Ingrid King's Blog: The Conscious Cat, page 418

10 Best Cat Products of 2014

I see a lot of new products each year. Between Global Pet Expo, Superzoo, and the dozens of products that were sent to me, it’s probably safe to say that I’ve seen thousands of pet products in 2014. Allegra and Ruby have been busy helping me review many of them for you throughout the year. With so many products, it’s really hard to choose only 10 favorites, but with the help of my two product testers, we’ve come up with this list (presented in the order that we reviewed them).

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How to Be the Purrfect Veterinary Client

Veterinarians and their staff are some of the hardest working people around. They are dedicated to making pets’ lives better, and they often work long hours for very little compensation. More and more veterinary clinics are understanding cat’s unique needs, and as a result, more practices are becoming cat-friendly. But vets and their staff aren’t the only ones who are responsible for making your cat’s trip to the veterinary clinic as stress-free as possible. There are things cat guardians can...

Conscious Cat Sunday: The Space Between the Years

I love the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The pace of life seems to slow down just a little bit, most people still retain a little of the magic of Christmas, and it’s a perfect time for reflection. The Norwegians actually have a name for this week: “romjula.” According to the Norwegian Language Blog, “rom” means ”room” or ”space.” Romjula is the ”space” between jul (Christmas) and nyttår (New Year).

For me, this space between the years has always been a time of reflecting on the year...

SmartyKat® Feather Whirl™ Winner

Congratulations, Betty Wells! You’re the winner of a SmartyKat® Feather Whirl™!

Look for an e-mail from Ingrid*.

SmartyKat® Feather Whirl™ is available from Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.

*Winners were 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. If this information is not received, an alternate winner will be chosen.

The post SmartyKat® Feather Whirl™ Winner appeared first...

Mews and Nips: New York City’s First Cat Cafe Now Open

I love seeing more and more cat cafés opening around the United States, and I’m particularly thrilled that there’s finally one in New York City. I’ll take any excuse to visit New York, and I can’t wait to get up there to see Meow Parlour for myself. Located on the Lower Eastside, Meow Parlour combines sweet cats and delicious sweets in one magical place. All of the cats who live at the cafe are available for adoption via partner organization Kitty Kind. Visits to the café are by reservation o...

My Top 10 Cat Books of 2014

I don’t keep track of the number of books I read each year, but my best guess is somewhere between 150 and 200, and at least half of them have something to do with cats. I reviewed more than 30 books here on The Conscious Cat this year.

I made a commitment to myself long ago that I would never post a bad book review. I feel that every author pours his or her heart and soul into a book, and just because I don’t like a book doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not a good book. As a result, if you see a...

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Allegra, Ruby and Ingrid
May your Christmas be filled with peace, love and purrs

The post Merry Christmas appeared first on The Conscious Cat.

The Night Before Catmas: The Rescue Version

By Harry Shubin

T’was the night after the adoption event,

And all through the store,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a stray cricket on the floor

The Adoption Counselors were all snug in their beds

Thinking of ways to move adoptions ahead.

The cage cards were hung on the enclosures with care,

Each telling the story of the cats who were there.

Poor Fluffy, poor Mittens, Whiskers and Sprite

Abandoned and alone on this cold Post-Adoption night.

Each cat was nestled in a Maddie’s Blanket, and thought...

Simple Solution Pet Hair CleanUp System Winners

Congratulations, Tina Renee Barker, Missy Frye and Bev W! You’re the winners of a Simple Solution Pet Hair CleanUp System.

Look for an e-mail from Ingrid*.

The Simple Solution Pet Hair CleanUp System is available at Target stores and Target.com.

*Winners were 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. If this information is not received, an alternate winner will be chosen.

The post Sim...

7 Foods You Should Never Feed Your Cat

Most cats are picky eaters, and as such, less likely to be interested in some human foods than dogs, but because a cat’s digestive system and metabolism are so different from a human’s, some human foods can be highly toxic and even deadly to cats.

In a recent article for Answers.com, I listed seven foods that can be highly toxic to cats: onions and garlic, alcohol, chocolate, moldy or spoiled food, raw fish, raw dough, and cooked bones. For more information on why these foods are so dangerous...