Hello Cat Lover!
Here's what's in this issue:
More pets being abandoned due to economy
Is pet insurance worth it?
More about the litter box... the eternal question
More cat food news...
Web sites and smiles...
Take action for justice for this kitten...
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NEWS FOR CAT LOVERS
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Sadly, the number of pets being surrendered at
shelters nationwide, as well as many just being
abandonded, has more than tripled in some areas,
according to this article:
http://bit.ly/TX8hn
For people who have not been forced to give up their pets,
like those who've lost their homes, many have had to cut
back on what they can spend on them.
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Does pet insurance really save money?
This is a question you have to answer yourself, based on what
your expectations are. If you're doing it to save money, that
might be the wrong way to think about it. After all, the monthly
premium could be $15 to $30, and if you just put that into a "pet
account," you'd have enough saved up over time to handle most
vet visits.
If you're looking to buy insurance, think about your pet's potential
needs, but don't expect insurance to cover routine procedures.
As a cat owner, we should find ways to prepare for the costs of their care
anyway.
Therefore, the real value of pet insurance might be the ability
to save your cat's life in the event of a very expensive emergency,
such as a vehicle accident, or the appearance of an unexpected
illness, such as cancer or diabetes. For many owners, those
problems usually result in euthanizing the cat to prevent him from
suffering, and/or because the owner can't afford the treatment or
surgery.
I have more information about pet insurance on my other web
site here: http://www.everypetmatters.com
When searching for just the right plan, visit this site for help:
http://www.PetInsuranceReview.com
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More about litter box issues:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/pettalk/2009-07-07-litter-boxes_N.htm
As always (and probably always will be), the most asked question
by cat owners involves the litter box... or, why their cat isn't using it.
Pet experts all seem to agree on the many possibilities, and that every
cat is different, requiring some attention from the owner to help address
the right issue.
I wrote an article on this subject a couple years ago, too:
http://www.theproblemcat.com/articles/elimination.html
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THE OOPS DEPARTMENT
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Good catch from Lee Wheeler..... thanks!
Susan Boyle sang I Dreamed a Dream, from the Phantom of
the Opera... NOT the musical, Cats. That's what I get for not
doing my own homework... I quoted what someone else said.
In my journalism days, that was a huge no-no. Mea culpa...
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CAT FOOD NEWS
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Whether you are on Twitter or not, you can still go read what someone
has been writing about. For instance, click on this link and read what
KittyMadGrrrr has to say about the Nutro petfood recall and other facts
about their handling of the problem.
http://twitter.com/kittymadgrrrr
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Meanwhile, I got this message from Bob, whose cat became sick
after eating Nutro petfood. (Thanks for the update and I'm glad your
cat is OK now, Bob.)
"No, neither Nutro or the consumer protection agency had gotten
back to me. However the good news is that our Moma cat is
better, no more vomiting. We put our kitties on Purina pro plan and
Science Diet mix. (Note: she's about 15 years old.)
The pet food store ... made good on the food so I cashed in on
some more expensive and likely the real deal formula for my furry friends.
Moma likes to climb and jump up to the ceiling height cat tower we
own to sleep most days, and comes in to sleep on a pillow above
my wife's head at night. This works because our dog Lucy sleeps
on the floor.
You are always in our prayers as we give thanks for your rescue
efforts that saved [Lucy's] life when she was known as "Freeway."
(Note: She was dumped by the side of the interstate and avoided
capture for many weeks, as she maintained a vigil for her owners to
return for her and never did. This is a very loyal dog!)
And thanks to your newsletter, we were able to change out the
Nutro food which helps us keep our cats healthy."
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Help Feed Shelter Animals
Don't forget to visit these sites as often as you can
to click on the shelter-feed links. There is no cost to you
to do this, but it can only be done once per day.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/ (Just click to donate)
http://pets.care2.com/i?p=868775137 (click to donate)
http://www.freekibblekat.com/ (Answer a trivia question...
even a wrong answer gives a donation.)
You can sign up for their daily reminders, too, if you need
a little nudge, like I do.
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WEB SITES to explore
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http://www.catvets.com/professionals/guidelines/publications/?Id=398
Download the ebook, Senior Cat Care Guidelines
ASPCA Guide to Pet-Safe Gardening - Link to full page:
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/pet-safe-gardening.html
http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/play/917149
ticks and flea treatment
http://www.theproblemcat.com/letsmove/
(How to move when you have pets)
http://www.thebestcatfurniture.com
(Because every cat deserves to be comfortable!)
http://www.everypetmatters.com
(Information about getting pet insurance)
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A SMILE FOR YOU
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Some cat trivia: Abraham Lincoln loved cats and had
4 of them while he lived in the White House (he also
had dogs, ponies, and rabbits).
--------- LATEST VIDEO ----------
Check out the video on my website, at the bottom of the page.
http://www.theproblemcat.com
(It shows a blind cat giving another cat a massage.)
---------------------------------
If you want to see more videos, go to my blog:
http://loveablecat.blogspot.com
and then go clear to the bottom of the page, where I have
a "Video Bar" with several cat videos that change out every
so often. So there is always a fresh one there in case
you need a cat video fix and can't wait for the next Kitty Times!
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TAKE ACTION TO HELP ANIMALS IN NEED
===================================
This section may contain stories that are potentially disturbing,
as they may be about abuse or other sad situations. They are presented
only if there is some action we can take, such as signing a petition.
No stories will be listed that are sad with no way to handle it.
If you do not wish to read about these, do not click on the links.
PLEASE WRITE to local officials about Cheyenne Cherry, to get
maximum penalties for her killing of this kitten:
http://tinyurl.com/n8yvr7
She goes to court on July 15. Please send your comments to
officials in time for them to read them, before a decision is reached.
Thanks!
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Do you have any interesting stories to share about your
cats? Send them in and I'll put them here in
this newsletter. (Include your name and website
if you have one, and I'll give you a "plug" for
your website. Or, anonymous is OK, too. It's
up to you.)
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they are stored:
https://www.ymlp.com/pubarchive.php?catsgalore
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