Ingrid King's Blog: The Conscious Cat, page 443

Who Gets Custody of the Cat in a Divorce?

Divorce is an emotional minefield, and custody issues make a difficult time even more challenging. Many cat guardians consider cats as family members, and cat custody can turn into a battle very much like child custody. Even though pets are considered property in most jurisdictions, courts are starting to recognize the relationship with a pet is different than the relationship with other property. Since a pet isn’t something that can easily be replaced or have a monetary value assigned, court...

Raising Kittens to Be Happy and Healthy

Guest post by Elizabeth Colleran, DVM

Six weeks ago, a young female cat was dropped at the backdoor of our veterinary clinic. It happens, though not often. One of the assistants picked up the box she came in and put her in our isolation ward. We are always cautious about strays; two people are always required to be present if we are going to handle them.

She was alone for a bit while the assistant awaited the arrival of another staff member. When she arrived, they opened the box containing the...

Conscious Cat Sunday: Cats as a Pathway to Spiritual Connection

Connecting with our spiritual core is an important part of conscious living. We all have different ways of doing this, and there isn’t any one single method that is more valuable than another. For some, it may be through structured religious observations, often shared in the community of a church or other spiritual gathering. For others, this connection may happen during meditation. Others still may connect with spirit in nature. Watching a beautiful sunset or sunrise, walking in a deep green...

Stand-N-Scoop Litter Scoop Winners

Congratulations, Sara, Will Hodges and Caren Gittleman! You’re the winners of a Stand-N-Scoop litter scoop!

Look for an e-mail from Ingrid*.

*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 Stand-N-Scoop Litter Scoop Winners appeared first on The Conscious Cat.

Mews and Nips: Cat People vs. Dog People

A new study by Denise Guastello, an associate professor of psychology at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin, looked at the personality differences between cat and dog people. The researchers surveyed 600 college students, asking whether they would identify themselves as dog lovers or cat lovers, and what qualities they found most attractive in their pets. People who said they were dog lovers in the study tended to be more lively — meaning they were more energetic and outgoing — and als...

The World According to Bob Now Available in the US

If you’re not already one of the hundreds of thousands of fans of James Bowen and his street cat Bob, this is a good time to get to know the amazing duo. Since the publication of A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life was first published in 2012, Bob and James have been capturing hearts around the world. The book became an international bestseller which has been translated into 25 languages, and there are rumors of a movie deal.

The sequel, The World According to Bob: The Further Adv...

Soothe Your Cat’s Pain and Encourage Healthy Appetite with Yucca

Arthritis in cats is a common, but under-recognized condition in senior cats. The signs are often subtle, and can be hard to distinguish – cats can’t complain about their aching joints, so all cat guardians see is a response to pain. Cats with arthritis might avoid the activities they used to enjoy, some may become depressed or change their eating habits, others may simply seem grumpier than usual.

There are multiple modalities to address arthritis pain, ranging from anti-inflammatory medicati...

How to Recognize If Your Cat is Stressed

Guest Post by Jai Patel for Vet-Medic

Stress is the body’s response to a stimulus, such as fear or pain, that interferes with normal physiological equilibrium. It can include physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension. And just like humans, cats experience stress. Experiences such as moving house, abuse, injury or death in the family can all cause stress. However, there can also more subtle stress triggers, such as visitors in the home, other cats, or even something as seemingly simple a...

Review: Katris Cat Furniture

Modular cat furniture was a big trend at Global Pet Expo, and it’s a trend I really like. It allows you to configure cat trees and other cat furniture to suit your living space and your cats’ preferences. Katris applied this concept to corrugated cardboard furniture, and they’ve done it really well.

Katris is a system of cardboard shapes that you can arrange in endless configurations. Remember the computer game Tetris? You get the idea. I was thrilled when the folks at Papercut Lab offered to...

Memorial Day: Cats and Soldiers

Today is Memorial Day in the United States, a day when we honor the memory of the men and women who have died in military service. It’s also a day to recognize the sacrifices of our military personnel and thank them for their service. And one of those many sacrifices involves leaving beloved pets behind during deployments.

It’s not surprising that many soldiers take care of the stray cats they meet overseas to get a little bit of furry love while they’re away from home. Cats work their magic e...