Five Winter Weather Tips to Help Community Cats

Happy 2021 to all our readers! This time last year as I was brainstorming content ideas, I decided I wanted to focus more on community cats. I developed the idea to start a Community Cat Awareness series, but unfortunately, COVID-19 put the big kibosh on my plans. I refused to be deterred, though. 

Throughout the pandemic I attended numerous webinars, took copious notes, made connections, and learned so many exciting things that I cannot wait to share. I plan on writing posts full of great information on how to enhance the lives of community cats including colony care, TNR, TNR ordinances, and more. I am also hoping to interview some people immersed in the world of community cats. 

So, after that long intro, welcome to the first post in our Community Cat Awareness series; Winter Weather Tips to Help Community Cats.

Building Winter Shelters for Outdoor Cats

I always worry about the community cats in my area when the weather turns frigid. Luckily, there are many kindhearted people in my neighborhood who take care of them. Today, in the second post in our Community Cats Awareness series, we will be discussing building winter shelters for outdoor cats.

Five Ways You Can Help Feral Cats - National Feral Cat Day 2021

Thank you for joining us for another post in our Community Cat Awareness series. Today is National Feral Cat Day and we're joining Alley Cat Allies in advocating for the lives of cats. 

Some people believe you have to be an "expert" in rescue to intervene in the lives of feral cats, but that's not true. Read on for five ways you can help feral cats. 

The 2021 Cat Writers' Association Certificates of Excellence

 A few weeks ago The Cat Writers' Association (CWA) sent out a newsletter announcing the winners of Certificates of Excellence for the 2021 Annual Communications Contest. I was very excited to learn that I won 14 Certificates of Excellence this year. 

For those who are unfamiliar with the organization, CWA  is a global, cat-centric organization that is dedicated to excellence in written, visual, and audio media. The organization is comprised of authors, photographers, videographers, graphic artists, bloggers, people on radio and television, and any other media out there, who share information about cats for the general public.

Here are my entries that won Certificates of Excellence and are finalists for the organization's coveted Muse Medallion:

1.  Reduce Your Cat's Stress With the RelaxoPet PRO (Written Article: Product Review)

2. Keep Your Cat Refreshed With the Petlibro Automatic Water Fountain (Written Article: Product Review)

How to Tell How Old a Kitten is and Why It's Important to Know

Welcome back to our Community Cat Awareness series. In this post, I discussed some helpful tips to use if you find a kitten. Today I’m going to talk about how you can tell how old the kitten is and why it’s important to know that. 

Kitten Season is Here – What You Can do to Help

Welcome to the fourth post in our Community Cat Awareness series. After a long winter, spring has arrived – flowers are blooming, the grass is greener, and the weather is warmer. But those aren’t the only things that are happening. Spring marks the beginning of kitten season, a time when shelters across the country are inundated with thousands of homeless kittens.

In today’s post, we’ll be discussing kitten season and things you can do to help cats and shelters during this time.

Lola and Lexy's Top 5 Cat-Friendly Plants for Easter

Hello, and Happy Friday! Easter is just around the corner, which means lots of households will be bringing in plants and flowers. Lexy and I want to make sure that all of your kitties are safe, so we decided to dedicate this "Top Five" post to plants and flowers that are non-toxic to cats. 

So let's get into it! 

Maintaining Feeding Stations for Community Cats

So far in our Community Cat Awareness series, we have discussed building shelters for outdoor cats, helping community cats in cold weather, debunked five myths about community cats, and more. Today’s topic is feeding stations.

Every town is different, and it’s not possible for every colony caretaker to have feeding stations. In many municipalities, it is against the law to feed community cats. For the safety of the cats, and themselves, they need to blend into the environment and keep a low profile. In other instances, the colony may be on someone’s property who does not want a visible station, or someone could be feeding cats in an urban area where it just isn’t practical to have one. (I know someone in Manhattan who feeds cats through a fence because it’s the only way she can get food to them.) Most of these tips are for people who are lucky enough to be able to have a feeding station for their community cats, or perhaps someone who feeds cats in their backyard.

5 Myths About Feral Cats Debunked

Welcome back to our Community Cat Awareness series. In our last post, I gave readers some pointers on how to tell how old a kitten is. Today I’m going to debunk five myths about feral cats. 

How to Build a Feeding Station for Community Cats

In a previous post in our Community Cat Awareness series, we talked about maintaining feeding stations for community cats. Today we're discussing how you can build a feeding station. 

What is a Community Cat?

Welcome to the third post in our Community Cat Awareness series. In some of the webinars I have attended, one of the topics discussed was the fact that many people do not understand what a community cat is, or why they are in their neighborhood. For the cats’ health and safety, it is important to educate people on this subject.

In today’s post, we will be answering the question, “What is a community cat?”

What is the Difference Between a Stray and Feral Cat?

Our Community Cat Awareness series is well underway, and I enjoy bringing our readers information they can use to help cats living outside. In this post, I discussed what the term "Community Cat" means, but I felt it was important to delve a little deeper.

Some people think that all cats living on the streets are feral, but that is a misconception. Today I'll discuss how you can tell the difference between a stray and a feral cat.

What To Do When You Find a Kitten Outdoors

Welcome to the fifth post in our Community Cat Awareness series. Last time we delved into the topic of kitten season, explaining what it is and what you can do to help. During kitten season it isn’t uncommon to find kittens in your backyard or perhaps during your daily travels. In today’s post, we share some helpful information you can use if you do find kittens.

Hiring a Pet Sitter is Good for Your Cat - and You!

Now that the holidays are over, many people may be planning a winter getaway to warmer climates and white sandy beaches to combat the winter blues. But what about your furry family members that will not be traveling with you? The belief that cats can spend several days (or longer!) safely by themselves is a misconception. Hiring a pet sitter is a safe alternative that is beneficial for both your cat and you.

Benefits of Using a Pet Sitter

There are benefits to both you and your cat when using a sitter. Our pets are our family, and making sure they’re comfortable in our absence makes us more relaxed.