Ingrid King's Blog: The Conscious Cat, page 205

A New Study Says the Novel Coronavirus Can Infect Cats, But There’s No Need to Panic

Guest post by Ingrid R. Niesman, MS PhD

Yesterday we ran ran my piece titled One Cat Out of Million is Not a Trend: A Science-Based Look at the Unlikely Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Cats, which explained my analysis on ACE2 and cats, which supported the current belief that it is highly unlikely that cats could get infected by the novel coronavirus. The same day, Biorxiv, an open source platform for researchers to put up early and tentative results, published a paper by researchers in China...

Take Care of Pet Odor Issues While You’re Staying Home

This post is sponsored by Anti-Icky-Poo.Com and contains affiliate links*

Now that most of us are spending more time at home, its more important than ever to address smelly problems quickly and effectively. Whether its stinky litter boxes, vomit stains or smells, male cat spray (inside or outside), or any other organic odor, Anti-Icky-Poo.com has a solution for you.

Anti-Icky-Poo Odor Remover

Their flagship odor removal product, Anti-Icky-Poo is highly effective. Ive been a big fan of...

One Cat Out of Millions is Not a Trend: A Science-Based Look at the Unlikely Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Cats

Guest post by Ingrid R. Niesman, MS PhD

Like many of you, my two Siamese buddies have been keeping me company and keeping me amused while I struggle to figure out how to convert my lab-based life to an online life. With a recent report coming out of Belgium that an owners cat not only tested positive, but actually got sick with COVID-19, I am worried about our pets . Yet, as a biologist, I realize that one out of millions is most likely an anomaly, not a trend. There is probably an...

Custom Pet Portraits by Lili Di Prima

This post contains affiliate links*

After Ruby passed away, my dear friend Robin Olson, the author of Covered in Cat Hair and president of Kitten Associates, gave me a gift certificate for a custom portrait by Lili Di Prima, an artist based in Sardinia, Italy, to use toward a portrait of Ruby. The portrait brought joy and comfort during a difficult time, and I want to share this artists work with you.

Lili started out as a graphic designer. Over time I became more and more convinced by the...

Pica: When Cats Eat Strange Things

This post contains affiliate links*

Pica is the term used when cats eat non-food items. Most commonly associated with wool-sucking, a behavior where cats suck or chew on woolen, cotton or synthetic material, this compulsive disorder can progress to true pica where cats chew on and sometimes ingest anything from wood to litter to plastic grocery bags.

Why pica can be dangerous

As long as a cat only sucks or chews on the offending substrate, pica in itself is not a threat to your cats health,...

Sunday Quotes: Control

Who doesnt feel out of control these days! These are challenging times for everyone, but if youre leaning toward being a bit of a control freak (like yours truly,) your anxiety levels can be off the charts right now.

To supplement Wayne Dyers wise words, Id like to offer you two lists today: the things you can control around this COVID-19 pandemic, and the things you cant. And I encourage you to work on letting go of what you cant control (and Ill offer some suggestions.)

What you can...

ScratchLadder Scratching System Winner

This post contains affiliate links*

Congratulations, Donna Caples! Youre the winner of a ScratchLadder Scratching System!

Look for an email from Ingrid.*

For more  information, please visit ScratchPlayMeow.com.

The ScratchLadder is available from Etsy and Amazon, and directly from ScratchPlayMeow.com.

*The Conscious Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com...

Mews and Nips: Cat Comes to the Rescue When His Human Locked Herself Out of Her Home

Boko the cat may not have opposable thumbs, but that didnt stop him from helping  out his human when she locked herself out of her house. When Gabriella Tropea went to her rear patio, where the back sliding door was kept closed by a wooden stick jammed into the door frame, Boko apparently got an idea of how to help. He started rubbing his face on the stick and I was encouraging him to mess with it. I was coaching him to lift it up, Tropea told The Dodo. He understood what I was trying to...

Mews and Nips: Cat Comes to the Rescue When Her Human Locked Herself Out of Her Home

Boko the cat may not have opposable thumbs, but that didnt stop him from helping  out his human when she locked herself out of her house. When Gabriella Tropea went to her rear patio, where the back sliding door was kept closed by a wooden stick jammed into the door frame, Boko apparently got an idea of how to help. He started rubbing his face on the stick and I was encouraging him to mess with it. I was coaching him to lift it up, Tropea told The Dodo. He understood what I was trying to...

50% Discount on Original Feline Art by Bernadette Kazmarski

These are tough economic times for everyone, but especially for freelancers and artists like Berandette Kazmarski. Ive admired Bernadette Kazmarskis art for a long time. I first introduced you to this supremely talented artist ten years ago, and Bernadette and I have been friends ever since. She designed the covers for two of my books (Purrs of Wisdom and Adventures in Veterinary Medicine) and has been designing my annual Christmas cards for many years. And two years ago, a friend...