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Why Cats Do Weird Things: Pawing Around Water

We know why cats play with their water: they paw it and lick it from their paws, to try to make their water ripple and thus seem fresher.  Cats love fresh water.  But I’ve noticed Cole sometimes do something a bit stranger than that: he paws around his water bowl.  He doesn’t actually dip his paws in, but he scratches at the floor around the water bowl.  Why is he doing that? There isn’t a clear answer as to why; a lot of cat behavior is mysterious to us.  But there are a few educated guesses out there.  The first is … Continue reading →

Kitty Tantrums

While researching my heatstroke article from Tuesday, I came across a statistic from the Humane Society saying that cats are the most popular pet in America. With around 93 million cats in American homes compared to 77 billion dogs, cats reign supreme. I love dogs and cats equally, so I didn’t bring up the statistic to laud the superiority of cats. Instead, I wanted to posit why cats might be more popular: their greater independence. Nowadays most busy American households contain two working adults, so owning a pet able to look after itself, that doesn’t mind being alone for awhile, … Continue reading →

Treating Oxalate Crystals

Struvite crystals used to be the most common urinary crystal by far. Diets were developed to minimize the risk of developing struvite crystals; this did decrease the number of cases of struvite crystals, but increased the incidence of oxalate crystals. Struvite crystals are still the most common type, but calcium oxalate has closed the gap in the last twenty years. If your cat has oxalate crystals, treatment can include: Balancing urine pH. Calcium oxalate stones are more likely to form in urine that is acidic. The recommended pH level for feline urine is between 6 and 6.5. A more acidic … Continue reading →

Pick the Healthiest Water

I’m a fan of flavored water. What can I say? I like drinks with flavor. Plain old water is okay once in a while, but I’m far more likely to get my eight glasses a day if they actually taste like something. But not all flavored waters are created equal. Here are some tips to help you pick the best water — and stay away from the stuff that isn’t as good for you. Watch the sweeteners. Check the label for sugars, whether natural or artificial. Sweeteners play a big role in calorie count — and how many calories do … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: A Happy Ending

I’m very pleased to report a happy ending for our three homeless kitties at the cats only boarding facility. You may remember that they were involved that day that I got groomed — Ru, one of the three cats who became ours over the holidays, decided that my hair needed a good licking. Over the six weeks they were at the boarding facility, I got really attached to these cats. A quick reminder of the players: Ru: a short haired tortie cat with striking dark green eyes. Definitely the boss of the group. Tiger: a big, goofy orange tabby with … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Apparently I Need Grooming

After my shift at the cats only boarding facility this morning, I decided I was going to spend some time with three of our resident cats. They’re generally happy to see anybody who comes in to clean or fill food and water bowls, but today, they seemed especially lonely. It was the pitiful meows and the weaving between my legs that was my first clue. So once the morning’s work was done, I went and sat down with them for a while. A quick description of each: Ru: a lovely dark grey tortie cat with amazingly dark green eyes. The … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for January 7-13

Last week was the first full week of 2008. Resolutions were set and being tackled full force. Which meant Aimee and I were busy bringing you a bunch of interesting articles. In case you missed any part of last week due to tending your resolutions, here’s what we wrote on: Monday, January 7 Why Does My Pet Play in His Water Bowl? If you have a cat like my Mr. Meow who definitely plays in his water bowl, Aimee provided insight into this mysterious phenomenon. Is Your Cat Stressed? Aimee listed some signs to look for that your cat may … Continue reading →

Why Does My Cat Play in his Water Bowl?

I’ve seen several of our guests at the cats only boarding facility playing in their water bowls. Some cats dunk their feet. Others drown their toys! We have one guest who “digs” at the floor around his bowl while he drinks. It’s all very cute. So why does a cat play with his water? There are lots of different reasons. Moving water is almost always more appealing than still water. Dipping a paw or a toy makes ripples. (You may have noticed that your cat also prefers to drink running water from the kitchen or bathroom sink! Moving water is … Continue reading →

Do Your Pets Help With Chores?

Murphy, Mr. Meow, and Tabby do. Or at least they like to think they do. Mostly they just keep me company, but to a great extent that helps. It makes my chores go faster! Wayne’s always been amazed how consistent they are with helping me. Each of them picked the tasks they like helping me with best and every time I do them there they are, my little helpers. Murphy Helps With… Almost everything. He helps me: 1) bring in the mail 2) mail stuff out 3) bring in groceries 4) load up recyclables for dropping off (Which sometimes he … Continue reading →

Cats and Water

Cats hate water, right? Not always so. The Turkish Van is a breed that is known for its true love of swimming. Some experts believe it was summer heat that first sent the Van in for a swim; this cat will take a dip in a lake, stream, sink, tub, or pond when the mood strikes. The Bengal cat — a cross between domestic cats and small Asian leopard cats — likes water almost as much as the Turkish Van. This breed will play in puddles or in the shower. Bengals will often scoop water with their paws before drinking … Continue reading →