(Some time in the morning when Dezi, Raena and mommy A are laying in bed……Asleep?) Hey, Raena, are you awake? Raena? RaenaBelle!!!
(Raena stretches out a paw toward Dezi and yawns) What sissy? Did I’s miss somethin’?
Me’s thinkin’ it’s time to get up. Me’s gettin’ hungry.
I’s don’t wanna get up sissy. It’s too cold. I’s wanna stay right here snuggled up to mommy. (mommy starts moving her head and tells the girls she needs to get up) No mommy, let’s sleep just a little longer.
(Dezi and Raena lay still a few minutes and then Dezi gets up and starts massaging mommy’s tummy. Raena knowing that will cause mommy to need to get up paws at Dezi) Stop hittin’ me Raena! Me wants to get up. It’s time fur Blest Sunday and church. Help me get mommy up. Ifin she doesn’t get up, she’ll never turn on the heat. And let me tell ya’, nopawdy’s house should be below 50°. Me knows mommy wouldn’t have let it happen to our house ifin she’d known it was gonna get so cold.
(Raena paws at Dezi once more and then moves in to position to massage mommy and help her get off the bed) Okay sissy, let’s get up. I’s am feelin’ a bit hungry mine’s self. I’s could go fur a nice plate of rabbit and duck and maybe a nice warm nip tea. We are so Blest to have such yummy noms. And a nice warm toasty place to sleep. With all the colds everywhere I’s sure do worry ‘bout all the kitties livin’ outside.
Me too Raena. Me’s so happy that we’ve been goin’ out a few times a week lookin’ fur feral and stray kitties to feed. We actually found one the other night. Just in case there was more, mommy left purrlenty of food to feed several kitties. We couldn’t tell ifin the kitty we saw was a girly or a boy cuz it wouldn’t come close enuff and it was so dark and cold. But, we said a purrayer and asked God to take care of her/him and we’ll go back to leave some more food soon.
I’s glad we’re doin’ that too sissy. I’s wanna go with mommy the next time. Maybe the kitty just needs a furiend to show her/him that mommy’s not gonna hurt ’em. Altho’ she does look kind’a scary ifin ya’ don’t know her. Havin’ lost her coat, she gets all bundled up in a couple of shirts and pairs of pants to go out. She looks kind’a like a crazy woman. MOL
That’s okay Raena, she’s our crazy mommy and we luv her. Hey, did you see that Annie and Pierrot hopped on the Blessin’ Train?
I’s did sissy. I’s was so happy. And did you see the package we got the other day? Mommy says it’s a Christmas purresent from awnty Belinda. She won’t let us have it till Christmas, but we sure do fanky fank ya’ awnty Belinda. Mommy says she knows we’re gonna luvs it.
Yep Raena, me can’t hardly wait. We got mews ‘bout our visitin’ the nursin’ home this past week. Seems we’re not gonna be allowed to go anymore. They’re only allowin’ church groups from their town unless you’re a family member. Mommy said she’d look ‘round to see ifin there was any place else we could go to, but it looks like we’ll be carolin’ at home this year.
I’s gonna miss all the attention we got from all thoe residents sissy. But I’s glad we still carol here. I’s luvs Christmas songs and singin’ ‘bout Jesus.
Me too Raena, me too. I’s think that should be our Blessin’ this week fur the Blessing Train. Altho’ Jesus wasn’t actually born on Christmas day, me’s pawfully glad He was born. Me just luvs hearin’ the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth.
W purray and ask Him to bless, watch over and purrvide fur all our furiends every day. We also gotta link up with the Kitties Blue fur Sunday Selfies.
We wanna remind everypawdy to take a minute today and every day to give thanks fur the Blessings in your lives. We also wanna invite you to hop on the Blessing Train fur our 12 Days of Blessings. Just take the train or boxcar or both and post your Blessing. Link back to us, send a pingback to our posty or leave your linky in the comments below, so we can all visit you. Blessings multiply when shared.
Hey, is anypawdy out there? It’s me, RaenaBelle. Kittens!!! has it ever turned cold. It’s okay tho’, we’ve got our toasty warm ‘lectric blanky, and mommy. We do luvs to cuddle.
Raena, quit ramblin’ on. We’re gonna share our Christmas Gift Guide today. Ya’ know, time’s runnin’ out and we’ve got some great gift suggestions fur peeps and furs alike. And we’ve tried to pick items from just ‘bout every purrice range, so there’s somethin’ fur everypawdy.
You’re so right sissy. I’s so x’cited. Can I’s go furst? (Dezi rolls her eyes but nods yes)
HexBug for Cats
Photo courtesy of Hexbug
Let me tell ya’, these things are sooooooo much fun. We got one of these buggers in our Hooligan in a Can purrize pack from Cat Scouts. As soon as mommy turned him on, we were off and running. I’s will say, he works bestest on non carpeted floors. But, kitty HexBugs are great fur hours of fun and a great source of some pawsum action shots fur all you fotographers out there. There are several places to get your HexBug from the creators website to amazon. They run anywhere from $4.99 to $19.99. They don’t specifically make a HexBug fur doggies, but there are some bigger bugs that we think any woofie would enjoy as well.
Great choice Raena.
Kitty Kick Stix
Me’s furst pick is those pawsum Kitty Kick Stix we just reviewed (see our review here). They’ve got a kicker fur every kitty. They range in size from 6” to 15” and they’ve even innerduced some new refillable kinds. And, ifin you use our special code DWORLD, you can save 15% off their sale purrices of $3.95 to $26.95.
That’s a good one sissy.
Frisco 33.5” Scratching Post
Mine’s next pick is the Frisco 33.5” Scratching Post from Chewy.com. We not only reviewed this pawsum scratcher, we liked it enuff to ask if we could give one away (see our review here). This scratcher is tall enuff fur even the larger housecat breeds. And it’s purrlenty sturdy, so it’s sure to be liked by the kitties on your list. You can find it on Chewy fur $32.99. And, it comes in brown and cream.
And, we know every kitty needs a good scratcher, don’t we Raena?.
Garfield Cat Litter
Speakin’ of a kitty’s needs Raena, every kitty needs a good litterbox filled with a great litter. One of our top choices fur the latter is the Garfield Cat Litter. There’s still time to get in on our current give away too. Just click here to check it out. It comes in a 3 pack of 5 lb bags or 1) 10 lb bag and is available in 2 different sizes, tiny grains and small grains. The cost runs $14.90 to $22.90 at Chewy. Ifin ya’ sign up fur autoship, you can save even more.
And, ya’ gotta have somethin’ to put that litter in sissy.
Litter Robot Open Air III
When it comes to automated litterboxes, our choice is the Litter Robot Open Air III. Stay tuned fur our review. We’ve haven’t decided ifin it’s a toy or a litterbox. Hey, maybe, it’s both!!! MOL Like I’s said, you’ll have to wait fur the review. But, we do luv it. Now, we realize this is purretty ‘spensive. But, when ya’ think ‘bout the fact that you’ve gotta have a litterbox, and somepawdy’s gotta do the scoopin’, then we think this makes perfect sense. It’s got features out the wazoo to make the peeps happy and functions purrfectly fur a kitty’s needs. It runs $449.00 and comes ready to go outta the box…just add litter and kitty.
Raena, you’re gonna have to learn to let the scoops go. It really isn’t a toy.
Yeowww Nip Nanner
Anyways, what kind of kitties would we be ifin we didn’t list the famous Yeowww nip nanner? At only $5.99 at Chewy, ya’ can’t go wrong. It’s full of purremium grade catnip to delight every kitty. Okay, maybe not every kitty, but most.
Hey sissy, we purromissed items fur the peeps too.
Just Kitten Around Coffee Mug
I’s would like to suggest that huge coffee mug Chewy sent mommy a while back. She says it’s purrfect and adorably cute. And at $9.99 every kitty luvver will have a big smile with their coffee, tea or hot chocolate.
That’s fur sure a good one, Raena.
Cat Shelf
This is great mommy. Ya’ gotta hang it up? I’s couldn’t wait.
Ya’ know, we haven’t listed any purrches fur us kitties. We received a great Cat shelf from the wonderful cats at Art of Paws. It’s a family run business, 1 purrson and 4 cats. Now that’s me’s kind of business. MOL Anyways, the shelf we received if just purrrrrrrrfect. Very well made and it looks just bootyful. It has 2 removable washable covers, soft wool or a ridged fibre type. And, it’ll hold up to 33 pounds. That means it’s purrfect fur us. It comes with everythin’ you need to get it up on the wall includin’ the wall anchors. Ifin ya’ live in a small space like we do, you know you have to take advantage of the vertical space. ‘Course, anypawdy who knows cats, knows, we like the high places anyways. This shelf is only $39.95 and worth every penny. So, mommy, when are we gonna have a whole wall covered in these purrches? MOL
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I’s luvs the purrch sissy.
Pawsitively Beautiful Tote Bag
A lot of ya’ may ‘member the pawsum tote bag mommy got fur her birthday. She still luvs it and so it has to be a pick on our gift list. It’s roomy enuff fur a blogger to carry their laptop or tablet in as well as all the things a lady might need in her purrse. And, buyin’ it means 71 anipals get fed. That’s a great deal. You can check it out here. It’s currently on sale fur $34.99 and comes in 3 different colors.
And ifin mommy doesn’t fill it too full, there’s even room fur one of us, huh Raena? Well, that’s a lot of shoppin’. As purromissed, there’s a little somethin’ fur everypawdy/kitty.
We haven’t finished sissy. We have one last gift to list. This gift is considered purriceless to the recipient and everypawdy can afford it. We know money’s tight fur everyone, so we fur sure wanted to list what mommy’ll be getting’ us fur Christmas…
Love and Hugs
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There ya’ have it. The greatest gift of all. And now we wanna list our next Blessin’ fur the Blessin’ Train. Love!!! We have the love of God and our mommy. With that Love, there’s nuffin’ we can’t overcome. We do hope ya’ll will jump on the Blessin’ Train, it’s headin’ your way.
Hey, is anypawdy out there? It’s me, RaenaBelle. You’re never gonna guess who came over fur a play date. Look’it, It’s the beautiful ginger Annie and her handsum smart eared brofur Pierrot from the Gooey Lounge. We’re so glad ya’ll could paw over fur a play date.
Dezi: We sure are. Kittens!!! Raena never stops. Me hears you like to romp and play too, Pierrot.
Pierrot: I sure do. I love to play and run. (Raena and Pierrot start zooming down the hall, leaving Dezi and Annie sitting in the chair)
Dezi: (Shakes head) Young’un’s!!! Well, maybe those two will tire each other out. Me’s glad we’ve got a few minutes to ourselves. We just luv ya’ll, even tho’ we haven’t known ya’ that long. Me knows we have lots of furiends that’s never even met ya’, so why don’t you tell us a little ‘bout ya’ll.
Annie: Thanks Dezi, and thanks for inviting us over. I’m an 11 year old orange tabby and I came to live with the lady and big guy, that’s what we call our mom and dad; 6 years ago. My previous owners were moving and going to put me in a shelter back in California. I was so very scared at first. It broke the lady’s heart to see how terrified I was.
Dezi: Mommy’s…they luv us so much don’t they?
Annie: At first I wasn’t so sure. But with a lot of changes, I’m very happy and comfortable in my home now. I love the lady and big guy so much. You know, they saved my life, I just know it.
Dezi: Girl, we are two of the blestest kitties ever. We’ve got the bestest pawrents in the universe. Give me the low down on Pierrot. We just luv his little ears. We think they give him so much purrsonality.
Annie: He’s got personality to spare then. Pierrot’s 5 years old and 3 years ago the lady and big guy just thought they had to have him. They adopted him from Save the Cats, a local animal rescue that fosters homeless kitties. Really, he’s not that bad. And, a year earlier the big guy had lost his beloved Simba and really needed a new friend. I guess it’s really nice that they saved Pierrot. I’m used to him now. I’m sure you know all about that. MOL
Dezi: Me sure does. At least we have humans with purrlenty of luv to share. How did ya’ll start bloggin’?
Annie: Pierrot and I actually inherited the blog. The lady started blogging back in 2009 for her then kitty Lucy. Of course Simba made a few guest appearances, and then came me and finally Pierrot. The lady had wanted to meet some kitties and people who love cats to share stories and photos with.
Raena: (Raena and Pierrot run through and zoom up the Liberty cat tree) Hey, ya’ll come over here with us. We purromiss not to whacky paw anykitty.
Annie: I don’t think I can climb up there, my first people had my claws removed. And sometimes my short back legs don’t work just right.
Raena: No worries gawjus. Just give mommy “the look”, she’ll help ya’ up and down all day long. She’s the bestest. (Mommy A helps Annie on the tree and gives them all some treats Annie and Pierrot had brought with them) Fanky fanks fur the treats ya’ll, they’re yummy. What kinds of things do ya’ll like to do at home?
Annie: I love cozy blankets and sun puddles. We both do really. One of my favorite things is spending the evenings with the lady while she reads or watches teevee. She gives me belly rubs and chin scritches and I just purr and purr. I also love grass with a passion. Sometimes the lady grows me a fresh pot. The lady works from home and sometimes takes short breaks just to spend time with me. I guess you girls are right, we really are the most blest kitties ever. I also like to play with catnip toys. Of course, not too many cats don’t right?
Pierrot: I Love catnip toys too, Annie. And balls and mousies, and well just about everything.
Raena: Me too Pierrot, me too.
Annie: Well, we better get back home if I’m going to spend the evening with the lady. We sure do appreciate your kind hospitality and friendship.
Dezi: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaw Fanks. We luv ya’ll too. We’re really glad to be your furiends. Give the lady and the big guy some purrs from us and come back anytime.
Raena: Sissy, we have the bestest furiends in the universe. Ya’ know what else we need to do today? We need to pick our Blessin’ fur the Blessing Train. Hearin’ ‘bout Annie and Pierrot’s adoptions and thinkin’ ‘bout our own, I’s say today’s Blessin’ is Luvvin’ Furever Homes. ‘Member, you too can hop on the Blessin’ Train fur our 12 Days of Blessings. Just send us a pingback to your posty and/or post your linky in the comments. And don’t furget to check out the Gooey Lounge.
MeOW Welcome to a brand new Service Cat Monday. We’re really behind today, but we think when ya’ get to the end, you’ll furgive us. We have quite a few questions regarding the wheelchair that we’re holding until the new chair gets here. In the meantime, we’re runnin’ low on your other questions. ‘Member, the only dumb question, is the one that’s not asked. Everypawdy can’t be a seasoned pet pawrent; ya’ have to start somewhere. So ask us anythin’ and we’ll do our bestest to help out. We’re tacklin’ a good one today. Let’s get the business outta the way and get to it. The followin’ post will be written in human English fur reader and translator ease. Our Service Cat Monday posts aren’t intended to be an all inclusive Trainin’ Manual but rather Tips, Tricks and Techniques used/developed by mommy A thru her many years of animal trainin’, cats in purrticular. And to offur insight into your questions about Feline Behavior. Ifin you have any questions or topics you would like us to cover, purrlease let us know in the comments section or send us an email. When asking behavioral questions, purrlease be as specific as pawssible. And, ifin you’ve missed any of the posts in this series, you can ketch up by clickin’ the links at the end of this post. Always remember, Training is all ‘bout Repetition and Rewards.
So, what’s the hot topic today that every kitty pawrent wouldn’t want to miss? Well, every living being on the planet has 4 basic functions they must do in order to survive: Eat, Drink, Sleep and Eliminate (urinate and defecate). Today, we’re going to focus on kitty’s need to Eliminate. We call this a hot topic because inappropriate Elimination has been the cause of so many kitties losing their furever homes. Problems arising from kitty’s inability to Eliminate can lead to illness and even death. And as every inside only kitty parent would probably say, the litter box is the least favorite part of being owned by a cat. But, it’s necessary. The litterbox isn’t something you or your kitty can live without. Now we know that some have trained kitty to use the human toilet, and some have kitties that go outdoors, but, ideally kitty should have access to a clean litterbox to use for their Elimination needs.
Me’s not usin’ this thing. Me wants a real box.
We’re not going to spend much time on the alternatives, but we would like to quickly address kitties using the human toilet. As we prove each week with our Service Cat Monday posts, cats are extremely intelligent, but even cats have limitations. Mommy had once thought teaching kitty to use the toilet would be wonderful. However, watching sis Lexi’s mobility and balance decline over the last year of her life has totally changed her mind. We Do Not recommend toilet training any cat.
So, whether you have a new kitty, one kitty or ten (or more), you’re going to need a litterbox. The rule of thumb is 1 box and a spare for each cat in your home. As most people with one or two cats will likely tell you, they’re getting by with just 1 box. But, be aware, the fewer boxes you have the greater chance you have of inappropriate Eliminating. Now, we’ll get back to choosing the right box in a minute. We’d like to talk Litter for a minute.
Multi Cat
With all the different types of litter on the market, it can be confusing. Especially to the novice cat owner. But, even long time cat owners can get overwhelmed at times. To Clump or not to clump, that is the question. If only it were that simple. But, that is the first question you need to ask yourself. We prefer Clumping. Mommy says she can’t even remember the day of non clumping litters and is thankful for that memory loss. MOL The next question you might ask is, natural or not? The truth is, clay is just as natural as corn, wheat or grass. The difference is how it reacts in the litterbox and inside kitty’s tummy. Make no mistake, kitty is getting some litter in their mouths. And just about anything that goes into kitty’s mouth is going down their throats, due to the nature of their tongue barbs. (we’ll cover that in another post if you’d like). Cats are such fastidious groomers, that anything left on our furs or between our paw pads is going to get licked and may be ingested. Here is where the natural difference comes in. Clay and it’s clumping additives are not naturally edible and don’t easily pass thru kitty’s intestines. Instead they do inside kitty the same as they do in the litterbox…form clumps and cause blockages. While there may be little nutritional value to corn or wheat in a cat food, it can certainly pass thru the intestines with ease.
The next question to ask is, Scented or Unscented?. The smell of cat urine is like pouring a bottle of amonia in a bowl. It can quickly cause burning eyes, burning and/or itching in the nose and throat and just plain be unpleasant. Many litters on the market add things like perfumes, baking soda and other scented additives to make the litter smell more pleasing to the human nose. Notice me said human nose. When was the last time you saw a kitty of any size looking for the closest lavender field to urinate in? Kitties have very sensitive olfactory senses (noses). We kitties prefer a totally Unscented place to Eliminate. Remember, cats are both Predators and Prey; and anything that draws attention to us could in our minds put us at risk of becoming something bigger’s meal. And hey, if you’re scooping like you should be, there shouldn’t be any lasting smells. (we’ve only posted a few different types of litter. there are many many more to choose from)
Another thing we’d like to bring your awareness too is Litters/Additives that can help one keep an eye on kitty’s urinary health. In recent years crystal type litters have gained popularity due to their lack of color or color changing crystal additives. These help humans identify Urine pH levels or blood in the urine easier. We’ll tell you that for this reason, we really like the Garfield Cat Litter. It’s completely clear, clumps well and keeps down odors naturally. It has minimal dust and a texture most cats like. It comes in two formulas, small grain and large grain. We prefer the small grain, as it’s very soft and easy on the paws. It feels a lot like sand. We think it would work great for older, paw sensitive and declawed cats. (PLEASE Do Not Declaw your cats!!!). Stay tuned at the end of this post, we’re giving away a couple of 10 pound bags.
Let’s talk about scooping for a minute. No matter how many cats and/or litterboxes you have, you should scoop the litterbox at least once a day. Me personally, thinks it should be scooped every time a deposit is made. Yes, mommy spoiled me and me never grew out of it. But, one day when she was mumbling about scooping so me could go poop, me had just peed and so the box must be cleaned ASAP; she thought to herself, “I wouldn’t want to use a potty that hadn’t been flushed after the last use so really…why would I expect my girls to use a dirty potty?.” When ya’ put it that way, it makes total sense. She doesn’t mumble as much anymore. MOL Anyways, for the rest of the world, we say at the very least, once a day. The cleaner the box, the less chance you’ll have of Inappropriate Elimination. Remember, us cats really like clean.
So, you’ve chosen a litter and are ready to go. How do you pick a litterbox? The box you choose must be large enough to accommodate kitty. Most kitties are going to want to turn around a time or two, dig a little and then pick a spot and squat. Of course there are the kitties who forget to squat. If you have one of those, be sure to look for a box with high sides or maybe a lid. Just be sure the lid is large enough for kitty to be able to stand up straight in. If you’re using an enclosed litterbox, regular scooping becomes even more important. Most of the smell is trapped under the lid. We shouldn’t have to explain walking into a stinky bathroom, we think most everybody already knows about that one. You may also want to look into an automatic litterbox. They’ve come a long way in the last few years. Stay tuned, we’ll be giving you the scoop on our pick next week. The last step is to place kitty’s litterbox in a quiet place with easy access in and out. You don’t want kitty to feel trapped or cornered.
Hmmmmm I’s don’t know sissy, what do you think?
So, you’ve done everything right. The box is the perfect size, you chose the best unscented litter with a texture kitty loves and placed it in a quiet location, but kitty’s still Inappropriately Eliminating. Here are a few tips to get kitty and their pee and poop back in the box where it belongs. Do Not Punish kitty!!! Remember, all successful Training is about Positive Reinforcement, Repetition and Rewards. First things first. Clean the area well with an odor neutralizing cleaner. You don’t want to mask the odor, but eliminate it altogether. Take kitty to the VET to rule out any medical reasons such as Urinary Tract Infections, Kidney or Bladder Stones, etc. If kitty gets an all clear, try placing a litterbox over the area kitty is using temporarily to entice kitty to use it. Sprinkle a litter attractant, catnip, silvervine or valerian on the litter and the lip of the litterbox. If you see kitty start to use the floor, say in a firm voice, “NO” and move kitty to the litterbox. Each time you see kitty use the box, praise them and reward them with hugs or treats. Always set kitty up for success and you’ll have a much happier home. Remember, you might like the scent of all those scented litters, but you’re not the one trapped inside a small enclosure with them. The litterbox should be attractive to kitty, not necessarily you.
Litter Robot Open Air III with Garfield Cat Litter.
Whew, That’s a lot of infurmation and we just barely scratched the surface. MOL But, we’ve got a give away to get too. So, tell us ‘bout your litterbox or favorite litter in the comments and then paw the Enter Here graphic fur your chance to win a bag of Garfield Cat Litter fur yourself. And don’t furget, you can ketch up on any post you may have missed by clicking the links below. Send your questions to us by commenting below or sending us an email.
Don’t furget the Blessing Train sissy. Our blessing today is the wonderful companies that allow us to pass a blessing along thru give aways. And, a pawsum mommy who cares more ‘bout us likin’ our litterbox than her.
Service Cats U.S. 