Niki Anderson ~ Author & Speaker

Did you know that Venice, the "city of canals," is a sanctuary for cats? Among gondolas and bridges, cats mingle among the 270,000 residents (and tourists), undisturbed by cars. The only vehicles are bicycles, baby buggies, carts or other wheeled carriages that arrive from the mainland on bridges.

Venetians cherish their cats, whether or not they regard themselves as "cat-people." A fish might fall from a third story window and fall beside its target, a cat. Love and attention to cats is both natural, casual, and organized. Everyone cares for them though most are strays. A citizen's organization called DINGO feeds, provides health care, and supplies neutering services. Cats with a snipped ear have undergone a contraceptive procedure.

Cathouses spot the streets, alleyways, and parks, in the form of cardboard boxes, or wood frame constructions, each with a meal plate indicative of the supposition among Venetians that the cats deserve provision and await it from caring people. The cats are everywhere: sleeping beside a "vine-entangled wall," said photographer Shin Otani, or watching from a window sill, tending kittens on a cobblestone walkway, perched among wares in a shop, yawning on a park bench, or sparring with a puppy.  

Photographer Otani has captured the mystery of the Venetian cats in his small hardback, The Cats of Venice (Chronicle Books, 1998). Pages of color photos of spectacular scenes serve as background to the dignified and independent cats posing on the island.

My attraction to Italy is now two-fold: the ancient ruins and the cats of Venice.

The website, The Pride Cartoon, offers customized fire safety stickers for your doors and windows to alert emergency personnel in the event of a fire in your home. Head shots of your cats on the stickers (see sample below) alert rescuers to your resident cats. If you're away when an emergency occurs, firefighters or others will know that cats are present and probably hiding.

Make it easier for emergency responders to rescue and identify your pets. The 3.33" waterproof stickers, six to a page, can be ordered for $25 plus $2 shipping and handling. The sticker displays a picture(s) of your cat(s), or the number of cats in the house, or their breeds or names, whatever you select. Visit the site for more information and to order a supply.

Even the best of fur-iends need an occasional break. And sometimes pet owners are hospitalized, vacationing, or must stay late on the job. Caregivers are necessary when cats are left alone. Professional petsitters are a worthy backup when separation is necessary. 

In-home care offers the benefit of maintaining a cat's routine, protecting them from diseases outdoors and in some kennel environments, and lessens your cats' inclination to act out in destructive behaviors when owners are absent. Boarding sometimes traumatizes pets who are not left alone, regularly. Pet owners may worry less if their cats are left in the comfort of their own homes and with someone visiting one to three times a day or overnight care, as needed.

One such service, Spokane (Washington) Pet Sitting: Professional In Home Pet Care, is an example of a reputable and skilled service that is insured by State Farm and listed with the Better Business Bureau. Like most petsitters, daily visits include the replenishment of fresh food and water based on your cat's dietary guidelines. The petsitter interacts with the cats, cleans the litter box, and administers pet medications as directed. Accreditation includes veterinary assistant experience, and certification as a pet trainer.

Prices vary among services but may be around $20 a day for up to two pets. The named service (Jenifer@SpokanePetSitting.com) offers full care to both cats and dogs and other household pets (includes dog bathing, etc.).

Leaving your pets under the supervision of knowledgable petsitters will make your time away more satisfactory for both you and your cats. The welfare of your pet is well worth the investment.  

Kitty pictured in basket is the beloved of a member of my website. Send me your pet pics and I may post it.

"Cats are the most popular pets in the United States, and yet the frequency of veterinary visits for cats is less than that for dogs. That's why I'm such a big supporter of the CATalyst Council..." said Dr. Jim Cook, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Cats outnumber dogs by 10 million among the "pet-owning public." Then why are these pets, obviously beloved by their owners, less often seen by animal healthcare professionals and more frequently surrendered at animal shelters? Cats often hide their symptoms making it critically important for owners to visit the vet for routine exams. Many conditions, not apparent, are treatable.  

Please, have your cats spay/neutered (help available at SCRAPS in Spokane), vaccinated (some vet clinics offer reduced fees for low-income owners), and annually examined by a veterinarian. If finances are short, visit your library, checkout a handbook on cat healthcare, such as You and Your Cat: A Complete Guide to the Health, Care and Behavior of Cats by David Taylor. You'll learn invaluable information about feline disorders, common diseases and their symptoms, and dietary guidelines that may prevent illness in your cats. (Quote and statistics from http://www.avma.org/press/releases/090327_CATalyst_Award.asp)

For you fisher-purr-sons, soon to hit the lakes and rivers with rod, reel, and bait, you may have wondered if you are doing your cats a favor to feed them tidbits of raw fish when you return with a bucket full. Please do not, unless you cook it first. The heat from cooking will kill parasites and bacterium carried by wild fish. Offer only a small portion because though cats enjoy fish, they do not digest it well. Also omit flavor enhancements. Some seasonings are toxic to cats.

6 oz. wide egg noodles, cooked and drained (1/2 of a standard 12 oz. pkg.)
1 T. chopped onions (sweet onions, preferably)
¼ c. chopped celery
1/2 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup or 1 1/2 cups of white sauce made with non-fat milk and 1 tsp. lemon juice
½ c. milk if you use the soup instead of the white sauce
½ c. light sour cream
½ to ¾ c. frozen sweet petite peas, thawed
1 - 6 oz. can white albacore tuna; (not chunk), Bumble Bee brand canned filets are best
1 ½ c. Lay’s light potato chips, or Lay’s baked, slightly crumbled to fit in meas. cups
2-3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
2 T. slivered almonds
 
1-Boil noodles.
2-Saute celery and onions in a little oil; set aside.
2-Mix salt, pepper, white sauce or soup with milk, & sour cream until blended
3-Add tuna, peas, and sauteed celery and onions
4-Fold in noodles
5-Gently turn the potato chips into the mixture.
6-Place in a 2-quart casserole dish
7-Sprinkle with almonds (and more potato chips, if you prefer)
8-Top with hard-boiled egg slices and a few shakes of paprika

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until warmed throughout.

On March 28, the CATalyst Council announced the winning cities at the American Animal Hospital conference.

The topcat town was Tampa, Florida taking first place. The remaining cities included the following nine: Phoenix; San Francisco; Portland, Oregon; Denver; Boston; Seattle; San Diego, Atlanta; Minneapolis.

The criteria for judging was based on:

• the cat population of the city
• the percentage of microchipped cats
• the number of members from the American Association of Feline Practitioners
• the number of subscribers to Cat Fancy magazine
• and extra points earned for cat-friendly local ordinances
• and if the city's mayor owned a cat!

"When a person is oriented toward God, the most ordinary acts of service--cooking, hammering, or brushing the cat--become holy deeds."

Last November I fulfilled a dream by attending the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) International Show in Atlanta, Georgia. Eight hundred pedigreed cats with their owners converged at the Atlanta convention center to compete for the title, BEST in BREED, or the most coveted award, BEST in SHOW. I also attended the Cat Writers Association conference at the hotel hosting the cat show. We who were new to CWA were called kittens. Believe me, this kitten purred the whole weekend. I've attended Christian and secular writers conferences throughout my 20 years of freelancing but can you imagine the unique commaraderie for me among rooms-full of cat lovers? 

Autographing books at International Cat Fanciers Association Show 2008 at the Atlanta Convention Center

A competing RUSSIAN BLUE

A competing (?) PERSIAN

A competing RAGDOLL

Among cat vaccinations, Leukocell 2 offers dual protection against the threat of feline leukemia. Both outdoor and indoor cats are potential victims of the disease, though outdoor cats are at a higher risk. As the NUMBER ONE infectious disease killer among cats, the virus attacks and weakens the immune system killing one million cats a year. Some veterinary clinics offer discounts to owners on low incomes; call and inquire if your family budget is constrained. Don't let your cat become a statistic!