Do Cats Actually Like Cat Apps?
CG playing with the pocket pond app.
Every time I visit a pet store, I’m always impressed with the wide selection of cat toys available. You can buy everything from those gray mice and plastic balls with bells inside them to developmental toys for cats. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that cat toys are showing up in other places, too.
Like on tablets and smartphones. According to a recent poll, about 11% of Americans own a tablet of some sort, and at least 35% of Americans own a smartphone. Apple’s app store offers 500,000 apps for download — and a few of those have actually been created for our pets’ entertainment.
And some cats love them. Try searching “cat iPad” on YouTube, and you’ll find some videos of cats who really love their iPad apps. Yet, other cats couldn’t care less. So should you give them a shot?
It shouldn’t be a surprise that my husband and I have actually downloaded a few of those apps to see how CG and Ellie like them. Here’s a quick round-up on what we discovered.
Cat Toy (Free): Creative name, right? This one features four toys: a mouse, spider, laser pointer dot and butterfly. The goal is for your cat to tap the object; when your cat makes contact, each reacts in a certain way (for example, the mouse squeaks). It’s best used on the iPad (bigger screen = more space to play), but CG likes the mouse on the iPhone just fine. In fact, when I hold up the iPhone and call his name, he comes running! He likes the mouse and he’ll watch the spider, but the laser pointer dot and butterfly don’t hold his attention at all. I think it has to do with which ones make sounds — I think that’s why he likes the mouse best (it makes scratching noises when it’s off-screen).
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How to Remove Cat Urine, Stains from Hardwood Floors
When a cat pees outside of the litter box, it’s OK to be concerned.
Photo courtesy reallyboring
Several issues can come to mind: Does my cat have a behavioral issue? Health problem? Even if it’s an accident, it can cause some serious damage to your carpet or hardwood floors.
Since litter box accidents can be somewhat common with CH kitties, it’s best to be prepared for all scenarios. So what should you do if your cat misses and pees on the hardwood? Here are some suggestions.
The moment you’ve noticed there was an accident, follow these steps. Clean up any excrement and then blot the entire area with paper towels. Wash the area with white vinegar, rinse with warm water, then blot dry.
If a smell remains, you can try a few things. You may want to give Nature’s Miracle (or a similar product) a try; however, the packaging notes that it may not be as effective once you’ve cleaned the area with another product. Another option is to apply baking soda to the area.
The baking soda soaks up the moisture, and will clump up with the urine residue. You may have to do this several times — one account I read said that the floor was so badly damaged by urine that they had to apply baking soda to the floor a dozen times(!!). In the end, the writer said they simply had the floor boards replaced, as that was the only solution for removing the smell.
Another option that I’ve read about on the CH Kitty Club’s Yahoo page is peroxide. The peroxide should bleach the area a bit, which may help with any stains. You can do this by soaking a small towel with peroxide, then leaving it on the stain for a while. If you try this, first test it in an out-of-the-way area to see how your floors will react color-wise.
Remember, just because you can’t see the damage doesn’t mean it isn’t there. If you’ve had a significant problem on the carpet, there may be an issue with the hardwood underneath. If you’ve tried cleaning your carpet, but the smell remains, you may have an issue with the flooring. Try pulling up the carpet to determine if there’s any damage.
Photo courtesy jcbonbon
If you have a significant flooring issue, you have several options.
Some folks have been able to simply sand the floor and have it refinished. This can be a messy project, but if you do it yourself, you can save a great deal of money. Others have had luck by sanding the area, then trying the baking soda and peroxide method before varnishing and sealing the wood.
If doing this yourself isn’t an option, call around to your local flooring stores to get estimates. Or, perhaps a handy neighbor can help you out.
Have you had hardwood trouble in the past? How did you get the smell and stain out? Any other tips and best practices? Please share in the comments!
Meet Ackie
It seems no matter how much you plan and organize, sometimes you drop the ball. That’s just what happened to me with Donna and Ackie’s story — I had it for nearly a year and forgot to share it.
Donna first contacted me about a year ago. She said her cat had been diagnosed with FVS (feline vestibular syndrome), but given the diagnosis was made three years prior, and FVS is supposed to be short-term, she was thinking he may be a CH cat. There’s obviously more to it than that, but I’ll let Donna tell you. Here’s their story:
Back in 2005, I went to a local crowded no-kill shelter just to take a look — yeah, right. I already had cats, but there’s always room for one more.
While walking up an aisle, I noticed a pathetic looking gray kitty in a full walk-in cage. It was obvious he was supposed to be longhaired, but he had very little hair, just nubs and scabs and a rat tail. When I went in the cage, he walked over and told me he loved me. I took him home.
I called him Ack as he was hacking, sneezing, funny looking — but I knew he had the potential to be as beautiful outside as he was inside. I was right, and though it took time, he settled in and stopped pulling out his own hair. He always had a strangeness to him; he walked a little funny and had a strange head tilt. His head wobbled when he got excited, and he’d get a little more jerky. He was treated for an inner ear infection but he never got better.
Three years ago Ackie was chasing a moth that had gotten into the house, and he had some kind of seizure. It was short but afterward he was worse. This is when I took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with feline vestibular syndrome.
He is back to what is normal for him, but I watch him and try not to let him get excited. I believe Ackie has a mild form of CH as he can jump (just not high), uses the litter box fine (but is a little messy) and eats very well (and he’s a LOT messy!!!). He runs but sometimes can’t control where he’s going and zig zags.
I think he may be deaf too as he doesn’t respond to sounds. He loves to play with a catnip mouse or laser pointer, but I try to get him to take it easy in fear he may have another one of those seizures.
He has a best friend he play fights with, and they groom each other. When he gets tense, for example, if he gets into a room and can’t figure out how to get out, he meows VERY loudly. He also circles and screeches every morning (no need for an alarm clock!) but stops as soon as he gets his canned food.
Ack’s a vocal cat and chirrups and talks with me whenever he’s awake. Just touching him when he’s sleeping awakens the symphony in him.
Ackie is very loving and has the loudest purr I’ve ever heard. He’s a great-hearted cat, and I’m so glad he chose me that day!
Click here to read about other readers’ CH cats or tell us about your CH cat!
Cerebellar Hypoplasia: Not Only For Housecats
Well, this should be obvious after the post the other day about Maddie, but it reminded me of another CH feline I posted about a while back.
Now Caden’s story could really be any cerebellar hypoplasia cat’s story.
He was rescued when he was 12-weeks-old, and it was soon discovered that he had Panleukopenia (distemper), which can cause CH. Caden became very sick, but he eventually pulled through and grew into a lovely adult with his share of wobbles and head tremors. But like Maddie, there’s one thing about Caden that makes him different.
Unfortunately, this is not Caden -- all of Caden's photos are copyrighted. Please visit his story to see the gorgeous boy! Photo courtesy harlequeen.
He’s a cougar.
I was stunned when I read his story because I rarely hear about other animals having cerebellar hypoplasia. From Caden’s story, which you can read here, it sounds like many wild animals don’t survive Panleukopenia, which is why we don’t hear about them. Fortunately Caden was brought into a safe environment where he was treated and raised.
In 2010, the WildCat Haven celebrated Caden’s birthday, and it sounds like he’s doing well. He’s still wobbly and unsteady, but is living a happy, healthy life with his two cougar buddies! In November, WildCat Haven tweeted a gorgeous photo of Caden, which you can see here.
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If you’ve mulled over the 10 things to consider before fostering, and you think it’s the right option for you, congratulations! You’ve decided to do a magnificent thing for an animal in need.
Photo courtesy sneakerdog
The next step is to contact your shelter about fostering if you haven’t already. At this point, you’ll likely be asked to fill out a foster application, and possibly asked to attend some sort of training session. Shelter staff may also ask to visit your home prior to you fostering your first cat.
While you’ll obviously learn more about the particulars and details from your shelter, there are some questions you should keep in mind once an animal becomes available for fostering.
As Jane Harrell, associate producer of Petfinder.com says, in order for the fostering experience to turn out well for all included, it’s essential for everyone to understand their responsibilities and what’s expected of them.
To help with that, Jane created an extensive list of questions you should ask. I’ve added in a few that are CH-related:
- How did he come to be with the shelter or rescue group and how long has he been there?
- Why does he need a foster home now?
Photo courtesy sneakerdog
About the cat’s health:
- Does he have any medical concerns or need medication?
- Has he been neutered (or spayed, if the cat is female)? If not, when will he be?
- Is he up to date on his vaccinations and has he been tested for diseases such as FELV and FIV?
- Since conditions such upper respiratory infections cannot be tested for, how long should I keep him separated from my own pets?
- If he has special needs, like cerebellar hypoplasia, how severe is his CH? Is the vet sure it’s CH, or could it possibly be something else?
- Does the kitten have siblings with CH? How severe are they?
- Has the CH contributed to any complications (arthritis, chipped teeth, sprains, etc.) that I should watch out for?
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Twitching In Sleep: Seizures or Dreaming?
The other day, Lauren reached out with a concern: Her 10-month-old CH kitten twitches intensely while sleeping. Naturally, as a first-time CH cat mom, she was concerned:
Photo courtesy marcinbunsch
“Does anyone else notice their CH kitty twitching a lot while they sleep? I just got a 10 month old CH boy from a local shelter and when I’ve cuddled with him and he’s fallen asleep, I’ve noticed him twitching intensely. In a “normal” cat I would just shrug it off as dreaming, but I just wanted to make sure that that was all it was. He’s my first CH baby and I’ve only had him for a few weeks so I’m still in paranoid mommy mode. Can someone help calm my nerves and let me know if this is normal?” — Lauren
Odds are, your kitty is most likely dreaming.
Cats, like humans, dream. Our dreams are based on our experiences and imagination, and to some point so are cats’ dreams.
When they sleep, they can recall past experiences and instincts may come alive. Some believe cats have a limited degree of an imagination, too.
However, these dreams only really occur when the animal experiences REM sleep. The amount of REM sleep an animal experiences is often correlated to the safety of his environment. (So it says a good deal about how safe he feels around you if he can reach REM sleep while in your arms!)
From what I’ve read, not all animals can REM sleep, and not all animals who can REM sleep dream. Experts believe that more advanced animals like chimpanzees, horses, cats and dogs dream; however, dolphins, which are believed to be highly intelligent do not.
REM sleep usually occurs 15 minutes after the cat falls asleep. Like humans, you can notice it happening when you see movement under the eyelids, breathing changes, twitching ears or whiskers, and facial spasms. Some animals, like dogs, are even to run in their sleep. Others like the platypus imitate the process of killing prey before eating it. Read more…
Meet Maddie
One of the joys of writing this blog is that I’ve met so many CH cat pet parents along the way. But last year I met someone who’s special in a different way — Maddie, the CH dog, and her pet parent, Ruth.
Although “dog” may not be the correct term for Maddie, as Ruth says it’s more accurate to describe her as a squirfoxaroo — a very special creature that looks like a fox with a squirrel tail and hops like a kangaroo!
How severe do you consider her CH to be?
Mild
What is she able to do? What are her limitations?
She seems to do a lot of things, except she doesn’t do stairs well or steep hills, up is a bit easier than down. Although she has tumbled backwards on steps, very scary. She cannot get up on furniture or beds, but she is so cute she talks others into doing it for her.
Do you have any funny stories that have happened to her because of her CH? Or perhaps a story about how she figured out how to do something CH animals may not be able to do?
She has a funny prancing walk that is very entertaining. Also, her running butt flips are also amusing! She has a head tremor, but she can throw a ball and chase it herself. She can really throw it high up, almost using the head bob to make the ball fly. Read more…
