The Cat Blog on TheCatSite.com

I decided to take a look at the latest shopping for cats trends. My favorite testing ground for this kind of market research has always been Amazon.com. It simply is a huge online shop, a trusted brand and I believe, has enough clientele to provide statistically significant information.

Judging the results from Amazon takes some preparation work. The “bestsellers” lists often include products which are essentially for dogs, as well as items such as product refills, which I prefer to filter out. So, after wading through the list, I finally have it down for you:

Top Seven Cat Products for Spring 2009

It’s time to get your calendars for 2009, and we have the purrfect cat calendar ever, if I may say so myself! It’s the official TCS (TheCatSite.com) calendar for 2009, made by our talented moderator and contest contessa Heidi. In creating this calendar, Heidi used the winning photographs from the contests that were held on the forums through out the year. Wonderful pictures, beautiful cats, all exclusive to TCS, what else can you look for?

Browse the calendar and see all of its pages here.

• Each page measures 11″ x 8.5″
• Measures 11″ x 17″ when hung on wall
• Full bleed dynamic color
• 100 lb cover weight high gloss paper, wire-o bound
• January 2009 – December 2009, 2010 preview, US holidays marked

Click to order your copy, and don’t forget to gift your cat loving friends too!

Kitten season this year was no different than any other but it didn’t feel that way. Many of the TCS members who volunteer were lamenting how full their shelters were. Members who foster were busy and also full to capacity. Every week there were new people appearing who had found a stray or feral and chose to foster on their own. It can seem overwhelming. Some had to bottle feed and lose sleep to keep their rescues alive sometimes in areas far away from a vet or a supermarket. Sometimes the result is tragic as with Marianjela and booktiger who witnessed kittens who were born deformed. They didn’t make it.  Mews2much tells how almost all of her very young rescues don’t make it. Some kittens are too fragile and the odds are against them and no amount of work and devotion can save them. Thankfully, the happy endings are far more numerous. erzsebet has 3 happy stories about rescues, white cat lover has many with a standout being Bea who she fostered for many months before finding her a new home. gayef told a story about a case called simply bag of kittens. 5 week old kittens who were thrown away but beat the odds and survived. All were adopted with one going to her mother, named Gengi who she says is very spoiled and very loved. Those are the stories that keep us going and giving us enough hope to say yes to a sad stray by the side of the road or a bag of kittens or a kitten in a puddle after a natural disaster. It can feel like the homeless cat problem is beyond the grasp of the resources available. There is truth in that. But rescuers have no choice but to do as much as they can. It is a calling and one look at a homeless or helpless kitty and the doubts melt away. You know that you can try and you know that your best can’t save every one of them but when a tiny kitten makes it through the night it makes it all feel worth it. When you get your first purr then you are hooked forever. When you visit the Ferals and Rescue boards there are many stories of heroes and heroines who go down in the trenches to save a life or lives inspiring others to follow suit. We know that the homeless cat epidemic is vast and sometimes overwhelming. Doing nothing is not an option. So we continue on and for some like hissy, become experts and mentors to others, therefore, touching even more lives and making even more of a difference.

There is no special recognition, glory or awards but there are headbutts, purrs and kneading which truth be told are much much better.

Wonderful piece of advice there – and its meaning is clear to any cat lover out there! It’s by author Allia Zobel Nolan and it’s actually the title of her latest book.

Our forum moderator jcat, aka Tricia Brandt, has reviewed the book for you right here -

Purr More, Hiss Less

Amazing timing for this particular press release to lend on my virtual desk, considering yesterday’s post. I often get press releases related to new cat products, but this one I actually want to go ahead and publish, for two reasons -

1. This is a very unique product which provides cats with what I believe is important access to outdoors activities, while keeping them safe and protected.

2. Purrfect Fence had been a long time sponsor of our cat behavior forum, so it gives me extra pleasure to endorse their great product!

So, here goes – thank you Purrfect Fence for your continued support of TheCatSite.com!

PURRFECT FENCE OFFERS SPRINGTIME TIPS FOR CAT LOVER
Keep your cats safe and happy this spring while enjoying the great outdoors

Conshohocken, PA (May 3, 2008) Spring is finally here and its time to get yourself outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine! But what about your cats? How much happier would they be if they could get out and enjoy your back yard as much (or probably a lot more) than you do? Well, your cats will never know because you would never let them roam… they could be injured, lost, or even killed. But what if you could let them out with the assurance that they were safe in your yard? What if there was a product that would definitely keep your cat in your yard? Would you let your cat out then? Purr…fect Fence thinks you will and with over four growth-filled years in the business of “Keeping Cats Happy and Safe Outdoors” has good reason to think so.

Before Purr…fect Fence ever sold a fence, they thoroughly tested the design in the most hostile conditions available in the cat world… feral rescues. They are in the business of keeping any cat contained, even your craziest and craftiest. Their deep list of rescue and shelter clients says a lot about this product’s effectiveness, so get out there install your new Purr…fect Fence.

You have just completed your installation and you can rest assured that your cat does not stand a chance of escape. The first thing to do (maybe before you let your cat out) is make sure that nothing in your yard is poisonous to your cats. The Cat Fanciers’ Association has published a comprehensive list of cat-unfriendly plants that you can view at: http://www.cfa.org/articles/plants.html. If you have plants that are not necessarily poisonous but you do not want your cats to damage, try spraying the leaves with bitter apple (available at pet stores) or hot pepper sauce.

Your yard is now cat-safe and cat-secure but after all that work don’t you want your cats to get the most out of their new outdoor playland? So how can you enhance your cat’s outdoor experience? If your yard is nothing but a lawn, put some landscaping in. Cats love the hide under bushes and have a bit of dirt to roll in. You can even add plants that your cats would enjoy like parsley, thyme, and valerian. Cats love to eat grass and certain grasses love the cat back with vitamins and minerals. Wheatgrass contains beta-carotene, vitamins B-6, B-12, K and C. Oat grass is chock full of goodness containing manganese, zinc, calcium, and vitamins A, B-1, B-2, and E. It might also be fun to plant some catnip but your cats may love it to death. If they do, plant it again in a pot out of reach and give them clippings.

All the work is done and there you are reclining in your favorite chaise lounge. One of your cats is chewing on the freshly planted wheatgrass, another one is slowing killing that catnip you planted, and your more mischievous one is hiding under a nearby scrub about to pounce (playfully, of course) on the herbally inebriated one rolling in the catnip. Ahhh… Now its time for a cat nap.

About Purrfect Fence
Purr…fect Fence is a family owned and operated national mail order company that has evolved from Benner’s Deer Fencing systems. The same high-strength and long-lasting material utilized for Purr…fect Fence has been used for 15 years to keep deer out of gardens and landscaping.
Since the transformation to a fence system designed specifically for cats four years ago, Purr…fect Fence has experienced rapid expansion. Now many thousands of cat owners, shelters, and animal care professionals utilize our product with unprecedented results. Our goal is to continue to improve our system, expand our product line, and most importantly, enhance the lives of cats.
Located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, we ship direct nationwide. Order Purr…fect Fence today and find out why so many people describe our product as a “Life-changing” experience.

Cat in The Spotlight #3

It’s getting to be a long read today, so without further ado, let me introduce Shane –

This beautiful blue eyed Siamese boy owns HopeHacker, a talented artist who is also an official sig helper on the cat forums. Here’s what Hope has to say about Shane -

I bought Shane from a Backyard Breeder, because I didn’t know any better back then. One of the men in my office told me about a friend of his who had some Siamese kittens for sale. So, I called her, and made arrangements to purchase him when he was old enough to leave his Mama. He was such a tiny little kitten when I got him at only 8 weeks. It’s amazing to see that he’s grown into such a HUGE cat at a little more than 28 lbs.

More about Shane by Hope on Shane’s Cat Page.