This could possibly be the most “duh” deserving post ever written in the history of ever, but I feel compelled to write it anyway. After all, this happened to me, so it’s possible it could happen to another! Let me first preface this by saying that I have had cats for my entire life. How I didn’t know what I’m about to tell you is beyond me. I’d also like to say that I actually am a competent pet owner, despite new-found popular belief.Ok, so after finding cat urine all over my house, I decided a visit to the vet was in order. My cat is indoor/outdoor–started this way of life on her own–and in two years, had NEVER relieved herself inside. As I suspected, the vet diagnosed it as a urinary tract infection–UTI–and suggested that I switch her food to UTI prevention, at least for a little while. Ok, here’s where the stupidity comes in.I went to the store that day, came home, dumped out her food bowl and replaced it solely with the new UTI formula. Can you guess what I then found in my house? Yes, feline diarrhea. I love my cat, but let me tell you…that was horrific. Nothing that small should produce anything that…that…that. Period. So, I called the vet.  Can you guess what happened next?”Well, did you mix the new food with the old?” Come again? My silence spoke for me. ”Lindy, you have to mix the foods so her stomach can adjust to the change.” I was speechless, trying to fathom my actual level of ignorance, idiocy and how much it’d cost to shampoo the carpets.   And that’s all I have to say about that.    

[Read more →]

Upon adopting my first cat as a grown-up, I immediately fell into the over-protective, new-mother role.  I decided Izzy would be an indoor cat so I could protect her from the evils of the outside world.

I bought a litter box, scratching posts and all the amenities any kitty could want.  In fact, by the end of my feline re-model, my apartment looked more like her residence than mine.

[Read more →]

Since the beginning of time, the cat’s greatest foe has been none other than man’s best friend-the dog. Canine and feline have spent centuries cracking humans up with their crazy antics. Whether it’s intense chases, resembling those seen on “Cops,” or a cat ferociously swatting a playful puppy across the nose, cats and dogs are consistently portrayed as the greatest enemies. I, however, am here to bust this long-lived myth and demonstrate that our two favorite pets can not only co-habitate in peace, but also form a close bond and friendship.

[Read more →]

Heartworms. Just typing the word makes the hair on my arms stand at attention. There is little in nature slimier and creepier than a worm, but when you then think about this creepy-crawly inching its way through your beloved cat’s heart, lungs and blood, the situation grows exponentially more disgusting and worrisome.

Heartworms are 9-11″ long worms that are transmitted to your feline friend through mosquitoes. When Sparky is bitten by an infected blood-sucker, baby heartworms, or larvae, are deposited into her blood stream. Over a period of several months, these juvenile hell-raisers procede to mature and migrate, eventually arriving at their ideal destination, the right side of Sparky’s heart and pulmonary arteries. Pulmonary arteries are the arteries that lead from the heart to the lungs. Within six months of entrance into your cat’s system, the heartworms are adults and begin releasing immature heartworms, or microfilaria, which live in the cat’s blood. Microfilaria are the culprits when it comes to infecting mosquitoes, since the flying vampires ingest these little buggers upon biting a cat.

[Read more →]

Cats are an extremely controversial pet, as there seems to be a 50/50 split in opinion regarding likability. Those who like cats tend to love cats, but those who don’t, usually border on fervent dislike. If you are on this site, however, I am going to pull out my “jump-to-conclusions mat” and assume you fall on the loving side of the cat fence. I am a proud cat-lover and have consistently had these feisty fur balls in my life for as long as I can remember. Now that I am older and living on my own, however, I find myself solely responsible for pet maintenance and cleaning up after them. About three years ago, I decided to adopt my first pet as an independent grown-up since my parents had gained custody of the family pets upon my departure for college.

[Read more →]