Tag: cats

Ginger Cat Appreciation Day

Happy Ginger Cat Appreciation Day! Did you know that all orange cats are tabbies and 80% of them are male? I was fortunate enough to have raised and loved a bicolor orange tabby girl, Nala, who has since passed over the Rainbow Bridge in 2017.

As you can see here, Nala was mostly white but had orange tabby splotches on her head, back, hind legs, and tail. Her orange fur seemed to grow browner with age.

Nala believed that sinks were her personal beds. She loved water!

Other cool facts about orange cats:

  • Famous orange cats include the animated Garfield, Tango (Winston Churchill’s cat), and Marmalade (of Cole and Marmalade fame)!
  • Tabbies are not a breed but rather a type of coat marking. Orange tabbies can be Maine Coons, American Bobtails, British Shorthairs, Persians, Abyssinians, Munchkin cats, and Persians.
  • There are four tabby patterns: mackerel (the most common), classic (aka blotched or marbled), spotted, and ticked.

Photo courtesy of Pexels. This cute little fuzzball is an orange mackerel tabby.

Photo courtesy of Silver Short Hairs. This gorgeous cat is a long-haired classic tabby. Garrus, though not orange, is a classic tabby, though the black markings on his back smudge the distinctive swirl on his sides.

Photo courtesy of Feral Front. These two are lovely spotted tabbies! Charlie, though not a ginger cat, is another example of a spotted tabby.

Photo courtesy of Pinterest. This is an orange ticked tabby (and a Maine Coon to boot–check out that magnificent tail!)

Do love orange cats too? Give them an extra helping of love today. Please share stories and photos of your ginger cats in the comments!

National Holistic Pet Day

When we humans think about our health, we think of mind, body, and spirit or heart. We strive to be healthy and find fulfillment in our lives. As responsible pet owners, we can extend that kind of thinking to our pets as well. When I say “holistic”, I’m talking about the whole, as in the mind, body, and spirit or heart of your pet.

Holistic health begins with good nutrition, physical exercise, and mental stimulation. Is your pet at a healthy weight? Does your pet get enough exercise? Do you think your pet is bored? These are only three questions to consider. As a caring and responsible pet owner, having a healthy and happy pet probably means that you’re happy for your pet too. Everyone wins.

Photo courtesy of Pexels

Here are some activities you can do today to celebrate National Holistic Pet Day:

  1. Have an adventure. Take your dog to a new park. Arrange a playdate with a new doggy friend. Bringing your dog to new places, combined with reinforced training, help your dog to be well-socialized and more confident.
  2. Play, play, play. Exercise can be therapeutic for pets and beneficial mentally as well as physically. By regularly playing with your pet, you strengthen pet-owner bonds, let your pet hone skills (fetching, tracking, pouncing, hunting, etc.), and reduce stress.
  3. Enrichment. Mixing things up a bit and encouraging pets to use their minds as well as their paws and noses can help pets, especially indoor ones, stave off boredom. Consider these ideas: food-dispensing puzzle toys; sensory enrichment (i.e. window perch for birdwatching, pet-directed videos); climbing posts, trees, and shelves for cats; novel objects like boxes, paper bags, pop-up tunnels, and bacon-flavored bubbles for dogs. Seriously!

Photo courtesy of Pexels

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

Losing a pet is the saddest part of pet ownership. Mourning the loss of a pet and dealing with grief is indeed a process, sometimes a very painful one. Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day is a way to cherish and celebrate the memory of the beloved pets we’ve lost and to continue healing.

Queen Boudicca Mata Hari Sophia (circa May 2000-May 25, 2018). For 18 years, she was my cat-dog, googly girl, reading buddy, and dedicated office supurrviser. I miss my darling Queen B.

Princess Nala Artemis Fae (circa April 2001-January 21, 2017). She was my bottle baby and windfall kitten. In the last few years of her life, Nala ultimately chose Aaron as her Chosen person (in her mind he became HER boyfriend) and, accordingly (in her eyes), I was demoted to pet status .

This is Pelota. My parents opened their home to this lovely Ragamuffin rescue in 2010. Her original name was Trixie but we quickly renamed her Pelota (Spanish for “ball”). She was incredibly docile and a thoroughly sweet, affectionate cat. Her soft belly was never a trap! Sadly, in 2012 she passed away at the age of 10 from a rare condition, a spinal cord embolism.

Here are a few ways to celebrate Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day:

  1. Take time to enjoy memories of your late pet. Look through pictures and videos.
  2. Talk about your pets, both current and past. Remember the little things that made you smile. Record them in a journal or on social media if you wish.
  3. Thinking about getting a new pet after losing one? Consider a visit to your local animal shelter or animal rescue group if you feel ready. Volunteering or fostering may help you adjust.
  4. Use #RainbowBridgeRemembranceDay to share on social media.

How do you remember your pets that have crossed the Rainbow Bridge? Share your stories in the comments.

Playing vs Fighting

Feline housemates, just like human housemates, may not always get along. Depending on the cats involved, they may actually fight or simply ignore one another. Other cats like to play and tussle with one another, and that can sometimes look like they’re fighting.

Photo courtesy of Petcha

How do you tell the difference between tussling and actual fighting? Here are a few things to look for:

  1. Body language. When cats prepare to fight, they will adopt a defensive stance, curve their spine, bristle their fur, and flatten their ears. A big bottle-brush tail lashing back and forth is another indication of escalating aggression. By contrast, play cats will generally have calm, forward ears (sometimes they may flick back but are not flattened down) and won’t not have bristly fur or look like a classic Halloween scaredy cat.
  2. Position. Playing cats generally have looser positions as they tumble. Sometimes they put a paw around the head or go after the belly area (playing may look rough), but note that they take turns. Fighting cats square off against each other, attempt to intimidate each other with posturing and loud vocalizations, and strike only when necessary.
  3. Noise. Playing cats generally don’t make a lot of noise. They don’t yowl and scream, but if the play gets too rough, there may be a couple meows of protestation! When they do this, they teach each other manners and that biting too hard ends the game. Kittens learn this from an early age, ideally from their siblings and from occasionally disciplinary nips from their mom. Fighting cats hiss a lot, growl, scream, snarl, and generally make A LOT of ruckus.
  4. Friendship. Cats that play together generally have a friendly relationship and see each other as belonging to the same social group. They may snuggle together, groom one another, and even share toys or food. When cats do not have this kind of cordiality, they avoid one another and may have totally separate territories.

Photo courtesy of PetMD. Note these two tense cats are squaring off and just look angry.

Photo courtesy of Free Cat Images. These two cats are tussling, not fighting.

Photo courtesy of Chewy. The tabby on the right prepares to playfully bop the one on the left.

If you want more information about determining whether your cats are playing or fighting, check out Vetstreet, AnimalWised, and PetHelpful.

Do your cats play or do they fight? Do they like each other? What kind of antics do they do during a tussle session? Please share in the comments!

National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day

August 22nd is National Take (or Bring) Your Cat to the Vet Day! I’m sure cats across the world are saying, most emphatically, “NOPE!” but please bear with me. Part of responsible pet ownership or guardianship involves ensuring your pet is healthy, up to date on shots, and given appropriate medical care, and that any health or behavior-related questions or concerns are addressed.

Side-eye alert. Garrus is never thrilled about going to the vet but he certainly appreciates being able to eat normally now that his stomatitis is under control.

Why is regular veterinary care so important? Here are a few reasons to remember:

  1. Cats age faster than humans. A one-year-old cat is the equivalent of 15 in human years and a two-year-old is 24. After that, cats age 4 “cat years” for every calendar year. So much can happen in one year, so that is why an annual checkup at the vet is crucial.
  2. Cats hide illness and pain. Many cats are true stoics and don’t let on that they’re sick. By taking your cat to a vet at least once a year, any problem that may crop up can be treated early.
  3. Fat cat. According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners, over 50% of cats are overweight or obese. This extra weight can put cats at risk for diabetes, arthritis, heart, respiratory, and kidney disease, and more.
  4. Something’s up. If your cat’s eating patterns or litter box usage suddenly changes, that can indicate a health issue. Note changes in weight, activity level, sleeping patterns, socialness, mood, etc. and share any concerns you have with your vet.
  5. Preventative care. Having a baseline and an up-to-date medical history can help avoid medical emergencies and allow vets to detect and treat health conditions earlier rather than later.

Mau lets everyone know his name once we put him in the carrier. He does NOT like traveling in the car but he too needed to go to the vet to address his dental disease.

Sweet Mau

Mau is a pretty cute cat, though I might be biased. It’s now been about 10 days since his dental surgery and being toothless hasn’t negatively affected his quality of life.

“This bed is so cozy!”

Aaron and I have noticed that he has become more playful and bats both crinkle balls and plastic springs around the house. Mau’s favorite toy might be the laser pointer, however, as he chases after the red dot with more gusto and stamina than either Garrus or Charlie. It’s highly amusing and delightful to watch all three cats skitter about the house trying to pounce on the elusive red dot. If I can, I’ll record a video of a play session and share it here on Purry Home Companion!

“Mama, I found a box! It’s such a nice box.”

Look at these handsome boys! I couldn’t resist snapping a photo when I saw them lined up like this.

Garrus and Mau demonstrate their nightly ottoman sprawl. Mau recently adopted this habit of flaunting his fluffy belly like this. It’s not a trap. I repeat: it’s not a trap!

National Immunization Awareness Month

Did you know that August is National Immunization Awareness Month? This campaign applies to both humans and their fur people! While I’m certainly not a fan of needles and I’m certain my cats do not like getting poked either, getting annual vaccinations and keeping them up-to-date IS crucial for their health.

Photo courtesy of Pexels

Keep in mind, laws pertaining to mandated vaccines differ from place to place. For example, some places require annual rabies vaccinations while in others, this vaccine is required every three years. The ASPCA and PetMD provide a thorough breakdown about immunizations for pets.

Photo courtesy of Pexels

Have more questions about vaccinations for your pet(s)? Talk to your vet.

International Homeless Animals’ Day

In 1992, the International Society for Animal Rights created International Homeless Animals’ Day (IHAD), celebrated worldwide. This year, the 27th annual International Homeless Animals’ Day will be observed on Saturday, August 18th.

Photo courtesy of Pexels

This campaign is intended to raise awareness of the plight of thousands of homeless and abandoned animals across the world and educate the public about pet abandonment, feral animal overpopulation, and the benefits of neutering/spaying pets. Check out ISAR’s website and Facebook page for more information.

Photo courtesy of Pexels

Clear the Shelters!

Clear the Shelters is an nationwide pet adoption drive that began in 2015. This year it occurs on Saturday, August 18! A number of shelters may expand this drive to the entire weekend. More than 150,000 pets have found homes as a result of this campaign!

“Don’t you wanna take me home? We could snuggle.” Photo courtesy of Pexels

Across the country, NBC and Telemundo stations are teaming up with hundreds of animal shelters to spread the word about this adoption drive. Check out this neat map that shows all the animal shelters nationwide participating in the event. You can also spread the word in your local community by word of mouth and on social media using the hashtag #cleartheshelters.

“I’ve been adopted!” Photo courtesy of Pexels