Ingrid King's Blog: The Conscious Cat, page 113

A Farewell and a New Beginning

When I started The Conscious Cat on March 1, 2009,  I really didn’t know what I was doing. I had finished writing Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher, and as a first time author, I knew I needed to do something to “build a platform.” Back then, authors were told to start a blog – so I started a blog. Obviously, I knew I was going to write about cats, but beyond that, I didn’t have much of a plan. I certainly never thought that The Conscious Cat would grow into what it has bec...

Why Does Your Cat’s Tongue Feel Like Sandpaper?

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Cat anatomy is endlessly fascinating to me. Cats have some unique anatomical abilities that they share with no other species, and this is true for their tongue as well. That sandpaper sensation is caused by what is one of nature’s perfect designs: the cat’s tongue allows her to groom and to consume her prey.

Anatomy of the cat’s tongue

The cat’s tongue is covered with tiny, backward facing barbs called papillae. These papillae are made from keratin, the same...

What Are the Small Pockets on Your Cat’s Ear?

A cat’s sense of hearing is much better than that of a human. A human ear can hear sounds of very low frequency of 20 Hertz to a very high frequency of 20,000 Hertz. Cats’ hearing is about the same on the low end, but they can hear high pitched sounds of up to 100,000 Hertz. Everything about a cat’s ear is designed by nature to aid her in hunting, and that includes the ability swivel her ears. But what is the purpose of those small pockets on the side of your cat’s ear?

Anatomy of the feline e...

Sunday Quotes: Change

The post Sunday Quotes: Change is copyrighted by The Conscious Cat. Republishing this content is prohibited under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA.) Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Allegra’s World: It’s My 13th Birthday!

Hi everyone, it’s Allegra! I’m 13 years old today!

Mom has a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact that I’m a senior kitty. Apparently, in human years, I’m 68. That would make me older than Mom! Mom says we’re not going to think about age, because when she looks at me, she still sees the seven-month-old kitten she brought home more than 12 years ago. The photo below shows me a few days after I came home with Mom.

We’re going to celebrate all weekend long, and I’m pretty sure there will ...

Review: A Dish to Die For

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I love Lucy Burdette’s  Key West Food Critic mystery series. After all, what’s not to love! With cats, a tropical setting, and mouth-watering food (with some recipes included), this series has all the ingredients for purrfect escapist reading. And who doesn’t need to escape from reality these days! A Dish to Die For is the 12th book in the series.

From the publisher:

Peace and quiet are hard to find in bustling Key West, so Hayley Snow, food critic for Key Z...

Ask the Cat Doc: How to Encourage a Cat with Cerebellar Hypoplasia to Play

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Welcome to our regular “Ask the Cat Doc With Dr. Lynn Bahr” segment! Once a month, Dr. Bahr answers as many of your questions as she can, and you can leave new questions for her in a comment.

Dr. Bahr is a 1991 graduate of the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine and founder of Dezi & Roo, a company that designs, manufactures, and sells solution-based products that enhance the lives of cats and their owners. She volunteers at numerous anim...

Why Cats Are Always a Part of Lucy Burdette’s Mysteries

Guest post by Lucy Burdette
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I’ve had very few cat-less times in my life, and those periods when there wasn’t a furry friend to greet me at the door felt lonely and sad. My characters in the Key West mystery series, Hayley Snow and Miss Gloria, feel the same way. In book ten, The Key Lime Crime, a new tiger cat T-Bone takes a starring role. But since my series is focused on food and murder, cats can’t always be in the limelight.

In my new book (#12 in the ser...

Cats Are Obligate Carnivores. Feed Them Accordingly

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Animals are classified as three different types of eaters: herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. Carnivores eat a meat-based diet while herbivores eat a plant-based diet. Omnivores eat both meat and plants. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they need meat not just to survive, but to thrive.

Nutritional needs of obligate carnivores

Obligate carnivores, also known as hypyercarnivores, need a diet that consists of at least 70% meat protein. All cats, both wild an...

National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day

August 22 has been designated as National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day, and while it may not be your cat’s favorite “holiday,” it’s an important day designed to raise awareness about the importance of regular veterinary check ups for cats.

83% of cats are taken to the vet during the first year after they’re adopted, yet over half of them never return for subsequent wellness visit. Given that cats age more rapidly than humans and are masters at masking illness, these statistics are worrisome.

I...