Ralphie and Reuben: Opt to Adopt

Ralphie and Reuben

Cat Care Society, Lakewood, CO

Photo taken from Reuben's Adopt a Pet profile page.

I have not had the opportunity to meet Reuben and Ralphie, unfortunately, so I'm going to tell you what their profile pages have to say about them.  I'm hoping to meet them tomorrow when I go to visit Crash, who is also awaiting a forever home.

Reuben is a handsome black mancat who is approximately three years old.  He is a shy cat, but he's really friendly and love to be cuddled.  His best friend is Ralphie, and they want to find a great home together.

Photo taken from Ralphie's Adopt a Pet profile page. 

Ralphie is also a handsome black mancat.  Ralphie's profile says that he's shyer than Reuben, and it takes Ralphie a little longer to become your friend, but I'm sure he's worth the wait!  He's also very friendly and loves cuddles.  

Ralphie's profile says he has special needs.  I think I heard somewhere along the way that Ralphie has urinary crystals, so he probably needs a special diet for those, but I'm not totally sure.  The Cat Care staff will know what his specific special needs are.

Photo taken from Reuben's Adopt a Pet profile page.

Ralphie and Reuben both love boxes and high places.  They used to be office cats, but there was some staff turnover in the business and some of the new people are allergic to kitties.  They will make great kitty companions!

You can find Ralphie and Reuben at Cat Care Society, located at 5787 W. 6th Avenue in Lakewood, CO.  

Easy Like Sunday

Crash is one of my very favorite kitties awaiting a forever home at Cat Care Society.  Here, he's taking it easy.

Since I haven't been to the shelter in about 3 weeks, I miss Crash a lot.  I plan to take a special trip to see him this week if it's cooler (I have to walk to the shelter from the bus, which is about 3/4 mile, and I cannot walk that far in super-hot weather without triggering an asthma attack).

Crash is a sweet Siamese mancat.  Typically, he will come over to say "hello" to me whenever I walk into the shelter.

You can read Crash's Adopt a Pet profile here.  He wants a home with his best friend Coltrane, an affectionate Siamese mancat.

We hope you are all staying cool this Sunday!

You can still enter Milita's Birthday Giveaway!  

Keeping Your Cat Cool in Summer

It's been incredibly hot here lately; it's been in the 90s for at least the past week.  The heat really gets to me, so I can't even imagine how my kitties feel with their fur coats!  If you're experiencing a heat wave, here are some tips on keeping your cat cool.

Photo Credit: Beatrice Murch

Ice Water: If you know it's going to be a hot day, put a few ice cubes in your kitty's water dish.  I've tried this with my kitties, and they seem to like it.

Provide a Fan: Place a box fan near your air conditioner or an open window.  If your cat gets hot, he or she can sit near the fan for a nice breeze.  I nearly always have a fan on in the summer since the apartment's central air conditioning doesn't work well.  Jewel seems to enjoy the fan's breeze when she's hot.

Cooling Bottles: Fill a small, plastic soda bottle with water, and put it in the freezer overnight  Remember that water expands when it freezes, so don't fill the soda bottle completely.  Take it out in the morning, and wrap it in a towel.  Place it in your cat's favorite bed or sleeping spot.

Haircut: Cats with medium or long hair might benefit from a summer haircut.  Be aware, though, that white or light-colored cats can get sunburned.  It's best to talk with your vet about whether a haircut would be beneficial for your kitty before you schedule him or her at the groomer's.

Photo Credit: Alisha Vargas

Allow Access to Tiled Spaces: Allow your kitty access to cool, tiled spaces, such as your bathroom floor, sink, bathtub, or basement.  If you typically have rugs covering your tiled floors, pick them up on hot days so your cat can enjoy the cool floor.  Many cats also enjoy curling up in the bathtub or sink on particularly hot days as well.

Limit Activity: Exercise is important for cats, but it's best to limit your furry friend's activity on hot days.  Hold play sessions in the early morning or nighttime hours when the temperature is cooler, and your cat isn't as likely to overheat.

Photo Credit: hotzeplotz

Give Your Cat a Cool "Bath:" Take a damp cloth and gently rub it over your kitty's fur to help him or her cool down.  I've done this with Milita before, and while she didn't enjoy the actual wetting of her fur, she did appear cooler afterwards.

How do you keep your cat cool during the summer?

Thankful Thursday: What's in the Bag?

Yesterday, we left you all hanging.  What was in the bag?? 

Lita: My first prezzie were these little fuzzy catnip toys.  They looks like they will be fun.

Lita: Ok, Mom, what else you got for me?

Carmine: Did somebody say it's prezzie time?

Milita: What's this?  It's a strange ball...

Mom: It's a KONG treat dispenser.  You roll it around and treats will come out of it. 

Lita: The Mom got these treats for me.  They are Whisker Lickens chicken and cheese flavor; they are the only ones I will eat!

Lita: I don't know about this ball, though....

Carmine: The Mom got this bell ball for mes us from the nice pet sitting ladies she met at Catfest.

Milita: The humans made a cake with purple icing to celebrate my birthday.  I had some ice cream.  The humans also put on my favorite show for me to watch - Meerkats!  Oh how I love that show.

I am thankful the humans made my day a special one!

Don't forget, you can still enter my Birthday Giveaway!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

As many of you know, yesterday was Milita's 11th birthday!  Thank you sooo much to everyone who wished her a Happy Birthday!!  I think she had a really great day :)

Milita: A prezzie for me?

Let's see what's in the bag...

Since today is Wordless Wednesday, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what was in the bag.

NOTE: I never allow my cats to have bags (of any kind) without supervision.  I know how dangerous they can be!

You can still enter Milita's Birthday Giveaway.

Milita's Birthday Giveaway

TODAY IS MILITA'S 11TH BIRTHDAY!!!

Hello everyone, Milita here, and I have a couple of special things planned for you today because it's my birthday!  

First, the Mom found a picture of me when I was a little kitty.  She said, I was only one year old when this picture was taken.  The Mom and I had just move here to Colorado.  

Second, I want to do something special for all my friends and readers to show you how much we appreciate your friendship and readership!  The Mom helped me put together a little giveaway for my birthday.

Here is what you can win: Two lavender-scented, handmade kitties - there's one regular sized one and one kitten.  Each lavender cat even has a name!  The big kitty's name is Dorothy, and the kitten's name is Gabrielle.  These kitties are made by Linda at Cat Care Society and all the proceeds from the lavender cat sales go directly toward helping the Cat Care kitties!  

There's also two bags of kitty treats: one bag of Friskies Party Mix Naturals with Real Chicken and one bag of Pet Naturals Hip + Joint treats.  We're also including a sticker that says, "How you like meow?"  

Carmine: Hey kitties, these treats look awfully tasty!

Don't worry, we won't let Carmine eat the winner's treats!

Rules:

• You must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
• Due to the fact that green papers are in short supply, this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
• We will contact the winner by e-mail.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.  If we do not hear from the winner within 48 hours, we will choose a new winner.
• Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter the giveaway.

This giveaway is approved by.....

Carmine.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mancat Monday at Catfest!

On Saturday, I went to Catfest at the Denver Dumb Friends League.  It was a great time, and I thought I'd share some photos with all of you (and yes, there will be mancats!).

Here's a picture of a couple of the vendors who were at the event. 

I stopped and talked to a few of them.  I found some women who do pet sitting in Denver and a woman who travels around to shows selling cat-themed stuff.  

Here's our favorite cat shelter, Cat Care Society, at Catfest!  You can see one of the painted cats (for the Tails of the Painted Cats event) on the right.

A cute puppy up for adoption.

This handsome mancat is Hobbs - the cat I nearly went home with!  I really, really want him, but I know I'm at my limit with my three.  I really hope he finds a good home, though.  He is an orange mancat and 9 years old, just like Carmine.  He is very affectionate and sweet and loves to be held and to sit in laps.  You can see a photo of his sweet face on the cat adoption page at the Dumb Friends League website. 

This handsome mancat is Lucky.  He's a recent return from foster care, and he's up for adoption, too.  He's 4 years old, very sweet, and prefers a home where he's the only kitty.  

Dumb Friends doesn't just have dogs and cats available for adoption, they also have other small pets looking for forever homes.  Here's one of the cute black bunnies we saw seeking a home.  The shelter also has rats,  guinea pigs, mice, and gerbils for adoption.

You can find Hobbs and Lucky at the Denver Dumb Friends League, Quebec Street shelter.  

To learn more about the Dumb Friends League, you can visit their website.  

Mom's Adventure and an Award

Hi everyone, Carmine here.

We has an award to share, but first mes wants to tell you a little story.

The other night, the Mom woke up in a lot of pain.  Hers said hers tummy and chest hurted.  Hers had the leaky eyes and everything.  After a little whiles of nothing helping hers, the Mom's friend decided to call someone.  The next thing mes knows, there's a bunch of strange mens in our house!  Theys asked the Mom a bunch of questions and then theys took my mommy away!  Mes was very confused cause the Mom doesn't go anywheres when it is dark outside.  Mes was very worried.

The Mom said theys took hers to the hospital.  Hers said hers doctor was very nice.  After hers doctor made sure it was nothing else, hers said theys gave hers some really yucky medicines to take for hers severe heartburn flare up.  Hers told me hers thinks theys tasted about as good as mes antibiotic....poor mommy!  The Mom said the medicines made hers feel better, though.

The Mom said hers and the doctor agreed it was probably stress that set off this heartburn flare.  Mes thinks if the Mom petted mes more - like all the time - then hers wouldn't be so stressed.

The doctor told the Mom hers might have to go see the GI specialist again since hers is already on two heartburn/tummy medications.  Me is sure the Mom would appreciate some purrs for hers tummy.  Mes just wants the Mom to be well.

Now for our award!  We received this award from Kitty Cat Chronicles and The Cat on my Head!  Wasns't it nice of them to think of us?  Thank you both so very much!  If you don't know thems, you should definitely visit their bloggies.  They is pawesome friends. :)

This award comes with a few rules:

1. Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back.
3. Share 7 random facts about yourself.
4. Nominate up to 15 bloggers for the Shine On award, provide a link to their blog in your post, and notify them on their blog.

Cat Protects 5 Year Old from Bullies

Each year, Cats Protection gives out National Cat Awards, sponsored by Purina, to honor the extraordinary felines.  This year, one of the finalists in the Hero Cat category is a four-year-old feline named Smudge.

One day in Thorne, South Yorkshire, UK, Sarah Fenton was watching from the window as her two boys, five-year-old Ethan and three-year-old Ashton, played in their front garden.  She saw three older boys approach the front gate and start yelling Ethan's name.  Ethan ignored them and kept playing with his younger brother.  

One of the boys got in Ethan's face and demanded to know why he was ignoring him.  The boy shoved Ethan to the ground.  

That's when something wonderful happened!  Smudge launched from his hiding place under the car and jumped on the bully's chest.  The bullies ran off after this.

Sarah says Smudge had lived with the family for three years and hadn't shown this protective side of himself.  However, since this incident, he's remained vigilant.  He has even spent every night outside Ethan's bedroom door since. 

Now Smudge, along with two other kitties, is a finalist in the Hero Cat category for the National Cat Awards.  The winners of these special awards will be announced in August.  

You can read more about Smudge and the other finalists here.  You can get more information about the National Cat Awards from the Cats Protection website. 

Source:

Hero Cat Protects 5 Year Old Boy from Bullies

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Jewel has been hanging out in the pink bed a lot lately! :)

Saturn Seeks His Forever Home: Opt to Adopt

Saturn

Cat Care Society

Lakewood, CO

Photo taken from Saturn's Adopt a Pet profile page.

Saturn is a handsome six-year-old black mancat.  He was abandoned at the shelter with some of his friends.  They take great care of him at the shelter, but he'd really like his own forever home.  

Saturn is talkative and sweet.  He's a little nervous at first and needs time to get to know you.  He really likes to play, though, so you might be able to coax him out with a fishing pole toy.  

Saturn is up-to-date on his vaccinations, neutered, and litter box trained.  

You can find Saturn at Cat Care Society, located at 5787 W. 6th Avenue in Lakewood, CO.  He hopes you'll go and visit with him soon!

Mancat Monday

Hi everyone, Carmine here.

First let mes apologize for the Mom's lack of picture-taking skills!  This is not the best picture of mes....but to be fair, mes hasn't made it easy for the Mom to get photos of mes lately.  

See the orange thing under my chin?  It's my new bow tie!  We won a giveaway from Kitty Cat Chronicles, and Mom Emily made this just for mes!  If you don't know the wonderful kitties at Kitty Cat Chronicles, we encourage you to go visit them at their blog here.  They is great friends!

Mes thinks the bow tie makes mes look even more handsome than mes already is  What do you think?  

Happy Monday, everyone!

Denver Dumb Friends League Hosts CatFest

Denver Dumb Friends League is hosting its 6th annual CatFest this Saturday, July 19th, from 11am to 3pm at the Quebec shelter.

All cat lovers and those interested in learning more about cats are invited to attend CatFest.  The event will feature:

• Interactive chats with cat behavior and health experts.
• Clicker training demonstrations.
• Hundreds of adoptable kittens and cats.
• Activities for kids.
• Music.
• Photo opportunities.
• Food and shopping at the Meow Market.

The  Dumb Friends League will be waiving adoption fees for cats one year of age and older at all of its locations, and each cat adopter will go home with a goodie bag full of kitty freebies.  All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on vaccinations.  Additionally, cat adopters will receive a free vet visit with any participating provider.

Admission to CatFest is free, and all are welcome to attend.  CatFest will take place at the Quebec Street shelter, located at 2080 Quebec Street in Denver, Colorado.  

If you'd like more information about CatFest, you can visit the Dumb Friends League website or call 303-751-5772, ext. 1378.

Separation Anxiety in Cats

Separation anxiety occurs when a pet doesn't like being separated from its owner or another companion pet.  Though it is more common in dogs, cats can suffer from separation anxiety as well.  

Signs of Separation Anxiety in Cats

Separation anxiety is typically more difficult to detect in felines than it is in dogs.  Some signs your cat may be suffering from separation anxiety include:

• Excessive self-grooming.  If your cat is over-grooming, he or she may have bald spots on his or her body.
• Vomiting - solely when you are away.
• Vocalization when you leave.  You can check for vocalization in your abscence by recording your cat.
• Inappropriate elimination.  Your kitty may urinate or defecate near the door or on your personal belongings in your absence.  
• Destructive behaviors.  Though rare for cats to exhibit, your kitty may chew on or scratch door edges.  It's hypothesized that they do this in order to escape from solitary confinement.  
• Over-attachment to you.  Your feline may follow you from one room to another while you're at home.
• Anorexia.  Your cat may be too anxious or stressed to eat in your absence.
• Exhibits an exuberant greeting upon your return.

Causes

The exact cause of separation anxiety isn't yet known.  However, researchers speculate that both genetic and environmental factors are involved.  It's believed that being weaned too early or being orphaned could put a kitten at risk for developing separation anxiety.

Treatment

If your cat is exhibiting any of the symptoms described above, it's important that you take him or her to a veterinarian for a physical examination to rule out any underlying medical conditions.  If your vet gives your kitty a clean bill of health, there are several things you can do to treat separation anxiety.  

Some things that may help reduce your kitty's anxiety are:

• Ignoring your cat 15 minutes before you leave home and for 15 minutes upon your return.
• Providing distracting toys.
• Giving your feline toys he or she especially loves before you leave and taking them away when you're home.
• Providing a window perch or cat tree or tower in front of a window for your cat's entertainment.  Place a bird feeder outside the window so your cat has bird TV to watch while you're away.
• Soft music or television may help your kitty feel less anxious while you're away as well.
• Some felines enjoy "cat TV" - videos of birds, squirrels, etc.
• Putting kibble or treats into food toys may also be entertaining in your absence.

If these suggestions don't work for your kitty, it may be wise to talk with your vet about getting a referral to a vet behaviorist specialist who can help you find ways to reduce your cat's anxiety.  In severe cases, anti-anxiety medication may be considered.

Have you ever had a cat with separation anxiety?  What helped him or her cope?

(Almost) Wordless Wednedsay

Is Jewel trying to tell me she's sick of me working at home? 

Beautiful Calicos Chloe and Zora Need A Home: Opt to Adopt

Opt to Adopt

Chloe and Zora

Cat Care Society, Lakewood, CO

Photo taken from Chloe's Adopt a Pet profile page.

Chloe is a gorgeous calico ladycat who loves people.  She's very affectionate and outgoing.  At 15 years young, Chloe still loves to jump up to high places and watch the world.  Sometimes you can find her on the front counter at Cat Care waiting to greet everyone who comes to visit.  

Due to her senior status, Chloe is part of the Perpet-U-Care program, which will pay for a portion of her medical care for the rest of her life.  

Photo from Zora's Adopt a Pet profile page. 

Zora (Zoe) is an equally gorgeous calico kitty!  She came to the shelter with her best friend, Chloe, when their person had to go to a nursing home.  Zora's real name is Zoe, but since there is already a Zoe living at the shelter, they call her Zora for now.  Zora is also affectionate and friendly.  She is a little shy at first, but she's very loving once she gets to know you. 

Zora is approximately 9 years old.  She and Chloe are both spayed and up-to-date on their vaccinations.  They would like to find a great home together.  

You can find Chloe and Zora in the upstairs hall at Cat Care Society, located at 5787 W. 6th Avenue in Lakewood, CO.  They hope you'll visit them soon and discover for yourself what great companions they make!

Best friends, Chloe and Zora.  Photo from Chloe's Adopt a Pet profile page.

Mancat Monday: Carmine Update

Hi everyone, Carmine here.

Last week, mes had to go to the stabby place with Jewel.  They took mes out and weighed me, and guess what?  The vet told the Mom mes weighs 10 pounds, 3 ounces!  The vet told the Mom hers could stop "force feeding" mes now since mes reached my goal weight of 10 pounds.  Yaaayyy!!  That means not as many pills for mes!

The vet gave me a B12 injection and then hers let mes go back and hide in my PUT.  

The vet told the Mom that if mes is still stable next month then they will try to lower my Prednisone dose.  :)

We hope you all have a great Monday!

Purrs and Prayers for Jewel

Thank you Ann from Zoolatry for making this beautiful badge for us!

Jewel went to the vet again on Wednesday for another Adequan injection.  While she was back there, the vet felt her heart was beating too fast and came to ask me if she could check her blood pressure again.

So I went back there to pet Jewel.  She was making so much noise, she was riling up all the little kittens in recovery from their spay and neuter surgeries.

Our vet usually takes the average of three blood pressure takes.  It looked like her heart rate was sitting right around 240!  The vet told us that an acceptable heart rate for a stressed cat can be up to 200.  Her blood pressure was also high, but I can't remember the exact numbers.

The vet told us to increase Jewel's Amlodipine to 1/2 tab twice a day (was 1/2 morning, 1/4 night).  If her blood pressure continues to be high next month, we may have to add the Benazapril back in as well.

I am very worried about Jewel.  We've been trying to get her blood pressure under control for several weeks now, and high blood pressure causes (more) damage to the kidneys in CRF cats like Jewel.

Next month, Jewel is also getting her kidney values checked again, and they WILL be worse.  There is no question about this.  I'm worried about how *much* worse they're going to be.

Thank you everyone who has been purring and praying for us.  Your wonderful friendship and support mean more to us than we can ever say.

Opt to Adopt P.J.

P.J.

Cat Care Society, Lakewood, CO

Photo from P.J.'s Adopt a Pet profile page.

Beautiful P.J. is an orange and white domestic shorthair.  P.J. is a very sweet girl who loves to cuddle.  She's a little shy, but once you spend a little time with her, she warms up to you.  P.J. is a special needs kitty - she's on a special diet.

P.J. is approximately 6 years old.  She's spayed and up-to-date on all of her vaccinations.  

You can visit P.J. in the copier room at Cat Care Society, located at 5787 W. 6th Avenue in Lakewood, CO.  She hopes to see you soon!