Diary of a Cat Whisperer

There was a dog food recall today!

2012-02-02T21:57:00.000-05:00

The US Government published a dog food recall today:

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm290117.htm?source=govdelivery

Advanced Animal Nutrition Recalls Dog Power Dry Dog Food

Click on the link to get the lot numbers.

DOG FOOD RECALL!

2012-01-10T19:46:00.003-05:00

Dogfood Recall - Cargill Foods...

http://1.usa.gov/xU1Xtf

What Does a Cat Whisperer Do?

2012-01-09T22:31:00.000-05:00

A cat whisperer - or cat trainer - can help with a troubled cat and human relationship. We can help the cat to adjust to changes around the home.

This includes helping a cat to accept other cats or dogs, a new baby, spouse, or partner. We can help the cat to feel comfortable in a new home, including a feral or rescue cat. Not that the cat will like it, but we can help the owner (or foster home) to make the cat more comfortable by their actions.

I work with shelters, foster families, folks who want to feed the feral cats in the neighborhood, and new parents; to help their cats feel more comfortable, adjust to the vagaries of life, and be more friendly.

There are times when a cat will mark it's territory, or bite and scratch for no apparent reason. I work with the humans to identify the issues, and adjust the cat's behavior accordingly.

Some cats seem hopeless and helpless. There is no bad cat. There is no hopeless cat. All the cat wants is to feel safe and eat it's fill. It wants to sleep in the sun and chase mice or birds. We, as humans, can help cats to feel safe and secure, to chase toys instead of live animals, and we do that by our actions.

I also talk a lot about a cat's diet. A cat has to eat healthy food and since we tend to keep cats in our homes, that means we have to provide that healthy food. Not all cat food is good for cats. I test foods, read labels, and keep on top of the additives and recalls that affect our furry friends. If I find something you, the owner, needs to know about, I pass it on as fast as I can.

I hope I can build trust with you, and you will learn to rely on me a little bit.

Best purrs and scratches...

Holidays are Over!

2012-01-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

Thank goodness the holidays are over! Still a little lingering stuff to handle, like putting the Christmas decorations away, and taking down the Christmas cards from my display. But for the most part, stuff is all done. No leftovers in the fridge, no food to tempt me.

The cats are also on a diet. I realized I was feeding them 1/2 can a day plus dry food. I had to cut them back to 1/4 can a day, and sometimes, that means 1/8 of a can in the morning, and the rest at night.

The bad part about this is that Princess doesn't need to be on a diet. I wish I could get her to eat better. She continues to lose weight, and her bones are sticking out. There is nothing to be done, but make her comfortable. She sometimes has a little pain, a creaking in her joints, and she gets irritable with the other cats. Any of the other cats. She just wants what she wants when she wants it, too. She cuddles a bit, on my lap. She can be really insistent about that...

Beasley is the greatest complainer, of course. He wants all the food in the house in his bowl. He will eat his and everyone elses' food, if I let him. At least he's stopped vomiting up his food as soon as he's eaten. He is keeping it down.

I wormed them a few weeks ago, then added some edible diatomaceous earth to their food for a week after that. Any little worms left in their guts were shredded and no longer exist.

The fleas are also much better - more due to the cold weather than any action on my part. I still comb regularly and administer the flea drops. I haven't had to spray, but come spring, if the carpet isn't all out of here, there will be another infestation.

Otherwise, Queenie is a little distant, but she checks in with me at least once a day - right in my face, getting snuggles. Bugs is cuddly and filling out her personality a little more. She was so two-dimensional for so long, it's nice to see her realize that she's more than enough cat for anyone. And Fluffy, who never liked to see a brush or comb, is now coming to me and asking for them! She loves to sit on my lap as long as she can, and get mommy-time.

Beasley has been relegated to the top of the chair, and pouts a lot. But he knows he's my boy. At bedtime, he has dibs on the "next to the pillow" spot and gets to even put his nose on the pillow if he wants to.

The birds are coming by regularly, and I changed the seed mix so we get some really nice little songbirds, now. I have to put up another suet cake today. The cats need a few perches in front of the window. There just doesn't seem to be enough seating for them all.

Well, Happy New Year, friends. I hope your holidays were good, and your cats were healthy through it all. I miss tinsel. I never liked angel hair, so I went to tinsel. But it isn't safe for them. Ah, well... One day, maybe. If I ever get down to only one cat and can keep track of him or her enough to keep it out of the tree.

Does Your Cat Caress You?

2011-12-30T09:46:00.000-05:00

Does your cat caress you with his tail? That's a sign of deep affection.

I've noticed my cats will come to me and rub against me, then lean in at the tail end, with their tails toward me from the base to tip. This is the start of a caress.

Other times, I've noticed Beasley, since it's his spot in the bed, lay with his back to me, and put his tail up (if he were standing) and caress my arm. He actually wraps his tail around my arm and moves it up and down, like he's petting me.

Fluffy likes to lay on my lap, and will wrap her tail around my middle. If I move her tail to something that looks more comfortable for her, she will move it back to where she had it. She then twitches the tip of her tail to "pet" me. It's a way of saying "thank you" for the lap space.

Cats have many uses for their tails. Check your cat's tail out and let me know how s/he uses it...

2012 Newsletters

2011-12-22T19:20:00.000-05:00

I've selected the 12 topics for newsletters for 2012. I was able to find articles for the first 6 issues, and then stopped for a break.

I'm in the middle of a book on the Mother/Daughter relationship, so I need a little time on that, too.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, my readers. May 2012 bring answers to your prayers and gifts to your lives.

Articles of Interest

2011-11-21T11:15:00.001-05:00

I have some "google alerts" set up and this week these articles caught my eye. I'm sharing now, and in the e-zine.
Smile!

Article on overweight pets

A neighborhood in need of a TNR Program

Stray cats vs. birds

Anti TNR for the birds' sake

Do you Tweet?

2011-11-07T09:10:00.001-05:00

Do you Tweet? Do you follow folks on Twitter?

I set up some google alerts (about time I learned how!) and there were some disturbing results this morning. I tweeted them, which is what I do with them. If you follow my Tweets, @tnmorgen, then you saw them...

bit.ly/vdMaBf

fxn.ws/s1y7uP

bit.ly/t4dh1H

Bless all the cat lovers in the world today!

Advertising in Person

2011-10-29T10:03:00.001-04:00

One of the annual events I participate in, is the WUOT, or local public radio station, fund raiser. As my regular participation has yielded friends, I've been invited to participate in other things. It's been a pleasure to do this, but my time for one of these things is at an end. My poor body is about done with standing for more than an hour, and this year's "Boo at the Zoo" showed me just how long I could stand.

t's a five-hour stint of standing, entertaining, and handing out goodies to the local kids and adults who come to see what is up at the zoo, and to support the zoo. I made it three hours, and it took 3 days to recover.

But, because I knew it was likely to be my last time out, I went all-out in the costuming department. I was the "classical cat" (for classical music, and cats) while others in our group were other characters and personalities relating to our love of the station and it's programming. We have "Carl (chained to the) Cassil," "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me! (there's a spider on my shoulder)," "Morning Edition (taking the photo, so not shown)," a "Foreign Correspondent," "Klick and Klack," a "Sports Reporter," and "Classical Cat." Here is a photo of our group...

I hope my body is better next year, and I can do it again, but if nothing else, I got to do it this year, and the memories will be there forever. We always have a good time, and handing out donuts at the end of the run is always fun!

Sticky, but fun!

Trying a New Crunchy

2011-10-26T12:15:00.001-04:00

My pet supply store (Pet Supplies Plus) did it again - they put a fabulous product on sale, so I could afford it for a trial. They put a 2-for-1 price on Before Grain Cat Food by Merrick. I got a bag of Chicken and a bag of Salmon flavors.

http://bit.ly/t1yXeu

My cats are ignoring the wet food and going for the chicken like nobody's business! I've never seen anything like it. Beasley, of course, could care less. He only eats dry food if there is nothing else available, but he snagged a couple of nuggets to see what everybody was so excited about. I had one of the girls shoveling it into her mouth & scattering it all over the floor in the process.

So, it's a hit. Now, if it reduces Bugsy's gas, that's a good thing. The flavor is one thing, but the quality of the food over the long term is a better thing. The ingredients list is a little confusing, but that's the added vitamins and minerals. There is nothing in the food that shouldn't be there.

Since I can't get Bugsy to eat any meat at all, this may be the answer. She certainly needs better nutrition than she's been getting.

Fleas, Yowling, Bells, and Giggles....

2011-09-28T11:30:00.003-04:00

Last night, Beasley started yowling and wouldn't stop. He finally went and did something else, only to start up again sometime in the middle of the night. I tried to reassure him, but I'm not allowing the cats into my bedroom right now.

When I got up this morning, I noticed one of the fabric mice he is fond of carrying around while he yowls around it. This makes for a particular kind of yowling... I gave him a big hug and he purred. I went into the kitchen to get their breakfast, and Queenie was pushing a ball with a bell around. She even invited Bugsy to play! I giggled, and each time I did, she ran away, only to return a few minutes later.

I guess they aren't used to my giggles!

What this all means, of course, is that they are feeling better. The fleas have stopped tormenting them so much and their health is returning.

I have a little more to do to completely eradicate the fleas, but we are close. We are living on the concrete foundation of the house, but that's OK for now. I plan to put down 24 x 24 cork tiles for flooring, which provides a thermal break from the concrete while maintaining a hard floor, which is not as friendly to fleas as the carpet was.

However, I still have a little carpet to pull up in the bedrooms and linen closet (?), and then to flea-bomb the house twice before I can say we are fully flea-free. I also need to de-flea the property outside - using bombs and sprays. Each visitor who comes to the door potentially carries fleas with them, which is how we got them in the first place.

Meanwhile, it's nice to see the cats behaving more like cats. They are having fun, playing, sleeping soundly, and when they are snuggling, it is not so they can get away from the fleas.

And I love to see this interaction between them. Queenie is such a dominant cat, and she selected Bugsy. Bugsy is our biggest instigator! She seems to purposely get into the other cats' way to get involved with them and their games. This causes her to be cuffed quite a bit, but it's all done with love, and no one gets hurt. She needs a home of her own, where she can be loved and snuggled and held as much as she wants and deserves, but she is with us, with four litter mates.

Bugsy was very ill for a while - I was giving her fluids and hand-feeding her to keep her going. During the deepest part of her illness, she would not move from my chair. I think the others noticed that I would not let her get away with just giving up or feeling sorry for herself. I set her at the food bowls, kept her off my chair, and got her moving as soon as she was able. She can sit on my chair, but only when I'm there, not all the time like she did.

Cat Litter Trial

2011-09-14T06:12:00.000-04:00

I got a different cat litter this time. I am trying "Nature's Miracle Cat Litter" made from recycled paper products. I got two of one style- the Odor Control, and one of another- Low Tracking.

So far, the results:
The Odor Control litter has a strong scent right out of the bag. Cedar, or something like it. However, it's very light, and easy for me to carry. It clumps well, and it is very easy to remove the clumps and solids from the box. If the urine begins to change over to ammonia (as in, if you leave it 24 hours), it begins to turn green on the affected particles.

The Low Tracking formula does not clump very well. I've had to be very careful removing the clumps from the box because any shaking to remove the "good" litter from a clump can make the clump fall apart. It also sheds a greenish substance on my scoop, which I assume is from the deodorizer crystals. It does seem to track a little less, but it still tracks out of the box. The particles are very small. Again, it is very light weight, so it is easy for me to handle.

I would try the Odor Control first, and recommend it over the Low Tracking formula, but if you have your litter box on carpet, the Low Tracking may be more to your liking.

I purchased all three bags of litter at my local pet supply store, with no coupons or price breaks. They were about $12/bag. For comparison, I usually spend $12-$16 for a 40 pound box of Tidy Cat every month to fill 3 litter boxes; and this purchase cost me $38, including tax.

Testimonials

2011-09-05T11:08:00.000-04:00

I haven't been putting them up, but I often get a testimonial - a thank you - from a happy Cat Whispering client. Here is such a one I recently received....

Morgan- An update on Jasmine. She now rules the house; the dogs & the other cats. Although this makes #12, I am finding it difficult to think of giving her up. She looks at me with such love &, even tho she still has a little edge to her, she is 99% tamed! Such a crazy little kitten dashing around the house & enjoying laying in my lap & giving me head butts. Thought you would like an udate. Geri

I guess I should be putting them up, but I honestly don't remember to do that, and I wouldn't know where to put them. Maybe I should make a page of these, and put a link to the page on the Contact page. Opening a new tab, of course....

Just sayin'... Most of the time, folks are pretty happy with the results...

New Flea Collars!

2011-08-21T09:13:00.002-04:00

I found these collars a the pet supply store the last time I was in for cat food, and I was really surprised!

The price is really good, and there are NO pyrethrins in the formula! Excellent value! The cats are doing well with them - even Queenie had no trouble getting the collar on. In fact, the only cat who had any trouble wearing a collar was Bugs! Surprise! She really hated the idea, but the others resigned themselves quickly.

Now, to pull the carpet to get rid of all the eggs and fleas living in it. I know it seems extreme, but added to the other problems we are having with carpet in the house, it's best for everyone - cats and people alike. The allergies are horrible!

I recently went out of town and had to leave Princess with a severe upper-respiratory infection. We are lucky that it was actually a virus and passed quickly. Once she got the collar on - only a day ago - she started feeling a lot better and talking to me again. She's been quietly sitting around, shrinking from pets until the 3rd stroke, when she leans into me. She has been so weak and anti-social for so long. All because of the fleas and their biting. I would not be a bit surprised if everyone was a bit anemic!

Anyway, the carpet is a breeding ground for the fleas - diatomaceous earth, salt, and other ideas have not helped in the long run. I was upset that the house came with carpet instead of hard flooring anyway, so I'll spend the extra $$ to have laminate flooring put down. Allergies, asthma, and fleas, all become worse with carpet.

The poisons I've sprayed on the carpet and furniture have become ineffective. The fleas seem to have built up a tolerance to them. I'd never heard of that, but it seems to have happened. I'll have to "bomb" the house after I remove the carpet. And to be sure, I'll have to bomb twice - 10 days apart, so that I get all the hatched eggs.

The worst part of the poisons is that the cats are getting sick from the built-up concentration of sprays. It's bad enough that the fleas aren't dying, but the cats are having reactions. It's time to stop the madness....

The collars are the first step in that. Removing the carpet is the next step, and the last step is a 2-stage flea and insect bombing with foggers.

This all started in late May, right after I'd done my monthly flea-spraying on the furniture and carpet. I got drops and put them on the cats, but at $10/each, it gets expensive with 5 cats, so I couldn't get more right away. And my spray seemed to be less effective... So I replaced it, but that didn't help.... By then, the fleas had taken over - everything!

The saga continues....

Back from Vacation

2011-08-16T22:19:00.000-04:00

I went away for a week, taking the laptop with me, so hardly anybody noticed I was gone. My cats did, however. Beasley wants to sit on my lap and the others are all glad to be with me. Even Queenie, who was a hissy mess when I walked in the door! Poor babies! Fleas are horrible and I'll start pulling carpet Thursday.

Vacation was wonderful, by the way. I slept and read 2 whole books! The first two of the Steig Larsson trilogy. Have to get the 3rd from the Library ASAP! Hope your summer is great!

Cat Food Recall

2011-08-01T20:21:00.000-04:00

Purina issued a "voluntary cat food recall" in limited quantities of cat food due to salmonella. Please read the article to see if your latest bag is involved.

bit.ly/p0kIrE

UGH! Fleas!!!

2011-07-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

We are totally covered up in FLEAS! It seems that the flea population went critical, and hid under a rug when I last sprayed. The cats and I are miserable!

So - time to get out the big guns! Siphotrol to the rescue!

I'll take out the rug after I spray it, and roll it up - putting it on the porch while I spray the carpet under it. I have to spray all the upholstered furniture, move it and spray under it, spray the bed (remove the bedding first), and get in every nook and cranny - including behind bookshelves and under desks. It's a big job!

And I have to do it again in 10 days. And again 10 days later. Three treatments in 21 days. Along with putting treatments on the cats themselves.

And no Advantage II - get original Advantage, if I can find it. It seems that Bayer Corp. is pulling Advantage and only shipping Advantage II. It wouldn't be so bad if it worked, but on my long-haired babies, it doesn't work. I've added NEEM spray, too.

Hopefully, within 30 days, the fleas will be gone. I'll have to treat the outside with more Diatomaceous Earth, so they don't get tracked back in, too... Especially the back door! I always forget the back door....

Cat Whispering Without a TV Show

2011-07-08T07:36:00.000-04:00

I may not be on TV, but I've been helping folks with cat problems all over the world for over 6 years. I don't charge what those folks charge, either, but I do charge, so that I can keep doing it.

I'm a trainer and animal behaviorist. I do not train dogs for other people. It's just not my thing. I can help best with cats. Yes, I train my own animals. I'm working on Agility Training with one of my cats, and another took me over 5 years to tame from feral. Yep, 5 years - but she sits on my lap whenever she wants, now!

Each cat is different. Each cat needs specialized and customized handling to be most comfortable. Just like people, they have their needs and comfort zone. Each cat has a distinct personality, and will respond best to one or another method of training, and not all cats respond the same to the same stimulus. It's just the way they are.

You wouldn't want your kid to behave the same as everybody else to the same stimulus, would you? Well, cats are the same way. A certain amount of conformity is fine, but nobody is exactly the same as anybody else. God made us all unique.

My job as a Cat Whisperer, is to figure out not only how your cat wants to be treated, but where you fall short. I do this through e-mail, because I feel most comfortable and effective that way. I've tutored math over the internet, and I think that training cats and their people is easier.

I ask a lot of questions. I ask for clarification. That's to be expected.

However, if you are thorough and forthcoming in your e-mails to me, I can be most effective. I don't sit in judgement on you, your lifestyle, your history with your cat, or how you live your life. I just tell you where you need to change behaviors around your cat, and what you need to do. I tell you what to look for in the cat to see if what I've advised is helping or not. And what to do if things go wrong.

You see, it's not my job to tell anybody else how to live their lives. If you need to declaw your cat, so you do. I may not think it's the best solution, but you did, or you would not have done it. So it's done - we'll move on. I've had to declaw cats at one time, too, so I know what problems to look for first-hand.

Getting your cats neutered or spayed is a given. Unless you have a pedigree cat and you are breeding it to keep the breed alive, I recommend you spay or neuter your cat. And if you have one of those pedigreed cats, I hope you are working with the breeder where you got it, because there is some stuff they can tell you about it that has to do with the breed.

Most cats are moggies. They have no distinct parentage. Long hair or short hair, siamese points or tabby stripes, patches of color or solid. They are all special.

When you have trouble with them, I'm here to help. Everything from aggressive behavior to litter box problems. Introducing your cat to your mate or another animal. Grief and loss, both yours and your cat's. I'm here.

That's what I'm good at. God gave me the talent and ability to see into a cat's soul. I'm blessed. I'll share that vision with you, all you have to do is ask.

I've Seen Some Strange Things But....

2011-06-26T10:57:00.000-04:00

I have seen my cats do some strange things. They amaze me on a regular basis. But I never saw this one...

I was testing out Wellness food, and had one more can to use up after my report to you, so I continued feeding it. I was also doing a preliminary test of a new dry food. It isn't commercially available, and I'm working with the company to improve the flavor, but this was a new one...

There are normally 4 cats eating wet food, 4 cats eating dry food. One eats only wet food and One cat only eats dry food. I have 5 cats. 3 of them will eat either food type.

The 3 who vacillate left the Wellness and went to the dry Friskies I put in their bowls, having run out of the test dry food. They actually left the wet food. I had 2 cats in each dry food bowl, competing for the dry food.

That says something, but I'm not sure what. I know they are not wild about the Wellness. I also know that the test dry food wasn't enough for a good test. There was only enough to fill one bowl, so I pulled the other 2 bowls.

To make a good test of dry food, there needs to be enough that all 3 dry food bowls can be kept full for a week. That should be at least 6 cups of food.

I don't mind if the vacillating cats stick to more wet food. But the one who eats dry food needs to not go hungry or refuse the food.

When I do a test on wet food, I give the same food for several cans. They get that food for 7-10 days. I watch their behaviors, appetites, and behavioral changes.

This dry food was sent to me, unsolicited. I've visited their website and expressed my concerns over the flavor. It's not grabbing the cats. If they can address that with me, and the additional hairball situation that I face, I'll do another test of the food and report the results.

This was just a taste. They weren't wild about it, but they ate it. They seemed to do well on it. One even seemed to thrive on it. But I need to try it again in a more controlled environment - meaning not at the same time I'm using up another food that they aren't wild about. And I need enough of the food to make a good test - all 3 bowls filled every day for 7-10 days.

Cat Food Review

2011-06-24T11:11:00.000-04:00

I got some cans of Wellness food for the cats. 5 cans, one of each flavor, for $12.99. I admit that our sales tax is 9.75%, so it puts the cost of each can around $1.15.

The cats ate it. They were hungry. But love it? I didn't see that. And it's made in China. That opens up their safety to factors I can't control.

So, I won't try that food again. Expensive, and made in China. If they loved it, I might try it again. But they don't, really.

Meanwhile, I received an unsolicited sample of dry food from a new company in Minnesota a couple of days ago. Since I want to give them a fair trial, I won't let you know who they are yet.

New Contacts...

2011-06-18T19:17:00.002-04:00

I've gotten involved a little bit with Twitter. I'm told it's a good way for me to stay in touch with my clients and other cat lovers. There are several good vets on Twitter, and I follow them, too. You can find me @tnmorgen and follow if you like. There are lots of distractions, but I'm trying to keep you updated as best I can.

Hugs to all the purrpeople....

Another Fabulous Sale on Food and Supplies!!!

2011-06-14T16:14:00.000-04:00

Another fabulous cat food and supply sale...

PETS8 - $8 Off $50 Or More (16% Discount)
PETS20 - $20 Off $100 Or More (20% Discount)
PETS30 - $30 Off $150 Or More (20% Discount)

Stock-up and Save Summer Sale! Save up to $30 Today Off Almost Everything!
Use Codes: PETS8, PETS20 or PETS30
- See Site For Details

Pet Food Direct, savings direct to you!

Pet Food Sale!

2011-06-09T16:54:00.000-04:00

WooHoo!!!! 15% off Cat Food until June 13th!

Save 15% On Your Order Today! Hurry, Ends Soon! Use Code: NOW15

These folks deliver pet food directly to your door - no lugging it to and from the car. This code is good on pet foods until June 13, 2011. Some exclusions apply, so read the fine print.

This was too good to not share!

Nasty Food Ingredient in Pet Food

2011-06-09T07:20:00.000-04:00

Click the title for the article by Dr. Becker, a respected Holistic veterinarian on the wet food additives that some manufacturers use. In particular, this addresses cat food, so it's important to read it and understand the content.

If you have any questions, please comment, and I'll be sure to either answer directly or find the answer or a person who CAN answer you.

This is too important, when so many pets are ending up dead because of what we feed them.

Help For Emergency Vet Bills

2011-06-08T10:57:00.000-04:00

I got a notice from Catster in my inbox about emergency help for folks with their vet bills that I wanted to pass on...

In these financially challenging times, two resources: Welcome to Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance and Yellow Dog Blog have listings of places where you can find emergency help with your vet's bill.

Many thanks to Catster.com!