Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 36

Your Cat Will Live Longer (and You Will Too!) With These Tips

Humans always want their cats to live forever, and if we could, we would! But since no one’s figured out a way (yet) for that to happen, I have some tips to help kitties live longer, and healthier lives. And surprise! These tips work for humans too.

Yes, all those same things doctors and health magazines tell you about diet and exercise also go for your cat. Here’s what I mean, comparing humans and cats.

Eat a minimally processed, species appropriate diet

It doesn’t matter what diet a human adheres to — low carb, Mediterranean, vegan, or anything in between — the most important part is that the food they eat is fresh and has as little processing as possible. The closer you can get to the source, the better.

The same goes for cats, with the big exception being that cats are obligate carnivores. That means that animal protein must be their main food source. And the best animal protein for cats is as fresh and unprocessed as possible.

Although everyone’s budget for cat food is different, it’s important to do the research within what you can afford. Not all cat food is created equal, and each price point has healthier choices, along with the not-so-healthy ones.

The basic rule is that canned, pouch, fresh and fresh frozen food is always better than dry, if you can swing it. (The exception to this is freeze dried raw cat food, which is way less processed than other dry foods.) Most dry cat food is highly processed and contains more carbs and chemicals than a cat should have in their diet. When it comes to the canned food, check the macros for a high protein content, and the ingredient list to see what else is being added.

Fresh and fresh frozen are best, but they are high priced options. If you can afford it, go for it! Raw diets are great for many cats, and some people even buy meat from the butcher shop and make it themselves, or at least supplement their cat’s normal diet with it. If you want to go in that direction, do your research to guarantee your cat is getting all the necessary nutrients.

People who eat fast food every day are less healthy over time. Same with cats who eat a highly processed diet. So keep it as clean as you can.

Have daily exercise

Even moderate exercise like walking will add years to a human’s lifespan. Add in strength training, and it will also keep them independent and active for those extra years.

Cats need exercise too, but they’re built a little differently than humans. Whereas humans are built for marathons, cats are built for sprints. So short bursts of exercise work best for them, whereas humans do better with 30 minutes or so of cardio most days.

So pull out some cat toys and get your cat to chase them vigorously for 10 minutes. If you can get them to wear themselves out, even better. This might be harder with young adult cats, and maybe almost impossible with kittens, but do your best. It’s even more important to get mature cats up and exercising to help them stay active and engaged in life in general.

And if you have stairs or a cat tree, you can really help them with muscle tone by having them run up the stairs or the tree. My human will toss a treat up and down our spiral staircase for my exercise and that really helps to keep me conditioned.

Engage in mental stimulation

Mental health and physical health go hand in hand (or paw in paw). Older people who are more active physically are also more alert mentally. And the same goes for cats. Take that a step further by doing things to keep your cat’s mind engaged.

Of course, your cat can’t read books, learn new languages, or do crossword puzzles. But they can keep their minds active with puzzle and treat toys. And teaching your cat tricks is another way to keep them engaged mentally. Make these part of your cat’s routine.

Manage stress

Stress can really do a number on your wellbeing, and your cat’s too. In fact, it may be even worse for your cat. A stressed out cat becomes sick way more easily than a cat who has a calmer life.

Of course your cat can’t meditate, or learn deep breathing. But you can. And surprise! This can actually help your cat’s stress level. Cats are emotional sponges, and they sense and absorb your moods. If you are stressed out, it has a negative effect on them. So teaching yourself to destress is one good step to take, for both you and your cat.

Also keep in mind that your cat (if they are like most cats) spend the majority of their lives inside their home. They never leave it, except for trips to the vet, or the backyard. So the more of a haven your house is, the more you can create a sense of peace there, the better it is for your cat. A high stress household is bad for both of you.

Another thing you can do to manage your cat’s stress is to create routines. Cats thrive on predictability, and if you have daily routines and rituals involving them, they find it comforting.

You can also manage situations that are high stress for your cat, such as vet visits or traveling in the car. Do home vet visits if you can. Get your cat accustomed to the carrier. Take your cat on short trips in the car, and reward them with treats, praise and affection. Anything you can do to lessen stress for them is helpful.

Regular health check ups

Humans and cats both should have regular check ups to make sure there are no big changes in their numbers. Keeping track of all your stats gives a baseline that shows how things are going over time. Both you and your cat need these.

Yes, veterinarian visits are expensive these days! Which is why pet insurance is more important than ever. Figure out a way to budget them in, if you can. Although I am healthy, I have a few weird things that look harmless (like my eye freckle) that it’s good to keep an eye on.

A couple of other things to keep in mind:

Maintain a healthy weight

All the same illnesses that develop in people who are overweight, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure can happen to overweight cats too. If you can keep your cat’s weight in a healthy range, it will help increase their longevity and overall health.
 

Dental health is really important

Inflammation from gum disease leads to a host of other issues in both humans and cats such as heart disease, respiratory issues and gastrointestinal disorders. In cats, gum disease has been linked to kidney disease. So if your cat will let you, learn how to brush their teeth. My human uses Ryercat’s toothbrushes (affiliate link) and swears by them. They are pricey, but worth it because they are designed for a cat’s small mouth — and keep human hands from having to get too close to the teeth!

Learning how to brush your cat’s teeth keeps them healthier in the long run — and saves you a lot of money because they won’t need dental procedures as often, if at all. Your cat will be a lot happier too.

Taking steps to keep your cat happy and healthy now has loads of longterm benefits. And the same goes for you!

I hope you found these tips helpful. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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Seeing Old and New Friends at the Assisted Living

I got to visit the assisted living residence this week, and I wore my festive Halloween collar. I began my therapy cat work the moment my human signed us in at the front. An older lady — we didn’t know if she was a resident or visitor — started petting me right away. There was also one of my friends who doesn’t recognize me anymore wandering through. She did stop to pet me, but she seemed like she was in another world.

When I got to the big room, I headed straight for the sofa where one of my regulars was sitting. I jumped right up to spend time with her. The lady who likes to get high fives from me was sitting in a chair next to the sofa, and I spent time with her too. My human even took a few photos of her with me.

I had a lot of people to visit. Some were new, like the Spanish speaking lady in the wheelchair who said I was “bonita,” and others I’ve known for a while, like the woman sitting on a sofa who has been there for a few months. There was another woman sitting on the same sofa who my human avoided at first. The woman had a decidedly grouchy face, and sometimes the grouchy ones get nasty if I go near them. But this lady surprised us and held out her arm to pet me. So my human set me between the two women so I could spend time with both of them.

The nonverbal woman who pets me with heavy hands was in a deep sleep on one of the sofas. Unfortunately, she never woke up during our visit, and my human didn’t want to disturb her, so she missed me. I hope she’s awake next time so we can catch up on some petting.

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Who’s the Treat Thief?

Look who came by for a visit!

Clearly he was happy to see me. But then, he always is.

And of course he was happy for treats! As was I.

It was right before my dinnertime, so I kept trying to steal the peach kitty’s treats. My human called me “greedy.” Maybe that’s a synonym for hungry!

Don’t worry, he did get lots of treats. Although my human mostly had to toss them so I wouldn’t interrupt and steal them.

Besides, I don’t think I was the only thief. Here he is, trying to grab at my harness so he can steal me away.

During our visit, my human hugged me and petted me a lot in front of the peach kitty. She wants him to see how I enjoy my human putting her hands on me. And during our treat session, he came up to her hand while she was petting me. He was probably wondering if she had any treats, but he didn’t run off immediately when my human gently grazed his face with the backs of her fingers. Feral cats don’t like their faces being touched, so my human is trying to ease him into that.

All too soon I had to go back inside. But it was a nice visit.

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The Halloween High Jump Challenge

I haven’t had any high jump practice for a while! So it was time, only my human gave me an extra added challenge. She had me do it wearing a variety of Halloween outfits. We started off easy with this festive collar.

Next up was this cute Halloween dress.

That was admittedly a little more difficult.

Lastly, I had to wear my Teddy Bear costume!

How do you think I did? You can find out in the video below.

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Unattractive Outtakes

I’ll be the first to tell you that I look cute, even in my outtakes. Except for this week. These are some of my ugliest outtakes yet!

Usually when I’m closing one eye, it looks like I’m winking (and maybe I am!). But not this time — I had an eye booger! It took a while for my human to notice, and then even longer to get rid of it.

Here I am, judging my human’s cheap fall centerpiece (she got it a couple years ago at the 99 Cent Store).

My human has a bad habit of whipping off a photo or two before I’m ready. The best I can say is, at least I don’t look as bad as I did in some of the other shots.

Yes, I did knock over my cute little figurine a few times. I kept trying to touch it and rub against it.

And finally, here’s a more traditional outtake, in which I’m awkwardly trying to wave bye-bye in my Teddy Bear costume, while still looking cute.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s decidedly unattractive outtakes! Which one did you think was the worst? Let me know in the comments.

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My Halloween Costumes Through the Years

I feel like I’ve been wearing Halloween costumes my whole life! And I kind of have, so I’m sharing a cat costume from each year, starting with this one in 2014 through 2022. I’m pretty sure this was my very first costume.

In 2015, I got my Wonder Kitty costume! This one was pretty awesome.

Not so awesome was this 2016 punk cat costume. You can see Binga modeling it, or (not) trying to, here.

I was wondering how long I’ve had this fish hat! Apparently my human brought it home in 2017.

This pirate costume, which is kind of a favorite among readers, isn’t actually a cat costume. It’s a Guinea pig costume that my human picked up in 2018.

I’m not sure if I got my nurse’s outfit in 2019. It may have been earlier. But this is the year I acquired Dr. Bones.

It’s 2020, the year of the pandemic. Didn’t that suck? And so did this lobster costume.

Who knew that just a year later, it would get even worse with this thing, which was apparently supposed to be a spider!

And I’m ending with this steampunk costume from 2022. I had my readers vote on the costume they wanted me to wear and this one won. I’ve never been that fond of it myself.

So there you have it — nine years of Halloween costumes! Which ones did you like best, and which ones should stay hidden away? Let’s talk about it in the comments.

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My Adorable Little Kitty Gift

Check out this adorable gift I got from a friend on Facebook!

It’s me, wearing one of my favorite princess dresses! My friend, Crazy Felix, has a human who makes these figurines by hand. Her company is called Deb and Co., and she makes all kinds of figurines and ornaments from polymer clay. Not just kitties, all sorts of themes and pets.

She even included my blog logo in the packaging! It has that kind of attention to detail.

My human can’t wait to put it on display!

I like it a lot too! My human had a hard time getting a photo of me with it because I kept rubbing against it! Thanks so much for this cute kitty gift!

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Teddy Bear Cat (Hilarious Video)

Among other things my human has brought home for me recently was this. I thought it was a comfy blanket. But apparently I was wrong.

It’s a Teddy Bear costume. But you know me, I’ll wear anything.

So. Not one of my most glamorous looks.

It worked as long as I stood still, but if I moved too much my ears popped out. Plus every time I moved, my human started laughing. I guess you can see why in the video below.

 

And it really does make a super comfy blanket.

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I’m Giving Away a 2025 Calendar!

As you probably know, my 2025 calendar is out! So I am way overdue for a giveaway, and I have one now.

I really do think this is one of my best calendars to date! Check out some of the pages below.

Of course, you can still buy a copy! The version in my Printify store includes cat holidays, and you can get it here. The Zazzle version doesn’t have the cat holidays, but if you’ve bought from Zazzle in the past or have a coupon, you can get that version here.

To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post, and then say you did on the Rafflecopter widget! That opens up several other ways you can get more entry points. If the winner’s in the U.S., they will get a copy of the calendar with the cat holidays. The other parts of the world will get one shipped from Zazzle, so it’ll just have regular holidays. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Fall Photo Session(s)

My human wanted to take advantage of the afternoon light in the dining room for a fall photo session. There was only one problem.

She wasn’t absolutely happy with the light she used for me, and the time of day. So we did it again, just a little differently.

She kept moving the light around to see what looked better.

But she still wasn’t happy! So she went back and reshot at an earlier time, with a completely different choice of lighting for me.

As you can imagine, this started getting pretty boring! So I started to goof off.

I mean, the lighting and the set are all okay, but these sessions are mainly about me, am I right?

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