Smoky, my loveable trouble maker cat

Smoky is fascinated by water and has a sixth sense to find a glass with water in it.   He just broke his 5th glass by knocking it off the kitchen counter!  He quuickly found the whispy grass like stems in the flowers Bob gave me for Valentines Day and has pulled all four of them out and drags them around the house.  Sabrina likes the flowers too but she just sits by them and sniffs them.

He loves his pink feather boa on a pole and drags that around, it is 4 feet long, and into the bedroom.   Oh, did I mention it has a bell on it so in the middle of the night I hear the bell when he plays with it.

This morning he jumped on the nightstand again, he still pulls open the drawers in my jewelry box and drags stuff out, and managed to walk on the remote control for our bed and turned on the vibrating massage feature.   Imagine our surprise when from a sound sleep we wake up and the bed is vibrating!

He certainly keeps us entertained.

 

Smoky and his feather toy

Happy Valentines Day to all my friends

A Valentine Poem for my friends

Valentine treasures are people who
have often crossed your mind,
family, friends and others, too,
who in your life have shined
the warmth of love or a spark of light
that makes you remember them;
no matter how long since you’ve actually met,
each one is a luminous gem,
who gleams and glows in your memory,
bringing special pleasures,
and that’s why this Valentine comes to you:
You’re one of those sparkling treasures! 

By Joanna Fuchs

The photo above is of Smoky and Sabrina cuddled up
when they were kittens

Happy Valentines Day
You are all very special to us and we are glad you are in our life.

Fay, Bob, Smoky and Sabrina

Beautiful Black Cat needs a home

My friend Bill has been feeding this beautiful black cat for the last year and he really needs a forever home.   Bob and I just went to meet him.   He is about one year old and solid black with big yellow eyes.   He has been neutered, has all his shots and the vet gave him a clean bill of health.  He looks really healthy and I think would quickly adjust to a new home.   He is out in Travelers Rest, not far from Furman.    Please open your heart and your home to this beautiful cat.  Contact me and I will tell you how you can meet him.

Smoky and my jewelery box drawers

Just wanted to let you all know that Smoky now knows how to open up more than one drawer.   He got into a different one this morning.

Smoky, Smoky, Smoky

What am I going to do with you?

I watched you this morning from my bed as you jumped on the night stand and went immediately to the drawer you learned to open a couple days ago.   It took  about two seconds for you to use your paw to pull open the drawer using the drawer knob.   I scolded you and tried  four times to push you off the night table but your 17 pounds didn’t want to move.  You obviously were having a lot of fun exploring the little drawer and pulling it’s contents out and dropping them on the floor.  You especially seemed to like a little pin I have that has fluffy stuff on it like fur.   You are lucky the pin on the back of it didn’t stick you.

Bob finally had to get out of bed and move you and shoo you out of the bedroom.  That lasted about two minutes and you were back up on the nightstand trying to open the drawer again.

I think I have a problem.   How long will it take you to realize there are eight more drawers to open?    Sabrina quickly figured out if you were having fun there  she had to go check it out too.   At least so far she hasn’t learned how to open a drawer but knowing her it won’t take long.   Naughty kitty but I have to admit it is really funny too.

A few words from Smoky and Sabrina

Smoky and Sabrina asked me to give you an update from them.

Sabrina says “Smoky and I were good friends when we first came to Fay and Bob’s house.   We would even sleep in the same chair together.We chase each other around and for the most part get along ok.   Until last week.  Smoky got in a fight with me and he was really a bad kitty.   He weighs almost twice as much as I do and I couldn’t get away.   Bob had to pull Smoky off me.  Now I’m kind of scared of him.   I didn’t get bit but I sure didn’t like it. Fay and Bob and I can’t figure out what happened.   He is usually such a gentle cat.”

Smoky says “When I want my food and water in the morning and Fay and Bob aren’t up yet I go knock things over.   I have broken three glasses by hitting them into the bathroom sink so now they have plastic glasses.   I also knock over toothbrushes, lotion bottles and anything else on the bathroom counter.   When that doesn’t work I go on Fay’s night stand and knock stuff off.  There is a big jewelery box with drawers and knobs.   This morning I figured out how to pull open the drawers and pull stuff off.   I did it twice and it was so much fun.  That got Fay up.”

Sabrina gets the last word: “I like to hunt so much and I am a very good little hunter.   Smoky only has caught bugs.  I have brought home lots of lizards to Fay and Bob, most of them alive.   Sometimes they forget to do “mouth check” on me and I get to bring them in the house and let them go.   This morning I was an especially good hunter.   I brought a chipmunk home.   I just grabbed it by the fur on the top of it’s neck like I would carry a little kitten.  I didn’t hurt it, and carried it up the steps and sat by the sliding glass door waiting for Fay to see me.   She was so excited, she went and got Bob so I could show him my catch.   This is the biggest thing I ever caught.  I got excited when Bob came and dropped the chipmunk and it ran away and Bob wouldn’t let me chase it.  I take such good care of my family.”

Fay says “That’s life with our two fur children.  I couldn’t figure out what the big think in Sabrina’s mouth was.  I could see it still very much alive.  We’ve been keeping an eye on Smoky so that he doesn’t pick on Sabrina.   I don’t know what got into him to attack her.  Now I am trying to figure out how I can keep Smoky out of the 9 drawers in my jewelery box.   He could really make a mess of things.”

Tour of Greenville Humane Society

Greenville Humane Society is one of the charities that Greenville Newcomers is supporting this year and I am the philanthropy co chair.  Yesterday I coordinated a tour of the new facility which is about 10,000 sq. feet.   We had a dozen people on the tour and our guide Paula Church had our complete attention, that is until we got to the kittens and puppies.

It is a no kill shelter and adopts out about 5000 animals a year.   Impressive what they are doing to keep the place very clean and safe for the animals.  They also provide to the general public vet services, medicine, toys, pet grooming at very affordable prices.  They even have “Yappy Hour” once a month to bring people together.  You can also put in your request for a particular breed or type of size and they will contact you when one comes in that meets your criteria.  A couple people on the tour were very interested in that.   There was one little black 8 week old female kitten that really liked me but Bob, Smoky and Sabrina made me promise I would not come home with another cat.   She was so sweet.

I would say it is an award winning facility and one that other shelters could learn from.      Smoky and Sabrina were adopted from their old building.   As you can see they stay close by and keep me company.

Living with the cats

When I was gone last weekend Bob accidentally shut Sabrina in the garage all night.   He didn’t hear her at all.   I’m sure I would have.   Anyway, she shredded the plastic molding around the door as she was scratching to get in.  Now Bob has to replace it before winter.   You can see through the door.   Poor little girl!  She can be pretty noisy so I am surprised he didn’t hear her cry.

Bob and I woke up this morning at 7:30 to the crash of glass shattering on the bathroom floor.   Smoky decides he wants to wake us up so he gets his water in the sink and he is persistent about knocking stuff over by the sink or any where else he can jump too.   Bob knows this and after the first glass broke Bob puts his glass way back in the corner of the vanity section between our two sinks.   The counter has numerous plastic containers of lotion, toothpaste, etc. but he has to go for the glass glass.   Little stinker.   It worked and Bob got up, at least for a little while.

Don’t they look sweet and innocent in this photo when they were kittens?

An interesting day with a beautiful ending

Bob and I went to the Riley Institute and Furman sponsored program on the “Disparities in the Legal System” and heard from a public defender and an attorney in the juvenile justice system.  I left the program both encouraged  and depressed.  Budget cuts and no new taxes take such a heavy tole on those most vulnerable people in our society.   We heard a similar story  last week when the topic was education.  While MN may complain about high taxes, living in a state where they are low is nothing to be proud of.

On a positive note, the 95 degree temp and high humidity have left and I am enjoying 80 degree weather out on the screened porch watching a stunning sunset with black sky contrasted with beautiful pink, red, orange colors.  The fan on the porch makes it very comfortable.   Am I becoming a southern girl?

The two cats seem to not care about the hot temperatures but I worry about them and only let them out for a little while.  I have to carry them in or push them inside.   Smoky loves to lounge on the cement in the garage where it gets very warm.  Goofy cats.

Miss Sabrina and Mr Smoky have such healthy fur

A post from the cats Sabrina and Smoky

For quite a few months Fay and Bob have been giving each of us a little bit of fish oil on our nightly treat.   Smoky is especially excited about the results so he gets to tell his story first.

Mr Smoky says “My fur has never been very nice.   I shed a lot and my grey fur was dull, not shiny and worst of all I had lots of dander.   Fay and Bob brush me and tried treatments to make it better but I don’t like being brushed very much and only sit still for a short time.   Now after getting my fish oil for months my fur is nice and shiny and I have almost no dander any more.  I look so handsome.”

Miss Sabrina says “I have always had really pretty fur.  My short black coat is shiny and smooth and I don’t shed much.   Now my fur is not quite as shiny but is it every fluffy and soft.  We aren’t quite sure if it is the fish oil or my summer fur coat or both but I sure like it when Fay pets me and tells me how soft I am.”

Fish oil also has many other benefits for dogs and cats, just like it does for humans.   Here is some information from http://www.judyshealthcafe.com/fishoil.htm.   Fay gets our fish oil from the Vet.  She pokes a hole in each capsule and squeezes it on our treat.   She sure would like to find it as drops, it would be so much easier.

Fish Oil Can Help Keep Your Dogs And Cats Healthy

Fish oil has shown positive benefits in helping dogs and cats with disease. Omega 3 fatty acids are among the most commonly used nutritional supplements used in treating pets. Fish oil helps keep your dogs and cats healthy! Veterinarians first used omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil to treat canine and feline allergies but now recommend it for a wide variety of conditions ranging from kidney disease to arthritis and high cholesterol. Adding fish oil to your pet’s food provides anti-inflammatory effects, can help relieve itching and scratching and allergy related skin conditions.

Fish Oil and Healthy Pets

In research studies, fish oil has shown positive benefits in helping pets with disease. Fatty acids are among the most commonly used nutritional supplements used in treating dogs and cats. Fortunately,they have been used successfully long enough that most conventional veterinarians include their usage in the treatment of at least some diseases. Though some pet diets may include Omega-3 fatty acids, virtually none include satisfactory amounts of the most important Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Many pet foods contain primarily Omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils resulting in a highly unbalanced ratio of Omega-6s to Omega-3s. Research has shown that a ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 of 5:1 to 10:1 is optimal for dogs and cats and therefore supplementing with a high quality Omega-3 fish oil supports pet health.

Omega 3 oils support heart, vision and joint health, provide important nutrients for proper immune function, and nourish the skin and coat. First suggested for use in treating allergies in pets, they are now advocated in cases of kidney disease, elevated cholesterol, and arthritis as well. Veterinarians are discovering that fatty acids can be valuable for a variety of conditions. Fish oil supplementation may be helpful for pets with inflammatory diseases including allergies, arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, and cancers. Pets with any type of inflammatory disease may benefit from fish oil supplementation. In general, more severe disease requires doses higher than those commonly recommended.

Fish oil is very effective in some pets with allergies and skin disease. It is easy to administer (via gel caps or liquid) and can reduce the amount of corticosteroid or antihistamine needed to control itching. Most pets take either form well. For pets that are difficult to “pill,” the liquid form is quite popular. Owners of dogs and cats 20 pounds and under find the liquid form more cost effective than the large bottle of fatty acid capsules that we prescribe. The response is variable in other diseases (such as kidney disease) but fish oil appears effective in research studies. In pets with some types of cancer, fish oil has slowed down the growth and spread of the cancer. While more studies are needed on other types of cancer, the general recommendation is to add fish oil to the diets of all pets with cancer.

As with other supplements, the use of fatty acids often allows doctors to lower the dosages of drugs such as corticosteroids or antihistamines. Choosing a high quality Omega-3 fish oil supplement with exceptional purity and freshness, as well as, high levels of Omega-3s is key to supporting pet health.

Fish Oil Benefits

Now it’s time to give our pets the benefits of the tremendous healing properties of fish oil.

We know intuitively that our pets enrich our lives, so it is not surprising that a growing number of scientific studies are demonstrating the positive effects that animals can have on human health and development. Here is just a partial list of the health benefits of pet ownership, as reported by the Delta Society, a non-profit foundation that promotes research on the bond between humans and their animals:

• Pet owners have lower blood pressure. (Friedmann, 1983, Anderson 1992)
• Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels than non-owners. (Anderson, 1992)
• Pet owners have better psychological well-being. (Serpel, 1990)
• Seniors who own dogs go to the doctor less than those who do not. In a study of 100 Medicare patients, even the most highly stressed dog owners had 21 percent fewer physician contacts than
  non-dog owners. (Siegel, 1990)
• Contact with pets develops nurturing behavior in children who may grow to be more nurturing
  adults. (Melson, 1990)
• Having a pet may decrease heart attack mortality by 3%. This translates into 30,000 lives saved annually in the U.S. alone. (Friedman, 1980)
• Children’s cognitive development can be enhanced by owning a pet. (Poresky, 1988)
• Children owning pets are more involved in activities such as sports, hobbies, clubs or chores.
  (Melson, 1990)
• Children exposed to pets during the first year of life have a lower frequency of allergic rhintis and asthma. (Hesselmar, 1999)
• Autistic children with pets are more highly socialized and are less self-absorbed. (Redefer, 1989)

Given the strong emotional bonds between humans and animals, it is not surprising that many of us will do almost anything to secure the health and well-being of our pets. According to estimates from the most recent National Pet Owners’ Survey, Americans in 2005 will spend $17 billion on veterinary care and medicine, and those costs are rising sharply.

It is an accepted medical fact that the same treatments are often found to be equally effective in both humans and animals. In fact, the US Food and Drug Administration reports that, since the passage of the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994 (AMDUCA), it has been legal for veterinarians to treat pets with human drugs that have not been approved for animals. Fish oil, of course, is not a drug. Adding it to your pet’s food may very well be one of the best things you can do to help your animal companion to fight infections and to defend against debilitating chronic ailments. With fish oil, you will also know that the benefits you see are real.

How Quickly Will My Pet Benefit From Omega 3 Supplements?

While the pet begins benefiting quickly, you may not notice a difference for 3-4 months. The pet’s body will change from the inside out—first the individual cells, then tissues, then organs. Gradually you’ll notice the coat and skin become more radiant. When you see this, you’ll know the internal organs, including the kidneys, liver, heart, and brain, are also experiencing more radiant health.

Because fats are an expensive component of pet foods, many commercial foods do not contain high levels, especially of the Omega 3 fatty acids. Most pets benefit from fatty acid supplements.

Fish Oil Purity

We have no one but ourselves to blame for the toxic contaminants found in fish oil. These toxins include mercury (from the burning of coal), PCBs (used in electrical insulation), and dioxins (the active ingredient in defoliants used in the Vietnam War). Although production of PCBs and dioxins has long been banned, they rarely break down and thus accumulate in the marine food chain that ends with fish. These toxins are known carcinogens and neurotoxins. In fact, the levels in the Eskimo population, who consume large amounts of fatty fish rich in EPA and EPA, are well above the safety standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO), and recent studies indicate that they are approaching the upper limits of safety in the Japanese population.

Here lies the dilemma - how to remove these toxins to obtain all the tremendous health benefits of EPA and DHA. The solution was the development of a new manufacturing process for producing ultra refined EPA/DHA concentrates.

Buyer Beware!

If you or someone you know is using a fish oil that is not tested by an independent laboratory for concentration, purity and stability, it’s buyer beware. Ask the manufacturer of that fish oil what it is trying to hide. It’s one thing to print pharmaceutical-grade on a label, it’s quite another to actually make a truly “pharmaceutical grade ultra refined” fish oil.

Fish Oil Manufacturing

It’s very difficult to remove the toxins out in fish oil. That’s why most fish oils sold in health-food stores and supermarkets should be considered the “sewer of the sea.”  Since the contaminants in fish are oil-soluble, all the toxic contaminants are concentrated in the crude fish oil. Not a very appealing thought if you are taking fish oil for its “health” benefits. Obviously, all crude fish oil is highly contaminated. If you do some minimal processing, you can get rid of the mercury, but not the PCBs and dioxins. This minimally processed product is what you get when you purchase inexpensive brands of fish oil. In other words, you will also be ingesting a good dose of PCBs and dioxins. Slightly more expensive fish oils are given a “touch-up” via crude distillation to remove some of the cholesterol and slight amounts of the remaining toxins, but the EPA and DHA concentration is low. Therefore, to get an adequate dose of these critical long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, you have to consume large amounts of fish oil and, thus, large amounts of toxic contaminants. If you break apart the fatty acids to make ethyl esters, then it is possible to concentrate the oils to higher levels, but the PCBs and dioxins still remain.