All posts by Jennie Richards

Holidays, Medical & Health Care

Parade Float Promotes Spaying and Neutering Cats

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With so many homeless, abandoned and feral cats living in our communities, our parade float in the Pleasant Hill 4th of July Parade raised awareness in our community about the tremendous need for spaying and neutering cats.

Champions of Spaying and Neutering Cats
Parade float promotes spaying and neutering cats
Our Cat Spay and Neuter Parade Float

The 4th of July is associated with loads of venerable traditions including town parades, barbecues, picnics, fireworks, and events paying tribute to our nation’s independence. For me, this July 4th commemorated my first ever town parade that I participated in and one with a very important message to communicate—the need for spaying and neutering cats!

Our formal float name was the “Champions of Spaying and Neutering our Animals.” Our float was the creative idea of a woman in my cat rescue group who is a luminary in planning and executing events and has a history of participating in town parades. As visionaries do, she saw in her mind exactly how to visually communicate the message of spaying and neutering to a large audience, then took action to fulfill her idea.  Continue reading Parade Float Promotes Spaying and Neutering Cats →

Medical & Health Care

Anesthesia-Free Dental Cleaning for Cats — Warning, Proceed with Caution

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There’s no shortcut to giving cats good dental care. Beware of the new trend in anesthesia-free dental cleaning for cats and dogs, and my advice – is avoid it like the plague.

The best dental care is always at the vet under anesthesia checking for and filling cavities, cleaning plaque and gums, extracting teeth if needed, and polishing the teeth. Beware of petfood stores advertising “Teeth Cleaning Without Anesthesia for Cats and Dogs.” Though it sounds good, my experience with two cats could not have been worse, and could have led to serious, long-term dental issues if I hadn’t gone straight to my vet afterwards for an in-hospital dental cleaning under anesthesia. Continue reading Anesthesia-Free Dental Cleaning for Cats — Warning, Proceed with Caution →

Cat Care Tips, Library & Resources

Most Toxic Plants for Cats, Lilies and More

With Easter right around the corner and springtime here, it’s time to highlight the list of the most poisonous and toxic plants for cats.

Most Toxic Plants for Cats
The Lily is Extremely Toxic and Deadly for Cats

Many people give and receive lilies for Easter, but know that lilies are considered highly toxic and poisonous to cats—they are so severely poisonous they are in fact deadly.

The reported mortality rate for lilies is as high as 100% if left untreated later than 18 hours after ingestion.

For cats that even ingest a small amount of most types of lilies, severe kidney failure can occur within 36 hours. Just the yellow-orange pollen that falls off the stamen onto your table or counter is lethally poisonous to cats. Since cats groom, if the pollen gets onto your cat’s fur, be sure to wash it off with water or a wet towel, and make sure there are no traces left. Continue reading Most Toxic Plants for Cats, Lilies and More →

Library & Resources

List of Cat Rescue Groups in the U.S.

Looking for a cat rescue group near you? Wanting to adopt a rescue cat or volunteer for a rescue group?

Here are resource lists of cat rescue groups in the U.S. 

State List of Shelters and Rescue Organizations

There are public and private animal rescue organizations located in all 50 United States and the District of Columbia. These shelters, rescues, and organizations are there to provide assistance to animals in need as well as assisting those who can no longer take care of their animals. 

https://www.dogloversdigest.com/adoption/state-list-of-shelters-and-rescue-organizations/

Search for Animal Welfare Groups by Location

https://www.petfinder.com/animal-shelters-and-rescues/search/

Continue reading List of Cat Rescue Groups in the U.S. →

Cat Care Tips, Elderly Cat Care, Medical & Health Care

Medicating and Pilling Cats – How to Make it Easier, Safer and Healthier for Your Cat 

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If you have a cat at home chances are really good that sometime in your cat’s lifetime you will need to medicate them, especially as they transition into their senior years. Sometimes cats can be challenging to pill or medicate, but there are some techniques that will make medicating them easier, less stressful, more effective and healthier for them. Here are some important things to know and follow when medicating your cat.

Why Dry Pilling and Dry Swallowing is Bad For Cats

Have you ever taken a pill without water? Ouch, it’s not fun. Well the same goes for cats. Without chasing a pill down with water or liquid afterwards the pill can get lodged in the throat and irritate the lining of the esophagus. Dry swallowing can cause a pill to go down painfully and slowly, and can even damage the delicate tissues lining the esophagus. Dry pilling can cause choking, gagging, reflux, heartburn, esophagitis, esophageal injury and strictures, and even cause aspiration. There have been case studies where dry pilling certain medications (including Clindamycin and Doxycycline) have resulted in severe injury to cats and in some cases, even death when these cats were dry pilled. One study noted that “After five minutes 84 percent of capsules and 64 percent of tablets are still sitting in the esophagus,” when dry swallowed. (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, Volume 8, Issue 6, Dec. 2006: 412-419) Another study that appeared in a veterinary journal found that following dry swallows, “No pills were in the stomach at 30 and 60 seconds, and only 6 percent of the pills were in the stomach at 90 seconds. At 5 minutes, only 36 percent of the pills were in the stomach. For wet swallows that were followed by 6 ccs of water, 90 percent of the pills were in the stomach.” (Journal of Western Internal Medicine, 2001, Sept-Oct: 15: 467-70)

Continue reading Medicating and Pilling Cats – How to Make it Easier, Safer and Healthier for Your Cat  →

Cat Care Tips

How to Protect Your Pet With a Pet Trust, Will and Pet Protection Agreement

Have you thought about what will happen to your cat if you become ill, or incapacitated and must move into a care facility, or you unexpectedly die? Have you made permanent arrangements for your cat after you’re gone?

More than 500,000 pets that were loved and cared for are euthanized every year in U.S. animal shelters because their caregivers became incapacitated or died and they made no prior arrangements for the ongoing care of their pet. In addition, around 360,000 cats are euthanized in shelters in the U.S. due to being abandoned, or forfeited to a shelter. This is tragic, but it doesn’t have to happen. Here’s how to protect your pet with a pet trust, will and pet protection agreement.

It’s critical to have a plan in place for when you die. Your plan should include two elements: an emergency plan that goes into effect to provide immediate care for your pet, and a long-term plan through a trust or pet agreement that is shared with a good friend, relatives, and neighbors. This will ensure that your pet receives the immediate care needed and promptly goes into the right hands that know your plan.

Continue reading How to Protect Your Pet With a Pet Trust, Will and Pet Protection Agreement →

Elderly Cat Care, Medical & Health Care

Don’t Ignore the Signs of Dental Disease in Cats

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Cats Need Dental CareFebruary is Dental Awareness Month, so it’s a perfect time to start the year off right by providing good dental care for your cat. Dental or periodontal disease can lead to many serious health and medical issues if left untreated. And untreated dental disease can be very painful for your cat and can even cause them to stop eating. The key to good dental care and managing dental disease is prevention.

Dental disease and oral tumors can start in cats as young as 1-2 years old so it’s important to have your cat’s mouth, gums and teeth evaluated starting when they are young. Gum disease is an infection that results from a build-up of dental plaque or bacteria on the surfaces of the teeth around the gum line. If plaque is allowed to accumulate it can lead to infection in the bone surrounding the teeth. The gums will then become inflamed causing bleeding and oral pain. Inflammation can progress affecting both soft and bony tissues causing gum disease, bone loss, and periodontal damage. When severe periodontal disease is present bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream and damage the kidneys, heart and liver.

Continue reading Don’t Ignore the Signs of Dental Disease in Cats →

Cat Care Tips, Elderly Cat Care, Medical & Health Care

Does Your Cat Have High Blood Pressure?

Feline high blood pressure or hypertension can be a dangerous problem for your cat’s health. If left untreated it can affect your cat’s organs including their eyes, kidneys, heart and even brain. A simple blood pressure test can be done during your cat’s annual veterinary exam to quickly determine if your cat’s blood pressure is in the normal range. Detecting it early is the key to success and will minimize damage to vital organs.

Cats that are particularly vulnerable to developing hypertension are often older cats as well as cats that have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, diabetes, heart or hyperthyroid disease. If your cat has been diagnosed with any of these diseases, you want to watch carefully for the signs and symptoms of hypertension, and get annual or bi-annual veterinary exams to avoid the possible damage caused to organs by hypertension. Since it’s more common in older cats, you’ll want to include regular blood pressure checks in your annual exams starting with cats that are 8 years of age and older. For cats that are 14 years and older, include a blood pressure test in their bi-annual exam.

Continue reading Does Your Cat Have High Blood Pressure? →

My Rescue Cats, Tributes

A Tribute to the Sweetest Cat in the World

A Tribute to the Sweetest Cat in the World

On March 8, 2023, I said my final goodbyes to the sweetest, most loving cat in the world, Maggie. Maggie spent her final hours laying contentedly swaddled in warm blankets outside listening to the trills, whistles, chirps and croaks of the birds waking up to the early morning sun, while she bathed in the warmth of the sun’s rays. Maggie was so relaxed and happy being in her favorite place on the patio. These were her last moments and they were good ones. When my veterinarian arrived, I brought Maggie inside. Still warm from the sun—the patio door wide open for her to still hear the birds, she seemed contented and peaceful. Lying on her favorite raised cat bed, I thanked her for all the unconditional love, companionship and friendship she shared so sweetly with me for the past 18 years. Through all the ups and downs of my life, Maggie was always there for me with her sweet love, the kindest eyes, and her loving paw that she would rest on my hand. While hearing my voice expressing my deepest gratitude for her, she quietly fell into a deep sleep and left us. Gone was the suffering, anxiety, pain and physical decline that she had been experiencing the weeks prior.

Continue reading A Tribute to the Sweetest Cat in the World →
Medical & Health Care, Rescue & Adoption Stories

Fostering Mama Cat and Kitten – From Misery to a New Home

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The deep satisfaction that comes with rescuing and fostering homeless, abandoned, and at-risk cats comes when you finally find the perfect match for their adoption. Fostering cats and kittens can literally save their lives. Here’s a happy ending for my foster cat and kitten.

Rescuing and Fostering Mama Cat and Kitten from Severe Neglect

Fostering Mama Cat and Kitten - From Misery to a New Home
Happy Mama and Baby

Two months ago I received a desperate phone call from one of my fosters. She told me the family across the street from where she was working had two litters of pit bull puppies (15 puppies in all) along with a mother cat who had a litter of kittens, and eight of the kittens had just been killed by the pit bulls. The last remaining kitten was weak, thin and vulnerable due to the dogs and the mama cat was showing signs of extreme stress having just lost her kittens. Thankfully, she was able to convince the owners to give the mama cat and kitten to her, since they were clearly overwhelmed with the dogs and had been very negligent with the cats. She then proceeded to bring the mama and kitten to my house to foster them and provide for their needed medical treatment and recovery. Continue reading Fostering Mama Cat and Kitten – From Misery to a New Home →