Ingrid King's Blog: The Conscious Cat, page 371

Cat Art Show LA Comes Back for a Second Year in March

“Night Out,” by Marc Dennis. Oil on linen mounted panel, 2013

Those of us who love cats already know that cats are works of art. Susan Michal, the curator of CatCon LA, brought together 60 cat paintings for the inaugural show in 2014. The sequel, Cat Art Show LA 2, will be even bigger and feature more than 70 globally-recognized artists. All of the artwork will be available for sale including both originals and limited editions and a portion of the proceeds will go to Kitten Rescue.

Five Craz...

Different Strokes for Different Coats: How to Care for Your Cat’s Coat

Cats are known for their fastidious cleanliness. Nature has provided them with the perfect grooming tool: a barbed tongue that gets rid of loose hair and dead skin cells. Cats also use their teeth to dig out tougher dirt. They moisten their front paws to groom areas that the tongue can’t reach. However, sometimes, cats will need some help with grooming. The extent to which they may need grooming assistance will vary with the type of hair coat.

The Different Types of Cat Coats

The domestic ca...

Bavarian Cat Toys Winner

Congratulations, Aimee! You’re the winner of an assortment of Bavarian Cat Toys!

Look for an email from Ingrid.*

For more information about Bavarian Cat Toys, please visit their website. You can order from the site, or check your local pet store. If they toys aren’t available in your local store, ask them to request free samples so you and the store’s manager can try them out!

*Winners are selected by random drawing. Winners need to provide a physical address to which the prize will be maile...

Conscious Cat Sunday: Lessons from a Blizzard

Allegra, Ruby and I made it through the Blizzard of 2016! I admit that I don’t handle severe weather as well as I should. I get pretty anxious when weather forecast contains words like “monster storm” and “life-threatening storm” – especially when my trusted forecasters at the Washington Post, who are not known for hype, use those words. Weather anxiety is becoming a recognized psychological disorder, which is not surprising, given our obsession with the weather. Checking weather apps is the...

Mews and Nips: NYPD Officers Save Kitten

The NYPD’s mission to protect the lives and property of their fellow citizens extends to the city’s furry citizens as well. When Brooklyn resident Geraldine Cassone was stopped at a traffic light on Monday afternoon, she saw a little black kitten run in front of her car. She got out, just in time to see the terrified animal jump up into the wheel well of her Toyota sport utility vehicle. The light turned green. The kitten stayed put. Even though some drivers beeped their horns, many others s...

Designer Homes for Community Cats

Last week, I attended Designs for Felines, a fundraising event for the Washington Humane Society. The event’s purpose was to bring awareness to the

The e...

A Tribute to Snoes, Who Lives on in Tortitude: The BIG Book About Cats With a BIG Attitude

I’ve received a lot of wonderful feedback about my new book, Tortitude: The BIG Book About Cats With a BIG Attitude. Many of you have reached out via email and social media to let me know how much you love the book, and every one of your emails makes me so happy.

This past Sunday, I received an email from Anita Botman, whose tortie Snoes is featured in the book. Anita’s email was a little different from the others:

Dear Ingrid,

My cat Snoes was selected for your tortitude book. I was so exci...

Cats and Houseguests

Cats are creatures of routine, and most cats won’t appreciate having this routine disrupted by the arrival of a stranger who may take over the spare bedroom, make demands on their human’s time, and generally disrupt their previously peaceful existence. In order to make having guests a pleasant experience for all members of your household, a little planning ahead goes a long way.

Prepare your cats for your guest’s arrival

If the guest bedroom is a favorite place for your cats to hang out or n...

Review: Dr. Catsby’s Bowl for Whisker Relief

Why is this bowl empty?

Have you noticed your cat pulling food out of the bowl, throwing it next to the bowl, and then proceeding to eat it? Perhaps your cat uses her paw to “fish” food out of her food bowl? Does she constantly demand food even though her bowl is half full? Does she consistently finish only part of her meal? If you notice any of these signs, your cat may be experiencing whisker stress.

What is whisker stress?

Whiskers are extremely sensitive, and when a food bowl is too narro...

Living With Cats When You’re Immunocompromised

Millions of Americans have conditions that compromise their immune system, including diabetes, kidney failure, HIV, autoimmune disease, organ transplants, and cancer. An immunocompromised patient’s immune system is weakened either by the disease, or by the drugs used to treat the disease. As a result, these individuals have a reduced ability to fight off opportunistic infections which would normally not affect a healthy person.

Numerous studies have shown that pets have a beneficial effect o...