Friday, December 26, 2014

A Visit from Santa Paws


Merry Meows all! Hope everyone had a wonderful visit from "Santa Paws!" Apparently, we were very, very good this year. Lots of Greenie Treats and cat toys to go around for all of us ...



 And, we even received a special Christmas card from our best buddies ...

 (L-R) "Acey" (the black lab), "Rocky" the cat (on Santa's lap), Punkin' (the beagle), and our BFF "Miss Sadie" (the basset hound)

We were so happy to hear from them! Mom says that their mommy is her very dear friend, Miss Judy. Judy took such great care of us whenever mommy and daddy went on their week-long trips with grandma and grandpa. We sure do love her and miss her lots. Next to our own mommy, she is the best!

Have a purrfect weekend everyone!
~ Mr. Midnight, Tabitha, Kiki, & Haley

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Merry Yule from all us cool cats!


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Sunday, December 14, 2014

Winter Pet Safety Tips!


With the winter months upon us, I always worry about the poor little critters out there who do not have a permanent home or loving family to look after them, most especially at this time of the year.  Of course, my personal feeling on the matter is IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, KEEP PETS LIVING INDOORS ALL YEAR ROUND!

However, I do realize that it is not always an option for some folks and so I have posted a few tips for those who either can not bring their pets inside, or are taking care of a stray but can not have them as pets themselves for some reason. Here is an article I found called, "Winter Weather Woes" and it lists tips to help ensure animals safety outdoors during the cold, life-threatening winter months:

1) Antifreeze (Ethylene Glycol)

Antifreeze is highly toxic - it is rapidly absorbed (initial signs appear approximately one hour post-ingestion), and there is a high mortality rate. Other sources of this deadly chemical are: heat exchange fluids (sometimes used in solar collectors), some brake and transmissions fluids as well as diethylene glycol used in color film processing.

Acute cases (within 12 hours of ingestion) often present as if the animal was intoxicated with alcohol: stumbling, vomiting and depression are common signs. The kidneys are most severely affected, and even if the animal seems to improve initially with treatment, they may succumb shortly after to kidney failure. The kidneys shut down, and the animal is unable to produce urine. This type of kidney failure usually happens 12-24 hours after ingestion in cats, and 36-72 hours post ingestion in dogs. Success of treatment is dependent upon quick treatment. If you suspect that your animal has come into contact with antifreeze, contact your veterinarian immediately.

2) Arthritis and Winter

Cold, damp weather aggravates arthritis in dogs and cats. Arthritis can appear in young pets, but is most common in the middle age and geriatric pets. A fracture can also make the bone susceptible to arthritis after the injury is healed. Overweight pets suffer from arthritis more than their normal-weight counterparts.
If your pet is having trouble getting up or laying down, navigating the stairs, or has started to snap or cry when picked up, a visit to the veterinarian is in order. Many new arthritis treatments are available, both natural and medicinal.
NEVER medicate your dog with human prescription or over-the-counter medications without consulting your veterinarian first! One Tylenol™ tablet can be fatal to a cat.

3) Outdoor Pets Need Shelter

I feel that if it is too cold outside for me, it is too cold for my dogs and cats. Some pets however, do live outside in wintry climates. Extra care must be taken to ensure your pet survives the low temperatures, wind chills, and moisture (rain, sleet, snow) of winter.
If your pet is housed outside, make sure that adequate shelter is provided -- to shield from wind, moisture, and cold. Position the shelter so the opening is not in the face of the prevailing winds. A drape or door also helps. Take extra care to ensure that your pet is comfortable and can get into and out of their housing easily.
Several pet and feed stores carry safe heated floor mats or non-electric warm bedding. Deeply bedded straw is another good insulator.
Do not use a heat lamp or other type of home heater - this is dangerous, and is the cause of many fires.

4) Pets need to have fresh water at all times

#1 Tip - Water: Make sure the water is not frozen during this time of year. Contrary to what some people think, animals do not know how to break the ice. (OK, some may have learned this trick, but they are in the minority). Heated pet bowls are a solution for frigid temperatures. These bowls are very handy to have during the cold winter months, and are available in stainless steel or plastic. You can find them at most pet supply vendors and feed stores.
#2 Tip - Caloric Intake: Pets that live outdoors may need additional food (calories) to sustain body temperature as well. Please check with your veterinarian to decide if your pet needs additional nutritional intake.

5) Staying Fit


As always, exercise is important. If there is snow on the ground, check your pet's paws for ice balls or injuries. Rinse feet off if your pet has walked where deicers have been used. Some deicers are toxic when ingested (when pet licks paws). If your pet is having difficulty exercising due to depth of snow, slick icy surfaces, or appears to be winded, shorten the usual exercise times and monitor for any unusual signs.

Top 6 Winter Items for Pets:

Heated Water Bowl

 Heated Pet Bed

Dog Sweaters and Jackets

Pet Boots

Pet ID Tags

Pet Safe Ice Melt and Antifreeze

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Friday, December 5, 2014

Feline for Thought Friday



This week's "Feline for Thought Friday" is brought to you all by Miss Tabitha ...


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Our Yule Cat Household!


Greetings everyone! Now that fall will soon be coming to an end this year, the cats and I thought that it was time to begin decorating "their" home for Yule.

Of course, Tabitha couldn't wait to claim the Yule tree and immediately decided to make herself comfortable underneath it ... even before I was finished putting up all of the lights ...


As usual, every year we adorn our Yule tree with nothing but personal items and meaningful ornaments such as all of our past and present fur babies' names engraved on their own individual ornament, family decorations handed down from generation to generation, and special gifts from friends and family ~ some are beautifully handmade. 


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Saturday, November 8, 2014

That Kiki Cat



Greetings all! Just a little update on Kiki-girl. Long story short, we brought her home on Wednesday night after her lump removal surgery. While attempting to put her reverse e-collar on her, she managed to get her right leg underneath the collar and in doing so, cut part of her dessolvable stitches. After we were able to stop the bleeding, we had to take her back to our vet the next morning. Dr. Ostrich checked the stitches at her neck and since her wound had already begun to scab over, he advised us to forego the e-collar idea as she was not scratching at it and it would most likely only serve to make things worse. Also, she gave us such as hard time giving her the pain meds (both pill and liquid), he told us that so long as she had not appeared to be in any pain, not to worry about it since it was only stressing her out unecessarily.




She spent a couple of nights in the large dog cage so that she would have some time to allow her stitches to heal and she is now out and about the house with the rest of her siblings.



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Monday, November 3, 2014

Kiki's Surgery ...


Two weeks ago, we noticed a little lump on our Kiki-girl's neck, directly under her left ear and her left eye was watering very badly. So, we took her to our vet immediately and Dr. Heather suggested that the watery eye problem could possibly be allergies and prescribed some meds for her. And, since a few weeks ago our cat Haley had a respiratory infection which caused us to have to, one by one, take the other cats to the vet for an antibiolic shot, Dr. Heather also gave one to Kiki as well. She told us to keep a close eye on her lump and if it gets any bigger to bring her back right away.

That very night, Kiki's eye cleared up nicely, but a week later began watering again, and, we had noticed that her "little" lump had gotten bigger. And so, once again, we took her back to our vet and Dr. Heather shaved the fur under ear in order to examine her more closely. She did a series of tests which included blood work and urine, as well as a biopsy of her lump. She found nothing wrong, but since lumps are not a normal problem, particularly where cats are concerned, she suggested we get it removed as soon as possible ~ we strongly agreed with her!!!

So, we are scheduled to drop her off at the vets tomorrow night and her surgery for the removal of the lump will be done by Dr. Heather on Wednesday.  I know for a fact, that Dr. Heather was right and that these things can very easily turn cancerous. I also know for a fact that cats and cancer treatment do not mix! As far as we are concerned, better safe than sorry!


Saturday, November 1, 2014

Daylight-Savings: Fall Back ...


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Thursday, October 23, 2014

Feline for Thought Friday!


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This week's "Feline for Thought Friday" is brought to you all by  ...

 Miss Haley!