Cat Views

We have big gray and white tomcat named “Squeak”, a name which was really only applicable as a kitten. He loves to sleep in and on high places, especially the ironing board. The problem with this is the stress he puts on my mother! Every time she enters the room where he is sleeping, he rolls over toward her and off the edge of whatever he is sleeping on. He expects her to catch him and she has to rush over and grab him before he hits the floor totally limp. It is quite a problem for her at times but we found a solution. A lovely cat hammock to sleep in and he is so comfy in it he quit playing his game and mom no longer has to rush and catch him!

I read an article today by Leslie A. Lyons published by the Scientific American about purring. I’ve decided there are few other sounds which compare to a purr – I call it the sound of love. OK, so the experts say that cats purr even in stressful situations, but not mine. No, instead she just sheds and sweats. Doofie is definitely a purrer. Even in mid-air she’ll either start or stop a purr on her path closer to me. OK, so the sound is produced by the laryngeal and diaphragmatic muscles at a frequency of 25 and 150 Hertz. Dr. Lyons’ article suggest the energy produced by purring may aid in bone density and to promote healing through muscle strengthening. So, even though the experts suggest a more scientific function of purring, I’m still going to say, if you want to hear what love sounds like, listen to your cat’s purr.

We received a great email today from one of our customers who just got their new Couchette by Kittypod. “Do you have any advice on how to clean it when the kitty barfs up a hairball on it?” It makes me laugh every time I read it, but Shannon’s question is a good one since she has a significant investment in “cardboard” cat furniture. We emailed the designer, Elizabeth Page Smith to ask her advice, suggesting perhaps vegetable oil could be used as a natural coating. Elizabeth promptly provided a very complete explanation which included wonderful insights about her design.

“Hi Nancy, Ha ha…yes, an issue I have personally addressed.  The best thing to do is to with a paper towel pick up the larger mess if there is any, in case of food regurgitation, and then allow it to dry. Once the spot is dry take a broom or brush and sweep the remainder of the mess away.  If there are still particles just use a vacuum cleaner with brush attachment.  This will clean the cardboard well.  No need to worry about sealing, the cardboard is sturdy and when dry will dry similar color to its original state.  This is all part of the use. Definitely no vegetable oil to be put on the material that will soggy the paper and give a really horrible smell.  It is best in natural state.  I say this also because the cats tend to also want to bite/chew on the cardboard so we don’t want to flavor the paper with something yuck.

In general, the couchette will receive ‘personalization’ by her cat.  This is the purpose of the couchette and is to be expected that there will be some wear and tear.  Every cat has their own way of interacting, some more aggressive than others, so the wear and tear will vary from cat to cat.

If you have something more to ask please do.

Best of luck and glad Shannon’s cat is finding pleasure and use of the couchette. +eps”

Valentine’s Day isn’t just for humans! No, in fact I bet a lot of us live with cats who are a more affectionate than some people we know! In an article featured on our site at The Daily Cat discusses some interesting “I Love You” cat behaviors. Cat behaviorist expert Jackson Galaxy, (wow, what a name!) says, “Absolutely! …. cats are the masters of detached love.” I wonder, does that mean those of us so crazy about cats prefer “detached” love. Hum, that’s something to ponder. “They express love in ways that baffle us”. Here’s just a few “you’re my human” antics:

1. Grooming: Your cat licking you mimics their mother’s love
2. Purring (my favorite!): Associated with “kitty”hood milk-time feeding experience.
3. Rubbing, Kneading, Mock Spraying & Gumming: Scenting you to claim you as there own
4. Blinking: A stare (we all know that one!), followed by a blink, then open eye with second soft blink signifying trust.
5. Gifting Dead Critters (I get LOTS of gifts!!): Rather than a “gift” its bringing home to a safe place.

How do we tell them, “I Love You”? Offer them supreme bliss with a new cuddly cat condo! This is a wonderful article, filled with an insightful perspective on cat behavior. Be sure to take just a minute to learn more about “let me count the ways!”

Ever wonder about why cats purr? According to veterinarian Bruce Fogle, author of A Cats Mind, cats begin to purr by the 2nd day after birth. Purring allows a kitten to communicate its contentment to mom. Mom purrs back to assure kitty. My cat starts to purr in mid-air while jumping onto my bed. It turns off instantly when she’s descending so I know I’m the object of her purr. A purr creates calm, making us feel more at peace; that all is “right with the world.” So the next time you want the hear “love”, just listen to your cat’s purr.

We noticed an interesting commonality in our customers. Well, not them personally but rather the fact that so many cat names are very distinct! It prompted us to begin to collect cat names, particularly since the cat furniture being ordered, is for some”one” especially important. Instead of Fluffy & Felix, we were seeing names like Milo, Ocashsa, Taisho, Deuce & Bruno. Bruno? Isn’t that a dog’s name. Oh well…. With a name like Bruno, I don’t suppose he really cares!

Well, you know how it is. Every January, we get the “most popular” lists. Recently, the Cincinnati Enquirer published a list of the most popular cat names. How do these names compare to your clan?

1. Max
2. Chloe
3. Tigger
4. Tiger
5. Lucy
6. Smokey
7. Oliver
8. Bella
9. Shadow
10. Charlie

Other names locally on the list include: Gizmo, Cocoa, Gabriel (too many vowels!), Bailey, Simba & Bob. Bob??? Somehow, I just can’t see a cat named Bob.

We lived n a nice 2nd floor apartment in a New Jersey suburb at a time when it was safe for people to leave their doors open at night. My parents always left the door ajar for the cat to come and go at night. She had a habit of waking them up in the mornings by biting them on the nose. If that didn’t arouse them her 2nd ploy was to jump on the headboard of the bed and reach her paw up under the painting they had hung above the bed. She would look down at them, and pull it away from the wall. It worked every time to get them up. One night my dad was awakened by something cold and wet swishing across his face. He opened his eyes and there was the cat with a dead bird in her mouth trying to bite his nose to show him her gift. He got up, thanked her for the gift and told he preferred his birds alive, and went back to bed. An hour later, she was back with a live bird which she turned loose in the bedroom for him. Again he got up, thanked her, caught the bird and put it out. He then shut the door and put some fresh catnip in her cat condo for her. She went in and curled up in her condo and he went back to bed!

I have a good friend Jim, who visits regularly and he and my cat Misty, have really bonded over time. It took some time as he had never been around cats. It is a lot of fun to watch them interact. When he goes into the TV room she eagerly follows him as she loves his attention and even demands it now. He will sit on the sofa and she will sit on the floor in front of him. She sits staring up at his face and swishing her tail. After he makes eye contact with her she will jump up on the arm of the sofa next to him. She watches his hand, and when he lifts it up she will twist her head around to get under it. From this point on it is a series of moving her head from one position to another showing him just where she wants to be scratched or rubbed. All the while he is doing this, he talks to her. When she has had enough she will sit up tall for him to pet her head and down her back. Now, she is finished and will go and curl up on her cozy heated cat bed leaving him to watch his program on TV peacefully!

We were traveling across country with our children and our big playful cat who loved to ride in the car. When we arrived at our first designated stop, we found a lovely hotel and checked in. They approved of pets so we booked our suite for a week. It happened that one day while we were out sightseeing a new chambermaid came in to change the linens and clean. She was unaware of our pet occupying the premises and the cat had been asleep in the closet ion the shelf. (One of his favorite things to do was jump out of hidden places and scare us)! Well, he played his favorite game on the unsuspecting chambermaid and jumped out of the closet and startled her. She let out a scream and people came running from all directions to see what happened! The cat was sitting there very complacently watching the havoc he created. Needless to say, we immediately went out and purchased a wicker cat crate for him to sleep in while we were out. No more of his antics to scare the chambermaid!