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How Kittens Taught a Feral Cat to Love Again #GlobalCatDay

Oct 16 2017

October 16 is Global Cat Day, initiated by Alley Cat Allies since 2001 is intended to rally people around the world to take a pledge to show compassion and kindness to our community cats everywhere. I love that they have renamed it Global Cat Day to expand their reach and message with the realization that community cats all over the world are faced with the same obstacles: local laws wanting to remove them from their natural habitats. Luckily there are individuals and dedicated guardian angels working against all odds to protect and improve the lives of feral cats around the world. Earlier this year I have had the pleasure to have met up with one such cat guardian angel, sociologist and lecturer, Sharyn Spicer at the University of Western Cape, South Africa.

Oct 15 2017

If you’ve been following our series Scratc hing Post Secrets Revealed, perhaps you will remember our debut episode about Ollie’s scratching post sticky note he left for Charlie. He wasn’t happy about Charlie supposedly stealing his treats. Well, this week we interrupt our Caturday Doodle series and follow up with a quick Voodle about Ollie’s expression of displeasure at Charlie’s pilfering ways. Ollie felt his sticky note message fell on deaf ears so he decided to confront the issue, paw on. Read More

Why Food Puzzles are Vital to Cat Health

Oct 11 2017

There is no doubt cats are one of the most pampered pets on the planet. We dote on their little darling faces, they walk all over us and they have programmed us to adhere to their feeding schedules. Whether it’s free-feeding all day long or convincing us with sweet songs of ‘Acatpella’ that they will certainly die of starvation if not fed this minute, we cater to every feline whim and fancy. But serving them on silver platters is doing them more harm than good. Feline obesity in cats is on the rise and that spells bad news for their health and wellbeing. October 11 is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day so we thought It’s time to bring out your cat’s “inner cat” and make him do what comes naturally – hunt for his food.

Lola sneezes in Lexy's face while she is being groomed.

Oct 07 2017

Cats Scratch Their Sticky Note Texts

Cat siblings have an awful lot to say to each other. In last week’s Caturday Doodle, Ollie made it known that he was not happy with Charlie taking all the treats so he left a kitty sticky note text on the scratching post, as cats do. We thought it would be fun to gather some sticky notes from other cats too and we were happy to see the sticky notes from all sorts of opinionated and disgruntled kitties pouring in.

Oct 02 2017

Hello, it’s Scout here and I present this week’s Marvelous Monday Haiku. Fall is my favorite time of the year because I like to collect leaves and bring them inside for the Big Man Cat while he works. I think he appreciates the sentiment. My job as interior decorator is made so much easier too because the catio is one messy jungle with an array of different colored leaves ranging from the rich chartreuse of the Kolomikta Kiwi vine to the browns and reds from the tree. Some really stoic, cheery sunflowers are still out and have not given up and the heady scent from the purple catmint blooms gives Mr. Jack sunset zoomies in the tunnel.

Cat Communication: Scratching Post Secrets Revealed

Oct 01 2017

A scratching post is a vital communication tool used by cats and is also their podium for leaving little scent messages for their fellow feline housemates.

cat communication and scratching post cartoon

“Charlie, stop stealing my treats” signed, Ollie

The Silent Treatment

Cats display an array of vocalizations for cat-human communication but when it comes to communicating with other cats, they give each other the silent treatment. In the world of cats this is not a bad thing, in fact, their world is rich with scent messages and stimuli which they are busy decoding every second. Imagine how rich their scent vocabulary must be to be able to establish their little cat hierarchies and time-sharing schedules in their multi-cat homes. Cats will generally avoid confrontation and would rather just leave a little scent message to their housemates to get a point across. They certainly do have lots to say to each other and in order to live happy and enriched lives with their feline housemates and people, they need a platform to communicate their feelings, viewpoints, and grievances.

Sep 27 2017

It seems that cats have it made. The internet worships them and judging by those viral Youtube videos, they rule their households with a firm furry paw.

“Hey Mr. Dog, I need your bed if you don’t mind, thanks, you’re too kind!”

But despite this overall perception of a cat’s elevated status as Ruler of the Drooler, cats are still largely misunderstood. Cats are viewed as independent, aloof and in need of less medical and preventative care than dogs, but this could not be further from the truth. September is Happy Cat Month, an event in its 7th year running, created by the Catalyst Council, to help promote the health and well-being of our purry felines, focusing on the different ways to ensure your cat is happy, enriched and healthy. Read More

Light your Candle for Orphan Pets! #RememberTheRescue

Sep 22 2017

Remember Me Thursday cat shines a light for pet adoption

Mr. Jack shines a light for pets waiting in shelters for their forever homes.

Remember Me Thursday has arrived and we’re reminding you to hop on over to the Remember Me Thursday photo contest! If you are passionate about pet rescue, love social media and you are a proud pet parent of an adorable rescue pet, the contest is something you do not want to miss. What is the last photo you took on your phone? I bet it’s your cat, dog or rabbit and you actually have tons! Below Mr. Jack explains how easy it is to enter to win fabulous prizes for your favorite pet rescue organization or shelter, but first, he talks about his brief brush with homelessness. Read More

Help us Shine a Light on Pet Adoption #RememberMeThursday

Sep 13 2017

We are delighted to be teaming up with Helen Woodward Animal Center for a very special event, Remember Me Thursday^®, to be held on September 28, 2017. This unique worldwide event honors those pets who have lost their lives while waiting for their forever homes and shines a light on those still waiting. Here at the Chirpy Cats household, we get excited and emotional when talking about pet adoption, since we have 8 adopted cats abandoned for various reasons and we want to spread the word and meow it from the ~~rooftops~~ cat trees! Read More

Caturday Voodle: Scout the Tough Tortie confesses her weakness

Sep 02 2017

There’s nothing better in life than being a tough tortie like me. Let me tell you, Mr. Jack may rule the Chirpies but try as he may, he cannot overpower me. I’m tough as nails! Charlie and Jimmy know better than to walk into my bubble. They will most certainly feel the wrath of a tortie paw to the face!

SmartCat All Natural cat litter Giveaway Winner!

Aug 31 2017

We recently posted a review on SmartCat All Natural litter from Pioneer^®Pet Products, the greener choice of cat litter made from 100% U.S. grass. Easier to carry, easier to scoop, easier to clean, we were eager for one lucky reader to let their kitties dig their paws into this stuff.

There are many reasons why we really like this litter, but if you asked me to think of just one, it would be that it’s 99% dust free, and we’re not kidding! Kitties and pet parents, remove your dust masks and breathe freely; no more kicking up toxic clay residue on soft pawsies!

Sunday Selfie: Sweet Jelly beans and other assorted flavors

Aug 27 2017

They’re soft, oval, smooth and come in a variety of assorted hues, such as pink, black and chocolate. When we look at them, we might be forgiven for thinking they’re sweet. They’re neatly embedded in and surrounded by what seems to be a floof of cotton candy in a rich variety of colors. In some cases there’s more floof than beans! If you’re just as obsessed with kitty bean toes as we are, you would have gathered by now that we’re not talking about a bag of candies or licorice allsorts, we’re talking about kitty jelly beans!

Aug 26 2017

Hello furriends! We are happy to introduce our first Caturday Voodle and we hope you like it!

What the cat is a #caturdayvoodle, you may ask?

As some of you may know most Caturdays we feature Caturday Doodles which include drawings of some of the funny antics we get up to. Since we like doing cat videos too, we have created a new segment in Cat Fun called Caturday Voodles which will include some funny little video and voice snippets of us Chirpies doing what we do best; whether it’s causing mischief, playing with our toys, snoozing, playing patty cake and other fun cat stuff. As we always insist that our voices be heard, our Caturday Voodles also include our unique voices too! So there you have it, that’s a Caturday Voodle!

Changing routines: How to pet more and stress less

Aug 21 2017

Marvelous Monday Haiku with Scout

Hello, friends, I’m Scout the feisty tortie and I present today’s Marvelous Monday Haiku. When you don’t have to go to school or work there’s nothing much to worry about other than where to find the best sun puddles at 10 am, why Charlie seems to get special food and why yellow fluffy bees bother me while I’m trying to take a snooze. I know these woes, though real, pale in comparison to human’s daily lamenting about things like Mondays, traffic, bosses, and bills. Read More

The ultimate green litter choice for smart cats (giveaway)

Aug 18 2017

Cats and their guardians have never had it this good since the days of fireplace ashes and sawdust cat litters of the 1950’s. With the arrival and popularity of clumping clay litter, there has never been a better time to be an indoor cat. Clay litter has stood the test of time, both for convenience and superior odor control. But with the increase of consumer awareness surrounding issues such as biodegradability, renewability and health concerns, most clay litters do not fare well. But there are greener choices offering the same convenience together with a whole lot more added benefits to you and your kitty companions.
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The black cat that walked by himself

Aug 17 2017

“Lost our old black cat since Tuesday. Last seen on our front porch.”

Whenever I see these lost cat posters stuck on our mail box I feel sad for the owners and their cats. But this one stopped me in my tracks. I knew the cat in this poster. Cachou is a regular visitor to our backyard, but strange, I had not seen him in weeks.
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Sunny faces delight the Chirpy Cats catio

Aug 06 2017

Summer is not over until the lady with the golden crown has sung her sweet cheery song of delight and optimism. Yes, the sunflowers have finally shown their bright vibrant faces and we are loving it! Sarabi and Mr. Jack make the most of a sunny Sunday in the tunnel while the sunflowers belt out their dramatic arias with “Hello, we’re here!”

Jul 31 2017

Water is the essence of life on earth. 71 Percent of the earth’s surface is water, 50-65% of the average human body is made up of water. But did you know that the body water content of your cat is as high as 70-80%? Our pets need 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight for optimal health, cell and organ function, but most domestics cats are nowhere near that quota. Why is this the case?

Our domestic cats have a low thirst drive and the answer lies in their genetics and ancestry.

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Our four-pawed fluffy house hunters are descended from the African wild cat (Felis Sylvestris Lybica) living in and around the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East. They have evolved to derive most of their water requirements from the prey they consume and have adapted to conserve water efficiently; resting in shaded bushes during the heat of the day, hunting in the early evening or morning and drinking water when available. Our domestic cats have kept many of these traits despite living in an environment far removed from the wild. For this reason, we have to offer up some inviting hydration “watering hole” solutions to prevent dehydration, which can lead to many serious complications and illnesses.

How to find your Monday gem with Mr. Jack

Jul 24 2017

Mr. Jack presents today’s Marvelous Monday Haiku and he hopes you find your moment of truth, your hidden gem, your ray of hope tucked away somewhere in your bleak and busy Monday. He has, and he’s delighted to show you how.

7 Tips to turn your bully cat into a team player.

Jul 17 2017

When your cat goes around giving everyone in his path a powder puff for no reason, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s aggressive. There’s one in every multicat household and through no fault of his own, he’s labeled the “bully cat.” When we add more cats to an already established group, it causes a shift in the cat hierarchy. The shift may be as obvious as a stare down and a brawl with fur flying or it may be very subtle, such as blocking the pathway to a litter box. The resident high ranking cat may or may not relinquish his title as top cat … at first, or maybe never.

Mr. Jack, watch your back!

But that doesn’t stop the cat with ambitions to keep trying by asserting his dominance to the rest of the clan through undesirable behaviors. This could include anything from relentlessly ambushing and chasing a timid, docile cat, guarding litter boxes, taking ownership of toys, games, sun puddles and refusing to time share.

Someday, Mr. Jack, I shall usurp the throne. Watch your back!

Right now in your multi-cat home, there is most likely a daily episode of Game of Thrones at play.