How Do They Do That?

Like Superman, Koko scaled this door in a single leap. I've seen this a million times -- and it never fails to amaze me.

10 Smart Products People Buy for Their Cats

Photo: Sammy loves his kitty chaise; he just wishes he had a bigger one.

In May 2009, I wrote a blog post entitled, "Useless Stuff People Buy for Their Cats." Since then, the market has been flooded with a plethora of new, useless cat merchandise (Look for "Useless Stuff II" coming here soon). However, there are also some wonderful products that enrich my cats' lives and mine, too. Here are my Top 10 favorites:

• Drinkwell water fountains. Cats normally don't drink a lot of water. But cats with Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disorder need plenty of it to flush out bacteria that can lead to infections and life-threatening urinary tract blockages. Two of my FLUTD cats just will not drink out of a bowl. Their favorite "fountain" -- the drippy faucet in my bathtub-- was not good for my pipes or for my water bill. (After the plumber left, Henry sat in the tub for hours just staring at the faucet and willing it to start dripping again.). Drinkwell's basic model fountain with adjustable water flow is well-priced, dishwasher safe and easy to assemble and disassemble. The splashing noise is kind of soothing. I think of this as what HGTV calls a "water feature" for my home.
  


• Corrugated Cat Chaises. These ecologically friendly, corrugated cardboard cat beds/ scratching posts are just a riff on the scratchers that have been available for years. Cats adore the chaises for snuggling and napping as well as scratching. Sprinkling the chaises with the little packets of catnip included in the package makes it a double happy. I have a cat chaise in every room in my house, and flip them over when one side gets worn out. We are not as thrilled with the emery board version which is supposed to wear down kitties' sharp claws. My cats rub their faces against anything with cat nip on it. Ouch!
  
  
• Prescription Heartworm/Flea Drops. Cats hate the smell, but not as badly as they hate flea collars, dips, shampoos, and powders. Advantage Multi or Revolution prescription strength flea meds also offer protection against ticks and heartworms. Get a vet-recommended product appropriate to your cat's weight and age. Be leery of over the counter drops. They are less expensive and also less effective; some have nasty side effects. Do indoors cats need flea/heartworm prevention? Absolutely! Fleas can travel into the house on your clothes and can also come in through cracks in the foundation, floorboards and plumbing. My vet says many cases of feline heartworms he sees are in indoor cats.
  


• Urine marker removers. Almost every cat is going to miss the litter box at one time or another. You won't be able to miss the unmistakable lingering odor, especially in humid weather. There are a lot of "stink remover" products; some stink worse than the cat urine does. The best ones contain enzymes that attack and break down the organic matter in the urine or spray making it less pungent and less likely to reactivate. Now I should warn you these products remove odors well enough to fool your nose, but not always your cats' more sensitive sniffers. Cats will often re-mark a treated area. Invest in the economy size and treat affected areas frequently until the cat loses interest. and you can no longer smell it. Nature's Miracle, Simple Solutions and Anti Icky-Poo (dumb name, smart product) are some of the better brands out there.
  


• Cat nip mist. Most of my cats adore cat nip, but the dried herb loses its potency over time, and it makes a mess. Who wants to be sweeping that stuff up all day long when you can mist a spray infused with cat nip on kitty chaises (see above) and pet toys with the same desired result: kitty bliss.
  


• Fat Cat brand cat toys. Most pretty little cat toys disintegrate after five minutes in my household. Fat Cat products are durable, witty, and fun (cats love that crackly noise inside not to mention the cat nip). Most can even hold up to a run through the washing machine. Spritz them them with cat nip spray afterwards, and they are as good as new. For best results, don't buy the toys with attached feathers, ribbons and doo-dads; they just don't hold up as well.
  
  
• Cat calmant. Many cat owners sing the praises of Feliway pheromone spray and room diffuser for calming aggressive and territorial behavior in multi-cat homes. I'm not one of them. It's expensive as hell, and my cats fought and sprayed just as much with it as without. On the other hand, a few drops of homeopathic Calm Down ($9.99 a bottle at Pet Smart) in their drinking water or food does seem to settle them down a little but not to the point where they are zombies. There are no chemicals in it; it's made from all natural flower extracts. Is it just the power of suggestion? Don't know, but I sure like the price! Unfortunately, it looks like this brand has been discontinued at Pet Smart and at some online suppliers like Amazon.
  


• Furminator cat brushes. We are approaching the time of year, when everything in the house, including me, wears a fine down of cat hair. Those info-mercials don't lie: This is the best cat brush in the world for removing undercoat hair. You may be shocked the first time you use it and see just how much hair comes off your cat. Don't be scared; you won't wind up with hairless cats like Rachel's Mrs. Whiskerson on Friends.
  
  
• Pet hair rollers. I have one of these in every room of my house, my car, my office and my purse. All rollers are not created equally. My favorites are the Evercare which are high-quality, thicker and stickier than most and therefore pick up more hair per swipe so you don't use as much. The runner up is the classic 3M by Scotch which also comes in nice, thick rolls in a variety of sizes. Downside: Sometimes the layers stick to each other and don't peel away evenly. Budget rollers, available at discount stores, cost about a third of the price of the name brands, but also tend to be poorly made (the tape roll comes off the roller when you try to get a good grip on it) with fewer -- and thinner -- sheets and less "stickiness" so you will go through them faster thereby eating up any cost savings.



• Environmentally friendly clumping cat litter. The first "natural" cat litters were horribly expensive, hard to find, and, with limited clumping ability, not very scoopable. Choices have multiplied and improved over the last couple of years. Now your kitty can go green in litter made from unscented pine, corn, wheat and recycled newspaper. Prices have come down as well although most are still a few dollars more than regular clumping clay litter. I'm still seeking the "perfect" litter, but I have found some brands that I -- and more importantly the cats -- like including Exquisicat corn-based clumping litter carried by Pet Smart and the multi-cat version of Swheat litter. I'm also very fond of Dr. Ellsey's cat attract products though they are not all natural and very expensive. After one try, I took a pass on the recycled newspaper and pine pellets. My cats hate the feel of them underfoot, and they are not scoopable. The clumping version of Feline Pine (which is actually made from the guar bean) is very soft and the cats seem to like that, but it tracks badly and larger clumps disintegrate during scooping .

Is there a product that makes your life with cats easier? Please share in the comments section. Here at The House Where the Black Cat Lives, we're all about making life with cats as pleasant as possible.

It's Spay and Neuter Reminder Time!

Henry and Roxie (right) urge you to spay and neuter your pets. Henry can't remember a time when he wasn't neutered. Roxie, a former stray, produced countless litters of kittens before being trapped and spayed in 2007. Ever since then she's been living uterus-free and loving it at The House Where The Black Cat Lives.

Now that Spay and Neuter Month is half over, and with peak kitten season looming I would like to put in my annual plug for spaying and neutering your pets (and ferals).

If you need motivation, grab any reason you like from this article at About.com Cats or from this old blog post of mine. There are only a few things in life I get REAAAAAALLLLY passionate about. This is one of them.

Since November 2009 the Pine Belt Region of Mississippi has been fortunate to have the services of a Spay and Neuter Clinic, a state of the art modern facility offering reasonably priced spay and neuter services. The clinic is affiliated with the Southern Pines Animal Shelter. They are also in the process of trying to open a Pet Food Bank.

I recently availed myself of their services for spaying one my feral colony members, Peggy Sue, and was quite impressed. I'll definitely be bringing in the rest of the colony members when I can trap them.

If you are lucky enough to live in this region, or in another area with a similar clinic, here are some thoughts to remember:

1. Low cost spay and neuter clinics operate on a shoestring off grants and donations and volunteer labor. They discount their services as much as they can to make the services affordable. However, when the grant and donation money and the volunteers run low, some services may be discontinued or operating hours cut back temporarily. For example, our Spay and Neuter Clinic will be closed until Feb. 28 to train new volunteers. Always call ahead to make an appointment and inquire about current availability of services and prices.

2. Ask about special discounts. Grants often make it possible for clinics to discount their already low prices for specific animal groups like large dogs, small dogs, green and orange striped and polka dot cats (just checking to see if you were still with me) or breeds as well as residents of specific cities or countries. These may not be available all the time, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

3. Ask about the clinic's policy regarding ferals. Most spay and neuter clinics are very flexible in working with managers of feral colonies. However, if you will be bringing in a feral, make sure the entire staff knows about this well in advance. You don't want anyone getting hurt unnecessarily. Some clinics require ferals be conveyed in humane traps, others have staff that can handle them in conventional pet carriers. The day I brought in Peggy Sue (in a carrier), it so happened that the volunteers with experience handling ferals were away on training. Fortunately, Dr. White handled the situation herself, and all was well.

4. Be nice to the staff. Some spay and neuter facilities, like the one in Hattiesburg, employ a full-time vet; others depend on vets volunteering their spare time away from their own businesses. Almost all the rest of the staff are volunteers. They aren't getting paid for this, and most are getting on the job training as they go so be understanding of minor inconveniences and communications snafus. Remember you are all there for the same reason: Because you love animals and you want to control overpopulation and reduce the amount of animal euthanasia.

5. Observe the clinic's drop off and pick up times and pre- and post- op instructions. These are not unreasonable demands. Many of these are required by law. And remember it's for the good of your animals.

6. If you can afford it, make a donation. Low cost spay and neuter clinics are intended to help out low-income pet owners who would not be able to afford the services otherwise, but because these facilities are also devoted to animal population control, they rarely turn anyone away regardless of income, especially people who are feral colony managers or involved in animal rescue. If you can afford to pay more than the list price, please consider making a donation. The clinic personnel appreciate it, you'll be helping out someone else who really needs it and it's good karma. The donation I made when I got Peggy Sue fixed will fund the spaying of another female cat, and thereby spare her the ordeal of repeated pregnancies and the Pine Belt of scores of unwanted kittens.

7. Shop at a spay and neuter clinic thrift shop. If you're a flea market junkie like me, you can get your old junk fix and support low cost spay and neuter services all at one go. Our Spay and Neuter Clinic's booth is conveniently located in an antique mall right next door to the clinic.

Spooning

Roxie and Ernie, the resident lovebirds at The House Where The Black Cat Lives, enjoyed this weekend's warmer weather, but took advantage of the cooler evening temps for a snuggle with their favorite Valentine. Ain't love grand?

My Style Muse

My chic mother in classic streamlined spring/summer style: Simple light-colored belted linen dress with slip-on huraches, accented with eye-catching earrings.

Even before I became a Francophile, I sought a signature style. My aesthetic has always been very French. People noticed that even when I was in my teens. At the time I assumed it was because I was tall, brunette and dabbed Chanel No. 5 on my wrists every now and again. I realize now there was way more to it. It was in my genes and in the air I breathed.

My first style muse and teacher was my mother. Mama was not French, never went to France and most assuredly never read "Entre Nous," the style bible cited by most American women with Francophile leanings. But like French women, she possessed in spades that je ne sais quoi quality that most American women find so elusive. She wasn't tall, but she wore clothes confidently. Having now observed many, many French women at close range, I can attest that style confidence is really the factor that sets "them" apart from "us."

My mother was not one to follow the herd. In an era when the preferred look was All-American Doris Day-ish snub-nosed blondes, my ethnic Croatian mother with her dark coloring and angular features didn't try to look cute or frou frou with ruffles and pastels. Nor did she go overtly sexy with cat-eye liner, cinched waists and plunging decolletage a la Sophia Loren or Gina Lollobrigida (though with her great legs and generous bosom, she would have stopped traffic).



Lean, clean lines that made her look taller were her trademark. She preferred solid colors, but sometimes wore prints, like this blouse, in small doses.


Instead she adopted a look that was part gamine, part classic casual elegance that suited her perfectly. Cropped pants with espadrilles and cotton boat-neck sweaters. Simple Ts with flowing skirts and leather huraches or ballet flats. Tailored trousers (still a novelty in the ultra-conservative South) with slip on loafers and button front cardigans with collars and three-quarter length sleeves. A cropped Italian boy bob that played up her big dark eyes and incredible cheekbones. Max Factor's flattering Pink 'n Orange lipstick rather than Revlon's dramatic Love That Red.

She loved clean lines and solid colors (but not black which she felt turned her dark olive complexion muddy), and put them together in original pairings like blue or aqua with brown. She didn't want to overpower her slight frame, so she accessorized sparingly but dazzlingly. She might adorn the French cuffs of a simple blouse with exotic jade cuff links fashioned like the heads of Burmese dancers. A pair of sculptural gold earrings looked great with her short hair and the cream, brown and camel clothes she favored.


Collared cardigans like this one worn over simple Ts were favorites whether paired with trousers, skirts or cropped pants -- always with flats.

She invested in quality pieces and wore them a lifetime. I loved her chocolate-colored three-quarter length, shawl-collar walking coat in a wool, cashmere and reindeer hair blend. She -- and I -- wore that coat for nearly 50 years, and she was still receiving compliments on it the last day she wore it. Her go-to evening bag was a simple cream-colored, mesh metal bead clutch she bought in the 1950s -- a delightfully tactile little number that my sister and I loved to play with when we were kids.

And to the end of her days, she wore one signature fragrance: Toujours Moi by Corday.

As she grew older, she became less interested in dressing herself than in passing on her style wisdom to my sister and me. But she never lost interest in good style. She read fashion magazines and pored over the latest fall collections (like me she always like fall clothes the best) and singled out pieces she thought would suit us. She loved to visit the mall to observe what people were wearing so she could critique them to us sotto voice.

While Mama generally did not care for the way she looked in black, she did own a little black dress, worn here, with a flattering lace insert to keep the dark color away from her face. The simple lines are classic Mama.

Her lessons stuck. Though I've had my "what was I thinking" fashion moments (my 20s coincided with the 1980s), like my mom I prefer clean lines and solid colors and well-made pieces I can wear forever. I don't eschew trends, but, like her, I consider them carefully and adopt only those I feel suit me.

There are some individualistic differences in our styles. Since I have dark hair with a fair complexion, I prefer black and grey clothes and red lipstick (how very French of me) rather than the earthier tones she favored. I am tall, so I choose bolder scaled (but still classic) accessories. Unlike my mother, I am a cat mama so my clothes are often unintentionally accessorized with cat hair. For that reason, I keep lint rollers in every room of my house, my car, my office and my bag.

Mama even managed to look good in a bridesmaid's dress. Of course, she designed the dresses and picked the color schemes (mossy green here) for both of her sisters' weddings. My sister and I weren't the only ones who looked to her for style advice!

The biggest lesson I've learned from my mother is that I don't have to be a conventional beauty, have a certain weight or body type or be under 40 to look stylish -- and more importantly feel good -- in what I wear. It's an attitude as much as a look, and it's one I hope to continue to cultivate no matter how old, fat, flabby, wrinkly and /or stooped over I become.

Merci, Maman. Merci beaucoup.

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Brrrrrrrrr!! It's cold in the 'burg this morning. Koko thinks today is a good day to stay in and snuggle under the covers.

Stay warm -- wherever you are!

Winter Wallowing

My house in holiday dress. It's all gone now...


The holidays are over, and I finally got the Christmas decorations down. My mother's perennial excuse that the season isn't really over until after The Feast of the Epiphany expired last week. Well , I did leave a string of lights wound around my Eiffel Tower. Every time I plug those in, I'm instantly transported to Paris. Those are staying put.

... except for the Eiffel Tower lights (sorry about the blurry photo).

The house seems so naked now! What with the bare trees, dead grass and general blah-ness outside, it's all rather depressing.

But the post-holiday lull does bring with it the soul-soothing benefits of winter wallowing. And Lord knows, I do love a wallow.

I snuggle on the sofa in my cozy yellow and red family room, under a toasty throw, surrounded by purring kitties (Want to learn how to wallow? Observe a cat.) and watching old movies while sipping from a generous-sized mug of cinnamon vanilla tea or hot cocoa with chocolate-coated mint marshmallows melting inside. (Thank you, Kimmy!)

Everything I know about wallowing, I learned from my cats.

I flip through the new cookbooks I received for Christmas in search of wallow-worthy recipes.

Unlike holiday food --opulent, over the top and designed to impress -- wallow food is simple, homely, hearty fare meant to be enjoyed alone or shared en famille. That's another thing I love about mid-January: It's the least judgmental time of the year, completely lacking in pretension or pressure.

Sammy finds a private place amidst the pillows for his wallow time.


The other night I tossed a couple of cans of rinsed white cannellini beans with a pint of grape tomatoes, olive oil, chopped fresh oregano, thyme and rosemary, smashed garlic cloves, sea salt and freshly ground pepper, topped them chicken thighs, drizzled with more olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper and baked for about 45 minutes. Voila --- wallow-worthy winter food just like I ate in Paris last winter.

I also baked a dense, moist chocolate orange loaf cake from Nigella Lawson's new cookbook (now there's a lady who makes wallowing look downright sexy). It was a lovely, lumpy, sunken in the middle, frosting-less cake perfect for nibbling.

Tonight I'm going to take the remnants of the show-stopping standing rib roast I served at Christmas out of the freezer and simmer it with onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, beef broth, red wine and baby pasta to make my grandmother's famous beef soup. If I work up enough energy (difficult to do when properly immersed in a state of wallowing), I will make up a mess of tomato and pork-simmered sauerkraut to serve alongside it.

Just thinking about it lifts my spirits.