Cats And Coupons

When winter arrives, as it has here in the Northeast, the outdoors can be a dangerous place for pets. Whenever possible allow your pets indoors during the cold. If you have an outdoor pet that absolutely cannot be allowed indoors, consider these five tips.

• If you have a pet that cannot come inside make sure it has access to a safe, sturdy, dry shelter.
• Rather than sleep on the ground, provide either a raised bed or straw to lay on.
• Remember the television show where the little boy stuck his tongue on a lamp post in the winter and it got stuck? The same thing could happen with your pet’s bowls if they’re made of metal. Use a bowl that can withstand the cold and elements.
• Remember not to leave winter chemicals out where pets can get into them, such as antifreeze and ice melting products. Don’t walk your pet where you’ve used ice melting products.
• If your pets are in the garage do not run the car while they are inside in order to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

You are responsible for providing the best care possible to your pet, even if it is an outdoor one. After all, they can’t just plug in an electric blanket like a person inside can.

Thanksgiving is less than a month away. It’s the beginning of the holiday season. People visit each other more, increasing traffic in the home. Here are some tips for pet owners.

• Don’t give your pets bones such as turkey bones. They splinter and can harm your pet.
• Some people might not notice a small pet near their feet when they’re entering or leaving your house. Be sure your pet is put safely away somewhere in the house if your door is going to be open for a long period of time or frequently.
• Do not allow your pet to get in the habit of drinking from glasses, particularly alcohol.
• If you’re going to be out for a long day make sure your dog has someone to exercise him while you’re out.
• Do not allow your pet to eat candy, especially chocolate. Candy, especially chocolate, is dangerous to pets and potentially fatal. Make sure it is stored out of reach from your pets, as you would be sure to store ephedra diet pills away from children.

If you have an electric blanket, you might or might not be aware that pets and electric blankets don’t mix. Never put an electric blanket in your pet’s bed and don’t let them get too comfortable on yours. Your dog or cat might chew on the wire and cause electrocution. Or, a nail might accidentally damage the covering of the wire or the wire itself, making it unsafe to use. Be warm, but be safe.

We have a huge litter box that currently is kept in the old bathroom. It does not have a lid or dome on it. RB has been having small fits lately because one of the cats has not been doing a very good job of covering his business lately and RB doesn’t like to look at it when he’s using the toilet. He actually carried on a lot about it at the end of last week until we had a fight about the litter box. At one point he told me if the cat couldn’t cover its’ turds then he’d squat over the box and do his business and see how the cat liked looking at it. I burst out laughing when he said it and almost choked on my glass of water. If he’s going to keep coming up with these crazy things to say I might have to check my life insurance rates in case I do choke to death from bursting into sudden fits of laughter. I was almost too embarrassed to type this but it’s so funny that I had to share it. So, who uses the litter box in your house?

Rennie is still sleeping on the chair under the kitchen table. Shadow is now sleeping on the back of one of the dining room chairs. Now just so you know, it isn’t a wide backed chair or anything, it’s actually an old office chair that I got when my work upgraded furniture. I can’t believe he sleeps there without falling, it’s only about two inches wide. It could be worse, he could be sleeping on top of the baby bedding I’ve started getting together for my sister in law.

One of the things I’d really like to do in our home is redo most of the floors. When we moved in the house only had hardwood flooring. Over time we put carpet into the boys bedroom as well as the living room. Three dogs and about six cats later, the exposed hardwood and all of the old carpeting look worn. It’s no secret that homes with pets endure things that other homes don’t, such as hairballs, shedding, dirt, drooling, dripping, accidents and claw sharpening. All of these things are hard on flooring and cause them to age and need replacement more frequently.

I remember when we originally started looking for carpet it was a real chore because you had to drive from store to store to see all of the different flooring choices available. These days it’s much easier to shop for flooring, you don’t even need to leave your house. Empire Today is a flooring company that brings samples to your home and gives you a free estimate. Installations are done the next day. They carry a wide range of products including carpet, hardwood, ceramic and laminate flooring. I wondered how their level of service was so I read through a number of the Empire carpet stories as well as the other Empire stories and found that their customers seem very pleased.

If I were replacing the hardwood in my house I’d get laminate flooring and carpet in all high traffic areas. Laminate flooring looks amazing, is less expensive than wood, is easy to clean and doesn’t scratch like hardwood does. Also, because it wouldn’t trap hair and dander like carpet, it’s a healthier and cleaner alternative to carpet. I’d replace the pile in the boys bedroom with a berber because they’re extremely durable and there’s no pile to get squished or ruined. Empire Today carries both products so for me it’s be a one stop shop. (Talk about your one stop shop, they also carry window treatments and bath/shower liners.) Most of all, I don’t have a lot of time to waste so I’d appreciate Empire’s convenient in home service.

If you’re a pet owner you don’t need a futures broker to tell you there’s a good chance that you’re going to have to deal with shedding. I’ve heard a lot about the Roomba, but have never tried one. Over on the RedPlum website I found a Roomba contest that ends in a couple of days, the prize is a Ibot Roomba. It’s worth $300, so I’m guessing it’s a decent model. Are there many different models? Whenever we move any furniture in our house we usually find enough pet hair to make a whole new pet. How do you deal with shedding and pet hair?

I know that money’s pretty tight now for everyone. I heard on the radio recently that foreclosures are up almost 50 percent and that companies are being more careful with mortgage quotes and loan approvals in order to try and keep the amount of foreclosures down. People that have homes already are refinancing. (I do not understand why someone would include a vehicle in a refinance. I’m sure the temptation must be great to get rid of one more payment, but come on. Who pays for a car for 20,30 or 40 years? That’s just silly.) To me it seems the real estate market hasn’t been good for two years. The house on one side of me sat for about a year before selling. The house two doors down was on the market for about six months. It makes me glad I’m not moving.

I’m fortunate, the two cats we have now don’t scratch the furniture. The reason I say fortunate is because we adopted them, so we really didn’t know what bad habits we might be getting. Anyway. Cats use their claws to defend themselves, so they sharpen them to keep them ready. That’s why a cat scratches its claws.

Unfortunately, cats claws can be very destructive. If your cats are scratching their claws on your furniture there is something you can try. Cats dislike citrus. Get yourself some lemon scented fabric spray and spritz the furniture with it. Also, be sure your cat knows where an acceptable place to scratch their claws is. Get the cat a scratching post or cat tower and put some catnip on it to get their attention. This is a common technique used to get cats to stop scratching furniture. Let me know if you’ve tried it and how it worked or if you need to try it.

Several years ago my beloved Himalayan cat Nikki got sick. In the last day his whole manner changed and I knew the end was coming. I believe he did as well. Looking back, I realize he’d stayed closer to me than usual for a few days before the end. On the last day he wouldn’t leave my side at all. I sat on the floor and he curled up in my lap and passed. My heart broke. We get so attached to our pets, for some of us they are like family.

This past Sunday night my Mom’s cat passed. The cat was about 10 and had a long, good life. For two or three days prior the cat was having a hard time walking but managed to stay near my Mom. I knew my Mom was really hurting, so I tried to help by talking with her. In the course of our conversation I shared my theory of what happened when each of our cats had died.

I believe that in each case our cats stayed near us because they loved us and knew we loved them. I think they knew the end was coming and that being close for a little time together was the cat’s way of thanking me, telling me he loved me and saying goodbye. I believe the cats were all preparing themselves, and us in a way, for their death. I know in Nikki’s case he managed a weak purr until the end, when he let go with one last meow. I believe he was in peace and content with the life he’d had. I still miss him and think of him often.

I have since experienced almost an identical bond with a cat twice. Once was with Pumpkin, a cat who we rescued from a shelter. I nursed him for weeks after we got him to keep him alive. He left us suddenly, again breaking my heart. Now it’s with Shadow, the male cat I have now. You may not think that’s a big deal but, did you know that all three of the cats are/were male Seal Point Himalayans? Sometimes I wonder if in a way my Nikki is still with me.