How often do cats poop, how long can they go without eating, why do cats knock things off counters, how high can a cat jump, what do cats dream about? If you’ve ever wondered about these or any number of other things about cats you may enjoy visiting this site. It lists 20 things about cats that you may not know and may never need to know. But I’m pretty sure you’ll find it interesting just the same.
https://dewelpro.com/blogs/cats-health/20-questions-about-cats-youve-always-wanted-to-know
I came across some interesting news reports featuring cats this week. Here are a few you might be interested in.
Cups and Claws. Their goal, to help more cats get adopted.
What are some of your cats’ favorite toys? Our Lily used to love, love, love small stuffed toys—like the old Beany Babies. She had a basket full of them and she’d carry these toys around and drop them here and there throughout the day—decorating the house. She’d also bring me her favorite ones each morning and drop one or more at my feet, always with a sweet “Prrrt!” Lily also enjoyed diving under newspaper tents and rolling up in newspaper pages.
Max chewed the red pom-pom noses off the little mice 
we bought him to play with. He’d reject the toy and play with the pom-pom.
Sophie liked paper. She wanted to sleep on paper—often shredding it and making herself a bed. She also 
retrieved the faxes that came through at our house, and she’d sometimes shred it before I could read it.
Olivia has a small empty water bottle she plays with a 
lot. She seems to like the crackle sounds it makes when she squeezes it and rolls around with it. She also likes empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls and wads of paper.
Twister ties are a favorite toy of some cats, and pony tail scrunchies. Our cats like to bat around pens and small batteries. I also had a cat that was attracted to buttons and zippers on my clothes She’d sit on my lap and play with the zipper pull for the longest time.
What toys that aren’t toys does your cat play with?
We’d all like to better understand our cats. That’s why some of us research and write books and post blogs featuring cats and most of us read those books and blog posts, as well as articles and news stories related to cats. We get their DNA tested, discuss intricate cat issues with our veterinarians, and even consult cat psychics and psychologists. One thing few people understand, however, is the cat’s meow. What does meow, mew, mauwww, mew-mew, actually mean? Here’s a site that discusses this issue.
https://www.wikihow.com/Understand-the-Cat’s-Meow
Of course we generally understand when our cat is asking for food, wants someone to play 
with or pet her, wants in or out, etc. Olivia lets me know when she wants a window open and when she’d like a bit of catnip. We’ve had cats ask for treats—usually at treat time. And there are times when a cat will come tell you when something is wrong—there’s a squirrel in the yard or another cat or dog, for example. We had a cat that checked his kibbles and water bowls each night as we prepared for bed. If they were full, he’d go on to bed. If not, he’d sit in front of them and wait for us to walk by so he could tell us there was a problem. He was a good communicator.
Would you believe that there are now apps where you can record your cats meow and get an interpretation? And there’s a reverse app that translates your words into cat language—“stop” for example, which you would use when the cat is digging in a plant or clawing a chair or something. For more information visit: https://www.bolnews.com/technology/2022/09/meowtalk-app-translates-cat-meows-into-english-language/
A cat’s lifespan is about 1/5th that of a human. If you’re like me and you’ve had many cats over the years, you’ve probably cared for at least a few older cats. So what’s it like? What can you expect?
The fact is that cats age similarly to us—only their life 
stages are much shorter. As your cat ages, you may notice changes in the way she grooms herself or neglects her grooming routine, the way she eats or 
doesn’t eat, the way she moves—with less spring in her step, and less enthusiasm in her behavior. The first thing to do when you start noticing changes in your cat is to check in with your veterinarian. Is she experiencing teeth or gum problems, is her
eyesight impaired, does she or he need a special diet for failing kidneys, urinary tract issues, constipation, etc. Has she developed diabetes or cataracts? Is her arthritis so bad that she has trouble climbing into the litter box or jumping up onto your bed. It may be time to provide a litter box with lower sides or a ramp or stairs to make it easier for her to get up onto the bed with you.
Some aging cats become aggressive—often due to pain. Their habits may change. Our Sophie became more demanding about food and she insisted on eating small amounts several times a day. I’ve had antisocial cats become very social as they aged. I determined that the cat had dementia and forgot she was
afraid of strangers and visitors.
Some signs of aging are apparent—changes with the cat’s eyes, for example. If the cat is bumping into furniture, has runny eyes, or an eye that is changing color, it’s time to visit her veterinarian. And watch for those lumps and unusual bumps. Cancer seems to 
seek out the older, weaker cat.
There are definitely ways to make life easier and less stressful for your aging cat and for you, but it requires staying on top of any changes in her health or behavior as she reaches her mid-teens (her 70s/80s in people years)
Your cat has depended on you for everything all her life. Caring for her in her later years may look a bit different, but how you manage her health and well being will make all the difference in her comfort throughout the aging process.
Feline Fun Friday – New Book Published—Calico Cat Mystery Book 9
Olivia shares the secrets that crack this unusual case.
Parker and Olivia arrive home from a road trip to find a mystery building in their own backyard. Parker’s cousin, Pamela, seems to be missing, only there’s evidence that she’s in the area. Parker’s concerned that her cousin has run away from her responsibilities again, until a coworker reveals that Pamela may be a witness to a crime. New question, is Pamela hiding out or has she been kidnapped? Unable to determine whether she should be worried about Pamela or angry with her, Parker calls on her friend Jag and her spunky neighbor, Nonnie, to help sort through the possibilities and clues. This leads them to get involved in a cat rescue situation, which delights Olivia, and it’s the calico’s quick thinking that ultimately puts a halt to the terrorism.
Reader Reviews:
“I love both the Klepto Cat and the Calico Cat series. They are different enough to keep me coming back for more.”
“I so enjoy this series. There’s so much going on and they are well written. Great work.”
“This is a phenomenal series that never disappoints.”
Order your Kindle copy at Amazon.com. You can purchase the print version at Amazon.com or CalicoCatMysteries.com.
Olivia gives this book a big “Paw” up.
I included a brief discussion in my latest Klepto Cat Mystery (to be published later this month) about the days of the encyclopedia. Do you remember when salespeople came to your house to sell your parents a set of encyclopedias to help better educate their children? You could buy them on the payment plant. I loved those books—the pictures, the places, the ideas, the information. And I used them in my writing work for many years—remember I started my freelance 
writing career in the 1970s. I wrote my first article and my first book on a manual typewriter—eventually graduating to an electric typewriter. Around 1989, I acquired a Brother word processor—the precursor to the computer. Wow! What a wonderful invention!!!
And all along the way I referred to those encyclopedias for my research and,
of course, the offerings at the local library.
I wasn’t one of the first to buy into a computer and that new thing called the Internet, but when I did, what a life-changer—or should I say a career-changer. For example, it took me five years to research and write my iconic book, The Ojai Valley, an Illustrated History. Now I’m turning out 8 to 10 books a year. 
Would that even be possible on a manual typewriter and the old manual researching and printing processes?
Your way of reading my books has changed, too. Most of you read your books from an iPad or Tablet or your phone. And many of you reading this are remembering how it was before the advent of the computer and the internet. Does anyone still have a set of encyclopedias? I still have one of those giant dictionaries that we would sit on at the dinner table as small children, in place of a booster seat or high chair.
Yes, I’ve been writing for publication–as a business–for nearly 50 years–WOW–and I’ve had a cat at my side all along the way.
Most animal lovers love all animals. We may have dogs and cats, hamsters and cats, horses and cats and we want to feed the birds and have our cats, too. But what if your cat is a hunter who goes out behind your back and plucks those cute birds from the bird feeder perch for a yummy snack or just to play with?
It’s a sad day when you go out to feed the wild birds and discover feathers scattered around the yard. But some birders with cats have found solutions. Here’s one. This kitty used to bring his people a couple of 
birds a day. Now he can’t get close enough to grab an unsuspecting bird. He wears a bell and colorful ribbon tags that the owner says work really well to alert birds of his presence.
I have a keen bird feeder cage where the birds can go inside and eat safely without fear of being caught—as long as the bird is inside the cage. Here are a few other methods that work for some people. Have you tried sprinkling orange peels around your feeder? Experts say cats hate the smell of oranges. Who knew?
You can move your feeder away from trees and bushes where cats typically hide. Yeah, but birds use those same trees and bushes to hide from predators. I’m not sure I like that idea. There are also motion activated sprinklers designed to spray a cat that gets too close to a feeder. I wonder what happens when you go out to fill the feeder or water tray?
I have friends and family who love their birthday’s so much they’ll even plan their own party, and others who go into hiding when their birthday nears. Most cats seem to fit into the latter category when it comes to celebrating their birthday.
Oh, they might like receiving a new toy or 
special treats, but few cats relish a shopping trip to PetCo, going on leash to a park for a frolic, having people or pets over to celebrate with them—especially those annoying poodles from next door or Aunt Martha’s persnickety cat. Most cats I’ve ever known would rather hide out until the birthday hullaballoo has ended.
Do you celebrate your cat’s birthday? Have you found a way to make it as enjoyable for your cat as it is for you?
We celebrated our precious tabby, Lily’s, one-year birthday by inviting neighborhood children in to have cake with her. She loved it. Lily adored watching the small children in the neighborhood outside the windows growing up. We took care of a toddler one day a week during that time and boy-oh-boy-oh-boy did Lily love that little girl. They played together with building blocks, in elaborate sheet tents we constructed around the living room, in sewing and painting and cookie-baking projects…Whatever the toddler was doing, Lily was right there in the middle of things. I even made Lily a cape to match the child’s one day when they were playing some super-power game.
So it followed that children should attend Lily’s first birthday party. How did it go? Lily was just a bit overwhelmed, but she certainly got a lot of attention that day. Good memories.
I’ve never been particularly interested in famous quotes or phrases until the advent of the internet. Growing up, I didn’t read poetry or pick up a book of quotes. I must say that I am a fan of the cliché, however. You’ll notice this in my writings. And I’ve come to appreciate interesting ways with words, thought-provoking quotes, and quotes related to cats. Here are a few I’ve come across recently:
“If a dog jumps in your lap it’s because he’s fond of 
you; if a cat jumps in your lap it’s because it’s warmer.” Now that quote goes back to the early 1900s
Here’s one for all of my writer friends out there: “Cat’s are dangerous companions for writers because cat-watching is a near perfect method of writing avoidance.” This quoted by Dan Greenberg, author of over 70 books.
“Some men are born to cats, others have cats thrust upon them.”
“Letting a cat out of a bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back.” Good old Will Rogers
“A cat can purr its way out of anything.”
Lillian Jackson Braun of the Cat Who series said, “Cats never strike a pose that isn’t photogenic.”
And what about Sylvester—yeah his was among some of the greatest cat (or tat) quotes: “I tawt I taw a puddy tat.”
And let’s not forget Mark Twain. Here’s one of his and it has become one of my favorites: “What greater gift than the love of a cat?”
