Sunday Purrs: purging can make you purr

Sunday Purrs| 11 Comments

 cat-on-desk

No, not that kind of purging! What I’m talking about is purging your space of things that no longer serve you. While the picture above shows my desk as cluttered as it ever gets (and no, I do not consider Ruby part of the clutter!), I’m not as good with other spaces in my home, especially the inside of closets. And just because you can close the door on it doesn’t mean it’s not clutter.

I recently went through a couple of weeks of clearing out clutter – everything from books that I know I won’t ever read again to trinkets that no longer have sentimental value and are just gathering dust. In the process, I realized how good it felt to purge. Why, if I was a cat, I just might have been purring.

I was talking to a friend about this, and she pointed out to me that the word “purging” and the word “purr” share the same root. Continue Reading

Allegra’s World: Allegra Gets Advice from Jackson Galaxy

Allegra's World| 14 Comments

Allegra-cat-stretching

It’s been almost a whole month since I got to write something on here. I guess Mom has been so busy writing her own stuff, she hasn’t made room for me! This doesn’t mean that I haven’t been busy myself. Keeping my sister in line is just about a full time job, and I still have to take care of Mom, too. It’s a wonder I find time to nap and play with all of that going on.

And speaking of playing – something really interesting, and fun, has been happening with that here. A couple of weeks ago, Mom was on the phone with this man she calls the Cat Daddy. She asked him a lot of questions about something called My Cat From Hell.

I know what that is! It’s something that happens on the big screen in our living room. I started watching it with Ruby the other night, but I had to leave the room. It was just too frustrating for me. Some of the cats on that show are so upset with their humans, it got me all upset, too. Of course, Ruby wasn’t bothered by any of it. In fact, she practically stuck her nose into that Cat Daddy man’s face!Continue Reading

Nutra-Thrive-Cat

Sunday Purrs: The Value of Sleep

Sunday Purrs| 15 Comments

cat0sleeping-tortoiseshell-cute

We are a sleep deprived society. According to the National Sleep Foundation, we’ve managed to squeeze almost a month of additional work and commuting time into each year. Meanwhile, we’ve sacrificed 2 hours of sleep every night in order to keep up with the increased demands of our fast paced lives. On average, adults are  now sleeping only 7 hours per night as opposed to the 8 hours sleep specialists recommend.

I’m all about learning from our cats, and they are no slouches when it comes to sleeping. The average cat sleeps between 12 and 16 hours a day. And since you don’t see cats stressing out over their to do lists, they must know something we don’t.

While I’m not suggesting that you should strive to sleep 12 to 16 hours a day, I’m betting that many of you don’t even get the recommended 8 hours most nights. Here are some tips that can help you sleep better:Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Healthy Cats, Healthy Human

Sunday Purrs| 20 Comments

cats-on-cat-tree

My cats’ health and happiness is more important to me than just about anything else in my life. I spend a lot of time researching cat health topics, not just for Allegra and Ruby, but also to be able to bring you the latest information on how to keep your feline family members happy and healthy.

As a result of my strong interest in cat health, I also do a lot of research into human health and nutrition. The two go hand in hand for me. I’ve always eaten a reasonably healthy diet. I believe in moderation. While I eat mostly vegetarian, I do eat some fish and seafood, and I’ll even ocassionally indulge myself with some red meat.

My biggest challenge is my wicked sweet tooth. I grew up in Germany, a country with the lovely tradition of the daily afternoon “Kaffee and Kuchen” (coffee and cake) break. It’s a time when Germans take a mid-afternoon break to indulge in a little sweet treat and some conversation with friends or co-workers. When I worked at IBM Germany in the early 80’s, Kaffee and Kuchen break in the company cafeteria was a tradition that was never messed with, no matter how tight a project’s deadlines might have been.Continue Reading

A Pet’s Loss Once Removed Is a Loss No Less

Author's Life| 14 Comments

cat-at-window

As a Reiki Practitioner, I rarely work with young, healthy animals. Most of my feline and canine clients suffer from degenerative diseases such as arthritis, kidney disease, or diabetes. Some are terminally ill. Reiki can help bring healing and balance to these animals by reducing stress, providing pain relief, alleviating side effects of conventional treatments, and strengthening the immune system.

Reiki can be especially beneficial for animals suffering from a terminal illness. I even offer joint treatments for pet and guardian. Often, animals will not allow themselves to transition because they intuitively feel that their person is not ready to let them go. Joint Reiki treatments for the pet and his or her person can help both through this difficult time by enhancing the bond and allowing a gentle transition.

Unfortunately, working with older animals and hospice patients also makes it inevitable that eventually, I’m going to lose these clients. The experience of losing an animal client is unique. It’s different from losing my own cats, but it hurts nevertheless.Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: New Year’s Resolutions

Sunday Purrs| 14 Comments

New Year's Resolutions

Last week, I wrote about New Year’s resolutions to keep your cats happy and healthy. Today, let’s talk about New Year’s resolutions in general. Most people make them. There’s just something irresistible about a new year with its blank slate. The idea of a fresh start has great appeal. Then why is it that year after year, most New Year’s resolutions get broken by the end of January?

I think it’s because there’s an inherent flaw in the term “resolution.” According to Merriam Webster, the definition of resolution is “the act of determining.” There’s nothing there that says we’re actually going to do something. This is why I prefer to set New Year’s intentions. The definition of intention is “a determination to act in a certain way.” The difference is subtle, but one (intention) implies that we are actually determined to do something differently, whereas the other (resolution) simply states that we’ve decided to change something.Continue Reading

Allegra and Ruby’s Excellent Christmas

Allegra's World, Ruby's Reflections| 16 Comments

cats-christmas-tree-Santa

Where is this Santa dude Mom has been telling us about? 

 

This was Ruby’s first Christmas at our house. After the last three years of bittersweet Christmases, I was looking forward to a happy Christmas and to making new memories. As you’ll see in the photos below, the girls had a great time. I was too busy enjoying watching them to take a lot of pictures, but I’ll share the ones I have!

We opened our presents on Christmas Eve. But first, Allegra and Ruby got a little taste of eggnogg.

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Continue Reading

Ruby’s Reflections: Ruby and the Stink Bug, Part Two

Ruby's Reflections| 14 Comments

tortoiseshell-cat-close-up

It’s been a while since I got myself in trouble, but you knew it was only going to be a question of time. Some of you may remember my stink bug adventure from back in October. Yup, you guessed it. I found another one of those creepy little bugs. We had some really warm weather here last week, so maybe he thought it was safe to come out. Little did he know that not only would he have to deal with SuperKitten (aka, me!), he also had to deal with AvengerWoman (Mom).

See, when Mom saw me play with the stink bug, she went ballistic. I guess she still remembered how sick I got after I ate the last one, and she didn’t want that to happen again. She grabbed the bug out from under my nose! I was only playing with him, I wasn’t about to eat him. I’m smarter than that! I remember how awful that first one tasted! I was just having fun!Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Miracles and Second Chances

Sunday Purrs| 40 Comments

Cats come to us in many different ways. Sometimes, we go looking for them. Other times, they find us when we may not even have realized that we were lost. And sometimes, a cat comes to us through what can only be called a miracle.

Three years ago today, such a miracle took place for a stray cat and a friend of mine. I shared the story here on The Conscious Cat two years ago, and I’d like to share it again today. It’s a story of how some encounters are just meant to be. It’s a story of the perseverance of the feline spirit. And it’s a story of the miracles that can happen when we open our hearts.

But why don’t I let my friend tell the story.Continue Reading