The Very Best Cats

A Few of My Favorite Kitty Things

2012-01-19T07:33:00.000-08:00

This is a cat statute that my husband is having made for me for Christmas. I am going to put it in my garden.

This is a 2nd cat statute that we are going to use as a marker for where we bury K.C. in our yard. We had her cremated, but we have not buried her ashes yet.

A fun felt cat mask.

A copy of a Matthew Ross paper sculpture. They are just amazing.

And another example.

And this is a felt ipad cover. You can get it with straps for a purse, or without. Pretty cool.

If you click on the link under each photo, you can get more of a description of each item, and you can click through to see more of what that artist has created. I love fun cat stuff!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

Sharing

2012-01-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

Tiger: Hey Motor, what are you up to? Looks like you are blocking that heating vent so only you can get warm.

Motor: Tiger, what are you talking about? The heater is not even on. You don't really think I would do that to you now? Do you Tiger?

Mom: Motor...I think Tiger is right. Why don't you share the heating vent with him so he can get warm too.

Motor: Do I have to Mom?

Mom: Wouldn't you want Tiger to share with you?

Motor: All right. I'll share. But you better remember this Tiger. You're going to owe me for this one.

Mom: Good boy Motor. You're a really good boy.

Motor: Thanks Mom. I am good boy!

Motor in the Morning

2012-01-13T21:01:00.000-08:00

Here's my baby. Motor, the demanding one. Every morning Motor is the first to greet me, with lots of meows and purrs.

Of course, in exchange, there is a lot of petting that he demands from me. Most mornings we hang out together for about 5-10 minutes. I sing to him songs that I make up, about how special he is to me and how loved he his.

And I remind him that he is my morning sunshine.

And this is the look I get in return. Pure love.

Just a Short Update

2012-01-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

It has been over a month now, and Smokey still hasn't been seen. I look for her everyday. I've walked my neighborhood, calling her name, I have called her from my yard repeatedly, and no Smokey. I have even questioned some of my neighbors to see if they have seen her. No luck there.

For a few nights, I even thought I heard her meow outside my bedroom window. I quickly opened the window and called for her, but she was not there.

I miss her. She was a sweet cat and part of The Very Best Cats' family. I only hope she is OK, where ever she may be.

Merry Christmas from The Very Best Cats (and Jack)

2011-12-25T10:55:00.000-08:00

Tiger: It's that time again. When Mom and Dad think it is a good idea to dress up one of the "kids" for a Christmas photo. In years past, it was usually K.C. who was unlucky one. She was just too easy going. I don't think she knew the deviousness that was approaching her as Mom and Dad picked her up with that fuzzy red thing.

Sadly, this year K.C. passed. But lucky for her, she would not have to go through the humiliation again.

Then Mom and Dad found a Santa suit for Jack. Ha ha ha I thought! That was going to be funny. Jack would have to take the photo this year. That's what happens when you are the new guy Jack. Motor and I will get to sit back and laugh.

But alas, the darn suit was too small for Jack. One by one the choice was narrowing down.

Then it seemed that Motor had to be next, right? Since I am senior cat around here, I deserve a certain amount of respect. But Mom and Dad couldn't get near Motor. Motor ran to his secret hiding place, and then it came down to one. Me.

So while I am resting on Mom's bed, Dad brings in that darned suit and decides that he will see if it fits me. He puts my front legs in the sleeve holes and I can't move. It was like being in a straight jacket. He tells Mom about how cute I look and then he races to get the camera. Click...and here is their Christmas photo for the year.

That's my story and I am sticking to it.

The Very Best Cats would like to wish all our kitty friends and their Moms and Dads, a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

One Day

2011-12-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

This is a video that my husband sent me from You Tube. It has a strong message that reflects how I feel about our world, and all of us in it. The song is named "One Day" and the artist who sings the song is Matisyahu. It is just beautiful, the words and the images. Take a look...

The Christmas Tree

2011-12-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

Motor: Tiger, come here!

Motor: I need your help putting up the Christmas tree.

Tiger: What's going on Motor? It looks like you have this covered. Half of the tree is all ready up. You don't need my help.

Motor: Tiger! Don't walk away from me! I can't finish it by myself. If we put this up now, we can surprise Mom when she gets home from work. She'll be so happy with us, I'm sure she'll give us extra treats.

Motor: TIGER!!!!!!!!!! OK, I can see I am on my own. See if I share any of my extra treats with you.
(look closely and you can see Tiger's tail by the window)

White Christmas SALE

2011-12-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

The Very Best Cat Lover Gifts is a store within the company Zazzle. Zazzle runs sales every day, and I just saw they are having a good one today. They call it their...

WHITE CHRISTMAS SALE

50% OFF White T-Shirts and 15% OFF All Other Products!

At checkout, just enter the code HOLIDAYSALE to receive the discount.

So that means all of the same items in my Very Best Cat Lover Gifts shop are on SALE!

If there is some item that you have been thinking about buying for yourself or as a gift for someone else, now would definitely be the time to make that purchase.

And if you haven't been to my cat gift store for a while, I also have holiday designs available on many gift items.

If you are looking for a gift for that cat lover on your list, stop buy and take a look. You may find it at The Very Best Cat Lover Gifts.

Hiding

2011-12-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

Mom: Hey Motor, what are you doing?

Motor: Hiding from Tiger.

Motor: Do you think it's working?

Missing Smokey

2011-12-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

I am very distressed these days because I have not seen Smokey in over a week. This is not like her at all. We were in a regular routine of meeting for her dinner, even after Jack, our dog, was added to the family. I call for her in the morning, afternoon and evening. I had been leaving food out in the evening, and it was being eaten, but I wasn't sure if it was Smokey or not.

Two mornings ago, there was a large orange and white cat sitting on our hot tub, just outside my bedroom window. This is the same cat that I saw in my yard when Mr Grey went missing. Did he scare Smokey out of the yard too? I'm not sure. Or did Smokey have a run in with Jack?

I am trying to hold out hope that she will show up again. I have an outdoor shelter put out for her with lots of soft fluffy blankets, in a place where Jack cannot bother her. Maybe she found a new home that is taking care of her better than I was. If she has to be gone, that is my wish for her. That she has a warm place to sleep, plenty of food to eat, and lots and lots of love. But it makes me sad to not have her around. I have been taking care of her since before we adopted Motor, and Motor is 3 years old now.

Jack is sitting right beside me now, and Tiger just walked in. Motor has been sleeping on the top of his cat climbing furniture. Oh, Tiger just woke him up. I have all my babies here with me but one.

Please send Smokey some positive thoughts, that she is well tonight, no matter where she is.

Today's Quiz

2011-12-03T12:17:00.000-08:00

Tiger or Motor? Can you tell the difference?

Laundry Day

2011-12-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

(Please excuse the glowing eyes)

Mom: Tiger! Are you ready to help with the laundry?

Tiger: I'm way ahead of you Mom. I all ready have it downstairs.

Thanks Tiger. Can you take it to the back for me?

It's all unloaded in the basket for you.

That's great Tiger, but can you finish the job for me? I have to go shopping for more kibble for you and Motor.

Sometime later...

Tiger, what happened? You're just sitting in the dryer?

Mom, this laundry business is a lot of work. Carrying it to the washer, unloading it, loading the washer, unloading the washer, loading the dryer, and now unloading. I'm exhausted! Next time, Motor can do it. After all, I'm not getting paid for all my work around here. This leaves me no time for napping either.

So when I tried to unload the dryer, it was so warm and soft in here, I just fell asleep. Blame it on Motor. He wasn't here to help.

But anyway Mom, now that you're home, didn't I hear you say something about kibble?

A Few of My Favorite Things

2011-11-30T07:49:00.000-08:00

The idea for this post came to me as I was falling asleep to the sound of my younger cat purring. There is no way to describe the joy this sound gives me. My cat will go on and on until he falls asleep. He is just a sweet boy.

Another favorite sound is of birds chirping in the morning as I am waking up. This is something I remember from my childhood. Just lying in bed and listening, not wanting to get up. Their sound was so very soothing.

The sound of a baby's laughter. There is nothing else like it. Just pure joy.

Another favorite on my list is my trip to Hawaii. Now that I went there, I can't wait to go back and just sit on the beach and watch the ocean.

Then there is my 2 cats Tiger and Motor, and our dog Jack. Pets are such a source of unconditional love.

Beautiful handmade jewelry.

Wire wrap jewelry.

The feeling of watercolor paint flowing from my brush onto thick watercolor paper. This literally has the feeling of being in the "flow" of life. I have felt when I am in this peaceful state like all is well.

Music and singing. I love to sing. I sing all the time. I make up songs for my pets constantly.

Reading. I love when I have a book I just do not want to put down.

That is all I can think of for now. I'm sure more will come to me.

What are some of your favorite things?

Christmas Cat Designs at The Very Best Cat Lover Gifts

2011-11-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

I made some new designs for clothing and gifts for my online cat gift store. Actually, the artwork is not mine. It is artwork that is pert of the public domain. These pictures are Victorian, from the late 1800s. I love the artwork from that time. The images are very old fashioned. Winter scenes, Santa, snow men and children. They just seem to portray an idyllic time of year.

The images chosen for The Very Best Cat Lover Gifts, have cats and dogs in them. This is my Happy Holidays Dog.

And this is a very sweet image of a cat holding a sign that says Merry Christmas on it. I ordered a long sleeve shirt with this design for myself.

This last one has a beautiful image of a caped young girl, holding a cat.

All of these designs are available on short and long sleeve shirts, aprons, mugs and cards.

Come by and take a look to see what is new. I try to add new designs when I can. If you haven't taken a look lately, you just may see something you like for yourself or for a gift for someone on your holiday list that is a cat lover too.

Cat Herders

2011-11-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

I just rediscovered this video that I just LOVE. It is from a television commercial that was on TV in 2009. Take a look.

I hope you enjoyed this.

The Very Best Cat Lover Gifts

2011-11-18T08:41:00.000-08:00

Today until 4:00pm Pacific Time, all clothing and gifts in my, The Very Best Cat Lover Gifts online store is 50% off. This is the best time to make a purchase because you can save a lot. You will need to use this coupon code, FFHSHUGEDEAL, and then the discount is applied at checkout.

Zazzle, the company that my store is opened on, also has a way to get FREE SHIPPING that is worth looking into.

Last night, I bought a new sweatshirt for myself. With the weather getting colder and colder, I want to be warm. This is what I purchased... it is a sweatshirt with the saying...Crazy Cat Lady. Sorry, I am having trouble with getting an image!!

So if you are interested in some cat related gifts for your self or others, take a look. You just might find something you just have to have.

Having a Motorific Day

2011-11-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

Sun Worshiping

Smokey (Part 2)

2011-11-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

Smokey came back last night. I was in my bed reading at about 9:30 when I heard a low "meow" outside my window. Since the boys were with me, I knew it wasn't them. So I went to the window, hoping to see Smokey, and there she was. Oh my God, was I overjoyed to see her. I went downstairs right away and brought her some food to eat. She was her regular self, all lovey, like nothing was any different.

This morning she was outside my window again. And she came for dinner tonight. I just love that girl. I wish having her inside had worked out better. At least she didn't get hurt going out the window.

Now, to work on her outside enclosure, again.

And thank you to all for your encouraging words and good thoughts. They are appreciated.

Smokey

2011-11-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

OK. I did it. After how cold it has been where I live, and all the rain we had on the weekend, I decided to try again to bring Smokey into the house. I got out the dog's carrier, put wet food in the back of it, and waited. She went in after a while, but kept one back foot outside of the carrier, and her fluffy tail. When she slowly put her foot inside, I tried to move her inside the carrier by closing the cage door behind her. It did not work. But I didn't give up. It took a while for her to come back again, but she did because she likes her wet food. This time I was able to close her inside the carrier. I waited few minutes to make sure she was not going to freak out. In which case I would have let her back out. But she remained calm, so I took her inside and up to the attic spare room. When I let her out, she just explored the room and came over now and again to get some pets. I have the window in the room just enough for her to be able to look outside, but not enough for her to get out.

The above paragraph was written on sunday. Today is tuesday, and this morning when I went to check on Smokey, she was not in the room. It took me a little while to see the hole in the screen at the window. Apparently, the opening I thought was not large enough for her to fit through, was large enough for her to fit through. The room she was in was on our 3rd floor, the attic bedroom. Right away, I freaked. I ran downstairs and out the door to see if she was outside, hurt. But I couldn't find her. I called and called inside my yard and down the street. No Smokey. I went back to the attic room to see if maybe she was hiding. No luck there. Then I went outside again and called for her. No answer.

And then I began to cry. What if she got hurt and took off somewhere where I can't find her to get her help. And I felt bad about my choice, and still do. And will continue to unless I see her again and she is OK.

Apparently, I didn't know what the right thing was for Smokey. She is wilder than I thought and would feel more comfortable being outside, no matter what the weather. I wanted to "save" her. Make her life better, easier. I made the wrong choice. For her.

I just want to know that she made it out of the house without getting hurt. My husband left food outside for her later in the afternoon, and after we came back from walking the dog, the food was gone. That is the only sign I have that she may be OK.

Please keep Smokey in your positive thoughts. I would really appreciate that.

Something Miraculous

2011-10-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

First I will start and say that all is well with the critters at The Very Best Cats. Right now, Motor is sleeping on his perch by the window, and I'm sure Tiger is sleeping in my office on the chair with the snuggie blanket. And Jack is here, resting at my feet. It's a quiet autumn sunday and all is well.

Last last tuesday it was all but quiet. At 10:30 am, I get a call from my husband while I am at work. The first thing he tells me is that he is all right. All right? What does that mean? Next thing he tells me is that he got hit by a car while riding his bike into town. Now I am on hyper alert. Hit by a car? What happened? Where are you? He then proceeds to tell me that he is in the emergency room. The ambulance picked him up and took him there to make sure he was OK. So off to the emergency room I go.

I come to find out that when my husband was hit by the car, he flew into and smashed the car windshield. Then he rolled over (flew over) the rest of her car and landed on the street, on his head, about 15 feet away from her car. This could have been very bad. It could have changed both of our lives dramatically. Scott ended up with a gash on the leg that was hit. Nothing broken. And he is very sore all over. Places that he did not even know he had are sore. But as far as we know, that is it. He had a bike helmet on. That is a very important factor.

Miraculous? I would say so. Amazing? I'd say that too. Thankful and grateful are 2 other words I would also use.

I think that I am still in shock to think that this really did happen, and now he is off taking Jack, our dog, for a walk. It's almost as if nothing happened. But it did.

I would like to thank all the people in our community that helped my husband through this whole ordeal, and all the people who have shown their concern and caring this last week. I know this has helped his spirit greatly as he moves through his healing process. Thank you to all.

Who's in the Catio

2011-10-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

(Motor on left, Tiger on right)

Hey Tiger. Guess who is in the catio again?

I don't know Motor. I was sleeping. Who is in the catio?

Come out and look.

Motor, will you just tell me.

It's that dog Jack. Bad enough we have to share Mom with him. Now he wants to take over the catio. Doesn't he know the catio is for CATS? Tiger, call Mom and have her get him out of here.

Mom! Motor wants you to get the dog out of here.

MOM! She doesn't seem to hear us from here Motor.

No. But I do. What do you two clowns think? That I am deaf and can't hear you?

(in a hushed voice) Tiger, I didn't think he would understand. I thought he spoke a another language.

What a Way to Spend a Weekend

2011-10-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

If you have to stay indoors on a pretty fall weekend because you are sick, having your good buddies around makes a big difference. I either have the flu or a very bad cold. Started friday night with a sore throat. That's usually where any cold I get begins. And now it is sunday, and I'm still sick. And still at home.

Motor, right by my side.

Close up of Motor

Tiger at the foot of the bed.

And Tiger again.

I think it is back to bed and a naptime for me and the boys.

Hope you all have a healthy weekend.

Hey, That's Mine!

2011-10-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Last week Scott received a package that had a lot of packing paper in it. Motor decided he liked it so my husband left it on the floor for him. Motor has always liked sitting on paper. I can be reading the sunday paper and Motor will walk over and sit on the parts of the paper that haven't been read yet.

So anyway, these papers were left for Motor. But anything Motor claims, Tiger has to take over. So Tiger, in the dominate male cat role, feels he needs to clean himself there, and just sit there till Motor leaves. Motor leaves, Tiger leaves. Motor goes back, Tiger goes back.

It's been a week that Motor has had his papers and he hasn't lost interest. It's amazing how something this simple, can bring so much pleasure. And what makes Motor happy, makes his Mom happy too.

This second photo is of Motor, watching out for Tiger's arrival. We both know he will appear at any moment.

Heating an Outdoor Cat Enclosure in the Winter

2011-10-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. If you have any outdoor cats that you care for, then you will be thinking about how to care for the in the cold winter months. Because I have Smokey, I search the internet repeatedly to find more ideas on how to take care of her. We don't get snow, but we have a lot of rain, and it gets pretty cold. Actually both have all ready started.

Smokey stopped using her outdoor shelter when other outdoor cats came to check it out. They may have even gone inside. I'm not sure. So my plan is to clean the enclosure and the blankets and try to insulate it again.

While searching the internet, I found this great idea for heating the inside of your enclosure. It is from a website called "Instructables."

This web article suggests attaching rope lighting to the top of their enclosures. The lights are kept on day and night through the cold weather to keep the enclosure warm. I also like this idea of using a ice chest for the enclosure. It is a good size and is all ready insulated.

There are some great minds out there with many different ideas on taking care of strays. If I find any more good ideas, I will definitely share them here.

And now, onto Smokey's shelter.

Motorific Monday

2011-10-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

I'm hiding from Monday. Is it tuesday yet?

The Best Part of the Day

2011-09-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

The best part of my day is around 8:00 at night. I usually stop working at that time and get ready to relax. I get my tiger blanket, put it on my lap, and wait for Motor to get on my lap. I don't have to wait too long. Motor loves to lay and fall asleep on my lap.

Motor Sleeping

I made my tiger blanket, well, because I like tigers. Such gorgeous animals. But I thought it would be my special blanket for Tiger. Tiger has not even once sat on my lap with this blanket. Tiger is much more difficult to persuade on my lap. He usually waits until I am ready to go upstairs to bed. So while my lap is taken up with Motor, Tiger ends up on Scott's lap. Every night.

Can you guess who this is?

And this?

And in this one?

Oh, and who else could be lounging on his Dad's lap?

Then after an hour or so, the boys and I, go upstairs and hang out on the bed. I'm usually reading and they are relaxing and falling asleep. But first, Tiger has to look out the window to our yard to see if there is anything happening, like Smokey stopping by to eat. Sometimes Motor will join him. And then when they have had enough, they are ready to relax and settle down.

Night watch.

This week, my husband was working in the evenings and Jack decided to stay on the bed with me, Well this disrupted everything. The kitties stayed away and slept in another room. I love Jack, but I am ready to get the orange boys back. I'm hoping it will be tonight.

Happy Gotcha Day Motor

2011-09-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today, I met Motor. He was in a small cage outside our local Petco, waiting to be adopted. I was on my way to buy some treats for Tiger, who was two at the time. When I saw Motor, it was love at first sight. How could I pass up a face like that.

This is the first time we opened the carrier to Motor's new home.

His first couple of weeks, he had to be isolated because he had a cold. This is Motor in isolation.

I used to hang with him in the evening to keep him company. Motor was fearless. Some of the stunts he did amazed me. And when he finally met Tiger, he took Tiger on as if they were the same size.

Bringing Motor home was one of the best things I have ever done. He is a bundle of joy and love. He is my purr monster.

Happy Gotcha Day Motor! We love you.

Have a Motorific Monday!

2011-09-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

Motor poses for another photo shoot.

New Gift Designs at The Very Best Cat Lover Gifts

2011-09-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share some of my new designs that are available on tee shirts, sweatshirts and gifts at my Zazzle store. Making new cat gift designs is my favorite creative thing to do right now and I have lots more ideas so drop by my gift store once in a while and see what is new.

Cat Lover

Crazy Cat Lady

Meow Woof

More Winter Shelters for Cats

2011-09-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

So with my concerns for Smokey, I decided to do more research on the web. There are a lot of caring people with similar concerns for outdoor cats and a lot of good information. This is some of what I have found.

I found a great resource for outside winter shelters for cats. The website is called "Neighborhood Cats" and they have great ideas for building your own or purchasing one all ready made.

They also have good info for creating feeding stations for outside cats.

There is also a link for making a feeding station that will keep raccoons out. I have that problem in my yard so I find this information helpful.

Just found another good link for making winter shelters. This one is from the Humane Society.

And these are some good general tips from Alley Cat Allies:

Maintenance: Shelters should be checked regularly to ensure their optimum quality and function. When deciding what kind of shelter to use, remember that some of the low-cost suggestions will need to be checked and replaced more frequently than some of the more permanent and professionally built shelters.

Doorway: Make sure that the door is only big enough for cats. The door should be 6-8" wide to keep out wildlife and larger predators. The opening should have a flap or an L-shaped entryway to keep cold air from blowing in. If neither option is possible, make sure the door faces away from prevailing winds or faces a wall. Some caregivers prefer shelters that have two doors so cats cannot be cornered.

Protection from the Elements: You can ensure that the cats are protected by making shelters waterproof, windproof (especially in cold climates), and elevated off the ground. Discarded pallets from shipping firms or hardware, farm supplies, or pet stores are a good option for elevation. The space beneath the shelters should be blocked from drafts. Insulation is a good material to use.

Bedding: Straw resists the wet and keeps a shelter warm, and is the best choice for insulation and bedding. Do NOT use blankets, carpeting, fake sheepskin, or any material that holds moisture. You can also use hardwood shavings (not cedar or pine), but keep in mind that softwood shavings are not suitable due to possible toxicity. Some caregivers in locations with long, cold winters use Mylar blankets as bedding. Mylar is a product that retains body heat. The generic term for Mylar is Polyester Film or Plastic Sheet. These sheets can be purchased from survival and outdoor stores as thermal safety blankets, or online at websites such as Amazon.com.

Camouflage: Shelters should blend in with their surroundings so that they are not obtrusive to neighbors. Cover them with leaves or other brush or paint them a dark color. Moving shelters into wooded areas away from buildings, parking lots, and other high-traffic areas is also a good idea for cat safety and to avoid neighbor complaints.

An Update on Smokey

2011-09-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

My beautiful girl Smokey is still around and comes for her dinner every night.

When we first got Jack, our dog, she was scarce for a week. Of course, we also had a lot of company at the time. With so many people being in our yard, I'm sure that scared her away.

But after things all settled back to normal, I found that she had taken up residence in the yard next door.

Every night around 7:00pm, I call her to feed her and she comes over the fence. I talk with her and give her some love. But mostly she is hungry and I make sure she has something to eat for the day.

The weather is changing to fall here and once again I am faced with how to take care of her in the colder weather. I have some ideas but not a solid plan yet. I'll keep ruminating on this until I formulate my plan. Then I will move forward.

Isn't she beautiful?

Photo for the Day

2011-09-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I wish they were this loving to each other all the time. Maybe that is unrealistic for me to say, but I can still wish.

Tiger Tuesday

2011-09-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

To sleep, perchance to dream.

Camoflage

2011-09-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for another nap.

This is one of the cats sleeping places in my studio. Don't they seem to blend well with the woodwork?

How to Apply Flea Medicine to Your Pet

2011-09-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

So, a few posts ago, I asked for helpful advice for applying flea medicine to my cats. Both cats seem to know even before I open the medicine that it is that time again, and they flee. And the last time we put medicine on Tiger, it was such a struggle for him and me. It was an awful experience.

Motor: Hey, something just bit me?

Yesterday, I went to our local pet store to buy some more medicine and I just happened to ask the clerk if she had any advice. At first she said she didn't. Then when she thought a little longer she suggested wrapping the cats in a towel so that their paws were covered and they couldn't scratch. And another person there suggested closing the door to the room you are in so the cat cannot run out. I had also read somewhere about giving them treats as a reward and praising them when it was all done.

I have to report that this time, applying the medicine went so much better. I scooped up the cats, one at a time of course, and my husband put the medicine on. We were done very quickly. You do have to watch out for your cat trying to retreat backwards to get out of the towel. Right afterward, I gave them both a treat, and their soft food dinner. This alleviated the distance and mistrust they usually have with me for a few hours afterward.

I wanted to share this information because it was very helpful for me and I hope it will be helpful for others with pets who hates to get their flea medicine,

Sunning by the Catio

2011-09-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

Motor: Mom, Tiger's doing it again.

Mom: What's that Motor?

Motor: Blocking the doorway.

Mom: What doorway Motor?

Motor: The one to the CATIO Mom! This time, he is keeping Jack outside. Jack doesn't like to walk past Tiger when he blocks the way.

Mom: Why is that Motor?

Motor: Because Tiger is a butthead Mom.

Mom: Well I guess that explains it all.

Tiger: Hey Motor, don't you think I can hear you over here? I just like to sit here in the sun. If Jack happens to be in the catio, that's his problem. Besides, isn't the "catio" for cats? He shouldn't be in there anyway.

Tiger: This sun is making me tired. I think I'll lie down.

Tiger: And take a nice long nap... see you later Jack.

Time for a Nap

2011-08-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

Mom: Tiger, what are you up to?

Tiger: I'm pooped. All this eating and cleaning has tired me out. It's time for a nap.

Tiger: But first.... I have to get this pillow just right...

Tiger: Sometimes... this is a struggle.

Tiger: I have to wrestle with it to get it the way I like.

Tiger: Getting closer...

Tiger: Ahhhhhhhhhh, just right.

We Need Help

2011-08-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had to put flea medicine on Tiger. I usually buy the medicine knowing I need to put it on him soon, and let weeks go by until I can get the courage up to do the deed. He hates it. I hate it. He gets traumatized. I feel AWFUL and traumatized too.

Tiger knows when I am going to put his med on. He is one smart boy. And then he runs and hides under anything he can find. Last night my husband had to hold him down forcefully while I put the medicine on him. Then I have to woo him for at least a day to get us back to a balanced place.

Please, if anyone knows how to treat a cat as scared as Tiger gets when it comes to med time, I would be very grateful for some help and ideas. I am at a loss. I do not want to hurt him, physically or emotionally. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Video: My Cat Tiger Loves Shoes

2011-08-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

I know I have shared that Tiger has a shoe fetish. Well there are one person's shoes he loves the most.

My husband has a group of speakers that meet at our house about once a month. As soon as Richard enters the house, Tiger is in the room, and all over Richard's shoes. There is no one other than Richard that he does this with. He can go on and on unless moved away. I had my husband take this video because I think it is very funny.

Jack

2011-08-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

If you have ever been a dog guardian, you have probably experienced this before. I am new to being a dog guardian so I found this to be surprising and somewhat humorous.

Our new dog Jack is ready for a walk at any time. He could be sleeping, and if he hears the sound of keys, he knows someone is going out, and he is hoping that it is him.

One afternoon when Scott and I were both home working, we noticed that Jack went to the door to go out, but we were not ready to take a walk with him. My husband told him to go lay down, then he and I went on our merry ways, and went back to work. Little did we know Jack was still at the door, waiting.

About a half hour later, I went into Scott's office and asked him where Jack was. He didn't know, so we looked and when we finally found him, he was still sitting at the door. I couldn't believe it but he was there the whole time. He didn't move.

Every night, I have gotten into the habit of taking Jack for a walk right after I come home from work. He loves it, and I do too. I love watching the joy he gets from running and tugging and smelling and peeing on practically everything we pass. It brings me joy too. And we both get to get some exercise too.

Jack is my new buddy, but he will never replace my orange boys. Tiger and Motor have adjusted to Jack pretty well by now. If I could just figure out how to stop Tiger from biting Motor just out of the blue, all will be good at The Very Best Cats.

New Gift Designs

2011-08-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

"The Very Best Cat Lover Gifts" is under a company named Zazzle. Today and tomorrow, if you purchase a tee shirt, they are $5 off. You just enter this code: STYLEBTSTEES at checkout in the "Zazzle Coupons/Gift Certificates" box.

Today I added 2 new designs, "Hand Over the Catnip..." and "Bliss. As you can see, my models are Tiger and Motor. Some of their photos are just perfect with my crazy, creative ideas.

Hand Over the Catnip and No One Gets Hurt by MeowMeowBowWowGifts

Bliss by MeowMeowBowWowGifts

I hope you like them. I had a lot of fun making them. If you know someone else that maybe interested, please pass the name of my store onto them.

Thanks to all my friends and readers.

Napping With Tiger

2011-08-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

I stayed home from work today. A very rare event. I think all the busyness and lack of co-workers at work lately took a toll on my health and so I am home with a cold. Just going to lay low for the day.

Tiger decided he was going to hang with me in my bedroom. This is the first time in a long time that just he and I are alone. I like it. With Motor and now Jack, there is always another pet around. I know Tiger must like it too. He has me all to himself.

I think I am going to follow Tiger's lead and take a nap too.

We'll see you next time.

A Trip to Visit the Whales

2011-08-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Since June 25th, there has been a grey whale swimming in the Klamath river, a river north of us. This is very unusual behavior for a whale, actually it was a mom and new baby whale. They swam in where the mouth of the river meets the ocean. The last time this had happened was in 1985.

There is a lot of speculation as to why they may have taken to the river, but no definite reason.

I have a strong liking for whales so I had to go see them. The river is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from where I live. My sister and her daughter were visiting at the time so we all went together.

A lot of the drive is right on the coast so there are some spectacular views of the ocean and the redwoods along the way. We also saw some majestic Roosevelt elk. They stay together in large groups and I always have to stop and watch them for a while.

Then we drove further north to the Klamath and found a camping ground right on the river, and the whales were swimming back and forth in a large circle there. Amazing. Gorgeous. What a wonderful treat.

These are the best pictures that I could take. In this one, the light spray of water you see in the air is from the baby's air hole.

I took some other unspectacular photos of the whales but I thought barely seeing the whales in 2 photos is enough.

This video is a better look at the whales.

The baby whale swam back to the ocean about 2 weeks ago. The mother whale is still in the river. There have been many efforts to try to steer the whale back to the mouth of the river, but to no avail.

It was wonderful to see the pair together. Just a special sight.

Tiger Takes Matters Into His Own Paws

2011-07-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

Mom (from somewhere off in the distance): Tiger? Tiger... where are you? You're being a good boy now, aren't you? I don't want to have to use the water pistol on you again.

Tiger: Oh yeah. She wants to know if I'm being good? Well you just wait Mom. I'm going to surprise YOU when you find me. I'm going to turn things around and use the water gun on you!

Tiger: Waiting... waiting................

Motor in the Sun

2011-07-29T22:44:00.000-07:00

Another Cat Cartoon

2011-07-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

This is a cartoon that I have been holding onto for a while. I love it. Hope you do too.

Life at Home With The Very Best Cats

2011-07-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

My sister likes to share cartoon she finds in the newspaper with me that remind her of my home life.

Yes, many times my house looks like this. Can anyone else relate?

Motor

2011-06-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

The sweetest face I know.

Big News for The Very Best Cats

2011-06-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my husband adopted a dog. The Very Best Cats now has a DOG!!! How can that be???

We've been talking about adopting a rescue pet for a while now, and my husband wanted a dog to keep him company during the day. He works at home and he wanted some company. So for the last 2 weeks, he has been visiting the shelters, different animal adoption groups, and asking friends about adoptable dogs.

We wanted a smaller sized dog, about the size of Tiger or a little larger. Tiger is 18lbs. at last weigh in. Not a puppy. House trained. But the most important feature that we wanted/needed was that the dog be cat friendly.

Meet Jack. He is all that and more. Jack is 4 years old and a schnauzer or schnauzer mix. And he has the sweetest personality. Scott did good finding him. He is very loveable. I can't believe how much I like him. I have never had a dog before. Scott had one many years ago. And Tiger and Motor have never had a dog either.

This is just day 2 and Tiger and Motor are very cautious. They are not quite sure what this beast is doing in their home. Funny thing about introducing him to the cats, Motor, who is my fearful boy, didn't hide or stay very far away. He was brave and curious so he got pretty close to checking Jack out. Tiger, my brave boy, really kept his distance. He would hiss and growl, and even lashed out at Jack if they both got too close.

Of course, best case scenario that Scott and I are hoping for is that they will all get along. And that Tiger will start being less aggressive with Motor. Tiger has been just a butt lately, but now they seem to be bonding around their curiosity of Jack.

Now we will have to change the name of our blog to The Very Best Cats (and Jack).

Please wish us luck in our new family experiment. I think all our pets will be more at ease in a week. It may take more or less time, but we are on our way.

They Call This a Vacation?

2011-06-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

I have a week off from work and I decided I would take on some of the projects at home that need to be done. We have an older home and it has LOTS of projects. First on the list was painting. For 2 days, I have been painting the landing (or small hallway) between the bedrooms and bathroom. And it looks good.

During that time, Tiger would come to "help" me, overseeing my work.

Here he is, making sure I have the right tools for the job.

Tiger decided it was time for a break and what better thing to do then to take time for pets.

Once my break was completed and Tiger was confident that I had the job handled, off he went to take a naptime.

Now does that seem right?

Tiger and the Heater

2011-06-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

Motor: Hey Mom, where's Tiger?

Mom: I think he is in the bedroom Motor.

Motor: Tiger, is that you? What the heck are you doing?

Tiger: Just laying here by the warm hole.

Tiger: Sometimes, warm breezes come out of this hole and I like to roll around on it.

Tiger: After I roll around, I get sleepy. I think I am ready for a naptime Motor.

Motor: I think I am ready for a naptime too Tiger. Make room for me. I'm coming over!

Tiger Bead Store Newsletter

2011-06-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

Please follow this link to see my first newsletter for my bead store, Tiger Bead Store. Please sign up for future newsletters.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/TigerBead-Store-s-newsletter---articles--artists--and-special-deals-just-for-you-.html?soid=1104713261774&aid=OfJEClM9S_c

Motor

2011-06-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

Motor has a new toy. We call it "the tunnel." It's this cool tube with a opening in the center that he can look out of. I have been looking for something like this for a while for them.

We like to play with toys with the tunnel. I coax him in the tunnel by dangling toys in the opening or the opposite end from him, and then he charges through the tunnel to get them.

Sometimes Motor just hangs out in the tunnel when Tiger is being cranky. It's his little get away.

We are running out of room with all the toys and the medium and large size things I buy to entertain my boys. We are pretty lucky that my husband, for the most part, just ignores the toys all around, in the bedrooms, hallway, living room, kitchen. You get the idea.

We are happy with the new tunnel. Especially Motor. He would recommend a tunnel to all his friends. He gives it his kitty paw of approval.

Name Change

2011-06-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

After thinking about this a while, I decided to change the name of my online cat gift store to The Very Best Cat Lover Gifts. It seems more appropriate to name it after my blog. You may notice the change or not. Meow Meow Bow Wow Gifts will be the AKA name (also known as).

I added a couple of new designs last week. Because cats are my passion, I have many design ideas in mind.

This one I call "Ginger Kitty in the Round." I wanted to draw a very graphic image of a cat with the overall shape being circular. I gave it many tries before I ended up with this one that I am happy with.

This is the other design I added last week.

Do you ever feel like this? I know I do.

Hope you like the new ones.

And by the way, Tiger, Motor, and Smokey say hello to all their friends. If we can motivate Mom, we hope to get some writing done to let you know what we have all been up to soon.

A Very Busy Week

2011-06-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy this last week that I haven't had a chance to do a post.

Last weekend, I took a couple of days off from work, and combined them with my 3 day weekend to make a mini vacation. My husband and I went away to our favorite cabin on the river and had a nice relaxing time. We were both hopeing for some sun, but the weather turned out to be just like where we live, sunny rainy, sunny, rainy, and even some hail. We just can't seem to get a break from this rain.

While we were gone, my sister took care of all the cats at our home. Tiger, Motor and Smokey were all glad when we got back.

This last week at my job was crazy. My first day back to work I find a co-worker was fired. Sad news but the job must go on, only with less people doing all the work. At the end of my workdays, I was too tired to write or work on my online businesses. What I really wanted to do was be creative and so I made more cat designs for my cat store, Meow Meow Bow Wow Gifts.

Here are a few of my new ones:

I like these ones a lot. They are simple and bold and graphic. I think right now my favorite and most fun thing to do is make new cat designs. My love of cats is my inspiration for Meow Meow Bow Wow Gifts.

And now it is friday night. Tiger and Motor are waiting for me to play bird, or our new favorite game, mousie. Last night I decided we needed new toys so we made mousie and peek-a-boo mousie. We all had a lot of fun.

So off to give my cats some play time. Hope everyone who reads this blog post has a very nice weekend, and some sunshine too.

Cat Man

2011-05-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a new design I just finished for my Meow Meow Bow Wow Gifts store. This wasn't done intentionally, but it would make a great father's day gift for any man who loves cats.

"Cat Man" is available on tee shirts, sweat shirts, mugs, pins, and more.

Canned vs. Dry Cat Food

2011-05-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

It seems the biggest difference between canned vs. dry cat food is the water content. Cats need water and many cats do not drink enough. Canned food is an important source of water for cats.

Many cat owners prefer dry cat food over wet food simply because it is convenient. Dry food can stay out all day and not spoil and is generally less expensive than canned. But canned cat food is closer to raw food and contains a lot of water, which helps cats get the hydration they need. Canned food also generally contains less filler and carbohydrates, though reading the labels carefully is key.

For certain health issues, wet food is preferable. For cats with kidney or bowel problems, dry food can exacerbate the condition, and if your cat has urinary issues, the water content in canned food can be especially valuable.

Experts, including About.com's Franny Syufy, the ASPCA, and CatHealth.com and Pets/WebMD.com emphasize that wet food should be your cat's main food. Some, such as veterinarian Lisa A. Pierson at CatInfo.org, go even further, saying that dry food should be eliminated altogether. "I would much rather see a cat eat any canned food versus any dry food -- regardless of quality level of the canned food," she writes, going on to include supermarket-grade foods in that assessment.

Still, most experts say that small amounts of dry food can be used for variety, convenience and cost savings. Feeding half-dry, half-wet is still better than feeding only dry. Small amounts of dry food may be a slight help in keeping cats' teeth clean, though some experts say this is a myth.

Sources: About.com, ASPCA.com, CatHealth.com, Pets/WedMD.com

I Want...

2011-05-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

Another video that will tug on your heart strings. It's not long and it is very sweet. I recommend watching it. I think you will enjoy.

The funny thing about the animal videos that I share here, are that they are usually found on You Tube by my husband. He's turned into a big mush when it comes to animals.

A New Treat

2011-05-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

Friends, it's me again, Motor.

I want to share something awesome that Mom Made for me.

We went to visit our friends at the Katnip Lounge a few weeks ago and we saw that they had real grass growing in their catio. We were amazed and asked Mom to make us some too. Mom liked the idea too so she gave it a good try.

This was her first attempt.

Pretty sad, huh? It was green. And I did have fun digging in it. But this was not like the Katnip Lounge's grass. They actually have grass they can sleep in!

Then she surprised me with this!! I can't roll around in it, but it makes a great treat.

I just love grass!! I like to chew and chew on the grass, and try to pull it out of the dirt. And then I chew up more. What a good treat! And Tiger doesn't care anything about it. So it's all mine.

Mom did good.

Something Disturbing Is Going On

2011-05-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

Friends, Motor here.

There seems to be a new ongoing problem here at The Very Best Cats. I thought my other blogging friends might understand.

Mom keeps calling me Tiger. Shocking, I know. But true. It is as if I have lost my own identity. I have heard her tell Dad that now that I am 2 years old, I have grown into my adult kitty body. And now she can't tell the difference between the 2 of us. And Dad is agreeing! I know my cat friends can tell who is Tiger and which gorgeous ginger cat is me.

Well, I'd like to point out a few differences between me and Tiger. Mom must need a reminder. Mom, when you walk behind Tiger and me, you can see that Tiger needs to lose a few pounds. Yes Mom, he does have a wider girth. Have you thought about putting him on a D-I-E-T?

And what about his tail? He always walks with a straight tail. I like to walk holding my tail up high, showing off my butt for all to see. I especially know that my Mom likes that. She loves every part of me! My tail is always curled too. I like to sway it back and forth.

And my adorable face. Has she forgotten how cute I am? I am the one with the sweet, kitten like face and little kitten meow. She can't forget that, can she?

Well this is a very disturbing situation for me. And I don't know what to do. How do I get Mom to see the real me?

What to Look for in a Cat Food

2011-05-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

I have done more research on healthy cat food and which ingredients to look for and avoid. I am printing this info here just to share what I have learned.

Look for more meat in the list of ingredients and less grain and vegetable products. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that their digestive system is designed to primarily accommodate meats and other proteins. Therefore, the primary ingredients in cat food should be chicken, turkey or fish instead of grains (such as corn, wheat or soy).

Choose foods without dyes or artificial preservatives. There's no proof that dyes or preservatives are unhealthy for cats, but little has been done to research the effects of these ingredients building up in cats' systems over time. The preservatives may be hard on your cat's internal organs. Dyes can stain carpets and upholstery. Premium foods seldom contain dyes and artificial preservatives, but many supermarket brands do.

Balance canned food and dry food. Canned cat food has an advantage in that it contains a high percentage of water -- which reviewers say matches the water content wild cats would get from a carnivorous diet. Wet food ensures better hydration, because cats won't need to drink as much water throughout the day. Dry food is easier on owners and their wallets, but many experts urge moderation in their use -- and some say that the worst canned food is still better than the best dry food. If using a dry food, look for one that's high in protein and low in carbohydrates, and make sure your cat has plenty of water.

Read the label. Given the absence of rigorous comparison testing, the food's ingredient list and nutritional data is the best guide to quality. The best products avoid the use of grains like corn, wheat or soy and don't include animal by-products. If cost, availability or your cat's preferences are an issue, try to stick with a food that minimizes such ingredients and lists them further down the ingredient list.

Reevaluate food labels periodically. Even once you've found a brand or two that you like, consider reevaluating the label every few months. That's because formulas can change, and pet food manufacturers aren't required to change the name of the product or otherwise declare that the formula has been altered.

Lazy Friday Afternoon

2011-05-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

Tiger here. Not much going on with The Very Best Cats. We're just relaxing with our Dad on a friday afternoon. Mom is at work, so it's just me and Motor and Dad hanging out.

And there is Motor. He's taking a nap in our sunny spot.

We want to tell all our friends to have a good weekend, so have a good weekend. And we will too!

Kitten vs. The Tennis Ball

2011-05-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

Very, very cute, and great music to go with it.

I Need Help

2011-05-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

I am having a really tough time with putting flea medicine on my cats. Instinctully, they seem to know when I am planning on putting the med on and I can see the panic in their faces. If they see me and Scott together at these times, they run and try to hide.

I don't know how to make this any less stressful for them. And I get really stressed when I know I have to do this.

Please, if anyone has insight or information they can share with me to make this better for my boys, I would really appreciate the advice.

Da Bird

2011-05-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

My cat Motor is obsessed. In an effort to start to play more with Tiger and Motor, I purchased a toy named "Da Bird." Some of you may all ready know about this toy. It was a hit with Motor from the very beginning.

Feathers are attached to a long string, then a thin pole. When you wave the pole around, you can get the feathers to "fly" in a way that is very intriguing to a cat. Motor follows me to see where I put it away or where I get it from.

He truly is obsessed with this toy. We have gone through 3 of the feather attachments so far. When he catches "Da Bird," he growls at Tiger to keep him away. I have never heard him growl before until this toy.

One time when we were playing, Motor caught the toy, started growling at Tiger, and then carried the toy to the back of the house, like it was his prey. Little did I know, he also had a dead lizard back in the same area. Ugh! That was gross.

My husband and I call that toy simply "bird," If I use the word bird when Motor is around, he knows exactly what I am talking about. Now I spell b-i-r-d if I want to refer to Motor's toy.

Right now the bird is put away. I need to get more birds for Motor to continue to play. And I will. I want him to have fun and he does with this toy.

I know, Motor would give this toy 2 kitty thumbs up.

Not Too Big

2011-04-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

They must have made this bed too small!

Emergency Low Cost Vet Help

2011-04-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to research this information because I feel it is so important for pet owners to have options if they find they cannot afford their vet bills. I'm sure there are more resources available. This is a researched list made available on FrogDog Blog.

Responsible pet owners are aware of the costs involved in caring for their pets, and do their best to provide the best Veterinary care possible. But what about those people who have suffered financial set backs – the people who’ve been laid off, or have lost their jobs, or who simply are on limited incomes? Their budgets might force them to choose between emergency care for a beloved cat or dog, or paying the rent. The following groups help the poor, the lower income, the elderly, women in shelter situations and those with limited incomes to cover health care costs on their pets. Some also provide low or no cost spay and neuters.

Almost all of them make worthy choices for those looking for charities to support.

1. The Farley Foundation
http://www.farleyfoundation.org/
The Foundation offers financial assistance to veterinary clinics in Ontario to help cover the cost of providing necessary veterinary care for pets belonging to seniors receiving the Federal Guaranteed Income Supplement or people with disabilities who receive the Ontario Disability Support Payment, and who cannot otherwise afford treatment for their pets.

2. American Animal Hospital Association
www.aahahelpingpets.org.
Through the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, veterinary care is possible for sick or injured pets even if they have been abandoned or if their owner is experiencing financial hardship.

3. Angels 4 Animals
www.Angels4Animals.org
Angels 4 Animals, a non-profit organization and a program of Inner Voice Community Services, has a mission to serve as the guardian angel of animals whose caretakers find themselves in difficult financial situations. Our services range from financial aid to complete treatment to those pets and pet owners in need.

4. Care Credit
www.carecredit.com
A credit card company for health care, including veterinary care. Care Credit, the leader in patient/client financing, has helped more than 3 million patients/clients get the treatment or procedures they needed and wanted. With a comprehensive range of plan options, for treatment or procedure fees from $1 to over $25,000, we offer a plan and a low monthly payment to fit comfortably into almost every budget.

5. Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance (FVEAP)
www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/door/

The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes.

7. IMOM
www.imom.org
Dedicated to insuring that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged.

8. The Pet Fund
thepetfund.com/

A registered 501(c)3 nonprofit association that provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need urgent veterinary care. Companion animal owners must often make the difficult decision to put an animal down or neglect urgent medical needs because of the costs involved. The purpose of the Pet Fund is to work towards a future where decisions about companion animal medical care need never be made on the basis of cost.

9. United Animal Nations
www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html

The mission of LifeLine is to help homeless or recently rescued animals suffering from life-threatening conditions that require specific and immediate emergency veterinary care. We strive to serve Good Samaritans and rescue groups who take in sick or injured animals. In certain cases, LifeLine can also assist senior citizens and low-income families pay for immediate emergency veterinary care.

10. PDSA UK
http://www.pdsa.org.uk/
PDSA is the UK’s leading veterinary charity, caring for more than 300,000 pet patients belonging to people in need. We provide free veterinary treatment to sick and injured animals and we promote responsible pet ownership.

11. RSPCA UK (Local Branches Only)
http://www.rspca.org.uk/

Many RSPCA animal welfare establishments also offer subsidised veterinary treatment (help with vet bills), neutering and microchipping in addition to pet care information and rehoming facilities.

12. UK Assistance with Veterinary Bills
www.petloversonline.co.uk/financial.htm
A listing of charities in the UK that can help with emergency veterinary expenses.

13. HandicappedPets.com
www.handicappedpets.com/Articles/help/

From time to time, HandicappedPets.com recognizes a caretaker of handicapped pets that need some special attention, and a little extra help. There are those who are so selflessly dedicated to their animal families that they give up a little more than they can afford.

And...A little more follow up information.

Humane Society of the United States. They do not have funds available for vet care, but they have a page of suggestions for pet owners in distress. Some of the suggestions are pretty good. They suggest having a heart to heart talk with your vet. That’s a good suggestion because vets usually know where financial help is available - they’ve been down that road many, many times. Others suggestions on the site are less than helpful. Glean what you can that is helpful.

IMOM - In Memory of Magic, An approved applicant gets a “pets in need” page introducing the pet and the family, and sponsors are recruited to fund the animal’s medical needs. The site includes an active online community of pet parents and sponsors. At present, their need for help is go great that they are unable to accept new applications for assistance.

Angels4Animals, a segment of California-based Inner Voice Community Services, administers a “Guardian Angel” program. Potential beneficiaries fill out an eligibility assessment application. Working with a network of veterinary clinics across the United States, Angels4Animals verifies the need for assistance, makes financial arrangements with the clinic and authorizes the treatment needed to save the pet in distress. Donations to the program are gratefully accepted and opportunities for volunteers are available.

The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a funding mechanism to help cats and kittens with life-threatening conditions. It has the stated goals of providing rapid decisions and responses to assistance requests; a minimum of procedures and paperwork to get assistance; and comprehensive help to solve problems through financial assistance, information and/or referral. Their “Kobi Fund” is devoted to helping victims of Vaccine Associated Sarcoma. They have several options for donating to the cause, including donation of items (or buying donated items) for their e-bay auctions.

The Pet Fund provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need veterinary care and cannot afford expensive surgery or medical treatment. Applicants must call the Pet Fund and discuss their needs before applying for funding online. They can’t fund emergency care, and there is a waiting list for funding. I was a little taken aback by their web site, which seems to have a similar mindset to the HSUS site and focuses heavily on pet insurance and credit options.

Original for assistance for pet owners: Frogdog Blog, Itchmo.com
and Ree-purrted by MomRobyn

Mr Gray

2011-04-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Mr Gray is missing. And I am not very happy about that. He has been gone for a couple of weeks now. I think he may have been chased out of our yard by another cat I have seen recently. It is a big cat, white with large orange spots. Looks like Flynn and Eric. Of course if Flynn and Eric were in our backyard, we would be very pleased. But this new cat? I'm not to sure.

Mr Gray never strayed very far from our yard because he was fed everyday. That is my hope for him. That he is OK and is being fed by someone else now. But I am concerned.

Smokey changed her behavior at the same time. She was sleeping in her shelter regularly and now she is not. And she seems to be gone from our yard more. But she is back everyday for her canned food and kibble.

So, if you happen to see Mr Gray during your day, please send him back home to The Very Best Cats. We miss him.

Two Boys

2011-04-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

Just love my boys!

Inter Species Relationships

2011-04-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

Animals are amazing to me. My husband shared this video with me, and I am passing it on for my followers to view.

I love dolphins. They are amazing creatures. On a vacation in Mexico a few years back, I got to be in a large pool with captive dolphins and I was able to touch them and feed them. It was amazing. An experience I will not forget.

Another Miracle

2011-04-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

What the heck is going on in my house? My 2 cats being in such close physical space together?

I think things may be changing between these two. I am working hard at trying to give the two of them equal attention. Motor is more demanding of attention and if I give him more, Tiger gets mad. And then he will go after Motor.

They do seem a bit more peaceful lately. It does a cat mom's heart good.

(Tiger is on the left if you were curious)

The Rarest of Moments

2011-04-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the blurriness of this photo. I really wanted to share it. I have never seen this before in my house. This is Tiger and Motor, of course, looking at our bedroom window to our yard. What makes this unusual is that they are sitting on a 10"x10" box, together. Usually, Tiger growls and won't let Motor even look out the window. He needs a lot more personal space than Motor does. They just sat like that, peacefully, for about 5 minutes before Motor had to take off.

Creation

2011-04-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

I came upon this while exploring Facebook and I thought it was very touching. This is my share for monday.

Creation
When God had made the earth and sky, the flowers and the trees,
He then made all the animals, the fish, the birds and bees.
And when at last He'd finished not one was quite the same.
He said I'll walk this world of mine and give each one a name.
And so He traveled far and wide and everywhere He went,
a little creature followed Him until its strength was spent.
When all were named upon the earth and in the sky and sea,
the little creature said "Dear Lord, there's no name left for me."
Kindly the Father said to him "I've left you to the end.
I've turned my own name back to front
And called you DOG, my friend".

Author Unknown

Posted from Diana Ybarra's Facebook

Looking at You

2011-04-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here's looking at you...

from on high.

What if Cats Had Thumbs?

2011-04-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

OK, I do like humorous videos. Especially if it is about animals. Checking out You Tube the other day, I came across this one. It's pretty cute! You might give it a look.

Just Precious

2011-04-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Twin Boys Have a Conversation

2011-03-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

OK, this has nothing to do with Tiger, Motor or Smokey. It is a baby video of twin boys having a conversation. It is 2 minutes long, and I find it pretty amazing. They seem to have a language all their own. And for us as "grown ups," it is fascinating to watch the body language and expressiveness with which they interact with one another.

My Motor

2011-03-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

I love the way the outdoor light, lights up his face.

And then, he turned and looked right at me.

Good Help is Hard to Find

2011-03-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

Motor: Hey Tiger! Look! Mom unpacked the box. She just went to pick up Dad. Why don't we surprise her and put this thing together.

Motor: What do you think it is?

Tiger: It maybe one of those climby things. It has a lot of parts. I think I need to inspect this thoroughly. I see it has a rope.

Tiger: And lots of soft areas to roll around on.

Motor: And it has those polls we like to scratch. It must be a climby thing. Yeah. Let's put it together and surprise Mom.

Tiger: I think I need to roll around over it again to make sure it's not defective. Motor, you'll be pleased to know that it feels good. Mom did all right picking this one out.

Later...

Motor: Tiger, we did such a good job. And look how high I can go! We can even look out the window at night now.

Motor: Tiger, I think I see Mom and Dad coming. Quick, look casual.

Mom: (Just coming in the door) Tiger! Motor! Mom's home. Oh my goodness. Dad, look at that. They made the kitty climber all by themselves. I can't believe it. You guys are so smart.

Mom: And they say good help is hard to find.

Back to Facebook

2011-03-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have been having fun pimping up my blog this last week. I decided to get back to Facebook with a Meow Meow Bow Wow Gift site. I hope to meet more people online with like interests: cats and animals.

Please, go to my new store and "Like" it. I need help building up my audience. If you can help me spread the word within your cat following, maybe on your blog, I would be very appreciative. If you do not want to, that is OK too.

And please sign up for my newsletter (on the right). I will only send out a mailing once a month at the most. I hope to use this just to get the word out for Sales and Specials in Meow Meow.

Thank you to all my readers and supporters of The Very Best Cats. It is nice to be among friends that have a passion of animals and their welfare as much as I do.

More Designs from Meow Meow Bow Wow Gifts

2011-03-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of other designs I have created for clothing and gifts at Meow Meow Bow Wow Gifts.

Personally, I can relate a little too well to the Cat Fur design. I never get out of the house without wearing fur. I actually just ordered a sweatshirt for myself with this design. I'm excited. My order may be showing tomorrow!!

Breakfast at Ginger's

2011-03-25T08:17:00.000-07:00

This is a video that was on the Animal Rescue site that I thought was very clever and I wanted to share. I like humorous videos. I hope you like it too!

Healthiest Cat Foods

2011-03-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, I did some reading about the ingredients in cat foods, what to avoid, and what to look for. I want my cats to live very long healthy lives so it is important to me to get them healthy foods. Personally, I call the cat food that is found in grocery stores "junk food." Tiger and Motor prefer the taste of these cat foods, both canned and dry. So because I am a push over, I mix their dry food with the premium and the "junk food." This way at least 1/2 of what they eat is good for them. And 90% of the time, the canned food I feed them is premium also. I hope, in time, to be able to switch them over completely to the healthier brands.

The basic ingredients that you want to look for are:

           -Protein from a meat, fish, or poultry source
           -Taurine, an essential amino acid
            -Certain other vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fatty acids
             -Water

That's it, basically., although corn, wheat, and/or rice are used as fillers for both canned and dry cat foods. Other ingredients, such as binders, flavoring, and coloring, are added by cat food manufacturers to satisfy the aesthetic wants of the consumer. Although preservatives are necessary, to keep foods fresh for our cats, canned food should not be allowed to remain out for any length of time, in any case.

As a general rule, the order of ingredients is just as important as the kind of ingredients. Unless a cat is on a special diet for a medical reason, the protein source will always be listed first, followed by other ingredients listed in the order of their percentage to total weight. Here are some quick guidelines (after the protein source, the order may vary from product to product.:

Named Protein Source
This is by far the most important ingredient to look for in cat foods: a specific protein source other than "meat." Look for chicken, turkey, lamb, salmon, etc. (May be followed by named organs, e.g. chicken liver, chicken heart, both rich sources of taurine.)
Specific Carbohydrates aka "fillers"
Cats are obligate carnivores, i.e., they must have meat to survive, and they do not need carbohydrates. In fact, cats have problems digesting some carbohydrates, and many food allergies are triggered by the carbohydrate content of foods. However, most dry foods depend on carbohydrates as the "fillers" needed to hold the other ingredients together for dry cat food. Look for whole grains, such as brown rice, barley, or wheat (wheat may also trigger allergies in some cats).
Named Fat Source
Look for a named fat source, such as "chicken fat." You may also see sunflower oil, or other oils listed, usually in premium foods.
Vitamins and Minerals Vitamin C (calcium ascorbate) and/or Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) are often added as preservatives, along with other vitamins and minerals.
Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that can be readily produced by the human body, however, cats need a dietary source of taurine for good health. In a 1974 study, it was found that a diet deficient in taurine contributed toward retinal degeneration in cats. Taurine deficiency can also cause a heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy. For several decades cat food manufacturers have added taurine to cat food.

The following are the ingredients that you would want to stay away from:

BHT, BHA, and ethoxyquin
These are chemical preservatives which are very effective at preserving dry cat food, but are suspected to be potentially cancer-causing agents. In recent years, many pet food manufacturers have moved toward using more "natural" preservatives, such as Vitamins C and E.
Meat By-Products
Meat by-products are the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low-temperature fatty tissue and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hooves." Besides the fact that you don't know what species of animal the "meat" comes from, by-products as a rule are considered an inferior form of the protein which cats need.
Meat Meal, Meat By-Product Meal
"Meal" is generally produced by rendering, a process which raises a red flag to cat enthusiasts. I would definitely recommend avoiding cat foods containing these ingredients.

Which is better, canned food or kibble?Many nutritionists agree that cats should get a variety of food, both dry and canned, for several reasons:

While dry food is convenient, and can be left out for "free feeding,"
Canned food contains water, and many cats do not drink water regularly
To ensure that your cat gets the right amount of nutrients. That "near-perfect" food you've selected might be adding too little (or too much) of certain minerals and/or vitamins.
Cats may actually become bored with the same food day in and day out, and simply quit eating.
To head off possible allergies to certain ingredients. Cats (like humans) develop allergies over a period of time. Although the incidence of food allergies in cats is rare, cat owners might want to err on the side of caution, particularly if their cats have shown evidence of allergies in the past.

The ideal diet is a variety of high-quality canned foods, supplemented with dry food for cats left alone all day. That's what we do here at The Very Best Cats.

To sum things up, when you are buying cat foods, look for:

Named protein source - look for "chicken, lamb, or beef," rather than "meat."
On canned food particularly, the protein source should be the first listed ingredient
Check the expiration date for freshness

And avoid:

Words such as "By-products," "meat and/or bone meal," "animal digest," most other descriptions including "digest" or "meal," and added sugars.
Chemical preservatives, including BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, and propyl gallate
Corn meal as a filler
Excess of carbohydrate "fillers" (Dry food can contain as much as 50 percent grain)

These healthier foods are definitely more expensive. But they are definitely worth it if you can afford them.

Information shared from the writings of Franny Syufy at About.com Guide

Do Dogs Chase Cats?

2011-03-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

I just have to share this video. My husband made sure I saw it this morning. It is an ad for Geico insurance named "Do dogs chase cats?" I love it. I hope you enjoy it too.

New Design at Meow Meow Bow Wow Gifts

2011-03-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

I just added a new design in my gift store. One Can Never Have Too Many Cats. This is a sentiment I think a lot of us feel. This design is available on tee-shirts, sweat shirts, mugs and other gift items at Meow Meow Bow Wow Gifts.

I am having a lot of fun coming up and creating new designs. Stop by and take a look sometime. You may find something you like for yourself or a friend.

Get to High Ground!

2011-03-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

Friday morning, 5:00am, I heard my phone ring in the back of the house. I my half awake state, I thought, this cannot be good. Either it is a wrong number, or someone I know was hurt. I decided to believe it was a wrong number and fall back asleep.

Once I was dressed for work, I headed to my office, dreading what I might hear on my message machine. I had 2 phone calls waiting for me. My good friend and my sister from the east coast both called to tell me we had a serious tsunami warning for the CA coast. Estimated time of arrival was 7:30am. I take a look at the clock and it is 7:25am. OK, time to wake up Scott.

He gets up quickly and we both go turn on the TV to see what is going on. Yes, there are coastal warnings all over the news. Now we do live close to the coast. About a five minute drive and there you are. But supposedly, we are just outside the tsunami warning area. Who really knows this is true, I'm not quite sure.

My sister came over while we were trying to decide what to do. Motor decided right away what he was going to do. Take to higher ground!! I couldn't find him at first. When I finally did, there he was.

This is one of two of Motor's safe places. It is the very top shelf of the bookcase in my office/studio. Good choice Motor!

I'm a Bird Watcher

2011-03-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

Motor

Just outside our living room window is a big bush/tree that in the morning is full of birds. You cannot see them very well, but you can certainly hear them. Motor was just fascinated the other morning. I had to take his photo.

Tiger

2011-03-08T17:53:00.000-08:00

Oh, what a beautiful boy. This is Tiger, pooped out after playing with his "sock toy." I call it that for lack of a better word. It is a long stuffed "sock" that also has catnip in it. Tiger likes to wrestle and bite and rabbit kick it. He gets a pretty good workout. We have 2 of these toys. One was supposed to be for Motor, but Motor has not played with them at all. So I go after Tiger with the both of them.

Tiger

2011-03-07T18:44:00.000-08:00

Tiger LOVES his Dad... But... does his Dad love him?

Motor

2011-03-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

Motor, just clowning around.

Motor Lost His Purr

2011-03-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

On saturday, I took Motor to the vet for his vacinne shots. I was supposed to bring him in about 6 weeks ago, but I procrastinated because I do not like to cause him any stress.

Actually it went a lot better than I thought it would. He meowed all the way there. I left him in my car until they were ready for him in an office, then we went in, he got his shots, and we were out. Our ride home was better. He meowed in the beginning, then he was quiet. I like to sing and make up songs quite often. So I made up the Motor is going home song, and it seemed to help calm him down.

So the rest of saturday, he was his normal perky self. Sunday was when he felt under the weather. He was just not himself. He wouldn't purr. And if Motor doesn't purr, you know something is wrong. I am very glad I remembered this happened to Tiger the last time he went in. So I wasn't alarmed, but cautious and watchful of his behaviors for the day.

Mostly he slept. When he did get up to walk around, he walked very gingerly, like an old cat. He reminded me of K.C. and the way she walked towards the end.

By the evening, Motor was feeling better, not all the way, but better than in the morning. And he was beginning to find his purr again. By monday morning, Motor was back to his old self again. Motor is my morning sunshine. He comes up to greet me and be pet as soon as I am up everyday. I wouldn't want to change our ritual for anything.

Morning Wakeup Call

2011-02-28T13:17:00.000-08:00

On most weekday mornings, I am usually woken up by the sound of my radio alarm clock at 6:00am.

Today, though, I was woken up by the sound of a howling meowing cat right outside our window. Right on time, 6:00am.

My husband, in his semi-asleep state comments, "most people are woken up by a rooster."

I loved that. Not at our house!

Meow Meow Bow Wow Gifts

2011-02-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

Anyone that knows me knows I am an artist. I have a strong need to create. Even with the little time I currently have, I have to create. Many times this need has taken preference over friends, and sometimes family. This urge in me is so integral to who I am. And it seems to be getting stronger as I get older.

My creations have changed very much as the years have gone by. Just recently I decided to stop making jewelry due to lack of time. But I still have this urge, this need. It's like an itch that needs to be scratched. From this, Meow Meow Bow Wow Gifts was born.

I love animals. Most of you reading this probably do too. So I have been trying to figure out what kind of small business I would like to start around my passion for animals, cats in particular.

Meow Meow Bow Wow Gifts is an online store that sells Comfortable Clothing and Gifts for Pet Lovers. T-shirts, sweatshirts, and other items, currently all about cats.

My idea for this shop is first, to express my love for animals. The second idea is more, I think you would call it "social." I will be making designs promoting spay/neutering of pets, pet adoption, anti-animal abuse, etc. These are issues I feel very strongly about.

So when you have a chance, stop by and take a look. If you have any comments or feedback, that is always appreciated. I will be adding new designs every week. Have an idea for a design? Pass it on. I just may use it.

One of my very favorite because it is so true!

Signs of Illness in Older Cats

2011-02-22T17:49:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share this list of signs of illness for senior cats. It is from the Fall 2010 issue of Healthy Pet.

As we all know, our cats cannot speak to us and tell us when they are feeling badly. You know your cat best of all, their daily habits and routines. If you see any of the following changes, a call to your vet would be advisable.

- changes in weight, esp. weight loss
- decrease appetite or loss of appetite
- increased water consumption
- changes in elimination patterns, urine or stool
- new lumps or bumps, or changes in existing ones
- persistent cough
- difficulty in breathing, breathing heavily or rapidly at rest
- sudden collapse or bout of weakness
- difficulty climbing stairs or jumping
- foul mouth odor or drooling
- seizure, convulsion or fit
- pain

Guess Who's Home

2011-02-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

I came home this evening from running an errand and when I pull up in my drive way, guess who is there? Mr Gray!! He must have heard my writing and decided he would come back to keep me from worrying anymore.

What a good boy. Of course, I'm not really sure if he is a boy or not. But he's back!

Mr Gray, Mr Gray

2011-02-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

Where is Mr Gray? I haven't seen him in a few days now. My husband tells me he must be on vacation. For a long while, he never left our yard, knowing he had some regular food every day. But lately, he's been gone five, six, seven days in a row before he shows up again.

Well it's time for him to get back home. I'm ready.

Sunday Afternoon

2011-02-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

It's just a lazy sunday afternoon as you can see from the boys.

Of course, it makes a kitty mom's heart happy when she sees the 2 getting along together.

That is Motor falling asleep on Tiger.

Michael Vick

2011-02-16T18:21:00.000-08:00

The more time I spend with my cats, the more I love them. I cannot see how anyone could be so disconnected from animals that they cannot see how wonderful they are. And I cannot understand how people can be OK with hurting innocent beings.

In particular who I am speaking about is Michael Vick. If you have not heard of him, he is an NFL quarterback and he was arrested for dog fighting in 2007. 51 of his dogs were rescued from his farm and their fates were uncertain at the time.

Pit bulls saved from dog fighting rings are often found to be unsafe around humans and are put to sleep.

Miraculously, 47 of the pit bulls taken from Vick's kennels were deemed fit for rehabilitation. Thanks a number of rehabilitation groups, those dogs are now leading happier lives. Some have been adopted by families; others, are working as therapy dogs.

So... where am I going with this information. I work with a young woman who is adopting a pit bull puppy this week and I asked her what she was going to name her dog. She told me Vic. I knew right away who she was talking about. She told me her boyfriend wants the puppy to be named Vick because he is such a good football player and he is on their favorite team. In my head, I am thinking, are you really aware of what this man has done, to pit bulls, that you say are your favorite dogs? You are going to name your sweet new puppy after an animal abuser? This, to me, is the disconnection factor.

I'm not really sure where I am going with this post. I guess I was just a bit shocked that anyone would idolize that man after the agony, pain and suffering he caused his dogs.

Smokey

2011-02-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

So I am taking Smokey to the vet on thursday. I want to get her tested to see if she is disease free and able to become an indoor cat with the boys. I feel terrible knowing she is outside in the winter weather. She does stay in the shelter I made, but she still has to be cold.

Whether or not I get her to the vet depends on if I can get her to go in a carrier. I don't know if she will, but I am going to try by putting food inside.

If I get her to the vet, she tests disease free, then the fun part of trying to integrate the three cats will begin. I hope it goes a lot easier than I am afraid it will. Smokey and Tiger have known each other for years, but they have not shared a home. And Motor is just scared of anything new.

Tiger has been more aggressive with Motor since K.C.'s passing, so I'm hopeing that, once again, having 3 cats, will change that. It worked the first time. I can only hope for the best.