Sometimes I wonder why my cats sleep sooooo much. When I’m at home, they spent most of the day curled up in their favorite spot fast asleep. I ask myself, is it the company? Am I that boring??

The amount of time a cat sleeps depends on it’s age and personality. Cats spend an average of 13 to 16 hours sleeping daily. Did you know that only the Opossum and the Bat sleeps more? They nap nearly 20 hours a day! Nobody is really sure why cats sleep so much. They’ve evolved from a long line of hunters and predators. Their sleep patterns reflect that. Cats are crepuscular which means that they are most active at dusk and dawn.

So don’t worry if your cat spends most of his day snuggled up in his cat bed. Don’t you wish you had the opportunity to sleep even half as much?

I’m sure at some point, one of your pets urinated on the carpet. The stain and smell seems to stick around forever no matter what you do. If the problem continues, the urine will seep through and rot the rug and damage the floor. Don’t try to remove the urine by rubbing it with a cloth. You’ll make it worse. Use warm water and baking soda and blot up the spot containing the urine. It is difficult to remove the odor. Use pet stain and odor remover and repeat the process frequently until both the stain and odor is removed.It’s best to catch your pet in the act. The key is to blot the urine up right away. Use a shammy cloth because these cloths hold as much as 25 time their weight in liquid.

It come cases, it’s a good idea to shampoo your rug and make sure that your pet does not have any more “accidents”.G

The Manx cat breed originated before the 1700’s on the Isle of Man. These tailless cats were very common on the island during that time. Manx cats do not have a tail due to a genetic mutation.

Manx cats are medium sized, plump and muscular. They have a rounded head and prominent cheeks. Their hind legs are longer than their front legs. Some “seedy” cat dealers have been know to cut off the tails of kittens and sell them as Manx. There are both short haired Manx and long haired Manx cats.

One legend says that the Manx cat resulted from a litter of a cat and a rabbit because they do not have a tail and they have longer hind lets.

Manx cats make great pets. They are intelligent, active and fun loving. Get them plenty of cat toys to keep them occupied. They form a strong bond with their owners. They are also fascinated with water. They are excellent jumpers because of their hind legs and are also superior hunters.

A  few days ago, my brother tried to rescue a stray dog on the highway and wound up getting bit on his arm. He’s now taking shots for Rabies just as a precaution. It’s a very tricky situation when trying to rescue a stray dog. Petfinder.com published an article that explains the best way to do this.

The Missing Pet Partnership specializes in capturing skittish, hard-to-catch dogs (and cats). The problem with panicked dogs is that most rescuers call the dog to try and get the dog to come to them … big mistake! Never call a stray dog. Don’t look at it, don’t pat your leg, and don’t walk towards the dog. If the dog has a skittish temperament, typically he is in “fight or flight” mode and will be running in fear. The moment that the first would-be rescuer pats your leg, moves towards the dog, and is saying “Come here, come here,” the dog often will associate that body language with the fear and adrenaline.

Some other tricks include keeping a bag with treats inside inside your car. When you see a  stray dog, crinkle the bag and say “NUMMY NUMMY” in a loud voice. Act as though you are dropping the food on the ground. Then kneel down and pretend that you are picking up the treats. In many cases, the dog may have stopped and is looking at you as you pretend to drop the food on the ground. They don’t like hearing “come hear” come hear.” This is threatening to them. You are not going toward the dog but rather the dog is coming to you.

Remember, your pets count!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our dedicated readers a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Right now my living room is full of toys for my cats. It’s a tradition every yearn New toys, treats and lots of love for our furry friends.

Remember pets that have no homes this holiday season. If it’s in your heart, adopt a homeless pet.  You will be rewarded a thousand times over!

Enjoy your holiday with your dogs, cats or whatever. Coming in 2016, new interesting information on how to care for your pets. Also a brand new pet store offering hundreds of pet products at discounted prices! Stay tuned.

Happy Holidays!!!!

Infertility in male tom cats is not usually a problem. Unless your a cat breeder with a valuable, champion tom cat, it can’t fulfill it’s reproductive obligation. Veterinarians who specialize in reproductive disorders, will conduct a microscopic examination of the tom cats sperm. Is it mobile and able to move about spontaneously? Does the sperm have the proper morphology? Other conditions that could affect the fertility of male cats include malnutrition, obesity, too much liver in the cats diet and hypothyroidism. There are pet medications that could control a thyroid problem. Sometimes it just comes down to a weak libido. Luckily there are treatments for most of these problems.

I know it’s very tempting to sneak your dog some table scraps during a holiday dinner. Your kids will follow your lead so it’s important that you instruct them not to give “fido” any scraps because they could possible harm him. When animals eat fatty foods, it can make their stomachs upset. Make sure that you teach your kids that your pet can only eat certain food and that the proper pet food is best. Dogs love turkey, chicken, and steak bones, but bones can splinter and puncture the digestive tract. Make sure that your children know to throw all scraps in the garbage! Have a happy and safe holiday with your best friend!

Remember, your pets count!

My cat Molly’s Thyroid is slightly overactive. Cats that have hyperthyroidism display specific symptoms. Although Molly displays some of these symptoms, her condition is not advanced and will be analyzed by her vet. Symptoms to look for are:

1. Weight Loss – this is a typical sign in Hyperthyroidism.
2. Increases appetite – Molly has this one. She constantly wants to eat This increase in appetite can be dramatic, with some cats doubling the amount of food eaten and frequently begging for food. Hyperthyroid cats eat more in an attempt to compensate for their higher-than-normal metabolic rate by increasing the number of calories ingested.
3. Increased energy or nervous behavior. So far, Molly is not displaying this symptom.
4. Increased thirst and urination. Yes Molly has this one. Always drinking. I bought her an automatic water fountain.
5. Vomiting or regurgitation. Vomiting may result from a direct action of thyroid hormones on an area of the brain called the chemoreceptor trigger zone.
6. Anxiety and night yowling. Nope Molly is not displaying this at all.
7. Diarrhea and soft stools.
8. Fast respiratory rate, panting and difficulty breathing.
9. Skin, hair and coat changes.Skin and hair coat changes often develop in hyperthyroid cats. The hair coat, especially in long-haired breeds, is often unkempt, dull, and may even be matted.

Take your cat to the vet if you notice these symptoms. Fortunately, hyperthyroidism is very treatable with medication. After all, I have it myself.

If you’re a dog owner, you’ve probably heard that pitiful “whimper” when you are trying to eat dinner. You’ve seen those big eyes pleading with you to share just one small morsel of your delicious meal. It’s tempting to oblige but don’t give in with food or attention. Rewarding this behavior even once could lead to a chronic begging problem. Eventually, aside from being unhealthy for your pet, it will get rather irritating. Always feed dog treats away from the table. If your dog already begs, give him a comfortable dog bed to lie on and a chew toy for him to keep him occupied while you eat. If that’s not enough to distract him, you may need to confine him to a crate or another room during meal time. Make sure that you feed him early so he’s not hungry during you dinner.

Suffered from a seizure but is doing fine now!

On Sunday evening ,my 16 year old cat Molly had a seizure. I was very concerned as it lasted for about four minutes. Molly began shaking, her head was jerking back and forth, her pupils were dilated and her eyes were going back and forth like strobe lights! It was about 11:00pm and I panicked. I held Molly and tried to calm her down. The seizure was finally over. Molly went over to her food, took a few bites and vomited.

I called her vet who informed me that many older cats suffer from seizures. What should you do if you experience this very scary situation? First of all, try to calm your cat by gently petting her and keep her as still as possible until the seizure has passed. Some cats will experience only one seizure which doesn’t occur again. In others, it can become a chronic condition.

Some seizures cannot be explained while others can be caused by a variety of conditions. There could be something in the brain causing the seizures, even conditions such as diabetes and hyperactive thyroid could  be the culprit. Molly does have a slightly overactive thyroid (just like me!) . I will take her to have her checked again. She may need medication.

If the seizure lasts for a prolonged period of time, take your cat to the nearest animal hospital. Some are opened 24 hours a day. Find out which ones near you are open all the time.

Try not to panic! Unfortunately as our little friends get older, just like us, things can go wrong!

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