Our cats have always been indoor cats — at least, as far as we know! We got both Turbo and Sage as kittens, but Kricket has a small bit of history from before we picked her up at the Humane Society that we know nothing about, and it’s possible she was an outdoor cat for a little while before we came along.

When we first brought her home she was constantly trying to get outside. At the time, we lived in an apartment on the second floor so this meant every time we opened the sliding door she’d try to bolt out onto the deck, which gave just about gave each of us a heart attack every time it happened.

Thankfully, she’s mellowed out and doesn’t seem to have any interest in going outside, the same as our other two. Turbo has wandered out into the backyard when we’ve left the door open (on purpose), and though he’ll poke around and sniff like crazy, if anything alarms him he darts back inside. We often joke that if he ever gets loose outside he wouldn’t last long — he’s way too friendly and trusting and probably wouldn’t know the first thing about getting his own food, instincts be damned.

Anyway, I was wandering around Amazon this morning and came across the Kittywalk Pet Gazebo, pictured above. Though there’s no way we’d spend that much on a mesh tent, I do see the benefit of one, especially for people who have cats that do like to be outside but don’t want said cats wandering off or endangering the local bird population.

Would your cats get use out of something like this?

[image: amazon]

Monkeysee has a great new set of videos on how to care for your newly adopted cat. Though a lot of the information is pretty basic — get a litter box, scooper, etc. — some of the ideas are surely things a new cat owner wouldn’t have thought of otherwise!

The video above, hosted by Dr. Kat Miller, a certified applied animal behaviorist at the ASPCA, gives an outline of the whole series, and describes the process and preparation as being similar to bringing home a new baby. She explains what should be done before, during and after bringing your new kitty home, as well as the supplies that will be needed to make for a smooth transition for both you and your cat.

The series has six segments, and includes: How to Cat Proof Your Home, How to Set Up a Safe Location for an Adopted Cat, Local Services for Cats, How to Adjust a New Cat to Your Home, How to Set a Routine for a New Cat, and How to Keep a Cat Safe and Healthy.

How much do you really know about cats? Aside from the fact that all they seem to do is nap, there are actually quite a less obvious ones too!

~ The normal body temperature of a cat is 102 degrees Fahrenheit. This explains a lot, especially when it’s already hot and the cats insist on laying on your lap anyway. We call them little portable furnaces.

~ A cat spends about 30% of its life grooming itself. Combined with the the remaining time spent sleeping, how do they fit in food and bathroom breaks?

~ A cat can recognize its owner’s foot steps from hundreds of feet away. This explains why Turbo comes running out to greet us, but the other two either stay put or run under the bed.

~ The life expectancy for a cat was 8 years in 1930. Today, that number has doubled to 16 years. I think this is great and due in large part to better vet/owner care, as well as more cat owners keeping their cats inside. I also seem to be hearing more anecdotal stories about peoples’ cats living to their early 20s now.

~ You can tell a cat’s mood by looking into its eyes. A frightened or excited cat will have large, round pupils. An angry cat will have narrow pupils. The pupil size is related as much to the cat’s emotions as to the degree of light. When Turbo is chasing bed mice, he gets huge eyes and puffs out his muzzle. We call it his kitten face.

~ It is a common belief that cats are color blind. However, recent studies have shown that cats can see blue, green and red. This is a new one to me - I’d read that dogs are colorblind, but didn’t know cats were considered to be as well.

~ Cats do not think that they are little people. They think that we are big cats. This influences their behavior in many ways. I’ve been telling my husband this for years, and it especially rings true when Turbo insists on grooming him when he gets out of the shower.

[source; image: flickr]

June is Adopt-A-Cat Month! American Humane has set aside the month of June to help spotlight the need for more homes for homeless cats, and pets in general.

With over 4 million cats ending up in shelters every year, American Humane is urging people to check out their local rescues and shelters instead of buying from pet stores or breeders.

Need a few reasons to adopt a cat?

~ Cats will keep you entertained with their playful antics.
~ Cats are very affectionate and love to cuddle with you.
~ Having a cat can reduce your blood pressure and prevent heart disease.
~ Cats are very clean — they bathe themselves!
~ Cats are independent and can be left alone while you are at work.
~ Cats do not need to be housebroken — using the litter box comes naturally to them.
~ Cats do not need a lot of space. They are perfect pets for apartments and smaller homes.
~ Taking care of a cat can help teach a child responsibility and humane values.
~ Cats get plenty of exercise living indoors. Just 15 minutes of playtime each day will satisfy a cat.
~ Approximately 4 million homeless cats end up in animal shelters every year in the United States. By adopting, you’ll be saving a life.

Some of my favorite shelter and rescue resources are:

~ Petfinder.com
~ ASPCA
~ Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
~ Save Our Strays
~ KittySites.com

Now, I wonder if I can talk my husband into needing just oooone more kitty….

[image: flickr]

This little kitten loves his broccoli so much that he has a fit if anything so much as threatens to take it away from him!

Captain Pugwash (love it!) growls and whines whenever he’s disturbed with the broccoli, and at one point he frantically tries to defend his treat when someone gets too close. This is a dangerous video to watch if you are currently at your cat capacity and can’t run out and adopt a kitten or two!

Do your cats have any interest in strange treats? Turbo will turn his nose up at pretty much any meat, but bring out a bag of tortilla chips and he will not leave you alone until he gets one.

There is only one thing that will send all the animals running to the kitchen. A stampede of three cats and two dogs (and three kids who get a kick out of watching) caused by the sound of our can opener. The funny thing about it, though, is that it’s a manual can opener - the kind you have to crank, and not very loud or noisy at all.

Turbo wants some tuna

There is a distinctive click as it bites into the can and though the grinding noise it makes as it works its way around the lid isn’t obnoxious like an electric opener, it’s just loud enough that five sets of ears perk up and come running, hoping for some of the water drained off from the can and into a bowl. Yep, even the dogs love it!

While the rest of the animals are content to wait their turn, Turbo is always right underfoot, meowing and clamoring to be the first at a chance for some tasty water.

I was trying to make tuna melts for dinner Saturday night, and not really in the mood to deal with all the animals in the kitchen, but Turbo was actually pretty patient (for Turbo — after all, I was standing there just taking pictures of him instead of getting to work!) so I buckled, and he got his treat of tuna water. After he had his fill, the rest of them came over for a few laps before wandering off themselves.

What special (and safe!) treats do your pets get?

If this isn’t right up my cats’ alley I don’t know what is! Not only is it a box (what cat doesn’t love exploring boxes?) but it’s also got a hammock inside to curl up in for their next catnap.

The SnoozePal is a cardboard box with cutouts that allow your cat to get in and out comfortably while still providing a little bit of privacy. The fleece-lined hammock is removable and can hold up to 20 pounds of kitty, while the top of the box itself can hold up to 80 pounds.

The box measures 21.5L x 15W x 16.5H inches and is recyclable! It retails for $34.95.

[image: CatAbove]

Want to share the Passover holiday with your pet but not sure how to? Many commercially made pet foods contain certain grains that are verboten during Passover.

KosherPets.com, however, has come up with a solution: Kosher pet food!

With food and treats available for both dogs and cats, the food claims to be free of wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt, making it acceptable for Passover. They also have a Passover Feeding Guide for Pets available [pdf]. You can also check out what’s new and what they have in the works.

The foods are available at brick-and-mortar stores and can also be ordered online.

[image: kosherpets.com]

I mentioned earlier this week that we’re dogsitting a friend’s dog until the weekend, and as sweet as she is the cats are still pretty wary of this large stranger. We sent the following picture to our friend’s cell phone to let him know things are going well.

I’m not a huge cat fan, but my pal Peggy is, which is maybe why she sent me this Offbeat tip about an Unbelievable Cat-friendly House Design from Japan.

Now, even though I’m far from pet friendly, I can’t helped but be impressed that someone would go to such kitty lengths in design. This home includes, “Open air cat walks, climbing steps, nooks throughout the house for cat hide-outs, cat doors in every door, extra space in the bathroom designed especially for a litter box, an enclosed deck area, and special fences to prevent cats from escaping.”

Some people really love their cats. See many more pictures, including a very odd cat-friendly bathroom.

Thanks to cat (and junk) loving Peggy for the tip.

[Image via Modern Cat]