I wake up each morning and find little cotton balls all over the place. My new ritual is to walk around and pick them all up and walk to the trash to dispose of them. Our cat Atlantis is shedding and shedding a lot! He’s a beautiful Siamese/ Himalayan and has a very long thick coat. So is it normal for a cat to shed so much? The answer is “yes”. Himalayan cats shed. Normally, the cats’ shedding season is during spring and summer. During fall and winter they grow new coats. They tend to grow hair more rapidly during the cold season to protect them from the cold temperatures. Shedding in summer prepares the cat for the hot season.

If you own a Himalayan, be prepared for heavy shedding during the Spring and Summer. I might add that Atlantis grooms a lot and I find hair hanging out of his mouth all the time. I always make sure that I give him a dose of hairball medication each day to prevent hairballs and blockage.

Make sure you brush your cat on a daily basis especially during shedding season.

Remember, your pets count!

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We’ve been discussing the evaluation of our cat Atlantis whom we adopted from our neighbor in July of 2019.  As  I mentioned in a previous blog, Atlantis had no medical record. I did suspect that at age 15 he may have some underlying conditions. He seemed thinner than normal, and had some diarrhea. I assumed that it was due to the fact that he had not be properly cared for due to the illness of his owner.

Christmas 2019 was upon us and I did the decorating as usual and had our annual holiday party. There were many neighbors and friends who attended and Atlantis was  his usual friendly, talkative self. He meandered from person to person meowing and expecting lots of attention which he received.

The Christmas season ended and we entered a new year with the newest member of our family. As the days passed, I noticed something very concerning. Atlantis’s appetite began to diminish, he wasn’t as talkative as he usually was and began vomiting on a regular basis. He preferred to remain by himself in the corner of my home office.

I began to panic! What happened? As you’ll see, I’m about to find out!

Remember, your pets count!

In our last blog, I talked about adopting our cat Atlantis without any medical history. I constantly monitored his health. It didn’t take me too long to suspect either hyperthyroidism or kidney disease or both. As a cat gets older the chances for acquiring kidney disease increases. Here are the symptoms of kidney disease to look out for:

• Reduced appetite
• Increased thirst
• Frequent or no urination
• Bloody or cloudy urine
• Vomiting
• Poor coat appearance
• Lethargy and depression
• Weight loss
• Bad breath
• Sore mouth or mouth ulcers
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Increased sleeping

At first the symptoms I noticed were weight loss, diarrhea and some lethargy.  Like an overprotective parent, my concern grew each day. I was fearing that we were experiencing “deja vu” as our cat Molly experienced the same symptoms. Then as they say “all hell broke loose.” Stay tuned for the next step in this frightening journey!

Remember, your pets count!

Our Atlantis

In the Summer of 2019, we adopted our cat Atlantis from our neighbor who was very ill at the time. We had no history on his health. We did know that he was about 15 years old. We couldn’t get any further information from our neighbor because of her declining health.

Atlantis is a beautiful Siamese/Himalayan with a calm and loving personality. He is very vocal and loves to join every conversation. It didn’t take long for him to make himself at home and it didn’t take us long for us to love and cherish him.

Our cat Molly, developed kidney disease when she was about the same age as Atlantis.  During our observation we noticed that Atlantis was drinking frequently and he did have a very robust appetite but never seemed to gain weight. He was also urinating very frequently. Our red flags began to go up.

We felt as if we were about to walk down a familiar path but the good new is that there were some effective treatments which really helped prolong Molly’s life.

Keep checking our blogs for continuing information on Atlantis’s progress.

Remember, your pets count!

Our Molly

Mollie was my beloved cat and was unusually attached to me. On a rainy night in 1999 after parking my car, I heard a tiny “meow” coming from a car in our parking lot. I stooped down and saw a tiny black kitten shivering from the rain and dampness. I extended my hand and she walked right into my life.  I took her inside and prepared a comfortable bed . That was it, my life with Molly began. For almost 19 years she had been my shadow. She sat on my lap, slept in my bed and got involved with everything  I did. She really didn’t like the fact that I worked on my computer frequently so she would quietly jump up on the table and walk across the keyboard. Molly required all of my attention and I loved giving it to her. For the next 19 years, she was my best friend.

In 2013, I noticed that Molly started to lose weight even though she was eating and drinking normally. When she began to have very scary tremors, I rushed her to the vet. Molly was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and kidney disease. The disease was pretty advanced at the time of diagnosis. The vet recommended medication for her hyperthyroidism and some treatment for her kidney disease. I was told that kidney disease is not reversible and will eventually be fatal.  The vet also recommended that I put Molly on a renal diet. Driving out of the vets parking lot that day, my heart sank. I couldn’t fathom losing my Molly. I tried putting her on a renal diet but she wouldn’t touch the food. There was a regiment of medication that I would give her twice per day.  Even though I was doing all of the right things, I wasn’t satisfied. I needed to have Molly with me as long as possible.

Astro’s Oil

At the time, we had a beach home in Delaware which is now our permanent home. Every weekend Molly would make the trip down from New Jersey to Delaware with us. She loved going on the porch and stretching out on the deck. I needed to find an additional method of prolonging her life. So one day, while sitting on the beach, I started to look up information on Kidney disease on my phone. I came across the story of Astro and the oil that was developed which supposedly had very good results.  Astro’s CRF Oil is a unique formula created from pharmaceutical grade fish oil with a very high concentration of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which has been deodorized and micro filtered to remove any heavy metals, vitamin E, which also helps keep the fish oil from oxidizing, and a highly bio-available liquid form…  The oil was named after the cat of the owner who developed it.

I immediately ordered it and began giving it to Molly and within a few days, I noticed a significant improvement. Molly was more lively, she had become very listless before giving her Astros oil. I noticed that she gained some weight and her coat became shiny and thick once again. I knew it was the Astro’s oil that caused this positive change. To make a long story short, I was given five more wonderful years with Molly.

I now have another beloved cat named Atlantis and he is also taking Astro’s oil. His story in my next blog!

Remember, your pets count!

It’s essential that your cat get enough water to keep him from dehydrating and becoming ill. Cats are not like dogs who drink lots of water at one time. Cats like cold, fresh water. Lots of cats like to drink the running water from a faucet or a bathtub. I allow my cats to do this.  Buy your cat a drinking fountain, they love it. I don’t know what I would do without mine. Both of my cats are always at the fountain and I can rest assure that they are hydrated.

Monitor your cat’s water intake. If your cat isn’t getting enough water, you should consider feeding him some wet canned food. I feed my cats on can of Fancy Feast per day along with their regular dry food. The canned food will cause you cat to take in larger amounts of water and more protein. The canned food generally contains a higher percentage of protein than dry food. You should always look at the labels of all the food that you would feed to your cat. Feeding your cat wet or moist food could prevent bladder issues later in life.

Remember, your pets count!

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We all suffer aches and pains as we age and unfortunately our beloved pets suffer much the same as we do.  When we are looking for a dog bed for our aging dog, always look for a thick padding of at least 3 inches. I would prefer a 5 inch pad. The thicker the padding, the better.  The standard orthopedic foam is not as dense as memory foam or gel therefore gel or memory foam do not have to be as thick. If a bed is too soft, it will lack the necessary support that arthritic dogs need. The bed should always provide even weight distribution. Before purchasing a bed, consider the size and weight of your dog.  Make sure that the bed provides enough room for him to stretch out. Figure out where the bed will be placed. Consider a heated orthopedic bed or a thermo pet mat.  If your dog is incontinent, consider a waterproof bed.

Gel filled orthopedic beds are  great for the aging pet or any dog that has arthritis or Hip-Dysplasia. They provide maximum support, comfort and great distribution of weight  This will allow your dog a much better sleep. As an added bonus, many of these beds can be thrown in the washer and dryer just as they are.

Memory foam was first developed by NASA years ago. These dog beds are also an exceptional choice of orthopedic dog bed since this foam conforms to your pet’s body while reducing pressure and providing comfort.

Make sure that the bed you purchase provides comfort and enough support for your pet.

Remember, your pets count!

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A shelter in New Jersey normally would get 1 to 2 pets into foster homes per day, as soon as the Coronavirus took over our lives, that amount rose to 50 per day. Many people have the intent to save a pet but in these days, the pet  actually saves the owner or foster parent. While we are cooped up indoors we ask the question “would you rather”

Would you rather: be locked in your home, utterly alone, posting meaningless material on social media in the hopes that your neighbors will see it as a cry for help or react to it?  Or holding a soft, warm newborn kitten in your arms while watching your favorite show on TV.

Would you rather: run your hand over a cooling stove top to try to remember the warmth of human touch? Or feel the velvet like  sensation of a dog’s floppy ear between your thumb and forefinger.

Pets uplift your spirits, add so much love in these troubled times and also give their new owners more purpose. Our furry friends are known to lower our blood pressure and get us exercising more by daily walks and playtime activities.

In these days, a glimmer of hope is sometimes hard to come by but the fact that so many more pets are getting forever homes is a fact we can cherish. Many people who before this outbreak would never consider adopting a pet  have “joined the herd” of pet lovers so to speak. Lets hope that this trend continues after this pandemic is over.

We’ll get through this but many will come through with a new addition to their family!

Remember, your pets count!

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The first thing I would say regarding this topic is to speak with your vet before administering CBD oil to your pets. Dosage is important and should be determined before administering CBD.

CBDoilreview.org has put together some guidelines regarding dosing your pets.

When it comes to dosing CBD in humans, the situation is complicated for a variety of reasons. Primarily, CBD is what is known as a biphasic compound – meaning that is has drastically different effects at low doses versus at high doses.

The bottom line is that more CBD is not always better. In the case of severe issues like seizures, higher doses appear to be most effective. However, with something like anxiety, a low-to-medium dose will likely serve your pet much more effectively.

Here are some general guidelines for giving your pet CBD oil:

First, consult with your veterinarian to ensure that CBD won’t interfere with your pet’s current medications or health conditions.

If all is good, start with 1mg of CBD per every 10 lbs. of an animal’s body weight, once or twice a day.

Generally, it’s good to start small, and gradually increase the amount of CBD every week until you see your desired benefits.

Stay with your pet for several hours after giving them CBD to ensure they are okay.

CBD is itself non-toxic, and so the most important thing to keep in mind is that “overdosing” on CBD will not result in fatalities. The most commonly reported side-effects for CBD in animals are sedation and over-active appetites.

Where issues usually arise is in contaminated products – that is, products that have high levels of contaminants like heavy metals, residual solvents, and other byproducts of cheap and hasty CBD extraction. The FDA has warned that pet owners should be cautious when it comes to purchasing and using medical cannabis. So don’t be afraid to request current third-party lab test results from CBD pet product vendors! Reputable companies will happily provide them. (Or, of course, you can always refer to CBD Oil Review for up-to-date reviews and research!)

Remember, your pets count!

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Here’s something that we really don’t think about. Coronavirus is affecting all of us in different ways. If you come down with the illness, live alone and have a dog, what do you do to keep him occupied? Reviewed.com may have some answers for you.

For dogs

For bored and affection-starved pups, consider a DIY scavenger hunt: Hide treats around the room, house, or (fenced) yard and let ‘em hunt. In a pinch, you can also put PB into the bottom of a cup (that you don’t mind getting chewed at), or just give the dog the remnants of an empty peanut butter jar. Or fill a long-forgotten hollowed-out dog bone with peanut butter and freeze it for a makeshift Kong toy.

Actually buying a Kong for your dog may be a worthwhile investment, as well as considering dog-approved favorites, like the Tuffy’s Ocean Creatures Larry Lobster Dog Toy, which has two squeakers and uses layers of fabric to make a durable chewing toy and the Outward Hound Hide A Squirrel Puzzle Dog Toy, which is great for solo play because your dog can fish the squirrels out of the tree trunk—though you’ll have to put them back in.

For a long-lasting chew treat, go with the Himilayan Dog Chew, which tastes like cheese and is made with yak and cow milk, salt, and lime juice. Your dog will only be able to scrape off a little bit at a time, providing hours of enjoyment.

Remember, your pets count!

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