Ingrid King's Blog: The Conscious Cat, page 396

How to Recognize Deafness in Cats

Cats can lose their hearing for many reasons, just like humans do. Deafness can be caused by inflammation or infection, degenerative nerve changes, traumatic injury or certain drugs. Some cats are born deaf. It appears that white cats with blue eyes are particularly prone to congenital deafness. There is also a breed connection; some of the breeds that are at higher risk are white Persians, Ragdolls, Cornish and Devon Rex, Oriental Shorthairs, Manx and Turkish Angora.

Deafness that occurs as...

Naming a Fictional Cat

Guest post by Lucy Burdette

Cat lovers will understand that naming a new cat is serious business – even if the feline is fictional. One of my regular characters, Evinrude, is the handsome gray tiger who lives with food critic Hayley Snow on her houseboat. He steals the show and makes the cover every time a book comes out. In case you are wondering where he got his name, Evinrude is a brand of boat motor.

For my sixth Key West food critic mystery, Fatal Reservations, I had a new character eme...

PACT for Animals Finds Foster Homes for Military Pets

This Memorial Day, I featured a video showing the joyful reunion of two cats and their soldier mom after she returned from an overseas deployment (shown again at the end of this post.) Our military personnel make so many sacrifices when they deploy, and I’ve always felt that one of the biggest has to be leaving their beloved pets. Thankfully, there are organizations who assist members of the military in finding temporary foster care for their pets during deployments.

PACT for Animals helped...

What to Do When Your Cat Pees Outside the Litter Box

Dealing with a cat who pees outside the litter box is one of the most frustrating issues cat guardians may be faced with. It’s also one of the most common reasons why cats are returned to shelters. The reasons why cats eliminate outside the litter box vary, and include litter box aversion, urine marking, hormonal problems, and medical issues.

The difference between urinating outside the box and spraying

Cat guardians often confuse urinating and spraying. Cats who are urinating outside the bo...

Stella & Chewy’s Recall Includes Two Lots of Cat Food and Multiple Dog Foods

Stella & Chewy’s announced yesterday they are recalling two lots of many different types of dog food for possible Listeria concerns.

According to the company, the Maryland Department of Agriculture detected Listeria in a single lot of Chewy’s chicken freeze-dried dinner patties for dogs, 15 oz bags.There have been no reported pet or human illnesses.The company is recalling over a dozen different types of food.

The two cat foods affected by the recall are

Freeze-Dried Chick, Chick, Chicken...

Mews and Nips: Watching Cat Videos is Good for You

You no longer have to feel guilty about watching cat videos instead of doing something a little more productive. It turns out that warm and fuzzy feeling you get after watching adorable cats online has a more profound effect than you might think. A new study by an Indiana University researcher found that watching cat videos boosts the viewer’s energy and positive emotions and decreases negative feelings. “Some people may think watching online cat videos isn’t a serious enough topic for acade...

Happy 4th of July

As you celebrate America’s birthday today, please remember that this may not be your cat’s favorite holiday. Noisy celebrations can be scary for many cats. By planning ahead, you can do a number of things to help your cats cope.

How to Help Your Cat Cope With Fireworks

Have a wonderful holiday!

Due to the holiday, our weekly Saturday Mews and Nips feature and recap of the week’s stories will run tomorrow.

The post Happy 4th of July appeared first on The Conscious Cat.

Review: Home with Henry by Anne Kaier

When Anne Kaier first saw a cat in the middle of the road, she thought he was dead, and just kept on driving. But after passing four or five houses, she pulled over, got out of the car, stopped traffic, and picked up the limp, but still warm cat. After a few days at a veterinary clinic, the cat, who Kaier had named Henry by then, was pronounced healthy, so she took him home to live with her and her 10-year-old cat Lucille.

Kaier set Henry up in a spare bedroom in her Philadelphia home. As so...

Samantha Martin and the Amazing Acro-Cats: Entertainment and Education for Cat Lovers

Last Sunday, I got to meet Samantha Martin and the Amazing Acro-Cats. I had seen videos of their performances for several years, and I was delighted that I finally got to see the hour long show, featuring over a dozen beautiful rescue cats who perform tricks ranging from walking on tightropes and balls to jumping through hoops to bowling and ringing bells.

Even better, before the show, I had a chance to talk with Samantha, and to meet the cats. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m well aware of...

How Cannabis Is Helping a Senior Cat with Multiple Health Issues

I previously introduced you to the benefits of CannaVet, a cannabis (hemp) supplement for pets developed by two Seattle veterinarians, Drs. Sarah Brandon and Greg Copas, who pioneered the use of medical marijuana for pets two years ago. I was so intrigued with the many benefits of this product, I asked Dr. Brandon to share some of her many success stories of using CannaVet as part of an integrative approach to treatment.

Today’s story features Little Bitsy. She is a lovely almost 19-year-old...