Cat uses collar to drink

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 Cat uses collar to drink

On those those rare occasions when I think ‘my cat is STOOPID!’ (of course I would never say it, and as far as I know my cat can’t read. At least English) I’m going to remember this clip of cat uses collar to drink because the cat with the collar is resourceful – and just so dang cute!

Meanwhile, less rare are the times when I think humans ARE stupid, especially myself.

 

BTW, I wondered about the collar the kitty is wearing in the video. I didn’t even know what the collar is called. The collar this poor guy is wearing is called an Elizabethan collar, better known as an E-collar.

cat wearing E-collar

cat with E-collar

it’s used on a cat who has an injury, or had surgery, to protect the wound so that the cat can’t lick it or scratch at it, enabling the wound to heal. Apparently it’s not so easy to properly put an E-collar on a cat yourself. Your vet really should do it – which means it stays on your cat for as long as the healing process takes.

for more information about E-collars, go to vca hospitals, a network of over 600 animal hospitals across 41 states, and 4 in Canada.

 

bubble cat carrier backpack

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 what’s a bubble cat carrier backpack?

Jeez, that’s all we need are more cat carriers. OK, so we know the backpack part, but the bubble part piqued my interest – what is a bubble cat carrier?  U-pet has designed a series of cat carriers that made me stop, look, laugh and say “I want one of those! Maybe…”

cat carrier backpack with bubble window

bubble cat carrier backpack by u-pet

 

 

 

There are three versions of carriers: a cross body, a backpack and a style u-pet calls sport series. Each style offers limited color choices. The best part is, they all have the bubble window.

 

 

u-pet has designed three versions:

u-pet red cat carrier with bubble window

u-pet red cat carrier

 

 

 

 

 

the backpack A series, $99
in 3 more colors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cross body A series cat carrier,
for $99

 

u-pet sport cat carrier

u-pet sport cat carrier

the u-pet sport series cat carrier comes in yellow or pink, for $79

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guess what my cat Toby is getting for Christmas…just in time for winter travel.

contact info for u-pet
www.U-pet.com
147-39 Cherry Ave,
Flushing, NY 11355

+1 646 661 7332         +1 646 661 7331
MY KITTY CARE

broken tail on a cat

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broken tail on a cat can be serious

I didn’t know how serious a broken tail on a cat can be until I came upon this column from Dr. Vallard Forsythe, a vet in Somona, CA.

Tale of a Broken Tail, by Vallard C. Forsythe, DVM

Dear Dr. Forsythe:  I recently heard about a cat whose tail got pulled really hard and it caused him all sorts of problems.  Since my friend mentioned you were the vet taking care of that cat, could you please tell me a little about how serious that problem is?  I hope it never happens to my cat.
Robert, Sonoma

Dear Robert:  Thanks for your interest.  The problem you are inquiring about is called “pulled tail syndrome” and it can happen whenever a cat’s tail is pulled very hard or for a prolonged period of time. Commonly it is caused by traction on the tail in a road traffic accident, but other causes are accidents in sliding glass and garage doors.  Such tragic traumatic injuries result in serious and painful injury and a guarded prognosis depending on how serious the injury is when they present to the doctor.
Kitties with this problem that are brought to the veterinarian usually have a flaccid, paralyzed tail.  Depending on how severe the injury is, they may also have urinary and fecal incontinence along with loss of sciatic nerve function.  Often times the owner thinks that the cat has a “broken tail,” but X-rays and a thorough physical exam reveal a deeper problem with more damage. In more severe cases, cats are unable to use their hind legs and can only move around by crawling with their front ones.  If their bladder is affected, they don’t have “tone” in it and cannot actively urinate, so as the bladder fills up the poor kitty simply dribbles urine when its totally full.
Needless to say, this is a stressful and serious problem for both cat and owner alike.  If the bladder and anus lack tone, it is necessary to “express” the cat several times a day to assist them in elimination.  Manual expression of the urinary bladder is essential to prevent infections from setting in and encouraging the bladder to regain tone as the pet hopefully heals.  Reportedly, 60 percent of cats will regain sensation within a month of injury, provided they get the proper rest and nursing they need.  Cats who are still unable to urinate on their own after 30 days usually never do.
For pets with a less serious injury or those who are lucky enough to regain urinary function but still have a flaccid, lifeless tail, amputation is necessary to prevent further injury.  The “dead” tail is a hazard hanging off the pet and should be removed surgically when the pet is in good enough condition to withstand anesthesia.  The tail is docked where the dislocation occurred, leaving a “bobbed” appearance and an otherwise normal, healthy kitty cat.
The patient I have that suffered this terrible injury is a wonderful black kitty who we think might have been hit by a car. He spent a lot of time in the hospital, but now he is recovering well and gets stronger every day. While he was a patient here, he stole our hearts and used his meows to remind us that we were all part of his recovery team and his personal staff.
Last week, he was well enough to go home to his human, and reports are that he very happy to be the king of his castle again.  At last check, this most impressive feline was preparing a long Christmas list for his doting father to fill in its entirety.  Thanks for your question!

– published in the Sonoma Valley Sun newspaper.

This is helpful information if we ever have or see an injured cat; at least now I know a broken tail is potentially much more serious than I thought. Thank you, Dr. Forsythe.

 

missing cat? kitty convict

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missing cat? kitty convict:
orange is the new cat collar

OK, what’s an orange collar got to do with a missing cat? You’ve probably heard about Orange is the New Black, but have you heard about the Kitty Convict Project? It’s an idea from The Oatmeal, an online comic website by Matthew Inman who claims “Everything on my website was written, drawn and coded by Matthew Inman.” He’s also the guy who wrote the #1 New York Times Best Selling book, How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You, which I have heard of (OK, and read). Inman came up with the Kitty Convict Project after he created his very popular card game, Exploding Kittens. “Basically” Mr. Inman said, ” we had a really successful game and we wanted a way to give back in a creative way … something where I could actually solve a problem. It’s our form of cat atonement. Catonement.” The problem Mr. Inman is referring to is about missing or lost cats, especially indoor cats. He decided branding the cat in orange, like a convict, just might work.
He recently launched The Kitty Convict Project – The idea is to put an orange collar on your cat, preferably with an ID tag. Orange is bright and reflective and it will brand your cat as an INDOOR CAT. So anyone who sees a cat running around outdoors in an orange collar, will know that they have escaped – like a convict.

the kitty convict project

The kitty convict project

“I don’t know if it will work, it’s a tall order,” Inman told Susan Wyatt, KING 5 News. Seattle, Washington. “We’re asking the world to change their perception of what a collar should be.”

statistics show that in the U.S.A:

  • more than 7 million pets go missing each year.
  • 26 percent of dogs are reported and returned home
  • less than 5 percent of cats are recovered.

Why the disparity?

1.More dogs have ID collars than cats

2.Cats are better at hiding – when your kitty gets lost, often he’s scared, sick or injured and doesn’t want to be found. (Two-thirds of cats that go missing are found within 4-5 houses of where they live.)

3.When people see a dog running around the neighborhood they assume it’s lost. When people see a cat running around the neighborhood they just assume it’s an outdoor cat so it never gets reported.

Inman has partnered with GoTags to create two orange collars. “We took revenue from our game sales and we subsidized the cost,” he said. The Kitty Convict Project has gone viral. “The Facebook post reached 10 million in 5 hours,” he said.

Mr. Inman figured a project like this would make him “square with the cats of the world.”

Kat Albrecht, founder of Missing Pet Partnership, says that getting owners to put collars on indoor cats is great. “Many owners of indoor-only cats just assume that they DON’T need to put a collar or identification on their cats because they never let their cats outside,” she said. “However, indoor-only cats are the MOST at risk of not getting back home when they escape outside because they hide in silence and their owners give up too soon. When these cats ultimately end up being taken in to the animal shelter (by a neighbor), the owner has long since given up on searching for them. That’s why a microchip (in addition to an orange collar) is needed.”

According to Missing Pet Partnership, three major reasons why cats are not reunited with their owners:

1. Owners rely on flyers and social media when an indoor cat is likely hiding in silence very close to their escape point, and a physical search is critical to uncover where the cat is hiding.

2. People stop searching too soon. Cats are great at hiding in silence, especially indoor cats, so they can hide for several weeks and end up in a shelter long after the owner has stopped searching – never give up hope.

3. Many people believe that their cat must have been killed by local wildlife, such as coyotes or owls/eagles, and they give up the search. This is most often not the case, and without evidence of predation (e.g. the cat’s remains), people should not assume the worst and give up the search. Many, many cats are found safe weeks and months after going missing.

In conclusion, putting a collar on our cats is helpful, a collar with tags even better, and this kitty convict – orange is the new cat collar is the best.

 

 

 

 

cat converts husband – who doesn’t like cats

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cat converts husband – who doesn’t like cats!

Janna and Bruce live in Idaho. She’s a pilot and he’s a photographer. They have a sweet dog, Booger, who Bruce tolerates. Janna, however, loves animals. She grew up with animals, including chickens, and always wanted chickens of her own. She now has four. Harvey (a female chicken) is gleefully perched upon Janna’s head.

woman with chicken on her head

Janna and her chicken, Harvey
photo by Bruce Greenhalgh

Her Husband Bruce has many interests, but animals aren’t one of them. Until Soda came along. Six months ago, Soda found Janna and Bruce. Janna was pleased, Bruce, not so much. In fact, he wanted “that cat outta the house!” It didn’t take long before Janna noticed Bruce giving Soda a pet, or a treat.

kitty converts husband

Soda – who could resist this cutie?
photo by Janna

Now, Soda, Janna and Bruce, and their dog Booger, all live happily under one roof.

husband with cat

Bruce with Soda
photo by Janna

Bruce won’t say he’s added interest in cats, yet, while he’s petting Soda.