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How I’ve Learned to Manage 8 Cats Without Losing It (Too Much LOL)

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After my mother passed recently, I took responsibility for her four cats—even though I already had four of my own. I did so because the other siblings wanted to just throw them in a shelter, even though a couple of the cats were in the family for close to 20 years. Those siblings are not animal lovers and refused to help with any of the cats. (Sometimes I think some humans should be thrown in cages or shelters instead; the ones who just have no compassion.)

In any case, managing eight cats is definitely not easy, especially on my own. They have different personalities, quirks, and annoyances. At first when taking them in, I became discouraged and overwhelmed by it all.

Thankfully I have several bedrooms. So I set them up in their own rooms and made them as comfortable as possible. It took time for me to get used to the idea of managing so many cats on a daily basis. I also had to learn to keep things in the proper perspective so that I could keep my head on straight and continue with a normal semblance of a life.

If you are in a similar situation, caring for multiple cats, here are a few tips for how to manage them while keeping yourself mentally balanced.

1) Put Cat Cleanup Time into Perspective

Recognize that clean-up for cats only takes about 10-15 minutes per day. Then you have the rest of the day to yourself. Close to 24 hours! When you put it in that perspective, it doesn’t seem so stressful. Invest in a long handled litter scooper so that you don’t have to bend over, trust me on this one.

2) Make a Once Per Month Errand Run for Cat Supplies

Get enough supplies (cat food and litter) to last you for the month so that you only have to make one trip each month. Keep everything stacked in one convenient place. I usually get about two and a half bags of food and two packs of litter. I like to buy litter that comes in individual packs so that I can keep small bags in each cat room. They are easier to carry than lugging one 38-40 pound pail around.

3) Don’t Feel Bad About Having to Put the Cats in a Room

I used to allow a bunch of cats to run around my house and they would drive me batty! Constantly meowing at me, running around my feet, begging for my food, and sleeping on top of me. They can be very comfortable in a room as long as you keep them supplied and make sure the room is temperate in the summer and winter. If you feel guilty, consider the fact that cats at shelters have to live in kennels and don’t have much room to move around. A special cat room with towers and toys is like a mansion compared to that, plus it helps them calm down.

4) Invest in Medium to Large Cat Feeders and Waterers

Choose cat feeders and waterers depending on how many cats you have. Ideally, they will provide them with food and water for up to a week before needing a refill. This helps minimize your need to keep filling up bowls each day.

5) Remember that Cats Are Very Self-Sufficient

Know that cats are very self-sufficient and can be fine on their own for three to four days if necessary as long as you leave them plenty of litter in a big box, food, and water. So, if you need to skip a day of cat cleanup for a mental health day, or to take a weekend trip for self-care, do not hesitate to do so.

6) Avoid Spoiling Your Cats

You have to stick to a routine with cats. They are creatures of habit and will eventually adjust to the routine. But if you break it to cater to them, they will start to want things that way all of the time. They can be very demanding and will start to think they are in charge. For example, I allowed one of my cats to sleep on the bed in my room for a few nights and he started to take over my space, waking me up at night. When I finally had to put him back in his space (in this case the living room) he started yowling and scratching at my bedroom door. Hold firm and get them back into their routine—it usually takes a few days for them to readjust. If you have a particularly insistent cat, there are motion activated sprayers that will discourage the behavior.

7) Invest in Litter Genies to Place Next to Each Litter Box

Litter Genies are handy contraptions that trap litter waste so that you can easily dispose of it after a few days. Not only that, it keeps the litter smell under control. I also spray the litter waste with a bit of bug spray before releasing it into the bag. If you don’t want to keep buying the refill bags, you can use old grocery bags or go environmentally friendly with biodegradable pet waste bags.

8) Keep a Supply of Nature’s Care Peppermint Spray

You can spritz your cats’ litter boxes with this peppermint spray every now and again to minimize the smell of cat waste and keep the box clean. It’s also a safe alternative to regular bug spray, so usually okay around pets. Use in moderation until you’re sure. Use it to spray around cat areas and open windows.

9) Give Them a Comfy Place to Curl Up

If you don’t know by now, most cats will tend to find a special spot to relax and sleep. It might be a chair, a mat on the floor, or a cat bed. Make sure you give them options. And in warmer weather, open a window so that they can sun bathe and feel a breeze. You might want to invest in a cat window seat.

10) Indoor, Outdoor Cats

If you decide you want to let your cats roam outside, make sure you treat them with a reliable, safe, flea and tick treatment. Revolution is an option to explore — you can get a box when you take your cat to a Petco (Vetco) or PetSmart veterinary visit on the weekends.

11) Make Sure Your Cats Are All Neutered or Spayed

Unless you want a whole new litter of cats to take care of, make sure that all of your cats are spayed or neutered. There are low cost spay and neuter clinics where you can get this service and shots for about $50 or $60.

12) Define Your Own Sanctuary

Though you have decided to care for a lot of cats, you still have to find time for self-care. Find a place in your home, whether it’s your bedroom or a small home office where there are “no cats allowed.” And be strict with that. This is where you go to get peace, rest, do yoga, or get work done.

13) See if You Qualify for a Small CareCredit Balance

One of the things a lot of pet owners worry about is vet bills. A CareCredit card will allow you to take your cat to most vets for an exam, cover the expenses (including blood tests and meds) up front then pay small installments each month. If you pay the balance within a certain amount of time, sometimes there is no interest.

14) Show Them a Bit of Love When You Can

One of my more demanding older cats has a tendency to follow me around, beg for food, and generally try to coerce me into doing his bidding throughout the day. On occasion, I’ll pick him up and just kiss him on the head. He seems contented for a while and just curls up and goes to sleep. Be patient with them — they just want attention and a little love like you and me.

If you’re in a similar situation as I am, managing multiple cats, hopefully these tips will help you. Know that what you’re doing is admirable and it’s possible to get into a comfortable routine for yourself. Remember YOU matter first, because when you’re doing well, you set a good tone for your home.

Louise

How to Keep Cats Extra Cool on a Hot Summer Day

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I’m extra protective over my cats, and I often go the extra mile to make sure that they’re comfortable. So when the summer time arrives, bringing 80+ degree days with it, I will take extra steps to make sure my babies are cool in every way possible.

When people get hot, we can sweat to cool down, grab a glass of ice water, or go to into an AC cooled store. Cats (and dogs) don’t have the same luxuries, so it’s up to us to help them stay cool. Here are a few tips for how to keep cats extra cool in the summer if you’re not able to afford central air or can’t leave a window AC unit on all day.

* Note: If you live in an area where the temperatures exceed 100 degrees regularly (hello Arizona), I definitely do not recommend ever leaving a pet inside without a proper cooling unit.

Avoid Cutting a Cat’s Hair Too Low

Some people groom their cats in the summer time as a way of keeping them cool, but after doing some research I found that leaving some hair on cats can actually help them stay cooler. So instead of shaving your kitty bald in the summer, ask your groomer to do a cut that will allow your cat to preserve some of his or her “air conditioning” fur.

Ice Water Bowl

One of the best ways to keep your cat cool is to ensure that he or she has plenty of really cold water throughout the day. If you must leave for more than a few hours, put a bowl of water in your freezer the night before and then set it out the next day. This will allow for the ice to slowly melt and stay cold for as long as possible. If your cat has an issue with knocking over his or her water bowl, see this post.

Pet Cooling Mats

I recently found a new innovation for cats and dogs that keeps them extra cool—a pet cooling mat. Your cat lays on it and experiences a cooling sensation for a few hours. This pet mat doesn’t require any electricity or a battery pack, which is a major plus. It contains a special gel that begins “recharging” as soon as your cat gets up. If you have two of them in your home, that should cover an entire summer day.

Window Fan

Cats just love to sit near open windows, no matter how hot it is outside. One way that you can keep them cool while being energy efficient is to buy a standard twin window fan. Your kitty will likely sit next to the fan and nap the afternoon away.

Turn Off the Lights…

During the day in the summertime, turn off all of the lights in your apartment or house. Open the blinds slightly instead to let some natural light into your home, or use heat blocking sheer curtains. Light bulbs often let off a lot of heat that can increase the temperature in a room by a few degrees. If you must leave a light on, make sure it’s an energy saving bulb.

Try a Mini Dehumidifier

Sometimes taking the hot muggy moisture out of the air can make a room feel cooler and more bearable. If you’re trying to save money and minimize energy usage, get a small energy efficient dehumidifier that can trap some of the moisture in one of the rooms of your house. Make sure you buy one that shuts off automatically when the water tank fills up.

Cats Instinctively Know How to Stay Cool

Cats have a biological instinct to manage their temperature and stay cool, even on hot summer days. They lick their fur, reduce activity, and find cool spots. Just keep an eye on them on the weekends when you’re home in the early morning and afternoon to see how they do on a really warm day without an AC on.

Whenever you’re able, consider buying a small, energy efficient window AC or portable AC and leave it on in one room of your house where your cats can go to enjoy some cool air.

Posted by Jade

 

Images courtesy of Amazon and Pixabay (buy someone a coffee!)

How to Keep a Cat (or Dog) from Knocking Over Water Bowls

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One of my cats has a peculiar habit — he likes to go around the house knocking over any water bowl he can find. Pet experts say they do this for one or more of the following reasons:

  • He’s trying to play — it’s amusing to him.
  • He prefers to lick the water off of the floor or his paw.
  • They like to see the water in movement (which is why many cats prefer running fountain water).
  • They don’t like having to lean down over the water bowl to get a drink (in that case, I would suggest this tilt-a-bowl).

In my case, I think it’s because my cat just likes to have a little fun and get a reaction out of me! Not only does it give me a mess to clean up — it’s a waste of the crisp, cool spring water that I buy for them and could cause his siblings to go without water for a period of time until I return home.

I’ve tried a number of solutions to stop this annoyance, having learned that he’s not going to stop doing it. I tried using heavier bowls, but wouldn’t you know it — this cat is persistent. He’s a big guy, tall, lean and strong, so he can move a heavy bowl too. He will keep pushing the bowl until all of the water finally splashes out.

I also tried using velcro pads and Gorilla tape to keep the bowl in place. Again, he would stay at it — pawing at the bowl until the velcro or tape pulled the paint up from the surface.

I finally found a solution that’s easy, effective, and cheap to implement. I made a cat bowl strap. Here it is:

Cat Knocking Over Water Bowl

Here’s all you need to make this work:

Cat Knocking Over Water Bowls Solution

Get an 18″ bungee cord, a regular sized cat bowl, and a push pin like the one you see above. The items you see at the center of the green bungee cord are Command Light Clips. They only cost about $10 each and you get a lot in one package. These clips are useful in a number of applications, including routing cable cords around your house:

Command Light Clips

I chose these clips because they won’t damage the wall or your paint job (damage-free hanging). You just pull the tab on the end and it releases the hold. And let me tell you, that hold is STRONG. Make sure you are 100% decided on where you want to put the clip.

So the first step to making this cat bowl strap is to apply the command tape to the back of the 3 clips exactly as shown below:

Light Clips with Command Strips

The orientation is important here for ease of removing the command strips when needed. (If you’re left-handed, swap the bottom one from right to left-oriented.) The blue side of the command strip is applied to the clip and the black and white side is for the wall or other surface.

The next step is to attach the bottom-most command clip to the front of the bowl. By the way, I chose this particular stainless steel cat bowl because it has a rather large lip at the top and is a little heavier compared to plastic bowls. But this solution should work with any medium-sized bowl.

Command Strips Cat Bowl

Next, put the 18″ bungee cord into the clip at the front of the bowl. You can find these bungee cords at some Dollar Trees or get a pack here.

After you have this set up, apply the other two Command Clips to the wall where you want the bowl to sit. Make sure the wall is wiped down clean and completely dry to ensure that the strips will stick. It’s a good idea to set the bowl and bungee cords next to the wall to estimate where the clips should go. When you’re done applying the last two clips to the wall, loop the bungee cord hooks into them.

The final step is to put the push pin right above back of the bowl. This will prevent the bowl from being pulled forward. After everything is done, this is what it should look like:

Cat Knocking Over Water Bowl

Pet Knocking Over Water Bowls Solution

 

Because you have the open clip at the front, you can easily remove the bowl to rinse it out, then put it back in moments.

To date, my little loveable water splasher hasn’t been able to knock this bowl over or even get it to move. I like this solution because with the damage-free Command Strips, you don’t have to worry about messing up your wall or paint job. When you decide to move the bowl, just pull the strip flap and it comes off seamlessly.

Of course, this simple solution will also work for dogs who like to play with their water bowls!

An Alternative Solution That May Work for Your Cat

Another alternative (which I also have) is to buy a Drinkwell Water Fountain for Cats. He’s so obsessed with the running water dripping down that he doesn’t bother trying to move it around. The only downside is having to dismantle and clean the fountain thoroughly every 2-3 days.

So those are my solutions for how to stop your cat from knocking over water bowls. Enjoy your cats, love them and keep them hydrated!

Posted by Louise

3 Fun Cat Gifts that Your Kitty Will Absolutely LOVE

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Looking for a fun present to give your kitty on her birthday or during the holidays? Here are 3 fun cat gifts that your pet will absolutely love.

716k0isZpgL._SL1013_Sunny Seat Window-Mounted Cat Bed

Does your kitty love to spend time in the window, sun bathing? A Window Mounted Cat Bed will quickly become his favorite place. It suctions to the window and keeps him suspended above the window sill. You know how much cats love to be in high vantage points — if you have multiple cats, get one for each window.

9172Ypd5TzL._SL1500_K&H Pet Bed Warmer

Cats love to be warm and comfortable just as much as we do — that’s why they love to snuggle up next to you so much. If you add an indoor Pet Bed Warmer to your cat’s bed, you’ll probably find that he spends more time there than tangled up in your covers! Just plug it into a standard outlet, and it will warm up to about 102 degree (a cat’s ideal temperature).

SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Cat Toy Concealed Motion Toy

41w2dGrOzcLCats are natural hunters, which is why they are obsessed with toys that move on their own. The Hot Pursuit Cat Toy Concealed Motion Toy is a fun mechanical toy that operates on a couple of batteries. A little “tail” randomly moves in either direction, mimicking that of a smaller animal and giving your kitty hours of fun. Four speeds available.

Tips for How to Deal with Finicky Cats

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Over the years, I have had the pleasure of loving a few finicky cats in my home. Each cat had their own unique personality. I, of course, had to adjust to meet their individual criteria. Here are a couple of frustrating issues that I had to contend with and how I solved them.

Don’t Litter Where You Eat…

My first cat, Colors, was so picky at eating her food! I soon realized that it was because I had placed her food too close to her litter box. Duh, who likes to eat their food near where they relieve themselves? I know I don’t. So I made sure that her food was in a totally different room than her litter. That immediately solved that issue.

Clumping Litter Saves the Day…

My next cat, Millie, would urinate and defecate right outside of her litter box, on a daily basis. I was becoming very frustrated. I did not know what was causing this to happen. I first tried cleaning the litter box before I went to work. That didn’t help at all. I then decided to change the litter brand from non-clumping to clumping. I even began to clean her litter box twice a day, before work and before I went to bed. From the first day I began this new routine her bad habit had been broken.

Sleep in Your Own Bed Please!

Cat bed
Cat bed.

My other cat, Lucky, would never sleep in his cat bed. I would always awake to him sleeping in my bed. I decided that my scent must be bringing him comfort. So, I decided to put an old t-shirt of mine in his cat bed to see if that helped. Wow, it sure did! From there on he slept in his cat bed.

I guess what I am saying here is to be patient with your animal and use common sense when your animal has odd or strange behaviors. They will let you know what you are doing wrong, the best way that they can. It’s up to you to listen and pay attention!

Posted by Eve

5 Totally Sweet Things Cats Do When They Love You

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imageSo how do you know when your cat loves you? Here are five really sweet things that cats do when they adore you.

1) They try to bite (clean) you. When cats are very young they learn from their mothers how to clean themselves. The cleaning process involves biting the area gently and then licking. So when you see a cat doing that ( usually to your fingers) do not think he’s trying to hurt — he’s really trying to help you out with a bath! If it becomes annoying just gently stroke him on the head, thank him and move him out of your space.

2) They follow you around everywhere you go. I have had my share of “cat shadows” — they follow me everywhere that I go in the house from the bathroom to the kitchen to my work area, where they sit at my feet . When I’m outside doing yard work the cat tries to squeeze himself into the screen as if that will allow him to get to me. Cats do this when they have grown very attached to you and want to know where you are at all times.

3) They snuggle with you when you’re feeling down. Cats seem to have some type of sixth sense in knowing when you are feeling depressed or sad. They will come close to you and snuggle up to you when they sense that you’re sad.

4) They purr loudly when in your presence. A cat is very happy with you when he purrs very loudly. The purr is almost like a rumbling it’s so deep and intense.

5) They blink. When a cat blinks it is a sign that he is content and happy. If your cat stares at you and continually blinks slowly that is his way of saying I love you and I’m happy to have you in my life.

 

Written by: Lynn

Lynn Gilliard is a writer and author of life and dating advice books. Her latest work is Survive, Live or Thrive?