It was a lukewarm summer day in Alberta. A reprieve from the hot sun as of late. Gary and Morris were taking advantage of the mild weather and having some fun outside. As cats with fur coats, the two tend to get hot quickly when the temperature climbs. In the summer, they never miss a chance to get outside on an ice-cool day.

Giving gifts isn’t just an activity relegated to the human world. If you think about it, animals are thoughtful creatures who regularly help each other survive in the great outdoors. Nature can be unforgiving, so it makes sense that some animals learned to help each other, but it’s unique when that sentiment crosses over to humans.

It’s no secret cats were held in high regard in ancient Egypt. You might hear in conversations that they were treated as gods, magical entities, spirits to worship, or just simply respected by the population at large.

It was Halloween at the Hervey Cats shelter and Gary and Morris were having a blast playing with all the decorations. Morris had got himself tangled in a bunch of fake spider webs just as Gary was rubbing his face across a pumpkin stem.

“These stems really hit the spot,” said Gary.

“No kidding?” said Morris. “I’m in a bit of a situation here.”

Many of us have found ourselves in this situation. We just rescued a cat from a bad situation, or perhaps one that seemed lost, and now we are wondering what to do next. First of all, good for you! Cats need more allies in this world and people who step up to help them are certainly considered good in our books.

Cats are naturally clean animals, but sometimes they need help. Depending on the breed, cat grooming requirements can range from weekly to rarely.

As an animal that self-grooms, cats are a rare breed! Did you know cats spend roughly 25% of their waking hours grooming themselves? It’s believed that one of the reasons they keep so clean is because they’re ambush predators. Cats prefer to hide, stalk, and then pounce on their prey – catching them by surprise. Removing any scent from their fur can be a matter of life or death.

Gary and Morris were walking through the Hervey Cats shelter talking about their summer plans.

“I just love summer,” said Morris. “I love the fun activities, playing with the sprinkler, kids running around having fun, climbing trees! I love it all!”

“So do I,” said Gary. “Let’s make some plans so we don’t forget to do some of those things!”

With the first day of summer being June 21, as a cat owner, it is good to start thinking about ticks a few weeks beforehand. Ticks are a major issue for outdoor cats – bringing discomfort and potential for disease. Ticks live outside, so this is an issue that really only affects outdoor cats and cats who go on walks with their owners. 

Cat fur clumping (also known as matting) is not only unsightly, but it is physically uncomfortable for cats – and in some cases painful. Cats with clumps in their fur may strike out at people who pet them over their clumps as they grow more tender over time from the fur pulling on the affected areas.  

As a cat shelter, the staff at Hervey Cats are familiar with all the different reasons people adopt a pet and all the different approaches they take. Before adopting a cat for your family, there are a number of different questions you need to ask yourself, and your family, in addition to a few factors you should consider during the selection process.

Spring was undoubtedly in the air and both Gary and Morris were hungry for adventure.

“I can’t wait for summer,” said Morris. “It feels like it’s right around the corner!”

The sun was out and blanketing the cats with its warm rays. Gary and Morris rolled around on the pavement outside the shelter. 

“The heat feels so nice on my coat,” said Gary.

If you spend a lot of time fostering or working with cats, you may have come across it more frequently than others. We are, of course, talking about resource guarding.

Knowing the things that can harm your cat can help empower you to save their lives! Just as some toxic foods and substances prove fatal to humans, some have the same effect on cats.

Cats, like any animal, love to chow down on a good meal. Sometimes, as some cat owners can relate, cats will enjoy their meal so much that they regurgitate. This can be caused by a number of things, such as eating too fast, food bowl being too low, a stomach issue, and more. In a healthy cat, regurgitation shouldn’t be happening regularly after mealtime, but if it is, there is something that you may want to try to improve your situation – a raised food dish.

How old is your cat? The unfortunate truth is it isn’t obvious. If you don’t have solid information on when your cat was brought into the world, there isn’t much you can go on! There are some indicators to give you a rough idea of how old your cat might be, but it is not an exact science. It’s much easier to gauge whether a cat is old or not, but it’s a lot harder to guess the actual age they are down to the year.

As a cat owner, you’ve probably seen ads for them, or maybe you’ve seen them at a friend or family member’s house. Cat water fountains are a staple in numerous houses with cats as they keep water fresh and provide them with a little entertainment for the feline population.

Are you looking at a cat right now and wondering if they might be pregnant? What led you there? Are they looking or behaving differently? Sometimes it can be quite obvious. Is the cat spayed? If yes, they are not pregnant. If not, there is always a possibility. With a gestation period of only 9 weeks, the changes to your cat’s appearance and behaviour will come on rapidly if they are indeed pregnant.

Cats are much cleaner animals than dogs, but much like their canine companions, they aren’t above rolling around in something that smells absolutely terrible – usually our shoes, sweaty clothes, or feet.  

Cats make excellent housemates, offering companionship, entertainment, and love! For a cat to live up to this reputation, they need to be happy with their home life. A happy cat is a loving cat, and when they are content, they seek out positive interactions with their owners!

Do you have a cat that likes to nibble on your houseplants? Does your cat rub their face all over them? There is a solution for cat owners to help take some of the heat off their plants. That solution is cat grass!