Kittens 'n Things

We just learned that one of our new found furriends, Calle, was featured yesterday at I Can Has Cheezburger.

Calle’s momma posted Calle’s picture on the ‘net in January on one of those “wordless Wednesday” days!

In case you missed it, I’ve posted it here now so you can see it. ^^^

And, on another matter; see our “medal” over there >>>> ? We won that for our “Freestyle Competition” in last week’s Cat-O-Lympics. Amy awarded it to all kitties that came up with events that no one else was hosting.

So we think our “Whack-A-Cat” with Snowflake and Jonny surely fits that bill.

No one else was hosting; and actually no one else was playing either! We just got the bright idea the day the Cat-O-Lympics started, and didn’t pass our idea on to anyone!

It was a bit of short notice for us to get organized and all.

We’re really all winners, though; and so is Amy! So thank you, Amy. And a really big kitty muah!

“The Boys” and Karen, and Snowflake and Jonny,

P.S. If you haven’t yet signed up for our “Cat’s Meow” ezine, it’s not too late to start getting your very own copy. You’ll also get a complimentary copy of our ebook, “Caring for Your Cat Naturally.”

I was looking around at I Can Has Cheezburger last night, and this caught my eye!

This ^^^ might have been one crazy entry for the “Cat-O-Lympics” had we seen it in time.

Yours in hanging out at I Can Has Cheezburger,

P.S. Three guesses where kitty is going to land when he does finally jump! Our “Romper Room” in our little shoppe, might offer some clues…or may not!

Yesterday, I published an article I had found at the Times Record Herald by Dr. Ellen Friedman about high blood pressure in a cat.

Who would have thought that any of us with little fur balls might some day be faced with a physical issue such as this in him or her.

Certainly, not I!

And judging from some of the comments that have been posted, many of you also hadn’t given it much thought.

So, I’m pleased to know the article that I happened to see in a Google Alert and subsequently posted as a public service announcement-type thing gave us all “food for thought” as we care for our furry loves.

I also want to say thank you to those of you who stop by as well as those of you who take a minute or two to read what I’m sharing.

And I’m thrilled that you take the time to post a comment now and then, too.

Yours in kitty and their “bean” online friendships,

P.S. In case you haven’t seen it yet, we are now using Google Friend in the far right sidebar >>> after our Konnecting Virtually widget. If you’re so inclined, we’d love to have you make it official and become our friend.

By Dr. Ellen Friedman
For the Times Herald-Record

Do cats get high blood pressure? Yes, they do, and it is a condition we see frequently in older felines.

There are several different causes of this disease in cats. The most common include kidney failure, hyperthyroidism and certain types of cardiac disease.

What are the signs of hypertension? Is there something I need to look for?

If your cat has been diagnosed with any of the above contributing conditions, your veterinarian will check your cat’s blood pressure. Yes, this is done by putting a tiny little cat-sized cuff around your cat’s arm (or in some situations, her tail), and getting digital blood pressure readings.
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Snowflake, this one’s for you:

You may recall that last week was the first ever “Cat-O-Lympics,” with a variety of events hosted at numerous cat sites around the Internet.

“The Boys” entered several of the competitions; one of which was the Extreme Climbing event.

We even posted about Snowflake’s and Mikey’s extreme antics.

With this win ^^^, we just know Snowflake is “smiling down” at being recognized for her “agile and athletic prowess” from up there on the top of the Big Dipper!

Too bad we can’t get that on camera!

Thank you to the hosts and the sponsors of this year’s Cat-O-Lympics. And a great big congratulations to all the entrants and to the winners for all the events.

Yours in meeting and making new friends,

P.S. If you haven’t yet signed up for our ezine, “Cat’s Meow,” you’ll want to do so before Saturday’s email delivery. We’ve got a really neat new product we’re introducing in this week’s issue.

Gold medal designed by “Amy” of House-Of-Cats

by JaneA Kelley, Cat expert and animal communicator, Paws and Effect

Shots and spaying/neutering are not the only reasons to take your cat to the vet.

An annual “well cat” exam is a crucial part of your cat’s life. Although your cat may not need to be vaccinated every year, there are two very important reasons to take him to the vet on a regular basis.

Annual well-cat exams help to establish “normal” for your cat. If your vet has an ongoing record of your cat’s weight, for example, she will notice early changes that could spell trouble for your kitty.

By the time your cat is one year old, he’s 16 in human years!

After that, he ages at a rate of about four human years for every cat year. Major issues can develop quickly in a cat that grows and ages at this rate, which makes the yearly check-up even more important.

Some vets recommend that senior cats (those over 10 years of age) get twice-yearly exams.

The annual exam also gives you a chance to establish a relationship with your vet. If your cat gets sick or is seriously injured, you’ll be glad you know your vet well enough to trust her with your cat’s care in a crisis.

Your vet will be glad to know you and your cat well, too, so she can communicate with you as clearly as possible during a difficult time.

Cat expert and animal communicator JaneA Kelley is the webmaster and chief cat slave for Paws and Effect, a weekly cat advice column by cats, for cats and their people.

No matter how hard we try, they pay no attention when we put their food on their plates. We can even put the plate in front of them with the can opener.

They just look at us!

But, they have been known to “try” to steal from us when we are not looking.

You might also think they have their favorites —>>>

And they now know by the smell what’s being cooked or grilled or roasted and whether it’s worth their while to get in line for hand-outs.

Yours in keeping track of your food,

P.S. “Fun Things for Kitty” in our Gourmet Kitchen may be of interest to you and yours!

Roaming around the Internet this last week looking for Cat-O-Lympics events, we never saw anything like the “Whack-A-Mole” video we’ve seen now-and-then at Youtube.

It got us to thinking we had a photo sort of like that somewhere…and lo and behold, we found this after a bit of looking…

Of course, it’s not exactly “Whack-A-Mole,” more like “What-A-Cat!” **

Jonny I is sitting outside the basket, looking somewhat smug, don’t you think?

And Snowflake is inside! She may be hiding (although she’s not doing a very good job of it since her ears are showing), or she may have just been “whacked” by Jonny I.

We don’t really know. It does make for a bit of a cute picture, though…well, except for the poor lighting/coloring.

Yours in playing “Whack-A-Cat,”

P.S. Jonny I and Snowflake were in our “first cat family,” along with Muffy and Scooter. All of whom left to walk over the Rainbow Bridge.

P.P.S. Note to PETA: No kitties were harmed in this photo; before or after the shoot. For our purposes, Whack-A-Cat is a figure of speech.

The Cat-O-Lympics, which began what seems like so long ago (Monday), is now winding down.

We managed to get a “Gold Medal” for display purposes. In case you didn’t see it, here it is:

This has been a fun event and it’s certainly kept “The Boys” busy making the rounds to the sites of their furrriends.

In fact, we’re sure hoping Fin does this again next year. We’re looking for the sign-up list now so we can sponsor an event next year.

If you’ve just found us, you can catch up on this Cat-O-Lympics stuff by reading here, here, here and
here!

Yours in Cat-O-Lympics-ing,”

P.S. Do come back regularly. And as soon as we know the winners of each of the contests, we’ll post them here.

Mr. Tuck at Mr. Tuck’s Neighborhood has issued a challenge for a “Late Night Human Wakeup” competition as part of the first annual online Cat-O-Lympics that have been going on all week.

And “The Boys” have accepted the challenge. There won’t be photo evidence, though, of the actual deed. After all, we’re spending our time trying to get them to change their minds about the late night/early morning wake up.

Mikey has become a “master” at the game! In fact, we’re certain his brothers encourage him with “free treats” if he’ll wake us at choice times.

And his tactics, you ask?!

In the late night hours…and even sometimes just close to dawn, Mikey will stealthily creep into the bedroom (if he’s not already there–and some nights he isn’t), to first, sit on the floor beside the bed. If you’re lucky, and you’re sleeping, he’ll sit there quietly for a bit.

But whatever you do, don’t move!

He’ll then “say a few words,” and if you don’t pay any attention to him, he’ll jump on the bed at your feet — just to let you know he’s there.

Not up yet? He’ll hop off the bed, then jump back onto the bed beside your stomach. Still not up? Well whatever you do, don’t be on your back, because he’ll slowly “walk up” your stomach to your chest and sit, to stare you in the face.

And he’ll stare. And stare!

After that if you’re not up, he’ll touch your face with his paw. And you, knowing there’s no more “rest for you” this night, get up to feed him and his brothers. At which time, he will eat, take his bath and then go back to bed!

And you? You’re up!

Yours in feigning sleep as long as you can,

P.S. If you haven’t received your copy of our ezine, “Cat’s Meow,” it’s not too late. See the box, upper right >>> for details. And get a complimentary copy of our “Caring for your Cat Naturally!”

Photo: Mikey on his best behavior. Photo source: Mikey’s baby book.