Month: August 2012

Allegra’s World: Birthday girl

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It’s my birthday today! I’m three years old! I can’t wait to see what Mom and Ruby have in store for me today.

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It’s hard to believe that I was ever this tiny. When I came to live with Mom, I was seven months old. The photo above was taken the day Mom met me for the first time.

Amber showing Allegra the ropes

My older sister Amber showed me the ropes. I know I probably drove her crazy. All I wanted to do was play, and she didn’t seem to understand that. I was sad when she passed away only five weeks after I arrived.

Allegra and Ruby as kitten

A little less than a year later, I got to be big sister to Ruby and show her the ropes. Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: I Create My World: The Power of Thoughts to Shape Our Lives

 I_Create_My_World_Connie_Bowen

Much has been written about the power of positive thinking and affirmations as tools to a better life. We may not be able to control the world around us, but we can control our thoughts, so why not choose positive ones? Another argument for positive thinking is that it sends out a happier vibration, and since most cats tend to pick up their humans’ energy, cleaning up your thoughts doesn’t just benefit you, it will also make your cats happy.

With I Create My World: The Power of Thoughts to Shape Our Lives, artist Connie Bowen has created a wonderful little book filled with affirmations and colorful, whimsical paintings. Even though the book is not a cat book, there are a couple of adorable cat paintings featured, which is why I decided to share this little gem of a book with you.

The book is aimed at children, and it’s a great way to introduce young children to the concept of positive thinking and affirmations, but I think adults will be equally delighted by this lighthearted approach to the topic. Continue Reading

Allegra’s World: I’m going to be famous!

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There was a lot of excitement at our house last week when I was contacted by a British production company making a special for National Geographic, provisionally called “The Wild Side of Cats.” The program looks at the behavior of domestic cats and examines how that compares to big cat behaviour in the wild.

The production company came across a video clip that I shot of Allegra testing the new Imperial Cat Scratch ‘n Shapes Sofa Scratcher Chaise. I always knew Allegra was a world-champion scratcher, but apparently, her technique in the video clip is so perfect that they might use it for the special they’re filming.

Allegra hasn’t let her potential fame go to her head. She still deigns to spend time with Ruby and me, and aside from occasional remarks such as “I should be fed first, because I’m going to be famous,” she’s taken things in stride.Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Rest

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Guest post by Angie Bailey

No one has to remind a cat to get plenty of rest. When kitty feels tired, she drops what she is doing, curls up and relaxes or dozes until her body feels ready to resume activity. Felines are masters at listening to subtle mental and physical cues. In a world where more is better, most humans still have a difficult time jumping off life’s treadmill and getting the rest their bodies require. Rest doesn’t always mean sleep (although sleep is very important); rest means taking both mental and physical breaks from activity.

I have always had the tendency to go-go-go and then fall into an exhaustive zombie state at the end of the day. I sometimes feel like if I don’t get everything done in a day, I am failing in some way. Sure, I usually accomplish a lot in a day, but at what cost? And who is telling me I “have” to check all the items on my to-do list? Me. I’m the one making the rules and I’m the one who gets to make moment-to-moment choices. As a longtime Type A personality, it’s been a challenge for me to loosen up a bit and consciously build downtime into my day. I feel guilty and think, “I could be doing XYZ instead of reading a book or taking a nap.” The truth is, I always feel refreshed, in a better mood and more mentally alert when I’ve chosen to break from the mad rush of the day. I am undoubtedly grateful I made the choice.

Cats don’t even have to think, “Should I stop birdwatching and take a nap?” Continue Reading

The Conscious Cat celebrates 1000 posts

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The Conscious Cat reached a milestone today: this is our 1000th post!

When I started this site three and a half years ago, I envisioned a rapidly growing site, but the actual growth has exceeded even my wildest dreams. In three years, we have 1000 posts, almost 27,000 comments, 7400 Facebook fans, and 1300 RSS and e-mail subscribers. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

I never could have envisioned the community of cat lovers this site created, both here, and on our Facebook page. None of this would be possible without you, our readers. I appreciate each and every one of you for reading, commenting, and sharing every day!

Conscious Cat readers are passionate about cats, and they’re passionate about providing the best possible life for their cats. It’s a privilege for me to be able to bring you all the latest information on cat health, nutrition and lifestyle. There’s nothing more gratifying for me than knowing that because of something I wrote, a cat’s life has been changed for the better.

Sunday Purrs: restlessness

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You get peace of mind not by thinking about it or imagining it,
but by quietening and relaxing the restless mind. – Unknown

Have you ever met a restless cat? I didn’t think so. Cats do everything they do mindfully. Whether they’re eating, grooming or sleeping, they’re fully present. We could learn a lot from them.

Even though a certain amount of restlessness can propel you out of a rut and toward personal growth, constantly feeling anxious, nervous, agitated or on edge is not good for your mental, spiritual and physical health. I know that whenever I feel restless, it’s usually either because I’m trying to do too much, or because there’s something going on in my life that I’m not willing to deal with.

Regardless of what causes restlessness, the only way to deal with it is to calm your mind. Here are some tips on how to do that:

Spend quiet time alone. You can’t be everything to everybody. Carve out some time for yourself every day, even if it’s only a few minutes.

Change your thought patterns. When you feel restless, Continue Reading

Ruby’s Reflections: Why I love Mom’s Kindle

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Hi everyone, it’s Ruby! Mom is taking a blogging break today, and she said Allegra or I could write something instead. Well, I beat Allegra to the computer, so it’s my turn!

Mom has been busy putting the finishing touches on her new book Purrs of Wisdom, which is going to come out very soon. It’s going to be the best book ever – because I’m on the cover!

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Mom says it’s going to be published on something called a Kindle.  What the heck is a kindle? Is it a kind of small cat? Mom says it’s the thing she’s been reading books on lately. It doesn’t even look like a book, it’s just a flat tablet in a cool pink case. Mom says not all Kindles have that cool pink case, though. But then, it’s no secret that Mom loves the color pink, so I suppose it was inevitable that she would get a cover like that.

love Mom’s Kindle!Continue Reading

Coming soon: Purrs of Wisdom: Conscious Living, Feline Style

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I have always believed that animals come into our lives to teach us. First and foremost, they teach us about unconditional love. But they also teach us to stretch and grow, to reach beyond our self-imposed limits, and to expand our consciousness. I’ve been fortunate to have had a number of these animals in my life, and not surprisingly, most of my animal teachers have been cats.

I feel blessed that I’ve learned to open my heart to the lessons cats have taught me in my life. It all started with Feebee, my first cat, who was not only my primary support during some very dark days, but was also instrumental in guiding me toward a new career in veterinary medicine. He was followed by Amber, the original conscious cat, who is the subject of an upcoming book, and Buckley, the feline master teacher who changed my life in ways I never could have imagined. Allegra and Ruby are carrying on the tradition of teaching cats in my life.

About a year ago, I began sharing some of these feline lessons in conscious living in my Sunday Purrs column every week. The column became extremely popular Continue Reading