Amy Shojai, CABC is not only a noted book author of 22 books on cats and dogs, she is also an excellent behavior consultant for matters relating to cats and dogs. Amy designed the H.I.S.S. Test as a means of getting to the crux of behavior issues when working with clients' cats. The acronym H.I.S.S. stands for "health, instinct, stress, and symptoms, signs and solutions." For the benefit of About.com readers, Amy divulges the details of each area of the H.I.S.S. test in this new article.
I've always counseled readers to "do your homework" when working out problems with cats. Amy's article gives you a useful formula for that homework. In fact, the questionnaire in the Ask Amy Submission Form is based around the H.I.S.S. Test. Note: This form is only for behavior questions, which is Amy's "Queendom" on this site. Please see this document for emailing any other questions about cats.
From Amy Shojai, CABC: The H.I.S.S. Test originally appeared on About.com Cats on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 14:56:24.
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With its glorious long-flowing coat and sweet face to match its disposition, it is no wonder the Persian is the favorite cat among all pedigreed breeds. Persians require a secure, serene environment, but once they feel safe, they will be a constant source of pleasure to the lucky household that is owned by a Persian. The Persian requires regular maintenance to keep the beauty of that coat, so consider carefully before making what should be a lifetime commitment to this glorious cat.
Also see the: Persian Cats Picture Gallery for more photos of these beautiful cats.
Cat Breed of the Week: Persian originally appeared on About.com Cats on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 01:07:34.
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Cold winter weather makes for excess cat hair, which is copiously shed in Spring, as demonstrated by this pile of cat fur brushed from HOSTDru's five cats
Photo Credit: © HOSTDru. It also makes for excess hairballs, which can be avoided with regular brushing. The FURminator is an excellent tool for gleaning out all that loose undercoat.
But what do you do with all that cat hair? Inspired by HOSTDru's photo, HOSTPat started a new Discussion on Clever Uses for Cat Hair. Of course using "cat hair as a condiment" makes for funny conversation, but HOSTPat suggested gathering the hair and distributing bunches of it outside among tree branches as nesting material for birds, a great idea. Other forum members discussed the concept of spinning cat fur into yarn, which is not all that far-fetched. I have an exquisite knitted shawl, made from dog hair, spun with died mohair. At the time I purchased it, several decades ago, we were exhibiting Afghan Hounds, and I accumulated 15 paper grocery bags of the soft undercoat of those dogs. I didn't pursue the idea. However, now there is a company called VIP Fibers, which will spin your dogs' or cats' hair into yarn. It's fairly pricey, starting at $14 for one ounce of sport-weight yarn. But what a wonderful way to have a keepsake of your cat, in the form of a knitted cap, gloves, or other apparel. You could even copy that old saying, "Cat fur makes kitten britches," which my dear mom use to reply when I asked her "What fur?"
Surely there must be other uses for recycled cat fur. Let's put our collective heads together and come up with some original ideas. I'll accumulate the best of the bunch in a new list for this site. You can post your comments here or in the forum discussion.
More Recycling Ideas: Uses for Cat Fur originally appeared on About.com Cats on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 14:06:54.
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Many of us have been recycling aluminum soft drink cans for several years. Now Purina, maker of Fancy Feast and Friskies cat food, is campaigning to encourage the recycling of aluminum cat food cans. There are two ways you can help:
- Recycle all Aluminum Cans
Cat food cans and other aluminum food cans - ecology is ecumenical. Purina points out that recycling one 3 ounce aluminum can generates enough energy to power one 60 watt lightbulb for two hours.
- Take the Purina Pledge
For each pledge, Purina will donate $1 (up to $100,000) to Keep America Beautiful.
I took the pledge and I encourage my readers to do so also. It only takes a few minutes to rinse out used aluminum cans and save them in a (recycled) plastic bag. Check out the web site of Marc Lallanilla, About.com Guide to Green Living, for more ideas on keeping our planet green.
Make a Difference: Recycle Aluminum Cans originally appeared on About.com Cats on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 11:52:57.
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