October 2007
Monthly Archive
Monthly Archive
If you are able to read this book without shedding a single tear, than I fear for your humanity.
Urban tails inside the hidden world of alley cats, takes you into the lives of city alley cats. Featuring beautiful photogrophs and moving commentary, you witness firsthand the struggle to survive for these cats.
Stray and feral cats, the creatures most people tend to overlook have a bleak everyday existence. Danger forms behind every corner, the dark side of humanity haunts them. Food is scarce and compassion for them, virtually nonexistent.
No captions are needed, the photos speak volumes You see kittens finding entertainment in litter left in the gutter, crawling alongside truck tires for warmth, huddled inside broken pallets to flee danger.
How do we resolve this feral cat and stray cat issue oh gentle reader? The cure is simple. It entails being a responsible caretaker for any cat or kitten in our care. Spaying and neutering. Not feeding wild cats unless there is ample money too TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) the cats.
Until we take the initiative, ALL of us, to be sure that our pet cats as well as the feral and stray cats are fixed and unable to reproduce, then other books such as this will have to be produced. Until we can hear the voiceless, pay attention to those who wish not to be seen, our world will continue to explode in feral cat numbers.
If we cannot save them, than how can we be expected to save ourselves?
With winter fast approaching, your feline floor squatter deserves a place to warm her toes. K& H Manufacturing offers several reasonably priced varieties of heated cat beds, mats and bed warmers. For cats that have a hard time with jumping or just simple movement either from arthritis, past trauma or other health issues, you can take comfort in the fact that they can remain low to the ground and still keep warm.
For one of my cats whose movement is hampered by past abuse, the Thermo Kitty Mat offers her the comfort she needs for her tired bones, and a way to get off the wooden floor onto a softer padded surface. The Thermo kitty mat placed on top of a lounge cushion quickly became her coveted sleeping spot as the weather begins to turn colder. She regularly climbs onto the cushion and rests upon the soft faux lambskin covered mat.
With a dual thermostat and a removable heater, the Thermo Mat provides the perfect place for her.
The plug tucks conveniently out of the way removing the temptation that dangling electrical cords sometimes present to curious kitties. Unlike some heated cat beds, the Thermo Kitty Mat draws a low enough current (only 4 watts) to allow the plug to stay cool to the touch, even after being plugged in for weeks at a time.
The Thermo Kitty Mat is a 12.5� x 25� flat mat covered by faux lambskin cover. The cover is removable and machine washable. The mat is designed to not draw heat until a heat source touches it. So when she moves off the pad, the pad will slowly cool down until she returns.
Although recommended for indoor use only, K & H Manufacturing also offers heated outdoor beds for cats and dogs, thermal pads that fit inside kennels, carriers and Igloo dog houses.
My indoor cat is so grateful for this new warm spot that I will soon be purchasing two outdoor kitty beds, for my two barn cats who don�t wish to become house cats but instead spend the majority of time in the barn or on the back porch.
You can purchase these mats through several online retailers: Pet Smart, Drs. Foster & Smith or Pet Street Mall.
Have warring cats in your multiple cat household? Or perhaps you have a cat that is stressed out and you can’t find out why?
Feliway Comfort Zone Room Diffuser by Farnum Pet is a small unit you plug into a wall socket and just let it run. Over the course of about three weeks, it will disperse in small amounts, calming phermones into your home.
These pheremones, not evident to our sense of smell, but clearly captured by our cat’s keen sense of smell, will soothe the most ruffled furball that just seems to want to fight. Or soothe the cat who is stressed out and hiding from sight.
The unit also comes in handy for convalescing cats who are recovering from an extensive stay at the vet’s clinic, or just coming out of a long illness.
The unit has replacement vials you can buy, and I highly recommend this product for anyone with more than one cat.
There are virtually thousands of cat-related products available over the Internet. When it comes to cat pee, you can find enzyme sprays and powders, special litter pans and litters, pheremone dispensers, blacklights to detect old cat urine. Cat urine is extremely hard to get rid of once it has set into the walls, because it becomes virtually invisible
Not anymore- Spray Alert Alarm has arrived!
The unit is compact, and easy to use. It consists of an electronic alarm unit, that resembles a small thermostat and a spray sensor strip and connector jack .
When a cat sprays a spot, the cat will generally return about every three days to refresh the scent. If you have more than one cat in your home, with alpha tendencies, those cats will spray their urine over the existing one, in a territorial dispute. It can get pretty smelly. It can also be frustrating in multi-cat homes to find the “culprit.”
The Spray Alert Alarm makes the job much easier!
The premise is this; you set the unit up, putting the sensor strip into the spray area, and keeping the unit connected but out of the spray.
When the sprayer comes into the room, the minute the urine hits the sensor, an alarm sounds. The alarm although loud is not piercing. I could clearly hear it in every room of our two-story home.
If you are home, you can go immediately into the room, capture up the culprit, contain him/her in a carrier or the bathroom, and clean up the urine. Then you can hustle the cat off to the vet.
Should you be out of the home when the cat sprays, the alarm will sound, but after a bit will stop. When you return home and check the unit, if the blinking light is red and not green, then you have fresh urine in the room. Clean the mess up with ezyme cleaners and hope that next time you are home to discover which cat is doing the deed
Cats spray for many reasons. Unneutered males are notorious sprayers, but females can spray as well. They spray when they are stressed, when they are sick, before a fight, or during mating season.
You want the vet to check first for any type of bacterial infection in the bladder, including low-grade infections or crystals
I love this product! We have had a problem in our bedroom for months. Then I stumbled onto this website http://www.sprayalert.com and decided to give it a try
The morning after it was set up, the alarm sounded. I quickly went into the room, and scooped up Squirrel, the only cat in the room at the time. Squirrel is one of my spayed females. She went to the vet’s office that day. It turned out that due to a previous stressful incident, she now had a bladder infection. She was put on clavamox
The only drawback to this product is that if you install it in your bedroom, prepare for a light show after the lights are off!
I solved the problem by placing a small round band-aid over the light at night.
I cannot recommend this product highly enough.
StayAway by Contech delivers a short burst of air and an ear piercing whistle to startle cats from jumping on counters, tables or other forbidden places. Once StayAway sounds off, your cat understands the meaning clearly and will leap down immediately.
Setting up this canister is quick and easy.There is a convenient On/Off switch (I suggest that when you are in the room, you turn the switch to off) the canister is very sensitive to any movement. The canister requires AAA batteries to operate.
There are 200 bursts of air/sound in each canister. You have a five-position adjustable motion sensor. Replacement canisters can be purchased through Contech Electronics by calling 1-800-767-8658. StayAway comes with a 2-year limited warranty.
One of the newest arrivals at my home, Cole is a stove jumper. None of my other cats jump on the stove, so I have no clue why this curious, black kitten feels the need to be up there. I set the canister up, placing it at the back of the stove, nozzle and sensor pointing outward. Then I left the room.
A few minutes passed then suddenly, I heard a burst of air release along with a high-pitched squeal. My armed guard had delivered!
I heard the satisfying plop of four paws landing on the floor and then scurrying away.
At night, before I go to bed, I set StayAway on my kitchen counter. It remains on guard until the morning. Periodically, through the night, I can hear it doing its job.
Less intrusive than the standard squirt bottle that some cat owners use, StayAway is a humane method to stop unwanted behavior.
Cats love to jump on to high places, but now that my cats know StayAway is on guard, they keep their paws off my counters and stove. This is purrfectly fine with me.
To order this invaluable training device, contact Contech at the above 800 number, or email info@scarecrow.com. Better yet, visit their website at www.scarecrowinfo.com and take a look at their other products: CatStop, ScareCrow, WaterDog and Scat Mat.