It breaks your heart when you hear stories like this. 130 cats and dogs, if not more, were taken from a New Jersey puppy mill. A number of animals this large required the aid of a dozen local shelters to help care for and house the animals until they can find homes.
A New York bill is proposing a ban on all retail sales of cats, dogs and rabbits, which would go into effect next year. Many other cities and states, including Maryland and California, already have these bans in place to prohibit pet stores from selling animals easily procured from shelters. The law would not impose a ban on animal breeders.
Most of my life, I've had medium to short-haired cats, and although I always dreamed of having one with long hair, I never guessed at how badly her fur could clump up. This poor cat! Her fur can get so clumpy that it gives her trouble going to the bathroom and she needs frequent grooming help from her humans.
Have you heard that they make pet fitness trackers now? Behold one of them, the Purrsong Pendant! This little device helps you track not only your cat's movement throughout the day, but also the cat's sleep patterns.
Cats are such strong creatures. They don't want you to know when they hurt, choosing to hide when they're in pain rather than depend on you (as we do them; mine know when I'm in pain and act like furry heating pads). One of ours has been battling a heart condition for months now and he's never appeared more regal to us.
In many ways, cats are like toddlers. For example, you give them a toy, and sometimes they're more interested in a cardboard box. Cardboard boxes are great toys for cats and it's really easy to turn them into instant cat toys.
These ideas show you some really cute uses for kitty cardboard boxes, like making those adorable houses we've all seen at Target or Aldi this past holiday. If you already have a box you received from a shipment or the store, why not use it instead?
A few years ago, I saw a dog that looked just like an Ewok and wanted to adopt it so badly. We already have dogs and cats and I knew we couldn't get it because of those reasons, but now that there's a baby Yoda (Kevin?) cat I'm beginning to wonder if there really are any made-up characters in the Star Wars franchise. Maybe they're all based on real life pets!
All of my cats are fabulous and I wouldn't trade them for anything... but I have one who's as timid as can be and another who likes to bully her. I hate seeing my cream-and-white Pumpkin cower while my long-haired tortie, Sally, chases her, smacks her and torments her. The other day Sally swiped a chunk of fur! It's not something that happens all day (I work from home), but it's bad enough to where I try to separate them if I'm gone, and if Sally's in a room Pumpkin will almost always avoid going in that room.
My sister loves to spoil her cats with seasonal gifts. They are her children, after all! She shared some of the adorable Christmas cat houses they have at Target this year and I must admit, I kind of want one for my own cats. They aren't as expensive as I had guessed, and they would add a big, colorful spot of cheer in the room!
Years ago, it was announced that like humans, dogs' brains make oxytocin when they look into the eyes of their owners, thereby bonding with them, just as their owners do back. Researchers wondered if cats did the same, and a new study indicates that cats, too, bond with their owners.
