Miss Green Jeans - the latest in a long line of orphaned kittens

Hey friends. As most of you know, Coni and I have provided financial and physical support for half of the stray cats and kittens in central Virginia. Now we are asking for your help.
Miss Green Jeans conveniently showed up in our front yard and she needs: an exam, FIV/FILV combo test, 1st set of shots, Advantage, a spay, ear mite and de-worming medications, and other incidentals (where there's a cat - there's always an incidental or two). Any donation is appreciated :) The link to make donation is on the right hand side of this blog....thanks MUCH to those who have already donated!!!

life in a mulit-cat household

Hey all - Johnny and I thought you all might like to have a look at this article we found on living in a multi-cat household. This is straight from the Humane Society website and it gets at an excellent question. Why do some cats get along with some of their housemates but not others?

Just click here and get up to speed. But before you do...be sure to sign up for the Meow Mixer newsletter by filling out hte form in the top right-hand corner!

Until next time (meow)

The costs of a new kitten - be prepared!!

What are the REAL costs for bringing a new kitten into your home? Most adoption centers have some sort of fee, often covering spay/neutering costs - but is that it? What about the so-called "free" kittens?

What can you expect to spend on your new addition?

Suzanne Gardner, an author at Petside.com suggests carefully considering all costs before deciding to adopt.

"The initial cost of adopting a kitten can range from $0 to well over $100. After the kitten has been adopted, pet owners will need to pay for health care costs, which include required vaccinations and tests, deworming, and spaying or neutering procedures. Additional initial cost items include supplies such as the litter box, grooming supplies, cat carrier, toys and scratching posts, food bowls, and microchipping. These costs, including necessary monthly items such as flea and tick control, cat litter and food, add up to an average ranging from $900 to $1,500 for the first year."

That is some real cash, folks! So, when your neighbor tells you that he has a box of kittens and you are welcome to one or more for free (as has happened to us more than once) just make sure you are prepared to fork over the cash.

Don't forget - cats have emergencies just like people!! Accidents or a sudden illness can mean an unscheduled trip to the vet. And these costs can add up quickly - sometimes up to thousands of dollars.

We encourage you to adopt - but we also want to remind you that you are taking responsibility for another life...and you owe it to your new kitten to provide the best care possible. If your kitten could talk - we are sure he or she would say thanks. Since they can't talk, we'll say thanks for them :)

Today's featured cat is Rahelio (yes...we know that we used an H in his name) aka Julio. This fine looking boy wandered in to our backyard from the woods behind our house - feral, armed and dangerous...and spreading his seed throughout the region - we first fixed the little bugger and then decided to bring him into the fold after a several-month absence and an infected wound on his head nearly killed him. After a couple of years of socialization work, Julio is a happy (lazy) house cat - alpha all the way and nothing but trouble. He even has his very own "bad boy" chair when he needs a time out.

Until next time (meow)

Cats behavng badly

Have you ever wondered why cats act in "inappropriate" ways when you are out of town for more than a day or so?

We are talking about urination here folks - in places other than the litter box.

The myth is, cats are spiteful angry little creatures who seek revenge on their owners who have abandoned them.

Well....maybe not. According to Jelana Woehr, author of Petlvr.com, cats' accidents are products of stress and territorial behavior. "Pet sitters know that many cats stop using their litterboxes when left alone for an extended period. This is often misinterpreted as a form of revenge taken on an owner who has left his cat home alone. The truth (as usual) is more mundane and less tied up with human emotion. When a cat’s owner is present in the home, the guardian’s living and sleeping areas are interpreted as such by the cat. If the cat is alone, stressed and lonely, it may decide that its owner has given up his claim to those areas of the home. The cat then marks its territory by eliminating in the owner’s sleeping and living areas. This behavior usually ceases when the owner returns, but may continue if stains haven’t been completely removed with an enzyme cleaner."

There are ways to prevent this behavior from ever happening. Woehr tells us to "start by minimizing stress before the trip. Don’t change your cat’s routine or schedule until it’s absolutely necessary that you do so. Get a Feliway Plug-In Defuserfor each room where the cat spends a great deal of time. Try to introduce the cat to your petsitter well before your planned trip. While you’re away, make sure that your pet sitter sticks to your cat’s usual routine as much as possible. Keeping feeding times and litterbox cleanliness the same will help to reduce inappropriate elimination. If necessary, leave your bedroom and bathroom doors closed to reduce temptation while you’re away."

We think that this is good advice -

The featured cat today is Christina - aka Miss Kitty, aka Stinkit, (she once smelled very, very badly - but that has thankfully gone away). Stinkit is a 2 year cancer survivor who was rescued from a farm lawn mower. When a small lump was detected (originally misdiagnosed by the vet as a BB) a minor surgery for removal revealed breast cancer. Two major surgeries and a radical mastectomy (all eight!) later, she is just fine. Well...she is a little cranky and her eye sight is not so great - but for the most part, she is a healthy happy girl.

Until next time (meow)

WELCOME!!

Welcome to Meow Mixer!! Who are we? Well...we are Coni and Keith and a motley collection of rescued felines. We all peacefully (most of the time) coexist and work together to make the world a happier place.

How about that. We thought we thought we would bring together a collection of pictures, stories, and useful information for other cats and cat lovers out there.

Over the years, we have encountered all kinds of stuff. We have experienced cats behaving badly, the socialization of ferals, cats who eat weird things, cancer patients, shooting victims and everything in between. We have gone through moments of sheer joy and tragic loss.

We know that there are millions of you out there - crazy cat people, if you will - who could benefit from what we have learned along the way.

So, please follow us and sign up for the Meow Mixer newsletter! We'll keep you updated on our own menagerie, our internet friends, cat news, and the latest research on all things feline.

Pictured today is Verushka - aka Rushie, aka Mrs. Rushbaum. She is our resident shooting victim. Rushie was rescued by a friend who found her and her kittens living near her home in the country. She had been shot and her arm was mangled beyond the vet's ability to save it. Well, after a successful amputation, she now lives a healthy and happy life at our place. Her kittens? They found new homes too - a story with a happy ending!!

See you next time (meow).