MeOW Welcome to Service Cats and Everything Feline on Furidays where we answer your questions ‘bout feline health, nutrition, behavior and anythin’ else you might ask. We offur tried and true Training Tips and suggestions to help every kitty owner from furst time kitty pawrents to life long pros. We’re runnin’ low on questions and topics, so ifin there’s somethin’ you’ve been wonderin’ ‘bout, wonder no more. Submit your questions and topic suggestions in the comments below or send us a purrivate email via our Contact page. And don’t furget, you can ketch up on any post in this series by clickin’ the links on our Training Tips and EverythingFeline page.
The following post will be written in human English for reader and translator ease. Our Service Cat posts aren’t intended to be an all inclusive Training Manual but rather Tips, Tricks and Techniques used/developed by mommy A thru her many years of animal training, cats in purr-ticular. And to offer insight into your questions about Everything Feline. Always remember, successful Training is all about Repetition and Rewards.
Last week we wrote about Vitamin D and the importance of a balanced nutritional feline diet. We discussed Feline Nutrition here, but we’ve not discussed in detail all of the ingredients, supplements and additives in your cat’s food. So, we were wondering how many of you would be interested in learning about these ingredients? Just because it’s in your cat’s food, doesn’t necessarily mean it should be. And, with all the conflicting opinions out there, choosing kitty’s food can get confusing. Let us know in the comments if you’d like to learn more about pet food ingredients, including trends and industry buzz words.
Okay already, Me likes you Raena.
Getting Along:
We’ve been asked a couple of questions that don’t really require a whole post to answer. So, we thought we’d cover those today. We’re often asked if Raena and me got along right away. Mommy says it would be great and for sure make her life a lot easier if we had hit it off from the get go. But the truth is a big fat No. And, sis Lexi and me weren’t immediate besties either. However, we are proof that you can have a multi cat household where each kitty can feel safe and confident in their shared home. We don’t have extra rooms with doors that can closed off to allow for the traditional method of introducing new kitties, so mommy’s technique only allows for a couple of days for kitties to protest and lodge their complaints about the new comer. After which, she fully expects and will accept nothing less than kitties happily cohabiting in peace.
Me still remembers the splat sis Lexi handed down the first time she saw me and how she ran off down the hall screaming. That was a long time ago. We became the best of friends and sisfurs. Me couldn’t have asked for a better role model or more loving big sissy. Of course, me had to pass along me’s own brand of displeasure when Raena joined our home. And we still have the occasional disagreement, but for the most part, we get along. More importantly, we work well together and are secure in our place in our home. If you’re adding a new kitty to your home, you can read our Tips for introducing them to your resident kitty(s) here.
Are Cats Ambidextrous:
Another interesting question we were asked is: Do cats favor one paw over the other? In other words, are cats right or left pawed? Is that even a thing? Believe it or not, cats do favor one paw over the other. Cats can also be ambidextrous, meaning they use both right and left paws interchangeably. Like humans, the majority of kitties and doggies are right pawed/handed.
Remember Me Thursday:
Right pawed, left pawed or ambidextrous, all kitties are wonderful. And all kitties deserve the chance to be loved and have a happy life. We encourage anyone looking to add a kitty to your family, to check out the local shelters and rescues in your area. Old or young, disabled or not, there’s sure to be a kitty waiting for you. We would like to remind you to do some research before adopting. Altho’ you may not know everything about the kitties at the shelter, there are things you can assume by knowing a little about breed traits. And please, don’t adopt a special needs kitty if you can’t afford to take care of them financially. While we don’t believe that money or the lack of it should prevent anyone from sharing their lives with a furry purrer, we do believe that one should be realistic. Special needs kitties can cost thousands upon thousands of dollars in medical bills. For someone like mommy, that would be impossible to do. Unexpected health care costs are something no one can predict, so we just say use some common sense.
We luvs the camera, so we have lots of shots where half our face is cut off. Blooper!!!
Well, me’s gonna wrap it up fur today. We hope you found today’s post interesting and entertaining. Remember, you can catch up on any posts in this series that you may have missed by clicking the links on our Training Tips and Everything Feline page. And let us know your thoughts about Feline Nutrition in the comments or ask the questions you’ve been wanting answers too. We’re joining a few hops today. Furst up is Feline Furiday at Comedy Plus, and of course #RememberMeThursday with Lola and Lexi and Three Chatty Cats. We’re also posting our monthly foto fail with our furiends over at the Cuddlywumps. With as many fotos as mommy takes, we’ve got a lot of ‘em. MOL Check ‘em out fur a lot of inneresting and fun fotos and posts.
MeOW Welcome to Service Cats and Everything Feline on Furidays. We’re runnin’ on our 3rd no sleep day and adrenenline cuz of early meownin’ ‘pointments. But, we didn’t want to skip postin’ today, cuz our current topic is very ‘purrtant, and we hope lots of kitties find their new furevers befur the end of the month. Anyways, as always you can ketch up or re-read any of the posts in this series by clickin’ on Training Tips and Everything Feline from our menu above. And you can submit your questions or suggest topics fur us to cover by leaving a comment on this posty or sendin’ us a purrivate email via our Contact page, also in our menu bar above. Purrlease ‘member when askin’ behavioral questions to be as specific as pawsible and use any examples you feel best describes the behavior you’re askin’ ‘bout. Alrighty then, let me turn on me’s human speakin’ and spellin’ voice and get this posty started.
The followin’ post will be written in human English fur reader and translator ease. Our Service Cat 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 Everything Feline. Always remember, Training is all ‘bout Repetition and Rewards.
Last week we started a mini-series on Kitten/Cat Proofing your home. Most of these tips are also good for puppy/dog proofing as well. You can read Pt. 1 here. Cats are curious by nature, and that can spell trouble if we get into something we’re not supposed too. Like two legged children, we rely on you, our human to make sure our home and surroundings are safe for us. We started inside the house since we think it’s important for kitties to live inside. It’s just too dangerous for kitty to be outside roaming the streets.
The Bathroom and Laundry room:
Let’s take a look at the safety issues in the Bathroom/Laundry room. Now, we know that not all laundry rooms are in the bathroom, but clumping them together just seems natural. After all what other 2 rooms are designed for cleaning something dirty? Anyways, whether you have a vanity or just a sink, be prepared to find kitty lounging about the porcelain on those really hot days of summer. Mommy prefers cleaning with steam, but she also makes a homemade all purpose cleaner using 1/2 cup of Vinegar, 1 Tbsp. of Dawn dish detergent and water in a 16 oz. spray bottle. Mommy’s also used this same concoction to mop the floors, clean mirrors and windows. It’s a great all natural and safe cleaner. If you use bleach or other harsh chemicals for cleaning, be sure to store them out of kitty’s reach and rinse all surfaces thoroughly after cleaning. Remember, kitty will walk across most surfaces and then lick their paws.
Keep the toilet seat down, especially if you have or plan on adopting small kittens. Did you know one can actually drown in as little as 1 inch of water? So please keep that toilet seat in the downward position. We don’t recommend using those leave in toilet bowl cleaners just in case you or perhaps company forgets and leaves the toilet seat up. Accidents happen and it only takes one time to turn your life upside down.
Most laundry rooms have a small shelf up high for storing dangerous chemicals. Always keep washing machine and dryer doors closed and check and double check before turning them on. It’s a good idea to have a vent cover over the dryer exhaust vent outside to keep small animals and cats from trying to crawl in that way. If you don’t have a dryer but have the vent, it should be covered from the inside too. The exhaust vent isn’t meant to be a kitty/doggy door.
You should also store human soaps, shampoos and conditioners closed and out of kitty’s reach. Altho’ most of these won’t kill kitty, they could result in sickness or other long term health diseases. If you’re a bath taker, never leave kitty/woofy unattended with a full tub of water. Do Not use human bubble baths, bath oils or bombs when bathing kitty/doggy. Please be careful when using products like hair spray, deodorants, perfumes, hair dyes, lotions, toothpaste and other hygiene and grooming products. Never use them directly on kitty/woofy and be careful they don’t get caught in 2nd hand sprays or applications. Only use toothpastes and shampoos specifically made for kitty/woofy.
The bathroom probably has the fewest electric outlets and the most hanging cords in the house. Blow dryers, curling/straight irons, shavers, toothbrushes, and other small appliances can all be shock hazards. Make sure all cords are properly stored and unplugged. Remember, kittens get into everything, and even older cats are curious about new surroundings and things. Keep trash cans covered or under the sink if possible. Bathrooms that come with windows, usually have very small ones, none the less, keep them closed or at least keep an eye on kitty so he/she doesn’t try to get out of it or fall out by accident.
One last thing before we leave the bathroom as we have personal experience with this one. Any over the toilet storage/shelving units should be anchored to the wall or have a sturdy base that allows it to be a stand alone product. Choose non glass items to display on the shelves. You never know when kitty’s curiosity might get the best of him/her and the unit including all it’s contents come crashing to the floor.
Can you believe it? Mommy cut half mine’s face off and
got all that goopy stuff in mine’s eyes. Just one of the many bloopers we have.
Well, fur the smallest rooms in the house, they sure do have a lot of dangers. MOL Anyways, we’ve got just a few more rooms befur we’re finished. So, get your questions and topic suggestions in now. And don’t furget, you can ketch un on any post on this series by clickin’ the links on our Training Tips and Everything Feline page from the menu above. We’re gonna be joinin’ Comedy Plus fur Feline Furiday and the Cuddlywumps fur Pet Photo Fails and Bloopers. And do we ever have bloopers. ‘Course, we wouldn’t x’pect anythin’ else with mommy behind the camera. MOL We plan on sleepin’ soon and we’re not settin’ any alarms. So, we’ll be ‘round to visit just as soon as we can.
Till the next time…………………………………………………..Be Blest!!!
Happy artsy Caturday to you all. Afur me goes any further, me wants to pawlogize to anypawdy what thought sissy had gone to heaven when they saw yesfurdays blog post title. We thought we had worded it so dat wuldn’t be da case. Sissy just wanted to tell mommy how much she luvved and purreciated her. Me will be writin’ one of me’s own to mommy, so we hope you stay tuned. Anyways, we messed up and furgot to add da link to da Pet Parade. Can you believe it? A hop dat we’s purrticipated in since almost da beginnin’, and we furgot to add it. Mommy gets more and more furgetful every day, and now it’s rubbin’ off on sissy and me. MOL Check out sissy below in da same effect as me’s top foto. Mommy just adjusted da settings a bit and voila’.
Sis Lexi in da same effect wiff adjusted colors
We also furgot da Pet Blogger Blooper Roundup hosted by The Lazy PitBull. Me’s gunna let mommy slide on dat one since this is only da second month. And altho’ we’s a little late, we’s gunna join up today. We’s also gunna join up wiff da gawjus Athena fur Caturday Art. And we don’t know how many of ya’ be purrticipatin’ in da BlogPaws #BoostYourBlog10K hop, but ifin you’re not, ya’ might wanna check it out. This month is all ‘bout fotos. There’s sum really gweat posty’s on da fotos we use in our posts and how to attract da brands wiff just da right foto. You don’t have to be a pro to take good fotos. Mommy’s a testament to dat. And da latest issue of da Daily Mews is out. You can see our February article here. And while you’re there, look around. There’s a little sumthin’ fur everyone. Don’t furget to sign up so you’ll never miss a publication (usually 1 – 2 a month). So wiffout further ado, let’s get on wiff da bloopers.
Mommy was shootin’ fotos fur a review but me wasn’t coop-purratin’.
Kan you believe mommy cut off half minez face?
And don’t furget to enter our Happy Kitty Kit Give Away. There’s a few days left fur you to get in on this one. You may ‘member da Catit Lounger Scratcher we reviewed last year and just luvved and dat sissy be layin’ on in hers foto above… Well it’s in da Happy Kitty Kit as well as a chirpin’ chickadee toy and sum 9 Lives cat food. It’s open to U.S. addresses only, but those of you across da pond can enter and donate ifin you win.
Well we’s duin’ a lot of hoppin’ today, but there’s a lot of gweat blogs out there to check out. Ifin yous not already purrticipatin’ in at least one of these hops, check it out now.
Do you have a Blog Hop dat you try to always purrticipate in?
Welkum to a furesh and fun filled Furiday. As purromissed me is gunna be featurin’ a pawsum and adoptable kitty; and showin’ off sum blooper fotos. Trust me we have a lot of those. MOL We hope to find a lot of ya’ jumpin’ on this blog hop band wagon this year. Dusn’t it sound like a lot of fun? C’mon, surely you or yous peeps take sum blooper fotos. Even purrfessionals have bloopers. Me kuld guarantee ya’ they wuld ifin they was fotograffin’ me. Mommy sez meez a camera hog who luvs to be fotograffed. But cuz me luvs it, me likes to stop duin’ whatever was so cute and caused da camera to come out in da furst place and pose or smooch da camera. Me tries to tell her dat you never know who might be seein’ dat foto. It kuld be mr. right, or sum big Hollywood purrducer. MOL
Today can’t be all bloopers. MOL
Anyways, we wuld like to introduce you to Kiki. She’s a purretty little black panfur girl at da Pauls Valley, Oklahoma Animal Shelter.
Hey there Kiki, how ya’ duin’?
Kiki: Meow girls, thanks for sharing me.
You know Kiki us older gals gotta stick togevver.
Can ya’ tell everypawdy a little about yous selff Kiki?
Kiki: Well Dezi, I’m a senior panther girl. I was born April 22 of 2000. I spent my life livin’ outside in a backyard. Now that I’m older I really do wanna live inside with a peep or peeps of my own. I’ve got some long white whiskers and the man in the white coat sed I didn’t have any diseases and can’t be havin’ any babies. I’m small and have big golden eyes. The peeps here at the shelter sed I can only be adopted to an inside only home. I’m sure happy about that. You know it gets cold outside and there’s lots of dangerous things in the dark. The shelter peeps are nice but I sure would like to have a home of my own with my own human to love. I know I’m getting’ on up there in years now and I’m not the sleek well kempt looker I used to be, but I still have a lot of love to give. And I really would like to be loved by somepawdy too. Girls, do ya’ reckon there’s somepawdy out there who could love me?
Kiki can be adopted from the Pauls Valley OK Animal Shelter.
Oh Kiki we just know there’s sumpawdy out there fur ya’. They just be waitin’ to take you home and spoil you rotten. Kiki can be adopted fur a mere $50.00. And you can find out more bout her and how to go ‘bout welkummin’ her into yous home by contactin’ da shelter at: 405-238-1303. You know in da rescue world little Kiki already has 2 strikes agsinst her; She’s black and a senior. But bein’ da savvy cats we are, we know there are lots of pawsum peeps dat wuld luv to have a little panfur girl fur their very own. Me and sissy sure hope she finds her furever soon. We hope you all will share and purray wiff us fur Kiki’s furever.
Now on wiff da bloopers hosted by da Lazy Pitbull. And as always, weez joinin’ Rascal and Rocco fur da Pet Parade. Me has to go now and make sum more blooper fotos. Sis Lexi and mommy be goin’ to da VET today, so keep ‘em in yous purrayers and weez’ll visit as soon as we can.
Me was on da move and big ole blur. MOLSis Lexi foto bombed me
Service Cats U.S. 