Although celebrating Thanksgiving is a wonderful experience for us humans, it can be a very stressful time for our pets. All of the hustle and bustle of a house full of strangers, not to mention all that yummy food, can create an environment that causes pets to become agitated, scared, and even sick.
So what can we do to make sure that our pets remain healthy and happy as we celebrate the holidays?
One great idea for cats is to create a peaceful sanctuary where your kitties can hang out while the rest of the house is filled with guests. A quiet guest room with a door, equipped with your cat’s food, litter box, and maybe even a few toys, will provide a safe place for him to chill out until everyone goes home.
For more ideas, check out this article filled with other helpful hints for keeping kitty safe this Thanksgiving.
Do you have any suggestions for calming a nervous cat during the holidays? Share them in a comment below!
"Caruso" King of the Cats at Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary
There are good people everywhere who care about homeless cats, who devote countless hours to caring for them until they can find a permanent “forever” home.
Such good people can be found at Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary in Rome.
I discovered Torre Argentina watching a documentary on TV. When I researched them further on line, I was so impressed with their tireless efforts for the cats, I knew I had to help. I was able to adopt “long distance” a beautiful black male which I named “Caruso”. Caruso was named in honor of my father, whose love of cats in turn, inspired my love of these beautiful, intelligent creatures.
Here’s a typical work day at the sanctuary:
“We’ve organized our workdays to begin at 8 A.M. with cleaning and disinfecting cages. Due to our confined quarters and the ease with which diseases spread, this job is one of the most important for our volunteers. Next, food is distributed to the cats in the underground shelter along with those that live permanently outdoors among the ruins. While feeding the outdoor cats, the volunteers must keep a vigilant eye out for sick or newly abandoned ones who must be caught, treated, vaccinated, spayed and neutered.
The workload at the sanctuary demands our presence seven days a week, including Christmas, Easter and every other holiday. Not only do the cats need daily attention, our finances do as well. Soliciting donations from tourists in all kinds of inclement weather is necessary for the survival of the sanctuary. Bad weather means no tourists or passersby – our biggest source of income. You can imagine our dilemma with a week of rain…
The need to stay abreast of medical issues, scheduling volunteers and developing new fundraising ideas has necessitated role and responsibility definition for all of us. Lia as treasurer, raises and manages funds, purchases supplies and oversees housekeeping and food distribution. Silvia is the spokesperson for the sanctuary. In addition, her responsibilities include record keeping and handling correspondence. In the end we must all be ready to clean a cage and distribute food.
Being denied facilities is one problem. Keep in mind that we worked with no running water and electricity for a year and a half. The only solution was to carry buckets to the nearest Roman fountain and back. The lighting problem was solved with a big gas lantern on a table. The shadows of the cats on the cave walls would have been a perfect backdrop to a Halloween movie. Currently we are still not hooked up to the city’s drainage system. There are no bathrooms and there is no hot water. .
In spite of all the obstacles and disappointments, Lia, Silvia and the volunteers say they have never felt so satisfied, useful and happy. At times when it seems impossible to go on, something happens that raises hope and encouragement. Perhaps one of our most handicapped cats is adopted or a generous donation helps pay another bill. In the end, the hundreds of abandoned cats and kittens that have been placed in loving families and the 3722 we managed (just in one year ) to have sterilized make it all worthwhile.”
Please visit www.romancats.com/ for more information on this wonderful sanctuary and how you can help.
We’re excited to be able to announce one of the best quality cat products on the market today, a cat fountain designed to allow multiple cats to drink fresh, aerated streams of water, without having to wait their turn.
The reason the Drinkwell 360 Stainless Steel Pet Fountain has really caught our attention is twofold: it accommodates multiple cats, and its stainless steel design prevents “cat acne”. What is “cat acne”?
When cats’ chins and surrounding area come in contact with unclean, plastic food and water bowls, the bacteria that can work its way into scratches and nicks in the bowl can infect the cat. Veterinarians and other feline experts recommend using ceramic, glass or metal bowls, and daily washing of those, in order to prevent this common condition.
You can find the Drinkwell 360 Stainless Steel Pet Fountain at www.mythreecats.com. As a loyal blog reader, we want to reward you and offer you a 25% discount off the $99.95 retail price of this fountain for a very limited time only, while supplies last. You must type in the promo code 360 in the promo code box at checkout and then click “update” in order to get the discount.
