Hi Everyone,

Sorry I have been MIA for a few weeks, but I am happy to be back, sharing stories and insights on the wonderful world of pets.

You all got to read about my silly argument with the cat in the middle of the night and the fact that my significant other found it very amusing that I let the cat win.

A few weeks ago he was sitting on one end of the couch while I was on the other. We were both involved in something different, enjoying a quiet evening as the kids were out, and I failed to notice that Miss Kitty had joined us. At some point I looked across the couch and saw my guy sitting in what looked to be an uncomfortable position while the cat was perched on his lap sideways, purring and shedding her winter coat all over his dark shirt. Did I mention that prior to living with me he was strictly a dog person and not at all fond of cats? I commented that he did not look to comfy and he said “I’m not really, but Miss Kitty is happy. I tried to move her but she just came back.”

I paused for a moment, just staring at the scene and let go of a laugh that came from all the way down in my toes. He asked what I was laughing at and I said “You had an argument with the cat, and lost. Sound familiar?”

Visit Whales & Friends for Cat-themed gifts.

I always think that the relationship between my cat and dog is unusual, but in reality – I have seen cats develop relationships with other non-felines.  When I lived on several acres in the woods there was an old fox and cat “couple” that used to visit us. On a fairly regular basis I would see the 2 frolicking in my yard while standing at my kitchen sink first thing in the morning. My son, who was 4 at the time, and I would watch with fascination as these 2 potential enemies played as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Yesterday my father shared with me a viedo clip that someone forwarded to him. It combines 2 of my favorite things- the song “What a Wonderful World” by the great Louis Amrstrong, and a clip of another unusual pair. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rooyt3ptNco

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

As some of you may remember from previous posts, my significant other travels for work and is on the road several days out of every week. As is our custom when he is traveling, we talk first thing in the morning, throughout the day and in the evening before bed. During our ritual morning phone call the other day, he asked me how I had slept the night before.  I explained that I didn’t really sleep that well because of the cat.  This is the explanation I gave him.

“Miss Kitty drove me crazy most of the night. She wanted to sleep on me and I wasn’t comfortable. Every time I  moved her off me she would either start attacking my feet, claw at the side of the mattress or jump off the  bed and claw at the rattan bureau. ”

He asked me why I didn’t simply put her out of the bedroom. I explained that I got up a few times and opened the door for her and she would just look at me and not move.

He was quiet for a moment. Then he started to laugh. When I asked him what was so funny he said “Honey, not only did you have an argument with the cat, you lost the argument with the cat.”

Ugh. He’s absolutely right.

For all you cat lovers, or friends of  cat lovers – check out our Cat-Themed Gifts at Whales & Friends

Hello,

Below is the contents of an email I have received several times.  The author is unkown. I would like to give credit where credit is due, but to date I have found no one that claims ownership of the diary entries listed below.  Based on the facial expressions and tail wags of my animals, I have to say, the author clearly understands cats and dogs.

So “Kudos” to the author.

 I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did.

Excerpt from a Dog’s Diary..

8:00 am – Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am – A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am – A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am – Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 PM – Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 PM – Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM – Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00 PM – Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 PM – Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM – Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 PM – Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
Excerpt from a Cat’s Diary.

Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a ‘good little hunter’ I am. Bastards.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of ‘allergies.’ I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage..

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow — but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released – and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.  For now………

For great cat and dog themed gifts, visit WhalesDirect.com

Hi Everyone,

MumblesMom is busy with summer courses at the moment, so she has passed the blogging torch to me for now.  I’ll do my best to keep you informed and entertained. To that end, I would like to discuss an important topic, picking a pet to adopt, and tell you a story that had a happy ending.

Often people show up at animal shelters or the humane society and choose a pet because it’s cute, or has double paws, or long hair, or looks like a previous pet. Selecting a new member of the family should involve more than just finding a cat or dog whose look appeals to you. Animals in shelters come from a variety of places. Sometimes they are from an unwanted or “accidental” litter, brought in when the kittens or puppies are just old enough to leave their nursing mom and too cute to resist. Some kittens are from feral (untamed) mothers, brought in when her litter has been discovered. Some animals are old family pets brought in because families are moving or an owner has passed away. Other times, animals in shelters have been rescued from an abusive situation. Although these animals may make good pets for some people, they have special needs that must be considered for a proper placement. An abused animal usually cannot handle a home with smaller children or a great number of people. Loud noises and sudden movements can make them feel threatened. This can be dangerous for both the pet and the people around it.

Your home situation, the number and age of household members, the frequency that someone is home with the animal are all factors that should be considered when adopting a pet.

With that caution in mind, here is a story that had a happy ending all the way around.

My mother had orange tiger cats her entire life. It wasn’t planned, it just happened that every time she got a cat, it turned out to be a male orange tiger. From as long as I can remember our house had an orange kitty running around. We had three altogether, Benjamin our first, then Christopher, then Johnathan. (Notice a theme with the names? No Morris or Felix at our house.)

When her last cat, Johnny as we called him, passed away at the age of 19, my Mom held off on getting another. She was in the process of building a new home and did not want to traumatize a pet by moving.
When her new house was complete, every last switch plate installed, each piece of furniture in place, she had created a lovely new home, but something was missing. There was no kitty perched on a bookshelf, or threading through her legs as she stood at the stove. No cat curled up and purred on my Dad’s belly while he watched television or tried to chase the pages of the book he was reading.

My daughter decided to make it her mission to find a new orange tiger cat for her grandmother’s upcoming birthday. She scoured the internet and called every local animal shelter for weeks. She got lucky. At last she found a listing for an orange tabby at a local shelter. He was estimated to be six months old. We made an appointment to visit the shelter and get to know this cat that looked so adorable from the photos posted online.

When we arrived at the Branford Animal Shelter, we met with a lovely woman who wanted to give us a head’s up about this particular cat. He was found by a shelter staff member outside of the facility, with his head stuck in a dog food can. Staff members believed that the kitten had not only been neglected but appeared to have been abused as well. How he ended up outside the shelter was a mystery.

Staff members named this cat “Roy Boy” and took care of him. He was cleaned up, seen by a vet regularly and gently nurtured to accept human attention. It was a few months before the shelter put him up for adoption.

My mother, my daughter and I were a little anxious about meeting Roy Boy after we heard his story, but thought “why not just meet him?” My Mom and Dad both love cats and there are no children living in their house, so the situation seemed ideal, especially to the shelter staff. We got our first glimpse of Roy Boy in a cage half hidden under a blanket. The room also housed all the other cats and kittens available for adoption. It took a while to coax Roy Boy out of his cage and into my mother’s arms. In the meantime the room was full of adorable fluffy kittens all mewing and playing and catching our attention. We spent over an hour with Roy Boy and all the other felines frolicking around the room. My daughter was a little disheartened because Roy was so shy and kept trying to hide, but my mother, being the trooper that she is, kept holding him and talking to him softly. After a while he settled down a bit. Staff members explained that it would probably take up to 6 months for this particular cat to become comfortable in his surroundings and with other people. They would not adopt him out to a home with small children or too many people. My mother decided she was up for the challenge of loving this little guy and making a comfortable home for him and that she was happy with such a precious gift from her granddaughter.

For several weeks Roy, whose name eventually morphed to Pretty Boy and then Mr. Kitty, would only come out from under the bed to eat and use the litter box. When visiting my mom I would often find her hanging out from under the bed where she was petting or playing with the cat. After a few weeks Mr. Kitty decided that he would come out from under the bed and spend his time under the comforter on top of the bed. When anyone would go in and visit him, we would see only a slow-moving lump under the covers. At the 6-month mark, after hours of coaxing and gently cajoling by my patient mother and dad, Mr. Kitty was comfortable enough to roam both floors of the entire house and climb onto the furniture to cuddle or play with Mom or Dad.

He is now a very happy cat that gives and receives lots of attention and affection. He loves to lay across my mom while she has her morning coffee, he follows my dad around the house like a shadow.  Lying across the sofa on the screened in porch and watching the egrets in the marsh is a favorite pastime. He is still shy when the house is full of visiting grandchildren or there is a party underway, but all in all my parents turned out to be the perfect fit for Mr. Kitty.

Hello All! I hope you had a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July, enjoying family, friends, barbeques and of course, your pets.

I think it’s time to discuss spaying and/or neutering your pets. Animals may like to run and play and socialize with other animals, be very cautious of how much you let them out of your sight. Every year millions of animals are euthanized due to the speed of reproduction in our domestic pets; unfortunately not everyone can find homes for the little puppies and kittens. 

When spaying your female pet, or neutering your male pet, you will find they may become much calmer and not so hyper active. In a female it will eliminate the heat cycle, and will stop any discharge from staining anything in your house. Spaying will also reduce the risk of breast cancer, and the risk of uterine diseases as well as uterine cancer. Spaying your pet can also eliminate mastitis – breast inflammation, ovarian cysts, miscarriages, and delivery complications. 

When neutering your male it will remove the mating drive, so the younger you get them neutered the better off you are; when you get a male neutered young sometimes it will remove their urge to mark their territory all over your house and yard. The earlier you neuter your pet the less of a chance they’ll have of mounting everything they possibly can. Males also have a habit of roaming when they are not in tact, neutering them will help reduce that urge as well. As your male gets older if they are neutered the risk of developing enlarged prostate glands  and prostate cancer is reduced, as well as eliminating testicular cancer. 

Some Myths You May or May Not Have Known:

Spaying and neutering costs too much: 

Spaying and neutering your pet is cheaper in the long run than caring for unwanted litters and the medical problems that can occur when an animal is not spayed or neutered. 

She should have one litter first, to settle her down: 

Having a litter won’t improve her health or permanently change the animal’s personality. And she could be irritable and tired while caring for and nursing her puppies or kittens. 

I want my children to see the miracle of birth: 

But will they? Many pets hide when giving birth. Even if you find good homes for the entire litter, you may be denying homes to animals who’ve already been born. Visit your local animal shelter to see all the stray and abandoned animals. 

If I neuter my dog he will stop being protective:

False. Neutering an animal does not change or alter his instinct to defend his turf. In fact, he will be less likely to wander away. 

Only females need to be fixed, since the litters are their owner’s responsibility: 

But how do those pets get pregnant? A male pet can easily father 750 offspring in his lifetime. 

Keeping animals from having litters is interfering with nature: 

We have already interfered. Domesticated dogs and cats mate more often and have larger litters than their wild ancestors, but cannot survive on their own. 

Spaying or neutering makes pets fat and lazy: 

No, that’s caused by overfeeding and lack of exercise. Spayed or neutered pets require less calories. Cut down on the meals and make time for a walk or play. 

Almost immediately after welcoming the newest addition to our family, I became concerned with Mumble’s health. As a student of animal studies, I was noticing some disturbing things about him physically. He never really seemed to rid himself of the little pot belly he had when I picked him up that very first day. Thinking it was just round worms – which many kittens and puppies have – I had him tested and found out that he was not infected with this nasty parasite. Over time his pot belly didn’t disappear, but seemed to grow a little more each week. At the same time he was not gaining any weight. I brought him back to the veterinarian to figure out what was going on. As a student, I did not have enough information to make any determination and my mom had not seen this before with any of her cats. It turned out Mumble had a rare disease called Feline Infections Peritonitis (FIP), a disease that is deadly to young and old cats.

My very first question for the veterinarian taking care of my little baby was, “What can we do for him?” I didn’t care how much it was going to cost; I was going to try my best to make sure that my kitten made it through! We soon found out that FIP was not a disease that was easily treatable, and the medicines used had unreliable results. The next month was very rough for the whole family, knowing that on any given day Mumble could leave us, but still we did everything we could to keep him happy and comfortable and to help him make it through. I was away at school during the week and it was up to my mom to care for him and contact me with any and all changes. One morning, she called to tell me that she knew it was his time. As hard as it was to let go, I knew I had to. He was more jaundiced than I have ever seen any animal, he could hardly breathe on his own, and his belly was very large and very hard. I came home to be with him and held him as he passed away. My only solace was that he was no longer in pain and he was not alone. Mumble will forever be a part of my heart. I always feel he is an angel watching over me. The bond between us was immediate and strong and I’m grateful for the time we had together. I felt it was important for the Whales & Friends Blog readers to get to know me and the pets that have impacted my life. They drive me to work even harder at becoming a vet. Now that this said portion of my story has been told, you can look forward to regular posts with a happier theme. Have you hugged your pet today?

What is feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)?
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a disease caused by a coronavirus infection. Many different strains of coronavirus are capable of infecting cats, but most do not produce serious disease. FIP-producing strains are distinguished by their ability to invade and grow in certain white blood cells. The infected cells transport the virus throughout the cat’s body. An intense inflammatory reaction occurs in the tissues where these virus-infected cells locate. It is this interaction between the body’s own immune system and the virus that is responsible for the disease.
Infected cats shed coronavirus in their saliva and feces. Most cats become infected by inhaling or ingesting the virus, either by direct contact with an infected cat, or by contact with virus-contaminated surfaces like clothing, bedding, feeding bowls, or toys. Although the virus can survive for a number of weeks in the environment, it is rapidly inactivated by most household detergents and disinfectants. An inexpensive and effective disinfectant is one part of household bleach in thirty-two parts of water (4 ounces of bleach per gallon of water).

About two years ago, my mom acquired a new member of the family… a very large black cat named Boo. A friend of hers at work was moving and she was not allowed to bring her cat with her – a very common problem – so my mother, being the loving soul that she is, offered to take Boo in. He was a happy cat, two years old, neutered, and he had a very relaxed aura about him. He loved to be held but only on his terms, and for those of you that own cats you knows that’s pretty normal. I was away at school when I got a phone call from my mother saying that Boo didn’t seem to be feeling well. He kept going into the litter box but was not producing anything. I told her to call the emergency clinic and explain Boo’s distress. She called and described Boo’s symptoms and asked what they suggested she do. They said that she could bring him in that night to the emergency center, but that he could probably wait until the morning to be seen by his regular vet. With word that he could wait until the next day, she kept watch over Boo and headed for the vet first thing in the morning. Sadly, Boo passed away in the car on the way there. We were anxious to understand what had happened to our beloved pet… why he had died so quickly after showing signs of feeling ill. It turned out that he had a urinary obstruction – neutered male cats, around the age of two, tend to get these especially if there is a lot of ash in their diets.

Disclaimer: The information listed in this post – and all Whales & Friends posts – is not intended to replace advice from a veterinarian. Any and all health concerns regarding any animal should be discussed with a licensed veterinarian. Urethral obstruction is a serious condition, and left untreated, can be fatal. The normal flow of urine can be obstructed allowing toxins build up in the blood, leading to uremic poisoning. Death can result within 72 hours. Treatment of obstruction may consist of catheterization, fluid therapy, antibiotics, and in rare cases, surgery. If your cat shows any symptoms of distress, lethargy, using the litter box often but with little or no urine output, frequently licking his genitalia, or suddenly attempting to urinate in unusual places, contact your vet immediately.

Hello!

Welcome to the NEW Whales & Friends blog. Thanks for joining us! ☺ I’m MumblesMom. To fill you all in a little bit on me; I’m a 20 year old college student studying veterinary medicine and I love what I do! As long as I can remember, I have wanted to care for animals, grow up to have a house full of them, and become a vet. My parents tell me this obsession with animals started when I was 5 years old.

I’m thrilled to have this forum to share my passion and I invite everyone to participate. Tell Whales & Friends about your dogs, cats, horses, birds, reptiles, ferrets, snakes or any animal that interests you. Share stories about a recent whale watch, a TV show or documentary on penguins, wolves, lions or tigers. Submit photographs, video clips, a memorial to a lost pet, stories, pet jokes, or just drop in to say “Hi.” Looking forward to hearing from all pet lovers!

Sincerely,
MumblesMom