Hi fellow Cat Lover,
Time for your second issue of the Kitty
Times for June:
In this issue:
June is Adopt-a-Cat Month...
Funny story...
Woman tries to sell tigers at Wal-Mart...
Diabetes in cats...
Therapeutic pet food news...
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NEWS FOR CAT LOVERS
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Wow, June is almost over and I just remembered something.
June is Adopt a Cat Month! How could I forget?
Maybe because every month is adopt-a-cat month for me?
Or because every DAY is love-a-cat day?
If you've been thinking about getting a cat for yourself,
or for someone you know who's been looking, this is a good
month to visit a local shelter. Sometimes they have adoption
discounts during this special time... maybe reduced spay or
neuter fees, or some bonuses with your new companion.
It's worth a look. There are so many with nowhere to go...
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Now here's a good story on ME. I live on a farm, so
every night before I go to bed, I like to "put the
house to bed" and be sure all the cats are OK. I stepped out
onto the back deck to say good night to the cats out
there, and was petting them good night as I filled
their water bowls.
As I reached down to pet one particularly fluffy-tailed
kitty, I realized that one didn't look familiar. I looked
more closely and... whoops! realized it was a skunk!
This little guy has been mingling with my cats, apparently,
and wasn't afraid of me. But I slowly backed up and went
back inside, trying not to appear flustered. It worked...
He finally just took off and ambled away. Whew!
Footnote: Unfortunately, the next night, the skunk
returned and the dogs noticed! They went nuts and chased
him. You can imagine what our entire property smelled
like all night... and most of the next day, too. Not
to mention the two dogs who got the worst of the spray.
Needless to say, they were not allowed to sleep inside
the house that night.
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Here is a video about a woman who was caught in the act
of trying to sell tiger cubs at a Wal-Mart on June 16:
http://www.yahoo.com/s/901244
If you can't view it, here is what happened:
Authorities, acting on a tip, apprehended a woman in a
Wal-Mart parking lot in McAllen, Texas today as she was
apparently trying to sell six tiger cubs. Four of them
are white, worth about $5,000 each, and two are orange,
which would bring about $900 each. It appears she was
trying to get them into Mexico, where there are few
laws about harboring exotic animals, and a busy market
willing pay high prices for them.
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HEALTH ISSUES
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Diabetes in cats is not a death sentence
If your cat develops diabetes, it's not the end of the
world. With a little help, it's very manageable at
home, even if you have to learn how to give injections.
Diabetic cats can live long and basically healthy lives,
just as people do with proper management.
How can you tell if your cat has diabetes? Signs include
excessive thirst and urination, as well as being
constantly hungry, yet still losing weight. Definitely
time to get your cat tested. If blood and urine tests
are positive, discuss home treatment plans with your vet.
-----------------------------------
It was reported this month that the Ohio Board of Pharmacy
announced their state law does not consider therapeutic pet
food to be a drug. Therefore, it requires no prescription from
a vet to buy or use it. It's also a federal regulation that
therapeutic pet foods do not have to be obtained only from a
veterinarian. This means pet foods with specific health
uses, such as urinary tract protection, can be bought and
sold by anyone. Just read the labels for proper use of the
product. Regulations do require that labels be accurate and
must state that the therapeutic value has not been evaluated
by the FDA.
-----------------------------------
In Nature, cats get most of their moisture from the blood in the
food (prey) they have hunted and caught. In your home, though,
you have to provide what they need. Because some cats with
certain health conditions (such as diabetes or kidney disease)
may need more moisture than normal healthy cats, it's advised
by many vets to feed more soft (canned) foods. If you're not
sure what your cat needs, do some research, ask your vet, and
you might want to offer both wet and dry to see which the cat
prefers. Find out if there is a special food that can help your
cat's condition.
And here's a little trick I use to encourage a cat to drink
more water: Place food and water bowls far apart... at
opposite sides of the room, or even in a different room. If
you ever watch wildlife documentaries on television, you might
notice that wild animals seldom, if ever, drink during a
"meal." They do one or the other, but they don't "set a table"
with the main course and beverages all in one place.
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WEB SITES to explore
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http://www.thebestcatfurniture.com
http://www.myhappycats.com/letsmove/
http://www.everypetmatters.com
http://www.7stepsto9lives.com
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A SMILE FOR YOU ;-)
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In the 1950s, for anyone who might remember,
there was a cartoon series about Sylvester and Tweety,
a black cat and a cute little yellow canary.
Mel Blanc, the man who provided both their voices,
recorded a song called, "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat,"
based on a famous line uttered by Tweety, the canary.
It was immediately popular and some say that record
stores were inundated with people buying the recording.
Does anyone remember this? I hate to admit it... but
I do...
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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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If you ever want to review past issues,
here is where they are stored:
https://www.ymlp.com/pubarchive.php?catsgalore
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