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Want to Write About Cats?

2012-05-17T23:39:43Z

Nope, About.com Cats isn't up for grabs yet. But my readers are a gifted group, and from some of the emails I've received, I suspect many of you would love to write professionally about.cats. There are many paths to take to attain that goal. Some cat writers start with websites or blogs, then move on to books. Others, such as Amy Shojai, Puppies Guide for About.com, and former Contributing Writer on Cat Behavior for this site, started by writing articles and books, and then added websites and blogs to that mix.
Cover Photo of The Complete Cat's Meow by Darlene Arden, Photo Credit: Courtesy of PriceGrabber

I've put together a short tutorial, for those with ambition to write, but no professional experience. It is linear in structure, and covers writing, publishing, and marketing books about cats, starting with the basics: grammar, vocabulary, and even crossword puzzles. Did you know that crossword puzzles are an excellent way of increasing your vocabulary? The article moves on to writing excercises, then there are several lists of books to read, not only books about cats, but books about writing and marketing books. You'll also need to create a blog and/or a website somewhere along the way.

Believe me, writing about cats is a wonderful, ongoing journey, and I've learned as much about cats from listening to my own cats and my readers as I've imparted along the way. I hope you will, too!

Want to Write About Cats? originally appeared on About.com Cats on Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 23:39:43.

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Cool Cat Photo of the Week: Chow Now!

2012-05-16T12:34:57Z

Photo Credit: © Guest, Kathie

Kali Kat is a 2 1/2 year old tuxedo girl, adopted from the North Shore Animal League when it was love at first sight. Her only medical problem was when she swallowed a balloon string, but fortunately, the veterinarian was able to remove the string from her stomach under anesthesia, but without surgery. It is fortunate that Kathie got Kali to the vet right away, because Linear Foreign Body can be fatal if not treated immediately.The experience hasn't taken away Kali's appetite for real food in the slightest, from the looks of this photo.

More Cool Cat Photos | More Tuxedo Cats | Share Your Tuxie Photo

Cool Cat Photo of the Week: Chow Now! originally appeared on About.com Cats on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 at 12:34:57.

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Reasons to Adopt an Older Cat

2012-05-16T08:56:37Z

Due to the failure to spay and neuter, the constant influx of kittens into our society increases the severity of our ongoing cat overpopulation problems. Hundreds of thousands of kittens end up in shelters, which are already overcrowded. Many of the kittens find homes, at the expense of older cats who have been waiting in vain. However, in "kill shelters," more of these kittens are either euthanized, or older cats are sacrificed to make room for the "more adoptable" kittens. Even in no-kill shelters, the vicious cycle continues as this year's kittens become next year's older cats.

Read the reasons why you should consider adopting an older cat in this pictorial article, and also learn why you should spay and neuter your cats. Please keep in mind while reading these pages that although the pictured cats have all been rescued from the streets and have found happy forever homes, that there are still hundreds and thousands of their counterparts languishing in shelters. Miss Kitty, pictured here, was one of the lucky few.
_{Photo Credit: © Anil Tambwekar}

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Reasons to Adopt an Older Cat originally appeared on About.com Cats on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 at 08:56:37.

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Cat Breed of the Week: Domestic Cats

2012-05-15T05:47:36Z

Domestic cats have always been my favorite breed, and all but one of the scores of cats who have been family members over the past five decades have been domestic cats (whether you call them alley cats, house cats, mixed breed, or moggies). Billy, pictured here, is the youngest of my boys at nine, but in his mind, he is the king of the castle. "Humble" is not a word in Billy's catabulary. Is he spoiled? You bet. Does he appreciate it? I suspect he considers it his just due, and I wholeheartedly agree. I believe that all cats deserve to be spoiled, whether they be the finest champion Persians to the scrawniest alley cat.

The vast majority of my readers seem to share my love for domestic cats, judging by my emails and to various opportunities for photo Show and Tell on my site. We're in good company, folks.

Additional Reading:

Domestic Cats Profile
Domestication of the Cat
Breeds, Domestic Cats, and Color Patterns
Is Your Cat a Purebred or "Mutt?"
Life With a Domestic Cat
Read Stories | Share Your Cat

Cat Breed of the Week: Domestic Cats originally appeared on About.com Cats on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at 05:47:36.

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Cat Picture of the Week: Doodle

2012-05-14T22:46:46Z

Men who love cats are very special people, and George is a quintessential cat man. Doodle was a young cat in a cage with an unknown background when George visited the rescue shelter looking for solace after losing his previous cat companion, Sally Roo. He just had a feeling that Sally did not want him to be alone too long. It wasn't too long thereafter when Doodle came home to live with George. It took awhile for Doodle to "warm up," but he and George are best friends now. They take care of each other - Doodle protects George by watching for spiders on the ceiling, and loves him with wet kitty kisses every night. And George gives Doodle the kind of limitless love we've grown to expect from cats.

Read more of Doodle's story, then take a look at more tuxedo cat stories.

Cat Picture of the Week: Doodle originally appeared on About.com Cats on Monday, May 14th, 2012 at 22:46:46.

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Nestle Purina Recalls Vet Diet Canned Cat Food

2012-05-13T14:08:16Z

One specific lot of Purina Veterinary Diets® OM Overweight Management canned cat food has been recalled by Nestle Purina. From a press release:

This precautionary measure is being taken in response to one consumer complaint received by FDA. Analytical testing of the product sample by FDA indicated a low level of thiamine (Vitamin B1). Purina has received no other complaints of thiamine-related or any other health issues related to this product. Only cans with the following "Best By" date and production code shown are included in this voluntary recall:

Product Name: (Overweight Management) Feline Formula

Can Size: 5.5 oz.

"Best By" Date & Production Code*: JUN 2013 11721159

Can UPC Code: 38100 - 13810

*"Best By" Date and Production Code are found on the bottom of the can.

This product was distributed to veterinary clinics between June, 2011 and May, 2012, and is not available through retail stores. Please refer to the press release for symptoms of thiamine deficiency, and for instructions if your cats have been fed this food.

This recall is unrelated to the Diamond Pet Food recalls for salmonella in recent news. Although also unrelated, in March, 2011, certain lot numbers of Wellness Canned Cat Food were recalled because of a single customer report of low thiamine in the food.

Nestle Purina Recalls Vet Diet Canned Cat Food originally appeared on About.com Cats on Sunday, May 13th, 2012 at 14:08:16.

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New Salmonella Recalls by Diamond Pet Foods

2012-05-12T04:19:13Z

Updated May 19, 2012: Latest news reported by TruthAboutPetFood.com: Another pet food has been recalled because of potential salmonella contamination; Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula dry dog food. But that isn't the real news. The biggie is that this recall was from a second Diamond manufacturing facility in Meta, Missouri, a fact that wasn't disclosed directly in the Diamond Pet Food announcement on Friday, the 18th. Susan Thixton, who runs TruthAboutPetFood.com was able to scope out that information, along with some acute observations about discrepancies in the timeline. It appears the food was manufactured, then stored for over two months, which also raised serious questions about the "Best by" dates. Great detective work, Susan!

Updated May 12, 2012: Additional information has been received on three fronts: First, an additional recall has been announced, for one lot of Solid Gold Pet Food WolfCub Large Breed Puppy Food and one batch of Solid Gold WolfKing Large Breed Adult Dog, both with a Best Before date of December 30, 2012, and an "X" in the 11th digit of the date code. Second, Alissa Wolf, About.com Pet Shops Guide spoke with a Diamond Pet Foods media rep, and was told that ALL dry pet foods (dog and cat) manufactured between Dec. 9, 2011 and April 7 are being recalled. The exception is Natural Balance, which has its own state-of-the-art laboratory, which tests every single batch of its pet food before releasing it for distribution. Third, I just yesterday received an email, from Amazon.com, where I had purchased both Natural Balance Chicken and Green Pea dry food, and Taste of the Wild informing me that "Our records indicate that you have purchased one of the items listed in this recall through the Amazon.com website." Unfortunately, this form email did not specify which product it referenced. I carefully discarded the remaining supply of Taste of the Wild from the free-feed bowl in Jenny's room, and replaced it with the Natural Balance, which I feel to be safe.

Original Post on May 7, 2012 (Edited May 18, 2012)

Diamond Pet Foods has led consumers on a pet food recall merry-go-round for several weeks, with one voluntary recall after another for "potential salmonella contamination" in pet foods manufactured in its Gaston, S.C. plant. As early as April 6, 2012, Diamond recalled several batches of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dog food, according to The Truth About Pet Food.com. On April 26th, Diamond added Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul (two sizes of adult light dry dog food), this time when salmonella tested positive. Since then several other brands have been recalled. Edited on May 18, 2012: At first, it was very unclear from the wording on the Diamond Pet Food Website as to whether any cat foods had been recalled. In retrospect, the recalls in April all were dog and puppy dry foods. However, starting with the May 4th updates, most of the additionally recalled foods specified "Pet Food." Diamond also uses the caveat, "Further distribution through other pet food channels may have occurred," following the list of states in which the food was delivered. I now interpret this phrase to mean "pet food purchased online," as the food I'd bought through Amazon.com.

As of 5-18-12, the following known brands have been recalled:

4Health
Apex
Diamond Recall Information
Canidae
Recall Notice by FDA, dated May 5, 2012
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
Recall Information (From Diamond)
Country Value
Diamond
Recall Information for all Pet Foods
Diamond Naturals
Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula dry dog food
Product manufactured at the facility in Meta, Missouri. Notice from Diamond dated 5/18/2005
Kirkland (Costco Brand)
Natural Balance
Natural Balance Inc. Website Recall Information
Premium Edge
Recall Information
Professional
Recall Information (From Diamond)
Solid Gold Health Products for Pets, Inc.
From the FDA, reported as of May 8, 2012
Taste of the Wild
Recall Information (From Diamond)
Wellness
Wellness Website Recall Information

A big concern is the fact that salmonella is recognized as a zoonotic disease, and humans handling contaminated pet food are subject to salmonella."A total of 15 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Infantis have been reported from 9 states. Additionally, one ill person has been reported from Canada," according to the CDC. See the Center for Disease Control for more information on Salmonellosis.

New Salmonella Recalls by Diamond Pet Foods originally appeared on About.com Cats on Saturday, May 12th, 2012 at 04:19:13.

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Cool Cat Photo of the Week: BooBoo, Kittyback for Buffalo Bills

2012-05-09T03:54:05Z

Another tuxedo cat bonus this week. Booboo was adopted from a rescue shelter when he was about four months old, and is the master of the household. He sleeps with his human mom, and after a little trial and error has his favorite food, cat litter, and even has his own toybox, including daBird, his (and thousands of other cats') favorite. Maybe he's just a little spoiled because he's the first cat his mom ever had.

2012 Cool Cat Photos

Cool Cat Photo of the Week: BooBoo, Kittyback for Buffalo Bills originally appeared on About.com Cats on Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 03:54:05.

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Cat Picture of the Week: Skunk and Shaydee

2012-05-08T08:56:16Z

Skunk and Shaydee are a "twofer" bonus as the first Cat Picture of the Week for May, 2012. This beautiful pair are littermates, now four years old, but adopted at a shelter as wee kits. When their new adoptive mama brought them home, the veterinarian though that Shaydee might not make it. But with a loving home, veterinary care, she came right through. It's likely exactly because Liz followed the excellent advice she shares with other readers: "Keep any and all cats indoors. Spay and neuter (duh!), regular vet checks and feed them good quality food. It makes all the difference in the world. Separate toys helps also."
Photo Credit: © Guest, Liz Sharer

Read more of Skunk and Shaydee's story and see a full-sized photo.
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Cat Picture of the Week: Skunk and Shaydee originally appeared on About.com Cats on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 08:56:16.

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Breed of the Week: Manx

2012-05-08T05:41:23Z

The Manx has been around for hundreds of years, and is believed to have originated on the Isle of Man, off the coast of England. Whether the original Manx was a ship's cat will never be known, but it is generally believed that island cats may also have been involved.

With its rakish lines (back legs are longer than the forelegs), robust appearance, and sweet expression, a Manx of any color or tail length can be a fine companion for a single-person household or a large family. Manx love to be around people, and vice-versa, it seems, judging by their immense popularity.
_{Photo Credit: © Paul Dominguez}

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Breed of the Week: Manx originally appeared on About.com Cats on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 05:41:23.

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