Hi! Thank you for stopping by. On this site, I plan to post information about my cat, Murray, and my mom's cat, Simba, who used to be mine. I will also post general cat care tips and advice.

I had been updating this site frequently, but I've pretty much run out of new content. So I will re-post some highlights from past postings. I've just started, so bear with me - more postings will appear in the next several weeks, and I hope to have a complete page soon.

Enjoy, and have a great day!

- Murray's Mom

I first saw Murray as a stray hanging around my apartment complex with some other strays. He caught my eye from the first because he was a big, beautiful Siamese. I said hello to him and the other cats, not thinking much of it. But it must have made a big impression on Murray, because he decided I was someone worth getting to know.

One night shortly thereafter, I was coming home and opened my apartment door, and in ran Murray. He went straight to the refrigerator and sat down - wouldn't take no for an answer. I had nothing much suitable for cats in the house, just some lunchmeat - and he ate an entire pack, he was so hungry. I left the door open so he could leave whenever he wanted, but instead he settled in with me in the living room to watch TV. When bedtime came, I just closed the door and let him stay.

I still wasn't sure I was going to keep him, though, since my apartment complex didn't allow pets. Still, I went out and bought him some cat supplies. And I took him to the vet for a checkup (especially since he had discharge coming from one eye), and some shots. He ended up having an allergic reaction to the shots (he turned uncharacteristically listless and antisocial), and I had to rush him to the kitty ER since it was a Sunday. Seeing him lying there looking so vulnerable, with his little paw shaved for an IV, I fell in love with him and just knew I had to keep him, no matter what.

Advice on this topic varies widely. I've heard that you should clean the food and water bowls with a mild detergent at least once a week, and I've heard as often as every day. I think at least every other day is good to shoot for. The more frequently, the better, of course.

It is recommended that if you use a standard clay-based scoopable litter, you dump out all the litter and give the litter box a good cleaning at least once per month. (More frequently, if you use a non-scoopable litter, or if the box appears particularly grungy.) It should be cleaned with a mild detergent and, ideally, with a diluted bleach mixture. This is good for your cat's health, and his/her sensitive little nose! *smile* 

If your kitty is engaging in an undesirable behavior (such as grabbing at your legs with his/her claws out, leaving ugly and painful scratches - which is one of Murray's bad habits), try squirting him/her with a spray bottle of water when he/she engages in the "no-no" activity. Since I started squirting Murray whenever he pulled his leg-grabbing maneuver, he has been doing it far less frequently. He almost never does it at all anymore, and when he does, he USUALLY does it softly, not really scratching me the way he used to (though he got me pretty good today - but it was revenge for accidentally stepping on his tail, so I deserved it). So I rarely even need the squirt bottle anymore. Best couple of dollars I ever spent. I picked mine up at Walgreens, in the beauty department. CVS should carry them, too. I should recommend CVS above Walgreens, since I work for a company that is owned by CVS. *grin*

Check out http://www.catgalaxymedia.com/

The Animal Rescue Site: http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com - click for FREE to feed rescued animals at shelters. Also has an online store (with proceeds benefiting rescued animals), discussion boards, and places to blog.

Free Kibble Kat: http://www.freekibblekat.com - another site where you can feed resced cats for FREE. Answer a trivia question, and whether you anwer is right or wrong, cats get fed.

Alley Cat Allies: http://www.alleycat.org - organization that advocates for, and practices, humane treatment of feral cats. Petitions against communities' "trap-and-kill" strategies, in favor of "trap-and-relocate" programs.

The Siamese Cat Rescue Center: http://www.siameserescue.org - includes a nice online store. I got a mouse pad from them with a kitty on it that looks just like my Murray! I'm also going to order their 2009 calendar.

http://www.thecatsite.com/ - Cat information and discussion site

http://www.thepetsforums.com/ - Pet discussion site, with cat area.

http://www.forums.cathobbyist.com/ - Has discussion forums. They also have live chats about cats in the evenings, including MeowChat (done three times a week), in which participants role-play as their cats. It's lots of fun.

http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&webtag=ab-cats&lgnF=y - About.com cat discussion forum area. At http://www.cats.about.com there is general information about cats, and a blog by a cat expert.

http://catchannel.com - Create cat profiles for your kitties and interact in their forums.

http://www.pets.com - You can also create pet profiles here and network with other pet lovers, and hold discussions on the site's forums.

http://www.catchat.org - British site with cat info and forums.

http://www.pettags.com - Site for purchasing pet tags, and also has discussion forums.

http://community.theanimalrescuesite.com/category/Forums/3 - Formus area of the Animal Rescue Site's community. There are also places to blog on the Web site.

http://www.mycatspace.com - Like MySpace for cats!

http://www.catage.com - Take a quiz to find out how old your kitty is in "human years."