Easy Like Sunday Morning

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Nicky is one of the cats I've been trying to track down. His link on House Panthers says KellyCat, but it leads nowhere. That would make sense, as they blog off blogger (but couldn't you at least fill out the profile a bit and add a link to the "My Website" section?)

Nicky turned 7-years-old last October. He was adopted as a kitten and has lived with his family since. Upon moving in, he immediately tried to take over the household, but Kelly still refuses to bow down to him.

He is very protective of his family who writes that "People may associate with dogs the words 'loyal,' 'faithful,' and 'brave,' but these qualities also apply to our little black cat. He also plays fetch, he growls when the doorbell rings, and sometimes he even howls in the middle of the night for no apparent reason."

My Bean's mom says that cats are much more loyal, brave and faithful than dogs, but that they always get mislabeled as sneaky, cruel and aloof by people who do not understand us. Perhaps we need to hire better public relations people?

Sometimes called “El Gatito Perfecto”, this good cat blogs at It's all Good. He also does Midnight Monday on a regular basis, even if he never posts links for us.



Sunday's Events at Cat Blogosphere
Easy Like Sunday Morning
Strolling Sunday
Spotty Sunday
Suddenly Sunday

Weekend Catblogging!

Find Weekend Cat Blogging #146 (Mar. 22-23) is being held by Kashim & Othello at Paulchens.

Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos #37 (03-23-2008) with Samantha & Tigger at Life from a Cat's Perspective.
Optional Theme - Easter Edition
(submit your post here)

The Carnival of the Cats #210 (3/23/08) is being hosted by Chey's Place
(submit your post here)



Time After Time: Essentials for the proper care of an aging cat

(Part 3 of 3)

Oops, an Accident

Cleaning up messes throughout the house can be aggravating for your human staff, but it is not surprising for aging cats to urinate or defecate outside the litterbox. Older cats are more at risk for kidney and/or liver failure, diabetes and even osteoarthritis; all of which contribute to litterbox-related behavior problems. Your caretaker should spend extra time ensuring that your litterbox is clean, and placed in a private area. If the problems continues, pay your veterinarian a visit to put your mind at ease and ensure there are no health issues.

Mega Personality

Personalities might change in old age, but for cats, sometimes the opposite is more accurate.

"What I have noticed is that whatever personality a cat has becomes more exaggerated as they age," says Kelly K. Jones, a veterinarian at the Cat Hospital of Wichita in Wichita, Kansas. "For instance, a lap cat will become more of a lap cat. An aggressive cat, on the other hand, will certainly not become more friendly as he ages, but I have not seen personality changes unless it is associated with something like a brain tumor or other brain condition."

"An informed and alert caretaker is a cat's best friend," says Stephanie F. Westerman, an associate veterinarian at Summer Street Cat Clinic in Buffalo, N.Y. "With an attentive caretaker, regular veterinary care and a dose of luck, cats can live good-quality lives to late in the teens, and even beyond!"

You now know exactly how to keep thriving through the rest of your life. Schedule: an appointment with your veterinarian: assure that cozy spots are set up for you to curl up in, and get ready make the most of your golden years.



Want to join House Panthers? Our membership is open to members of the black, grey (Russian Blue) and dark brown (Bombay) clans. Ask Not the Mama to e-mail you an invitation!

Don't Forget! Monday is Midnight Monday here at House Panthers! Show off your beautiful black coat!

Tuesday is Black Tabby Tuesday for all you black tabbies out there, Wednesday is Blue Wednesday for our Russian Blue members,Thursday is Grrday, and Friday is Formerly Feral or Foster Friday.

Find a new friend at Petfinder.com, the temporary home of 245,845 adoptable pets from 11,827 adoption groups. Over 9,000 house panthers are available around the country!

Caterday

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While Abbie (Harper Abigail Stephens) is technically the House Panther in the Cats Stephens gang, but Emily and Eliot are good candidates for Blue Wednesday.

Abbie became a Stephens in March of 2007 and celebrated her first Gotcha Day at the beginning of the month. She was adopted for PetSmart, mainly as a companion for Eliot. Evidently Emily is not really friendly and Percy is a little on in years. She likes to bite feet, especially if she's being ignored, and she likes to start fights with Eliot, then act like he's hurting her. Unfortunately, just about everyone has caught onto this ploy.

She is a long haired Panther with a very long body and tail that are both low to the ground giving her a kind of ferret look.

There have been a lot of changes recently in the Cats Stephens household and they do not blog as actively as they did, but you can find Abbie and Company at The Cats Stephens.

Please stop by and leave a note for Percy as well, who has non-metastasized nerve sheath sarcoma and will likely have to have surgery to remove a couple of toes. The are picking up a referral to take him to see a specialist at a hospital in Virginia .


Image by Zoolatry



Saturday's Events at Cat Blogosphere
Saturday is Caturday with the cats at Coats of Many Colors.
It's also Photo Hunt day. This week's theme is "Metal."



Weekend Catblogging!

Find Weekend Cat Blogging #146 (Mar. 22-23) is being held by Kashim & Othello at Paulchens.

Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos #37 (03-23-2008) with Samantha & Tigger at Life from a Cat's Perspective.
Optional Theme - Easter Edition
(submit your post here)

The Carnival of the Cats #210 (3/23/08) is being hosted by Chey's Place
(submit your post here)



Time After Time: Essentials for the proper care of an aging cat

(Part 2 of 3)

Routine Scene

Schedules make humans crazy at times, but they actually can help aging cats stay on track. We are more creatures of habit than our caretakers are.

"Keeping a similar schedule each day can help decrease some confusion cats can experience, therefore reducing their stress levels," says Wailani Sung, a veterinarian at First Regional Animal Hospital in Chandler, Arizonia.

"It will not prevent their development of cognitive dysfunction; however, providing environmental enrichment, such as interactive toys, games, rotating toys or making small, gradual changes to (the feline) environment can enhance the quality of their lives, and might make them more adaptable to other changes in their environment," Sung says.

You might want to get your caretaker to leave the radio playing softly for your pleasure while they are out dayhunting. Remind them that we like quiet easy listening stations, and not loud and noisy musics.

Vet Visits

Much as many of us dread car trips and being taken into a noisy veterinary office, frequent check-ups are necessary for aging cats, They ensure that no sicknesses appeared seemingly overnight.

Going to the veterinarian for a check-up every six months can work in your favor. It also helps veterinarians detect and pinpoint diseases early on, while preventing future health-related problems that might set in.

Second Childhood

It might seem strange that, after years of behaving, you suddenly begin to revert back to your unruly kitten ways. This happens sometimes to humans as well. With aging felines, however, this change in behavior can't always be helped.

"One of the diseases that affects older cats - that causes only behavioral changes - is severe senility, or Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS)," says Matthew D. Wheaton, a veterinarian and owner of Alicia Pet Clinic in Laguna Hills, California. "CDS is a recently recognized disease that affects some older cats, and is similar to Alzheimer's disease in many ways. Cats might show disorientation, confusion or just disconnect themselves from interaction with family members. Sometimes these patients will forget how to use the litterbox appropriately."

Because many other common conditions can mimic this disease, a CDS diagnosis only occurs after veterinarians rule out all other possibilities. This can frustrate everyone by the time the diagnosis is made.

"Treatment can be very helpful with specific medications, and supportive therapies, such as antioxidant supplementation and vitamins," Wheaton says.

(Sadly there seems to be no help for the CRS syndrome that my human suffers from.)



Want to join House Panthers? Our membership is open to members of the black, gray (Russian Blue) and dark brown (Bombay) clans. Ask Not the Mama to e-mail you an invitation!

Don't Forget!
Monday is Midnight Monday here at House Panthers!
Show off your beautiful black coat!

Tuesday is Black Tabby Tuesday for all you black tabbies out there, Wednesday is Blue Wednesday for our Russian Blue members,Thursday is Grrday, and Friday is Formerly Feral or Foster Friday.

Find a new friend at Petfinder.com, the temporary home of 245,845 adoptable pets from 11,827 adoption groups. Over 9,000 house panthers are available around the country!

Formally Feral/Foster Friday

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William is a soon to be (April) 5-year-old domestic short hair. He was abandoned as a kitten by some irresponsible people along with his mother, who was pregnant with another litter and his sister. They live in the Albequerque, New Mexico, and had to fend for themselves in the 100 (give or take a few) degree heat. He was taken in as a rescue and was supposed to be a foster, but ended up staying while his mother birthed her litter of kittens.

Today he lives with two sisters, Olivia and Caroline, and a brother, Russell, with the family that rescued him. He earned the "mass destruction" part of his name when he bravely dispatched a very evil roll of toilet paper and saved them all from an unspeakable doom. He still likes to destroy toilet paper when he can get his claws into.

You can find William online at William of Mass Destruction.



Friday's Events at Cat Blogosphere
Hey you guys, it’s Feline Friday!
Foster Friday started by Kat’s Cat of the Day
Formerly Feral Friday for all formerly feral kitties
Finally Friday started by Gandalf & Grayson
Frootbat Friday for cats to show off their big ears
and it’s Fashion Friday for our furry fashion diva furriends!

Board the Friday Ark at The Modulator(submit your post here)



Weekend Catblogging!

Find Weekend Cat Blogging #146 (Mar. 22-23) is being held by Kashim & Othello at Paulchens.

Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos #37 (03-23-2008) with Samantha & Tigger at Life from a Cat's Perspective.
Optional Theme - Easter Edition
(submit your post here)

The Carnival of the Cats #210 (3/23/08) is being hosted by Chey's Place
(submit your post here)

Join Photohunters on Saturday. This week's theme is "metal". (I think that is what my Bean listen to?)



Time After Time: Essentials for the proper care of an aging cat

(Part 1 of 3)

As much as we try to deny it, just like humans, cats age. The older we get, the more care we need to ensure our comfort. Sometimes it's hard for our caretakers to pinpoint when their feline friends begin showing the signs of aging, and whether they're doing everything necessary to ease our senior years.

Put your worrying behind you. With these expert tips uou can ensure that you receive all the pampering you need, to help you both enjoy these golden years.

Seniority Rules - Though the age of 8 or 9 is quite young for humans, the same cannot be said for their feline friends. In fact, during these ages, we cats slow down and often are labeled as aging. .

"There is no one age that defines a cat as a senior, but the years 8 to 10 are very common for senior diseases to show up in cats," says Mike Karg, a veterinarian at Frederick Cat Vet in Frederick, Md.

"(Caretakers) should look for changes in activity and ability to jump, increase or decrease in appetite, or increase in water consumption and urine output. These are just a few of many common changes that often show up very gradually," Karg says.

"Many cats live very affectionate and playful lives into their late teens and even twenties, so any change should not be dismissed as simply growing old," he says. "A complete physical examination by your veterinarian, followed by appropriate laboratory testing, can reveal problems for which there is often a very straightforward treatment."

Comfort Inn - Admit it, we all love to be comfortable when we're feeling ill. When we begin aging, your humans should make sure that you are always comfortable. Arthritis might set in, causing you to require special bedding, or pet stairs to help you reach cozy sleeping spots.

Making your way up flights of stairs to the food dish or litterbox also might become a difficult task, so those items should be placed in an easy location for you to reach.

A litter box with a lower lip might help as well, so it is not so hard for you to climb over. Hammocks, such as the ones Forty Paws has, are a very comfortable resting location for aging bones.



Want to join House Panthers? Ask Not the Mama to e-mail you an invitation!

Don't Forget! Monday is Midnight Monday here at House Panthers! Show off your beautiful black coat!

Find a new friend at Petfinder.com, the temporary home of 245,845 adoptable pets from 11,827 adoption groups. Over 9,000 house panthers are available around the country!

Thursday is Grr-Day

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Thursday is Grrday



Thursday's Events at Cat Blogosphere
Thursday Thirteen, da big meme, aka TT or T13
Thankful Thursday
Thoughtful Thursday




Natural Care for Senior Cats

Our feline companions are living well into their teens and twenties these days, spending half of their lives as seniors. Awareness of your cat's special senior needs can help it age gracefully, and many caretakers choose to address those needs naturally.

Natural or holistic pet care focuses on the entire animal. Holistic veterinarians are concerned with the social, psychological, environmental, nutritional and medical aspects of your cat's well being. Using natural means, such as flower essences, herbal treatments, nutrition, chiropractic, acupuncture and massage - in addition to main­stream medical approaches - holistic veterinarians work toward the health of your pet in gentle and minimally invasive manners.

Mature cats face many age-related physical changes, such as deteriorating eyesight, diminished hearing, decreased strength and agility, joint stiffness and a weakened immune system, in addition to possible medical concerns, including heart disease, hyperthyroidism or diabetes.

"Pain is the most common and under ­recognized health concern of senior cats," according to Narda G. Robinson, a holistic veterinarian and professor at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo. "It may be pain from arthritis, either in the back or elbows, or other causes of pain, like those from old traumas or chronic illnesses," she says.

Pain can cause older cats to stop jumping or interacting with others, and might lead to litter­box problems. After all, if it hurts to raise your leg high enough to step into the litterbox, it's easier to just do your business next to it.

Robinson prefers acupuncture to target a cat's painful areas because it doesn't stress the cat's system by adding things it will have to metabolize or detoxify. Gentle grooming and therapeutic massage also can improve blood circulation and lower stress in older cats that might have arthritic joints and weaker muscles.

Before using any holistic-care regimen, discuss it with your regular veterinarian. To find a holistic veterinarian, check the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association's website, www.ahvma.org.

Cat caretakers must remember that because senior cats are more fragile, they need quiet, gentle care and understanding, food that's easy to chew and digest, and veterinary checkups at least once a year, Robinson says.

With love and attention tailored to your aging cat's needs, you both can get the most out of those special senior years.



Spooker, Little Isis and the crew at Purrchance to Dream tagged us for Linda's Make A Wish Meme.

I really wish you could have seen Bean bending over to get all the Eastern stuff out the other day, that was hysterically funny! But on a more serious note...



I would also wish for an end to Cruelty against Animals (including Human Animals).

The Rules

1. Think about what it is that you want more than anything, what your heart's desire and fondest wish is, and what it is that you would wish for if you were to see the above wishing star flame across the night sky.
2. Right click and SAVE the blank graphic below.
3. Use a graphics program of your choice and place your wish on this picture:



4. Post the Make A Wish Meme and your wishing star on your blog along with these rules.
5. Tag as many people as you like so that there can be wishing stars all across the Blogosphere and ask them to please link back to Linda so that we can see what wishes others have made and share those wishes with others.

I would like to tag Grr, Midnight and Cocoa, since it IS GRRDay, Mickey the Black Cat and Cecil the Cougar.



Want to join House Panthers? Ask Not the Mama to e-mail you an invitation!

Don't Forget! Monday is Midnight Monday here at House Panthers! Show off your beautiful black coat!

Find a new friend at Petfinder.com, the temporary home of 245,845 adoptable pets from 11,827 adoption groups. Over 9,000 house panthers are available around the country!

Blue Wednesday

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Kodak is a 13-year-old Russian Blue who lives with his two tabby brothers 3 Perf and Winton. They blog at My 3 Aging Felines. He is also on Catster. They also have a woofie, Velco, an Australian Cattle Dog that does herding trials at dog shows. When he's at home he herds the cats. Kodak was a stray that showed up and managed to meow his way into the house (after 8 hours) and he hasn't been outside since.

He was diagnosed with Diabetes in December, and is on 1 cc of insulin twice a day, which has helped his over all condition, including his arthritis. He enjoys sleeping with his mom, or in the laundry basket in the closet with his green frog. He's been all across the country and currently lives in San Pedro, California.



Wednesday's Events at Cat Blogosphere
White Wednesday for all Whitsters!
Whisker Wednesday … show off your whiskers.
Wordless Wednesday or Wordy Wednesday, you decide.
Wednesday is Gingersday too for all Gorgeous Gingers.
Way back Wednesday, for those who have come before.
Weird Wednesday for all sorts of strangeness.
Wondering Wednesday, to ask, or answer questions.

Here at House Panthers, it's Blue Wednesday for all our Russian Blue Members!



Identifying Arthritis

My Bean has problems with Arthritis. In fact, about 1/3 of humans suffer from this problem. But it is also not unusual in Cats, it's just not usually diagnosed.

Arthritis often is overlooked or unrecognized in cats for several reasons. Cats are adept at redistributing weight-bearing to unaffected limbs, helping to hide the clinical signs of arthritis. The feline lifestyle also is a factQr. When an arthritic dog no longer can jump into the back of the van or has to stop and rest during long walks, it easily is recognized. When a cat no longer can jump onto the windowsill or bed, it merely chooses a new favorite place to sleep or meditate, and the owner usually just thinks the cat has discovered a novel preferred location. Many cat owners don't consider that their cats might be suffering from arthritis.

Although arthritis can be present in cats at any age, it is more common in older cats. In fact, 90 to 100 percent of cats over the age of 12 have radiographic signs of arthritis.

The diagnosis of arthritis is usually based on a combination of historical and physical examination findings. Radiographs confirm the diagnosis. Joint fluid analysis also may help to support or confirm the diagnosis, but it rarely is necessary.

A recent study of 28 cases of arthritis, published in the August 2006 Journal of Small Animal Practice, showed that the elbow (45 percent) and the hip (38 percent) were the most frequently affected joints in cats. The most common clinical sign noted by the owners of these cats was either a change in the ability to jump (71 percent) or a change in the height of the jump (67 percent). After administration of medication to control pain and inflammation, 61 percent of cat owners felt that their cats had improved markedly.

Arthritis is an irreversible, progressive disease that cannot be cured by medical treatment. Although arthritis may not be as well documented in cats as in other species, it is essential that veterinarians and cat owners recognize the clinical signs associated with arthritis, especially now that cats are enjoying longer life spans.

Arthritis Treatments

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are traditionally prescribed to treat pain associated with arthritis. Cats, however, often have trouble metabolizing drugs of this type, and some of these drugs can be toxic if given to cats. Meloxicam currently is the only NSAID approved for use in the United States, a one-time injection for cats. Meloxicam appears to be very effective for control of feline arthritis.

Chondroprotectants are compounds that are believed to slow the progression of cartilage degradation and promote cartilage health by providing the necessary ingredients to repair and maintain cartilage. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are two of the more well-known compounds in this class of drugs, and several formulations for use in cats are available.



Make a donation of at least $2.00 to the Cat Blogosphere’s Friends helping Friends fund by Easter (March 23) and DKM will send you some squiggles. Mom Robyn, Sanjee, ML and KC will distribute the funds to our friends in need across the blogosphere. Come on, you know you want one…

Visit Cat Blogosphere to donate to get your Squiggles!



Want to join House Panthers? Ask Not the Mama to e-mail you an invitation!

Find a new friend at Petfinder.com, the temporary home of 245,845 adoptable pets from 11,827 adoption groups. Over 9,000 house panthers are available around the country!