Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 17

Finals Week Therapy Cat

You’ll never guess what I did for National Therapy Animal Day! Or you probably will — I went on a therapy cat visit, of course. This time it was one of my rare visits to USC. I only go maybe a couple times a year, and it’s usually for finals week. That’s the most stressful times for students.

The campus is really big, and the therapy pet visits have been held in several different areas, but I hadn’t been in this one before. It was a courtyard area where they set up coffee and snacks. Although the event was called “Dogs and Donuts” word got around that a cat (me!) was also there, so I drew a good crowd! Of course there were a couple of dogs too. Both of them were older, very nice dogs, and neither of them really noticed or cared I was there.

The important thing was that the students got to visit with us and take photos. I even gave paw shakes to a few of them. While some of the students had cats at home that they missed, one told us about her cat who traveled with her all the way from a barn in the midwest to the Chicago area to college, and now to visits home too.

One of my favorite parts of visiting USC is greeting all the students from different parts of the world and different cultures. The two things they always have in common is a desire to learn, and a love for kitties.

I got lots of comments about how calm I was. And I was, mostly! But a couple of times I really wanted to get down off the table where my Sleepypod was and explore! But my human said no so I stayed put.

It was a great way to celebrate National Therapy Animal Day.

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Could the Tariffs Affect Your Cat’s Food Supply? Here’s What You Need to Know

It looks like the United States is headed towards empty shelves and higher prices. This is due to the tariffs affecting shipments from other countries. Rising shipping costs make the problem even worse. A lot of things humans take for granted when they shop will either be hard to get or cost way more than before. Things like clothes, electronics, and even some medications. And some food that is imported from other countries, like seafood, coffee, cheese, fruits, nuts and even candy bars will be affected.

All this is worrisome…but what’s even more concerning for people with cats (not to mention their cats) is cat food. Especially those (like my human) who focus on feeding high quality novel proteins such as venison, lamb and rabbit. Will cat food with these ingredients become difficult to find? And what can you do about it?

Why Cat Food May Go Missing

This isn’t the first time the cat food supply chain has been disrupted. But this time we do have some warning about what’s to come because the scope of this issue affects almost everything humans buy. But first let’s look at what issues we’re dealing with.

It’s Not Just the Food Itself, but the Containers

There’s already a shortage of aluminum and BPA free lining going on, so that is going to have an impact. Although it’s a pre-tariff issue, it may become even worse over the next few months. This affects canned cat food — in fact, all canned food in general.

Any delays in packaging and shipping will affect availability of your cat food, and that could affect many brands.

Novel Proteins and Boutique Brands Will Be Hit First

Unfortunately, this is basically my diet right now! My human has opted out of poultry temporarily because of the H5N1 bird flu. Although cooked, canned food minimizes the risk, she feels that pausing these proteins makes me even safer. She has been giving me novel proteins, often from countries like New Zealand, where she feels there are stronger regulations around my food. And she often buys smaller brands, the kind you find at places like the small, local pet shops we visit so often.

The problem here is that these types of food — venison, lamb, and rabbit — are the first to be affected by tariffs and supply chain issues. Boutique brands may struggle the most. My human has already seen some of my food jump in price. And while it’s still available now, we could see shortages in just a few weeks.

Are You Sure Your Cat Food Is Really Made in the US?

Even if you buy cat food from American brands, your cat’s favorite flavors may be at risk. Although the food is manufactured in the US, the ingredients may be imported. This is more common than you may think.

The Big Brands Are Lower Risk, But Not Immune

Yes, the huge brands that make the cat food you see on the shelves at grocery stores and nationwide chains have more diversified supply chains. But they’re not infallible. Even Purina has had supply chain interruptions occasionally. And they’re more likely to happen over the next few months.

How to Prepare

Don’t worry about your cat running out of food — be prepared instead. Stock up and be aware of what’s going on with the brands you feed your cats.

Keeping Track of Your Cat’s Favorite Brands

Visit the brand websites frequently to see if they have any news about shortages or delays. Often they will post about any difficulties they are having. Also talk with your local pet food retailers about how things are going. Find out if they are having difficulty getting some brands, or if they foresee problems in the near future. The more info you can gather, the better you will be able to prepare.

For Cats With Novel and High Quality Diets

For cats like me that eat the expensive stuff from smaller brands, think about starting to stock up now. Can you afford at least 2–3 months of the good stuff? If you can, get it. The novel and exotic foods are harder to source to begin with, and if they become too difficult to get, the brand may have to drop certain foods. Most canned cat food has an expiration that’s a couple of years in the future, but always check the date on the cans.

For Cats With Non-Novel Canned Diets

Find out if the cat food you buy is from imported sources, if you can. If it is, definitely stock up. Stock up if you aren’t sure. And don’t forget — it’s not just the food itself, but the cans that may undergo a shortage. Plus the higher shipping costs will increase prices. So it’s best to buy now if you can.

What If You Cat Eats All-American?

If your cat eats food that is U.S. made and comes from a big brand, you are less likely to suffer the severe shortages internationally sourced food may have. But you’re not 100% safe. Supply chain shortages could still happen. Keep your eye on that, and stock up accordingly.

What If a Shortage Happens?

If you think your cat’s favorite food may go missing from the shelves, think about the different options. For those who eat novel proteins, you may have options, depending on why your cat’s on this diet. If it’s allergies, see if there is other more widely available food that contains ingredients that are safe for your cat. If like me, your cat is just getting the highest quality food available, think about which other brands may still be acceptable on a temporary basis that may be easier to get.

Cats that eat kibble will have the least problems getting food if there’s a shortage, but it’s often significantly lower in quality than canned. There are exceptions, so do your research and make your choices wisely.

A Few Words of Cat Wisdom

You don’t have to horde cat food. Just be sensible. My human has been concerned about the scarcity of some of her favorite things (and mine) for a while. So she has just increased her purchases of certain items over time. That way she doesn’t empty the store’s shelves, along with her pocketbook.

And remember, this is all temporary. If supplies go south, it may seem like it’ll go on forever and never end. But it will. We got through the pandemic, and it made lots of humans smarter and more resourceful. If you prepare ahead of time and consider your options, it still may not be fun, but you’ll make it through without a completely empty cupboard.

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Modeling My New Spring Cat Dress…But Not Uninterrupted!

I finally got to model my spring dress! My human got it from Ross a while back, but the weather hasn’t cooperated for an outdoor shoot. Finally it was sunny and pleasant enough to give it a full photo session!

As you can see, I couldn’t wait to wear it!

It’s got kind of a pinafore look going on. Do you think it suits me?

My human had a really hard time finding a necklace to go with it! None of my pearls complimented it, or even looked good with it. The best we could do was these rainbow glass beads.

The hat, however, was a no-brainer. This straw hat with the pink flower was the obvious choice.

Of course I posed for a few portraits.

Oh, I didn’t mention, but the session took longer than it should have because it started with an interruption!

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Rainy Day Portraits

We had a rainy, mostly overcast weekend. But the peach kitty showed up anyway. My human had me wear a raincoat in case it rained during our visit.

As you can see, the peach kitty didn’t feel the need for a raincoat.

He visited for a while, but then he took his catnip toy outside. Neither my human nor I really wanted to join him all that much. The overcast sky actually made some nice filtered light in the enclosed patio, so my human decided that, instead of shooting so much video like usual, she’d do some portraits of me instead.

See how nice the light was?

Here’s another photo.

I also sat by the picture window for a few shots. Never mind that the glass is dirty.

As you can see, the peach kitty was finally done playing with his toy.

He came around to hang out some more, so my human took a few photos. This was the best one.

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Funday Bloopers

I have such a fun variety of bloopers for you this week!

I’m not sure why I was feeling so sassy after my therapy cat visit!

Sometimes when I want a treat, I just look…ungraceful.

I was probably annoyed at the peach kitty for being so high on catnip.

This may or may not have been after I licked the packaging of that catnip toy.

And that’s it for this week’s outtakes! Do you have a favorite? Let me know in the comments.

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The Peach Kitty’s Progress on Video

Remember my visit with the peach kitty the other day? My human actually shot video of a lot of it! And she finally edited it together.

One thing I haven’t mentioned is that my human put one of my beds out on the enclosed patio to see if he’d use it. So far he hasn’t, but he did sniff it a few times. Probably because it smelled like me.

You can see him going in and out of the enclosed patio a few times. And what you don’t see in the video is that after my human put her phone down, he stuck around in the enclosed patio for a while longer. I hope you enjoy what she did shoot!

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Slightly Nipped Out Shopping Day

I had exactly one can of cat food left! So it was time to go to the pet store. I love shopping at the local places because they know me there.

They moved some things around in the dog aisles, but every thing in the cat section was pretty much the same.

Of course there are always new smells.

It was important for me to check out the new catnip toys.

These required some special examination.

I may have gotten a little nipped out!

All too soon it was time to get my food and go home. We didn’t get any catnip toys, though. My human says I still have some fresh ones waiting for me.

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Box Jumping Bonanza

My human has had this box for a while. She thought I would like it, so she kept it sitting around. After paying no attention to it for a couple of weeks, she found me in it just like this. So she knew it was playtime!

So I spent some quality time chasing treats and jumping in and out of the box. It has built in crinkly paper, which makes it extra fun.

You can see me enjoying myself in the video below, and if I say so myself, some of my jumps got really creative!

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The Memory Care Residents Who Remembered Me

Most of the people during my therapy cat visit to the assisted living residence were nice. But a couple of them were a little grabby with me. One lady in a wheelchair tried to pull my ear, and my human had to stop her. (My human always closely watches my interactions to make sure I’m safe.) After cutting that interaction short, we sat down and spent time with the woman with heavy hands. She held a drawing she’d done with one hand and happily petted me with the other. Even though she pets me awkwardly, she’s never rough and she clearly loves me. So it was a nice way to pivot.

On the other side of us was a woman my human couldn’t remember seeing before. But she must have because the woman remembered me, and was so happy to visit me. On the other side of her was the lady who likes getting high fives from me.

We also visited with a sweet woman who is always very gentle with me. Then a staff member woke up another woman who we don’t visit with often…mainly because she’s usually sleeping! But she was glad to see me. Then another woman came up to us in her wheelchair who remembered me. My human didn’t remember this one either.

It’s pretty funny that we were in a memory care home and my human had a hard time remembering a couple of the residents who remembered me! But they were people she hadn’t seen in a long time. And of course, I am pretty hard to forget, even if you have Alzheimer’s or dementia, like the people living here. So overall it was a good visit.

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Hanging With the Peach Kitty in the Enclosed Patio

My human came upstairs to find the peach kitty waiting for me! So we went out to visit, even though she was supposed to be busy with other things.

It was a really pretty day for a visit.

We only got to visit for a few minutes.

Then he made a beeline for the enclosed patio, where his catnip toys are. They’ve been there for a while, and instead of running off with them, he just leaves them there.

He did come out long enough for treats. But then he went back in to play with his toys. So my human and I joined him. He didn’t seem to mind. My human took some photos of him.

As long as my human didn’t get to close to him while he was in there, he was pretty happy.

I just want to say, the toy he’s playing with? It was originally a completely different color! He’s totally ruined it.

Although I think he may dispute the definition of ruined, since he’s still playing with it.

Even though we spent like 10 or 15 minutes in the enclosed patio, I’m not sure I’m satisfied with this visit! He spent more time with his catnip toys than he did with me.

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