a little bit of family & bringing in kitty

I'm happy to say that The Ottawa Cat Rescue Network will take over finding a home for the little unwanted orange and white cat I posted about last week. They have many more outlets for finding a good home for him than I do and I am thankful that they will now help this cat. They are a wonderful rescue and have been helping Ottawa's cats for 25 years. Their website is http://www.catrescuenetwork.com/. Thank you,  Louise.

I wanted to share 2 sweet photos of my grand-daughter, Riley taken Sunday.

having a popsicle on a hot (March????) day.

And here's proud mom & dad and baby #2 on the way.

All our snow has disappeared and we're hoping that we don't see it again for 8 months.

There's no better way to start a day than sharing breakfast with Riley. It starts my week off right.

 then off to the bookstore to pick out a new book.

and play at the kid's table. She makes us ice cream cones. Yum!
Then off to cat-sit. Did I mention I am really busy right now with cat-sitting? Just when I thought everyone was back from holidays the phone started ringing again and the emails came in. I am so busy I may have to fill up the old cat bag again. I always keep a fresh supply of toys & nip for my kitty clients. They demand it. And I've pulled out the old running shoes...oh ya! I'm runnin'.

cat-tip-for-the-day=^..^=Helping outdoor cats adjust to life indoors
If you have been caring for an out-door stray cat,  you may now want to bring it inside to be an indoor cat. With the weather now improving this may not be as easy as it would have been in the winter months. One way to make the transition is to bring the cat indoors gradually; each time for a little longer stays. Some cats that have been forced to live outside will be very happy to become a pampered house cat.  If the cat remains committed to life outdoors, you may consider building an outdoor enclosure or run that the cat can access through a window or pet door. The enclosure can be made very appealing by adding tree limbs with multi-level platforms on which the cat can perch, tires, toys hanging from branches and boxes in which the cat can hide in.  I've always wanted one of those to 'decorate' for my cats.
If you prefer not to have an enclosed run,  then bring some of the benefits of the outdoors inside. Add a condo or a climbing tree to it's environment, perches and shelves on windowsills, bird-feeders near the windows that will add to a cat's sense of adventure. Install proper screens and leave the windows open during the warm weather. Your cat needs fresh air.

Provide fresh greens for your cats to chew on. This helps relieve them of hairballs in their tummy.

Scratching posts are necessary to keep kitty away from the furniture and to keep it's nails trimmed.

 The mistake with the posts is most people only buy one and kitty gets bored with it very quickly. Add different ones throughout the house.

 In our home, we have logs placed here and there for the cats to scratch on. They are logs sliced down the center and laid on the flat side. The cats can stand on top of them and scratch to their heart's content. Yes, you do have to vacuum around them but it beats having your couch shredded.

The bottom line is that you need to make your cat's indoor life stimulating and enjoyable.
                                      Play with your cats

My beautiful kitty client, Dominique

 Cats are very curious creatures and need some excitement in their lives, just like us.

hugs, Deb