Time flies fast and furry-ously when you’re having fun. So don’t let National Pet Week go by without a little extra celebration. Break out the ‘nip. Break in a new scratching post. Brake for squirrels. And do your part to keep all pets and animals safe and healthy.
National Pet Week was jointly founded in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Auxiliary to the AVMA to promote responsible pet ownership, celebrate the human-animal bond and promote public awareness of veterinary medicine.
The theme for 2010 is “Pets and People—Healthy Together,” encouraging exercise for people and pets alike. (Did you know that 57% of cats in the United States are overweight, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention?)
So how do you get a cat to exercise more than her right to sleep? Vetinfo.com has some good tips.
And, as always, share your secrets right here. We love hearing from you any week of the year!
Thanks to everyone for helping to spread the word about this effort! We had 54 suggestions this month, which is great to see such a fantastic increase. Like we promised, we have chosen 5 of those 54 organizations. So let’s get right down to it! Here are the winners for January!
Forgotten Animals of Los Angeles (FALA) in Los Angeles, CA Forgotten Animals of Los Angeles was suggested by an anonymous person who told us that FALA was, “a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to humane nurturing, neutering and finding loving homes for abandoned cats & kittens. Each animal receives a health check, is tested, vaccinated, spayed or neutered and dewormed prior to adoption.”
That sounds like a place that may enjoy some free all natural litter. So thank you anonymous for the good tip, we will be sending them some soon.
Tabby’s Place in Ringoes, NJ Tabby’s was suggested to us by Danielle, who made it a point to show us that Tabby’s place was more of a sanctuary than a shelter. Danielle sent us to their website, while at the same time quoting part of it, “Tabby’s Place is a cage-free sanctuary that provides refuge to cats in hopeless situations. Our residents come primarily from public shelters where they had once been scheduled for euthanasia.”
Thank you Danielle for pointing out their dedication to helping even the neediest of cats, their litter will be en route shortly.
Feline Rescue in St. Paul, MN Katie led us to Feline Rescue, a no-kill shelter located in MN, where their mission is clear, “provide safe shelter, veterinary care, and socialization for stray, abandoned, or abused cats until good permanent homes can be found for them.”
Marley’s Cat Tale in Cary, NC “Where every tail has a happy ending!” With a slogan like that we feel pretty good about sending them some of our litter. Thank you D. Weaton for helping us.
Red Door Animal Shelter in Chicago, IL A suggestion by Emily, this is a no-kill shelter that prides themselves on being a safe haven for cats, dogs, and rabbits. We are happy to be shipping them some litter to help them along.
Remember, we will give away two more 34lb. bags to a charity, foundation or rescue group next month too, so stay tuned for updates! For everyone else who submitted a great charity, rescue or organization that didn’t get picked, we thank you and invite you to come back next month and try again! Make sure to sign up for Clearing the Air updates via RSS or email so you can know when to make a comment next month.
With a New Year and a new month upon us, it’s that time to share the latest and greatest that our four-legged friends had to offer over the last month of 2009. We hope everyone one had a merry and meowy December, and if you haven’t been staying in tune with our monthly “Best of Cats on the Internet” posts, please check out the month of November.
Ok, folks. Without further ado, we present you with some of our favorite cat moments from the month of December.
Kitty Cat Video Corner:
Cutest kitty ever!! So many kitten videos out there claim to be the cutest ever. To some degree they are all right, but this kitten is something else. The owner even dares you to try and watch without cracking a smile, and for that matter, so do we!
Kitten Headlock FTW Ever wonder what it is your kitty is dreaming of? Some of them probably dream of being a lion or a tiger, but this little feline most likely dreams of one day being a professional wrestler. Check out the headlock he gets his friend into! LOL
Best of the Cat Blogosphere:
December 21 Christmas came early for these cats. Check out what their “servants” got them to play with, along with some more World’s Best Cat Litter™.
December 27 With word play like “Santa Paws” and “Chrismouse” how can you not want to see what these cats are meowing about!
December 28 The winner of the Old Cats Rule first Cutest Senior Cat Contest has been announced. Congratulations Smudge! Check out what the Cutest Senior Cat grand prize winner will be receiving!
Tips, Tricks and General Info:
7 Cat Emergency Signs If you are unaware of what a potential cat emergency may be you should check out these 7 signs that your cat needs immediate help from the vet.
Why do cats need thiamine? This recent article discusses the health issues involved when a cat suffers from a thiamine deficiency. For your cat’s sake make sure you are in the know.
Well, that seems to be it for this month! We hope everyone starts off their new year on the right foot (or paw)!
Shiver, shiver, shiver … it’s that time of the year again … when teeth chatter, breath fogs and goose bumps pop. Lucky for us, we can put on an extra coat or go into a warm house. But what about our four-legged friends, who have only one coat to get them through summer and winter? How do we keep them warm?
Here are four easy ways to ensure your pets stay warm during Mother Nature’s long dance with Old Man Winter.
Gimme Shelter You don’t have to build a sealed metal fortress for your cat, but let’s talk about some sufficient options that don’t require a lot of budget and effort. We recommend checking out this very helpful article “How To Keep Outdoor Cats Warm In Winter” on HubPages. Here are some of the key points:
Get a shelter big enough for a cat but not big enough for a dog, raccoon, possum, skunk or other unwanted animal.
Place some straw in the home for extra warmth.
Try to put the shelter in an area protected from the wind and elements. This will help avoid cold drafts.
Here are a few different outdoor shelters and houses that you can purchase for use outside your home. Also keep in mind you can build your own cat shelter.
Feed that Feline! In winter, it is important to increase your cats food supply and give them a lot of high-quality proteins. This will help them keep their coats healthy and thick throughout the wintertime months. If you make food and water available outside in cold conditions, don’t use metal bowls. You don’t want Fluffy’s tongue frozen to the metal—even if she is triple-dog dared! Also, be sure to regularly check the water bowl to make sure it is not freezing over.
Manage all the ins and outs This one is pretty simple. When the weather gets cold, let your cat outdoors less. When the temperature starts to bottom out, be aware of how long your cat has been outside. Set a time period from when you let your cat out to when you think they should come back in. For example, if the weather is really cold and you let your cat out at 4, set a timer to let it back in at 4:15.
Unlike in summer, spring and fall, when it is more comfortable for your cat to wait outside, the winter can be a dangerous time to leave a kitty waiting around for you to open the door, which leads us to our next tip.
Watch that door As you are well aware, if a cat comes up to your door it is ready to come inside. It is very important during the cold winter months to make sure that you pay close attention. Not good at watching the door? Here are two creative ideas to help:
Get an outdoor camera. That way you can see if your cat is at your door from the convenience of your computer. We recommend the Logitech Outdoor Camera.
Install a motion detector. You can turn on the motion detector every time you let your cats out so that you get alerted as soon as they come back to the door. You can get a fairly inexpensive motion detector like this outdoor motion sensor and set it the appropriate area and height level to detect your cat.
Alright folks, button up and have a happy winter season! For all you cute-as-a-button cats, stay safe … and stay warm!
What a great month! We hope you had as much fun in November as we did! As you know, we have been sharing the “Best of Cats on the Internet” at the beginning of every month. We hope everyone has enjoyed these posts so far and that they have helped bring you up to speed on the latest and greatest involving cats on the Internet! With that said, did you get a chance to see our post last month? If not, you might want to catch up on all of the great stuff from Catober!
Ok folks, it is time to get down to serious business! Here we go again!
Kitty Cat Video Corner:
Office Cat Answers the Phone – Ring, ring! Do you ever leave your house afraid you are going to miss an important phone call? Maybe you should think about hiring this cat to be your secretary, LOL!
Cat Playing “I Spy” Cats playing “I Spy” … does it get better than that? Check out this handy camera work by Andrew G! This funny cat video has gotten over 70,000 views since its release just a few short weeks ago.
Best of the Cat Blogosphere!
November 20 Congratulations to the crew over at The Monkeys blog for welcoming a new furriend into the house! Samson and Delilah, we hope things are going better than your first meeting with Sweet Pea. You didn’t look to happy with her in your first few days together! We hope that you have gotten to know her better and are all getting along now:)
November 29 Do you own a senior cat? Want a chance to win a 6 month supply of World’s Best Cat Litter™? World’s Best Cat Litter™ is happy to be working with OldCatsRule and to be involved in a great contest on Facebook involving senior cats. To learn more about the contest, please read our recent blog post or visit our friends and furriends over at OldCatsRule for all the details!
November 30 World’s Best Cat Litter™ on Sumac Stories blog! Did you get a chance to see what the cats over at Sumac Stories thought about our cat litter? We were happy to hear they enjoyed the litter and that it delivered on their expectations. We also chuckled when we read about how pretty they thought the litter was and their comment about feeling bad about messing it up, LOL!
Tips, Tricks and General Info
November 16 Morris Animal Foundation commits $13 million to pet health studies for cats, dogs and other species! Big news! Over 23 feline health studies will take place in 2010 to help better understand diseases, conditions and general health issues commonly found within cats. This is great news for all cat owners as these studies will provide more information and insight on how to help cats when different health issues arise.
November 20 Did you read the great article on “Pet-Friendly Hotels” written by Lynn O’Rourke Hayes? Whether you have a trip lined up for the near future or are looking to plan an upcoming vacation, we recommend getting up to speed on all the hotels and lodging establishments offering pet-friendly accommodations!
November 21 Train your cat? Did you know that cats are trainable? Check out this great article on how cats are trainable and what shelters like the Michigan Humane Society are doing with programs like the “Pawsitive Start Program” for their cats. Check out this picture of a cat giving a high-five to his trainer!
Alright gang, I think that’s all we have for now. We have a big Holiday and fun-filled month ahead of us. If you happen to come across a great video, blog post, or something downright entertaining over the next month please feel free to share it with us!
First and foremost, thanks everyone for spreading the word and helping with this effort! We were truly amazed with the turnout and participation from everyone during our last post. We were more than happy to deliver a couple bags of World’s Best Cat Litter™ to the charities and groups selected last month.
As promised we are offering this opportunity for two more months. Just like last time, we invite you to leave a comment on this post and tell us why we you are recommending your choice. We will then draw two submissions, FIVE DAYS after each post, and send each a 34-lb bag of cat litter. And we’ll post the names of our winners-and the people who recommended them—in upcoming blogs!
For all of those who participated in the lasts month’s opportunity after the five day period had ended, we are going to include you in this month’s selection. For this month the official submission period will end on Tuesday, November 17.
Ok, you know what to do! Tell us who you want to receive some litter this month!
For some of us, the inconvenient truth is this: when it comes to “greening” our home, our lifestyle, our family and our pets, we are not always sure where to begin. Here are some easy-to-embrace, eco-friendly tips. Try some. Try them all. We and the planet may be better for it.
One coffee cup? Two cereal bowls? Don’t put the dishwasher to work. Rinse and air dry. Run the energy-sapping dishwasher only when it’s full and on its energy-saver mode.
Take shorter showers and consider the bath a special treat. Hot water heaters are a major energy drain. Insulate your water heater. And, install low-flow shower heads: you’ll cut your water usage and water heating costs.
Use more energy-efficient lighting throughout your home. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have come a long way and are often 10 times more efficient than compact fluorescents.
Choose pet products and pet health care providers who share your concern for the natural world. For example, World’s Best Cat Litter™ is made from all-natural ingredients with no added chemicals or perfumes, so it is totally safe for cats and the whole family. The chemical-free litter is especially suitable for people and pets with allergies and chemical sensitivities because it is silica dust-free. Also, the product is safe if ingested by pets or humans because it contains no toxins.
Close down your computer at night. Hitting the off button is worth an average of $90 of electricity a year. The Department of Energy recommends shutting off your monitor if you aren’t going to use it for more than 20 minutes, and the whole system if you’ll be off line for more than two hours.
One day each week, leave the car in the garage all day.
Our parents were on to something, when leaving a room, turn out the lights!
Drip. Drip. Drip. A leaky faucet can lose up to 20 gallons of water a day. A leaky toilet can flush an extra 200 gallons every day! Put half dozen drops of food coloring in the tank. Wait ten minutes. If you then find color in the bowl, you’ve got a leaker.
Planning to build a new home or add on to your existing residence? Locate contractors who participate in green building programs.
Take a cue from our grandparents. Use natural resources to clean. Lemon juice and vinegar were powerful tools in the past!
Get out the caulking gun and weather strip your home.
Walk, bike or car pool whenever possible. You’ll save energy and burn a few extra calories!
The new World’s Best Cat Liter™ Web site (www.worldsbestcatlitter.com) is up and running. And we hope you not only take a gander at it; we hope you tell us what you think!
Why? Well, if you’re here, it proves you think about cat litter almost as much as we do. Chances are you’ve muttered over your litter. We bet your relationship with your pointy-eared friends have once or twice been strained by what you have once or twice scooped. That means you understand the value of using the best solution for cat litter boxes.
And that means your opinion is valuable.
So, we’re reaching out in every way we can. You’ll notice on our new Web site you can now link to us via Facebook and Twitter. You’ll also find cool features, such as:
Video demonstrations showing why World’s Best Cat Litter™ work so well
Helpful FAQs
Fun downloads
This blog and more!
Take a look. What do you like best? What’s most helpful? When you let us know what you think, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a FREE T-shirt or bag of World’s Best Cat Litter™!
How’s that for a first blog entry? Free stuff! Simply leave a comment on this post and you’ll automatically be entered to win. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on September 1. (Limited to addresses in the United States. Our apologies to les chat and el gato lovers everywhere.)
Thanks for stopping by and welcome to Clearing the Air—our new blog delivering the latest and greatest on pet care, advice, tips and featuring the very best on the World Wide Web about cats. We are excited to be blogging for the very first time and look forward to hearing from all our readers and customers!
To get started, here is a little information about Clearing the Air:
The blog will feature noteworthy articles and stories on healthy cat care, the joys and responsibilities of cat ownership, cool cat sites and more.
We will also occasionally feature expert advice from family-lifestyle author Lynn O’Rourke Hayes.
You can subscribe to get updates every time a new post is made via RSS.
Feel free to make comments on any of the posts you read on this blog.
You can access all of our posts via the archive located on the sidebar.
If you have an idea for a story, please fill out the form located on the bottom right of the page.
In addition to a new blog, we’re also updating our website. We hope you have pounced on the chance to check it out. Let us know what you think and if there is any way to make it more helpful or entertaining. We have been getting some great feedback so far!
Time flies fast and furry-ously when you’re having fun. So don’t let National Pet Week go by without a little extra celebration. Break out the ‘nip. Break in a new scratching post. Brake for squirrels. And do your part to keep all pets and animals safe and healthy.
