Arthur and Merlin trying to sleep on Mommy’s bed while she tries to change the bedding.

Here are a few articles I’ve written on feline topics:

Why cats purr and what they are saying when they meow

Cats, like people, love to talk and they will talk to you. You just will not be able to understand them.

What did that cat just say? If you are owned by a cat, you will say that at least once a month.

The cat purr is the most mysterious sound a cat can make. They purr when they are happy. They purr when they are scared. The act of purring seems to make them feel better and it has the same effect on people.

What makes a good cat name?

Your new cat climbs out of its carrier and you are faced with a choice. What should you call your kitty? What makes a good cat name?

As your cat explores its new home, you think about cat names. Some names are based on the cat’s appearance. Shadow or Midnight suit a black cat. Baby boomer traditionalists might think of Puff, the cat in the Dick and Jane series of children’s books. Science fiction fans will remember that Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation named his cat Spot.

Give your cat a great place to sleep

Your cat is an important member of the family. Why not give your cat a great place to sleep with a comfortable cat bed?

Cat beds come in all shapes and sizes, and in all price ranges. You can spend from as little as $8 to $150 and more, and they can be heated, enclosed, covered with all types of fabrics and in just about any color.

Your cat’s age will affect some of your choices. A kitten will not want or need a bed that fits an adult cat. An older cat will appreciate a heated bed more. Some beds may be too tall for your cat to climb in to easily. The right size for a cat bed is one that allows your cat to fit without lots of leftover space.

Dental care tips for cats

Cat dental health is an often overlooked topic. Our feline friends have such tiny teeth when compared to those of dogs that many cat owners assume that cat dental care is unnecessary.

Teeth, whether in a human or a cat, can become covered in plaque and tarter. Cats have an advantage over humans because they will rarely get cavities, since a cat’s diet is usually low in the sugars that help to create cavities in people. Plaque and tarter, though, will result in gum disease in cats just as it does in humans.

The course will consist of two legs. The first will be from daddy’s bedroom door to the photo cabinet in mommy’s room. The second leg of the race will be the reverse of the first.

Cats participating in races will reverse starting field order for the second leg of the race.

While overtaking is encouraged, passing is not allowed. Cats may join the race in progress but must enter at the rear of the field.

Running into mommy or daddy is not allowed. Running into other cats is also disapproved. Spectator cats are warned to stay well clear of the race course. Furniture may be used as part of the course but only if all cats racing are thin enough to make the jumps required.

Pit stops for personal hygiene and grooming are allowed. Other cats participating in the race will remain in position, idling their engines, until the butt licking has concluded. Race participants are allowed one (1) sniff of the stopped cat to ensure overall hygiene.

In the event of a crash, race participants will scatter until rescue crews determine the situation. The race may be canceled at this point or rescheduled.

Cat races are under the aegis of NACR, the National Association of Cat Racing. Rules are subject to change without notice. All decisions by mommy and daddy are final. Appeals by purring and rubbing will be considered.

Arthur and Merlin are asleep in the picture window. The perch has a heating pad and the late Fall sun beats in. I doesn’t get much better than this for a cat.

Pebbles, in black, and Sarah, in white, watch a sparrow.

As you may recall, last week’s vet visit resulted in several recommendations for our portly Sarah.

The vet suggested we put Ban Roll On on her front leg where she has worried the fur off from stress. It would keep her away from the area.

Except, of course, our special kitty liked the taste. Or, at least, showed NO inclination to not lick the leg.

Suggestion two was to use Gold Bond powder on her butt. This would keep it dry and make the fecal matter less likely to stick.

Umm… the expression on her face when I first powdered her was unusual. I think she expected to get washed. She was both startled and intrigued.

And, the excess powder that fell off? Tasted good to her.

The Gold Bond seems to be working. Less stinky butt, for sure and it looks like less adhering to her as well.

A little sparrow is under the hedge, making any differences moot for Pebbles, the black kitty, and Sarah, our white kitty.

Sarah and Merlin to the vet today. He used to come to the house, and I miss that. Now he works 45 minutes away, so we haul over there for visits.

Merlin has Eosinophilic Ulcer, also called rodent ulcer.

Eosinophilic ulcer in a cat can be a frustrating problem to eliminate. The lesion results from a localized invasion of a type of white blood cell called an EOSINOPHIL. A type of white blood cell found in vertebrate blood, containing cytoplasmic granules that are easily stained by eosin or other acid dyes, eosinophils often are associated with and invade tissues that are being physically irritated or are undergoing an allergic reaction. When large numbers of eosinophils locally invade the tissues they interfere with normal physiological processes and as a result scar tissue can form, microcirculation is impeded, and inflammatory cells migrate to the area in an attempt to heal the damage. Tissue destruction results in death of cells and, in the case of “rodent ulcer” in a cat, there can be a disfiguring ulceration of the upper lip. In severe cases the inside of the oral cavity and the lower lip may be involved.

He got treated in April and May and it’s discouraging that it has returned. He got a cortisone shot and we got one for me to give him in three weeks. He also got his waxy ears and his pee pee looked at. All good. He lost over two pounds though, not feeling food and the mouth sores hurting, before we could get him in. He needed to lose weight, but not this way.

Sarah was due her three years shots. We also had him look at a rogue nail on her paw. Because she is a mutant, with extra toes, some of that tissue is in the wrong spot and so she has a nail growing upward below one of her toes. I clipped it last time and the vet says that’s the ticket. If she’s ever in for a procedure, he’ll remove it permanently but for now, trim as necessary.

She also got her butt shaved again. Miss Rolly Polly can’t keep it clean. Some salve for now. He suggests God Bond powder to keep her ass dry and to limit any fecal matter sticking. She’s worried a bare spot on one paw due to her frustration with not being clean. Vet suggested using Ban roll-on on the spot to make it unattractive to lick and bit.

They’re both home now and all is good.

Miss Rotund Kitty, our lovely Sarah, got a bath, shower really, this afternoon. She can’t quite reach all her parts to keep them clean so we thought a washing was in order.

No blood was shed, and a cleansing time was had by all. She actually seemed to like a little of the rinsing part. The modified shower that we had put in for the lovely wife after her illness helped a lot, more room and a place to sit to wash cat butt.

Arthur and Merlin, watching out for squirrels and birds and speeding cars and children and leaves and…

They are from the same litter. Arthur is 9 pounds and Merlin is 19. About 4 years old now.

Here are our children.

This is Sarah, the newest addition to our family. She is 1.5 years old, and was turned in to Lollypop Farm with her litter. She’s been spayed.

Those dumb dogs. They get jobs with the military, finding mines, explosives, drugs… A fella could get hurt doing that. Now, cats in the military, we got all the cushy, rear echelon jobs. A cat could put on a few pounds, know what I mean?

U.S. Air Force
by Airman 1st Class Mike Young, 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) — Fighting the war on rodent infestation, 95th Mission Support Group members here use a “military working cat” to help reduce the amount of damage to equipment caused by rodents living in the supply warehouse.

Wizzo calls the 95th Mission Support Group’s supply warehouse his home, and the feline lives and works around the clock to help support the supply group’s mission.

“Wizzo is our mobility rodent deterrent,” said Heather Chapman, a 95th MSG warehouse specialist. “He was brought in for pest control and is earning his keep by doing his job.”

The supply group first found a need for Wizzo when they noticed rodent droppings in and around some of the mobility bags, said Bill Martin, a contract manager for the base supply contract.

Mr. Martin said mobility bags that sit for an extended period of time can become prone to holes chewed in them from mice and rats. This renders the bags unserviceable, which costs the Air Force money and can create health issues from the droppings left behind.

Supply workers tried to correct the problem using various other methods before deciding to recruit the assistance of a cat. Nothing seemed to work until Wizzo arrived, Mr. Martin said.

“Poison doesn’t work inside the warehouse,” he said. “By eating the poison, the rodents just get sick and crawl behind walls and die.”

“Maintaining Wizzo is low cost,” said Jennifer Starr, a 95th MSG mobility lead supervisor. “Everyone in the supply warehouse contributes by donating supplies and food for him. It is really a team effort.”

Wizzo meets the first person who comes through the door in the morning with his prey, Ms. Starr said. The cat drops it off at their feet as though he is offering them a gift or handing in an assignment.

So far, Wizzo has caught a bird, a rat and three mice, which officially makes him an ace. The supply team keeps his kill count posted on a board for him.

“It seems that whenever anyone starts to doubt his worth, he comes up with another mission completed,” Ms. Starr said.

Put to work as the “weapons systems officer” for the warehouse, Wizzo is a little more than 1 year old and was adopted from a pet shelter in Lancaster, Calif.

During exercises and when there are a lot of people in and out of the supply warehouse, Wizzo is put in his cage.

However, after 4 p.m., Wizzo is left alone to hunt for his enemies, like a furry “Rambo” in a jungle of crates and supply bags.