Today I walked some of the cats and they found a friend

I got back awhile ago from going grocery shopping and stocked up on pet food. My uncle is coming this Friday from Spain and my Sister and are are going to the All About Pets show so it will be a busy weekend. Also this weekend is Easter so the stores will be shuttered Friday and Sunday. I now have enough food for at least a month I think. I buy these bags of Kitty mix from petvalu that I mix in with their regular dry food and it makes the food last longer. Petvalu repackages broken bags of dry food from the warehouse and resells them under the kitty mix bags. The choice mix is the best one as it has the premium blends. The regular kitty mix I use to feed the outdoor cats. I also still have soem donated dry food so the kitties in the backyard will have enough for a long while.

Last night I started to orgamize my wardrobbe. the thing is huge and fits lots of stuff. I put some stuff in baskets, some stuff to hang and bought some hooks to hang stuff on the doors like my bathrobe and stuff. I just love have the extra space!

I also saw a white kitty this morning, when I took food for the outdoors cats out to the shed I bought for them a few years ago. The white cat had tabby markings but was mostly creamy white with blues so it most likely a purebreed, proably siamese or maybe a short snowshoe? I am not like an expert on purebreeds.

When I got home, some of the cats wanted to go on a walkabout. The neighbour's son's Girlfriend was out friend with her new dog, Elvis, a 3 month old part yorkie and terrier. A real sweetie, the only cat that actually tolerated Elvis was Jack. Check out the video I uploaded to Youtube.

meow for now.....

Today has been a good day

I finally got my wardrobe from Ikea built!!!

I bought it awhile ago when I went to buy a chaise for my mom's room so I could sleep nights with or just spend time with her. I found everything on sale, including the Wardrobe. It is called Kullen and it is such a relief to finally have more closet space without being a built in. It was regular $200.00 but I found it for $50.00 in the as is section. A friend of mine was helping me build it awhile ago but we made a mistake and had to undo everything. She left shortly after and did not offer to return. I guess she was embarrassed. I really don't know. Anyway I had almost given up hope that it would be built. Normally I can do these things myself, since I built an armoir for the kitchen several years ago and some bookcases and a TV stand since then. But I have just been too tired and busy taking care of my mom. Then another friend recommended the brother of someone we know. They also do cat rescue. He's known to do good work and helps those of us in need. Anyway, he came this morning and left just before 3pm and he did a terrific job. I am so happy and excited to finally have this wardrobe. The $83.00 I paid him to build it was more than worth it. Tomorrow I am planning to get some wallpaper to line the shelves and the back and then I will begin filling it.

The next good thing that happened today was my mom coming home. The Doctor said she was doing much better and could come home. After my friend left, I proceeded to make dinner for tonight, it is the second night of Passover, took a shower and then went to pick up my mom from the hospital with my Brother.

Tomorrow is shopping day and need to get the house and back and front yard ready for when my uncle and his friend come from Spain on Friday.

Meow for now.....

Walmart isn't just for shopping anymore,,,,

One of the members of one of my cat groups on Yahoo came home with a 2 day old kitten after a trip to Walmart for groceries. A lady in front of her was holding the wee one in a towel while she was going through the check out line. The lady had told that her dog had brought it home and she couldn't find the mom. She asked if she had ever raised newborns, "No". My friend wished her good luck, that it was lots of work and hard to keep alive. She asked if she had and her reply was yes and that if she could please take it... she had a bottle and formula. Her husband would probably kill her but she said okay and that she would be together with the 9 rescues she already had at home.

The Kitten is now 4 days old. She is real cute, a tortie and once at home realized she is a Manx(tailless). Feedings are every two hours for the next week at least. So will be getting up every 2 hours for least a week now. Awesome isn't it? Anyway here are a few pictures....

any ideas on a name........

The Easter Lily: Protect your Felines

In preparation for the celebration of Easter Sunday, many families enjoy adorning their homes with plants. One plant, the Easter Lilly, is a favorite decorative element. But, did you know this beautiful symbol of Easter is a highly dangerous toxin to your pet cat?

Even a small amount of the Easter Lily plant ingested by your cat can make it extremely ill. While dogs are not adversely affected, the Easter Lily is not the only lily plant that is toxic to felines. The Tiger Lily, Rubrum Lily, Japanese Lily and some Day Lily species also are extremely toxic to cats.

All parts of the lily plant are toxic - including the pollen. If your cat should brush up against the plant, transferred pollen can be breathed into its lungs or licked off its fur into its mouth and digestive tract.

The result? Severe kidney damage and acute renal failure can occur. Within just a few hours of ingestion, a cat can show the early symptoms of lily toxin poisoning: vomiting, not wanting to eat or drink and lethargy. Immediate veterinarian treatment is crucial. A poisoned feline can develop kidney failure in as little as 36 hours.

If you are a cat owner and do have an Easter Lily in your home, please keep the plant safely away from your cat's ability to access it. You may want to reconsider a safer alternative altogether for both your feline and canine furry friends. Some non-toxic Easter plants safe for your cat and dog are:

Easter Orchids

Easter Cactus

Violets

Daisies

A valuable resource link for all pet owners is the Animal Poison Control Center, found at:

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/

As you enjoy the celebration of Easter with your family, please remember to protect your pets!

THE TOP TEN LIST

from the feline zookeeper
TOP TEN LIST
WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU ARE A CAT LOVER

1. You don't even notice the fur on your clothes anymore
2. Your bedroom looks like a kitty daycare
3. You compete for space on your own bed when it is time to sleep
4. You find yourself talking to people like you talk to your cats
5. You have more photos of your cats than your own family or friends
6. You never come home without a toy or a treat for your cats
7. With the money you spend on your cats, you wish you could declare them as dependants on your IT return
8. You don't mind sharing your food with your cats
9. When you spend more money on your cats then yourself
10. finally, you know you are a cat lover because you can't remember what your life was like before getting your first cat
    

How many cats can fit on a queen size bed?

To my surprise, I found a whole clowder on my bed. Can you count how many?

I love my CSI ....

I have always been a big fan of the show CSI, especially CSI Las Vegas. CSI New York comes a close second. But CSI Miami can be pretty good too but David Caruso makes me howl sometimes with this expressions and his sunglasses schtick... Anyway looks like our lovely felines like to help solve crimes too. Below is an interesting article....

CSI: Felines! Cat fur DNA busts criminals

Cat fur sticks to everything, including criminals, and DNA obtained from that fur can place a perp at the scene of a crime.
By Stephanie Rogers
Sat, Mar 20 2010 at 12:52 PM EST
Read more: PETS & ANIMALS, RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Fido may keep criminals away in the first place, but Fluffy can help the police bust them. As any cat owner knows, felines shed a lot of fur, and that fur — which clings to the skin, clothing and shoes of visitors — can be used as forensic evidence.


"The increasing popularity of the domestic cat as a household pet has unknowingly fostered the distribution of potential crime scene evidence across millions of households," researcher Robert Grahn told Discovery News. "Cat fur obtained from a crime scene has the potential to link perpetrators, accomplices, witnesses and victims."

Scientists have established a DNA database that will allow cat fur to be used more effectively as evidence in criminal cases. The database focuses on mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down through the maternal line. This type of DNA has a high mutation rate, so it’s more identifiable between individuals, and its genes exist in high amounts.

Grahn and his team at the Department of Population Health & Reproduction at California’s UC Davis have collected DNA samples from hundreds of cats during routine spay and neuter surgeries.

Another form of DNA called standard short tandem repeat (STR) has already been used to convict an accused murderer. Douglas Beamish of Canada had the fur of a long-haired white cat stuck to one of the pockets in his jacket, which was genetically linked to the cat of his victim. Beamish is currently serving a 15-year sentence.

The DNA test created for the STR marker, called “Meowplex”, will be used in tandem with the new mitochondiral DNA database to provide criminal investigators with a furrific resource for solving cases.

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/pets-animals/stories/csi-felines-cat-fur-dna-busts-criminals#

All is quiet on the feline front and .....

the kitties are enjoying th good weather. Meowmie has been good about opening all the windows and letting the fresh air and sunshine through.

Meowmie has been happy that Cassidy seems to be doing okay. We got more food in last night. Her nice friend brought it over last night cause she knows meowmie is busy taking care of her Mommy and it was raining for the last 2 days or so.

Meowmie can't wait to get outside and run some errands but she is waiting for the cable guy. Really Satelitte guy. We have televisions in almost every room and meowmy's brother was upset that he did not have any reception in his room after Meowmy switched from cable to satellite. Our den, really the kitty playroom, is all clean now. Meowmy does not like it when we pee pee on our toys. But it smells nice downstairs and apart from us running around and making mischief, the den is also ready for a receiver hookup for when Meowmy wants to start spending time in the den again.

Meowmy is also happy that Old Navy had a sale over the weekend so she can buy some new t-shirts. We don't let meowmy trim our claws so she finds all these little holes in her t-shirts. People must think meowmy is very holy. he he he...

Meowmy has another picture she wants to share with you...

purrs and headbutts from the not so little feline zoo <<...>>

a good t-shirt is a new t-shirt

The one downside to having cats with long claws is that I have alot of t-shirts with holes. Especially my favourite ones. Trimming their claws is not the easiest. It is a real challenge at best, they act as if I am torturing them and their meows warn off the others whose turn it is next. So I guess if I need a good t-shirt, I have to buy new ones.

Cassidy been home for a few days and she seems to be on the mend. I hope she will be able to stave off another cold for awhile.

The rest of the feline zoo are doing okay, they love to snuggle with me in bed, hardly leaving any room for me, but I would not have it any other way.

Today is also supposed to be cleaning day but I am just not feeling it. Maybe tomorrow?

Meow for now \\..//

Don't you wish we could cure a cat's cold with chicken soup?

I got a sick kitty with a bad upper respiratory that I am taking to the vets this afternoon. Cassidy has lost some weight and is pretty congested. She is Archie's sister. It has been about 5 months since Archie went to the bridge and I am still mourning him. I hope I can rebound Cassidy from this. She has lost weight since this picture was taken and especially after her full mouth extraction. But she has been battling colds on and off since then, especially when I had to take her back because she developed a bad infection in her mouth from roots that were left in. i was just seething and the vet's explanation was that they did not have the xray machines they have now that would have detected any roots left behind. I hope she will be okay this time.

I wish it was just a matter of giving the kitties chicken soup and covering them up with warm blankets like you would a 2 legged child. It is hard when my kitties are sick. it just eats me up inside.

Eros is no worse for the wear since he came back from the vet. Running and playing and doing all the normal healthy cat things. It's amazing how quickly they rebound from surgery.

Anyway, more updates later....

meow for now <<..>>

One of the woodpile kittens is off to get depommed

Eros, one of the kittens I found last year, under a pile of wood in my neighbours backyard, was taken to the vets tonight, to finally get neutered. His siblings are Zuzu (a longhaired tortie) and Zoe (a short haired tortie), Eros also had a brother but unfortunately he did not make it past 4 months of age. I named him Guinness, a gorgeous chocolate brown tabby like my Mocha Latte, but sadly he became gravely ill, was not thriving and unresponsive to vet care and medications. It broke my heart to lose the little tyke as he was so adorable and affectionate. The woodpile kitties momma is still outside and have not been able to trap her despite several attempts to do so.

This would have been about 9-10 months ago, I guess, with them being about 4 weeks old. It was quite fortunate for them that I was out calling for Sawyer and the new neighbours said my kittens were in their yard, I laughed, stating no, that all my cats were fixed, but I went in to the yard with a carrier anyway and piled them all in and the rest is history, as they say.

So that leaves me with Eros being the sole male that needed to be neutered and four more girls, Rosie, Fifi, Zuzu and Zoe left to be spayed at the earliest opportunity. It was not a priority before as Eros was still a young kitten and the 4 girls had been too young to go into heat. But the last few days or so, chaos has reigned around here, with Eros chasing Fifi, the last of the kittens rescued of my colony. Her surviving siblings, Soleil, a male, already neutered and Ranee, a female. There was Minouche, a grey and white twin to Ranee, but she also became gravely ill,losing weight, and had several seizures before I had to help to the rainbow bridge, like my little Guinness.

Fifi being in heat, was not necessarily a happy recipient of all this sudden attention, she was not having any of it and there was plenty of hissing last night, while I was trying to both sleep and sleep in.

However, like most cats, Eros was not not carrier friendly when it was time to send him off to the vets and have a few scratches to show for it. He is normally a tame little guy but it's like they know it's time to go to the vet like we have a sixth sense about doom and gloom, so he was a kicker and scratcher all the way. Anyway, the hissing is now replaced by plaintive meows of a cat in heat and all the males are trying to accomodate her of course, but thankfully with Eros at the vets, Fifi will be kitten free but next on the list to go to the vet, once she is no longer in heat, that is.

Then there is Lucy, who I thought was a she, was happily humping Fifi. Now that would be a first. a female humping a female? This is one of the earliest rescues from my colony and my fellow rescuer, felt since she was feral, would do better at my place, as most of ferals are not hiders, like Lucy was at her place. Well, Lucy will now be renamed Luke. It's been almost 2 years since he/she was rescued and spayed :)

My other colony kitty, Florida, was happily chewing on my bookmarks belonging to my new library books that my brother was kind enough to pick up for me from the bookmobile. So happily, I have some reading to do.

On my reading list are:

Patricia Cornwell. the Scarpetta Factor
Faye Kellerman, Blindman's Bluff
Tainted by Ross Pennie ( an author I have not read but it is a medical mystery which I enjoy)
James Patterson, Alex Cross's Trial

See a theme here? I love psychological or medical mystery and suspense.

But I also have Alicia Silverstone's new book, The Kind Diet. She is a vegan and I am a vegetarian, aspiring to become a vegan again. I have been a vegetarian for two years and last year reintroduced dairy back in my diet, along with fish, but I felt better when I was a vegan and also managed to lose about 30 pounds. So far her book seems pretty good. I am already 80 plus pages into it.

Then of course there are the animal themed books:

The Cats' House, based on that famous house designed for their felines. They have a website too. Very interesting and if I am feeling DYI, maybe I will get some ideas into action.

and finally, Animal House Style, people living with their pets and noticeably very minimalist, which my place is not. Maybe something to aspire to though.

Anyway, I think I am going to make myself a hot chocolate and curl up with one of my new books. Tomorrow is cleaning day.....

Meow for now <<..>>