Cats and Hairballs

Hello everyone,

Welcome to another totally awesome edition of my blog. This week I will be sharing with you my tips on how to help prevent the formation of hairballs. From a cats perspective hairballs are extremely lame and I imagine that all of our human cat parents would agree.

A hairball is a small collection of fur that is formed in the stomach of animals. Us cats are prone to getting hairballs because we like to keep our coats clean.  Honestly, you would think that because we like to be clean that we would be rewarded for our efforts but no it doesn’t work out that way.

Below are some of my suggestions to help prevent the formation of hairballs in your cat.

• Daily Brushing: This is especially important if you have a longhaired cat. A nice brushing helps remove loose hair which would otherwise be swallowed by your cat as he/she is cleaning their coat.

N2: I love it when my human slave brushes me, it is a great way to bond with your underlings. Hopefully if you have more than one cat they will share your time unlike Kona who pushes me out of the way so that she gets a brushing instead. I’m the senior cat of the house, she should have some respect

Kona: N2, stop lying to the people. No amount of brushing time with human underling is going to make you look any better, that ship sailed a long time ago. Let’s face it, I’m younger and hotter and the fans deserve to see me looking as awesome as ever.

N2: Do you see what I have to put up with.  She is so disrespectful. Anyway, human slave has just taken her away to allow me to finish my blog in peace. Let’s continue with my tips

• Consider introducing a special formula of dry food for hairball prevention into your cat’s diet. You will find your cat will respond better to this rather than any smelly products that you put on our paws. My dear fans it is not very preppy at all to do this to us. You have to appreciate that cats take great pride in our appearance and unsightly oils and smells from a paste on our paws just hinders this process.
• If your cat is excessively grooming, which is a contributing factor to hairballs and you are following the last two steps all is not lost. You may like to distract your cat from grooming all the time. I suggest buying lots of new toys to play with, you could also try and play defender cat which is a very interactive game. If you still find your cat needs a little bit more encouragement try some catnip or tuna to encourage playtime.

Love N2

For more “Totally Awesome” cat news and things stop by and while you’re there say hello http://www.n2thetalkingcat.com

Cats & a vacation

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the latest edition of my blog. One thing I have never understood is why humans go away on vacation. Surely staying at home with a preppy feline like me is equally as enjoyable if not more so. Of course I can totally understand why they’d want to get away from Kona.... SHE'S CRAZY! 

Kona: I’m not crazy N2. 

N2: Yes you are Kona, stop trying to ruin my blog.

Sorry about that everyone, anyway in this week’s edition I will be providing you with my tips on how to preparing your cat when you are going on vacation.

• Depending on your vacation destination you may be able to take your cat with you. After all we are part of the family too. We could bask in the warmth of the sun in 5 star resort too! However I would only suggest doing this if your cat is confident and used to go going out and about with you.
• If you are boarding your cat, check out the options well in advanced. You may like to ask fellow cat parents and the vet for a suitable recommendation. I then suggest making an appointment to view the facilities of any cattery you are consideration to see if it preppy enough for your cat.
• If you board your cat make sure you have our vaccinations and worming treatment completely up to date as the cattery will ask you to present this when you your cat into the facility.
• Transport your cat in a secure cat carry cage. It is a good idea to pack our basket, favourite blanket and/or cushion to help us feel much more comfortable. I also recommend that on the last three nights before your vacation wear the same old t-shirt to bed. Put in with our beading so that we can smell your aroma while you are away. This will bring us great comfort.
• Your cat should also have a collar with an ID containing contact details of the principal parent and carer in your absence. If your cat is travelling with you then make sure you put the contact number of where you are staying at on the tag.

Stay Preppy

Love N2

For more “Totally Awesome” cat news and things stop by and while you’re there say hello http://www.n2thetalkingcat.com

A cat and a baby (the two legged kind)

Welcome to the latest edition of my blog. This week I’ll be addressing how to prepare your cat for the arrival of a baby.

Cats are not big fans of major changes to our daily routine.  This is especially true as if you have a preppy mature feline like me. Therefore it is imperative that we are well prepared for the new arrival.

Below are some tips to assist you with these preparations

• Schedule quality time to spend with your cat after you have spent time attending to the baby. This way we will not see the new arrival as competition or feel like we are being replaced. Be sure to ask any visitors you may have to make a fuss over us as well as the baby too. 

• Allow us to smell the new baby’s belongings. This will satisfy our curiosity and allow us to see the new arrival does not present any kind of threat to us.

•  Maintain our regular routine to the best of your ability. This includes meal times and also provision to provide us with tantalising cat treats.

Stay Preppy
Love N2

For more "Totally Awesome" cat news and things stop by and while you're there say hello http://www.n2thetalkingcat.com.

Intergrating a second cat into your home

Hello everyone,

Adopting a pet is a wonderful thing you as a humans can do. There are some many animals in local shelters that need to find good homes. My master loves to save a life and provide a good home to shelter animals. He saved my life and Kona’s and we are very fortunate to have our own family.

Personally, life was pretty good before Kona came round (No it wasn't your life was incomplete without meee!) . She steals my food all the time and its not fair. (I don't steal food N2, you should share!) Oh Kona, go away I'm busy.

Okay now where we, awe yes adopting a second cat from your local shelter.  I know master meant well by adopting Kona, he wanted me to have a companion after my dear brother Night crawler passed away. Night Crawler was such a great brother.

This edition of my blog will provide my suggestions on how to integrate a second cat into your home.

• We need a human to supervise the initial meetings

• Never force cats of any age together, we will adjust at our own pace and time. For instance, when master first bought Kona home he allowed us to work things out on our own.  He knows that I am extremely intelligent and will decide if I wanted to be friends with Kona or not.

• Be sure to provide your resident cat with plenty of attention and catnip! Your resident cat will need to feel their security and status within the home is not threatened by the new arrival. I might print this point out and stick it on the fridge for master to see.  N2, you should feel threatened because I'm smart, beautiful and awesome. Who wouldn't love meee?

• Provide your resident cat with their own safe places to retreat if they feel the need.

• Allow both cats the opportunity to interact with one another a few minutes at a time at least six times a day for a few days.  It maybe a safer option to have your new addition in their carrier. I voted for N2 to go into the carrier.  No way Kona, I am the chief resident of the house it should be you that goes in there.

• When both cats seem comfortable you can begin to let the cats interact with each other for short periods outside of the carrier.

• Don’t shut the cats up in the one room when they meet instead give both cats the opportunity to retreat to a different area of the home.

• Use separate food dishes so we don’t compete with each other for food.

Stay Preppy

Love N2

For more "Totally Awesome" cat news and things stop by and while you're there say hello http://www.n2thetalkingcat.com

Indoors vs Outdoors

Hello everyone,

I have spent all off my life as an indoor cat; it’s a great way to live. However for some humans the decision to raise a cat as indoor cat or an outdoor cat can be a difficult decision. So I thought we would make a pro and con list for indoor verses outdoor cats.

• Some humans may live in an apartment block on a busy road which can be life threatening for outdoor cats. Most cats have little to no awareness of a moving motor vehicle. Cars are the most common reason outdoor cats lost their lives; this is a sad but true fact. Indoor cats are safe from being hit by cars.

• Indoor cats are not at risk of being injured by other animals such as dogs, foxes or other cats.

• Outdoor cats are at risk off getting lost or worst still picked up by animal control.

• Outdoor cats may bring a treat home for their humans such as a dead bird or mouse. I am told humans do not view such a gift favourably.

• Outdoor cats are risk to contract parasites such as fleas or ticks. Those are not very preppy!

• There are many myths that indoor cats are predisposed to having a weight problems because we do not get the exercise that we need.  Firstly, I do not have a weight problem I am just big boned and have a thick fur coat that is all. Stop lying N2 you're fat and you know it! No I'm not Kona .

• Sorry about that everyone, Kona always tries to take over but I'm not going to let her. You can bring the outdoor life instead by ensuring your home is as stimulating as possible for cats. I spoke about some ideas to keep preppy felines entertained in an earlier blog so you may wish to refer back to that.

• Indoor cats live an average 10-17 years while outdoor cats live an average 2-5 years.

• You can teach your cat indoor cat to walk on leash, just be sure to use an ultra-lightweight, retractable leash that's attached to a harness, not a collar. I suggest letting your cat get used to the harness for short periods indoors. Always reward your cat with tantalizing cat treat at the conclusion of each training session. Once you feel your cat is comfortable, pick a safe outdoor area to explore with them on the leash. This gives them the best of both worlds, they are safe from hazards and sharing moments with you!

 

Stay Preppy

Love N2

For more "Totally Awesome" cat news and things stop by and while you're there say hello http://www.n2thetalkingcat.com