Hi Cat Lover,
Here's what's in this issue:
Cat survives 34-story fall...
Therapy cats...
Pet food news...
Top Ten Pet names...
Cat trivia...
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NEWS FOR CAT LOVERS
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GOLD COAST, Australia -- A 7-year-old cat fell
34 stories from a penthouse apartment on Christmas Day,
according to the cat's owners, Sheree and Wayne
Washington.
The cat, named Voodoo, suffered only scratches to his ear,
mouth and paw and a bloodshot eye after his fall, which was
cushioned by a bush far below, according to The Daily Mail,
a British newspaper.
Sheree said she and her husband noticed Voodoo was
missing Monday night, but didn't search for him until the
next day, when she found him lying under the bushes...
shaken, but alive.
"All his Christmases have come at once," she said.
"I don't think Voodoo will be going close to the edge again."
(Note: Hmmm... how about putting up some kind of
protective barrier? )
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Well, we've all heard of therapy dogs, and even therapy horses,
but cats? Well why not? They are great therapy for me!
But seriously, some people are beginning to notice that cats
can help in ways that other animals cannot, and for conditions
that may be surprising. Here's an article about a father who
raised a child with autism and how getting a cat helped him
the most:
http://cats.about.com/od/youandyourcat/a/catsandautism.htm
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PET FOOD NEWS
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According to Petfood Industry.com, pet ownership is on the
rise, despite a very grim economy. While this means many people
can only (or even barely) afford the cheapest pet food, the
reasons for more pets in homes is likely related to the emotional
aspects of turmoil not in one's control.
Historically, when times are bad, people have felt an increased
need for security and companionship, which can be helped by
the presence of pets.
According to the market research firm, Packaged Facts, 54.4
million U.S. households owned dogs and/or cats in 2008, an
increase of 5 million since 2003.
This is good news to the pet food industry, as many companies,
old and new, gear up for greater production, with expectations of
more sales, especially at the lower economic levels.
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Thanks to everyone who sent me their comments on how the
economy has affected their pet food buying strategies. I am still
working on some articles on this subject. I haven't forgotten you!
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WEB SITES to explore
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http://www.packagedfacts.com (click on Pet Products & Services)
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http://hubpages.com/hub/Pet_Food_Ratings
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This just in... (thanks, Paul!)
Top 10 Dog and Cat names: http://bit.ly/15wt1
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A SMILE FOR YOU (MORE CAT TRIVIA)
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In 16th century Britain, male cats were referred to as
Gilbert, much like people today call them Tom. In time,
the name was shortened to Gib, or Gyb. Now, the term
"gib cat" has come to mean a male who has seen better days.
~^^~
Keep your eyes peeled: In some paintings of The Last
Supper, you will see a cat sitting by Judas's feet.
~^^~
In 10th century Wales, cats were revered for their ability to
protect harvested crops by catching rats and other pests.
Due to this high regard, an entire body of law was formulated
for their protection, and anyone found guilty of killing a cat
was fined and had to pay the cat's owner a sheep with a lamb,
or, enough corn to cover the cat. To get that measurement,
the cat was hung by the tail with its nose just touching the
ground. For some, that was a pretty deep pile of corn!
According to the same laws, if a couple separated, the
husband got the cat. (I wonder how many cats ran away
after being "measured!")
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Check out the video on my website, at the bottom of the page.
This one shows a cat performing a trick usually done by dogs!
http://www.theproblemcat.com
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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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here is where they are stored:
https://www.ymlp.com/pubarchive.php?catsgalore
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