Real Men Like Cats!

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If you ask my husband Jim how he feels about Chester, our Maine Coon mixed breed male cat and Bandit, our female Tortoiseshell, he might likely respond with a resounding “Real men like cats!”

Jim is among a growing number of men who don’t mind declaring their fondness for their companion cats.  He even unabashedly posts videos and photos of them on our Instagram site.

History has revealed some famous men who also happened to bond with their cats.

Take Isaac Newton, for one, who discovered the laws of gravity and universal motion. During his studies at Cambridge University, this cat fan discovered that his cats were interrupting his studies by wanting in and out.  Newton cut two holes in the door, one for the mother cat and one for her kittens.  For being such a smart dude, he didn’t realize that the kittens would simply follow their mother through her hole.

Another famous cat guy, Mark Twain, had many quotes regarding his feline companions.  One of his most famous was “if man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man, but deteriorate the cat.”

There are many contemporary famous men who have also flaunted their love of cats.  A small sampling of these cool guys (I say “cool”, because if they like cats, they are cool, and that is that) are:  Ricky Gervais; Ian Somerhalder; John Hamm; and ex-President George W. Bush.  Indeed, there is now a popular a cat dude by the name of Jackson Galaxy who has his own cat centric show, “Cat From Hell”, a weekly series showcasing Jackson’s innate talent for solving cat behavioral problems to create happier human/feline households.

It could be that this (great) trend of increasing male cat “literacy” is occurring because men have evolved to the point where they now feel comfortable admitting they prefer “cats” over “dogs”.  Perhaps another contributing factor is the growing number of single men who have discovered that they like the companionship of a cat or two.  Then, it could be that men like the “low maintenance” feature of cats over other types of pets.  No matter what the reason, one thing is for sure:  real men like cats!

 

 

 

 

 

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How to be the best cat owner you can be

 

Guest Blogger:  Jessica Brody –http://www.ourbestfriends.pet.  Jessica enjoys writing about cats and dogs.  See her blog for additional photos and posts).

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A cat is a great pet who can be just as loving a companion as a dog. It’s important to know, however, that cats are not dogs. They react differently to situations, learn and “train” differently, and require differing approaches to care. Here are some tips for being a great cat owner.

Know how to properly feed your cat

 Cats are carnivores, plain and simple. You can’t feed your cat a vegan diet and expect it to stay healthy.

“Money saved by buying cheap cat food will be spent hundreds of times over on veterinary care. Cats are obligate carnivores and need a good source of meat protein. They do not need large amounts of grain fillers, especially corn, which is a cheap source of protein used by many cat food manufacturer,” notes The Spruce.com.

Check your cat’s stool. If it appears too dry, you might want to switch to a wet food diet for a while or at least alternate between wet and dry food throughout the week.

And remember – don’t feed your cat milk, despite what all of the cartoons say. It can be harmful to them in many cases.

Make sure your cat gets enough exercise

It’s a myth that cats don’t need exercise. Sure, they don’t need as much as a dog – but cats that don’t exercise can develop a bevy of health problems, including heart disease and obesity.

… How do you ensure that your cat is getting enough exercise? The best way is to simply play with them for 15-30 minutes. If you have a fenced-in backyard, let them run around for a while. Make use of laser pointers. Your cat really will chase them for a long time. If your cat is suffering from obesity…talk to your vet about this more extreme exercise plan.

Give them a place to scratch

Cats will scratch. Like death and taxes, it’s a certainty of life. Make sure your cat has plenty of scratching posts to utilize. Never ever consider declawing a cat, even if they live indoors 100% of the time. It’s inhumane.

 Ensure pet family cohesiveness

One of the biggest challenges cat owners face is making sure the cat gets along with the other household pets – usually a dog. It’s important to remember that dogs and cats socialize in different ways, so “training” your cat the same way you trained your dog is not likely to have an effect on their behavior.

What you need to do is be mindful of the energy of the animals in your household. “It’s your responsibility to keep the family balanced by keeping the dog at the highest level of calm-submissive behavior, allowing the cats to become calm-assertive in front of him,” notes famed trainer Cesar Millan.

If your cats are showing aggression toward each other, it’s a different story with a different set of solutions. First, you should never let cats work through their issues with fighting. It just doesn’t work like that for them.

“Never let the cats ‘fight it out.’ Cats don’t resolve their issues through fighting, and the fighting usually just gets worse. Interrupt aggression with a loud clap of your hands or spray from a water gun,” says the ASPCA.

Once you separate your cats just leave them alone. Don’t try to soothe them the way you might try to calm a dog. You can also try to separate your cats’ resources – food, water, and toys.

Do your research on proper cat care. There are a lot of myths out there about cats, and some of them can be harmful.

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com

(Editor’s Note:  The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by guest bloggers on this web site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of MyThreeCats.com or its staff.)

 

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Litter Box Research Reveals Health News

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Cat owners can breathe a sigh of relief: Your feline’s litter box likely won’t put your family’s mental health at risk.

New British research challenges earlier beliefs that parasites in cat droppings might be linked to schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other mental health issues.

“The message for cat owners is clear: There is no evidence that cats pose a risk to children’s mental health,” said study author Dr. Francesca Solmi, of University College London Psychiatry.

Cats are carriers of an infectious parasite called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). They may pass this infection on to humans through their feces. The researchers behind this study wanted to know if contact with cats during childhood raised risk for mental illness.

To find out, the researchers followed nearly 5,000 people born in the early 1990s until they were 18 years old. Specifically, the study looked at whether the participants’ mothers had a cat during pregnancy or if the participants grew up in a home with a cat.

(Source:  Health Daily News, WebMD, February 21, 2017)

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Enter our Cattastic CatHaven Cat Contest!

Soft edges on this humorous concept

 

It’s time to enter our Cattastic CatHaven Cat Contest.  You and your cat(s) could win a Large, Multi-tiered CatHaven cat tree, delivered right to your front door!

Please read Contest Rules here.   Contest is for a limited time. Good luck!

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CatHaven answers the question, how do I provide outdoor adventure to an indoor cat?

How do you solve the dilemma of having an indoor cat, but giving him/her access to outdoor adventure? We understand purr-fectly – we have the answer!

CatHaven’s green leafy foliage sets it apart, creating wonderful play and privacy areas that your cat will love.  This amazing cat tree is handcrafted with soft, silky realistic looking leaves, a sturdy, scratchable turf base and three perfectly spaced durable, comfortable carpeted perches attached to a realistic looking trunk.    

 Learn more about CatHavens here! We offer four styles to meet every human’s space requirements and every cat’s needs.    


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