Cat Behavior

It’s Beginning to Look A lot Like a Kitty-Cat Christmas!

It can’t be December! I wasn’t done with January through November yet!

Yesterday was December 1st and rather than lament the fact that time is going by at much too rapid a speed, and that I have far too much to do before the year ends, I decided to post a photo montage of some of my favorite festive-feline holiday images over the years. It won’t slow time down, but it is nice to take a trip down memory lane. But in all seriousness, how is it December already when I don’t even feel I’ve caught up to June yet? Is it just me, or do you all feel life is traveling by at warp speed lately?

Remembering my sweet angel Harley from Christmas 2012.

My angel Jazz back in 2012. Napping under the tree was one of his favorite holiday activities.

Kizmet’s first Christmas with us back in 2013.

Zoey and Mia sharing some mother/daughter snooze time.

Zee, our ever regal holiday King.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without me holding a cat while wearing a leopard Santa hat!

Rolz (and Jazmine) are always happy to keep watch of any gifts that might make their way into our house.

Jazmine and Kizmet help with decorating…

I wonder who knocked that ornament off the tree, Kizmet?

Christmas isn’t just for cats, it’s for people and dogs, too!

It sure is, Mia! It sure is!

The best way to make a holiday gift bag look more festive, put a cat next to it! Thanks, Peanut!

That special moment when all the lights are off, except the soft glow from the Christmas tree. Even Rolz seems impressed.

The best way to get through the holidays…act like a cat and don’t stress!

Holiday Tips & Travel – Don’t Leave Your Cat Alone If You Won’t Be At Home

It can be stressful for us to leave our kitties when we travel but it’s also stressful for them and they shouldn’t be left alone without supervision.

Halloween has come and gone, so its officially that time of year when the holidays – Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s – rapidly descend upon us. For many of us, our lives become completely topsy-turvy, especially for those that pack their bags to go visit with friends and family for some, or all of these special days. In these instances, even if it’s just for an overnight stay, if you’re a cat parent, it’s important to make arrangements for your feline friend and not leave her unattended because her life has become topsy-turvy as well. Read more

Stairs, Safety, and Senior Cats – 10 Tips to Help Ease Your Cat Into His Golden Years

Update  – we are very honored to report this article was the winning recipient of the Cat Writer’s Association 2018 Senior Well-Being Cat Awardas judged by Briony Scott, pet-sitting entrepreneur and certified cat behaviorist.

Zee, very busy assisting with our home renovation project.

Dan used to lament that Zee, our brown tabby Maine Coon I got for him as a kitten as a housewarming gift when he moved in with me in 2005, did not grow into the cuddly lap cat he was hoping for. But Zee was perpetually busy. It began with him instigating rabbit-kick fighting with our adult Ragdoll cat, Jazz, (twice his size), and when we renovated our house a few months after Dan moved in, he was curiously involved in every aspect of it, as the tell-tale paint on his tail and spackle on his ears would reveal. Cuddling? Who had time for that? Read more

Cats and Halloween – Having Fun While Staying Safe!

Happy Meow-o-Ween! Have fun, but please keep it safe!

Happy Meow-o-Ween meow-valus friends! All of us at Zee and Zoey’s hope you have a spooktacular day, but don’t forget with cats it’s not about tricks or treats, but basic safety:

1. No candy, especially chocolate, as it’s toxic to cats and could be extremely harmful if ingested. If you think your cat has eaten something dangerous, contact your veterinarian or call the Pet Poison HelpLine at 855-764-7661.

2. If you expect a lot of traffic at your door, consider locking your cat into a room until the festivities wind down so they don’t get spooked and accidentally run outside.

3. Halloween costumes and decorations can have lots of strings, buttons, and tiny parts your cat might decide to eat that could cause harm. Be very mindful of what you leave out, especially if you leave to go to a party or trick or treating. Pumpkins with real candles are dangerous too – don’t ever leave a candle burning while unattended.

4. Costumes on humans might scare your cat, and putting costumes on them might scare them, too. Respect that cats are creatures of habit and that what we think is fun or cute might cause stress or anxiety to them.

 

Understanding the Mystery of Why Cats Don’t Like Us to Close the Bathroom Door

Close the door? How dare you!

Bathrooms are meant to be that one scared and intimate place in our home where we can shut the door and retreat from the world to our own blessed sanctuary of aloneness and privacy. Unless you have cats, of course. There is literally nothing that will make a cat magically appear from thin air to break that privacy code than a closed bathroom door. You’ll hear that mournful, repeated, and frantic “Meeoooooooooowww” in tangent with a paw, paw, paw, dig, dig, dig under the door and a scratch, scratch, scratch on the door.

“Where are you? When are you coming out? What are you doing in there without me?” Read more