Deck time!

The weather was unseasonably warm today so mom let sisfur Mia out for some deck time! She even joined us for a bit. She read a book while we lounged around.

Hope you enjoyed your Caturday pals!

Mom!!!! CJ won't share!

Mom brought home this great bag yesterday and I've been inside it pretty much since it appeared. Sisfur Mia is upset because I'm not sharing. Hey, I'm the senior kitty, I should get first dibs right? Happy Lazy Sunday pals!

How to keep Stray and Feral Cats safe during winter

Many people mistakenly think stray or feral cats should be taken inside during winter. That's actually not the best thing to do for them as they are more comfortable in their familiar surroundings. Here are some good tips from Alley Cat Allies on how to help stray and feral cats stay safe during winter weather. Info below is directly from their Winter Weather page:  http://www.alleycat.org/WinterWeather. 

Stray and feral cats are at home outside, but they can always use some extra help in cold or severe weather. Follow these tips to help them stay even safer, warmer, and healthier during severe storms and winter months.

Shelter

Shelters keep feral cat colonies comfortable in cold and other harsh or severe weather conditions. Placing discreet shelters in quiet locations away from foot traffic helps keep cats from taking shelter in places where they are in danger or not welcome.

There are endless variations of cat shelters. Check out our list of shelter ideas sorted by ease of set up, or learn how to build one yourself. Dog houses also do the trick with a few modifications (read on.) Here’s a few tips to help you get started:

• A good size for a shelter is at least 2’x3’ and at least 18” high. Larger shelters are not necessarily better, since heat disperses quickly, leaving the inside as cold as the outside.
• Cats will huddle together inside for warmth, so provide colonies with multiple shelters that can fit three to five cats each. If you are caring for fewer cats, use a smaller shelter so it takes less body heat to warm up.
• Make sure the door is no bigger than six to eight inches wide to keep out other animals. If you’re modifying a dog house, you’ll need to block off part of the door to make it cat-sized. A flap on the door will also keep snow, rain, and wind out.
• Insulate the shelter with straw to repel moisture and keep cats warm and dry (Note: Make sure it’s straw, but not hay, because hay absorbs moisture. Learn the difference between straw and hay.) Blankets may seem like a good idea, but since they are also extremely absorbent, they make bad bedding.
• Raise shelters off the cold ground to conserve warmth. Wooden pallets stuffed with insulation work well for elevating shelters and keeping out drafts.

That’s a start – read more about constructing feral cat shelters in our Colony Care Guide.

Build a Feeding Station

A simple feeding station with a roof and sides will protect food and cats from precipitation and icy breezes during meal times. Building a feeding station also establishes a specific area where the cats know to come for food, so they spend as little time exposed to the elements as possible. As with shelters, elevating the floor of the feeding station off the ground keeps food and paws warmer. Feeding stations also offer many year-round benefits for your colony, including deterring insects and making colony management easier. The moderate time and effort it takes to build one this winter will be well worth it all year round!

Find out how to build your own feeding station in our Colony Care Guide.

Food and Water

When temperatures drop, the colony will need extra calories to maintain energy levels. Provide extra food and water during the winter, and do your best to keep it from freezing. (See above to learn about building feeding stations to protect food and hungry cats from the cold.)

Food

• Feed the cats on a regular schedule. The cats will know when to come around, and both the food and the cats will spend less time exposed to the weather.
• On average, you can expect an adult feral cat to eat roughly 5.5 ounces of wet (canned) cat food and 2 ounces of dry food daily in temperate weather (add a half cup to that amount if only feeding dry food). In colder weather, make sure to feed larger portions than you usually do for an extra caloric boost.
• Observe the cats and the time it takes for the food to be eaten. If the cats eat all of the food in 15 minutes or less, put out a bit more.
• If you can keep it from freezing, feed wet food—it’s easier to digest, so cats save more energy for keeping warm. Consider warming canned food prior to arriving at the site and using insulated bags to keep the food warm during travel.
• Since wet food is also quicker to freeze, make sure you put out dry food too, or if you think the food is very likely to freeze, you may want to feed only dry food.
• Spray insulation foam into the underside of plastic feeding dishes to keep wet food from becoming fishcicles! Or chickencicles, turkeycicles, etc…

Water

• Change water bowls twice daily to keep water from freezing. Use deep bowls rather than wide ones, and refill them with hot or warm water. If the colony is close to an outlet, heated electric bowls will also do the trick.
• Keep the water in the sun and use dark colored bowls that will absorb the sun’s heat.
• Purchase a Solar Sipper, a solar powered bowl, although we’ve learned from experience that these bowls work best at temperatures of 30°F or higher and must be kept in the sun.
• Insulate the bowls as instructed above or use double-layered bowls—they have an insulated air layer between the surface the water touches and the surface against the ground.
• Shield the water dish from wind by placing it inside a small styrofoam cooler or surround the top and sides of the feeding area with plexiglass to create a greenhouse environment for the water.
• Purchase a microwavable heating pad like a Snuggle Safe disk to use under the water bowl.
• If there is a water source like a spigot, run the water slightly, since it won’t freeze as quickly as still water.

Winter Safety Tips

In addition to providing food, water, and shelter for cats in your neighborhood, observe these winter precautions to keep cats safe:

• Before starting your car, give the hood a tap and check between the tires—cats will sometimes crawl into the engine or hide underneath the car for warmth.
• Winter is also the time of year for antifreeze, which often tastes irresistible to cats and other animals, but is toxic and deadly. Keep it out of reach and clean up any spills! Read about common symptoms of antifreeze poisoning in cats.
• Remember to shovel out cat shelters when you’re shoveling your own driveway. Cats in shelters can get snowed in, so keep entrances clear and shovel an exit for cats who may be taking refuge under bushes, porches, or other hiding spots.
• Stay away from salt and chemical melting products. These products can be toxic to animals and harmful to their natural snowshoes—paws!

Trap-Neuter-Return

Cats have a 63-day gestation period and usually mate in the winter. Trap-Neuter-Return can be done during the winter months, as long as you take precautions to make sure the cats are not exposed to extreme weather. Cats are very vulnerable when in traps and can’t move around much to generate warmth, so be sure to keep trapped cats covered and secured in a temperature-controlled vehicle or holding area while you trap. Use your judgment when deciding if it’s too cold to trap. Learn more in our Trap-Neuter-Return Guide.

Educate Others

Educate your family, friends, and neighbors about the habits of outdoors cat during the winter, especially the safety tips above. Print or share this this page and pass on these tips to keep cats everywhere safe and well cared-for throughout the winter.

Want to learn more about Alley Cat Allies? Visit them at:  http://www.alleycat.org/. 

Happy Gotcha Day Mia!

One year ago today mom adopted Mia from Wayside Waifs and brought her in to our home. She was a brat from the very beginning. Just look at her enjoying the car ride home! What sane kitty enjoys a car ride???

She quickly became part of the family, eating my food, playing with my toys, stealing my sun puddles and even enjoying deck time. Although tentative at first she ventured out on to the deck even in the snow! 

Don't be fooled by the pretty face, sisfur Mia is a brat! Happy Gotcha Day Mia! 

Safety Tips: Halloween edition

Halloween is today! ...and while this may be a fun holiday for you humans, it’s not always fun for us fur kids. Below are some tips from the ASPCA.to help you keep your fur kids safe this Halloween.

1. No tricks, no treats: That bowl of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy. Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause problems. If you do suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, but they can produce stomach upset in pets who nibble on them.

3. Wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations should be kept out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet might suffer cuts or burns, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume may cause undue stress.

6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also, be sure to try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au naturale or donning a festive bandana.

7. Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.

8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.

10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver, increasing the chances that he or she will be returned to you.

More information about pet safety can be found at http://www.aspca.org/.

Happy Halloween pals! 

Love CJ and Mia

Thanks mom for not dressing me up in a costume! If you want to dress Mia up as a dog that's ok with me! :)

Sun puddle!

It's fall and that means temps are getting cooler and the windows can be open a little more frequently. Mom opened the window this afternoon and Mia & I wasted no time in finding a sun puddle!

Keeping Pets Healthy and Happy through the Fall and Winter Months

Mom!!! Are you trying to say I'm fat??? I don't think I like mom reading these blog things... 

So mom was reading a blog post recently from the Blogpaws Community about keeping pets happy and healthy in the fall/winter months.  Here is the message:

It’s September and that means falling leaves and autumn scents are in the air. Soon, the temps will fall and the days will get shorter. As dedicated pet parents, you know our pets will go through changes as well.

Fall weather means cooler nights, crisper days, and pets who need to be protected from a variety of things: From ticks and fleas to keeping in shape as outdoor time lessens. Do you know if your pet is the perfect weight?

What? I AM perfect just the way I am! Ignore the fat tummy! 

Our friends at Hill’s^® encourage you and your pet to #GetHealthyHappy and share tips with your readers so their pets are healthy and happy, too!

Here are three tips to keep your pet at the perfect weight as we head into fall:

• Create indoor games to play with pets as the thermometer drops outside
• Visit the vet for a post summer and pre winter checkup and talk with your vet about ways to stay active in cooler weather
• Is your pet’s food nutritionally balanced? Nutrient excesses and deficiencies can lead to health problems. Hill's Science Diet offers a variety of formulated diets to help with many different health conditions. They have diets for dogs that can help manage weight, oral health, and mobility. For cats, Hill's Science Diet offers food to help manage weight, oral health, and even hairballs. 

You mean kitties get to go outside? Sisfur Mia and I only get deck time occasionally! We want to know what this outside world is!!! (With exception to my venture outside after our horrible fire in 2012 I haven't been outside much.) 

CJ enjoying some deck time.

Mia enjoying some deck time.

I don't really play much anymore. Mia likes to play though. Mom will throw her a toy to chase or wave some wand toys around for her to chase. I might play for a minute or 2 and then I call it quits. I don't mind watching Mia run around the place though! She's more youthful than me....

We aren't going to talk about the V. E. T. I know if mom gets the carrier out that means a trip to the V. E. T. I don't even want to think about that place! 

Mom does make sure we eat good, healthy food. Science Diet has been part of our routine for quite a while. We have even learned to share...

I let Mia lick the sauce up first then I scoop in for the good stuff (meat!). Oh and mom said to ignore the dirty floor.

Thanks for providing these great tips BlogPaws Community and Hill’s^®!

For more information about cat care please visit Hill’s^® at: http://www.hillspet.com/cat-care.html.

Lazy Caturday

Dangit mom can't you do anything right?!? Mom didn't notice until today (Monday) that my handsome picture didn't upload when she posted Lazy Caturday! Grr... where can I get a reliable typist???

Just me and my shadow (it was early this morning when I woke mom up to feed me. How dare she let my bowl get half empty!). And Sisfur Mia is around here somewhere... Probably hiding under a blankie...

Happy Lazy Caturday pals!

Happy Birthday to my human!

Thankful Thursday

We are thankful for... nom, nom, nom.

Oh and mom says not to pay attention to the dirty floor! Have a good day pals!

Caturday Fun!

I jumped in the shower with mom (she knows not to shut the bathroom door or she will have unhappy kitties!). I'm now a very wet kitty! Mia just sat on the toilet seat and watched the fun...

Happy Caturday pals! Stay dry!

One Word Wednesday

Spaghetti!

KCFD receives pet oxygen mask donation

I am so happy to hear that the Kansas City Fire Department received a donation of pet size oxygen masks. The mask comes in a kit with three sizes to fit more snugly on a dog or cats face. These kits make it easier to provide oxygen for pets during an emergency as human masks don't generally fit very well.

To read the full story about the donation follow this link:

http://www.kshb.com/lifestyle/pets/kansas-city-fire-department-will-start-using-pet-oxygen-masks-tuesday

The donation to KCFD was made by Blue Springs resident Sheila Turner. The Invisible Fence Company helped facilitate Turner's donation. The Invisible Fence Company to date has donated 10,000 pet masks to fire departments nationwide. To learn more about Invisible Fence Company's Project Breathe program click here. 

Nationwide, 40,000 pets dies in house fires each year. Pets also start around 1,000 fires each year by accidentally knocking over candles or accidentally turning on stoves by knocking into dials according to the National Fire Association. For more information about fire safely read my blog post from earlier this month. There are some great tips on there!  

Even though I was saved with a human size oxygen mask I am so glad to hear pet size masks are getting on more and more fire department trucks! Thank you to Sheila and others who have donated pet size oxygen masks to help save pets lives! 

Tearful Tuesday

Mom has leaky eyes this week. She lost a friend to suicide a few days ago and it's been hard to cope. It was a sudden loss (aren't all suicides?). This one is tough as this person is the last person you thought would end his own life. He was a firefighter, a father, a friend to many. He posted inspirational quotes and songs on Facebook and even talked a few people out of attempting suicide. He contacted mom after our first fire to ask if we needed anything and were ok. He picked up the phone. Who does that these days? We are so involved in technology and particularly social media we often don't pick up the phone anymore or have face to face conversations. Mom will always remember that he picked up the phone to find out how we were doing. Don't get me wrong, all the Facebook, twitter and blog luv was great but sometimes you need to hear a voice, see someone in person, get a hug. It's no secret mom has struggled since our 2 fires. She has experienced nightmares and some depression as a result. It's tough to ask for help, especially when you don't know how people are going to respond. Mom has lost a few friends because of her struggles and that makes me sad. Friends are supposed to be there for each other - especially in times of need. Us kitties are there for each other. We can be there for our humans too! I'm not much of a lap kitty since the fires. Something has changed in me but I still like to sit next to mom and purr to let her know I luv her. Sisfur Mia isn't a lap kitty really either but she does something really cool, she hugs mom! Yep, that's right, she will climb up on to mom's lap, crawl up real close to her face then wrap her paws around her neck and HUG her. It is the darndest thing to see! Yep... just like in this picture!  You can't see the paws around mom's neck but they are there!

And it's the reason why mom adopted Mia last year. See... mom volunteers at Wayside Waifs and likes to work with the shy kitties to help them get adopted. Mia was one of those shy kitties. When mom opened the kennel door Mia came right to the front of the kennel and put her paws on mom's chest then reached up to hug her. Mom couldn't believe it! She never had a kitty hug her like that before. She knew right then that Mia had chosen her as her new adopted family. That's how Mia came to be my sisfur. Oh Mia's a pain in the rump all right. She chases me around, plays with my toys and eats my food but when she hugs mom... well that's priceless!

Anipals take care of your humans! Whether it's a hug, a hop in the lap for a nap or just sitting next to your human so they can hear you purr.. let them know you luv them especially when you sense they are hurting. A little luv can go a long way to help each other!

Luv,

CJ 

Lazy Sunday

It's lazy Sunday around here and you know what that means! Well for us kitties it's just another day...

Look at sisfur Mia being really lazy hiding under the blankie. 

At least she's showing her best side! He he...

Happy Lazy Sunday pals!

One Word Wednesday

And that word would be... No! Mia wants so bad to play with CJ but CJ doesn't want to play. Poor Mia...

Mancat Monday

Yawn........ or is he making fun of me because I have to go to work today and a cat never has that problem?

Returning to his nap... such a lazy boy.

Wordless Wednesday

Pet Fire Safety Day

Do you know what today is??? It's Pet Fire Safety Day! And if you know my story, you know how important fire safety is to me!

According to the NFPA an estimated 500,000 pets are affected annually by home fires and nearly 1,000 home fires are accidentally caused by the homeowners' pets!

Here are some tips to help protect your fur-kid from accidentally starting fires and to keep everyone safe in the event of a fire:

Prevent your pet from starting fires:

• Extinguish open flames - Pets are generally curious and will investigate cooking appliances, candles, or even a fire in your fireplace. Ensure your pet is not left unattended around an open flame and make sure to thoroughly extinguish any open flame before leaving your home.
• Remove stove knobs - Be sure to remove stove knobs or protect them with covers before leaving the house. According to the National Fire Protection Association, a stove or cook top is the number one piece of equipment involved in your pet starting a fire.
• Invest in flameless candles - These candles contain a light bulb rather than an open flame, and take the danger out of your pet knocking over a candle. Cats are notorious for starting fires when their tails turn over lit candles.
• Beware of water bowls on wooden decks - Do not leave a glass water bowl for your pet outside on a wooden deck. The sun’s rays when filtered through the glass and water can actually heat up and ignite the wooden deck beneath it. Choose stainless steel or ceramic bowls instead.

Keep your pets safe

• Keep Pets Near Entrances When Away From Home - Keep collars on pets and leashes at the ready in case firefighters need to rescue your pet. When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.
• Secure Young Pets - Especially with young puppies, keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home such as in crates or behind baby gates in secure areas.
• Since Pets Left Along Can't Escape a Burning Home - Consider using monitored smoke detectors which are connected to a monitoring center so emergency responders can be contacted when you’re not home. These systems provide an added layer of protection beyond battery-operated smoke alarms.
• Affix a Pet Alert Window Cling - Write down the number of pets inside your house and attach the static cling to a front window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your pets. Make sure to update the number of pets listed.

Other things to consider: 

Do you have a pet emergency kit?  If you don’t, the ASPCA has recommendations here that can help you work through the process of selecting one.

Do you have a fire escape plan? If you don't, the Red Cross has some tips to help you develop your plan. Click here to learn more.

And last but not least do you know you can provide CPR to your fur-kids if necessary? Click here to learn the basic steps to performing CPR on your pet. Mom will always be grateful to the neighbor who found me in the parking lot on the night of our devastating fire and performed life saving CPR on me. You can learn to provide CPR and First Aid on your pets too! Click here to find a class.

I hope you found the above information helpful! In closing, here is a pic of me a day after the fire and me now. As you can see I have a made a full recovery. 

Recovery from fire is possible! Take care pals!

Silly girl!

Mia likes to hide under the blanket. Who does she think she's hiding from really? We CAN see you silly girl!

Mia 2014

ManCat Monday

My poor nose will always be naked but mom still thinks I am a handsome boy! 

Fur Ball 2014

 Every year Wayside Waifs holds a Gala to raise money to help cats, dogs, kittens, puppies and other small animals get treatment they need and love & assistance in finding their forever family. This year it was held on Saturday May 10th at the Overland Park Convention Center. Mom has been volunteering with Wayside Waifs since 2011. This is her third Fur Ball she has volunteered at. It is a lot of fun and WORK! Mom helps with registration which she says is hectic for about 2 hours and then she gets to visit with other volunteers, staff and guests attending the Gala. Mom also tries to help promote the event by posting pics on Facebook and Twitter. Looks like everyone had a good time and raised a lot of $ for the animals! Here are some pictures from the event:

Volunteers are heading in to the main event area to look around and get acquainted with their roles.

Sign you see as you enter in to the Gala

In case it's not obvious - this years theme is baseball!

All Guests were encouraged to post the pics on Social Media and use the hashtags seen in this pic.

And of course we had to show off some of our lovable Waifs! Here are the adorable kittens in the Kitten Kissing Booth







And not to be outdone... here are the adorable puppies that were available for kisses at the Puppy Kissing Booth:





And of course you can't talk about Baseball and not have Baseball Cards! Here are some of adorable Waifs player cards:

As you can probably tell, it was a great night with lots of $ raised for Wayside Waifs so they can continue their mission to get as many fur babies adopted out to their forever homes!