kitty. Cat nip is always a good option, when cat eats this plant it acts as a sedative.

Part of managing cat health is making sure dangerous poisons like antifreeze are inaccessible to your pet just as you would with your own toddler. Some household plants are fatal to cats so make sure to raise your plants and lock your toxins! If you have an indoor kitty, invest in a few cat-friendly plants such as Cat nip, Cat grass, Honeysuckle etc with the bonus of giving kitty much needed nutrients and minerals not generally found in manufactured pet food!

Cat’s often have mouth diseases and this can impact cat health. Cat’s are just as prone to gingivitis as humans and cats can also develop. Take kitty to the vet at least once a year to have his teeth regularly checked and cleaned, even switching to a food that prevents buildup is always a bonus.

As always one of the greatest factors in cat health is deciding if your cat goes outdoors. Cars, children, other animals and toxins, ALL are all dangerous and should be avoided by keeping your cat indoors. Sometimes this isn't the solution for every kitty as you will need to stock up on the cat toys! And can be very hard to stop your kitty if he already has been accustomed to the outdoors!

Readmore "Cat Health and Cat Care" » |

A Black Cat is Just a Cat

When my old cat died, I decided to pick one out of the Humane Society. They had named the first cat I saw “Batman”, and I fell in love with him on sight.

But when I brought him home, I discovered he didn’t quite have the courage of the comic book hero. I made some mistakes which resulted in a month long struggle to coax him out of his hiding place to join the family.

I renamed him Bear, and he is wonderful cat, but my guests seem a little uncomfortable when he comes into the room. After all, he is completely black.

He is a black cat and some people are afraid of Black Cats…

The Black Cat in History

Historically, black cats have been associated with omens, bad luck and, well...evil.

The poor unfortunate kitties have been used in rituals, and were supposedly the "familiars" of witches. Anarchism has used the symbol of the black cat, as has Wicca, the modern day expression of Witchcraft. Superstition has associated bad luck with having a black cat cross your path.

All-in-all, the black cat has been getting some really bad press for centuries, and all of that is not easily overcome in just a few short lines of this article.

Scaredy Cat

A very highly sensitive cat, our new black Bear was far more scared of us than we were of him, and we made a number of mistakes in the first hour of his introduction that practically destroyed our chances for introducing him to our home.

The process of first finding Bear where he had hidden in the house and gradually coaxing him out of his hiding place to join the family was long and agonizing. It took over a month, and I had almost despaired that we would ever acclimate him.

Patience won out, though…

Superstition Dispelled

Since then, Bear has been rolling around on my lap enjoying his daily pettings, sleeping in my bed, yowling at the females he sees from his perch in the kitchen window and just generally bringing a lot of joy to our lives.

He is here to dispel the notion that a black cat means bad luck. He is one of the sweetest cats you'll ever meet, and there's absolutely *nothing* scary about him. And I can tell you for a fact that no bad luck is connected with Bear. He's crossed my path innumerable times, and so far I haven't experienced anything one might think of as "bad luck".

I have to say, though, that on Halloween night he seems to be scared of his own black shadow. But I try to keep him calmed down and happy to be where he is...in my lap purring as loud as he can!

Readmore "A Black Cat is Just a Cat" » |

Cat Carriers For Safety

While some bodies may accede it atrocious to cage up your cat it's absolutely a amount of assurance for both you and your cat. For archetype if you were active and your cat aback jumped on to you, or it got trapped beneath your anxiety and the anchor this could account a austere accident. Pets can sometimes be capricious and for affidavit like those mentioned aloft and added it is consistently safer to use a cat carrier back alteration your cat to addition destination such as the vet.

When allotment a cat carrier you will acquisition there are hundreds of altered ones on the bazaar to accept from. Aces one that is acceptable for both you and your cat and bethink you will charge a abode to abundance it back it is not in use. A acceptable cat carrier should be both safe and adequate for your cat, it should accept abundant allowance central for a absolutely developed cat to accept some abandon of movement, and your cat should be able to both angle up and about-face about in ancillary its cage. Air holes on all abandon are additionally bare as this allows the air to absolutely broadcast and your cat to attending out.

To accomplish your cat feel adequate and safe in its carrier it's a acceptable abstraction to put a absolute in ancillary of it, if your cat has its own absolute on its bedding again that is ideal as the cat will be able to admit the smell, this should advice your cat to feel a little bit safer. The aboriginal time you use your cat carrier it is additionally a acceptable abstraction to put bottomward some bi-weekly in ancillary aloof incase your cat has any "accidents".

It can be awkward accepting a absolutely developed developed cat into its carrier but you can sometimes ambush them with aliment or treats, kittens on the added duke are abundant easier to get in to one as you can about aloof aces them up and abode them in ancillary with out to abundant hassle.

Readmore "Cat Carriers For Safety" » |