Recent Articles

We’ve all heard legends about toilet-trained cats. Most famously in the hit comedy Meet the Parents , potty trained cats are one of life’s little mysteries. After all, cats act so smart; we just know that they could use the toilet if they wanted to. Maybe that explains why toilet trained cats have become an underground [...]

Imagine your cat slinking across the back yard homing in on a targeted prey with slow, measured steps until the pounce occurs! Yum, dinner! You would hear the crunch of mouse bones rather than the crackle and crunch of dry cat food. This natural behavior tells us a good deal about what our cats’ need for [...]

Curiosity killed the cat. There is a reason that expression exists, morbid though it may seem. Cats are naturally curious creatures. They like to stalk small animals and explore out-of-the-way terrain. There are, however, many poisons they need to avoid. You can learn what to do in the unfortunate even that [...]

Our cats, Barthélemy and Marcabrun, are in for a major change. My husband and I are preparing to sell our house, buy a passage-making trawler to live aboard and sail to as many places in the world as we can. And wherever we go, so go our feline pals. So I’ve started researching what we [...]

It might be the tug at your heartstrings. It might be a feeling that your cat is slowing down. Maybe your cat has lost his appetite or willingness to labor across the floor to the water dish. Somehow a pet owner just knows when the time in coming near. Easing those last days is a labor [...]

Cats usually like riding in the car about as much as they like taking baths. Whether you’re making a cross-country move, or you couldn’t leave your kitty home from the family vacation, the day may come when your cat has to get in the car. Fear not, there are tips to help make it easier [...]

As a cat fancier, you love your pet, but did you know that cats have been worshiped throughout many parts of the world? In fact, in some countries, cats still hold an important position in society, venerated in ancient texts and teachings. Even the Babylonian Talmud speaks of the admirable traits ascribed to cats and [...]

When bringing home a new cat or kitten, owners often consider declawing the animal for various reasons: to prevent damage to furniture, to avoid the cat’s scratching family members during play, or to minimize injury to other pets and animals from an aggressive cat. While some owners ultimately decide to have their pet declawed, along [...]

There are many different cat breeds around the world, and several look pretty much alike, basically. They might be a different color, or have longer hair, or have a larger body, but many don’t have a physical characteristic separating it from its cousins. There are a few breeds, however, that really stand out. Even from [...]

Gone are the days of leaving out an extra bowl of food for Fiffi von Fuzzy Paws before departing for your cruise. Now, options for ensuring your precious cat is cared for in your absence are endless. And, choices run the gamut from bare essentials to putting your cat up in accommodations that rival luxury [...]

If it hadn’t been for the common house cat, the human populations in European countries might have been completely wiped out hundreds of years ago by the Black Plague, also known as the Black Death. It raged across the continent sporadically for four hundred years, leaving widespread devastation and death in its path. It is [...]

Every cat owner faces a series of health care decisions for their animal. Vaccines are a very important part of health management in cats. Just like in humans, vaccines fool your cat’s body into believing it is being attacked. The body then stimulates defense systems to produce antibodies to fight the attack. While no vaccine [...]

I am an author and I have a problem. My problem is my cat Barthélemy who thinks he is a co-author. For the last month or so I’ve been working long days dashing off a 1,200 page novel and he’s been with me nearly every step of the way. Okay, I’m exaggerating a bit: it’s taken [...]

Imagine your cat slinking across the back yard homing in on a targeted prey with slow, measured steps until the pounce occurs! Yum, dinner! You would hear the crunch of mouse bones rather than the crackle and crunch of dry cat food. This natural behavior tells us a good deal about what our cats’ need for [...]

When I was a kid, I knew only three breeds of cats: shorthair, longhair, and Siamese. Today there’s a multitude of both well-known and exotic breeds from which to choose. The choices are seemingly endless: big cats, small cats, cats with short legs, cats with folded ears, and even cats with no hair. While outward [...]

[This is the second part of a 2-part series. Find the first article here .] When organizations dealing with urban feral cat colonies engage in Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs, they still must deal with already existing kittens, as well as those who are born more quickly than a TNR program can keep up with. That’s why rescue [...]

Your cat’s personality is as unique as the colors of his fur. Does your feline house mate’s odd behavior befuddle you? Only your cat knows why he acts so weird at times. And since your cat won’t be speaking your language any time soon to give you an explanation, you must learn to speak cat [...]

When bringing home a new cat or kitten, owners often consider declawing the animal for various reasons: to prevent damage to furniture, to avoid the cat’s scratching family members during play, or to minimize injury to other pets and animals from an aggressive cat. While some owners ultimately decide to have their pet declawed, along [...]

Curiosity killed the cat. There is a reason that expression exists, morbid though it may seem. Cats are naturally curious creatures. They like to stalk small animals and explore out-of-the-way terrain. There are, however, many poisons they need to avoid. You can learn what to do in the unfortunate even that [...]

Fifteen years ago, on the day I picked up my first cat at the local shelter, the volunteer on duty handed me a paper grocery bag full of pet supplies. “Here are some free samples,” she said, tossing the sack into the back of my car. “There’s some good stuff in there.” When I got home [...]