It was a warm spring day outside the Hervey Cats Foundation, and Gary and Morris were sitting on the back deck, grooming and feeling the warmth of the morning sun. They’d only been awake a short while despite the rest of the foundation having been hustling and bustling for hours already – the humans, that is.

Last night, the cats of the foundation all played another round of late-night hide-and-go-seek tag. They were running, hiding, and stomping all over the place – having an absolute blast. As a result, most of the cats on the property had all slept in today.

Enrichment is the term used to describe the opportunity we give to our cats to learn, explore, eat, and use all their senses. So how do we, as owners provide more opportunities for them? It’s vitally important to a cat’s mental health, and overall well-being, that we provide these opportunities through play, interaction, and things they can interact with while alone. 

“What a gorgeous spring day!” said Gary, just as he walked right into a deep puddle. “I’m soaking wet now!”

Morris laughed. “It really is a great day,” he said.

“Yeah right,” said Gary. “And by the way, I said it was a gorgeous day.”

The two cats were hanging out in the backyard, feeling the moist ground from the melting snow. The smell of the wet dirt and grass was in the air, and despite having just walked into a small body of water, Gary was loving it.

February was showing its true colours this year as Gary and Morris sat inside watching the snowfall. It was cold. Not just a little, but a lot. The windows inside the Herveycats shelter were all frosted up and it was cold, dark, and quiet outside.

“I wish it wasn’t so darn cold out,” said Morris.

“I’m with you on that one,” said Gary.

Pet theft is on the rise in our modern world. The ease of access to online marketplaces (Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, etc.) has almost made it convenient for thieves to sell a stolen animal quickly and easily. An ad can be posted, responded to, and taken down in anywhere from minutes to hours, with no trace left behind.

Separation anxiety is defined by the Mayo Clinic as: “recurrent and excessive distress about anticipating or being away from home or loved ones, and constant worry that something bad will happen causing separation from parents or other loved ones.”

It seems like separation anxiety can be pretty complex in people, so is it even possible for animals, or more specifically, cats, to have it? The answer is a resounding yes. It’s quite common for cats and other pets to experience separation anxiety.

Have you ever noticed a cat shaking the fur on its back? It’s a more common behaviour than you’d think. To us humans, it might seem odd that cats can shake the fur on their backs – and even odder considering that is the skin on their back that is doing the shaking. What makes a cat want to shake its back? Is there a reason for it? Is it a medical condition?

Fierce hunters as they are, domesticated cats sure have some odd routines that strike them when the mood is right. Have you ever jiggled a toy in front of your cat only to have them snake their body around in several directions, pull at the carpet, dip down behind a shoe thinking they’re invisible, or, better yet, get low to the ground and wiggle their butt in the air?

It sure is funny how many different types of ears are out there. Humans have large round dish-like ears to capture sounds and feed them to the inner ocular organs. Owls have stationary internal ears and can move their heads around almost 360 degrees. The domesticated housecat, despite its more suburban lifestyle, has an incredible pair of ears that can pinpoint prey and anticipate danger!

If you have a cat, you know all about cat headbutts. They headbutt everything from people to table legs, to tissue paper. What does it signify? Is there some sort of meaning behind it or does it just feel good to them? Are they trying to tell us something?

When the days are cold and the nights are long, settling down by the fireplace with your laptop, a good book, or your phone might sound pretty tempting.

If you’ve owned more than one cat, there is a strong possibility you’ve encountered this scene. Two or more of your cats are lying down together, seemingly lovingly, licking each other all over the head and neck. While it may warm your heart to see your two feline friends being so friendly, you may also find yourself asking, “Why are they doing this?”

It was a brisk winter morning at the Hervey Cats shelter. The sun was out, but it was still cold. It was one of those days where you think you want to be outside, then you get out there and immediately change your mind. Cats know all about changing their minds, always wanting inside and outside all at the same time.

Gary and Morris had just got back inside for the third time that morning and Marjorie was now getting tired of letting them in and out so frequently.

Much as humans do, when cats age, they become more prone to arthritis and joint inflammation. Arthritis for cats is similar to arthritis for humans – the joints swell up and become stiff and painful.

Healthy joints have smooth cartilage surfaces that glide past each other when moving, but in arthritic joints, the cartilage breaks down and bone ends up rubbing against bone.

The amount of food a cat needs varies from cat to cat, but there are some easy tips that will apply to most. As a first-time cat owner or someone unsure of how much food a cat truly needs, these tips can help you determine a healthy mealtime regime for your furry friend.

There are a lot of misconceptions about whether cats like to live among their kind – one of the biggest being they prefer to live alone. This might be rooted in the fact that adult cats have a strong solitary survival instinct, but like a lot of things, it boils down to the individual.

The answer is always no! It’s not about how much, or if they were cooked or not, the answer is always no. Cats cannot handle garlic or onions at all, which happen to both be members of the Allium family of vegetables. In fact, all allium vegetables are dangerous to cats, causing reactions that range in severity from serious illness to death.

Most cat owners are intimately familiar with love bites. Love bites can take shape in a number of ways, but most often they appear as a gentle bite, not meant to pierce the skin, and usually during a petting session, or when you show affection.

What are the Zoomies? They are a nickname to describe a cat’s behaviour when they are darting around the home for seemingly no reason, and in many cases, giving you the crazy eyes.

Cats are intelligent creatures who have perfected the art of hunting wildlife. As a result, they have evolved to be very nimble, agile, and careful creatures. They are practised in hiding, stalking, pouncing, and sneaking, all skills needed to survive in the wild.