My seven cats on any given morning of the week, circling like hungry sharks as they wait for breakfast.

Rain or shine, weekday, weekend, holiday or not, my get-out-of-bed morning routine is set-your-clock-to-the-minute established to be 5:30 a.m. My cats insist on it. Friday, November 8th was no exception. It starts with an unnecessary preamble of meows and paw pats to my face to get me out of bed, just in case, despite years of dedicated servitude, I might forget and sleep in until 5:35 a.m. I begin the routine by making the rounds scooping the numerous litter boxes, promptly followed by the feeding process – freshwater and filling seven bowls with assorted individual meal requirements for my seven cats. Seven cats in case you didn’t catch that. Read more

October 26 is National Pumpkin Day, but with fall being in full swing, pumpkins will be a mainstay part of our lives for many weeks to come, from decorating for Halloween and Thanksgiving to cooking delicious pumpkin-inspired foods as well. But did you also know it turns out pumpkin is good for your feline friend, too! You don’t want them munching on the pumpkin from your front stoop, or eating canned pumpkin filling that has added sugars and sweeteners, but canned organic pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, and cooked fresh pumpkin have many benefits for cats, such as: Read more

His coat, once silky and shiny had lost luster. And his eyes, once bright and clear had begun to cloud. His body, once thick and full had lost some girth. Naptime consumed most of his day and his penchant for bringing a stockpile of plush gifts into the bedroom during the night had waned. But it really wasn’t a surprise. After all, he was nearly 14 years old, a senior cat, and the effects of aging were to be expected. Read more

Despite the importance of spay/neuter for cats, not only for their health and well-being but as a humane means to prevent new litters of kittens from being born and entering shelters already overcrowded with cats, the ASPCA estimates 3.2 million cats enter U.S. shelters annually, with approximately 860,000 euthanized because their numbers exceed available adoptees.

Cats end up in shelters for numerous reasons, typically because their human guardian surrenders them for behavioral, financial, or personal reasons. One of the most common surrenders is a result of cat allergies, and for June, Adopt A Shelter Cat Month, the good news is, with some patience and preventative measures, many people who are allergic to cats can adopt that feline friend they’ve always wanted, or at the very least, keep the sniffles to a minimum if they already have a cat!  Read more

Little miss Mia all coy and sweet for her Easter picture!

Oh, my catness! It’s already Easter! I’ve been so busy pulling together the last-minute details for the Cat Writers’ Association 25th anniversary conference and awards banquet that I’ve barely come up for air. It will be held on May 16 – 18 at the Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch, St. Louis and the clock is ticking to get everything done! And not to pressure anyone, but if you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time – we have an amazing lineup of speakers, an incredible book signing and fundraising event for the Humane Society of Missouri, prizes, gifts, celebrity cats, entertainment, and our annual awards banquet which promises to be a spectacular night! You don’t have to be a member of the CWA to attend – please click here for full details.

Keep Easter safe for your cats by avoiding dangerous temptations such as curling ribbon, cellophane grass, chocolate, and Easter lilies.

Anyhow, whatever you’re doing -whether it’s a peaceful day with family and friends or a catch-up day like mine, I hope it’s a day filled with blessings. And don’t forget how curious our feline friends can be  – Easter is a wonderful time but there can be many things dangerous to cats. Curling ribbons and cellophane grasses if ingested could become entangled in their intestines, causing them to twist and close off requiring dangerous surgery. Chocolate is highly toxic to cats and so are those beautiful Easter lilies we are all familiar with. And if a cat eats a small toy or decoration, they could possibly choke on it, so really the best thing to do is keep these types of temptations away from your cat. To be safe, keep both the phone number of your veterinarian and the pet poison helpline programmed on your phone in case of emergencies (poison helpline is 855-764-7661).

Happy Easter – love, and purrs from Deb and the Zee/Zoey gang!

Love from Rolz, angel Jazz, Peanut, angel Harley, Zee, Zoey, Kizmet, Jazmine, and Mia.

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