For Mammal Monday, let's see some articles about a purrrfect pet, the cat.
Dog Disguised As A Cat, OR, Cat Performing Dog Tricks?
Cats can be trained:
Don't be fooled.! That's a dog inside a cat suit! LOL.
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Your Cat's Life in Captivity - How to Simulate Conditions of the Wild...
Story at-a-glance
"Believe it or not, your feline companion is a wild animal living in captivity!
When healthy cats aren’t comfortable in their environment, they often display sickness behaviors; cats with chronic health problems like interstitial cystitis suffer fewer symptoms in feline-friendly environments.
Environmental enrichment means enhancing the living situation of a captive animal to improve health and well-being.
There are several key areas of your cat’s environment you can focus on for enrichment purposes.
By Dr. Becker
Most people owned by a cat don't realize their favorite feline is actually a captive animal.
It's true. Your kitty, especially if he lives entirely indoors (which I recommend), can be loosely compared to a zoo animal held in captivity. But don't be tempted to throw open a door or window and encourage your pet to run wild and free.
While it's true living indoors isn't an entirely natural environment for your cat, letting him run around loose outside actually presents much more risk to his health and longevity than keeping him 'captive.' Housecats with free access to the outdoors are much more likely to be exposed to viruses and other agents that cause serious disease. They can also be inadvertently poisoned.
They become prey for dogs and wild animals like coyotes.
Fighting among outdoor cats is common, and someone has to come out the loser. Usually it's the kitty who doesn't live outside full time and hasn't honed his street-fighting skills.
Cats with access to the outdoors in winter are apt to look for warmth in hazardous places, like the wheel well or up inside the hood of a parked vehicle. Kitties have also been known to dart out into traffic after being startled or because another animal is chasing them.
So I absolutely do not recommend you set your captive kitty free. A much smarter, safer alternative is to learn:
What to look for in a cat who may not be feeling comfortable with his living arrangement
What you can do to help your favorite feline feel more at ease living indoors with you, read the rest of the article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/10/20/your-cats-life-in-captivity-how-to-simulate-conditions-of-the-wild.aspx"
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Kitten and his box, just like a kid would rather play with the wrapping than the toy.
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"Oskar is now on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlindOskar
Some of you asked for more Oskar videos, so here we go..... I took this video the day after we adopted him. Since he is completely blind (born without formed eyeballs) we gave him some balls with bells inside. As you can tell, he can "see" them by using his ears! He is such a happy and inspiring cat -- we are blessed to have him with us."
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Cat Scratching: Tips & Tricks for Saving Your Sofa
"There are lots of good reasons why your cat scratches and claws around the house, none having to do with a desire to destroy your expensive belongings!
Using their claws is a perfectly natural feline behavior and provides a number of positive benefits to the animal. Among them:
- It helps kitties stretch and tone their shoulders and legs.
- It sheds the older layers of nails and keeps the claws clean and smooth.
- Kitties use clawing to mark their territory both visually and with the scent of their paw pads.
- It reduces stress and just plain feels good!
If your kitty seems to have a special fondness for shredding your favorite spots in the house like your side of the bed or your recliner, according to Amy Shojai, a certified animal behavior consultant, it’s because she loves you and wants to share her scent with you.
It’s important to understand why your kitty scratches so you can direct her energies toward less destructive use of those sharp little claws." More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/02/15/preventing-pet-cat-scratching.aspx
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From Me:
My cats have planks of cedar screwed to the door posts in the grooming room, and sisal rope scratching posts. Once in a while I trim the tips off their nails, as that is what they are trying to do when they scratch on things. They leave my furniture alone. Bobbiecat has her own post in my bathroom.
Pebble's ears in foreground, Precious on top, and Prime above the 'cat cave'.
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Trimming Your Cat's Nails:
"Dr. Karen Becker, a proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian demonstrates on how to trim your cat's nails."
- Trimming your kitty's nails should be a regular part of interacting with her.
- Cats pick up on tension and nervousness, so do nail trims only when you're feeling calm and centered.
- Make sure you have styptic powder and a human cat ‘cuddler’ on hand for each nail-trimming session.
- Make the procedure as comfortable as possible for your cat. Allow him to feel he has some control over the situation by using the clip and stop method. "
More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/09/27/trimming-...
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From Me:
I am sorry, I don't molly-coddle my cats when I trim the tips off their claws. I scoop them up, and either hold them on my lap or put them on the grooming table, and cut the tips off with some people toe-nail clippers. I find that is easier than using my dog grooming nail cutters. It is made into a 'no-big-deal' event, just like giving them food or water.
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Stop! Read This Before Declawing Your Kitty
and:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/11/15/declawing-torture-cats.aspx
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How to De-stress Your Kitty During Vet Visits
"As anyone owned by a cat well knows, trying to convince Fluffy to do ‘A’ when Fluffy wants to do ‘B’ is pretty much pointless.
Kitties have minds, moods and goals of their own. And unlike their canine counterparts, many felines have no natural inclination to please the humans in their lives.
If you share your life with a cat, you probably learned early on to let Garfield do what he wants, when he wants, because let’s face it -- he will anyway.
One of the few exceptions to the generally sound ‘let the cat rule’ rule is when it comes to vet visits. This is a time in your feline companion’s life when it is necessary to exert your will over hers.
Cats need at least one and preferably two yearly professional wellness exams just as dogs do.
If you’ve been putting off those visits -- and can’t find a traveling vet that does in-home wellness exams -- it’s time to learn how to win the battle with a kitty that wants to hide under the bed at the precise time you want to take her to the vet.
It’s All about the Carrier
If you don’t have one already, I highly recommend you invest in a carrier for your cat.
Trying to carry and hold your kitty in your arms when she’s stressed and in unfamiliar surroundings can be dangerous for both of you. A cat that is determined to escape your hold will find a way eventually – and you might get scratched up in the process.
In addition, a cat loose in a moving vehicle is never a good idea. Most kitties will quickly find a dark, covered place to hide, like under the seat. Good luck getting Fluffy to come out once you’ve reached your destination.
Some kitties will try to get as close to you as possible, while also hiding. The obvious choice? Under either your gas or brake pedal. Needless to say, your kitty should be confined during travel.
So invest in a hard plastic carrier with an easily removable top. The crate should be large enough to allow your kitty to stand up and turn around in it, but not so large she slides or bounces from end to end or side to side while being carried."
More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/09/23/tips-for-cat-vet-visits.aspx
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From Me:
My foster cats get used to riding in carriers to Adoption Days, this is part of their training for their new 'furever' homes.
For a week or so keep the carrier in a quiet corner with the door open or off, with a nice fluffy blankie inside. Kitty will gravitate to it like a cat cave. Then one day, after kitty has become used to it, close the door, and take him/her on a short ride, just around the block. Put the carrier back in it's corner, and give kitty a treat or two as they come out of their carrier, and repeat a few days later. Then they learn that not all rides are to the vet, and have nice outcomes.
Oh, by the way, if your cat doesn't want to get in it's carrier, turn it door up, pop kitty in there, and quickly shut the door.
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On This Day:
Prohibition ends. Dec 5, 1933:
"The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and bringing an end to the era of national prohibition of alcohol in America. At 5:32 p.m. EST, Utah became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, achieving the requisite three-fourths majority of states' approval. Pennsylvania and Ohio had ratified it earlier in the day.
The movement for the prohibition of alcohol began in the early 19th century, when Americans concerned about the adverse effects of drinking began forming temperance societies. By the late 19th century, these groups had become a powerful political force, campaigning on the state level and calling for national liquor abstinence. Several states outlawed the manufacture or sale of alcohol within their own borders.
In December 1917, the 18th Amendment, prohibiting the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes," was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. On January 29, 1919, the 18th Amendment achieved the necessary three-fourths majority of state ratification. Prohibition essentially began in June of that year, but the amendment did not officially take effect until January 29, 1920.
In the meantime, Congress passed the Volstead Act on October 28, 1919, over President Woodrow Wilson's veto. The Volstead Act provided for the enforcement of Prohibition, including the creation of a special Prohibition unit of the Treasury Department. In its first six months, the unit destroyed thousands of illicit stills run by bootleggers. However, federal agents and police did little more than slow the flow of booze, and organized crime flourished in America.
Large-scale bootleggers like Al Capone of Chicago built criminal empires out of illegal distribution efforts, and federal and state governments lost billions in tax revenue. In most urban areas, the individual consumption of alcohol was largely tolerated and drinkers gathered at "speakeasies," the Prohibition-era term for saloons.
Prohibition, failing fully to enforce sobriety and costing billions, rapidly lost popular support in the early 1930s. In 1933, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was passed and ratified, ending national Prohibition. After the repeal of the 18th Amendment, some states continued Prohibition by maintaining statewide temperance laws. Mississippi, the last dry state in the Union, ended Prohibition in 1966. "
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Yesterday:
Jay and I walked Maddie and Misty before we took off to get the storm doors. It had been raining, but quit long enough for us to do that.
It was piddling enough rain that the wipers had to be on 'mist' all the way down the freeway and then on the country roads to their acreage and house.
It was a loop road, and the numbers changed with the direction, so it was difficult to find at first.
The doors were just as advertized, and they are lovely. Just what I needed. It doesn't show, but they each have a brass plate across the bottom, to match the brass handles.
The rain stopped long enough to load them in my van.
They just fit by folding the back of the bench seat down and leaning them on it, at an angle. Once the back hatch was closed, the doors were trapped in place.
All the frame hardware, two hydraulic door closers for each door, and the little strip inserts for the trim, came with them for $20 each.
Jay needed to stop at JC Penneys to return something, but I sat in the van and talked to my daughter on my cell, and read a Reader's Digest.
Going into a crowded store just before Christmas when I have more than everything I need, is not my cuppa tea. I give my family their gifts all year round, and not on special days.
Then the real rains came! Jay got pretty wet on his way back to the van, but he didn't want to leave right away. He wanted me to loan him some money as he had fallen in love with an expensive watch, and was $10 short. He is not a watch collector like Retired Rod: http://retiredrod.blogspot.com/!
Jay has already bought several watches, and lost them, or had them stolen. Also, he gets 'spenditis', and can't stand to have money in his pocket. All he wanted was the watch, he was going to put it on his turquoise band, and throw the new band and old watch away. He can't 'work' me like he can his mother, so I drove us home, and I'll let his mother take him if she wants to. He is supposed to be saving for his dental work and eye glasses, which seem more important to me.
The drive home on the freeway was slow due to the rain, but it wasn't at 'high wiper' stage, so I didn't think the road going to our subdivision would be flooded.
It is raining again today.
1 comment:
Really nice looking doors. Good find.
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