Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 5

Goth Cat Bow Tie Day

It’s National Bow Tie Day! And because I got the goth collars I modeled a while back, and one was a bow tie, I figured I’d do a photo session with them. A goth photo session in the turret, of course! My human set up the lights special. Or as special as possible with her limited lighting resources.

Since this is the bow tie collar, I’m wearing it first. Both this and the other collar came from My 9th Life, in case you are wondering. This one’s called The Haunted Herman collar

I decided to strike a few poses.

Plus a close up of course.

Then I did some poses with the other collar, which is called Wednesday’s Widow.

Here’s a closer look.

But you know what? It’s hard to be goth! I was only able to do it for so long before I got tired of holding the attitude.

Okay, I’m done now!

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The Egg Yolk Breakthrough That Makes Cats Less Allergenic!

As a therapy cat, I sometimes run across people who say they are allergic to us kitties. My human and I always steer clear of them as soon as we’re told this…but what if putting something in my food could render me hypoallergenic?

It’s sounds like crazy futuristic science lore, but it’s happening right now! And it all boils down to a simple, natural ingredient: egg yolk.

But it’s not from just the everyday eggs you find in a supermarket — these egg yolks have to come from chickens who are raised with cats!

Before we go any further, let me briefly explain how this works, how effective it is, and whether it’s widely available (spoiler alert on the latter: not so much, at least not yet).

The Origins of Cat Allergens

People who are allergic to cats are most likely reacting to the Fel d 1 (shorthand for Feline domesticus allergen 1), a small glycoprotein antigen. You find it in a cat’s saliva and other secretions. When cats groom themselves, it collects in their fur and dander. And from there it easily spreads.

So to lessen a human’s allergic reaction to cats, you need an antibody that blocks Fel d 1. That’s where the egg yolk comes into play because it blocks Fel d 1 from the source — the cat.

How the Antibody That Blocks Fel D 1 Developed

People can be desensitized to allergens by immunotherapy — controlled, regular exposure to the allergen to reduce the adverse reaction. Something similar happens with chickens when they’re raised around cats.

The same way a mother passes along a certain amount of immunity to her baby to protect them in the early months of their lives, so it is with chickens and eggs. The antibody passed along in the egg yolks is called polyclonal egg IgY. And when a cat consumes egg yolks containing IgY, it reduces the level of Fel d 1 in their saliva. That’s how they naturally become less allergic to humans.

What’s the Research on Fel d 1 and IgY?

The Nestlé Purina scientists are the ones that really dug into research involving IgY. Adding the egg yolks containing IgY to cats’ diet reduced their Fel d 1 dander by about 47% beginning in week 3. While it doesn’t eliminate the allergen completely, it does greatly reduce it. And it does it in a way that’s not harmful to either cats or humans.

Of course, Purina did this research in order to develop a food to sell. Right now, it’s only available as kibble and is significantly more expensive than other kibble cat food.

Isn’t There a Do-It-Yourself Solution?

Not exactly. Chances are the eggs you buy in the supermarket, including the fancy, pasture-raised brands, or the ones you get from local sources, don’t have the IgY antibody. The chickens need to be raised around cats, and to get the optimum amount in the yolk, the chicken farmer would need to follow certain procedures.

Purina’s recipe and research is proprietary so their formula is only available within the company. But that doesn’t mean other research and development isn’t being done. You can find toppers containing IgY to add to your cat’s food…but it’s also pretty expensive. Maybe with time, the price will come down and the additives and food will become even more effective.

Can Humans Benefit from Eating Egg Yolks with IgY?

Unfortunately, no. It works from inside the cat’s digestive system to lessen the allergens. It won’t lessen your reaction to the allergens if you eat the yolks yourself.

Why You May Still Have Allergic Reactions Even If Your Cat Gets IgY Yolks

The one thing you need to remember about Fel d 1 is that it’s sticky and it floats. It’s already all over everything in the home you share with your cat. So thoroughly cleaning every area of your house over a period of time is the only way to rid it of Fel d 1.

This Is Just the Beginning

There probably won’t ever be one single method to solve the problem of cat allergies. Looking at ways to reduce Fel d 1 at the source is a relatively new approach. Other solutions in addition to this one are being studied. But this natural and nutritious way of doing it is a great start.

For more on using egg yolks to reduce Fel d 1, check these out:

Three research articles about the study
American Academy Of Otolaryngic Allergy — https://www.aaoallergy.org/hypoallergenic-pet-food-myth-or-magic-solution/
Journal of Allergy and Infectious Diseases — https://www.probiologists.com/article/feeding-cats-egg-product-with-polyclonal-anti-fel-d1-antibodies-decreases-environmental-fel-d1-and-allergic-response-a-proof-of-concept-study
Wiley Online Library — https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/iid3.244

If you want less technical language, here are some articles
Very Well Health — https://www.verywellhealth.com/cat-allergy-egg-yolks-8400556
Old Towne Veterinary Clinic — https://www.oldtownevetclinic.com/2021/04/30/study-shows-a-change-in-feline-diet-could-curb-cat-allergies-in-people/
European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (this has more information about cat allergies in general) — https://www.ecarf.org/en/press/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag-update-on-managing-cat-allergy/

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Astro Kitty Costume

My human’s birthday was a few weeks ago. And it’s taken this long for her to show off what her boyfriend gave her.

Yes, he got me an astro kitty costume. For her birthday! Well, he also took her out to dinner and gave her something else.

Anyhow, it’s the thought that counts, right? So I am going to model it for you.

Well, that turned out even worse than I thought it would!

Well, at least I can say I wore it!

This costume, another gift from him, has been sitting around for some months too. I think you can see why.

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Celebrity Cat at the Show

I always love being the celebrity cat at the show, and Glendale is great because it’s so close to my house.

My human remembered my bell, so I wound up ringing it a lot!

I also handed out high fives, paw shakes and other tricks.

I got to wear most of the outfits you saw during my wardrobe preview.

This outfit is always a favorite!

Remember my modeling gig posing in a pair of goth collars? The day before the show, we got them in the mail from the maker (she promised to send them to us when she was done with them). So my human brought them to the show too.

Yes, I’ll be modeling them in my own photo studio soon!

It was a full day! But it’s always a little sad at the end, when everything gets broken down and packed away.

You can see a recap of my show day in the video below.

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Silly Sunday Photos

Yes, it’s time for this week’s silly photos. And they are very silly this week!

When my human takes too many photos in a row before rewarding me with treats, I’ll just walk right up to the camera and demand payment.

I bet you already know what I was asking for in this photo!

You don’t have to be a mind reader to know what I thought of the sign behind me!

I think I was getting impatient with the cat show set up at this point.

And yes, once again we’ve reached the end of the outtakes! Let me know which ones made you laugh the loudest in the comments.

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I Helped Set Up for the Cat Show!

I not only helped pick out my show wardrobe for today’s cat show, I also helped set up! It’s local so I didn’t need to be there but my human brought me anyway. I guess she needed my assistance. We always get a laugh out of the sign on the wall behind me.

Most people set up the morning of the show, but my human (who is not a morning person) tries to set up the day before whenever she can. The first thing that we set up is the tablecloth. You can’t see, but there are a couple of quilts under it so it feels soft on my feet.

The next thing that goes up is my show enclosure. I think that’s my favorite part of the set up.

Then the partition goes up. It gets clipped to the enclosure, which is why it goes up second.

I bet you’re wondering what this metal thing is in front of me! It’s my banner, and this is what it looks like when it’s put away.

And now you can see it behind me! My space is 90 percent completed. My human is bringing everything else — my wardrobe, my bed, treats, and bell — in the morning.

It’s a lot of work setting up! My human assures me that normally it only takes about half an hour. But with me along, it took nearly an hour. I guess we were having too much fun!

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Foyer Portraits

You never see me here in the foyer, the room right next to the turret. That’s because it’s always so dark in here, and there’s no chance for photos. At least that’s what my human thought — until one day she noticed this patch of sun that you see here. She thought it might be just enough for some portraits of me with the decorative wooden bench you see in the background. So the next time she remembered to keep an eye out for that light (it happens in the late morning), she brought out some treats, which brings me out. And we did a quick portrait session. You can see the results below. I don’t have any secret messages because I don’t think the photos need any.

Did you like them? If you have a favorite, let me know in the comments!

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My Cat Show Wardrobe Sneak Preview (Video)

I’ve got a cat show this weekend in Glendale, California! Since I know most of you aren’t in the area, I wanted to give you a sneak preview of the wardrobe I’ll be bringing.

I never seem to wear this gingham dress to shows because it’s not flashy or impressive. But it’s still one of my favorite things to wear.

I thought it would be fun to wear my latest Paris Hilton Dress!

This summer dress and straw hat is one of my classic combos.

And you saw this combo earlier this week! Of course I have to wear a combo that includes my flower crown!

I’m also bringing a couple of necklaces. This is a new-ish one, so I wanted to include it.

And I always like wearing my red heart crystal necklace!

You can see me in my outfits in the video below! It also has details about the show if you’re in the area.

What did you think of my show wardrobe? Do you have any last minute changes you think I should make? Let me know in the comments!

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Such a Fun Shopping Day!

I got to have a fun shopping day! It’s been a while since I’ve been to this store. My human stocked up on the food I get there quite a while ago because she was worried about tariffs. But I was running low, so we’re back.

Of course I had to check out all the new inventory, and rub against anything that I thought I might want.

Of course I had to see if there were any new treats.

Unfortunately my human said we were well stocked on treats. Like she would understand what that meant in cat terms.

Of course I also checked out the toy section, and the catnip kickers were especially potent! As you can see, I was a little in love with this one.

I don’t usually gravitate toward the wand toys but I did this visit.

In fact, I picked this one out for the peach kitty! Literally, I knocked it out of the container. My human knows I’m only interested in these things for about a minute, but she thought the peach kitty might enjoy it, considering his reaction to the last toy he got.

And I got to meet quite a few people! Which I always love.

So I’m stocked up for a while! I can’t wait to find out what the peach kitty thinks of the toy.

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Flower Power Cat Model

Remember when I modeled three cute dresses with my flower crown? There was video too! But it took a while to put together. In fact, my human reshot it.

Occasionally my human shoots video and when she goes in to edit it, she’s not happy with what she sees. Usually she just makes do somehow.

But every so often, she throws it all out and starts over again! And that’s what happened this time.

It actually was for the better, because we were able to shoot in a better, more photogenic spot and I think it looks lots prettier than the old video did.

And of course I was perfectly happy to redo it all! I love doing videos with my human. I consider it quality time. You can see the finished video (finally!) below.

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