What's up with cats and water? (with guest Aurora Skye)

A few years ago, we had a cat who was completely obsessed with her water bowl. She used to consistantly stick her paw into the water bowl and SPLASH the water all over the kitchen floor! At first the thought that perhaps the fact that because cats generally do not like to get their noses wet she was just checking the depth of the water in the bowl. Hey, sounded logical to me. I was always under the assumption that all cats hated water because they could not swim, etc.

Then, we adopted our Merlin James, who, not only sticks his paw into the bowl, but continously dumps the water bowl upside down (even the heavy ceramic ones) making a complete swimming pool of our floors! We brought him home as a rescue when he was only about 6 weeks old. I fell in love with him immediately. What a "perfect little angel," right? LOL! 

However, we basically went from THIS ... 🐈

To THIS ... 😽

"Take THAT, Ma!"

"Who?Me?"

My sister and her hubby recently adopted an orange male tabby cat named "Hammy" whom they suspect to be mixed with Abyssinian. They have encountered the very same type of behavior from him as we have from our Merlin. As she recounts:

"He enjoys sitting in the shower after either Jim or I take one, because he likes the water dripping on him, and then he licks the water off the blinds that cover the window in the shower/tub area as mentioned before. He will curl up in the sink and doesn't seem to mind even when we turn on the faucet! We fill his water bowl every day, but he will still try to drink from the faucet. He used to flip over his water bowl until we put it in the kitchen sink, so now he drinks from his bowl in the sink - at least Jim and I don't step in spilled water anymore! Finally, if we don't keep the toilet lid closed, Hammy will walk on the seat and dip a paw into the bowl. Maybe he is a water sign?"

After a little bit of research, I was able to find this helpful article:

Do cats like water?

Many cats love water, at least to drink. This is especially true of running water. Some will only drink from water that's moving, to the great annoyance of their owners. But why do cats like running water so much more than, say, water in a bowl?

The answer probably lies in survival instincts. Cats tend to seek out fresh, clean water over stagnant water, probably because fresh water is less likely to contain harmful bacteria than stagnant water is. Plus, running water just tastes better.

Because they descended from desert dwellers who got most of their water from the prey that they ate, cats can be pretty picky about the water that they drink. And cats are sensitive to the smell of water, which can quickly get stale if their bowls aren't changed frequently enough or cleaned regularly. Plus, running or moving water is just more fun.

Cats are curious about water: Does your cat paw at her water dish? Many cats do. We don't know for sure why, but there are a couple of possible explanations. If your cat tends to paw at the water dish before drinking, she might be checking the water level before diving in. Since the bowl's water level varies throughout the day, as well as from one day to the next, your cat might just be gauging how high the water is. Some cats find it uncomfortable to get their whiskers wet and their fur soggy, so they don't want to shove their face into a water bowl that's filled to the brim. Let's face it, water is a fun toy. Cats love anything that moves, and water is very good at moving. Your cat might like batting at running water from the faucet because its' shiny and reflective, much like their favorite toys do. If your cat is obessesed with running water, she or he will probably enjoy a running fountain. Cat fountains are stimulating and also encourage your cat to drink more. Plus, they can save you from constantly cleaning up spilled water. Some cat breeds adore water. Although all cats descent from desert-dwelling ancestors who didn't have much regard for water in the wild, some breeds in particular evoloved to be quite fond of water. Some cat breeds will even go swimmng if you let them. Breeds such as the Turkish Van, Turkish Angora, Japanese Bobtail, Abyssinian, Norwegian Forest Cat, and Maine Coon.


  

These are pictures I took of Hammy this morning. Of course when you want him to pose, he doesn't! He enjoys sitting in the shower after either Jim or I take one, because he likes the water dripping on him, and then he licks the water off the blinds that cover the window in the shower/tub area as mentioned before. He will curl up in the sink and doesn't seem to mind even when we turn on the faucet! We fill his water bowl every day, but he will still try to drink from the faucet. He used to flip over his water bowl until we put it in the kitchen sink, so now he drinks from his bowl in the sink - at least Jim and I don't step in spilled water anymore! Finally, if we don't keep the toilet lid closed, Hammy will walk on the seat and dip a paw into the bowl. Maybe he is a water sign? ..."Hammy"

It's a Cat's Life

From ancient Egyptian deity to present day domestic feline, the cat has a very long and rich history indeed. As the story goes, a cat had wondered into Egypt one day and began killing the mice that were eating the stored grain which the Egyptians had saved for the coming year. Because famine was such a serious problem, the people of Egypt welcomed these felines and believed them to be a sacred gift sent from their gods. The once capital city of Am-Khent, then located in lower Egypt, was named Bubastis in honor of the goddess Bast or Bastet.

In Egyptian mythology, Bast was a daughter of Ra and Isis. She was acknowledged as being associated with music, dancing and anything fun! The people of Egypt had revered their cats as members of the family and, when they died, they would mummify them and adorn them with various gemstomes and jewels.  Even today, cats are considered to be sacred in the country of Turkey. In fact, harming them in any way is forbidden and against the law.

During the Middle Ages; however, cats endured

 the most horrific of atrocities! Due to the

 ignorance of the religious leaders of that time

 in our history who believed that cats, especially

 black cats, were linked to witches and therefore

 must be evil, these beautiful creatures were

 killed and tortured in any way possible by the

 masses! This, in effect, allowed the bubonic

 pleague to spread. Since the disease was

 caused by rats, the same rats which would have

 normally been killed by the cats, it is believed

 that about 25 million people died as a result.

Fortunately for us, cats still live among us, gracing us with their ever-lasting beauty, grace, love, loyalty and equisite presence. I can honestly say that there is nothing that I wouldn't do for my kitties. They are, without a doubt, my best friends and I would be completely lost without them!

A great book I have found for further reading

is called, "Your Magicakal Cat: Feline Magick,

Lore, and Worship" written by Gerina

Dunwich.

Cold Laser Therapy for Cats: I can't say enough!

A few years ago, our sweet kitty, Midnight, developed severe arthritis in his back and neck. He could no longer get up and down off of the bed or sofa and not only that he could not even turn his neck anymore. We took him to our vet not knowing exactly what they could do to help him other than perhaps give us pain meds. When we arrived, our vet, Dr. Ostrich, suggested something fairly new at the time and something that very few vets offer to this day - it is called Cold Laser Therapy. One of his Veterinary Technicians named Danielle had studied this type of therapy and was certified to perform this proceedure on animals who would greatly benefit from it.

We thought that it certainly could not hurt and if it worked - ALL THE BETTER! And so, we began our therapeutic journey with our Midnight ...

We walked into the patient room where Danielle had the equipment set up and handed us  both a pair of dark glasses and a pair for Midnight as well. Each session takes only 2 1/2 minutes (dogs take between 45 minutes to and hour) and he had been responding so well to them that from there on in, he was only scheduled for a once a month session unless otherwise needed. It had helped him a great deal with his arthritis pain and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone. Although the only down side was that our kitty absolutely hated car rides and did not travel well. The worst part of taking him to the vet was getting him from our house to there. Once he was there, he was much calmer, and after we arrived home again, he was great! 

It is hard to believe that only a couple of weeks before the cold laser therapy treatments he could not even turn his back to groom himself and we could not so much as touch his backside without him crying in pain. Afterward, he was pain-free and flexible again - jumping up and down off of the furniture. We were elated! 

Midnight required 6 initial mandatory sessions after which he would only need to get treatment once a month or as needed. At one of his therapy sessions, his Veterinary Technician and Professional Therapist, Danielle, had proudly shown us some  videos which she had made documenting her patient's Laser Therapy progress from session to session, and I was utterly astounded at what I saw! Dogs and cats with major hip and other types of surgeries _ and even animals who were paralyzed that could not only walk again within one or two sessions but were running around pain-free and shaking their butts around the room! It is simply amazing what this procedure had done for our cat, Midnight and such a wonderful alternative to conventional medications. 

Veterinary Technician, Danielle, from "Eagle's Peek Animal Clinic" performing Laser Therapy practices on her, "star patient," ~  our  kitty Midnight. 🐈

It much reminds me of reiki in many ways, but seems to have much longer lasting effects. I still performed reiki  on him from time to time, but the problem was that he was not very comfortable with the fact that "he actually feels "too comfortable" So Laser Therapy was just so perfect for him. 

In addition to his monthly therapy sessions, we had also purchased a wonderful handmade carpeted ramp off of Etsy for his "off-days" when he needed a little extra help getting up and down on the sofa ...

In my experience, actually seeing the results is believing. 

Aspergillosis in Cats

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Aspergillosis is a fungal infection in cats. Aspergillosis is an opportunistic fungal infection caused by the Aspergillus, a species of common mold found throughout the environment, including dust, straw, grass clippings, and hay. An opportunistic infection occurs when an organism which does not generally cause disease becomes an infectious agent once it has entered into an animals body. In the case of Aspergillosis, it becomes an infectious agent when the body's immune system is weakened from some other disease or illness.

There are two types of acquired Aspergillus infection: nasal and disseminated. Both types can affect cats, and while no particular breed is more prone than another, Persians show a slightly higher incidence.

Symptoms and Types

There are two types of Aspergillus infections. The first is the nasal form, where the infection is localized in the nasal passages and front sinuses. It is believed that this develops from direct nasal contact with the fungus. For example, if a cat is outside and around dust and grass clippings, the fungus may enter via the moist lining of the nose. The most commonly associated symptoms are nasal discharge and noisy breathing during inhaling.

The second type of Aspergillus infection is disseminated, meaning it is more widespread in the body, not only in the nasal area. It is not certain how this form enters the body. Disseminated aspergillosis is most commonly associated with nonspecific signs, such as lethargy, depression, vomiting, and diarrhea. Other symptoms may include protruding eyeballs.

Our cat Kiki was diagnosed with this disease by two different vets. They ran the necessary blood tests and performed a sinus endoscopy so they could get a biopsy sample to be sure and they also cleaned her sinus passages out as well. 

While there is no cure for this type of infection, the only thing we could do was give her is some meds on a daily basis to help make her comfortable. 

The Best of Both Worlds?

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For as long as I can remember, cats and women have been pretty much synonymous. But, the truth is that with cats being the most popular pets in America, atleast half of those cat guardians are men.

Yup, according to an article in "Cat Fancy" Magazine written by published writer and Grammy-nominated musician Rick Allen, not only do men love cats too, but there are also a few benefits to having a male partner, friend or spouse who shares their life with cats. For example, men who love and adore cats are known to be "generally nicer guys" and have "higher IQ's." After all, if distinguished and well-respected men of history such as Albert Einstein could be devoted to his cat "Tiger" and Winston Churchill his beloved cat "Jock," then surely there must be something to this!

"I simply can't resist a cat, particularly a purring one. They are the cleanest, cunningest, and most intelligent things I know." ~ Mark Twain

Love Thy Neighbor ... cat!

 The following post was originally published on July 30, 2015 and is taken from my previous cat blog, "The Cat Cottage." ...

.

Greetings, my friends! Things have been rather busy here as of late. I have been making some additions to the catio, adding a tall kitty condo which I have placed in front of the back window so that the cats may be able to enjoy the view outside. And, I have added a few more nice throw rugs as well ...

 

Last Friday morning while I was walking out the door to go to work, I was greeted by our favorite little neighbor cat, "Miss Fancy Pants" (hubby and I have nicknamed her "Trixie"). As usual, I opened the door and she walked right in. Apparently, once again, she had gotten away from our neighbor lady, her mommy Cindy, and she came to see us. We love her visits, although given the fact that we live very close to a major (and extremely busy!) highway we are naturally concerned about her  safety. We kept her in the catio for the remainder of the weekend until her owner came to pick her up. At least we knew that she would not get hurt or stolen while we were at work all day.

"Miss Fancy Pants" (aka "Trixie") is such a sweet little love! ...

Long story short, we drove her back home and Cindy told my hubby that she had to babysit for her grandson out of the area every other weekend and asked us if we would like to cat sit "Miss Fancy Pants" for her on the weekends that she was away. She also makes handmade catnip toys and generously sent five beautiful bags home with us for our fur babies ...

Lady Tabitha approved of her new cat nip toy!

UPDATE TO THIS POST dated February 6, 2022:

Last Sunday, one of our neighbors stopped off at 

our house to tell us some sad news. Fancy 

Pants' mommy had passed away. It is uncertain

exactly what she passed away of, but the

neighbor had told my husband that she had

apparently been suffering from some kind of

stomach problem.

Rest in Peace, Cindy ... you will be greatly

missed!

Jack Byrnes World of Cats

 

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The following quotes were taken from one of my favorite comedies, "Meet the Parents." ...

Jack Byrnes:  "Greg, how come you don't like cats?"
Greg Focker: "I don't not like cats. I-I just – I just prefer dogs. I mean, I'm just more of a dog kind of, you know. Come home, wagging their little tails, happy to see you kind of…"
Jack Byrnes: "You need that assurance, do you? You prefer an emotionally shallow animal?"
Greg Focker: "I…"
Jack Byrnes: "You see, Greg, when you yell at a dog, his tail will go between his legs and cover his genitals, his ears will go down. A dog is very easy to break, but cats make you work for their affection. They don't sell out the way dogs do."

Jack Byrnes: Greg, how come you don't like cats?
Greg Focker: I don't not like cats. I-I just – I just prefer dogs. I mean, I'm just more of a dog kind of, you know. Come home, wagging their little tails, happy to see you kind of…
Jack Byrnes: You need that assurance, do you? You prefer an emotionally shallow animal?
Greg Focker: I…
Jack Byrnes: You see, Greg, when you yell at a dog, his tail will go between his legs and cover his genitals, his ears will go down. A dog is very easy to break, but cats make you work for their affection. They don't sell out the way dogs do. - See more at: http://www.okmoviequotes.com/all-great-movie-meet-the-parents-quotes-3.html#sthash.A5zeQFm4.dpu

Jack Byrnes: Greg, how come you don't like cats?
Greg Focker: I don't not like cats. I-I just – I just prefer dogs. I mean, I'm just more of a dog kind of, you know. Come home, wagging their little tails, happy to see you kind of…
Jack Byrnes: You need that assurance, do you? You prefer an emotionally shallow animal?
Greg Focker: I…
Jack Byrnes: You see, Greg, when you yell at a dog, his tail will go between his legs and cover his genitals, his ears will go down. A dog is very easy to break, but cats make you work for their affection. They don't sell out the way dogs do.

---

- See more at: http://www.okmoviequotes.com/all-great-movie-meet-the-parents-quotes-3.html#sthash.A5zeQFm4.dpuf

Jack Byrnes: Greg, how come you don't like cats?
Greg Focker: I don't not like cats. I-I just – I just prefer dogs. I mean, I'm just more of a dog kind of, you know. Come home, wagging their little tails, happy to see you kind of…
Jack Byrnes: You need that assurance, do you? You prefer an emotionally shallow animal?
Greg Focker: I…
Jack Byrnes: You see, Greg, when you yell at a dog, his tail will go between his legs and cover his genitals, his ears will go down. A dog is very easy to break, but cats make you work for their affection. They don't sell out the way dogs do.

---

- See more at: http://www.okmoviequotes.com/all-great-movie-meet-the-parents-quotes-3.html#sthash.A5zeQFm4.dpuf

Dina Byrnes (Jack's wife):  "Jack, he was just trying to save his dog. I mean, what if it had been Mr. Jinx who fell into the toilet?" 
Jack Byrnes (matter-of-factly): "Mr. Jinx has had  extensive aquatic training. He would have known exactly what to have done in a submergion."

 Jack Byrnes (played by Robert DeNiro) with his beloved cat, Mr. Jinx in "Meet the Parents."

Deborah Byrnes (Jack's 'Bride-to-Be' daughter):  "No, we are not gonna postpone the wedding rehearsal for some stupid cat!"

Jack (to Deborah after Jinx went missing): "Stupid cat? How can you say that? That cat's been like a brother to you. And we're supposed to just let him wander the streets without food, water or toilet?"

"Mr. Jinx" video (a MUST SEE ~ LOL!)

Jack looks around the house, then turns to his son, Denny: "Okay, you're subbing for the cat today."

Denny Byrnes: "Oh no, I'm not wearing that stupid pillow thing on my head!"

Jack Byrnes: "Oh yes you damn well will!" 

😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸

• “There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.” – Albert Schweitzer
• “Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are God. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are God.” – Christopher Hitchens
• “A happy arrangement: many people prefer cats to other people, and many cats prefer people to other cats.” – Mason Cooley
• “It is impossible for a lover of cats to banish these alert, gentle, and discriminating friends, who give us just enough of their regard and complaisance to make us hunger for more.” – Agnes Repplier
• “How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven.” – Robert A. Heinlein
• “I used to love dogs until I discovered cats.” – Nafisa Joseph