Ingrid King's Blog: The Conscious Cat, page 384

Studies Offer Hope for Treating Oral Cancer in Cats

Oral cancers account for about 10% of all feline cancers. Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common oral cancers. It is a very aggressive cancer with a very poor prognosis. Even though these cancers can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation, survival time is poor, with a median survival time of three months, and an only 10% one-year survival rate.

Anytime a disease has such a poor prognosis, it’s encouraging when there is news about research that is looking for bette...

Conscious Cat Sunday: A Weekend Without Wifi

I’ve previously written about the benefits of unplugging, and about how difficult I find doing it. No matter how much Allegra and Ruby remind me that there’s more to life than technology, whether it’s via walking across the keyboard or chasing each other around my monitor, or, as in the photo above, Ruby insisting that I get out of the way so she can watch some cat videos, I still find it very challenging to completely disconnect from all of my devices.

However, after spending last weekend...

Mews and Nips: Rare Male Tortie Helps Artist Through Illness

Eddie, a rare male tortoiseshell cat who shares his home with artist Charlotte Hann in Taunton in the UK, is helping his human cope with several debilitating illnesses that rendered her unable to leave her house. Charlotte says Eddie and her artwork help her deal with her constant pain. “Some people who are ill tend to think about all the things they can’t do, but I prefer to think about what I can do,” she told This is the West Country. “Eddie is an absolute delight and like a little best f...

Review and Giveaway: A Gift from Bob by James Bowen

I love stories about cats who changed their humans’ lives, and few cats have made as significant a difference in someone’s life as Bob, the orange street cat who James Bowen found outside his apartment building when he was a recovering drug addict who was trying to get his life together after being homeless. Since the publication of Bowen’s first book, A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life in 2012, the book has become a bestseller in more than 25 countries around the world. The se...

Allegra Goes to the Dentist: In Her Own Words

Hi everyone, it’s Allegra! If you’ve read Mom’s four-part series titled “Allegra Goes to the Dentist” last week, you already know what happened to me. In case you missed it, here are the four posts:

Allegra Goes to the Dentist – Part One: Diagnosis and Choosing a Veterinary Dentist

Allegra Goes to the Dentist – Part Two: Preparation

Allegra Goes to the Dentist – Part Three: Our Day at Animal Dentistry and Oral Surgery

Allegra Goes to the Dentist – Part Four: Returning Home

Mom did a pretty g...

Arden Moore Launches Pet First Aid 4 U

Would you know what to do if your pet had a medical emergency? Administering first aid until you can get your pet to a veterinarian can save your pet’s life. Most of us have some basic knowledge of first aid for humans – but would you know what to do for your pet?

According to the American Animal Hospital Association, one out of four pets would survive if just one pet first aid technique was applied prior to getting emergency veterinary care.

Pet Health and Safety Coach and bestselling autho...

Survey Says… We Want Your Feedback, and You Could Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

We probably don’t say this often enough: Allegra, Ruby and I are so grateful to all of you for being a part of our Conscious Cat community! Thank you for reading, commenting on and sharing our posts every day.

Today, we’re asking for your help. We would love it if you would take a few minutes to answer a few simple questions about our content, and how we can make the Conscious Cat even better for you. Your feedback will be completely anonymous.

Click here to complete the survey

We know your...

Does Your Cat Need a Veterinary Specialist?

Your cat’s veterinarian is the equivalent of your family doctor: he or she is your partner in keeping your feline family members healthy and happy. Regular annual or bi-annual veterinary exams are critical. By the time a cat shows symptoms, the disease may already be in the advanced stages, requiring more extensive, and expensive, care.

Most general practice vets will perform surgeries, ranging, depending on the vet’s experience and comfort level from spay and neuter surgeries to exploratory...

Conscious Cat Sunday: The Gifts of Autumn

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with fall: I enjoy the beautiful colors of autumn all around me, but I also can’t help but think about what comes afterwards. I’m a summer girl, as are Allegra and Ruby: we thrive on warm weather and sun light.

However, in the spirit of living in the moment – something my cats remind me to do each and every day – I try to embrace autumn in all its glory. I’m making it a point to pay attention to the slow changes in the leaves in my backyard, and on my...

Mews and Nips: Knitting Kittens – A Knitting Club for Cat Lovers

The Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, a UK charity that cares for cats and dogs until they can be placed in loving forever homes, has launched what is most likely the world’s first interspecies knitting club. Knitting Kittens lovers invites cat lovers to create donations for the centers’ cats, including knitted mice, blankets and toys, or they can knit items for their own pets using the shelters’ resident cats as inspiration. What fun to knit in the company of cats – and I bet the cats have a lot...