Ingrid King's Blog: The Conscious Cat, page 453

5 Cat Artists to Watch

Cats are the most beautiful and mysterious creatures on the planet, and it’s no wonder that they’ve been an inspiration to artists for centuries. From hieroglyphs on tomb walls in ancient Egypt to digital artists today, cats have been immortalized in paintings, photography, sculpture and design.

Contemporary cat artists use mediums ranging from oil to water color to digital photography to capture cat’s allure, charm and grace.

In a recent article on Answers.com, I introduced five cat artists th...

Living With Cat Allergies

Let’s just cut to the chase here: You do not have to give up your cat if you’re allergic. It may take time and commitment to make changes in your environment, but it can be done.

When someone is allergic to cats, the most common advice given by physicians is to get rid of the cat. Allergies are also one of the top five reasons why cats are returned to shelters. However, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, nearly 10 million people choose to share their homes wit...

No Respect: A Kitten Complains

Guest post by Clea Simon

I am not a kitten! I am a fully grown cat. For seven books now, seven entire outings by my primary person Dulcie Schwartz, I have been proving my value as a functional feline, and yet I still do not receive the respect I deserve.

Excuse me for starting off this way, but some things just make my fur stand on end. One of them, as you may have gathered, is when people – my people – do not take me seriously as an adult feline. Not to mention royal.

For those of you who don’t...

How To Know When It’s Time to Find a New Vet

During the years I worked in veterinary hospitals, I always had an up close and personal knowledge of the vets who worked on my cats, from their medical skills and proficiency to their dedication and “bedside manner.” I was fortunate that most of the vets I worked with practiced cutting edge medicine, provided compassionate care for their furry patients and their humans, loved their work, and were always learning and growing in their fields. And if that hadn’t been the case, I wouldn’t have c...

5th Anniversary Giveaway Winner

Congratulations, Cynthia Southern! You’re the winner of our 5th anniversary giveaway: a $50 Amazon gift card. Have fun shopping!

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 5th Anniversary Giveaway Winner appeared first on The Conscious Cat.

Pregnancy and Your Cat: You Do Not Need to Give Up Your Cat

Cats, pregnant women and babies have coexisted happily for thousands of years, and there is absolutely no reason you have to give up your cat when you’re pregnant. A few common sense precautions will keep mom, baby and kitty safe.

The most common reason why obstetrician frequently alarm pregnant women is toxoplasmosis, a disease that can cause birth defects. The Toxoplasma gondii parasite that causes the disease can be found in the feces of cats who eat infected mice, birds, raw meat, or conta...

Conscious Cat Sunday: The “Waiting for Spring” Edition

In much of the United States, today marks the arrival of Daylight Savings Time. I’m not a huge fan of the time change. I’m an early bird, and I prefer it to be light when I get up in the morning. Mostly, I just wish they’d stop switching back and forth, which makes absolutely no sense to me. And I can guarantee you it doesn’t make sense to cats. They may like the “spring forward” change – breakfast an hour early! – but I’m pretty sure they’re not crazy about delayed meal times when we fall ba...

Mews and Nips: Cat Cafe May Be Coming to Los Angeles

I’m happy to see more and more information on cat cafes coming to North America. In most jurisdictions, health department regulations prohibit establishments that serve food to have animals on the premises, but some creative entrepreneurs are finding legal ways around this issue. The most recent cat lover to attempt to open a cat cafe in the US is Carlos Wong. LA Weekly reports that Wong has started a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds needed for the project. Wong, a graphic designer, go...

Review: Hide and Seek by Amy Shojai

From the time I read the last paragraph in Amy Shojai’s debut thriller, Lost and Found, I could not wait for a sequel. I was thrilled (pun intended) when Amy sent me a review copy of Hide and Seek, and I could not wait to get started – but I also knew from reading the first book that I better set aside a good chunk of uninterrupted time first, because I couldn’t put the first one down once I started.

In this second book, animal behaviorist September Day, her dog Shadow and cat Macy are trying...

Giveaway: Drinkwell All-Ceramic Pagoda Cat Fountain from MyThreeCats.com

Fountains are a great way to encourage cats to drink more water. Water is critical to keeping your cat healthy. While cats get moisture from a raw or canned diet, they should still have plenty of fresh water available at all times. Cats as a species don’t have a high thirst drive, and this can lead to chronic low-level dehydration if a cat is fed mostly dry food, which in turn, can lead to urinary tract and kidney problems.

The problem with many inexpensive fountains is that they’re made from...