Did you ever notice that pictures intended to portray happy, healthy people frequently include a dog? I was on a site offering quotes for bcbsnc when I realized this. Why don’t we see more pictures in ads showing cats? The feel and sound of a cat purring is absolutely amazing, as any cat lover will tell you. And it’s also been proven that they can have a very positive effect on a person’s health. I want to see more cats!
There are many conditions cats can have that can’t be passed from cat to human, such as feline leukemia and feline mesothelioma. There are some diseases that can be passed from cats to humans, they are called feline zoonoses (Cat Human Disease). I was curious how many diseases could be passed from cat to human so I did some reading. While there is no one authoritative answer, the concensus is that there are five feline zoonoses that cat owners should be aware of - toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis, bacterial enteritis, skin problems and rabies. The most common way disease can be spread is through fleas, a scratch or a bite.
CJ is fascinated with golf. RB and I have been debating for a year if we should get him a play golf set. My two concerns are that he’ll break a window or a television, or that he’ll hit one of the cats. I know he’d love to play it though. I’m thinking about checking to see if there are any golf training aids suitable for children that would contain the ball safely. Then I think I’d be a little more comfortable with it.
My Mom is away. I am looking after her pets. She’s got two dogs, a cat, two birds and two fish. You would think the cat is the easiest to take care of. He’s not. He gets mad and often spiteful when she’s away. This time around he stopped using the litter box on the second day. I found him pawing in one of the garden planters that my Mom has in the bathroom and a couple of minutes later he pooped right in front of it. Then he looked at me and meowed, as if to say “ha”. How bad, and how fresh! Thank goodness she comes home this weekend.
Rennie looks like she’s lost some weight again. She’s always been on the thin side but right now she’s looking like she’s taken phentermine diet pills for kitties. It’s only just starting to get hot here and flea season isn’t hopping (ha ha) yet. She doesn’t much like the dry food. She really loves the wet. I usually mix the dry and wet foods together but I’ve caught her literally moving the dry food around so she only gets the wet. I think I’m going to put her back on the kitty vitamins. I hate to start messing with the dry food at the risk of causing other problems. I’ve fed them Purina Kitten Chow since I got them. I guess I’ll try and find a box to try just for her.
It dawned on me today that the life of a cat looks pretty simple. For a pet that is loved and cared for it appears that their life is good. Take a look at my cats. They’ve got a roof over their head, food in their bellies and people to love them. They eat, they sleep, they play and they poop. There’s no worrying about big things like getting a job or how to make money to pay the bills. They don’t care what the best diet pills are. Do you think happy cats worry? About what?
I love my children. When they were born I sent out birth announcements and I almost always send out photo cards at Christmas. Many years ago, before I had the boys, I had considered breeding Himalayan cats. I know that breeders can be very proud of their lines and often have waiting lists for new babies. I wonder if any breeders send out birth announcements for their new litters.
I think that Shadow would like to have his own notebook computer right now. He really wants to lay on top of mine and I won’t let him. I’m afraid that something will happen to it accidentally. I don’t get his attraction. It’s a silver MacBook Pro, so when it’s off it’s actually very cool to the touch. When it’s been on for a little while it does get slightly warm on parts of the outside but he’s never laid on it then (because that means it’s being used, therefore open). He just doesn’t seem to understand that laptops aren’t for sleeping. Silly cat!
CJ likes to take Rennie in his room. Sometimes she just lays on the bed quietly while he plays. Sometimes he tries to play with her and she does all she can to get out of the way. She’s made her way up to the top bunk of the bunk bed and the top of the highboy dresser. The tv is a flat panel hanging on the wall but it’s a safe bet if it was on one of those tv stands she’d make her way up there too. I know sometimes he picks her up and brings her into the room. Other times I’ve seen her willingly walk in there on her own. I don’t understand why if she isn’t happy she keeps going in there.
I have two Himalayan cats, a breed that is known for having a flatter face. Smooshed, as some put it. In watching Cats 101 on Animal Planet yesterday I learned that this is the only breed of cat with a bracheocephalic head. I didn’t know that but when I thought about it I realized I’d never seen any others. There are several dog breeds with flat faces but no other cat breeds. There are times that one of them sounds stuffy. I have not gotten to the point that I’ve used dehumidifiers or anything but there have been times that if I wipe their nose it helps a little. It’s usually worse in the hot summer months and the cold summer months, and seems not to flare up as much in spring and fall. I’m curious, have any of you seen any other cat breeds with flat faces?
Yesterday, instead of reading about Kettlebell training and some other forms of home exercise, I spent two hours watching Cats 101 on Animal Planet. The two episodes each presented different facts about various breeds of cats. They discussed basic information on health, grooming and interaction with people for each breed. In the second episode they even covered the Himalayan breed, my favorite breed and the breed of both of my cats. If you’re a cat lover, watch for this show because there are lots of terrific photos you’ll just love.
My cats have never been outside. I’m afraid they’ll get lost, stolen, sick or hurt. They get a little perturbed with me when I go camping in the summer. I have someone check on them every two days or so but they miss me. When I go camping we take a travel trailer and we always stay in rv parks because I’m just not the outdoorsy type. I have considered bringing them with me in the camper but I’m so afraid the door will get left open and they’ll get out and I’ll never see them again. And to bring them in a crate just doesn’t seem fair when they can stay home and have the run of the house they’re familiar with. When you go away do you bring your pets, board them or leave them at home and have someone check on them?
I stopped in Target yesterday for a couple of items. We ran out of canned cat food yesterday and my cats eat a mixture of canned and dry every day so I decided to grab a couple of cans to hold us over until the weekend. In the cat aisle I found one whole line of cat nip toys on clearance. I bought one. If the cats like it I might go back tomorrow and see if they have more. My cats are so funny when they’ve been around catnip – they get silly and jump around so much that they look like they might be able to leap tall steel buildings in a single bound. I don’t know if this sale was at all Targets or not but wanted to share with you in case it is.
Does you cat ever just get up and run across the house like he’s late for an appointment to look at Wilmington NC real estate? Mine does and it cracks me up every time, partially because we have wood floors and Shadow sometimes skids across the floor before he can stop. I don’t know if it’s true but I found online where it said cats suddenly get up and run like this because they have pent up energy that suddenly overflows. My cat does it about once a week or so. How often does your cat do it?
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