Most cat are homebodies, preferring to stay in their own house rather than travel anywhere.  But, if you have an unusual kitty, who likes to go wherever you go, an article in the Boston Globe offers some hotels that not only allow pets, also have perks for pets.

The James in Chicago offers pets staying with them a pet travel kit, a service menu from a nearby pet spa and a food menu from a nearby restaurant.  One item on the menu is smoked salmon lollipops for kitties.

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It’s an important question these days.  As veterinary technology races into the future, procedures and surgeries for you cat become more expensive.  Vets are more capable of saving and fixing your beloved kitty, but you will have to pay.  We all dread the possibility of being asked to choose between our pet’s life and a $2,000 bill.  Pet insurance can make that decision much easier.

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The Manx cat is a funny looking domestic breed.  It has no tail.  The Manx or tailess gene is dominant and kittens of Manx cats may have a tail, no tail, or a short tail, wich fanciers call “rumpy risers.”

Manx cats originated on the Isle of Man, off the coast of England hundreds of years ago.  The people of Man are Celtic and originally spoke a language called Manx.  The genetic history of the Manx is unclear because the Isle of Man saw many trade ships coming and going.  A cat from almost anywhere could have contributed to the breed.

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I have two cats, Beaker and Bunsen.  Bunsen is pretty feisty and mostly runs away when I try to pet her.  Beaker is more affectionate.  She likes to sit in my lap and get her ears scratched and her belly rubbed.  Beaker also does something that Bunsen does far less frequently.  She often looks at me and blinks both eyes slowly, sometimes more than once.

I investigated the cat blink and found that in the cat world, this signals recognition of a friendly cat.  Between cats, the blink is used upon greeting.  When one cat encounters another and doesn’t feel threatened, it blinks to signal that everything is ok and no one will get hurt.  So, apparently, cats do this to people to signal a similar and somewhat affectionate thought.

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All animal welfare groups agree that the best place for a house cat is in a house.  The average lifespan for a cat that is allowed to roam freely out of doors is only five, while indoor cats can live well into the upper teens.  Outdoor life increases a cats risks greatly.  They may be injured by cars or other animals, or they may contract disease from other cats.

Even if your cat is already outdoorsy, it is possible to bring him back in.  You may feel like this is a cruel restriction of freedom, but ultimately it is the best option for your beloved cat.

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Most of us only see big cats on tv or in the zoo. And most Americans don’t realize that we actually have big cats in the wild here. Most common and widespread is the mountain lion, which is quite elusive. But, news to me, is that we may have a few jaguars.

Jaguars are part of the panther family, which includes leopards, tigers, and lions. They are spotted or black and very closely resemble leopards. Jaguars live in the western hemisphere and leopards in the eastern hemisphere.

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Unless you have a hairless cat, you know the dread of finding a hairy pile of vomit on the carpet. My cats, fortunately, do not spit them up very often, but when they do it is quite a mess.

Cats spit up hair because when they groom themselves, their barbed tongues pick up loose fur and they swallow it. Most of the fur travels nicely through their digestive system and comes out the other end. But, too much hair gets stopped in the stomach and interferes with digestion. Then, the stomach tells the cat to get rid of it, and up comes the hair and anything else that was in there.

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Cats are known for their luminous, sometimes spooky eyes. Here’s a little of the science behind those mysterious peepers.

Cats have eyes that face forwards, which is a common trait in predators. It allows them to see well into the distance and with great depth perception. Prey species, on the other hand, have eyes on the sides of the head. This cuts down on distance sight, but allows them to watch all around for predators.

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The news site, speroforum.com reported on the euthanasia practices of PETA recently. PETA stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and they are known for their radical stance on animal rights issues. They absolutely reject any human use of animals including for food and medical testing.

An official report from PETA showed that they euthanized 97% of the animals they took in for adoption in 2006. They took in 3,061 animals and killed 2,981. According to the Spero news article, other humane societies have an average euthanasia rate of 34.7%.

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According to a quick business article in the New York Times, Americans spend $40.8 billion on their pets in 2007. That number is up from $29.5 billion just five years ago. We lavish more money, time, attention, and love than ever on our little critters, which includes 88.3 million cats. So what are we spending that money on exactly.

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