Cat on the Mayflower?

November 26, 2009

It’s Thanksgiving time and we’re soooo excited because we looovvve turkey. We’ve been very good kitties and feel we deserve some turkey. We actually have been doing some research about cats and Thanksgiving and came across a book, Pilgrim Cat, by Carol Antoinette Peacock, about a cat named Pounce who was on the Mayflower and sailed all across the ocean to America and lived in the colonies at Plymouth.  Wow, what a brave cat. Ships back then were not anything like luxury cruise liners. It was rough.

Pilgrim Cat by Carol Antoinette Peacock

So, we were thrilled to learn about this book. We told our mommy to go buy it so we could read it before Thanksgiving and write a book review. Well, the human failed. She was lazy…where do humans get this idea to be lazy? She finally called a few bookstores to ask if the book was in stock. No. Nada. Niente. None of our local bookstores had a copy. We have to order it online. What good does that do us if Thanksgiving is already here? Argh! So, we had to settle reading a blog review about the book. You can get a preview at Books For Kids Blog. It looks really good. Maybe we’ll get to read it if the human actually orders it. She better give us some turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Mooshies.


Cats and H1N1

November 8, 2009

Given the recent news on the Iowa cat diagnosed with H1N1, we thought it important to address the issue. First, we’re very sorry for our fellow feline and his family and wish them a speedy recovery. Now, we’re sure many cat owners are concerned about their kitties possibly contracting H1N1. It’s important to get the facts and put things into purrspective…ha, ha…don’t you like that, purrspective.

Okay, no more meowaughing. Get it – meow and laughing? Ha, ha. Enough. Human is giving us dirty looks. Let’s get back to our topic.

Three people in the Iowa family had H1N1. They started to notice symptoms in their cat – not eating, lethargic, stopped watching squirrels (that’s a BIG symptom). This Iowa case shows that it’s possible for humans to transmit H1N1 to cats.

So, what can cats do to protect themselves from catching H1N1 from their human family? Don’t let them touch you unless they have washed their hands. Good human hygiene is key. Make sure the humans use soap and hot water and wash their hands often. If any humans in your home get H1N1, The Mooshies suggest kitties be careful and keep a distance from the ill people. Let the healthy people in the house pet you.

Now, we understand, cats have special qualities to help humans feel better when they’re sick. We have a tough job being “nurturer in chief”. But, we also deserve to be healthy. It’s okay to take care of yourself first. Healthy kitties will be better able to care for their humans.

Following are some resources with good information on cats and H1N1. Make sure your human family reads this stuff. Did you really expect us to write a long piece on H1N1? We’re cats, not health reporters.

Janet’s Veterinary Medicine Blog by Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM

American Veterinary Medical Association

Centers for Disease Control

Colorado State University

Worms & Germs Blog: Promoting Safe Pet Ownership


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,610 other followers

%d bloggers like this: