Cat litter comes in a variety of styles. From clumping to flushable and clay-based or corn-based there is a feline litter that suits the preferences of any cat or kitten and of course, you, as its owner. But choosing the best cat litter for your cat and household can be confusing.

What’s the best way to choose the right litter for your cat(s)? Here’s and easy way to select which one you think would be used by your cats, and suitable for your household (see chart above).

Cats are not color blind!

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles not only did some research on this question, but actually demonstrated through images how cats see the world around them. Per their “results” they have determined that “Cats are not color blind – they have the ability to distinguish between blues and greens, but lack the ability to pick out shades of red.”

Cats, like humans, have two primary structures in the retina of the eye for perceiving light: rods which help us see light and dark areas, and cones which have pigments to detect particular wavelengths of light. At low light intensities, rods function to distinguish light from dark. You may notice that you see little color in dim light. At high intensities of light the rods do not function, however, the cones do. Humans have three kinds of cone pigments, ones that can detect red, green and blue light. It’s no coincidence that we find these same colors in the screen of an average color-TV set. The ability of an organism to see in “color” thus depends upon the color receptors present in the retina. People (or animals) lacking a specific color receptor are unable to “see” that color. Most often, it appears greyish, or as one of the other colors that can be detected (i.e. purples appearing greyish-blue). Green color-blindness is the most common genetic form of color-blindness in humans, followed by red, then blue.”

It’s never easy to lose a beloved feline that brought joy into your life, but you can honor and memorialize your cat with a custom made carved wood and marble pet urn. Created by The International Cat Association and Heavenly Designs, the one-of-a-kind urn pays homage to your cat.

The elegant TICA pet urn is handmade from solid wood with carved wood adornments and the licensed TICA logo. You can personalize the urn with our cat’s name, photograph and other information (nick name, title and/or awards and lifespan dates), Your cat’s favorite photograph will adorn the top of the urn made of solid, black granite. The urns — measuring 4 1/2″ tall x 7 1/2″ wide x 6″ deep – are constructed from American Red Oak, and are available in three stains – light, medium and dark.

TICA not only love cats, but dogs too so Heavenly Urns has also partnered with TICA to offer custom memorial urns for your beloved canines. Order your custom urn today and memorialize your beloved feline!

If your cat is female, most likely she’ll be left pawed. And your boy…well, he’ll be a rightie. Yes, that’s been proven after Deborah Wells, a senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast School of Psychology, and co-author Sarah Millsopp examined the paw use of 42 domestic cats last year. Each cat repeatedly completed three play-like tasks while at home with their owners.

Per the report the first a bit of tuna was placed at the bottom of an empty, narrow-mouthed jar., and the cats were observed how they attempted to extract the food treat.

The second task watched which paw the cat used to reach for a toy mouse suspended above the cat’s head on a string.

For the last task the same toy was slowly dragged  on the ground in front of the cats. The first paw used by the cats to try to grab the toy was recorded.

Each feline had 100 paw responses recorded for the study.

What was the overall result? The cats didn’t favor a certain paw to play or reach for the toy mouse. However, the preferred paw to reach for the tuna in the narrow-mouthed jar definately was observed for all cats.  The study findings were later published in the scientific journal Animal Behavior.

Yum…or should I say “Puuuuurrrrr”. Everyone loves a good treat! Especially homemade treats with lots of love wrapped up in them. Here are a few that will get kitty puuurrrring up a storm!

KITTY TREATS

Ingredients:
• 1-1/2 cups natural rolled oats
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup tuna packed in water with no salt, saltless or low salt chicken broth or beef bouillon

Preparation & Cooking
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients. Dust hands with flour and form small, 1/2-inch thick, round biscuits. Set on greased cookie sheet. Bake 30 minutes or until biscuits are slightly browned. Cool 30 minutes before serving.
SARDINE SURPRISE TREATS

Ingredients:
• 2 flat cans of sardines in oil (Do not drain)
• 2/3 cup cooked rice
• 1 tablespoon pureed liver
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Preparation & Cooking
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Shape into balls of desired size or simply spoon into cat’s dish and serve. These treats may be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days, and may also be frozen.
Cat Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp catnip
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup powdered milk
2 tbl butter or veg. oil
1/4 cup Soy flour
1 egg
2 tbl Wheat germ
1 tbl Unsulfured molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients together. Add molasses, egg, oil and milk. Roll out flat onto oiled cookie sheet and cut into small, cat bite-sized pieces.
Bake for 20 minutes and let cool. Store in a sealed container.

Man first became aware of the cat for its hunting talent. Originally serving the utilitarian role of ridding rats, the cat charmed its way into domestication. Historians believe cats began living side-by-side with humans as early as 4000 B.C. Since then, feline nutrition has come a long way. From mice to brown rice, nutrition has evolved from life-sustaining to life-enhancing. And Royal Canin has been at the forefront every step of the way.

The four objectives of proper nutrition., and the right diet should do more than provide calories for your cat. It should work synergistically with your cat’s digestive, metabolic and immune systems to maximize her health and longevity.

Objective 1: Food as body development and maintenance.
This is what proteins, minerals, trace elements, vitamins and some lipids do.

Objective 2: Food as energy.
This is done by lipids and carbohydrates.

Objective 3: Food as prevention.
This is achieved with specific nutrients incorporated into food rations such as antioxidants and nutraceuticals. Nutrients can contribute to the prevention of renal infections or digestive disorders, for example, and have an anti-aging effect.

Objective 4: Food as medicine.
Certain nutrients added to food support the therapeutic or convalescence process, helping pets recover from a number of ailments.

Royal Canin is a partner for cat welfare with TICA.

When you hear a cat lover talk about “the Brit” you see in your mind’s eye a plush-coated, shorthair cat in a wide variety of colors. Okay, guess what? There’s also a LONGHAIR Brit!
The British Longhair has the same characteristics of the British Shorthair but its dense coat stands out from the body emphasizing the cat’s imposing lines. In most colors, large, round eyes ranging from deep gold through copper are set into the smiling face. In pointed cats the eyes are blue while deep green eyes shine in the silvers. The classic Blue remains the most popular color however the breed comes in a rainbow of colors. Their round heads have short noses, chubby cheeks and prominent, rounded whisker pads creating an enigmatic smiling look to the face. The British Longhair’s round eyes are wide open and, combined with the smile, give the cat an amused air.
“British Longhairs are friendly and affectionate, making loyal and devoted companions,” said Vickie Fisher, President of TICA. “If you’re on the sofa, they’ll be snuggled up beside you. But don’t’ think they’re just lap cats! They have a little bit of the clown in them too, playing with toys when they feel like it.”
The British Longhair’s wonderful disposition makes them great family pets. One of the oldest breeds of English cats, the British Longhair was once a hunter and protector of the barns. Today it embraces family life, preferring to snooze in comfort by the fire and to exchange hunting for playing with toy mice. It is a dignified, affectionate cat, sometimes referred to as the Winston Churchill of the cat world, roaming its household dominion with all four feet on the floor.
TICA recognized the British Longhair earlier this year as an approved breed that can compete for championship titles.

Okay, so if it’s not the beautiful city in Georgia, then what is the Savannah?

The Savannah is one of the fast-growing favorites of cat lovers around the world!

A little over 20 years ago (I know that sounds like a long time ago, but nowadays 20 years is like a blink of the eye!) the first-generation Savannah was born. The kitten was the result of a breeding between a female domestic cat and an African Serval. The kitten looked so much like a Serval that they named it Savannah…..and so it also became the name of the breed!

Today this curious, loyal breed of cat is an Advanced New Breed in TICA and quickly working towards its Championship status thanks to the hard work of dedicated breeders.

Although they can’t compete at shows, you may be able to see Savannahs on exhibition at a local show.

You can learn more about the Savannah and print out the breed’s history and information about its personality. And don’t forget to check the show schedule to see if a TICA show is coming to your neighborhood soon! You can contact the show management to see if Savannahs will be at the show.

June is Adopt A Cat Month, and in celebration local rescue groups will have kittens and cats for adoption at local TICA cat shows.

Many cats and kittens adopted from shelters and rescue groups have enjoyed the “spotlight” at cat shows and become winning household pet cats and kittens. Last show season that ended April 30, 2010, there were 506 household pet cats and 186 household pet kittens that competed at local shows around the world.

TICA was the first cat registry that allowed registration of household pets. Cats and kittens can also compete for the same regional and international awards as pedigreed cats. Household pet cats can also earn the same titles as pedigreed cats registered with TICA.

If you can’t adopt a new cat or kitten, you can help promote June Is Adopt A Cat Month by:

But what if you can’t adopt? Here are some easy ways you can still help:

1. paste this message into the “What’s on your mind?” box at the top of your Facebook page: “June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month. Save a life: Adopt a cat or kitten!”
2. Tweet, retweet and repeat the following (or your own brilliant message): “June is Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month. Save a life: Adopt a cat or kitten!”
3. Contact your local shelter or rescue group to see if you can (1) foster a cat or kitten (2) make a donation of towels, food, and other items they can use or (3) make a cash donation.

The Thai is thebreed dedicated to preserving the native pointed cat of Thailand in as close to its original form as possible. Thai is the official breed name in TICA and in many registries in Europe, but the breed is known in Thailand itself as the Wichienmaat and elsewhere as the “Old-Style Siamese.”

Thais are shorthaired and have the colorpoint pattern, which includes deep blue eyes, whitish beige body, and dark-colored extremities (the “points”), but they are moderate in type, never extreme. To some the Thai is synonymous with “applehead Siamese, ” but to others it is not. “Applehead” is a colloquial American term, not an official breed name, and means different things to different people. The Thai is the natural pointed cat that you find in Thailand today and closely resembles late 19th and early 20th century Siamese, such as Greta Hindley’s queen Prestwick Perak.

The Thai has the personality made famous the world over by the early Siamese. They are highly intelligent, people-loving, active, curious, and endowed with a great sense of humor. Living with these cats is like living with small children. Thais will get into everything you own, jump to the top of your wall-mounted clock and balance there, teetering, just to see if they can. They will follow you around and try to “help” you with everything you are doing.

Thais are great talkers: they aren’t necessarily loud, but they’re chatty. Thais will greet you at the door when you come home and start chatting away; but they also communicate with taps of the paw or by jumping to the top of your shoulder and putting their face right in yours. They will need a response and daily attention from you.

Physically, the Thai is easy to maintain as they take care of their daily grooming. But a soft brush is still good to help get the loose hair off them and good for stimulating blood flow for a healthy cat…and happy cat!

You can learn more about the history of the Thai, and its traits by visiting TICA’s web site.  You can also print off the breed profile so you have information about this fascinating breed available at all times.