Cat Reviews

Kubota, my four year old neutered feral had worked himself into quite a state. After falling victim to a urinary tract disease, he had been whisked to the vet and was poked, prodded and medicated. Now back home, he was confined to sick bay, his howls of protest filling the house. He was adamant in his demands. He wanted out, and he wanted out now! Sitting at the computer, trying to get some work done was proving futile. Any semblance of clear thought was being chased out of my head due to his relentless yowling. This cat serenade needed to cease; calm had to be restored.

Racking my brain to find a solution, I remembered a recently acquired product, Snugglekittie. This was the brainchild of Julee Roth of Aspen, Colorado. Its primary objective is to offer comfort to motherless kittens and nervous pets.

Equipped with two separate heat sources and a battery-powered heart that duplicates the heartbeat of a mother cat when activated, Snugglekittie is so well thought-out in design, that even its eyes and nose are simply outlined in stitching. This is done in an effort to stop an active kitten, from removing detachable pieces and possibly choking.

Borrowing a chapter from Nature, the manufacturers of Snugglekittie created a pouch in the belly. Just as a mom kangaroo nurtures her Joey where he can be warm, smell her scent and be calmed by her beating heart, so can a distressed domestic animal have his or her fears allayed. For within this Snugglekittie pouch, is held the heart, the heat packs and that all-important unwashed sock of the owner, which assures your pet, that you are nearby.

Kubota and his howls of outrage prompted movement, and I grabbed Snugglekittie and headed upstairs… Twenty minutes later, I was settled back down in front of the computer. The house was peaceful. As the computer booted up, I found myself marveling at the scene I had just been privy to. Kubota had immediately leaped onto my lap to greet me. When I offered him Snugglekittie, he just gave it three perfunctory sniffs, and then turned his attention back to me. I broke open a heat pack, turned on the heart, and slid both items, along with an unwashed sock back into the pouch. I then placed Kubota near it, and watched as he began to knead the back and head vigorously.

Once he had mashed down Snugglekittie to his own desire, he settled on top of the belly and closed his eyes. Reasonably sure that when I moved, he would leap up and once again demand my lap, I carefully slid off towards the end of the couch. I was impressed when he remained calm and did not stir. I tiptoed out of the room, turned off the lights and left him and his new buddy alone.

The two retained their close friendship during the entire week that Kubota was in confinement. Peace prevailed; Snugglekittie had delivered on its promise. Every year in the springtime, kitten season brings me batches of orphaned babies. It has been difficult to watch these infants grow up with no mother to cuddle them and no heart songs to help ease them to the transition from womb to independence. But now, armed with Snugglekittie, I am prepared and even looking forward to these new arrivals! Order at www.snuggleme.com  Beware of imitations! This is the original creator’s website

In yet another intense page turner, Clea Simon once again immerses the reader into the life of Theda Krakow, a part-time journalist and die-hard cat lover. When Theda learns an animal activist was killed by a hit-and-run driver, she doesn’t think it really concerns her. She is busy following her own assignments, but she decides to make time for a friend of hers Violet and help her trap the rest of the feral cats left in the wake of the death of Gail Womynfriend.  

A missing trap is only part of the puzzle as Theda and Violet comb the old bottling plant in search of the cats needing to be rescued, time is short and winter is settling in. Theda is determined to save all the cats she can.  

With a quick turn of events, Theda finds herself immersed in the club scene and investigating a new designer drug that is seducing clubbers into the darker edge of the club world. As her investigation widens, her beloved companion Musetta suddenly vanishes and after a methodical search of her neighborhood Theda smells a rat. She suspects her cat was catnapped, but why is the mystery she must solve. All priorities fade from her life as she concentrates on recovering her cat. 

Throughout this engaging mystery, Clea Simon shares her substantial cat knowledge at every turn. You learn about TNR (Trap Neuter Release) you are introduced to the sometimes seedy world of the animal activist and tips are given about how to find a lost cat. Clea Simon is in her element within this world as she takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster of adventure and intrigue. All it does is leave the reader clamoring for more.