Snow Leopard Day 2020

Celebrate Snow Leopard Day.
Declared October 22, 2020, but they need support year around.

cool info about the elusive, beautiful snow leopard


Snow leopards in the wild is estimated between 4,080-6,590. They’re considered ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Zoos around the world have 600 in captivity.

April 2016 a female snow leopard was fitted with a GPS-tracking collar in the mountains of Nepal. WWF


Snow leopards prowl around in Asia’s north and central mountains: China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Russia, and Mongolia. In the Himalayas, they live above the tree line, up to 18,000 feet!

They have thick grey and yellowish fur, with spots on their head, neck, legs and tail.

Rosettes cover the rest of their body. Scientists identify individual snow leopards by their distinctive rosettes (a small spot with a ring around it).

Their front legs are shorter than the hind ones, enabling them to leap 50 feet long. Their paws are large and furry, and function like snowshoes.

Snow leopards usually have two or three cubs, but litters can be one to five. The cubs are born blind, and with thick coats. They open their eyes within seven days, but depend on their mother for at least a year.

snow leopard and cub
© David Lawson / WWF-UK

Snow leopards, like many wild cats in the world, are endangered by various human activity.

Hunting, habitat loss, retaliatory killings as a result of human-wildlife conflict, poaching and climate change are the biggest threats that snow leopards face. Snow leopard habitat range continues to decline from human settlement and increased use of grazing space.
World Wildlife Fund

Celebrate Snow Leopard Day.
We cat lovers can help snow leopards NOW!
Please read saveourspecies.org to get more information about snow leopards, and how to help.
Also, WWF adopt a snow leopard and snowleopard.org.
donations make great holiday gifts.

my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.

What if my cat doesn’t poop?

The kitty litter box is a significant part of domestic cats’ lives. They want it clean, and with multiple cats, enough of them. So part of our routine, as cat parents, is making sure their litter boxes are frequently scooped. The litter box is also a way to monitor our cat’s health. So, what if we discover our cat hasn’t pooped in two or three days? What if we find ourselves asking, “What if my cat doesn’t poop?” If you’re wondering about this, consider it a potentially serious question.

Prince, the cat
Prince, photo by Joan Bedor

A friend to My Kitty Care told us about their handsome cat, Prince.

Prince hadn’t pooped for nearly three days, so they tried Miralax, which is safe for cats. Just sprinkle some onto their wet food.

But Prince’s pet parents realized they had a more serious problem when Prince hadn’t pooped by the fourth day. They were very concerned. They took him to their vet.

First, they needed to make sure their cat didn’t have a disease in which constipation is a symptom: kidney disease, or tumors, for example. In extreme cases, the colon’s nerves are damaged because of prolonged impacted feces, and surgery may be necessary to remove the effected section of colon.

Another condition, is blockage from hairballs or a swallowed object. (That’s why every Christmas, I repost dangers of gift wrapping for cats.)

Turned out, Prince required several enemas to clear his colon out. According to their vet, he was dehydrated, and had “fecal balls,” which also had hair in them. When they got Prince home, it was messy, so take heed. If this happens to your cat, expect the enemas to take effect and be prepared: have towels, wee wee pads and the litter box available and ready. Happily, he got better. His parents altered his diet by decreasing his dry food, and increasing quality wet food, adding water to make gravy.

Other things can cause constipation: not enough exercise, or fiber in their diet, or water; stress; even arthritis, because of difficulty with movement. The chart below, although kind of gross, is actually very useful:

SymptomAppearanceFrequencyPossible causes
ConstipationSmall, hard, dry poopLess than once a dayDehydration, megacolon, dietary issues
ConstipationSmall, hard, dry poop that has a lot of hairLess than once a dayHairballs, over-grooming
ConstipationThin, ribbon-like poopLess than once a dayColon problems, like a tumor
DiarrheaBlack, tarry, runny poopIt variesStomach or intestinal bleeding. Call the vet right away
DiarrheaSmelly, pudding-like poop2-3 times dailyFood intolerances, inflammatory bowel disease
DiarrheaGooey poop filled with mucusMultiple times dailyToo little fiber; colitis
DiarrheaSoft, frothy, greasy poop with mucusIt variesParasites
from petmed

The kitty litter box is an effective means to keep an eye on our cat’s health. And always, keep their box(es) clean!

my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.

does bathing your cat help with allergies?

We love our cats, so for those of us who have cats as part of our family, but are allergic to their dander, is there any remedy? Bathing might help with allergies.

Let’s start with:

Why am I allergic to cats? The culprit is Fel d1, which all cats produce.

?? What is Fed d1?

Male cats produce more Fed d1 than female cats, but if your male cat is fixed, he’ll have less than tomcats. Yet bred, and length of fur, doesn’t alter amount of Fed d1 your cat produces much.

You can bathe your cat, but apparently in about 2 days, the Fed d1 will return to pre-washing levels.
from National Center Biotechnology Information

So let’s talk about Purina’s newest product line, Liveclear. In addition to Liveclear food, there’s a Liveclear shampoo. This might be interesting…

from chewy.com: Using the dry shampoo on an as-needed basis, only reduces the allergens in cat hair and dander temporarily between applications, correct?

Answer: The average allergen reduction is approximately 33% up to 24 hours after applying LiveClear shampoo.
Jun 8, 2020

questions & answers on chewy.com

I started this post, prepared to buy the shampoo, but now not so enthusiastic. It seems the real difference between regular bathing vs. Purina’s Liveclear shampoo, isn’t effectiveness, it’s ease of use because it’s rinse-free. That certainly is a benefit, since most cats are not happy being dunked in water. Unless you have a Turkish Van (a breed that LIKES to swim!). So actually, the rinse-free aspect might be enough to make this product a viable option.

But let’s see if this stuff works. Fingers crossed.

Has anyone used Purina Liveclear shampoo?
Please let my kitty care know.

Thanks for helping

my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.

Except for Love Your Cat bags, by My Kitty Care, on Etsy.

Update on Purina’s cat food to help people allergic to cats

Purina gets credit for their ambitious project, which we eagerly waited to be available. My Kitty Care first reported on Purina’s research, back in August, 2019. The post new research for people allergic to cats explains how and why we’re allergic to cats (including what Fel d 1 is) and Purina’s innovative cat food solution. For anyone who loves chemistry, and is interested in a complicated explanation about dander and secretoglobin, sciencedirect.com is a satisfying read. Admittedly, a bit much for me.

It took years to develop, but Purina finally released their new cat food LiveClear, in the USA around April, 2020. Based on our research, this is the only cat food product on the market designed specifically for people with dander allergies. So here’s the update on Purina’s cat food to help people allergic to cats.

The product is a dry cat food, in three flavors: turkey for sensitive skin and stomach, chicken and rice formula, or salmon. The short version of how LiveClear works: cats who eat the kibble, consume a particular protein from eggs, which neutralizes the Fed D1 protein (the allergen that causes misery to those of us allergic to cats) found in cat saliva.

On Purina’s website, the company claims:

“LiveClear is a revolutionary cat food shown to reduce the allergens in cat hair and dander by an average of 47% starting in the third week of daily feeding.”

Purina pet food company

According to Kurt Venator, Chief Veterinary Officer at Purina, “The beauty of Pro Plan LiveClear is that it reduces cat allergens in cat hair and dander without impacting the physiology of the cat. Because scientists don’t know exactly why cats produce Fel d 1, our goal was to neutralize it rather than inhibit its production.” A 6-month safety study also showed that the egg product ingredient coating the LiveClear kibble is completely safe for cats to eat. The action happens in the cat’s mouth, but once swallowed, the ingredient is digested like any other protein.

provided by PR newswire, a Public Relations company

So now that’s it’s available to the public, does it work? We waited for our update, to give enough time for the product to be tried, and reviewed. We wanted to find unbiased reviews, which meant we decided to avoid Purina’s own website. So on chewy.com, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Most of the negative reviews were due to cats not liking the product, and simply not eating it. Sounds like something my cats would do.

My Kitty Care is ignoring Petco’s reviews, because they are all from purina.com, so it’s promo rather than proper evaluation. Same situation on petsmart.com.

So cat lovers, please, if you’ve tried Purina’s LiveCLear, it would be helpful for all cat lovers to read your honest opinion, which we’d love to share on my kitty care.

Please take this poll to help cat lovers with allergies

Thanks. Our poll is independent of any promotional or sponsored associations. It is only to help other cat lovers who need cat allergy help. Like us.

Thanks Kkdf for answering our poll about Purina’s LiveClear food

Name: Kkdf

Have you tried Purina’s LiveClear cat food?: no, but I plan on trying it

January 12, 2022


Thanks Tracy for answering our poll about Purina’s LiveClear food.

Name: Tracy A D.

Have you tried Purina’s LiveClear cat food?: no, but I plan on trying it

December 19, 2021 at 6:46 am




my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.

happiness is baby and cat together

What makes everyone happy?

Babies and cats! Especially, a baby and cat together. Our niece’s baby, Jameson, is the happiest kid! He’s surrounded by love. His mother and grandmother are attentive and caring. Marky the cat loves him too. Just look at this baby and cat together. Also, we’re reminded about how the baby will benefit from contact with the cat, Marky. Read kids & allergies to cats

Jameson and Marky love being together. So happiness is baby and cat together