More Pets, Please!

Cats love to be petted--no one will argue with that. The question is . . . why do they like it?

"More pets, please!"

AvoDerm, a premium cat and dog food company, hosts a page on their website called "Why Do Cats Do that?" which attempts to explain many of cat's behaviors. One of the questions they answer is our question of the day: why do cats like to be petted? Their answer is fairly simple: "To your cat, petting feels a lot like licking. when you pet your cat slowly and gently, she knows you are taking good care of her. You are showing that you love her!"

Mother cats lick their kittens to clean them. kittens grow up associating the sensation of being groomed with their mother's tender care. When you pet your cat, you are giving them that same motherly love. This is why cats purr when they are being petted--they know that you care about them and it makes them happy.

Gently pet your cats often--let them know just how much you love them.

"Why did you stop petting me?"

~RL

Feeling a Little Pukey

This past week, Finnegan was feeling very sick. For about three days, he couldn't keep food down; he vomited multiple times throughout the day. I wasn't sure what was making him sick, and was considering taking him to the vet.

He moped around the house, wanting to be held for extended periods of time, and slept nearly all day. By looking at his face, I could tell that he just didn't feel well at all.

Cats get sick for many different reasons. Pets.webmd.com talks about some of the causes and treatments for cats when they vomit. The most common reason that cats get sick is because they swallowed something that irritated their stomachs, like hair, grass, or bad food.

Webmd explains that it is normal for cats to vomit a time or two if they eat something that makes them sick. The site also warns cat-owners to take their pet to the vet if it vomits for more than a few days or too many times in a row.

You can oftentimes tell what is wrong with your cat by determining the way your cat is vomiting. Webmd identifies five different types of vomiting to watch out for in cats because they can indicate a more serious problem.

A type indicated with a * means that if your cat presents this sort of vomiting, get your cat checked out immediately by a veterinarian.

1. Persistent vomiting: Suggests the consumption of indigestible substances such as grass, hairballs, or spoiled food. Could also be a sign of infectious enteritis.

2. Sporadic vomiting*: Has no relationship to meals and leaves the cat looking haggard and listless. Suggests liver or kidney disease, worms, digestive track diseases, or (in older cats) an intestinal tumor. 

3. Vomiting blood*: Indicates bleeding between the mouth and small intestines.

4. Vomiting feces*: Suggests an intestinal obstruction or peritonitis. 

5. Projectile vomiting*: Suggests a complete blockage in the upper gastrointestinal tract that might be caused by hairballs, tumors, or small objects. Brain diseases such as a tumor, encephalitis, and blood clots, also can be an indication.

If you ever have a question about the severity of your cat's vomiting, always seek help from a vet. Vomiting can also quickly lead to your cat becoming dehydrated, which is also a serious problem. 

Webmd also explains how to treat your cat at home for normal vomiting. If your cat is only vomiting and does not show signs of any other serious problem, you can easily treat it at home. After the object that is bothering your cat's stomach is expelled, it is best to withhold food for a few hours to allow the stomach to rest. If your cat is thirsty, you can give it some ice cubes to lick initially and then a few sips of water after its stomach has had time to rest. If the vomiting has stopped after a few hours and water is being tolerated well, you can offer some food to your cat. 

Thankfully, Finnegan's little stomach bug passed and he suddenly got better yesterday. He feels a lot better now and is back to being his silly, wild, lovable self.

~RL

My Mommy Says I'm Special

Many people forget that humans are not the only creatures that have physical and mental disabilities. Some cats are born with special needs or become disabled because of accidents.

There are a few internet kitties who have become famous because of their disabilities, like Lil BUB, Little Bear, and Samwise Chance. Yes, Sammie. Unlike Lil BUB and Little Bear, who's disabilities are mostly physical, Samwise's affect his health, personality, and little cat mind.

Sammie as a stray.

When Sammie was first found, he had been living approximately two years as a stray. He was severely underweight and was infested with worms. Just a month or so after Elizabeth rescued him, he began suffering from an impacted bowel and an upper respiratory infection--both of which would have killed him if he were not taken immediately to the vet. It took many months and multiple trips to the veterinarian to make Samwise healthy again after being living on his own for so long.

Living "in the wild" also caused Samwise mental trauma. He is very skittish and seems only perfectly comfortable around his "mother" and savior Elizabeth. Samwise also rarely acts cat-like. He only meows under great duress, cannot climb (although he has very long claws), and rarely plays. Most of the time, Sammie merely sleeps. Even though he doesn't act much like a cat, Samwise does have one very strong quality: he is sweet.

Samwise also has a few various problems that are associated with nervous disorders, such as involuntary nystagmus.

Tabby's Place is an adoption center, hospital, and cage-free facility for cats that have disabilities or are considered "not adoptable." Through their website you can sponsor a cat, adopt a cat, volunteer, and more. There is also a Tabby's Place location to visit in New Jersey, if you happen to live in that area and want to check them out.

Another rescue shelter for disabled pets is Petswithdisabilities.org. Pets with Disabilities is located in Maryland, but their website allows visitors to make donations, learn more about disabled pets, and adopt pets. Unlike Tabby's Place, which is exclusively for cats, Pets with Disabilities has cats and dogs.

Specialneedspets.com is like a Craig's List for disabled pets. Users can list disabled animals they have that need new owners or animals they found that need a forever home. Although this site is good, I do ask you to be wary about posting animals on there that you want to find a home for. Just like you can't trust everyone on Craig's List, you can't trust all the people that use the site--they might not love your special pet like it needs to be.

Sammie requests for you to always remember that every pet needs love--no matter what.

~RL

It's Here!

Finnegan Chase: Siamese at Large is finally here! Today, the blog-inspired book published live at Lulu.com.

The full-color interior book is eighty-two pages long and contains all the 2012 posts from this blog and a few sections that have original content that can only be read by buying the book. Some of the original content includes pictures of Finnegan and Samwise that have not been posted on the blog.

You can find more information by reading this previous post about the book, checking out my website page, or . . . by buying it!

~RL

Buy Finnegan Chase for your home!

No, the actual cat Finnegan Chase is not for sale--but items featuring images of him and his book are!

Rebecca Jane's author store on Cafepress now has a section of Finnegan Chase memorabilia. Currently, there are only a few items listed, but more are in the process of being designed.

Please support, the ever-growing in Internet popularity cat, Finnegan Chase by checking out his store and his book Finnegan Chase: Siamese at Large, once it is published.

~RL