String Cheese Incident

Fade to Pablo

Don't Mess With Pablo

Pablo Gets Existential

In the Glow

Review | Scratch Lounge

 

I haven't done any reviews of cat products on this blog but thought I'd throw one into the mix seeing how 2 of my 3 fur children identify as feline. Cat claw maintenance is an important part of any kitty's health regimen. Cat's claws have an outer layer, or sheath, which protects new claw growth. Cats need to periodically shed these sheaths in order to free the new growth within. They accomplish this by scratching at things, which is why it's important to provide your kitty with an appropriate outlet to direct this scratching, such as a scratching post or cardboard scratcher.  

This is where the Scratch Lounge comes in, touted as the "World's Best Cat Scratcher." This thing is pretty sweet - it's a 3-sided scratcher made of super-dense reversible honeycomb cardboard panels. The panels are no different than those found in a standard cardboard scratcher. What makes the Scratch Lounge different is sheer size - it's like a double-wide trailer. Most cats, the morbidly obese excepting, should be able to fit comfortably in the Lounge.  The Scratch Lounge provides multiple scratching surfaces, and because the panels are reversible, it'll last longer than your average cardboard scratcher. 

Boxing Day

Window Sill

Happy Halloween!

Pablo is dressed as a low-budget Internet Meme for Halloween.

Beautiful Dreamer

Sunday Cat Stack

Pablo | Post-Vet

Pablo's visit to the vet this morning went well - besides the fact he complained the entire way there and back...but he's a cat so he gets a pass on that count. The doc knew almost immediately what the problem was - given Pablo's symptoms and the fact that he tested positive for tape worms. Blurg. Here we go again! She diagnosed Pablo with flea allergy dermatitis - a common allergic reaction to flea bites, more specifically the saliva of the flea.  Apparently we're not the only ones that have been struggling to keep the fleas at bay this summer. The vet said the problem has been especially bad this year given the mild winter we had followed by the humid summer. The tapeworms are a direct result of the flea problem.

Don't know if you remember but this whole scenario isn't new to us. Pablo and Diego both had the tapeworms back in August and we treated them at home with Tradewind Tapeworm Tabs. We dropped a pretty penny on flea meds this summer but nothing seemed to really help. So here we are. The fleas never really went away and Pablo has tapeworms again. Sheesh. Pablo was given a dose of Profender - a topical intestinal feline worm treatment that works on roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms...the whole enchilada. I also picked up more Advantage. We're crossing our fingers and hoping the flea meds actually work this time. The vet says once we take care of the fleas Pablo should stop with the itching, licking, and over-grooming of his coat. We really lost our battle against the fleas this summer and I'm going to have to totally rethink our approach next year. Fracking parasites!

Pablo's Paws

Pablo is the first cat I've ever owned and he's been kind enough to teach me all about cat behavior and anatomy through the years. For instance, it was when I trimmed his claws for the first time that I learned cat's claws have an outer layer, or sheath (I call them shells). They shed these sheaths periodically, at which point new razor sharp claws are revealed. When cats scratch at a scratching post (or furniture!) they're not actually doing it to sharpen their claws but to drop the sheaths on them in order to free the new claws underneath. This is why it's essential that a cat have something appropriate to scratch otherwise he will direct his energy towards furniture or carpet. Occasionally I'll see one of the cats tugging at their claws with their mouth in an attempt to remove a shell.

We trim the cat's claws every 2-3 weeks to save our furniture from utter ruin and Andy's adorable face from being scratched to shreds. I use a dedicated pair of human cuticle trimmers to do the job - they look like small nail clippers with a slanted top. I like these clippers because they were cheap, they're small and allow for precision trimming, and they've remained sharp for 7 years running. They're just the right size for cat's claws but I wouldn't recommend them for dogs. You can find them in the nail supply aisle of just about any big box store if you're interested.

Pablo.

We adopted Pablo from a PetSmart in 2005. It was a spontaneous decision, one of the best spur of the moment things we've ever done. His name was Bill at the time. Who names a cat Bill? Pablo is a sweet, friendly cat. Very social. With humans that is. He barely tolerates his brothers. He's obsessed with sandwich meat. Oh, and he's also a dry humper. I never knew cats were into this - I always thought it was a shameless dog thing. He's stealth about it. He'll sit in your lap and ask to be petted, then he'll start massaging you, and next thing you know he's thrusting his hips. Dirty cat. He's done this to company and most times they don't even realize what's happening. Awkward.

Pablo: One Bad Ass Monorail Cat

Two's A Crowd

Cat's Eye View

A Cat's Prayer

Dear God:
Please protect me from pupedo.
Please let me be an only cat.
Please send me Fancy Feast.
Amen.

In the Shade

Compulsive Cat

According to an article on WebMD fur isn't the issue when it comes to allergic reactions to cats; it's usually the proteins in cat saliva, their urine, and/or their dander that are the culprits. Most cat allergies can be controlled with antihistamines and decongestants, and by implementing a systematic plan of attack: minimally you should always wash your hands after petting your cat, vacuum regularly (a HEPA filter is a plus), wash bedding at least twice a month, and give your cat a high quality diet to alleviate dander.