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Cat Care Essentials

September 10, 2020 / PET STUFF / 0 comments

Hey cat lovers! In this post, I’m sharing with you some cat care essentials that I like to use for my kittycats. As what you might have read in today’s pandemic world, felines are prone to acquiring the vid. So, I take good precautions regarding my cats’ health. The following cat care essentials I’m going to list below are part of my daily and/or weekly cat grooming routine. Without further ado, check out how I care for my cats, as demonstrated by my kitties: Bibi & Dodo.

First of all, I like to check my cats’ temperature. I use the baby rectal thermometer from Vicks (linked below). I like using it because it’s really tiny and gentle on cats. If you’re not sure or not familiar with using rectal thermometers, I suggest you consult your vet or a health care provider. The normal cat temperature is between 100.5°F and 102.5°F or 38.1°C to 39.2°C. I usually check my cats’ temp monthly or whenever I notice that they’re not feeling well.

From there, I go from head to toe, or whichever my cats want first.

I usually start by checking their ears. I like moistening a soft cotton pad (check out my top picks in cotton pads here) with the Virbac Epi-Otic Ear Cleanser and clean the outer part of my cats’ ears. I also soak a few cotton tips to reach around the ridges of the ears, but I don’t push or go all the way down since that would not be safe.

Next, I use a small otoscope to visually their inner ear. I don’t push it all the way, just enough to see if there might be any presence of ear mites. These mites usually resemble a coffee ground texture in the ear. FYI: Examining a cat’s ear is the opposite of examining a human ear; where you pull up and back. With a cat’s ear, you pull slightly down and forward.

I then proceed to check my cats’ eyes. I look for discharges and retinal scratches. If there’s nothing wrong, I don’t put anything on them. If there’s a slight irritation around the corner of the eye, I usually clean it with a presoaked eye wash pad (linked below) and put a drop of Vetericyn Eye Wash which is a very mild antimicrobial eye wash for slightly irritated eyes. If your kitty has swollen or very irritated eyes, and seem more serious than a light scratch, or tearing a lot, you have to consult your veterinarian.

After checking the eyes, I check my cats’ teeth. Brushing a cat’s teeth is always a challenge. It’s always a good idea to start brushing their teeth while they’re young, so, the process gets a bit easier with time. My cats still don’t like, but they tolerate it, and I’ve got a whole lotta persistence, lol. Cat brushing is more like dry-brushing, where you use a small toothbrush designed for pets, a flavored toothpaste, and perhaps a bit of water. So, no Colgate or Crest here :-).

After brushing, I proceed to trimming their nails, using a pet nail trimmer. I only trim a tiny bit on the tip, and not go all the way up. In that way, they can still scratch and climb. This is a very challenging activity because this requires sharp attention and precision. Your cats might move while you’re trimming their nails. So, I suggest having a partner to do this, or position yourself behind the cat and stabilize them with your upper body. I prefer a tall table and plenty of light whenever I do this. Usually, this is the part I don’t like the most.

Lastly, I do the part that my cats like best – brushing! Now, some cats may have a preference as to what kind of brush they like. Some like a scratchy brush, while some like it soft. My cat Bibi likes the Furminator even though he doesn’t really need it because he doesn’t shed a lot. He also likes the LoveGlove which is a silicon glove full of little knobs that catch his fur and simulates as a hand. The Kong Zoom Groom is also his fave, which is a detangler made of silicon. Dodo, on the other hand, likes a kitten slicker brush, even though he’s not exactly a kitten anymore, lol. I use two kitten slicker brush on him to get a good coverage. They also serve as his toys which he likes to bite. This chunky bean has a lot of fur :-).

In general, most cats don’t like water, although I have one that thinks he’s a mermaid, lol. From time to time, I like to use a Waterless Cat Bath to refresh my cats’ fur. You just soak a soft cloth or paper towel in it, and let it dry. It usually dries fast and is very gentle on cats. Also, another good product to have is a Styptic Powder, which is a good first-aid product for pets, just in case they get a cut.

That comprises my cat care essentials and procedures. If you’re in doubt about doing these procedures, please consult your veterinarian and also read the ASPCA Complete Cat Care Manual. If you have any suggestions or tips on how to care for your pets, DM me or comment below.

Always have fun with your pets!

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Disclaimer: No cats were harmed in this post and I wasn’t scratched. Although, there were some attempts, lol 🙂

How To Make Cat Hats

April 26, 2020 / PET STUFF / 0 comments

This Pandemic has brought us a lot of worries and anxiety, no doubt. But, on the bright side, it has taught us the meaning of resilience. Speaking of the bright side of things, I have discovered another talent of mine. And yes, it’s the art of making cat hats or pet hats, apart from being now a haircutter, of course 🙂

I did start making a few cat hats before, but it’s only been recently that I have honed my skills in becoming a cat milliner, lol. All because I stumbled upon a book by the artist, blogger, and Buzzfeed Illustrator Adam Ellis. His wonderful book called Tiny Hats on Cats is full of creative ideas and instructions on how to make cat hats. This cat hatmaking-book, which could also apply to any pets, be it a dog or any pet that can stay still for about a few seconds (enough to wear the hat), is a lot of fun to browse and will put you in a crafty mood.

There are several cat hat styles shown in this book. You can choose from Sherlock Hat, Gondolier Hat, Pirate Hat, or even a Graduation Hat (pretend like your cat is about to graduate this Spring from what feels like an eternal homeschooling on how to stop asking for treats, lol). Most of the cat hat styles are easy to do because the instructions in the book are pretty much easy to follow. Also, the materials needed to do the cat hats are pretty much easy to compile since most of them are probably already in our homes. The only thing you’ll ever need is a tiny dash of creativity, a bit of persistence, and a really patient cooperative cat (like my cat Bibi, pictured above).

In this post, I’ll show you how to make a Party Hat. It’s probably one of the simplest cat hat styles to do, as illustrated in the book.

Materials:

*Glue Sticks

*Glue Gun

*Bone Folder (not that necessary, but very useful anyway)

*X-Acto Knife (a.k.a. hobby knife. Please be very careful with this because this is very sharp).

*Hair Cutting Scissor (prefer this than the regular scissor because this is more precise, and besides, I have been practicing on how to cut hairs with this :-)).

*Compass (depends on the hat style, in this post, this is not that necessary)

*Construction Paper

*Pattern Paper (optional)

Instructions:

Cone:

From the corner of a Construction Paper or any sturdy paper, cut a square piece measuring about 3 inches on each side.

Cut or make a quarter-circle out of this square piece. You may or may not need a compass for this. Estimating your cut works just fine.

Once it looks triangular, cut the tip with the scissor curving through.

You can now make a cone shape out of this figure by gluing each side (careful with the hot glue gun). Notice the small opening at the top. That is where the hat fringe is going to be.

Fringe:

Using a Pattern Paper, cut a rectangular strip that is about 6 inches in length and has a tapered height from 3 inches down to 2.

Create the fringe using a scissor. Trying not to cut all the way through.

Curl the fringe using a bone folder, the tip of a scissor, or even a pen.

From the longest fringe, roll the strip inward and glue it together.

Insert and glue the curled fringe into the cone you just made.

You now have a cute party hat.

The million-dollar Q is how do you make the hats stay on top of the cat’s head? Hmmm…that’s always going to be a challenge :-).

Bottom line, if you are bored in this Pandemic, or if you have some extra time to bother your cats, dogs, or be it any pets, try making this hat. This will be a very fun activity but most likely only for you (or your Instagram, perhaps) and maybe not for your cats :-).

What have you been crafting lately?

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Top 3 Wet Foods For Picky Cats

November 7, 2018 / PET STUFF / 0 comments

Hello guys. Let’s veer away from beauty reviews for just a sec and let’s talk about our fur babies and their eating habits, most specifically, their food preferences. You may or you may not have a picky cat at home, but I’m pretty sure you’ve cared for or encountered one in the past. Picky cats can be picky with a lot of things, be it being picky with their toys, their favorite lounge/chill area, or simply with their food. It can be quite a challenge to adapt and figure out what they really need.

When it comes to feeding, most of the time we resort to trial and error in order to find out which particular food these diva eaters will actually like. I know that because I do have a picky diva-ish cat at home. I have tried countless wet cat foods for Frodo (Dodo) since I didn’t want him eating dry solid kibbles all the time (which aren’t good for any cat’s digestion), and he always seems unfazed. His facial reaction is the pretty much the same; stares at the new food, smells it a bit, tastes it a bit, and then leave or go flat on the floor. Sometimes, he would look up with a face saying “next food, please” or “I don’t like it”. Basically, he kept turning up his nose, and I was at my wit’s end. But before I surrendered, I found three very interesting cat foods that aren’t actually like most wet cat foods you’d come to know nowadays. They’re called cat broths, and they’re basically very juicy and brothy cat foods with a little bit of meat. Picky cats tend to like them because they’re so easy to eat and I guess they’re very flavorful as well.

Purina Fancy Feast Broths Classic Collection – This comes in two types, the Classic one which is seen in this review and is a personal favorite of my diva cat, and the other one is the Creamy type which my kitty couldn’t care less. The Classic type comes in several different flavors like Wild Salmon, Tuna Shrimp and Whitefish, Tuna and Vegetable, Chicken and Vegetable and more to mention. My picky cat loves these because there is a lot of broth in each pouch and the broth is not too thick.

Rachael Ray Nutrish Purrfect Broths – This cat broth is grain-free and made of natural and simple ingredients. There is real meat, fish, and real veggies in a silky light broth that is especially easy for picky cats to lick and eat. Also, this doesn’t smell as much compared to most cat broths or most wet cat foods.

Soulistic Wet Cat Food – This cat food may be available exclusively through Petco, but you can also find this at Amazon. This is not only one of the wettest cat foods I’ve ever seen, but this is also one of the smelliest. The smell is so strong especially the fishy ones that you can’t help but try to cover your nose, LOL. However, cats love this, even the smell, and since this has a lot of gravy instead of being brothy, this looks thick and concentrated in flavor. So, expect your kitties to go crazy with this.

Incorporating wet cat foods like these cat broths apart from feeding solid dry foods (kibbles) are the best way to feed and please a picky cat. Broths and most wet cat foods keep our fur babies from having constipation, thus promoting healthy digestion and good urinary health, especially since most cats don’t seem to like drinking lots of water.

Do you have a picky cat too? What do you feed them?

The Purina Fancy Feast Cat Broths are available in most grocery stores and can also be found at Amazon.com

The Rachel Ray Nutrish Purrrfect Broths and the Soulistic Cat Food are available at Amazon as well. click HERE and HERE