Ingrid King's Blog: The Conscious Cat, page 405

Lil BUB Is Writing a New Book, and You Can Help Determine the Ending

Lil BUB is on a mission to make the world a better place. This magical little cat has raised already raised well over $125,000 for animals in need, and she’s not anywhere near done yet. For her latest project, BUB has teamed up with Norbert, an adorable therapy dog, to write a book titled Norbert and Lil BUB: What Can Little We Do?

Individually, BUB and Norbert have already touched the lives of millions; just think of what they could do together as a team! By combining their superpowers, the...

Music May Benefit Cats During Surgery

I’ve previously written about how music helps cats relax. A study at Colorado State University is looking at how classical music can help make a veterinary visit less stressful and thus lead to better veterinary care for cats. Music specifically engineered for cats can have a calming effect and even help with behavior problems. More recently, a study at the University of Lisbon in Portugal looked at another aspect of how music can help cats: they measured the respiratory rates and pupil dila...

Conscious Cat Sunday: Accepting What Is

Happiness can only exist in acceptance. – George Orwell

Every single moment in life offers us a choice: we can either be in the moment and accept what is happening, or we can resist it. This is a lesson that life tends to present tous over and over. Whether it’s weather throwing a wrench into our plans, or a friend or co-worker not cooperating with our wishes, gracefully accepting what is can be challenging.

Resistance is part of human nature. We want things to be a certain way, and when th...

Texts from Mittens Winner

Congratulations, Fatima! You’re the winner of a copy of Tavailable from Amazon and everywhere books are sold.

*Winners are selected by random drawing. Winners need to provide a physical address to which the prize will be mailed within 72 hours of receipt of notification e-mail or announcement of winner’s name(s) on The Conscious Cat. If this information is not received, an alternate winner will be ch...

Mews and Nips: Cat Cafés in China

When we think of China and pets, it’s often with negative connotations of dangerous ingredients in pet food and treats and low quality toys. However, there are plenty of cat (and dog) lovers in China: the country is reported to be home to 27 million dogs and 11 million cats. And as a result of this growing interest in pets, cat cafes have also become popular. Life with Cats recently reported on life inside a Beijing cat cafe, where the cafe’s owner considers the resident cats her children. R...

Ruby’s Reflections: 4th Adoption Anniversary

Hi everyone, it’s Ruby! Today is a very special day for me! It’s my 4th adoption anniversary! Four years ago today, Mom brought me home to live with her and Allegra. What a great day that was! I am such a lucky girl.

Some fun facts about me: Did you know that my name in my original vet record was Lovebug? That’s because that’s what I am! Did you know that I’m a petite little girl? I know it’s hard to tell in photos of me sometimes, but I only weigh seven pounds, and I’m pretty short. Mom say...

Giveaway: Feline Spirit Silver Bracelet from Trollbeads

I am delighted to be able to bring you a very special giveaway today: a Feline Spirit Bracelet from Trollbeads. This stunning silver bracelet features a silver bead in the shape of a family of kittens and a purple prism glass bead.

Trollbeads is an exquisite set of interchangeable jewelry pieces which let you create your own look. At the heart of the collection are the beads themselves. Each piece takes its inspiration from mythology, astrology, fairy tales, fauna, flora, cultural diversity...

Feline Health Gets a Moment in the Spotlight on Discovery Channel’s Innovations

America’s cats are facing a healthcare crisis. The findings of a feline health study conducted by Bayer Health Care found that 52% of America’s 74 million cats are not receiving regular veterinary care. There are many reasons, first among them the perception that cats are self-sufficient. And while cats may be more independent than dogs, they’re also masters at hiding signs of illness, which is why regular veterinary exams are so important. The second problem is that taking a cat to the vet...

Canine Flu Virus May Affect Cats

The canine influenza virus (CIV) that has affected at least 1,000 dogs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana in the last month, resulting in five canine deaths, may also be a danger for cats. Previously thought to be caused by the H3N8 strain, which has been circulating in North America since 2004, recent tests from the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL) and the New York State Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University have identified the strain as H3N2.

It is belie...

Review: Vesper Cat Furniture

I first saw the new Vesper line of cat furniture from Hagen at Superzoo in Las Vegas last summer. I fell in love with it on the spot. It’s quite possibly the most beautiful line of cat furniture I’ve seen, and I see a lot of cat furniture. When I saw it again at Global Pet Expo last month, I loved it just as much, and picked it as my choice for Best in Show.

The entire line offers the purrfect combination of beautiful design, cat-friendly materials and absolutely wonderful workmanship. All o...