Whisker Stress & Last Week's Contest Winners!

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Vibrissae. That is the technical name for a cat's whiskers. These amazing whiskers are not what you think. They are not fancy decorations, or just facial hair growth. They are embedded quite deeply into the cat and reach the muscular and nervous systems, providing a truly remarkable sense of their surroundings. Did you ever wonder how your cat can find his way around in the the dark when you are stumbling until you see the night light? Her whiskers tell her everything she needs to know.  They are extremely sensitive and you may also notice some sticking up like eyebrows. They are extremely sensitive.  If you didn't know this before, I want to you to know it now because, as a cat owner, you must be aware of their sensitivity in order to keep kitty happy and healthy. The position of your cat's whiskers will also tell you what her mood is like. If she's chasing a toy or another cat around the house, you'll see that her whiskers are forward, as they will be when she's startled. When she's relaxed, her whiskers will be in a normal position.  

Photo Courtesy of Lisette Brodey

What has made me even more aware of this sensitivity and the thought that my readers might not understand, was a recent trip to my local pet supply store, part of a large National chain. I was buying food for Aimee and as I came around the aisle, I saw and end cap display of cat dishes. The problem with this prominent display is that there were only a couple of dishes - almost the entire display consisted of bowls, may of them with cat designs on them. Innocent owners buy them without knowing that that's the last thing you should buy for your cat. It's nearly impossible to find a photo of a proper feeding dish for a cat. They are almost exclusively bowls. Why is this wrong?

Photo Courtesy of Claire Clayton

Cats are not dogs. Dogs do very well eating from a bowl. Cats, however, find their very sensitive whiskers rubbing against the bowl with every mouthful of food. Is it any wonder that some of these cats scoop out the food with their paw and put it on the floor to eat? Owners think this is some sort of cat trick, or a weird idiosyncrasy. No, it's not. The cat cannot be comfortable eating from a bowl. Imagine having something hurt you every time you ate. You wouldn't be very happy, would you? It puts stress on the cat.

The correct feeding dish for a cat is wider and has very low sides, or you can use a plate. Plates don't have to match your dinnerware. You can find perfectly acceptable plates in discount stores. Be sure that they are safe for you cat.  

As for the water dish, a neighbor recently asked me why Aimee's dish could be a swimming pool for a  cat whose weight hovers between 8 and 9 pounds. Simple: whisker stress. So what if it was meant for a big dog?  She loves it. The same with a water fountain. The big one is preferable to a small one for a cat's whiskers.

Photo Courtesy of Shara Rendell-Smock

And one more warning: Do NOT ever cut your cat's whiskers! Don't interfere with feline whiskers. You can look, you can admire them, but for cat's sake, leave them alone!

Now for the winners of last week's contest

Each has won one of Morris The Cat's Well-Groomed Kitty Kits Provided by Morris and his human friends at 9 Lives Cat Food!  

Drum Roll Please!  

And The Winners Are:

Lisette Brodey

and

Monica!

Congratulations, Ladies!  Please e-mail me via my website: www.darlenearden.com with your mailing address so Morris can have his personal assistants get a kit off to each of you!  Thank you for entering the contest!!

Getting Spiffy with Morris the Cat's Grooming Tips & Two Contests!!

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With spring coming up and after that, the dreaded bathing suit season (eek!), I know everyone's searching for ways to look their best. And my readers have a 'paw up' on the competition because we're about to get some style and wellness tips from someone who knows a thing or two about looking awesome... I'm talking, of course, about Morris the Cat. I love Morris. He has such style, such panache.

In case you're not familiar with this illustrious feline, Morris is the original celebricat, starring in over 50 9Lives cat food commercials from the 1970s up through today. He's even been called "the Clark Gable of cats," and that's about as debonair as it gets! In his "Dear Morris" column, he'll be answering some readers' burning questions about good grooming, and he's also giving away a human-sized, 9Lives-branded bathrobe, a $300 Spa Finder gift card, and a whole year's supply of 9Lives cat food! Enter at his website: http://prospurr.9lives.com/  

Dear Hairy Harry,

If your cat is shedding on you, the thing you should tell him is... "thank you!" Being covered in cat fur means you get to look like a cat, which means you get to look more awesome. However, if this isn't your desired effect (although I can't imagine why it wouldn't be), try wearing clothes the same color as your cat to camouflage the fur. Kind of like a cat camouflages himself in clean laundry--hey, come to think of it, that could be why you're always covered in fur! You can also try brushing Baxter a couple times a week to remove excess fur and redistribute the natural oils on his skin--now, that's what I call a win-win!

Dear Morris,

My teenage daughter spends 45 minutes in front of the mirror every day primping and brushing her hair. I think this is excessive but she tells me it's what makes her happy. Morris, since you always look fabulous, I thought you could give me some advice--what's the best way to get her to spend less time in front of the mirror?

Sincerely,

Frustrated Mamma

Dear Fur-ustrated Mamma,

I know it may seem like I just wake up looking this good, but believe it or not, I put in lots of long hours licking my fur. In fact, as a cat, I groom up to 50% of the time I'm awake. Grooming not only makes you look good, it can be used for meditation--kind of like focusing really hard on a red laser dot. So I say, take the time you need to feel your best--whether it's 5 minutes or 45. It's a very purrsonal choice. 

Dear Morris,

Lately I've been looking slightly less than my best, which is unfortunate because I just started a new job and I wanted to make a good first impression. But instead, my eyes are all puffy and I just haven't been my chipper self. I'm not sure how to get out of this style rut. Morris, can you help me get my grooming groove back?

Sincerely,

Fashion Faux-Paw

Dear Fashion Faux-Paw.

Let me shed some light (and some fur) on this situation. The main thing I took away from your question is that you're STRESSED! Starting a new job can be stressful and can lead to falling out of typical routines and lack of sleep.

 I should know because every time I start shooting a new commercial, I only sleep 15 hours a day instead of 16. But don't despair! There's one failsafe way to calm those nerves and give you back your glow. I'm talking about a massage, specifically a kitty massage. We kitties LOVE to give massages--well, we think of it more as kneading but you humans don't seem to know the difference. A kitty massage will help you relax, and in turn, feel and look better. Plus, it's purr-ty much impossible to feel stressed when you have the love of a cat.

There you have it! Thank you, Morris the Cat, for sharing this invaluable grooming advice. Readers, how many of you have a good-looking, well-groomed feline at home? You could win them a whole year's supply of delicious 9Lives cat food, plus a human-sized, 9Lives-branded bathrobe and Spa Finder gift card for you! Just go to Morris' Live Well & Prospurr website [http://prospurr.9lives.com/] to enter. Then, 'paw it forward' by tweeting #MorrisFeeds, and Morris will donate a bowl of 9Lives cat food to a kitty in need.

You've read this far. Now, here's an extra contest!  Morris the Cat is giving two of my lucky readers a Well-Groomed Kitty Kit!  To enter, post here and tell me why you and your cat want one of Morris' Well-Groomed Kitty Kits thanks to Morris and his friends at 9 Lives Cat Food! You have until Sunday to post. Winners will be announced on Monday!! This contest is open to U.S. Residents Only.

Dream Big - Part 3

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Welcome to the third and final edition of Morris the Cat's advice column, revealing need-to-know information on how to release your inner cat and get the best night's sleep of your life. 

As an iconic spokescat and star of over 50 9Lives cat food commercials from the 1970s onward, Morris has a prolific career envied by many of the Internet cat sensations of today. The secret to his longevity? Well, for one, the fact that he eats 9Lives. But more importantly, he has a disciplined sleep regimen – racking up about 140 hours per week!

Morris wants to teach YOU the tricks of the trade and give you all the tools you need, so he's hosting a giveaway on his Live Well & Prospurr site [http://prospurr.9lives.com/] to win a Morris-shaped plush bed that's big enough for you AND your cat to snuggle up on.

Dear Morris,

My cat and I are BFFs. We do everything together – play, eat, snuggle – we make a purrfect team. But in the bedroom, I prefer to have my space. My cat, on the other hand, thinks there's no better place to sleep than right on my head! Why does she do this? I'm not all that fun when I'm sleeping.

Warmly, 

Tired Tails

Dear Tired Tails,

You have been bestowed a great honor. As cats, we don't always wear our hearts on our paws, but one tell-tail sign we love and trust you is when we choose to make YOU our bed. Plus, you're warm. And getting our warmth from you helps us to conserve our own energy for more important things like eating. The rhythm of your breath also creates a calming effect and the curve of your face, stomach, or legs perfectly forms to our bodies. Basically, you're like a waterbed, heated blanket, and memory foam all in one! So the next time your cat goes to curl up on you, think of it as a compliment and drift off to sleep knowing you are loved... and you're very comfortable.

Thank you, Morris the Cat, for your wonderful nighttime tips! See the rest of them here [http://perpetuallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2016/02/dream-big-part-1.html and http://perpetuallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2016/02/dream-big-part-2.html. For more info on Morris' mission to help cats and humans live well – including his initiative to donate one million 9Lives meals to rescue kitties – check out his Live Well & Prospurr website [http://prospurr.9lives.com/]. And while you're there, enter to win the limited-edition, human-sized Morris the Cat plush bed along with a year's supply of 9Lives!

NOTE: I received no monetary compensation for this 3-Part Post.  Because of my Journalistic Ethics, I have asked 9-Lives to send the food they wanted to send me, to The Metrowest Humane Society, one of my my local cat shelters. The feed wet food to the cats in the shelter and feed dry food to outdoor Feral Cat Colonies. Aimee and I are delighted that 9 Lives is helping local kitties. 

Dream Big - Part 2

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Hi everyone!  I'm back with iconic 9Lives cat food spokescat Morris, giving advice to we poor humans so we can learn to sleep like a cat. Well, cats do sleep up to 140 hours a week – that's 3.5 times your typical 9-5.

To help on your quest to catch more Zzzs, Morris is also giving readers the chance to win a super-cool, human-sized bed in the shape of Morris himself... because who doesn't sleep better when snuggling up with a cat? Just go to his Live Well & Prospurr website [http://prospurr.9lives.com/] to enter and check out his video with more sleeping tips.

Dear Morris,

I'm a cat but as you know, even animals have 'spirit animals.' Mine is an owl – a night owl to be exact. I love to play "catch the speck of dust" or "chase your tail in the middle of the bed" into the wee hours of the morning. My humans have no idea what they're missing out on. They just lay there snoring and swat at me when I come too close. How can I make them see that daytime is lame, and the real party happens under stars (the stick-on, glow-in-the-dark kind)?

Yours truly,

Hyper Harry

Dear Hyper Harry,

Sadly, this is a case you may not win. Humans need their sleep at night. You get to spend all day snoozing and they only get a few precious hours when the sun goes down. Your humans can, however, make sure that they understand why it is you're pouncing about and provide things to make nighttime more fun. For instance, your humans could consider getting a kitty condo or put out bags or boxes for you to explore. For extra credit, they can hide treats around the house so you can go on a midnight scavenger hunt. Or, if you're really lucky, they'll bring home a kitty best friend for you to play with whenever you please. Other cats might be up at night because they get hungry, in which case their humans could try an automatic food dispenser to provide small meals throughout the night. Remember, the more you let your humans sleep at night, the more energy they'll have to play with you during the day!

Kitty hugs,

Morris

Thank you for the awesome nighttime tips, Morris! Read Morris' first advice column here [http://perpetuallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2016/02/dream-big-part-1.html]. Plus, don't forget to check back for the last installment of "Dear Morris," and in the meantime, check out his website [http://prospurr.9lives.com/] to see how you can live as well as a cat and enter the giveaway!

NOTE: I received no monetary compensation for this 3-Part Post.  Because of my Journalistic Ethics, I have asked 9-Lives to send the food they wanted to send me, to The Metrowest Humane Society, one of my my local cat shelters. The feed wet food to the cats in the shelter and feed dry food to outdoor Feral Cat Colonies. Aimee and I are delighted that 9 Lives is helping local kitties. 

Morris "Paws It Forward" - You Can, too!

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Morris is Hard at Work on His Website

We visited with Morris the Cat a few months ago when he showed us how cats and their humans could Live Well and Prospurr. Morris' website is well worth a visit. Morris is back with a new project. This time, for the holiday season, he is "Pawing It Forward." You and your kitty can help him do exactly that.

Cats enjoy their food but many cats aren't as lucky as ours, or Morris. They don't have enough food, or any food at all. Cats who have made it as far as a shelter have to eat until their forever human comes along and adopts them. Morris, who enjoys a good meal as much as the next cat, is sharing his dining tips and even better, donating food to shelter kitties via the ASPCA.  

Morris the Star Relaxing in front of his bag and cans of 9Lives

Morris has starred in over fifty 9Lives Cat Food commercials. The orange tabby has gone from shelter to star and he wants to paw it forward. Since today, Tuesday December 1st, is Giving Tuesday it's the perfect day to kick off Morris' new campaign. If you belong to Twitter you're set to go, if not, this is a great excuse to join!  Just tag your tweets #MorrisFeeds and Morris will donate a bowl of yummy food to the ASPCA. 

Morris, every the clever kitty and entrepreneur, has created a video in which he tells you exactly what his new project is about and how you can help donate food and it won't cost you a penny.




Enjoy the video and help Morris Paw It Forward during the holiday season. There's no better time to start than now!

NOTE: Morris sent Aimee a box of 9 Lives. Since her Mama (yours truly) is an ethical journalist, Aimee and I donated the box of food to a local cat shelter. We were happy to do so.

Playtime for Kitty!

Photo Courtesy 9 Lives

If you're a regular reader of this blog you'll remember that I posted about Morris the Cat's new website, Live Well and Prospurr.  9 Lives Cat Food has done a good job of engaging owners to make life even better for their feline friends. 

One of the things that concerns Morris is something that concerns me as well: playtime. As a behavior consultant I've found that not enough owners spend time playing with their cats. People assume only dogs like to play. Nothing could be further from the truth - cats love interactive play. Yes, they will play on their own but that's no substitute for playing with your cat. 

Photo Courtesy 9 Lives

Too many cats are bored. Why? Their owners believe the old wives' tale that cats are independent. I will repeat what I've said so often here, in articles and books and in person: cats are independent hunters, not independent creatures. Yes, they enjoy looking out the window at birds and squirrels, bunnies and whatever else passes by but that's no substitute for two or three play sessions with you each day. 

When your cat sits on your book or newspaper while you're reading, or walks on top of your computer while you're there, he's soliciting attention, your attention. He's not always asking for food. Fat cats, like fat people, aren't really healthy. When you play with your cat, you're not only giving him attention but exercise as well.

Cats love fishing pole toys with a feather on the end. Take the fishing pole toy out for playtime and put it away after play so kitty will know that this is your special playtime together. It also means he won't get into trouble with the wire holding the feather. Some cats really like the pole that has a long, slim cloth attached. Playing with your cat will tell you whether he prefers to have the feather or cloth move across the floor like a snake or fly through the air like a bird. Let him win once in awhile but don't let him swallow the feather! 

Photo Courtesy 9 Lives

The time you spend playing together will help solidify your bond. 

Dogs aren't the only ones who like to play fetch. Many cats enjoy this activity, too. You don't need a special toy for this game - many cats enjoy fetching a rolled-up pieces of paper.

Your cat is less likely to get into trouble if his mind and his body are engaged.

Operant Conditioning (clicker training) works for all species and, between us, I find that cats can train much faster than dogs. The difference is that if you train the wrong thing you can retrain a dog but cats, like elephants, never forget.  Be sure the behavior is one you want. Sit, Stay, Come, High Five, Jump Through a Hoop are just the beginning. Think of the fun you'll have showing your friends what your cat can do!

If you have special games that you and your cat enjoy playing, I hope you'll share them here.

Photo Courtesy 9 Lives

NOTE: I received no compensation from 9 Lives Cat Food, however, they did send a box of their day and canned food which I have donated to a local Humane Society. Thanks to 9 Lives, some kitties awaiting new homes will be eating like Morris as long as the food lasts.

Live Well & Prospurr

Darlene and Aimee

Before I got so involved in dogs and cats, and for a long time afterwards, I wrote countless celebrity profiles for a wide range of publications. One celebrity who caught my eye but I never interviewed, is Morris the Cat who came on the scene long before I started to write and before I was ever owned by a cat. Morris starred in more than 50 commercials for 9 Lives cat food. A real rags to riches story, Morris came from a shelter and found fame and fortune as the first celebrity cat. In 1988 he ran for President. Obviously a viable candidate if ever there was one, living the American Dream.

Morris the Cat

Morris has a new campaign that should appeal to every cat and the  people they own.  Live Well & Prospurr is Morris' guide to ways cats and owners can hang out together. There's a lot we can learn from our feline friends about relaxing, enjoying life and seizing the moment - or the nap. Aimee and I are big proponents of this concept so I thought I'd tell you about some of the ways we hang out together.

Aimee came to live with me when she was 3 1/2 years old. A retired show cat, she was quite accustomed to travel and during those first years we traveled together. I spoke at a conference, Aimee came along, I spoke at the Atheneum on Nantucket, Aimee took the Fast Ferry with me from Hyannis and watched TV in our room, relaxing on the bed, snacking. Guess which one of us got the Welcome Gift from the hotel? Hint: it wasn't me.

Aimee and I love to play with interactive toys. Games shared are much more fun! Those interactive toys come out when we're going to play together.

We enjoy watching TV together. Aimee jumps up on my lap and relax while I pet her or pick up her comb and comb her which she adores. She always arrives with kisses on my nose, on my lips, on my cheek, and soft purrs along with gentle headbutts.

Morris the Cat

Aimee is very good about helping me write. She's very good on the laptop and has discovered short cuts that she has yet to share with me. Could someone please tell me why, after she gets down, iTunes is always open? I've learned to shut off the sound so I can concentrate on the work at hand.

Aimee has never seen a nap that she didn't want to join.  She goes off for a Power Nap every afternoon. Frankly, I think she should give seminars in napping but she seems to be working towards having it declared an Olympic Sport. Between us, on rare occasion we nap together.

I'm not sure how she manages it but I often find her lying across my chest with her back paws in my right hand and my fingers automatically petting her tummy. She's a girl who always manages to get what she wants.

When not napping or snuggling with me, Aimee is the Spokes Cat for the Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness Organization.

Aimee and I love hanging out together. Everything is better when shared with a cat.

Morris the Cat

If you're looking for suggestions for hanging out, Morris has them for you. Just check out the new website he created (pretty good for someone who doesn't have opposable thumbs!).  Point your browser to:     http://prospurr.9lives.com

You'll find other interesting things to explore while you're there.

How do you and your cat hang out?  Remember to Live Well & Prospurr!

NOTE:  I received no monetary compensation for this blog post. As a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant, and a layperson member of The American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians I'm happy to share this human-animal bond concept.