Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 414

The Caturday Report: Bloggers’ Edition

After looking at the news this past week, I realized that my blogging pals had better information than most regular news sources! So paws up to you guys.

Let’s see what everyone dug up this time around!

In my one mainstream website story, Science of Us (a New York Magazine sub-site) tells the truth about black cats and their perceived unadoptability! Turns out there are just more of them!
Yesterday was “Check the Chip Day,” as in microchip! Is yours up to date? Daisy the Curly cat tells you how to check in her 1-800-PetMeds blog post!
Cat Wisdom 101 has an awesome post with the latest info about FIV, written by Dr. Letrisa Miller.
Feral, stray and outdoor housecats in Hawaii may be in danger! Harvey Button of Dashkitten.com tells you what is going on — and how you can protest!
After Robin Williams’ suicide, another Robin — Robin Mudge of Playful Kitty — writes candidly about her own battle with depression, and how she was helped by her cats.

This has been an exciting week on my blog too

My human had a behind-the-scenes meeting with Lil BUB, and she found out what she and her dude are really like!
Lil BUB was in town for the A CATbaret benefit for Kitty Bungalow, and not only did my human attend, she brought home a goodie bag — and I’m giving much of it away! Enter here.
I took a pause to show off my paws on Wednesday.
August is Senior Pet Month, but I think it’s just as important to focus on how to supervise your senior human!
And lastly, I was hunting big game… and got rudely interrupted!

That’s it for this week’s Caturday Report! If you see a good news item around the internet, send me a link and I may include it next week!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Fierce Hunter, Interrupted

I’m so mad I could hiss! You’ll never believe what my human did. Well, probably, you would.

There I was, on a big game hunt in my living room — and I caught this fierce alligator! I wrestled it to the ground, screaming at it the whole time! My human heard my cries and rushed upstairs. Maybe she thought I needed help (as if!). And do you know what she did? She stole my alligator from me!

Okay, maybe it wasn’t totally an alligator… but it was fierce! And it was supposed to be mine!

And she didn’t even keep it for herself. She offered it freedom.

And it ran off — so fast, in fact, that my human didn’t even get a picture of it dashing over the bricks.

I’m still screaming… only this time it’s in frustration.
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

How to Supervise Your Senior Human: A Kitty Primer

Humans age very differently from cats. Even though they live more years, they spend a bigger percentage of those years as youngsters and as seniors. Don’t let the veterinarians tell you different — they may want to call us kitties “seniors” at 10 years old, but we tend to stay active and playful for many years after that. So I would not really say we are seniors in the human sense of the word.

Many senior humans, on the other hand, are plagued with a variety of physical problems in their old age, and these often hamper their ability to get around and be mobile, unlike us cats — take Binga, for example. She is 14 this month, and she is still very busy and gets into lots of trouble. They say that the human equivalent of 14 cat years is 73 human years, and there are not many humans that age who could run around like Binga, or do the things she does (they might wind up in jail!). What can I say? Humans are just not as hardy as us cats.

Because senior humans are more fragile than we are, they need special care and attention. I know that August is Senior Pet Month, but I felt a few senior human tips would be in order.

Senior humans require the care of mature cats. Kittens are wild little balls of energy, and they get into all sorts of things. Senior humans have a hard time keeping up with them, might trip over them, and the constant supervision a kitten requires can be more stressful than entertaining for seniors. Not only that, we kitties tend to live at least 15 years, if we are kept indoors, and we often reach 20 and beyond, so it’s a good bet that a kitten will outlive her senior human — and then where will she go? There are many sad stories of cats getting dumped at shelters by uncaring relatives after a senior human dies. So kittens, caring for a senior is a big cat’s job, not yours!
Aloof cats need not apply either. A lot of senior humans are lonely and isolated. Many of them can’t get around much, and their friends and family live far away. As a cat who lives with a senior human, part of your job is to provide companionship — in fact, this may be your most important job! So if your patience is limited when it comes to humans pestering you, then you probably shouldn’t live with a senior human. Honestly, they are generally very peaceful types, and they aren’t as grabby and annoying as some other, younger folks (and certainly a lot calmer than human children). Most will be happy if you purr for them, allow them to pet you lots, and if you spend time napping on their laps, or sleeping next to them, they will love it! If you are naturally an affectionate cat, you will find senior humans to be pretty low maintenance.
Senior humans are delicate — be gentle with them. When humans age, their skin becomes very thin and fragile, so be very careful to keep your claws retracted when you are in contact with them. Even something as innocent as kneading on a senior human’s lap can puncture their skin. Hopefully, your senior human will have a comfy blanket on their lap when you are there so this won’t be an issue, but when they are holding you, be aware that you can’t just leap out of their arms. What would cause a little scratch on a younger human will create a long, painful wound on a senior, one that might take a long time to heal. Senior humans can also hurt themselves badly if they fall, so stay out of the paths where they walk.
Go ahead and be playful! It’s true, older cats have moments where they want to zoom around the house and act crazy, so don’t hesitate — have fun! Just because your senior humans might not be able to move around much, it does not mean you have to restrict your energy to a low ebb. In fact, it amuses many seniors to see their cats running from room to room and enjoying themselves. It lifts their spirits and that is a very good thing. When senior humans feel better emotionally, it has a very positive impact on their health.
Living with a senior human could be saving a life. We cats are lucky, because we are not hard to take care of, and even senior humans with age-related issues like arthritis, or who are limited physically can scoop litter and open a can of food. Studies have shown that seniors live longer and stay healthier when they share their homes with a cat. They are happier and their lives have more meaning. We kitties are good for senior humans — and all we need to do is offer the gift of ourselves.

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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Wednesday Paws/Pause

What, you wanted to see my paws? I guess I can schedule that in. But only a couple of them.

Here’s my front paw. I’ll let you enjoy it, but just for a moment. I’d prefer no touching.

Yes, that’s one of my back paws sticking out here. What, you thought it was someone else’s?

Okay, that’s enough. You can go now.
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I’m a finalist for the Petties, in the Best Cat Blog category! Please vote for me, and your other favorite blogs, at the Petties homepage! Just go to the top menu where it says “Finalist Voting” and sign in with your Facebook or Twitter account, or sign in by email! You can do this once a day until August 7!

* * *

Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

A CATbaret Goodie Bag Giveaway!

Other than the meeting with Lil BUB and the fact that it made lots of money for Kitty Bungalow, I think the best part of A CATbaret was the goodie bag my human brought home. Well, of course I would think that, since I didn’t get to see the show. This year’s goodie bag had things for both kitties and humans — and my human said we could keep some of it!

But there was still enough to have a giveaway! Here’s what’s in your A CATbaret goodie bag:

A tote bag autographed by A CATbaret cast members! Yes, that includes Lil BUB and Billy Boyd (or Pippin from Lord of the Rings, as you may better know him).
A package of My Little Lion grain free cat treats, Captain Cod Recipe.
Taste test packages of Honest Kitchen grain-free dehydrated cat food (just add water) — Prowl and Grace flavors
A coupon for a free 6,7 or 8 lb. bag of World’s Best Cat Litter (expires December 31, 2014).
A couple of yummy-smelling beef treats, courtesy of pet boutique chain Pussy & Pooch.
A pretty black lace bag containing make-up from NYX: Rouge á Lèvres Glamour Lipstick, Rose Gold Glam Shadow Stick and The Last Party Glam Lip Gloss. My human doesn’t wear these pinky, glittery colors, but if you do, you will love them!
And since my human is done writing the stories for Catster and CatChannel.com, she will even give you the program from the show!

To get a chance to win the bag of goodies, just leave a comment below and let me know you want to be entered! Because the coupon is only good in the States, the winner has to be U.S. based. The deadline is 11:59 P.M., Monday, August 18. I’ll randomly pick a name and announce the winner next week!

I’m still a little bummed about giving up those beef treats! So there may be a tiny chew mark on the bag. I think I’ll blame that on Binga. Good luck!
* * *

I’m a finalist for the Petties, in the Best Cat Blog category! Please vote for me, and your other favorite blogs, at the Petties homepage! Just go to the top menu where it says “Finalist Voting” and sign in with your Facebook or Twitter account, or sign in by email! You can do this once a day until August 7!

* * *

Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Behind the Scenes With Lil BUB

My human got to meet Lil BUB a few days ago. She was covering the Kitty Bungalow fundraiser, A CATbaret, which was being held at the Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Lil BUB was one of the stars of the show, and the day before, there was a meet and greet for her. The line went all the way down the block.

Because my human was working for me (well, okay, and a couple of other online publications), she got to pass by all these other humans and meet Lil BUB and her dude, Mike Bridavsky, one-on-one. She got there early — so early, in fact, that BUB was still finishing her dinner and the crew was still setting up the lights.

Everyone knows Lil BUB’s face, feels her charisma and knows about some of her physical challenges, but how many of you know her background? BUB was an 8-week-old feral kitten when she came into Mike’s life, so the Kitty Bungalow benefit was a cause close to their hearts. Kitty Bungalow works tirelessly to help feral cats in the greater Los Angeles area. They do TNR for the unadoptable ferals, but the kittens and friendly adults get sent to “charm school,” where they learn how to live happily with humans. When they graduate, they do so into new homes. So you can see why Lil BUB agreed to be part of A CATbaret.

My human was fascinated when she found out that the recording studio you see in the CATastrophes video “ChronoCATastrophe” (in which BUB stars) is actually Mike’s real studio in Bloomington, IN. She also found out that Mike and his fiancée recently adopted a dog (very cat friendly, of course!), who joins BUB and Mike’s fiancée’s cat, Spooky. Lil BUB took all the activity around her, and my human’s mindless prattle, in stride. My human gave BUB a few small pets (she is shy around celebrities, and especially great celebrities) and could feel how soft her fur was.

But I bet you are wondering what the relationship is like between BUB and her human? I mean, don’t you always wonder about the people behind famous cats? Are they pushy? Groveling flunkies? Opportunists? My human, who can be perceptive and a little sneaky when she wants to be, grabbed this series of photos that clearly illustrate the relationship that BUB and Mike have:

Actually, it looks like they have the same relationship a lot of you kitties out there have with your humans! And even though BUB and Mike travel all the time, BUB’s needs always take priority. Maybe the real secret behind BUB is that while she is a unique and magical being, her relationship with her human is amazingly down to earth.
* * *

I’m a finalist for the Petties, in the Best Cat Blog category! Please vote for me, and your other favorite blogs, at the Petties homepage! Just go to the top menu where it says “Finalist Voting” and sign in with your Facebook or Twitter account, or sign in by email! You can do this once a day until August 7!

* * *

Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Sunday Catinee: The Hammock Edition

Timo the cat gets a new hammock — but he seems to have a problem figuring it out! At least he’s enjoying himself — and you will too.

If you can’t see the above video, click here to watch it on YouTube!

This was actually the second of a three-part series, but it was also the best clip!
* * *

I’m a finalist for the Petties, in the Best Cat Blog category! Please vote for me, and your other favorite blogs, at the Petties homepage! Just go to the top menu where it says “Finalist Voting” and sign in with your Facebook or Twitter account, or sign in by email! You can do this once a day until August 7!

* * *

Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

The Caturday Report: Dubious, Industrious and Informative

I’ve got all sorts of newsy items for you this week, cool and not-so-cool!

I know you want to see what I mean, so let’s get started!

The American Veterinary Medical Association still refuses to fully admit that declawing is mutilation and negatively impacts the lives of many cats who undergo this awful procedure. At its recent national convention, they did take the less-than-baby step to admit that it is major surgery and amputation. This language change in their policy, however, does nothing to put an end to declawing, or even slow it down. Could profits be at stake instead of the well being of cats? You decide.
Do you think superheroes would look better if they accessorized with Hello Kitty? Check out these examples and you tell me!
At Hauspanther, there is an awesome Catification hack that uses a shelving cube, sisal and cushions — this cat lounge is stylish and so easy to make, even my crafts-challenged human could put it together!
August sun can be brutal, and we cats can actually overdo basking in those sun puddles that we love so much! Especially the white and lighter-colored kitties among us. The Sometimes Cats Herd You blog offers information and precautions regarding cats and sunburn.
I know only a small percentage of my readers are expecting human babies, or have plans to have one. But I do think many of you know a couple who is — and some of them may not realize that their cat needs to be prepared for the new little one! The Fur Everywhere blog has some great tips on helping their cats make the adjustment.

The week on my blog has been really fun and informative! Check it out:

My human went to the Cat House on the Kings and brought home lots of photos — if you haven’t seen them yet, you will really enjoy them!
August 5 was Work Like a Dog Day — one of the silliest holidays I’ve ever heard of! So I put together some ways to work like a cat, which is much better!
I got a big box of goodies from Chewy.com — but my roommates kept stealing my spotlight!
I also announced my Imperial Cat Catnip Toy winner — and made a special announcement!
Voting for the Petties is now closed — in this post, I thanked all of you for your support, and I announced the results of my human’s birthday commenthon to benefit Winging cat Rescue!
Lastly, a sad story about a rescue kitten inspired me to create a list of the worst human drugs for cats! You may want to keep a copy of this information.

That’s it for this week’s Caturday Report! If you see a good news item around the internet, send me a link and I may include it next week!
* * *

I’m a finalist for the Petties, in the Best Cat Blog category! Please vote for me, and your other favorite blogs, at the Petties homepage! Just go to the top menu where it says “Finalist Voting” and sign in with your Facebook or Twitter account, or sign in by email! You can do this once a day until August 7!

* * *

Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

The Worst Human Drugs for Cats

My human is a supporter of Kitten Rescue, a local group that is well known here in Los Angeles, and she regularly gets their email newsletter. The most recent one had a sad story: a kitten came to them that had been hit by a car. Unfortunately, the human who had initially rescued her had given her baby Tylenol, thinking it would help her. It was the worst thing this well-meaning person could have done — Tylenol is deadly to cats, and the kitten, named Hope, had to be treated for Tylenol toxicity in addition to having surgery on her shattered leg. Everyone was devastated when Hope died during surgery. While the Tylenol wasn’t the primary cause for her death, it certainly didn’t help this little girl, who was already weakened by her injuries. (Kitten Rescue established a fund in Hope’s memory to help pay for cats who need extensive medical care. You can donate to it here.)

Hope’s story made me realize that there are a lot of people out there with extensive (human) first aid kits who may want to help, but don’t know that they should never give human medicine to cats or kittens without first checking with a vet. Most of my readers, I know, have done their research, but if you are anything like my human, you know a lot of people who aren’t as smart or knowledgeable. So I’ve put together a list of the most common dangerous human drugs for cats.

NSAIDs (aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be better known by their brand names Advil, Aleve, Motrin and the like, and humans use them regularly, but they should never, ever be given to cats. They can cause stomach ulcers and kidney damage. There are rare occasions where a vet may prescribe very low doses of aspirin to cats with heart disease, but without a veterinarian’s direction, aspirin and these other NSAIDs can be fatal. There are NSAIDs that are feline appropriate, but that is for your vet to prescribe. (Incidentally, not all humans can take NSAIDs either — my human is allergic to them and yes, they could possibly kill her.)

Acetaminophen (Tylenol). This drug can damage a cat’s red blood cells and the cat’s ability to carry oxygen. It also impacts her liver and as few as two extra-strength tablets can kill her. Keep in mind that you will also find acetaminophen in Excedrin, and in many sinus and cold medications. These are also dangerous to your cat.

Pseudoephedrine. This is another drug found in sinus medications and it will raise a cat’s blood pressure and heart rate. Even if your cat gets allergies, please keep human decongestants away from her.

Diabetes Medications. I am sure you humans with diabetes know better than to try to give any of your own meds to your cat, even if she is diabetic herself. A diabetic cat needs close monitoring by both her human and her vet, and only given medication that the vet has prescribed.

Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Klonopin, Ambien). These sleep aids and anti-anxiety meds will not help your overactive, nocturnal cat. Some of them, in fact, can cause liver failure.

Sunscreen. You may not think of this as a medication, but it is a health care item, as it helps prevent skin cancer in humans. Sunscreen ingredients such as zinc oxide, octyl salicylate, ethylhexyl salicylate and homosalate are dangerous if a cat ingests them. So don’t hug your cat right after slathering sunscreen all over your arms, chest and face. Yes, you’ll get fur stuck to you, but even worse, it can make your cat sick when she has to lick the sunscreen off herself.

This is just a small selection of human meds that are toxic to cats. There are many others, but these are the most likely ones that uninformed humans may give kitties. You can find out more information at the Pet Poison Helpline and at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control page. If you know of a cat who has been given, or who has eaten any of the above medications, don’t hesitate — take her to the vet immediately! You can also call the Pet Poison Helpline at 800-213-6680 or the ASPCA at 888-426-4435 — but there will be a consultation fee.
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I’m a finalist for the Petties, in the Best Cat Blog category! Please vote for me, and your other favorite blogs, at the Petties homepage! Just go to the top menu where it says “Finalist Voting” and sign in with your Facebook or Twitter account, or sign in by email! You can do this once a day until August 7!

* * *

Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Thankful for Your Petties Vote – and Belated Commenthon Results

Voting in the Petties is almost over! Today is the last day, and I would appreciate it if you voted for me for Best Cat Blog just one more time. I know a lot of you have been voting for me regularly — in fact, some of you have been voting for me every day! And I want to thank you so much for that. I don’t think I can express in words, or even meows, how much your support means to me.

The winner in each Petties category gets a $1000 donation to a rescue of her choice, and as you know, I chose Winging Cat Rescue! Because the competition in the Best Cat Blog is so tough this year, and because I didn’t want this awesome group to go away empty handed if I didn’t win, I held a commenthon on my human’s birthday so that they would get a donation no matter what. You guys came through amazingly — you left 127 comments! My human said she would donate $1 for each comment, up to $150, and she felt cheap giving just $127, so she donated the whole $150!

Thank you for making my commenthon a success, thank you for voting for me in this year’s Petties, and thank you for every single time you come visit me here on my blog!
* * *

I’m a finalist for the Petties, in the Best Cat Blog category! Please vote for me, and your other favorite blogs, at the Petties homepage! Just go to the top menu where it says “Finalist Voting” and sign in with your Facebook or Twitter account, or sign in by email! You can do this once a day until August 7!

* * *

Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!