Welcome to Big Blend Radio's Pet Connection Podcast, where every third Wednesday we celebrate our furry, feathery, and scaly friends. Welcome to another episode. Everyone Angela Laws is here from TrustedHouseCitters.com, so check them out. Today, we're going to talk about Happy Cats, because September is Happy Cat Month and Happy Cats really want you to understand what makes them happy. Every day, every hour, every minute, and they will tell you. I think the first thing we need to touch on is that cats rule the house, not the humans, right? Angela, welcome back, how are you? Hi Lisa, I'm absolutely fine. It's a pleasure to be back again, and yeah, talking about how feline friends, lots to talk about. I've got so much, there are so many things online to learn about, but I want to just start here, because with you being at TrustedHouseCitters and Nancy and I doing pet sitting through TrustedHouseCitters and everyone, our very first pet sit was a cat, right, and we still pet sit Coosie, and then she has her garden cats, which are all ferals that Cheryl, she's been on the show with you, has managed to get them spayed and neutered, and she's been like the motherhood cat lady, motherhood, the neighborhood cat lady, and she feeds them and everything, but they are separated, so indoor Coosie cat looks at them and goes, "I have a couch, I have this, I have that," and it's interesting because people tell us all the time, "Oh, well, you know, when we go away for the weekend, we just make sure they have enough food, you know, their litter will last that long," and we realized as soon as we sat Coosie, sat with her, it was 4th of July, they were fireworks, she didn't like those at all, and she taught us her routine, which was a little bit more than we realized, she wanted TV time and she would like it on at 3 o'clock, she knows when she wants food, which is actually kind of constant, but we realized at that point, we started, by the time we were done with that sit, we realized the importance of cats, whether they act like they want you around or not, they do want you around, as their servants, but I'm just getting, but it really taught us the importance of that, it made us feel real guilty because we used to, when we had our cats, if we, you know, we'd go out and do our, when we were printing our magazine, we'd be gone for a while and do our media trips and everything, and we hired pet sitters from a pet sitting agency to come, play with the cats for an hour and feed them, do their litter box every day, and I'm gonna say it cost a little bit of money to do that, quite a bit, I'm being sarcastic, and they would leave us, you know, saying, "Oh, we played for an hour and I'm going, gee, I've never seen our cats do it that way," so it, it, cats don't just play on demand, some may, so every animal's different, but I really, I felt guilty for all those years that we did that, thinking our cats were really happy realizing they're used to watching the evening news too, you know, on TV, so do you find the same thing as a, as a pet sitter, I know you've, you've taken care of numerous cats over, over your pet sitting years, which is, you've got quite a few under your belt, I think you've got a decade more than Nancy and I, right, over a decade, I think, more? Yeah, I mean, 14 years with trusted house sitters, and prior to that as well, being a pet, parent, and a pet lover, from the day I was actually born, in fact, I think I was born with a leash and a catnip in my hand, so yeah, you know, the one thing about cats, and, and, and I would really, really, sort of appeal to anybody that's got them all, thinking of bringing a cat into their family, is do your homework and actually learn about cats because there are so many, you know, there are, there are these sort of misconceptions that if you bring a cat into your family, or as part of your family, you just leave them alone and they're fine and they're happy and you can go out and you can leave them and they just be, and I think that's because unlike a dog that you know you've got to take for a walk at a certain time because that's what you have to do and all this, I think because cats have this independent air that actually some people think that that's how they are all the time, sure, they, they love attention on their terms, however, they love company, they really, really do and making your cat happy is the fact that you're with them. I've just come back, I'm at my house in Scotland at the moment where it's absolutely tipping it down with Ryan and, and it seems to do that all the time, but I'm in, I'm at home in Scotland, having just done three weeks in London, a cat sit with Miss Teasel and she's a tortoise shell and she's 14 years old and I first looked after her when she was six months old, so that's 14 years ago, I have spent, my husband and I, sometimes he comes with me, sometimes I'm on my own, I've spent every single summer with that kitty cat for the last 14 years, apart from two, when there was something called a pandemic that prevented us from travelling, but I spent, I arrive in, in the home and she's not necessarily in the house because she's an indoor or outdoor cat, but I know where she is, I know what she likes to do because after 14 years you think I would and you know what, as she's got older, she's got more loveable, she's got more sort of in that she loves to interact, she's got more that she wants to be with you, she always did, but and when you see her, she is just one happy cat and she remembers us, so you know, and I think that's so important, not to look on your cat as this independent being that really you can go out and just put it through down, they love company, a hundred percent. Exactly, and they want to also have, I mean they do sleep a lot and they have, and it's important for cats to have good sleeping places, they want their cat trees, some cats may not want the cat tree, and it also depends on their age and mobility, but we've know they love to make nests in closets, one friend you know that we pet sit for, every time we come over like the cat knows, Lisa's here, where's the briefcase, and we call it jag in the bag because his name's jag, jag in the bag, and then it's like one time it was a different bag, but whatever, I've had cats take our suitcase, it was one suitcase eventually, and then that, you know, basically I think Nancy and I smell like pets, no matter what, I mean we shower and clean everybody, but they already know as soon as we walk into a new pet situation, the animals go, oh yeah, we know, she likes animals, and of course they need to sniff our shoes, sniff everything, and you allow them, and you allow the cats to come to you, so there's body language to understand with cats, so once, and let them start to smell you and rub on you, then you can pet them, be aware of the belly, I'm showing you the belly is a lot of times, like here where we are right now, we're in peach tree city Georgia pet set that we've been doing for, I think, over four years, and the cats, Joker and Gotham, Joker is a little monkey mouse cat who likes to hunt lizards, and Gotham is the elder Fluffy Boy, he's a beauty, but they ran across the yard to, like, little dogs to come and greet us, and Joker, first thing she does, rubs up on my legs and rolls over and shows her belly, you do one hand little pet, and then you know to remove your hand, but that is a sign of affection, you know, it is huge, so you know these are happy cats, you know, but they all have their spaces in the house, like she has a specific blanket, he has his outdoor chairs, at the front, he likes to guard the house, like a guard dog, he sits on the patio, he has his own chairs, and watches the world, so having these spaces for them, and they'll often tell you, but they want their cozy nooks, and they like to be able to look out, they do not like to have their back to you, they want to see, because they're hunters, right? Yeah. Have you noticed that about the way they see, like, who's in Lubbock, Texas that we talked about earlier, she has two different couch positions, she owns her couch according to the time of day, and what's on TV? Absolutely, and we talk about, they love to sleep, do you know, it's said, do you know what percentage of their day, their day, they sleep, have a guess Lisa, I have, it really, I'm gonna say it goes by age, so I would say at least 50 to 75%, depending on their age. You are your spot on, it's 75%, and yes, as they get older, they do sleep more like human beings, but yes, but providing that space for them, and how many times, and you know what they love as well, I mean, you can give them the best, most expensive cat bed in the world that you can find, and put a box by the side of it, they're probably gonna be in the box rather than the bed, but it's where they feel comfortable, and allowing them that, you know, because even when they're asleep, I'm sure, you know, all of you cat moms and dads and cat people out there, even when they're asleep, they're alert, you know that they're, you know, the moment they could, they could spring, however, yeah, it's making sure and it's not always the place that you think, I know Teaz or that I've just left. She had the houses, a lovely house, and they've got two daughters, and the two girls are now almost grown, well, they are grown up, but Teaz or would only sleep in one of the bedrooms, she would sleep in Izzy's room, and so when Izzy and Libby are away, I would put a special town on Izzy's bed, and Teaz or would go in there, but she'd also sleep on my bed and she'd also come, so yeah, but I think the thing about cats too is just the same with any animal or those in your family is it's allowing them that peace and allowing them to be comfortable and safe and feeling safe, but also, you know, giving them an enrichment of their lives and so looking at them and thinking, you know, what do I do, how do I connect, and how do I make their life better and more enriched, especially when you've got a cat that's an indoor cat as well, and there's so many things that can be done, you know, they love to play, and you can teach cats, you know, sort of new skills in a way that if you take the time and trouble to actually connect with them, but all of those things that you think, how can I make their life more interesting, but you're right too, they love looking out of the window, they love looking at new things. Bird feeders are something they love to watch, especially indoor cats, so if you have an indoor/outdoor cat, and that is up for grabs, according to where you live, according to the cat situation, their background, if you've just, you know, everybody's got a different thing, and a good thing is to talk to your vet about that, and also because, you know, if you're like in Arizona, that's a scary thing because a coyote or a bobcat could take a cat, and we just actually watched a bobcat snag a cat, the lady had a cat on a leash on the front porch, and we saw a bobcat just take it, like a leash is not going to stop a bobcat or, you know, it's just not going to, so you have to watch all that kind of stuff, but, you know, like here where we are, these are indoor/outdoor cats, but they come in, and the first thing they do is they want their levies, and they like to hunt, and they want to watch birds, and like here, the indoor joker will go after humming birds, which is sad, and lizards, in fact, this is funny, talk about a connection, so Nancy does a lot of the feeding of Miss Joker, because she likes to be hand-fed, she comes up, and she's like, being a, like, she wants to be a baby, you know, but she's not a baby anymore, but she's just very lovely, very, very attached to Nancy, and she sleeps with Nancy, and she has her own blankie, you know, it's, anyway, they became very attached, and they are, right, and so she'll bring Nancy, you know, a headless hummingbird and things, so sorry, but this is what cats do, the last time we were here, Nancy's at the dining room table working on her computer, and Joker comes running in, jumps up on her, and tries to take a dead lizard that she had just caught, and put it in Nancy's mouth, how about that, Nancy, yup, now come on, that is crazy funny, right, I know people freak out, but that is, talk about the level of love, right, because she's trying to, when cats bring you presents from the outdoors, even if they bring you their toys, if they find something and bring it to you, that is a sign of happiness, and love, and giving back, and feeding back into the family, because even if you go out in the wild and you watch lions, which Nancy and I, that's our background, the female lion is the hunter versus the male, and so you'll find this with female cats more doing that kind of thing, so it's interesting, because they're the hunter and the nurturer, right, and the male is protector, like I said, Gotham, he watches the front of the house, he surveys, if I go do anything in the garden, here comes Gotham to oversee, and make sure I'm safe, you know, so those are the outdoor, but the indoor, they want to have that kind of behavior, so let them watch the birds, have a bird feeder in a place where they can enjoy the view, and they'll sit at the window, they want sunshine, they want their sunny spots, but they will sit at the window and go, cack, cack, you know, they do that, and that to me is one of the things you can do, and then the toys, like you were saying, however, I've watched people play with their cats with toys, and there's a way to play with your cat to get it engaged, and it's not taking, you know, those little fishing poles with the feather on the end, and just flipping it in their face, now some kittens may go for that, but in an elder cat, you actually have to play like you're an injured bird, roll it on the ground more and let it flip back and forth, not too fast, but play injured, play like you're dying, and give them the chance to hunt and pounce, and did this make sense, Angela, or am I just really a little too close to cats, no, I mean cats are natural athletes, and when they're indoor cats, unless they're kept, you know, sort of occupied so they can get that excess energy, you know, even if they're an older cat and they're sleeping 75% of the time, they've got 25% of the time where they've got energy, so being a natural athlete, you have to think of them and think, not just physically tiring them, and when I say tiring them, I mean that in the nicest possible way, but also mentally stimulating them, like, you know, like any animal, whether it's a human animal or, you know, an animal of a species, animal kind, you know, we all need stimulation, the worst thing is boredom, and the worst thing is not having anything to think about, and so playing with those, and there are amazing cat toys on the market now, and just you can go and look at them and see what they're using. The other thing to remember is about the interaction with them and playing with them. If you look at cats in shelters, and, you know, they, most shelters that we work with and we're partnered with, they've got the activity rooms, and they've got those rooms where cats can go in there, and there's various things that they can climb on that they can do with, but the other thing that they do is they have the volunteers that go in and just sit with them, and some of those volunteers will even sit and read, or they'll just sit and be with them, and then play with them because, you know, it's, it's, and I think going back to the beginning of this conversation about cats, it's that thing that don't, don't think that, you know, they don't want the attention, many people think, oh, cats and dogs, they're totally different, but actually, yes, they are different, and each cat is different, however, it's that interaction, and you can make their lives more enriched, and in return, they'll enrich yours as well. Yeah, exactly, they, they need that enrichment in fun time, you know, like tunnels, if you have a cat tunnel, and you can play like, like, Jokey here, I mean, she'll go like zoomies around the house like a dog, right? She loves it, and so the first thing we get here, she literally goes into where the toy, the toy section of the house is, and looks at me like, come on, let's go, and if I like to play with her on the stairs too, like I'll play, you know, I hide and play, and so she, you could wave that toy anywhere, and she'll go for it, other cats, if you've got to get to know them, right, and see how they like to play, and see what you can do, and glazer lights, our laser tag is fantastic, and I've played laser, like, actually turn the lights off at night, because especially cats live to hunt at night, you know, you've been woken up at 3, 4 in the morning, that is the 3, 4 o'clock in the morning, I think, is their special hour, right, they, you know, and they don't tell you, yeah, they don't tell you. And they want to play, so, you know, if you can get up at that time for you, but at the same time, if you turn the light off, or at least dim enough, then the light is really brighter, right, and so they get into more of a hunting mode, but I just saw a thing on, I don't know if it was an Instagram or Facebook reel, of a cat, a little kitten playing with the little laser light, and thought it, it got it, the little, you know, and they did it real slow, pounced it with its paw, and then bit at it, and actually chewed the little, like, as though he ate the little laser light dot, it's funny, it's really cute, cats are funny. And, you know, and share these videos, please, everywhere on social media of your cats. Oh, yeah, please do, please do, and of course, when we're talking about them out at night, another cat fact that we can say is that, I don't know if everybody knows this, but cats actually share 95% of their genetic make-up with tigers, now, tigers are nighttime hunters and prowlers, and then, nocturnal, so that's, you know, that's where they come, and I know with Teasel, I was leaving my door open, and there she was, it was at three o'clock in the morning, I'm lying on my back, and she's standing up there, look at that fear, the face going, okay, right, it's time that you woke up now, but, yeah, they are their own beings. They're, you know, they always say there's this whole thing for entrepreneurs and business people, I was like, if you get up at four, you're gonna get a lot more done, and I do that, I'm, actually, I think it's all the animals that have got my clock on that schedule, because you don't need an alarm clock if you have cats around, right, you don't, so this is a benefit for the humans, and some say not, but it is fun to hang with them, but the tiger thing, we'd pick sit two Bengal cats, and I'm gonna tell you, that's a whole other world, they are so intelligent, and one thing I've noticed with cats, especially with the Bengals, but a lot of other cats too, they are fascinated by cooking time, if, you know, they, as soon as we start cooking, they come and watch in the kitchen, it's like, we call it cooking class, now we know dogs love that too, but they're really looking for scraps, the Bengals would get up on the top of the cabinets and watch you, and it's kind of, you kind of feel like they could pounce on you, because they are kind of wild in a way, right, and they are very much related to tigers, and when they do a growl, or the one has this guttural growl, you know, and that's not necessarily angry at all, just very vocal cats, like Koozie, who's a main coon, she'll have a whole conversation with you, and you can tell if she's upset about something or if she's happy, just by her tone, I, she just sit, she will sit, and I can sit and talk to her about anything, and she answers, and she wants me to sit on the couch and work on the couch, so she can be involved in podcasts, she's to sit on and try and get on the computer during, during podcasts, which is fun, but you know, they are vocal, and that sound will tell you a lot, purring, you can also tell if your cat is making a noise in the cat box, sometimes that's normal, and for, if it's a new thing, that would be something for you to be aware of, if they're hissing abnormally, that's something to let you know you could be living in a haunted house, I don't know, but you've got to be aware of their sounds, and sometimes it's aging, and just letting you know if they're suddenly hissing, you know, if you're petting them as normal, and then some cats are starting to get arthritis, and they hiss for some reason, or meow, you can tell by their tone, that is their way of communicating maybe pain, right, and even if they're food, so communication with cats is a huge, huge deal, their food, if they start, if you're feeding them kibble and they're not eating like they used to, you may want to take them to the vet and have their teeth looked at, that's something we've noticed a lot of, and that's with dogs too, is to watch their eating habits, because sometimes it could be dental, have you run into that Angela? Oh yeah, I mean it's one of the things that we talk about, and I know cat owners who actually brush their cat's teeth, that they've done it since they were kittens, and the same, you know, with dogs about the hunting teeth, it's one of the main things that cause problems, because don't forget that it's not just the look of the teeth or the gums, whatever is in there can be sort of poisonous, they could have infections, and all of that will go into their bloodstream, the one thing about your cat, if you actually notice a difference in the way they behave, or the way they're communicating, and when we talk about communicating, did you know that cats only meow human beings, they don't meow at their own, they only meow us, it's their way of communicating, but if your cat is doing anything different to what it normally does, and different to actually cause you concern as to why, they're also very very good at hiding what might be wrong with them, if they've got something wrong, and so if you notice a difference then always consult your veterinarian, and that goes with any pet family member that you've got, you know, put Dr. Google veterinary aside, and make sure you contact your own veterinarian, and make sure that because, you know, nobody knows your animal, or your cat, or your dog, but we're talking about cats today, nobody knows them better than you do, you are the one that knows them, and if you've got something for some reason that you think that's different, or that's not right, then, you know, go and see a veterinarian, and I know we trusted house sitters, all of our members, all of our pet parent members have access to a 24/7 veterinary helpline, and so they can call in and they can get advice, and usually that will tell them whether or not they need to go to the vet, but yeah, because, you know, they, when we say we wish our animals could talk and tell us what's wrong, actually they do tell us what's wrong in a way, but you have to be, you have to interpret it, imagine that they're talking, you know, foreign language to you, and you don't understand French, or Spanish, or whatever, understand cat talk, understand your talk, and listen to them, and be aware of them, but yeah, I mean, we're responsible for their happiness, and we can actually help them be happy, and especially if you're looking to bring a cat into your home, interestingly, I spent the day yesterday at a webinar that was put on by cats protection here in the UK, it was, they had specialists, they had sort of veterinarians, they had behaviorists, they had, and it was so, so, so interesting, and one of the things that came out there is that all of these different breeds of cats, and there are so many now, that, you know, if you're looking to bring one into your family, then be very aware of where you're going and how you're getting your cat, and always, the best is to go to a shelter and adopt if you can, and also, you know, it's great as well if you're bringing one, there's a saying is that, you know, that you can never have too many cats, or one cat leads to another, and actually, a pair of cats, or cats together, and they bond, and they actually, you know, you're doing them, you're bringing two into your family, and giving them the opportunity to have that, you know, that companion, they've gotten two, but you're having a companion of their own, it is really great. Well, you know, that's the thing too, is bringing a new cat into a household, I have a friend right now is doing that as a rescue cat, and he's got an elder cat at home, and then this cat was found in the building that he has a studio, and then he, I mean, he's like, well, we can't leave the cat, and he's a friendly, friendly cat, and so he brings it in the house, but now the elder cat is like, you brought a new cat into my domain, and now is kind of like hiding in the closet, and just keeping your distance where she used to roam around, and I said, well, that's going to be normal, and just keep them separated for a little while, and then be there, and, you know, let it take time, let them, don't let them, his and fight, you know, you want to kind of be around, and just do it gradually, step by step, because the other one's kind of younger and rambunctious, and the other elders like, I'm not into this, and cats will, his like even Joker and Gotham here have their moments, and then Joker goes, okay, I've pushed the old man too much, I'm moving on, you know, and then they have their time, but at the beginning, and I said to make sure you give so much love to your elder cat, so she knows she still rules, you know, so any tips on that, Angela, from your side of bringing a new cat in, because I think that's the, I think when you go to a humane society or a shelter, and you, they help you with all of that, and you know the characteristics, but sometimes, and you took him to the vet, and got it, you know, the shots and everything, and all of that, but I think sometimes if you don't know this cat at all, you're, you're, you're, you're on your own a bit, so any tips on that? Give them a space, Gotham time, you know, don't expect to actually bring them into the home, and immediately they're going to like one another because they're actually not, because they don't know one another, and so give them space, give them that, that place they can go to, if they want to, to actually be by themselves, because don't forget if you're bringing them home from a shelter, they've been in an environment that is noisy, I mean, the most shelters try to make it as, as sort of comfortable, and as quiet, and for, for their guests that I like to call them, but you know, it is a different environment. There's people in and out, different smells, different everything, and don't forget that when you bring a new cat or a new pet into your home, everything for them is different, so give them time, and just be there, don't try to push it, don't try to force anything, give them each their space, and they will work it out for themselves, they really will, if you, if you, if you allow them to, they will work it out for themselves, and if you have any concerns, then the shelter that you got them from, you can always contact them and ask them, but, but generally, you know, it's just a matter of time, and actually giving both of them the space, but making sure that they have that place to go to, and they do, you know, everything is right for them. And, and time can take time, it can take a year, it can take two years. Absolutely, absolutely, it can, it can take time, and, and, you know, sort of we started off by talking about happy cats and how to keep them happy, and how to make them happy, and I think also one of those things that, that we really need to be mindful of is those signs when your cat is not happy, that, you know, what are they, what should be, you should be looking for, if, if you, and it doesn't mean to say that, you know, these are only going to apply to an older cat, this could happen at any time, you know, so if your cat, and, and it is, it's not interested in food, or it doesn't want to be, you know, it's usually happy and it's usually playing with you, and it doesn't want to, or you look at them and they look lethargic and, and, and they're sleeping more than usual, or they do sleep 75% of the time, or if that character of theirs changes in any way, and the other thing too is cats have groom themselves, I mean, they, they, they are clean, they are animals that want to be clean, and if they're not doing that, then, you know, sort of really be aware of that, and as you said Lisa earlier on, you know, they're natural communicators, and if that communication is changing to a degree, and then there's, they're vocalizing ways that you've not been used to before, then, you know, then it's time to actually look and, and, and consider going and see an area. The other thing, like, is if your cat is facing a wall when he is resting, that's another sign, and that's even for dogs, that's an odd behavior, like I said, normally cats like to have their back, you know, it's even when you have, like if you're sitting at a desk, right, and you have your back to a door, there's an uncomfortable, anything could come behind you and you can't see it, right, there's just this protective thing all animals have as including humans. So when a cat suddenly does that, it's telling you something's weird. Another big, big sign is if they start to go potty outside of their cat box, if they have a cat box, a cat box will tell you, I mean, you know, they tell us as humans to look at our, you know, our waste, it's the same with animals. And I'm a huge believer in cleaning a cat box daily, this thing of a cat box being able to, you know, leave it for one to two, or I mean, you know, two to three days, I am not a believer in it. How would you like to go walking barefoot over your own pee and poo? No, I'm sorry, no, it'd be daily. If I hear a cat go potty, right, if you're depending on the litter now, sometimes you want the little pee pee to clumpy and do all that stuff, but try and, you know, give it an hour, then go get it, you know, also, you know, now hairballs aren't, that's a normal thing, but if they're doing a different kind of vomit, often start to watch that if they haven't been doing that normally now when to get elder, a lot of cats do that. But again, being communication with a vet if it's abnormal and look at it, even photograph it for your vet, honestly, it could be just the food and their food is so full of dyes and things like that and kibble. So look at the food, do not feed your cats milk. That is a wives tale that is should be just, I have, it was one of my first things to bring up actually, Angela's milk, cow's milk is not what cats drink. They drink their mama's milk, right, when they're babies, but cow's milk is a big no no to cats. Don't do it. Even cheese, I know people do that. It's not, it's just not that good for them, is it, Angela? I think you could be giving them dietary issues. I, I'm not that. No, no, you, I mean, you can buy cat milk. I mean, there's such a thing, but actually the best thing for them is water. The best thing for them is water. Yeah, absolutely fresh water. And that's another thing you're talking about cleaning their, their litter trays. Please, please, please also wash their meat, their food dishes, their food bowls. How many times, you know, I've, I've seen sort of adding food to a, no, clean, cleaner. Yeah, they're very, cats are incessantly clean and they groom and if they're not grooming themselves, that's another sign of an unhappy cat. If cats are purring and rubbing on you, they're, you know, if they're needing you, you know, they're making biscuits on your legs and all of that, they're happy. If they're, you know, going to the cat, the cat box, now we're talking about multiple cats, a good rule of thumb, especially between male and female is to give them their own cat box or litter box, litter trays, you say, Angela. Yeah, separate them out. You know, especially if you're in bringing a new one in, do not let them have to go in the same thing. They want their own, they want their own potty, please. They're incredibly clean and they would like fresh running water, not just a bowl. And if you have clean that thing out because the water, you know, if, if you have bad tap water that you don't want to drink, right, I just came from an area where you had, you know, the water, it was, there was, you can't, it's, you cannot drink water in the city from the tap or faucet, but what country are we in there? I can't, I'm getting all confused now where I am, but you can't drink that water. Well, then neither can your cat. They really want as clean water as possible. So if you're drinking filtered water, give your cats some filtered water. And that's part of why they want it running. It's to go back to thinking about them being out in the wild. They love running water. And by the way, dogs do too, just saying, but also clean those water bowls because you will feel a sediment from your water. In fact, that will tell you just how healthy your water is. But even clean, clean, clean, well water has minerals. And that will create a slime and cats do not want that. How many of you actually have to feed your feed water to your cats from your bathroom faucet? We all have that, right? That just proves it. Some go to, they want it in the bathtub, you know, and I don't know what it is that makes cats happy about when you go to the bathroom, they want to follow you in there. I don't know what that is, but if it makes your cat happy, go for it. That's it. They actually love running water. I mean, they do like to drink from running water. And another thing, if we're talking about, you know, keeping clean and keeping them well and keeping them happy and keeping them safe, I don't know how many people out there realize that there are indoor plants and flowers that we bring into the house. They're actually poisonous to cats. One of the things that, you know, I don't know what it's like in the States, but I know in the UK, if you order flowers to be delivered to any friends or relatives for birthdays or anything, please, please, please ask those for us. Or if you do it online, make a note, no lilies. Lilies are so toxic to cats. And of course, as we know, your cat may not jump on your table and your countertops when you're there. I'm sure they may do it when you're not there. And if you've got, you know, lilies on the table in a vase, vase, whatever you want to say, they can be to our stay tomato. If you've got lilies up there, even just brushing on them, the stamens and what have you, they are toxic to cats, the same as other. Now, I'm not going to sit here and list all of them, but you can go online or you can go on to the blog page on trusted house sitters. And there are blogs on there of plants and flowers that are toxic to all animals, cats and dogs. And do your homework because it can make them really, really ill. So if you're ordering a bouquet for anybody, no lilies, no lilies, absolutely, because they're curious of whatever you bring into the house to. They want to know that it has to be approved by your cat. Everything has to be approved by your cat. Just like if you're dating someone, you know, they if they they have to pass the animal test, if you're going to have a relationship with somebody, if you're a cat or your dog doesn't like them, well, you know, they're out, right? That that's it. And that is going to be curious about whatever comes into that house, because it has to be approved. You know, they do, like I said, at the beginning of the show, they it's their house. You're just lucky to be in it. Yeah, well, and point said is, I just want to bring this up because we're nearing the holiday season. And point said is, are not good for animals. And here in the States, we give each other point said is the go to holiday gathering. And it in and that's going, I think mostly on dogs. So be aware of that, you know, with with your animals. And and Angela, you're so right. But the thing is, you can actually train cats, especially if you get them as a kitten, not to jump up on counters in your kitchen, because that leads to them jumping on your stove. And none of us want that to happen with your cat. It's not hygienic anyway. So you can train your cat. And there's some really good books out there. National Geographic has some great books on it. So really understand you can train your cat. You cannot yelling at a cat's not going to do anything. There's just no nose there's putting down no, there's patience and reinforcement and never giving up on that. Those two things will do it. There is a little tip and I have a daughter-in-law who's actually a feline specialist veterinarian. And the way she taught her cats not to do it is she put tinfoil on the counters and they don't like it. And if they try to jump on it, they don't like the noise and they don't like it on their paws. And she just did it for a little while and they never jumped up on the counters again. And it was just tinfoil. And talking about point setters and coming up to Christmas season, just to sort of expand on that, we're coming up to Halloween. And the one thing I really feel strongly about and I hope people listen to this is I don't know how many of you know, but black cats have a lesser chance of getting adopted than any other color of cats because there are superstitions around them which are unfounded, completely unfounded. And also there's one that just makes me so angry when I hear it. And that is, people won't choose black cats or black dogs. It's black because in age to social media, they don't photograph well. Well, you know what? If that's all you're getting an animal for, you shouldn't be getting one. No, don't have any animals. That's ridiculous. But cats, I mean, have your own panther. Can you imagine having your own panther in the house? Black cats are beautiful and tuxedos. You know, I honestly don't care what they look like. It's about love, right? And honestly, it's like some people, that's an ugly cat. I'm like, no, it's cute. Look at this. And they purr and they drool now. They drool. They're happy. That's another good sign. And if they blink their eyes at you, they're giving you the lovey, lovey, blinky eyes, as we call it. They're saying, thank you. I love you. I'm connecting. And you can start a blink off with your cat. And because if you do a direct stare, that is a threat to animals. I don't care what animal it is. You stare at it directly in an animal's eyes, nonstop, that is I'm going to go to war, right? And if you do blinky, blinky, and it works with dogs too, do the blinky blinky. You can do it nice and slowly and talk to them while you're doing it. Give the nice little voice. I come with you, it says cute kitten, you know, and do the blinky blinky. They will start blinky, blinking back. And they know that is a language that you can start with your cats, kittens, especially new animals. Do the blinky blinky. It means I love you. And they will purr and, you know, maybe they'll drool when they drool, you know. And then some cats get so purrry and so, and they love, honestly, cats and their butts. That's the thing. If they show you the butts key, they, I mean, one cat, she gets down on her front paws, sticks her butt in the air and you've got to, you know, scratch her rumpy, bite right above her tail. And a lot of cats love that. Some are picky about it, so watch it. But if they show you their butts, you are, why doesn't any blog talk about that? But it's the truth. If they show you their butts, they're happy. If their tail is up and crooked at the top and they stretch all, look at my tail, my tails in the air and they're strutting. That's happiness again. That's a happy cat. But if they show you your butts, I mean, their butts. I'm just saying that doesn't translate into human behavior as well. So, but yeah, you don't have to do that. And do you know something else? We were talking about interesting facts and something that surprised me because we, you know, we're doing lots of blogs and things about cats. And we get asked so many questions about cats and cats sitting and et cetera, et cetera. I wasn't aware until I looked into it, but do you know, there are more male cat owners than there are female or cat parents than there are female. More males have cats than females. That tells you something. Cat dads, absolutely, they love their cats. And there it will be interesting to know why is it just, I don't know. Yeah, because they apparently sit next to you. They want to sit with you like if you're watching TV, they'll sit next to you. They want to watch, right? Yeah. And right now, women with cats, the political statement in this country. So, it's interesting. So, talking about happy cats. I mean, I can't tell you how many videos or, you know, reels I've seen of cats watching the presidential debate recently. And it's hysterical. And I just saw right before we got on this call, Angela, a cat that was intently watching and jumped at the TV during the debate. And so, I don't know who the cat was rooting for, but I think it was such an entertaining debate that cats and cats love to watch TV and like dogs do too. And some dogs know the commercials and I could do a whole show just on dogs and TV, but cats adore their TV time because they know you're relaxed as well, right? They know this is family time. This is like, we're all going to relax. We're going to watch this and they get involved. And if something is going back and forth, I think the lighting and stuff like that. So, the debate apparently a lot of cats. And I'm just saying, I know that was political and I'm not choosing sides at all on this. But it's funny to me about animals and TV. They want to watch it, you know? So that's why your computer, oh, computers, they love like computer batteries because of the heat. They want to get on your laptop because of the heat and they love the keys because they squish down. So that's a, it's really interesting. Cats are interesting, man. They rub on our computers. Our computers have so many cats since it's not even funny. But they're happy. They're happy that. So they want to be part of it. And, you know, they're wonderful, wonderful animals. And again, go to trusted house sitters.com. They've got lots of blogs that you were talking about, Angela. And I love the fact that trusted house sitters has this 24/7 veterinarian hotline. We've never had to use it. I hope you don't have to ever. But honestly, and that's the thing too. A tip for those who are getting pet sitters in their house and some have done this and I thought, wow, this is a really good, good tip is have, go to your vet before you go on vacation, right? If you, especially if you're going overseas and going for two to three weeks or longer, go to your vet first, have your annual checkup or how many checkups, every six months, have the checkups done. Make sure everything's okay with your cat. And also let your vet know you're going out of town in case there's an incident. So that if a pet sitter calls, they know, oh, yes, this is on file that there may be a pet sitter if there's an incident. Now, if you're, especially if you're taking care of pet sitters, taking care of an elder cat that may have issues or a younger cat that may have medical issues, it's good that your pet, you know, you have a pet community that knows about it. And that goes for all animals, wouldn't you say, Angela? It's really, really important because nobody anticipates that anything's going to happen and it's really very unlikely that it will. However, it's like everything else, you know, prevention is better than cure. And if your veterinarian knows that you're away, the other thing it does too is it actually then puts any decisions that need to be made into the hands of the professional and they will actually, and they know you and they know the animal as well. But yes, I mean, just make those, you know, just make those provisions so that there are no, there's nothing left to chance and there's nothing left to guesswork. Nine times, well, more than nine times, nine and three quarter times out of 10, you will go away and come home and everything will have been absolutely a hundred percent. However, we always like to have that in our back pocket that says, you know what, I've got that extra layer of security around what is going on and where I'm going and I'm going to be away. And it's just peace of mind. It's just peace of mind. You probably will never ever need it. But having it there, it's like insurance. You say, I'm going to have to pay this insurance bill every single year or every single month that I do it. I've never claimed, but you know what, the moment you don't pay it, you're going to need it. So that's always the mindset is prevention is better than cure. Agreed, agreed. Well, always fun chatting with you, Angela. And this was a fun podcast talking about cats. You know, it's so it is to me important to have these discussions. And like you're saying, you know, Angela has been, you know, pet sitting for years, been a pet parent for years. I don't, I don't remember not having animals around me, but if I go through a day without an animal, it's, we start to like where, why isn't anyone rubbing up on my ankles? You know, where's even when we're driving in the car, we're like, well, there's no one in the way, you know, so they really are good companions and our best friends, cats and dogs. So cheers to all of you. Happy cat pet parents. So everyone, again, trusted how sitters.com. Keep up with us at big blend radio.com. Thank you for listening. Thanks for joining us here on Big Blend Radio's pet connection podcast. New episodes air every third Wednesday. Keep up with us at big blend radio.com and learn more about the world of pet sitting at trusted how sitters.com. (dog barking)
Advice on how to take care of cats so that they are entertained, well fed, healthy, happy, and content.
