Feline Diabetes in Multiple Cat Households
The Story of Sam & Mala Sam had been around quite a few years when he was diagnosed with feline diabetes. Mala, a feisty, active and friendly girl, tolerated Sam but made it a point to let him know who was boss. Sam, also friendly but more subdued, let Mala think she was in charge, but held his own quite well, thank you very much. Sam’s human mom, Rosemary, worked during the day, so when Sam needed to eat a special diet to control his diabetes, there were problems. Both cats refused to eat all of their food at once, so the food was left down while they were alone at home all day. It became apparent that Sam was chowing down on Mala’s food, and the results were showing medically. His diabetes symptoms continued to worsen, and Rosemary was at her wit’s end. One day, while visiting us, Rosemary noticed our feeding station, now called the MeowSpace®. She asked if we would make one for her. Mala became the 2nd cat in the universe to use a MeowSpace®, more »
Carol McBride’s Feline Dynasty (she trained her Alzheimer’s cat to use the MeowSpace®)
Carol McBride did not grow up with cats. Her mother was Mrs. Clean, and animals did not fit the picture of cleanliness in her mind or home, so Carol remained pet-free until adulthood. Then one day, while Carol was going home from her job at the local tv station, she heard a cry. Carol found a pure black kitten, no bigger than the palm of her hand, mewing and nursing a bloody paw. She took him to the nearest veterinary clinic for treatment, and the vet techs placed a little blue bow on his head. Carol named her new gift, “Mr. Lincoln,” since he was found on Lincoln Park Dr, and took him home. He was her soul-mate and read her mind with amazing accuracy. For the next 3 years, “Linc” enjoyed the status of being the only cat. Then one day, while Carol was out biking on a highway, she happened upon a solid gray cat. She draped him over her arm, and the two of them biked home together. “Slate” was not well received by Lincoln at more »
Fat And Cat…
FAT & CAT These two words, fat and cat, may rhyme, but they should never be used together in the same sentence to describe your feline friend. When there is too much fat on your cat, it ain’t pretty, or cute, or healthy. It’s downright dangerous. Some statistics about cats who are overweight: They are twice as likely to die within the 6 to 12 year mark, which is middle aged for a cat. Three times more likely to develop non-allergic skin conditions. Four and a half times more likely to develop diabetes mellitus. Obese cats are seven times more likely to require veterinary care for lameness generally caused by joint diseases, such as arthritis or muscle injuries, whereas heavy cats are three times more likely. A 2011 study by APOP (Association for Pet Obesity Prevention) found that over 50 percent of cats were either obese or overweight. According to PetMD, the main reason for feline obesity is the consumption of too much food. This is where the MeowSpace® comes into play. If you are having trouble monitoring your fat cat’s food more »
Laura Speirs, The Kitty Sitter and Kitty Counselor
Providence Happens Every now and then, without our conscious realization, the timing, circumstances and idiosyncrasies of life come together and set the foundation of our destinies. Meeting Laura Speirs in 1995 was one such example. Before telling you more about her, I want you to understand why she is so important to me, personally, and to MeowSpace®. Laura (pronounced “Lara”) is the person who introduced me to the amazing world of cats. At the time, my family was all about dogs. We had two of them, but never a cat. Over the years knowing Laura, my understanding and awareness of the feline species kept increasing in a positive way, despite my best efforts at disinterest and (yes, I’ll admit it) stubborn ignorance. Long story short, in 2006, we happened upon a 6 month old abandoned kitty. Unbeknown to us, this cat (the one in the MeowSpace® on our home page), who we named “Mitchell” after the street where he adopted us…er…we adopted him (yeah, right!), hatched his scheme to be a part of our two-dog household. It didn’t take more »
Veterinarians Are Using the MeowSpace®
When veterinarian Donna Shannon of The Cat Hospital of Tampa Bay, called me about the MeowSpace®, she wondered if several cats could use the same enclosure with which to eat. Three of her old cats were being bullied away from their food and she was hoping the MeowSpace® would change that scenario. The answer to that question is a resounding “Yes!” Upon receiving her MeowSpace®, Dr. Shannon set it up and left the door open for all of her cats to explore. In that time, she discovered that several of her “red devil tribe” rambunctious cats managed to knock it all apart, over and over. She was concerned that the MeowSpace® would not work for her because of her aggressive kitties. We talked it over, came up with some ideas for her to try, and the result, well, in Dr. Shannon’s words: (January 3, 2012) “Just wanted to give a quick update on how things are going- after the initial 10 days or so, when I left the box open for all to explore, my “red devil tribe” managed more »
