Stray Cat in My Neighborhood

Today I saw a stray cat hunting by the side of the road. This cat has been wandering for the past few months in the neighborhood. She is white with grey tabby patches and the most beautiful blue eyes. She came up on my back porch once, and my five were very interested to see her, but she ran away when I went outside.

I don't know if she is feral, stray, or someone's pet. But I am very concerned about her. It is getting very cold, with the temperature in the teens the other night. I also saw her several times by the 50 mph road, next to an abandoned house. I found my first kitten in a field next to that house, so I think Miss Blue Eyes may be a feral from there too.

I wish I could catch her, but I know that is next to impossible. The few times I approached her, she ran away. I don't think she roams by my house enough to set a trap. I might wind up catching raccoons or the fox that lives here too. My eyes always scan the ditches next to that road when I drive by, and it is hard not to think what may come of her in the next few winter months....

MySmartyCat  - Test your cat's intelligence!

Cats and Stress Relief

I'm worried. The economy is bad, I'm nervous about my job situation, the cost of food, and my investments. I'm also worried that things are not going to turn around for the better any time soon. All this stress is not good for me. I already have a bad back and high cholesterol, and being uptight could result in high blood pressure, stroke or heart attack. Now I worry about those too.

Fortunately, my house has built-in stress relief: my cats. Just to have a cat snuggle in my lap makes me smile. Petting his soft fur relaxes me. Having a pet can improve your mood, lower your blood pressure, get you to exercise, and give you companionship. Here's a study that shows that cat ownership may lower the risk of heart attack.

Even if you don't have a pet, here is a video that will help relieve your stress by showing you how to pose like a cat: Yoga Video.

MySmartyCat  - Test your cat's intelligence!

Cat Tree

Every cat needs a cat tree. We bought this original at a small pet store chain. I think it is beautiful compared to the other trees sold at the large pet stores. It is very sturdy and can hold all five of the kitties at once. (There is another platform at the bottom that is not shown in this photo.) It is six feet tall and all five take turns at the top platform.

Cats love to climb and mine will chase each other up and down this tree several times a day. Two of the babies use the sisal rope for scratching, and they all sleep on it. We positioned it in front of the window where there are chipmunks hanging out. Kitty TV!

MySmartyCat  - Test your cat's intelligence!

LOL Cats That Make Me LOL

Sorry, I can't help myself. I saw these photos on icanhascheezburger.com and literally laughed out loud (lol). Enjoy:







Edit: I just saw the published version of this post, and the images are cut off on the right. The second caption reads: "Ollie was not only haunted by his last two lives, but they had no clue about personal space." I am going to see if I can fix this problem so it won't happen again.

Edit again: I was able to fix the image size by adding style="width:100%" to the image tag.

MySmartyCat  - Test your cat's intelligence!