Ingrid King's Blog: The Conscious Cat, page 510

Mews and Nips

Cats become famous on the internet for all kinds of reasons these days, but no other story has touched my heart as much as the story of James Bowen and his cat Bob. I previously reviewed his book, , which tops my list of alltime favorite cat books. I just can’t get enough of this “rags to riches” story. Bob and James were discovered by literary agent Mary Pachnos when she saw the street musician and his sidekick performi...

Cattystacks giveaway winner

Congratulations, HollyAnne! You’re the winner of five Cattystacks designer cat climbers!

Look for an e-mail from The Conscious Cat.

Review: The Dalai Lama’s Cat by David Michie

IfIhad tosummarize The Dalai Lama’s Cat in just a few words,they would be”Buddhism 101, brought to you by an adorable cat.” But these few words wouldn’t do this charming book justice. While this warm-hearted story of a small kitten rescued from the slums of New Delhi through fortuitous circumstances may be a little contrived, it’s also utterly delightful.

Whenthe Dalai Lama, who is on his way home in a limo, havingjust returned from a trip to America, sees akitten being thrown into the gutter,...

Giveaway: tote bag and greeting cards from LalaLand Ink

LalaLand Ink is the creation of Lauren Ackley. Her work isinspired by animals – mostly..cats! Her mission is tooffer lighthearted, high quality and unique merchandise to animal lovers of all kinds.Many of her designs feature a precious little cat named Catson.

Lauren offered to give away the adorable tote bag pictured above, and one bundle of ten assorted kitty greeting cards, to one lucky reader!

To enter this giveawy, tell me in a comment why you’d like to win the totebag and cards. For an ad...

Don’t judge a tortoiseshell cat by her color

Even though we don’t like to admit it, we often make snap judgments based on appearance – and apparently, this is the case for cats as well. In a new study published in Anthrozoos, researchers from California State University and the New College of Florida surveyed nearly 200 people. Study participants were asked to associate 10 personality terms (active, aloof, bold, calm, friendly, intolerant, shy, stubborn, tolerant and trainable) with five cat colors–orange, tri-colored (tortoiseshells an...

Can you give your cat the flu?

With flu season upon us, it’s time to think about boosting your immune system so you don’t get sick. And if you need even more incentive to stay healthy this winter, consider this: it turns out that humans can give the flu to cats.

The first case of a cat getting the flu from humans was identified in 2009, when the H1N1 (swine flu) strain was identified in a cat in Iowa. Since then, there have been a handful of other cases of the flu being passed from humans to cats, dogs or ferrets. Veterinar...

Herbal medicine: a new option for treating feline hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism is a common disease that typically affects middle-aged and older cats. It is caused by an excess production of thyroid hormones, which are produced by the thyroid gland, located inside the cat’s neck. Thyroid hormones affect nearly all organs, which is why thyroid disease can sometimes cause secondary problems such as hypertension, heart and kidney disease.

There are currentlythree treatment options: lifelong medication, surgery, and the gold standard, radioactive iodine therap...

Conscious Cat Sunday: a few more words about Hurricane Sandy

LastSunday night, we told you we were ready for the approaching storm. We had stocked up on emergency supplies, including canned food for Allegra and Ruby in case their raw food went bad in the event of a power outage, and chocolate for me in case – well, because you need chocolate when life gets stressful. We had Storm Soother and Stress Stopper on hand. We were as ready as you can ever be forsomething like this.

By the time wewoke up Mondaymorning, it was raining heavily. The forecast was fo...

Mews and Nips: special Hurricane Sandy edition

As the Mid Atlantic and Northeast are slowly recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy, many of us are concerned about how the animals fared during the storm. Humane societies and shelters in the affected areas are working hard to provide assistance and shelter to pets and guardians in need. Petfinder.com is keeping a running list of shelters in the affected areas that need assistance. The list is updated daily.

I would like to highlight two shelters that need assistance after...

Mountain Cat Trees vertical scratching post winner

Congratulations, Misty Gomez! You’re the winner of a vertical scratching post and perch from Mountain Cat Trees!

Look for an e-mail from The Conscious Cat.