Cat Views

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.

With over 63% U.S. households having pets, it’s not surprising that a new trend has recently emerged, pet sitting. I don’t know about you, but I’ve started traveling less since I was adopted by my cat, Doofie. At first, it wasn’t too much trouble because my neighbor and I were “co-owners.” So when she left, I took over and vise-a-versa; a nice arrangement. But she moved away, and as #1 human in Doofie’s life, I took over sole responsibility. Then, I tried paying an acquaintance – a complete disaster! I learned when I got home from a 10-day trip he never came over. My cat broke out of our house in desperation for food and water. Thankfully, she survived albeit a with some weight loss over stress and worry. She’s a good hunter and very adaptable, but it took her three days to stop sleeping with a paw on my shoulder to assure I was handy. Then, I got her a nanny….yes, my cat had a nanny! Her nanny was an elderly friend, much more reliable than the first choice. But that too, had its pitfalls. So today, I just came across a website dedicated to home pet care, certification and all! They refer to their trade as animal guardians – I like that! I live a relatively small town, and was pleasantly surprised to see a company registered with their site. They have handy suggestions for pet owners to locate an ideal sitter. Now, Doofie can stay camped out in her own home, snuggled in her favorite cat bed.

A few years back, I took Doofie to the vet for her annual check-up. Odd, now that I think about it, I don’t have an annual physical, but my cat does! Anyway, the vet said she needed to have her teeth cleaned. I must have laughed because the vet made a point of insisting it was necessary. We returned a couple of weeks later for her dental appointment. The vet-tech indicated that Doofie was going to be “put under” for the procedure. Yikes! Of course that makes sense as I can barely keep her quiet enough to brush her coat. I was asked if wanted to be present during the surgery – absolutely! They warned me about putting her under. Admittedly it was just awful, but I was confident that they knew what they were doing. Sure enough, she had several teeth removed. $150 or so later and a little unsteady, we both survived her ordeal. No high-rise cat perch sitting for Doofie for at least a couple of hours. Here’s a terrific article on the importance of your maintaining your cat’s health through proper feline dental care.

We need some advice for Little Divot. Divot, a minature yorkie just received a new set of custom pet steps. Unfortunately, since being viciously attacked by a raccoon, the little guy is just too tattered to use the steps. Owner, Linda was hopeful when she ordered them but apparently he’s unwilling to try them out. “The attack broke both his back legs, all the bones in his paws and took a chunk out of his side. It is a wonder he lived.” We’re hoping someone may have a suggestion to help this little guy. Cat lovers helping dogs!

There once was a cat named Stewart
He always thought he was very smart
But one day he met his “waterloo”
Twas a feisty little dog named “Foo”
A merry chase he gave with no gain
Failure to catch the little dog was plain
To salve and ease his injured ego
Stewart went and hid in his condo

I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I figured it was “just whatever.” This morning my husband made a comment that might just explain my new dilemma. He said that about 3am in the morning he noticed a lump lying on top of me! Now, I thought Doofie spent most of her night sleeping in her cat bed, but this new information reinforces that sure enough, I’m a human cat pillow! I love her and I love that fact that she wants to be close, but perhaps I need to find a solution. As you know, we sell premium cat furniture but now I find myself in a needy spot. Anyone out there have a solution? And please… don’t say, “get rid of your cat!” That’s never going to happen!

Everyone knows some dogs love to tear up mail, newspapers, magazines and even clothing! In this same mindset, cats claw furniture and curtains, and will even dig in plants. It is a cat’s nature to sharpen their claws to hunt prey. They love rough textures such as wooden furniture, bamboo, wicker, sea grass and fabrics. Having owned 6 cats at once time that all had claws we took a few defensive measures like protecting the furniture with clear plastic and upholstery buttons. This worked for all but one cat who felt he was a personal paper shredder and would go to great lengths to get into the office and attack the paperwork. It was sometimes quite a battle to keep him out of there. Our solution was to order several cat scratchers from My Cats Heaven. They all loved them, especially our “shredder”! Our furniture and paperwork got a welcome reprieve!!

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.

Looking for a new place for your kitty to eat? Want something up to date as well as earth friendly? We have the perfect thing! This Pet Diner is made solidly of Bamboo; with a water resistant finish and two top of the line stainless steel bowls. Bamboo can grow up to a rate of one meter a day. This means that when you cut a tree that is 60 years old, it will take 60 years to replace that tree. Bamboo allows you to cut them down and they will return in about 60 days! That’s a huge difference. Not only is bamboo great at growing, but also is quite strong. Some people in the tropics can build houses out of bamboo! There are also over 1000 species of bamboo, each with a distinctive natual beauty. This Pet Diner will be sure you last you along time in your home, but it will be doing the earth a great favor as well.

Ms. Scooter & Ms. Sydney just got their new cat perch. Their human, Ashley called us earlier this month to ask some questions about custom cat furniture for her cats, Scooter & Sydney. She liked the features of our 24” Deluxe Cat Perch but wanted taller cat furniture. I suggested our 19” high Booster Box, designed to fit snuggly under the perch which adds just enough height for ideal winter bird watching. Ashley said she had bought other inferior cat furniture, which she returned because it was unbalanced and unsafe. She was kind enough to send some terrific photos of her pals enjoying their new perch.

14-year old Scooter, who is bolder and a little nosier, discovered immediately out of the box this was meant for them. Living up to her name, she scooted right up into the perch. At 14, her new cat furniture will offer great exercise and strength building to keep her young and active, ready to play with 8-year old Sydney but that will have to wait until this nap is finished! Lucky cats!