Where’s Mergatroid?

Winter was almost over. The sun was getting warmer and Mergatroid liked to lie on the window sill to soak up the heat. It felt so good on his body! Not only that, he could watch everything going on outside. The snow was melting; people were out walking. Some of them even had dogs with them. Mergatroid was glad that he was inside because he didn’t really care for dogs.

One day the family decided it was time to do some cleaning. Not just regular cleaning, but washing and shampooing everything. The kids were in charge of their rooms while Mom and Dad worked on the living room. It took all day, but they washed the walls and the ceiling, dusted the furniture and were ready to shampoo the carpet when they realized that nobody had seen Mergatroid for a long time. They looked all over the house and in every room, but he was not to be found. Where was he?

When they finally found him, they had learned a very valuable lesson!

Feeding Your Pets During the Holidays-Part 2

Okay, we were talking about foods dangerous for your pets during the holiday season. So far, we’ve covered fruitcake, ham or turkey skin, nuts, and raw dough, etc. for baking. There are four more to be aware of.

5. Onions and Garlic

Garlic tends to be more toxic than onions, however both can lead to anemia if ingested in sufficient quantities, and contrary to popular belief, cooking them does not lower their toxicity. This is especially dangerous for dogs.

6. Alcohol

NO type of this is good for your pet. Don’t think this needs much explanation. :>)

7. Nutmeg

Sweet potatoes and pumpkin, in appropriate doses, are a healthy treat. But you will want to take special precautions and make sure that neither of those have nutmeg on them before feeding. Nutmeg can cause seizures if your pet consumes it alone or as an ingredient in sweet potatoes or pumpkin, and in extreme cases can even lead to death.

8. Cooked Bones

I talked about this before, but it’s worth repeating.Many may think that giving your pet the bone from the turkey or ham is an excellent way to include them in the holiday meal, but cooked bones prove to be more dangerous than they are delicious. Cooked bones could splinter inside your pet’s digestive tract and cause major internal problems. Avoid leaving cooked bones anywhere near your pet’s reach, and quickly dispose of any leftovers after the meal to avoid a costly trip to the vet and an unpleasant experience for your pet.

Keeping a close eye on your furbaby during the Christmas meal, or even allowing them to relax safely in another room, is a good rule of thumb for the holidays. When in doubt, keep them in a safe area while the festivities are going on, and always supervise them around Christmas decorations and treats. Keep these potential dangers in mind and both you and your pets will have a wonderful holiday season! Happy Holidays!

Marion Lovato is the author of Sam, the Superkitty. Her book describes an ordinary cat changing into a superhero to protect his family from things that go bump in the night. Available on Amazon as a paperback or Kindle edition. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1604588667

What Do You Feed Your Pets During the Holidays?

Thought it would be a good idea to brush up on some holiday foods that are definite NOs for your pet. You may have seen these before, but there may be some new ones you haven’t thought of. I’ll be talking a couple of times on this subject because Christmas is not that far away.

Fruitcake

A holiday fruitcake is a long-standing (and often dreaded) holiday gift and treat. The ingredients in fruitcake, although delicious, are actually extremely dangerous to your pets. Grapes and raisins are associated with the development of kidney failure in some pets who have ingested them.

Turkey or Ham Skin

A turkey or ham is a staple at almost every holiday feast. But did you know that foods high in fat, like the turkey and ham skin, can actually be very harmful for your pet? The skin holds onto all of the butter, spices, marinades, and oils that were used to cook the meat. This makes it very hard to digest. Meat soaked strings leftover from a holiday ham or roast should be thrown away and taken out to the garbage immediately, as they are extremely tempting for a pet to ingest. These can get tangled inside the intestines and require surgery. Also a no-no are cooked bones which can become brittle causing them to splinter into sharp edges and are known to get stuck in the teeth, causing choking hazards when caught in the throat or cause a puncture of the stomach lining or intestinal tract.

Nuts

These are especially risky for dogs. Macadamia nuts in particular can cause discomfort. Put the bowl in an unreachable place.

Baking Essentials: Chocolate, Dough, And Batter

Baking Christmas cookies is a beloved family tradition that many look forward to all year. Keeping your pet out of the kitchen while you prepare those delicious Christmas desserts is a smart idea. Even small amounts of chocolate can harm them, and dough can actually rise inside of their bellies, which causes stomach pain. Spare batter contains uncooked eggs, which are always a risk for Salmonella.

Of course, telling your pet no doesn’t always mean that they agree!

You may also get these reactions!

So, please watch that your pets don’t get any of these foods. We don’t want them to be sick for the holidays!

Another thing to remember:

We’ll talk about four more foods in the coming weeks..

Why Your Cat Will Play With Just About Anything

For humans, summer is the time to play and relax as much as possible. Go camping, golfing, fishing, take a vacation or whatever you choose to do to unwind. Cats have the luxury of being able to play every day regardless of the weather or where they are living. According to a cat behavioral consultant, Daniel Quaghozzi, from San Francisco, most domestic cats are pretty bored. We, as humans, underestimate the amount of interactive play they need on a daily basis. We get excited about a brand new toy we’ve bought them, but most of the time, they prefer the packaging it came in! Sound familiar?

Let’s take a look at some cats playing with THEIR choice of toys.

They get their exercise for the day playing with this.

Nice try, but not a good excuse!

Cardboard is always a favorite toy.

Don’t think you’d want to see this!

Or this!

Sometimes you might not even know they’ve been playing around unless………

Sometimes they want to play with “little humans”.

They might get a surprise when they play with adults.

And, of course, there’s always the dog.

To sum up, cats don’t always get excited to play with the toys we think they should.

Sometimes our cats can be too curious for their own good. And while it’s fun to watch them turn just about anything into a toy, we have to be careful about what they can get their paws on. Stringlike objects, such as yarn, can cause intestinal blockages or strangulation. Plastic bags can suffocate and the handles can get caught on a cat’s neck. Small objects could be chocking hazards. Always use your good judgement.

What kind of everyday materials does your cat like to play with? Would love to hear your stories.

Answers to Is YOUR Cat a HOT Mess?

Last week was a quiz from the Catster Magazine. There were four answers to each question. Let’s see what the magazine said about your choices.

1. Your weather app indicates it’s going to be a scorcher of a day. Your home isn’t air conditioned, so how do you keep your cat comfortable?

a. Place fans near their favorite resting spots as well as food and water dishes. (Excellent)

b. Place one fan by their food and water dishes so they can feel cool while they drink and eat. (Good)

2. You have to leave for several hours, and the temps are escalating. What kind of cool treat should you leave for your kitty?

a. Leave catsicles in their dishes. (Excellent) This is frozen cat food.

b. Refrigerated cat food. (Good)

3. The heat is boiling and even indoor cats have an increased need for fresh water during the summer months. How do you keep your cat’s water dish cool and refreshing while you’re away from home?

a. Place ice cubes in a cat fountain which provides a constant flow of oxygenated water. (Excellent)

b. Place ice cubes in your cat’s water bowl. (Good)

4. Signs of heatstroke include panting, lethargy, drooling, fever, vomiting, and collapsing. How do you protect your cat’s rising body temp from the dog days of summer?

a. Place frozen water bottles in their cat bed and other regular resting places. (Excellent)

b. Regularly rub your kitty with a cool washcloth. (Good)

5. Your cat needs comfortable places to sleep during a heat wave. How do you help that hot cat find his cool while you’re gone for the day?

a. Make sure rooms with cool floors, like basements, are readily available. (Excellent)

b. Move kitty’s food and litter box to the bathroom creating a cozy sanctuary with cool sinks and tubs for napping. (Good)

6. Families can become busy during the summer, but cats still need play and interaction. What’s the best way to keep your cat active during hot weather?

a. Encourage play during the cooler hours of the morning and evening. (Excellent)

b. Place their interactive toys in the coolest parts of your home. (Good)

7. It’s unavoidable. You have to take your cat on a long car ride, and the heat is miserable. What’s your plan?

a. Keep the air conditioning blasting in the car so you and kitty don’t melt. (Excellent)

b. If there’s no AC in the car, attach a portable fan to the carrier. (Good)

If you are doing all of the above things to keep your kitty comfortable during even the hottest days, you’re on top of what it takes. Good for you!! A answers are what you want to strive for. Look into purchasing a water fountain; it’s a good investment. The C and D answers on last week’s quiz indicate that your cat is very uncomfortable and you need to make some improvements. Sometimes…………..

Hope this helps with some ideas for keeping your cat cool. Do you do any of these things already or do you have some other ideas? Let us know.

Is YOUR Cat a HOT Mess?

It really has been HOT here lately. Don’t have central air, so the cats and I are looking for cool places to be. Do have an air conditioner in a living room window which helps, but it hit 95 here yesterday! We don’t normally get to those kind of temperatures until August. As I was looking through my Catster magazine, I found an article about keeping your cats cool. Will share with you and see what answers you would give.

1.Your weather app indicates it’s going to be a scorcher of a day! Your home isn’t air conditioned, so how do you keep your cat comfortable?

a. Place fans near their favorite resting spots as well as food and water dishes.

b. Place one fan by their food and water dishes so they can feel cool while they drink and eat.

c. Take deep breaths and blow cool air on them throughout the day.

d. Nothing special; cats are adaptable.

2. You have to leave for several hours, and the temps are escalating. What kind of cool treat should you leave for your kitty?

a. Catsicles (wet food that’s been frozen in plastic cups and then put into your cat’s dish)

b. Refrigerated wet cat food.

c. Plain water is just fine for a cooldown.

d. A banana milkshake obviously.

3. The heat is boiling, and even indoor cats have an increased need for fresh water during the summer months. How do you keep your cat’s water dish cool and refreshing while you’re away from home?

a. Place ice cubes in a cat fountain, which provides a constant flow of oxygenated water.

b. Place ice cubes in your cat’s water bowl.

c. Give your cat fresh, cool water right away in the morning, when you get home, and before you go to bed.

d. Give your cat fresh, cool water right away in the morning. Good enough!

4. Signs of heatstroke include panting, lethargy, drooling, fever, vomiting, and collapsing. How do you protect your cat’s rising body temp from the dog days of summer?

a. Place frozen water bottle in your cat’s bed and other regular resting places.

b. Regularly rub you kitty down with a cool washcloth.

c. Fill up a baby pool, and let it take a dip.

d. Grab electric clippers, and start shavin’ the kitty coat!

5. Your cat needs comfortable places to sleep during a heat wave. How do you help that hot cat find its cool while you’re gone for the day?

a. Make sure rooms with cool floors, like basements, are easily accessible.

b. Move kitty’s food and litter box to the bathroom creating a cozy one-room sanctuary with cool sinks and tubs for napping.

c. Move your cat’s beds away from areas that heat up quickly.

d. Close the windows so warm air stays outside.

6. Families can become busy during the summer, but cats still need play and interaction. What’s the best way to keep your cat active during hot weather?

a. Encourage play during the cooler hours of the morning and evening.

b. Place their favorite interactive toys in the coolest parts of your home.

c. Dance with them in front of an open freezer.

d. Who wants to be active when it’s hot?

7. It’s unavoidable; You have to take your cat on a long car ride, and the heat is miserable. What’s your plan?

a. Keep the air conditioning blasting so you and kitty don’t melt.

b. If there’s no AC, attach a portable fan to the carrier.

c. Make sure he drinks plenty of water before the ride.

d. Drive really fast so the trip is as short as possible.

What answers did you pick? Some were so funny you knew they weren’t right, but that’s okay. Next week we’ll discuss the best way to help your cool cat keep its cool. If I have enough people respond, I can report that too. Let me know what you think.

Have a Slap-Happy Fourth of July

Today is Independence Day, more commonly known as the 4th of July. Time for picnics, for families/friends to spend time with each other, and for fireworks. Personally, I don’t like the fireworks part unless it’s a professional display run by the Fire Department or other professionals. Have been around too many people who don’t use any common sense with them. Have some suggestions about keeping your kitty safe and as comfortable as can be in spite of the loud noises. If the sound of fireworks is loud to us, imagine how uncomfortable that is for your pet since their hearing is so much more sensitive than ours.

Even if your cat is an indoor cat, it’s a good idea that they wear a collar with an identification tag that includes your name and telephone number. Even better is a microchip. Be sure to register the microchip or it won’t be of any help. Terrified animals may end up miles from home.

Keep your cat inside with you during the evening or leave them at home if you’re going to a neighborhood party. Those who are terrified of all the ruckus can be left in a room with no windows and a locked door. This should help to tone down the noise and also prevent escape if they panic. Taking your cat to a neighbor’s picnic can lead to all kind of things happening depending on the level of noise, number of people, food or alcohol being served. They’re much safer at home.

Block outside sights and sounds by lowering the blinds and turning on the television. Play soothing music in the background to counteract the noise of the fireworks.

Keep sparklers, candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in pets.

Never use fireworks around pets! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious pets, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.

Last, but not least, if your pet seems fearful or anxious, spend some time with them. Loving them can help. Distracting them sometimes works, but not always. Remember not to yell at them. They are already afraid; they need some quiet loving time.

You can also try desensitizing your cat to loud sounds, such as fireworks and thunder. There are a number of places on the Internet where you can find recordings of these sounds that you can play for your cat to slowly accustom them to the sound. I have to laugh every time I think of the last fireworks show here in town. We are only about three blocks from the fairgrounds where they’re being shot off. Fireworks are blasting away with booms shaking the house. My mother is the one who wants to crawl under the bed; Sammy and Kirby were eating away like nothing was happening! Guess eating was more important than being afraid. :>) That will probably be the case again this year! What stories do you have to tell about your 4th of July experiences with your pet(s)?

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Marion's Superkitty Tales and Children's Books

Author of Children's Books and Lover of Cats

pet emergencies