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Tuesday 31 January 2017
Would You Consider Cloning Your Cat?
Just the mention of the word ‘cloning’ conjures up science fiction idioms and ‘Star Wars’ type images. Aside from the obvious science fiction connotations, there’s also a humorous side: Did you hear about the man that told his wife he wanted to clone himself? His wife responds, “Now wouldn’t that be just like you!”
There’s been plenty of opportunity for cartoonists and comedians to poke fun around this topic (example below – a cartoon from 15 years ago courtesy of comic.com). All kidding aside, it’s time to quit cloning around and get serious.
Many pet owners describe that ‘truly special pet’ who comes across only once in their lifetime. Even imagining the loss of such a companion would be devastating for many. Enter ViaGen who have a specific division just for cloning of pets. We had the opportunity to speak directly with their team and found them to be extremely honest, open and most importantly cat (and dog) lovers!
Cloning your cat is a reality today. Read this amazing story.Click To Tweet
OK, so what exactly is a cloned cat?
ViaGen conveniently has the following response posted right on their website:
We know that many cat owners have questions about cat cloning. A cloned cat is simply a genetic twin of your current cat, born at a later date in time. Cat cloning does not change the genetic make-up of your cat and does not involve any genetic modification. Your cloned cat will share many of the most important attributes of your current cat, including appearance, intelligence and temperament. Your cloned cat will be just as healthy and live just as long as your current cat, and is no more susceptible to health issues than any other cat.
ViaGen brand themselves as ‘America’s Pet Cloning And Genetic Preservation Experts’ and they produced this short animated video (below) to illustrate how their process works.
How Pet Cloning Works
A great overview, but we still had questions so we contacted Melain Rodriguez (ViaGen’s Client Service Manager) and she was kind enough to answer them.
But first (because we know you’re curious) we wanted to share this gorgeous photo of Tobey Jr. – he’s one of the recent members of the ViaGen Pets family. Tobey Jr. is a cloned domestic short hair cat who was born on January 2, 2016. His owners prefer to remain anonymous so we were not able to contact them. He just celebrated his 1st birthday earlier this month.
What a cutie huh! And yes, he looks almost identical to his donor Tobey. Keep reading for another incredible clone story.
In the meantime, following are a summary of our questions and ViaGen’s responses:
Q: When did ViaGen first start doing Genetic Preservation (GP) for pets?
ViaGen began in 2002 as a livestock cloning company. Since then, we have offered cloning service for cattle, pig, and horses and have preserved cell lines for those species, as well as for dogs and cats, through our Genetic Preservation (GP) service. In 2015 we expanded our cloning services to include cats and dogs and our first cloned kittens were born in the fall of 2015.
Q: Are you able to share any numbers?… e.g. how many GP clients have already signed up?
We have several thousand Genetic Preservation clients and dozens of pet cloning clients.
Q: Is the harvesting of the embryo from another cat safe to them? (i.e. is the donor cat harmed?)
Oocytes (eggs) from donor cats are used to produce the cloned embryos. ViaGen sponsors spay clinics around the country to fulfill our oocyte needs. We harvest the oocytes from the ovaries that are removed from the female cat during the routine spay procedure.
Q: How long does the GP process take?
After we receive the pet’s biopsy samples, it takes approximately 1 month to culture the cells. We culture millions of cells, and then these cells are cryopreserved and stored in vials in liquid nitrogen in two separate locations for extra security.
Q: Is there any limit to how long someone can keep their pet’s embryo frozen?
The GP process stores somatic cells, not embryos yet at this point. These stored cells can be frozen indefinitely, and can be used for cloning at any point down the road.
Q: How long does the actual cloning process take?
The timing of the cloning process can vary, depending on the current waiting list. Right now, our feline wait list is about 6 months. A signed cloning agreement and cloning deposit payment reserves your spot on the wait list. Once we get to your spot on the wait list, after about 6 months, we’ll produce cloned embryos and transfer those embryos into a surrogate cat.
Once a pregnancy is established the gestation is just a little over 2 months. After birth, the kitten(s) stay in our care for about 9 to 12 weeks. So, from start to finish it takes about 1 year. We anticipate our 6 month wait time to decrease within the next year.
Q: Is the surrogate cat harmed in any way?
We make every effort to ensure the comfort and health of all of our surrogates. To that end, we continue to improve on our procedures to make them as non-invasive as possible. Our surrogate mothers do not undergo anything that a cat in a pet household would not also encounter in the course of her life. We provide an exceptional diet, social interaction, environmental stimuli, and round-the-clock access to veterinary care.
Q: Does the process only yield 1 kitten in the litter? (i.e. what if 5 kittens came out?)
We do transfer multiple embryos into the surrogate so, similar to IVF, there is a possibility of more than one kitten being born, but litter sizes are typically small, with just 1 or 2 kittens.
Q: What’s been the general reaction when people find out you can clone their pets?
Surprise, disbelief, hope, comfort, and lots and lots of questions. Because we are the only feline cloning company in the world, most folks are unaware this technology is available. The genetic preservation is preferably done while your pet is still living, so if a pet parent is interested in preserving a cell line for potential cloning, we suggest they talk it over with their veterinarian and make arrangements for the simple biopsy procedure. If the veterinarian has any questions about the procedure, we are happy to speak with them and walk them through each step of the process.
Q: You shared some actual cloned success stories on your website…are these clients thrilled?
Yes, the clients are absolutely thrilled. I have had the honor of being present for every cloned kitten delivery so far, and it is truly an amazing experience and, as you can imagine, a very emotional experience as well.
A Remarkable Story of Twin Clones
The ViaGen team were delighted to put us in touch with one of their clients (a lady named Dawn) who we had the privilege of speaking with. She cloned her Siamese cat in 2015 and 2 cloned kittens were born on Oct. 5, 2015. See photos below – for those who don’t know, Siamese cats at birth are albinos (hence the all white coloring).
Dawn is an animal advocate who regularly helps out at local shelters and rescue sites. Cloning wasn’t really something she had considered until her beautiful 8 year old Siamese boy (Dylan) suddenly and unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack. Dylan was one of those incredible ‘once in a lifetime’ pets and his sudden passing was devastating.
As fortune would have it, her husband was intrigued by the cloning process and had actually done some research into ViaGen several months earlier. She told us how she raced to the vet with her dying Dylan in her arms but he had already passed before she got there. The rest happened very quickly – they immediately contacted ViaGen who jumped into action and were able to harvest the DNA from Dylan in time to keep it intact and viable.
The ViaGen scientists implanted cloned embryos into a surrogate tabby cat and a couple of months later she gave birth to 2 beautiful Siamese kittens. Let’s call them Dylan 1 & Dylan 2. They were identical in every way compared to the original Dylan (see below).
At 8 weeks they came home and today are beautiful, healthy and active boys. For personal reasons they each live with a different family member but when we spoke to Dawn she told us some amazing things about her new Dylan.
As soon as he came home he immediately knew their house and their dog instantly recognized him as if they had never separated. She observed what looked like a kitten with the memories of her 8 year old Dylan and it seemed that Dylan Jr. exhibited all the same behaviors as Dylan Sr. did.
Dawn told us that on the following morning after he came home, Dylan Jr. jumped on the bed and began licking her nose (this is what Dylan Sr. used to do). She also had a routine with Dylan Sr. that he loved to jump into his pushcart when she said “time to go shopping”…sure enough without any training Dylan Jr. does the exact same thing. Quite remarkable huh?
Dawn openly admits that it’s truly incredible at how identical her new Dylan behaves to his clone dad whether it’s doing simple day-to-day routines or observing his loving relationship with their dog. Dawn had nothing but praise for the ViaGen team and feels blessed every day to have her sweet Dylan back.
Summary
The issue of pet cloning might be controversial for some but it’s real and it’s here today. Many thousands of clients have already had their pets’ DNA stored with ViaGen for possible future cloning. Check out this short video to understand ViaGen’s perspective on Genetic Preservation and their cloning service.
It is indeed a brave new world. We are fascinated by the science and the possibilities. Tell us what you think by dropping a comment in the box below.
Q: Would you ever consider cloning your cat (or dog)?
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Unique Selling Point: Why Should People Listen to You?
There is no lack of gurus and experts on the internet. Take a look in any industry represented online and you will find numerous websites and blogs declaring that they are your number one source for information about the topic at hand. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. In fact, if you want to increase blog traffic and develop a dependable readership then you must position yourself as an expert in your field.
However, the number one question you need to ask before you spend the time and energy building your website is why should people listen to you?
What is the Value of You?
I’ve talked before about the value of knowing who your target market is and ensuring that you are giving them what they want. However, this goes a little bit above and beyond that. Let’s face it, you could probably swing a cat and hit at least ten other experts offering the same information you are providing the consumers in your market. What makes your advice better than your competition? What’s your edge?
What’s your unique selling point?
A unique selling point is something that makes you stand out from the crowd. It’s something people are not able to get from anyone else and the main reason your customers want to do business with you. It is why certain bloggers are able to command thousands of blog readers while others offering same exact information can only commandeer a few dozen. If you want to increase blog traffic, then you need to figure out what your unique selling point is and market that as a benefit to your readership.
For example, take two different types of soda: Pepsi and generic. Even though generic sodas are cheaper (sometimes as much as 50% less than brand name sodas) people still purchase Pepsi by the caseload. Why? Because of the taste.
Pepsi’s unique selling point is the way it tastes. That is something that cannot be replicated in generic brand sodas no matter what they may say on their packaging. When people purchase a Pepsi, they are confident they are going to get the taste they are after. That confidence dips significantly when they consider the generic brand. Even if the two brands are sitting side by side with an obvious price difference favoring the generic soda, people will pay more for the Pepsi.
Likewise, people will pay more attention to you if you have a unique selling point they like that they can’t get anywhere else.
Tips for Discovering Your Unique Selling Point
Discovering your unique selling point requires some research and some hard thinking about what you are truly offering your clients.
* Look at your top competition. How are they different from you? How are they similar? Read their blog posts. What posts are getting the most comments and why? Read their testimonials. What are the customers saying they love most about doing business with them? If the clients are reachable, you could even go undercover and ask for a recommendation and see what they say.
* Evaluate your target market. What things are most important to them? What problems are they trying to solve with the products, services, or information available in your industry? Is there a need that is not being fulfilled?
* Determine what is unique about your company. What are your values? What problems do you solve for your customers? How are your products better than your customers? If you are offering the same exact thing, how can you increase the value of them?
Finding your unique selling point may involve running with an idea and then fine tuning it over time. It is worth the effort, though, if you want to increase traffic to your website and develop a group of customers who love you and your business to the exclusion of everyone else.
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The 15 Most Dangerous Dogs
What do you think is the most dangerous dog? A pit-bull, right? Nope, wrong. Surely then it must be a Rottweiler, a German-Shepherd, or maybe even a Chow-Chow. Again, nope, no-way, and incorrect. The correct answer is… a Dachshund. Yes, you read that correctly. Dachshunds are the most dangerous type of dogs. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania recently surveyed 6,000 dog owners and found that “one in five dachshunds have bitten or tried to bite strangers, and a similar number have attacked other dogs; one in 12 have snapped at their owners.”
So, surely the number 2 dog on the list must be a pit bull, right? Wrong! It appears that Napoleon Syndrome is real because the number 2 dog is a Chihuahua. Chihuahuas have similar statistics to dachshunds when it comes to biting strangers, their owners, or other dogs. Completing the top 3 list is the Jack Russell Terrier. So, why is that we assume pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Chow Chows are the most dangerous dogs?
The answer is actually quite simple. It’s because most clinical studies on this subject use medical data as the basis for their research. Since big dogs create bigger wounds they’re reported more frequently and this causes the medical data to be skewed inaccurately toward big dogs. Truthfully, all breeds can be provoked to bite. Whether or not a dog actually bites is generally a result of how well it’s been trained and treated. So, the question really is what dog breeds are genetically predisposed to aggressiveness? Here’s a list, in no particular order, of the 15 most dangerous dogs.
1. Giant Schnauzer – Similar to German Shepherds, the Giant Schnauzer was trained in Germany to assist soldiers. This dangerous dog possesses the size of a Great Dane with the intelligence of a Schnauzer. These qualities in addition to his natural tendency to be fiercely loyal make this a dog of which to be aware. Stranger anxiety in the Giant Schnauzer is more common than other dogs.
2. Akita Inu – The Akita Inu is a heavy boned, powerful, and alert dog. He possesses a dignified and courageous persona and has a tendency to be aggressive toward other dogs.
3. Chow Chow – According the American Kennel Club, “… the Chow is reserved and discerning with strangers. Their cat-like personalities make them independent, stubborn and less eager to please than other breeds. They require early socialization and training, and some kind of exercise daily.
4. Bullmastiff – The Bullmastiff is fearless and confident. They were originally bred to guard natural game preserves from poachers as such they are natural guardians of the home, but do not bark much, as silence was a virtue when guarding the preserves. Bullmastiffs are independent thinkers and may not respond to traditional obedience training.
5. Papillion – The Papillion, is very small and very loyal to its family. It can be weary of strangers and though they are generally sweet tempered they need to be watched carefully around non-family members or other dogs visiting their home.
6. Old English Sheepdog – Old English Sheepdogs (OES) are athletic and energetic and require lots of exercise. The OES was bred to herd sheep. He has retained his natural tendency to herd whether or not there are sheep and accordingly he may try to herd people or other objects. He is generally a loving, sweet animal but may become aggressive if he feels someone or something is interfering with his herding job.
7. Dachshund – The Dachshund, meaning “badger dog” in German, was bred to dig into holes, hunt for, and fight to the death with badgers. Dachshunds tend to be territorial and in order to make the integration into family life as smooth and happy as possible he requires consistent assertion from his owners throughout his lifetime.
8. Llasa Apso – Llasos were bred for hundreds of years as indoor watchdogs. They are naturally suspicious of strangers. Additionally, the dog possesses an aloof and independent personality – it requires consistent handling throughout it’s life and requires daily walks or exercise. Llaso’s are best for adult only families.
9. Miniature Pinscher – Miniature Pinschers are fearless, animated, and independent creatures. They are spirited, and require consistent reminders about who the true alpha dog is in the family.
10. Jack Russell Terrier (officially known as Parson Russell Terriers) – These little dogs are bright and very energetic. They require lots of exercise and are better in families with older children as they do not tolerate rough handling from small children.
11. Pit Bull – What is commonly known as the pit bull is officially known in England as the Staffordshire Bull-Terrier and in the United States it’s known as the American Staffordshire-Terrier. Whatever you call it, this dog is actually very people-oriented and is happiest when he is made part of the family and given a job to do. He is generally very friendly but is loyal to a fault to his family and will protect them from any threat.
12. Rottweiler – Rottweilers love their people and are protective of their territory. They do not welcome strangers until properly introduced. Obedience training and socialization are musts.
13. German Shepherd – The German Shepherd is a renowned guard and military dog. It is also a loving family companion. The breed is direct and fearless, with a strong, muscular body. He is a great family dog and is only on the most dangerous list because he can be trained to be aggressive (as can most dogs)
14. Dalmatian – The Dalmatian is the only horse “coaching” dog in the world and he has retained a natural affinity for horses. Dalmatians are very energetic and require daily long walks or romps in a fenced yard. Without regular exercise he can become destructive.
15. Chihuahua – Swift moving and terrier-like in behavior, Chihuahuas are highly intelligent and should not be underestimated even though small in size. They do not tolerate the rough handling that comes with young children so they are best for families with older or no kids.
Remember, all dogs can be provoked and all dogs, given the proper training, can be well mannered animals. Whatever breed you decide to add to your family it is important to socialize your pet with other animals and people as soon as possible. Also, consistent routines, affirmation, and discipline will make your new dog a happy member of the family.
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How Does Acid Base Balance Affect Your Digestion?
The health of the human being depends upon proper functions of human cells. Each cell of the living organism breathes, eats, multiplies, thrives, and releases a metabolic wastes. These wastes usually are acidic. Myriads’ of the microorganisms coexist together with human cells producing a lot of acidic waste too. All foods metabolize in the human body and create acidic substances. End products of the digestion of the proteins are amino acids; fats are fatty acids and end products of the carbohydrates are the lactic or carbonic acids.
On the other hand, human blood pH is constant, slightly alkaline -7.4. Any changes in the blood pH lead to break down of the heart, lungs and brain, hence lead to death of the entire organism.
Kidney, lungs, liver, pancreas and most organs and systems take enormous effort to keep constant slightly alkaline -7.4 in the blood by removing acidic substances. In additional, human blood has bicarbonate buffer and minerals, which neutralize acids to preserve the life.
The problems arise when, first, too much acidity is produced inside the body and, second, when organs, which are responsible for removing acidic chemicals, get sick and weak. If it happens, acidity collects in the body.
Whole body acidity has medical name it is called metabolic acidosis. Scientists sound alarm because metabolic acidosis grows in epidemic proportion in the last decades causing many chronic diseases, aging, and cancer. We cannot blame our genes. The main reasons for chronic metabolic acidosis are consumption of the acid-forming foods, alcohol, some medications, environmental and internal toxicity, Candida-yeast overgrowth, SIBO, chronic infections, sedentary life-style, etc.
The worse damage whole body acidity creates to main alkaline digestive glands, for instance, liver and pancreas. Liver produces alkaline bile, pancreas manufactures pancreatic juice that is the most alkaline solution in the body. Changes of the body’s acid-base balance toward the acidity lead to acidic biochemical changes in the bile and pancreatic juice and numerous chronic digestive disorders.
It is known, from basic chemistry that more acidity means less alkalinity and vice versa. We can determine the acid-base balance of the solution by measurement of the pH. More than 7.0 means alkalinity, pH less than 7.0 shows acidity.
If alkalinity of the pancreatic juice drops less than 7.0, digestion stops because pancreatic digestive enzymes work only in alkaline condition. Pancreatic digestive enzymes digest more than half of proteins and carbohydrates, 90% of fats. Indigested food collects in the gut. It is fermented by bacteria and yeasts causing gas, bloating, abdominal cramps, pains and also it produces several toxins. Body tries to get rid of these toxic, indigested foods chunks through the way to mouth causing fullness, nausea, vomiting, heartburn. If these indigested foods go down, they bring about diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, inflammation and abdominal pain. Usually, indigestion also leads to shortage of the essential substances and vitamins.
To say more, acidic bile and pancreatic juice become extremely aggressive, they irritate ducts, sphincter of Oddi, duodenum causing wrong traffic ways – refluxes. This, in turn, creates strong spasmodic contractions of the ducts and duodenum and moves extremely irritated combination of the acidic bile and pancreatic juice up to the stomach or even to esophagus. It can cause inflammation, ulcers, severe heartburn, and cancers. Wrong reflux of the acidic bile into the pancreatic duct is the huge reason for pancreatitis.
How can we normalize acid-base balance? It can be done normally only by supplying the body with minerals and bicarbonate by alkaline foods, healing mineral water, and cellular magnesium-potassium. Many practical advises on this topic can be found in my EBook, Healthy Pancreas, Healthy You.
There is pretty much information about alkaline diet but drinking healing mineral water almost unknown to American public. Contrary, Europeans drink mineral water either in healing mineral spas or at home by using genuine Karlovy Vary thermal spring salt for hundreds of years.
Small town in the Czech Republic, Karlovy Vary attracted people by its healing thermal spring water for more than 500 years. Millions of Europeans with digestive, liver disorders and metabolic diseases such as diabetes, gout, obesity improved their health with this water. More than 200 years ago, Karlovy Vary water is vaporizes to make salt that has minerals, trace elements, and bicarbonate. Dissolving this salt in the water makes the easy way to drink Karlovy Vary healing mineral water at home. Water by itself is good regulator of acid-base balance.
Numerous medical papers mostly on Czech, German, and Russian support the beneficial effect of this water in many digestive and metabolic disorders.
Another way to get essential minerals such as cellular magnesium potassium is taking them as mineral supplements. Deficiency of the cellular magnesium, potassium is a common cause of whole body acidity; on the other hand, these minerals promote alkalinity of the bile and pancreatic juice.
All cleansing techniques such as colon hydrotherapy, herbs, infrared sauna, massage, drinking fresh vegetable blends and juices help to eliminate toxins and normalize acid-base balance – the vital aspect of health and certainly, proper digestion.
The information contained here is presented for educational, informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information is not to be used to replace the services or instructions of a physician or qualified health care practitioner.
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Turkey Behavior – Simple Tips To Understand Their Behaviors When Rearing Turkeys
Some children want a dog or a cat to be their playmate everyday. But some consider rare animals to be their pets. Many of you may find it unusual to have a turkey pet. But for your information, since decades ago, turkeys have been kept as pets. In fact, the son of Abraham Lincoln kept a turkey as the first White house turkey pet because of its social turkey behavior.
Farm Sanctuary, one of the animal welfare groups, testified that turkeys are intelligent and very sociable animals. They can be compared to dogs when it comes to companionship and reliability. Former US President George W. Bush once noted in his 2001 National Thanksgiving Presentation speech that keeping turkeys as pets is an old and still existing tradition of the generation and recommended to continue it.
There are two kinds of turkeys according to their breed and turkey behavior. One is the wild turkey and the other is the domestic turkey. Domestic turkeys are the ones born and living in a commercial poultry farm wherein they are only intended for Thanksgiving dinner. They are fed with pellets and other commercialized artificial feeds. Domestic turkeys do not have the ability to fly since they are only kept in cages and given food and warmth everyday without letting them exercise their wings. They are not known for any intelligence capabilities, unlike wild turkeys.
Do not be frightened in keeping wild turkeys as pets because of their name. It’s for their turkey behavior that some consider them as pets. They are called wild turkeys because they are born in the wild and live in a natural way without restraint on what to eat and do. They can fly since they are born free. Some believe that they are smarter than the domestic ones, and that is why many prefer them as pets.
It is also best if you will keep a male and a female turkey in order to keep your turkeys happy and lively. The usual turkey behavior of a wild male turkey is the loud cackling and clucking sounds. They are also gobbling and fluffing their feathers when they want to mate a female turkey. They will spread out their wings while gobbling tremendously for the female to notice them. You will also observe that they will run to and fro. It is an additional attraction strategy to get the female. These are common indications that the female turkey or the hen is ready to mate. You will then identify who is the dominant tom and who is not. Commonly, the dominant male turkey will be the first to mate, while the others will just try to get a mate when the dominant one is not around or looking.
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It’s Only A Small Whitehead
As I was growing up, I was nurtured by the sun just like plants are. I was outside in the sun every day. When I was a teenager, we used baby oil and iodine to help us get that tan look. (Fry-Baby-Fry)
I became involved in the city recreation age group swimming and diving teams for many years. As I grew older I worked out in the fields for farmers, as a lifeguard, pool manager, and swimming and diving coach during my summers. I also coached football, track, and had outside lunch duty while I was a teacher.
According to the specialists in the field of skin cancer, “…much of the damage that leads to skin cancer occurs in young children and adolescents…”
We did not know what sunscreen was except for the cute Coppertone commercials on the television. I guess you could say I have been a devout “Sun” worshipper all of my life. I had my share of very bad sunburns throughout my lifetime.
The very first time I went to see a Dermatologist he asked me to remove my shirt. The first words he stated were, ” My you have really enjoyed the sun throughout your lifetime.”
On November 22nd of 2010, I went and had my yearly Dermatology exam. The doctor did a thorough exam and then he asked if there was anything I would like to have checked out. I said”, Yes there was a very little spot like a white head on the left center part of my forehead that always bothered me when I wiped sweat off. It didn’t hurt or anything it was just bothersome.”
The Doctor took a look at it and said that it was nothing to be worried about but he would do a punch biopsy to make sure. He numbed the area with a local anesthetic and did the biopsy. He didn’t have to use any stitches; just a band-aid.
Since it was the week of Thanksgiving, he told me he would have his staff call me the next week with the results. I told him that would not be a problem.
The next week passed by without a call from his office. Then the second week passed by also. I had forgotten about the test and continued on with my daily life of running, substitute teaching, and just enjoying life since I had retired from the teaching field.
During the third week, on a Thursday evening about 8:30 p.m., my doctor called me at home and told me that my biopsy had been sent back to Boston because the Pathologists here were having a tough time defining and diagnosing it. They thought it was a grouping of nerve cells that had intertwined but they weren’t sure. They wanted other pathologists to confirm their diagnosis.
The pathologists back in Boston had also agreed to disagree. Finally they came up with the correct definition and diagnosis for this grouping of cells. On December 8th of last year, the bump on my forehead was positively diagnosed as a spot of Desmoplastic Melanoma.
I was told this type of cancer is very aggressive and devastating. It is a type of cancer that doesn’t play by designated rules; like other cancers did.
The doctor told me he had already made an appointment for me with a surgeon. I was to meet with the surgeon on the following Tuesday morning.
After I hung up the telephone, my wife asked who had called. I told her the entire story. I was absolutely numb and in shock. The more it sunk in that evening the more concerned I became.
I worried about it all weekend. I researched this type of skin cancer on the internet. The more I found out about it the more concerned I became. I talked with my sister- in- law and brother- in- law in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are both in the medical field. They suggested I come down there and get into the Huntsman Cancer Institute. It treats nothing but Melanoma type cancers. I said we would have to wait and see what my doctors were prescribing. They told me not to wait too long because of the type of cancer this was.
Upon further research at the Huntsman Institute site, I found that Melanoma is ” The deadliest form of skin cancer, has reached epidemic proportions worldwide, and is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the United States of America.”
On Tuesday morning, I met with the surgeon. He began by looking at this small white head of a bump and then he began relating medical terminology to his nurse. He then said if I had any questions I could ask his nurse and he left the room. His nurse told me that she couldn’t schedule the surgery any sooner than January 3rd.
I told her I could not have surgery until after January 10th because I had committed to some substitute teaching jobs for some dear friends. She said that was okay but I needed to call the hospital and go in for a pre-surgery screening. She said she would send in the orders to the hospital.
I called the hospital that afternoon and set up an appointment for the morning of January 7th.
On the morning of January 7th, I went to the hospital and told them why I was there. We went through the basic paperwork, and the pre-lab exam. They told me that we couldn’t do the lab tests or the EKG because there weren’t any orders from the doctor.
The nurse was kind enough to call the doctor and ask for the order to be faxed to her. We waited for about twenty minutes but no fax arrived. The nurse said she was sorry but there wasn’t anything she could do. So she sent me home.
When I arrived home I called the doctor’s office and the receptionist said that everyone was out to lunch. She would have the nurse call me when she arrived back at the office.
After two hours the nurse called me at home and told me she had just faxed the orders. I asked her what I needed to do now. She told me to call and make another appointment with the hospital but I needed to have it completed before I could check in for the surgery.
I called the hospital and luckily the nurse I had talked to that morning answered the telephone. I explained what the doctor’s office had said. She told me to get myself down there right away and we would finish the exam then. Thank goodness for her because I was not getting any help or information from my surgeon’s nurse.
On January 12, I checked into the hospital. I was a basket full of nerves because I really had no idea of what was going to happen. The first thing that I had to experience was the Radiation Doctor injected the “white head” with lidocaine. Then he injected the north, west, south, and east points of the spot with a radioactive element that stung like acid even though it had been numbed. I had to lie perfectly still for 40 minutes for the elements to travel to certain sentinel lymph nodes. My wife and the Radiation Doctor watched on a monitor as the radioactive element traveled from my forehead down to my left ear and neck. The surgeon would remove these marked nodes because that is where cancer cells had traveled to.
After this procedure was completed, I was directed to the pre-surgery department. I had an IV hooked up to my arm. I was asked more questions for the hospital records. Actually these were the same questions I had answered during my first visit. I guess different departments don’t communicate with each other, even in this day and age of technology.
The Anesthesia Doctor came in and talked with me while he injected the IV with a mild sedative. This was fine because I was really starting to get stressed out. This doctor actually answered some of my questions and gave me some information about the procedure.
The surgeon had gotten behind on his surgery schedule so my surgery was pushed back by two hours. I think I was given the mild sedative two more times before I was wheeled into the surgery area.At this point all I knew or should I say all I was told was that he was going to remove that spot. Oh, was I wrong.
During the surgery that afternoon, the doctor made an incision from inside my hairline to just below my left eyebrow. He removed a section as round as the bottom of a yogurt container from my forehead and went in as deep as the skull. He also removed a sentinel lymph node beside my left ear and two nodes from deep in my neck. He told my wife that he had to go in an inch and a half to get these nodes.
The node incisions he closed and sutured. The forehead opening was packed with cotton balls and compression bandaged to prevent any bleeding. The bandages were actually sutured to the skin to prevent them from shifting.
When I was relatively awake from the anesthesia and given the okay by the recovery room doctor, I was sent home with my wife and told to come back to the doctor’s office on Tuesday morning of the next week.When I arrived home, I looked in the mirror and saw someone who had bandages all over his face. I had a huge bandage on my forehead that looked like the beginning of a Unicorn’s horn. I also had a bandage by my left ear and one on my neck just below the ear.
The pain pills, which had been given to my wife to help alleviate my pain until she could fill my prescription, were very welcome at this point. This had been a very long day for my wife and I. We had arrived at the hospital at 6:30 a.m. and returned to our house at 8:10 p.m.
The weekend went fairly well except for the throbbing in my forehead, my left ear area, and my neck. I used ice on a regular basis to help control the swelling.
On Tuesday morning, I was allowed the luxury of finally becoming privileged to some information involving my case. My wife and I knew nothing about this information beforehand.
They were going to put me back in the hospital again the next day and this time it was going to be for overnight. This was because all of the maneuvering the doctor was going to have to do under the skin would leave me very sore and actually very sick to my stomach. He was very correct about that!
He said they were going to loosen the skin up under the hairline about two and a half inches and then pull it, tuck it under and then stitch it back together leaving as small of a scar as possible. I looked into the mirror and saw the incision they had previously made. The incision went from 1/2 inch below my eyebrow up and across my forehead and into my hairline by 1/2 an inch.
It was basically a partial face-lift that plastic surgeons might do.
The nurse packed and re-bandaged the incision and we headed back home. As we were driving home, my wife and I both questioned each other about knowing any of this information before today. We both came to the same conclusion. We had not been given any of this information prior to today.
We arrived back at the hospital the next day around noon. I was checked into the pre-surgery area again. I actually had the same pre-surgery nurses as I did for the first surgery. We went through the same procedures as before with the IV and the questions. Today the surgeon was not behind and it looked like we were going ahead as scheduled.
The Anesthesia doctor came in to my cubby hole and gave me the pre-sedation. As he was doing this I happened to look across the aisle from me. There was a pretty fifteen year old girl and her father in the cubby hole across the aisle. Just as my bed was being wheeled out of my cubby hole, her doctor had told her they were going to have to remove her nose and upper lip because of a spot on her nose. The scream that came from her was a blood curdling scream that I had only heard in the movies.
I was later told by my nurse that the parents could not bring themselves to tell her about her surgery. They had only told her that her dermatologist was going to remove some acne bumps. They figured the doctor could let her in on the secret after she had been partially sedated.
I am glad that I was being wheeled into the operating room and out of that area.
As I was going into the operating room, where my surgery was going to be done, I remember thinking “Oh Crap, what are they going to do to me this time?”
When I woke up in my hospital room the pain started immediately. The remainder of the night I tried to listen to music to block out the pain-No help or very little. We, the nurse and I, then tried Norco tablets every four hours….took a little edge off but when the pain wanted to scream it would get its own way.
The nurse finally said, “that’s it” and gave me an injection of morphine. She told me that the pain was making my blood pressure raise to a level she did not want to see. The morphine brought the pain down to a low to medium migraine. So we continued this routine, Norco tablets every four hours followed by injections every hour, all night until I was released the next morning at 9:30 a.m. I did not get any sleep at all that night.
When I was released from the hospital the next morning, I was told to keep the bandages dry and clean and the doctor would see me in three days to take out the stitches.
I loaded up on some Norco tablets and eventually slept like a rock when I returned home.
My wife told me that the doctor had come and talked with her after the surgery. She said he was very informative and actually very nice.
When I went to the surgeon’s office to have my stitches removed, I had a new nurse take them out. The stitches came out very easily. I looked like I had a small irrigation ditch running through my forehead but I felt fortunate to this point.
The doctor told me there would be a few radiation treatments to clean up any debris that was left but it would nothing to stress out about. He told me the headaches, the soreness, and the itching under the skin would go away with time.
He had set up an appointment for me to meet with a Radiation Oncologist at St. Luke’s Hospital in the Mountain States Tumor Institute or MSTI department. This appointment would be scheduled in about two weeks. This would give the incision time to heal.
When I went to my appointment to meet the Radiology Oncologist and the Chemical Oncologist at the Mountain States Tumor Institute, I was under the impression that I would have a few radiation treatments and that would be it.
Everyone that I met at MSTI, from the receptionists all the way to the doctors were very sweet and compassionate. The compassion the doctors, nurses, and everyone that worked there had for their patients was truly immense and heartwarming.
The doctors were compassionate but were very matter of fact when it came to this disease. The first doctor, who was a Radiation Oncologist, looked at the incisions I had and said, “Your other doctor did a very good job on your fore head, and neck but I want you to know something-He is a surgeon, a very good one, but still just a surgeon. I am the Radiology Oncologist and you are now mine.
I am setting you up for a brain MRI, a full body PET scan, and a meeting with the Chemo Oncology doctor and the radiation tech staff.”
I met with the Chemo Oncologist right away. I could tell from what she said that she was a very intelligent person. She asked me what stage I was in? I told her I didn’t know because no one had offered me that information. She looked at my file and said that I had stage two. I was one cell away from being in stage three. She said the difference being stage two-NO chemotherapy, stage three FULL interferon chemotherapy. She explained what would happen to me physically and mentally if I would have gone through the Interferon therapy.
She told me that if I had not asked for my dermatologist to check this “white head” out by this time next year at my annual dermatology check there would have been nothing they could have done for me. She said I was very, very lucky.
I was then taken into the radiation room where they were going to fit me with a very tight plastic mask that clicked to the table. It was designed so that for the next five weeks I would be in the same position every day. They told me my eyebrow hairs would fall out, parts of my hairline would fall out, my skin would burn like a sunburn, then blister and peel. They said I could only use the lotions that they gave me because the commercial products were too strong. They also told me I could not use sunscreen for the first year due to the harm it would cause the skin.
The radiation tech person asked, “Have you ever been claustrophobic?” I told them no and asked why. They told me the mask was to be placed in very warm water and then pushed down over my face and clicked to the table. Then the techs would form it to my face with their hands. Once this was completed they would place cold towels over it to solidify its shape.
Then they would take the mask off, draw on my face with a Sharpie pen for future reference points, place the mask back on my face, and make some marks on the mask.
These marks on the mask would help align the laser markings for the radiation treatments. This way the placement of the markers would be exact every single treatment. I was also going to wear a lead eyepiece over my left eye so the radiation would not affect my eye.
From the radiation room, I was sent to the Imagery department. Here they would do the PET scan and the MRI.
I was first given an injection of a radioactive element, placed in a dark room, and told to be as quiet as possible for forty minutes. I couldn’t even talk. When the time period was up, I was led to a restroom. The sign on the outside of the door read “For Nuclear Patients Only”. I highly expected my urine to glow if I turned out the lights. I was then escorted back to the Imagery room and they did the full body scan.
I was then taken to an MRI room, where the technician did an MRI of my brain. Other than a lot of noise this was an easy exam. I was told my doctor would go over the results of the tests on Monday and I was then sent home. I was extremely exhausted after all of this. This was not the few radiation treatments to clean up any debris left from the surgery that my surgeon had indicated.
Once we started the radiation treatments, I was to meet with the doctor every Monday. On the first Monday she told me that the results of the MRI and PET Scans were back and that I had Nodules in my lungs. Oh great some more good news!
She said most people do have them from the air we breathe but she ordered a DEDICATED CAT SCAN of my lungs. This scan was scheduled to take place the next morning. This exam would look at the nodules more closely.
My doctor then guided me back to the radiation treatment room. They handed me a schedule for the next five weeks. I was going to have a radiation treatment every week day at 3 p.m. for the next five weeks.
The technicians had me lay down on a skinny table. They put a pillow under my knees to relieve any back pressure. They then took the mask they had made for me, placed it over my face, pushed it down towards the table until I heard four clicks. This was the mask clicking into its proper position. They placed a lead shield over my left eye.
The technicians then told me they were ready and that they were going to leave the room. They told me not to move. I had my eyes closed but when the machine came on I could see a white light pass over my face. I asked the technician about this and she told me there wasn’t any white light. It could have been the radiation playing with my optic nerve.
As the weeks passed by I developed a sun burn on my fore head, I lost the hair from my left eyebrow and up into my hairline about an inch and a half. During the third week of treatment, when the radiation came on, I could feel a bubbling sensation just under the skin. The technicians said this was a normal occurrence and to make sure I used the lotion they had given to me.
If you ever want your life totally scheduled out, this is one way to do it. You have Radiation treatments every day at 3 p.m., Doctors appointments every Monday at 11 a.m., and then any scheduled tests in between those two. I have seen patients at MSTI spend all day there. First they have their chemo treatment and then they go and have their radiation treatment.
One day while I was sitting in the radiation waiting room and a young man about 22 years of age walked in and sat down. I knew he had just had his chemo treatment because of the bandage on his arm.
As we sat there he began to cry. He kept repeating that he wasn’t going to make it. I was just about to talk with him when the nurse called me back for my treatment. I told her about him, what he was saying, and suggested that he needed to talk to someone. After my treatment was completed, the nurse came up to me and thanked me for saying something. This young man was in a very depressed state and they had checked him into the hospital.
When I went in for my first CAT scan they told me they were going to use a warm iodine solution as a contrast material. I am allergic to Iodine. The radiation technician gave me some medications to take to stop any allergic reactions.
The technician told me when they injected the warm Iodine it would make you feel like you were getting warm all over, and then suddenly you would feel like you are wetting your pants….She didn’t lie. That’s exactly how it felt. She told me she would warn some of her older patients that feeling was going to happen but they still would grab their crotch when it did occur.
The nodule results were fine but as we were walking out the tech told me I probably would have two more CAT Scans about six months apart. About this time, my nose and upper lip had become itchy. It was a slight reaction. I had to sit down for ten minutes with a nurse and an IV in my arm so I could be monitored for anymore reactions.
The second CAT scan went according to plan with no changes in the nodules and no reactions from the iodine.
The third CAT scan results were okay except the nurse was behind schedule and decided the best way to put in a needle is by the perpendicular-vertical method over the parallel-horizontal method. This was to be my last CAT scan but the doctors found a new nodule. So now I have one more to make sure this one has not changed.
Just about the time I feel like everything is coming to an end a new surprise hits the fan.
I finished my radiation treatments and I am still in the process of recovery; both physically and mentally. The doctors said about two years to recover from the surgeries and radiation treatments. My forehead is still sore where the surgeries had taken place. I did have a few chats with the MSTI Social Worker to vent a few anxieties. What a wonderful and caring person she is and will always be a dear friend
When my radiation treatments were over, the radiation tech gave me my mask and told me I could paint it for Halloween to scare kids away from my door or I could paint it in orange and blue colors and wear it to a home Boise State football game. He was a great guy during this time period.
So I have another Cat Scan in August and at the present time I am 15 months clean; with dermatologist, radiation oncologist, and M.D. Doctor appointments set every three months; hopefully all not on the same day. I do not want any more surprises; although the last dermatology checkup I had the doctor asked me if there was anything I wanted checked. I mentioned an area on the back of my left arm, in the middle of the Tricep area.
He looked at it, did a biopsy, and then called me two days later. He told me it was a squamous carcinoma cell that needed to be removed.
Luckily that was an office visit that took very little time. It did cause me some stress because I don’t like needles and to hear him cutting and scraping with the scalpel was not a treat. So I went out on a run to relieve that feeling and to get my head back into my zone that happens during a “runners high”.
These types of occurrences really interrupt my running schedule, my family schedule, and my living schedule.
But because I had my dermatologist check a small white head I am still here, fighting back, and enjoying life.
Steve McCain
“Hug Life Like Your Favorite Teddy Bear”
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Rescue Kitten Shows Unique Talent Towards Scared and Injured Animals at Hospital
A little former stray kitten has taken up a very special role at an animal hospital. Whenever he sees scared and injured animals, he offers comfort, helping them heal.
Meet Ron the kitten!
Northfield Veterinary Hospital
Ron, a six-month-old kitten, was rescued along with three other kittens last month from a feral cat colony.
Jen Weston, co-owner of
Northfield Veterinary Hospital
(Denver) shared that when a highly
aggressive and anxious cat
came to them, who would not let anyone near his carrier, Ron hopped on top, and within minutes the cat started purring and playing with Ron, and even let the vets treat him afterwards.
It was then the staff at the hospital noticed this ginger boy’s very special talent to calm animals in distress. They called him the “therapy cat.”
Northfield Veterinary Hospital
He may be little, but he has a big heart for others.
“Ron doubles as a therapy cat to keep our dental patients warm. The dental is on our technician’s pup.” Jen said.
Northfield Veterinary Hospital
This nurturing ginger boy happily offers cuddles and his purr power if the animals’ owners are ok with him being around.
Now these furry patients wake up from surgery with little Ron snuggling next to them purring away. He is there for them through tough times and helps them heal with his magical powers and occasional cat massages.
Northfield Veterinary Hospital
Ron has surprised everyone with his incredible healing power towards animals in need. This little ginger boy has so much love to give!
Northfield Veterinary Hospital
Ron comforts a patient by giving them a good grooming.
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Related story:
Rescue Cat Becomes Nurse at Shelter Purring Animal Patients Back to Health
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Cat Medicine: Considerations
But we are pleased that it is at least not making him feel worse: because the first pill took four tries to go down, the third pill took about five seconds with no wrestling, and now it is a routine thing for both of us.
When our cat must embark on a regular medicine regimen, there are factors which might help both of us.
form of the medicine
My vet asked me if I “was sure” I could pill Reverend Jim. I assured him I could and I have.
Pills are the most common form of medicine, but in a lot of ways, the most challenging for us and our cats. We need to open the cat’s mouth and tilt their head back, so their throat opening points upward. Then we drop the pill (hopefully small) as close to the back of the tongue as possible. Then we let them close their mouth and hold it closed (hands not near their throat, near their nose) until we see/feel them swallow, and watch their tongue come out.
This usually means the pill has reached its destination.
The first time, RJ was taken by surprise, I didn’t have my moves coordinated, and he kept getting the pill on a more mobile part of his tongue; and ejecting it. If repeated, this can make the pill mushy and even less welcome. The surer and swifter we are, the less the cat gets to taste the pill; and the more cooperative they might be.
This was the case with RJ. Now, with us assuring him that “it will make him feel better,” he’s fairly calm about it.
Other forms can be even more helpful, and require less cat cooperation. Liquid forms, with added cat-attractive tastes, are available now, and these can be squirted between their clenched teeth. Also, many medicines can now be done in cream form, to rub inside the cat’s ear, which is the easiest of all.
This is where a regular grooming regimen pays off for us in another way: it lets our cat get used to being handled by us. During our grooming times, even for a short-haired, conscientious, cat like Tristan, we can check on areas of tenderness, teeth hygiene, and ear cleaning status too. Wrangling them for medicine can become another thing our cat will put up with if we are calm and consistent.
Possibly.
bribery
One of my sayings is, “I’m never above bribery,” when it comes to my cats. When RJ was a baby, freshly rescued and needing medical care, he got goo squirted in practically every orifice, twice a day. The promise of the treat afterward kept him cheerful. In fact, we had to be careful; he once leaped off Mr WayofCats’ lap to head for the kitchen, only to stagger into doorways and table legs because his eyes were full of goo.
Thyroid patients need to take a tiny pill daily. This can be accomplished by embedding it in a strip of string cheese. Cats have their molars raked back, pointing towards their throat; once they start swallowing something, they continue. This is how the pill went down easily. A folded strip of roast beef or sliced chicken can also work this way.
Other times it might not be best to mix the medicine directly with the treat; many medicines taste terrible, even if they have flavoring. But we can literally “wash the bad taste out” with a favorite treat. Once this routine is established, I’ve gotten more cooperation. Medicine time becomes not all bad; there’s a happy ending.
Favorite foods can include special people food, too, provided it fits their condition and is something they can eat without consequence. A chopped jumbo shrimp goes a long way to help RJ see the upside in this situation.
Simmered organ meats like liver or even raw foods can be a healthy addition to our cat’s meals, over and above their treat function. We’ve been managing RJ’s digestive situation with more and more poached fish; something he likes a lot and is also easy for him to digest.
Treats don’t have to be a whole meal, either; one cat of mine was happy with a few crumbs of aged romano cheese. The intense flavor made it a treat, even though it was a tiny amount. Cheese can be a treat even if our cat has trouble with milk; the lactose in the cheese has been consumed to fuel the cheese fermentation. Likewise, heavy cream or butter isn’t bad for cats, because it’s fat, not milk sugar.
bond of trust
We should always provide lots of petting and sweet talk, before and after. This gives us the benefit of the doubt about our motivations. Because we can’t blame our cats for thinking “what the heck” about our new, and unwelcome, behavior.
featuring RJ as “Mr Happycat”
This is a tremendous advantage for us when it comes to dosing RJ; he is one of the world’s most mellow creatures.
Many cats react to adversity by struggling with intense feelings of paranoia and suspicion. RJ went the opposite way.
He finds his situation in our home to be so freakin’ awesome he is very easily made happy. He discovered that the less he struggled over his dosing, the faster he got to his treat.
So he started cooperating more.
Trust is also illustrated when we contrast RJ’s attitude with Mithrandir’s. As Mithy grew so fast and large, he developed some knots we cut out with a mat knife, as the simplest way to get his coat back in shape. He is as dense and wooly as a sheep at this age, so no one can even tell.
However, while this is a simple task when it comes to RJ, it is usually a two-person-with-the-cat-rolled-in-a-towel task to do it for Mithy. His recovering feral status means anything out of the ordinary will trigger a fearful reaction, even though he keeps advancing in his cuddling skills. I have recently gotten a knot out while he sat in my lap, but only because it was easily accessible and I know how to safely use the mat knife. There’s still one buried in his fluffy hindquarters that is going to take both humans to handle.
It is always going to come down to our relationship. How much they trust us, and with what, will be a special combination of ourselves and our cat. Tristan lets us put healing medicine on a boo-boo between his shoulder blades with no more than a cocked ear, while Mithy lurks in the doorway for hours, fearful of approaching me again even though his hip feels much better with the knot out.
With Tristan, we have the advantage of feeding him as a three week old foundling, so he associates all our touches with helpful attitudes and happy outcomes. Mithrandir still has automatic feral reflexes, even as he lurks in the doorway. He’s not, after all, hiding behind the couch anymore.
Our cats can come to see our medical interventions as things that are “for their own good,” especially if they can perceive that the medicine does make them feel better. We help by explaining things every step of the way, and reassuring them in happy tones. If there will be, for the foreseeable future, a medicine ritual, we will just have to make it a ritual. This lets our cat see a pattern and helps them anticipate. We might get more cooperation that way, and it will let us approach the cat for petting without them thinking we have an ulterior motive.
Always tell them the truth. This fosters trust.
We approach RJ with the treat upfront and visible, saying a cheery “pill time!” while we get it over with as quickly as possible. So far, so good. Neither of us is dreading it any more.
That’s the spot to be in.
Find out the best ways to give a cat medicine.
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Tips for bringing a new kitten home
Bringing home a fluffy bundle of love is very exciting, whether it is your first pet or a new member to the pet family. Your kitten will move away from it’s warm mommy’s side or shelter to a strange and new place.
The most important thing is to keep him/her safe, happy and relaxed. Raising a kitten is serious business, because if done right, it will turn into a confident cat who will love you unconditionally.
With our tips and tricks it will be easier so you can spend more time enjoying your little furball!
How early can you take home a kitten?
Kittens can leave their mother after 10 to 12 weeks. Sometimes kittens leave their birth home after 6 to 8 weeks, but the last 2 weeks will learn them good kitty behavior and social skills for both other cats as humans. Separated from the family too soon might cause your kitten to become fearful for humans and other cats.
Just like human babies, kittens require special care, feeding and social training. Your cat will need veterinary care for life (for annual check-ups and vaccinations), so better start at the beginning. Even if your kitten already had all necessary vaccinations, a first check-up is wise before taking your baby home, especially if there are other pets in the house.
I’m getting a kitten, what do I need?
Give your new kitty a warm welcome with the items on this kitten supply list:
– good quality kitten food
– food bowl
– water bowl (with fresh water)
– litter box
– scratcher
– safe toys for playing alone
– interactive toys (fishing rods etc.)
– a cozy bed
– a hiding place
– cat carrier
– identification (chip, ID)
– treats for training*
*Check our blog about how to train your cat for tips!
Where should kittens sleep at night?
The most exciting and difficult part of bring home a new kitten is the first night. A lot of people want to now how to comfort a kitten at night. The most important thing is that it’s a cozy place where your kitten feels safe and warm. A cardboard box/play house with a soft blanket is perfect. It’s normal if a kitten meows at night. Just give it some time, you will see that it gets less every day. Just like human babies, kittens need a lot of sleep: from 16 to 22 hours a day!
Bring a new kitten home to another cat
Introducing the new member to the existing pet family can be challenging. The pheromone marking is very important here. Your home has a certain “scent profile” that your cat marked with it’s pheromones. Using Feliway helps with the preparation of your home to the welcome your kitten. Feliway emits a scentless odor that safely creates a peaceful and loving environment for your cat, by spreading the “happy pheromone”.
Read more about Feliway here
Introducing a new kitten with an older cat should be done slowly. Let your kitten first adapt a little in a separate room. As soon as your kitten is calm, you can slowly introduce the cat and the kitten in a neutral room or spot. There should be enough distance from the litter box and your cat’s favorite, holy chill spot. Don’t rush or force the situation, they will make contact as soon as they are ready. If your cat appears to be too aggressive or if your kitten is very scared, take a step back and separate the two again for some time and try again later.
Make ‘home alone time’ fun
Leaving your kitten home alone for the first time can be difficult, so make sure that home alone time will be fun for your kitten. Provide enough toys to keep your kitten busy. Also putting on preferably classical or country music can sooth your kitty! When you return home, spend enough time petting and playing with your new friend. But we bet you’ll can’t get enough of that!
If you have any difficulties or problems, contact your vet or a professional behavior specialist.
We still remember when Mushi and Cheesy were still kittens.. *
sigh*.. time goes by so fast!
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The Secret To Weight Loss And Feeling Great
The general belief is that there is some magic secret to losing weight, looking better, and feeling great. The myths people believe are that a complicated diet must be followed and you have to spend all waking hours at the gym. The reality is actually quite simple, although most don’t want to believe the truth. Most people don’t want to look for the answers, but rather hide behind a set of complicated excuses.
So what’s the big fitness secret that is so incredibly simple? Eat better and go to the gym. Sorry, it really is that simple. Does eating better need to be a highly complex process with all sorts of hard to find foods? Not by any means, rather increasing fruits and vegetables and avoiding processed food is a great way to start. Fruits and vegetables have been what mankind has been eating since the dawn of time; not a diet rich in fast food. It is also a really good idea to avoid things that are carbohydrate heavy like pasta and bread. Lean meats are preferred and it is best to avoid super sugary sauces if possible.
What about going to the gym? Ideally, most people should aim to be at the gym three to four times per week, and perhaps a day or so of cardio. Most of us leave fairly sedentary lives, spending far too much time sitting down. This is largely in part due to spending most of our working hours seated.
There are a multitude of gyms and it is best to find the right type of gym for your personality. Group fitness classes are growing in popularity right now, and they are a great alternative to some of the traditional “big box” gyms. Group fitness classes, like Crossfit, are a great way to meet new people and get a total body workout.
Although it isn’t often associated with weight, loss sleep is a very important factor. It is best to get eight or more hours of sleep every night. We all have busy schedules, but our bodies need time to rest and recover, and sleep is a great way to this. Do your best to try to get as close to eight hours of sleep, and cat naps are also very beneficial.
It is important to remember that big changes in the body don’t happen overnight. No one goes from 50 pounds overweight to being completely toned with an amazing body in an instant. It takes time, but if you can stay disciplined and focused, you will see results. Remember that it isn’t a complicated process and there are three important factors to abide by: eat healthy, go to the gym, and get plenty of sleep.
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Learn How to Dunk or 10 Ways to Improve Your Vertical Jump
Let’s be blunt about it: if you play basketball, there’s two leagues of people – those who can dunk, and those who cannot. Although you might think it’s just a question of height, this is not at all the case. Of course, being tall helps, but even average height people – 5ft 9 or 5ft 10 – can learn to perform amazing dunks. How? It’s obvious – by improving their vertical jump. Now, there is a lot of ways to skin the jumping cat, but not all are equally effective (and some can actually be rather dangerous). I’ve put together a collection of tips and tricks that helped me improve my vertical jump from near nothing (after knee surgery on my jump leg and rehabilitation) to over 30 inches within 9 months.
Tip 10) Always warm up before exercise. Trying to push your muscles to the max without warming up appropriately before (with light exercises such as running up or down stairs, or jumping with a jumprope) is a bad idea and can easily lead to strains and other problems.
Tip 9) A basic jumping exercise is the squat with weight. While standing, slowly bend your knees with your back straight. Go down pretty low (you shouldn’t feel any pain or be uncomfortable), then slowly go back up. Doing this slow is key for building up quad muscle volume and power. Start without weights and increase difficulty by gradually raising the number of repetitions. People with major jumping power can easily do 100+ such squats. If you hold a weight such a dumbbell or barbell, hold it behind your head,
in one vertical line with your spine.
Tip 8) Separate weight training days from speed/plyometric days. Medical studies have shown that mixing these different types of exercises is actually bad for the results.
Tip 7) Use jumping rope. Although sometimes shunned as “uncool”, it is the basic plyometric exercise and one of the best ways to improve the explosiveness and power of your legs.
Tip 6) Never relax and let go during your waking time. During my rehab, I was hell-bent on getting my leg back to the same power level as before, and beyond that. I didn’t just exercise every day – I did it nearly
permanently. Of course, you can’t do heavy squats or plyometrics all the time because your legs can just do so much until they tire. However, even little things like walking toe-heel style instead of flat-footed, standing on half-bent legs while doing household stuff, or playing with your quads and calves while
sitting, are very effective when done regularly over a long period of time.
Tip 5) Calf exercise. It’s not only the big upper leg muscle groups that determine your total jump height. Powerful calves can easily add another couple of inches that you may be missing for a resounding dunk. The basic calf exercise is toe raises: stand upright, raise on your toes, go down, and repeat it 50-100 times. When your calves feel hot and burning, it’s time to make a break. A somewhat better variation is: stand on some stable horizontal ledge only with your toes and front part of the foot. Hold yourself at something with your hand. Go down with your heels about 30-45 degrees below the ledge, then push up until you are on your toes. Repeat as many times as you need to tire your calves. Again, key is slow and steady. Don’t pump up and down. It may be easier, but the effect is nowhere near the same.
Tip 4) Don’t overwork your leg muscles. Our muscles grow best when subjected to a cycle-wise load: a heavy workout, then a day of rest or just light exercise. To push your maximum jumping ability, you need
the large leg muscles to perform at their peak (and beyond). When overworked, they are unable to deliver that performance, and your jump does not improve despite exercising. A sign of overworking is when your leg muscles ache or burn.
Tip 3) Don’t just jump mindlessly. Focus on jumping completely. With every jump, aim to leap as high as you can. Scientific tests have shown that persistent focus on a physical activity improves the results by 10-20% on average.
Tip 2) Don’t expect results too soon, and never give up. I know several guys who bought expensive plyometric programs or jumpsoles expecting some kind of miracle within a few days. There’s no such thing
though, so once they didn’t see the quick results, their determination sizzled away and their jumpsoles would sit gathering dust. Although there are good programs around, there’s no miracles. The only thing that will radically improve your vertical is tenacity. Exercise a lot. Regularly. Make it your habit. Do it for months. Then – and only then – the really impressive results will come.
Tip 1) Plyometric exercise. You may have heard the word. Basically it stands for making a muscle contract immediately following relaxation, and repeating it many times. Applied to jumping in a basic case, it means that you jump, go down in the knees when you land relaxing your muscles, and immediately jump up again from the crouched position. This is tiring as hell, and for a reason – it puts the maximum stress on the
large leg muscles. If you are not used to it, your legs will probably ache after a few dozen repetitions. However, nothing beats this kind of exercise if you want to improve your jump quickly.
These tips should already get you underway, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a bunch of other highly effective, yet not so widely known techniques on quickly improving your vertical. Check out
http://www.howtodunk.org for a lot more effective, hands-on info on learning to dunk.
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My Husband Told Me That He’s Sexually Attracted to Another Woman – Tips and Advice That May Help
Over the weekend, I received an email from a frantic woman who said that her husband had admitted that he is sexually attracted to a co worker. The husband swore that nothing had happened between them. There had allegedly been no sex and no physical contact, but the husband was guilty about the attraction and he wanted to tell his wife about it. The wife in turn had no idea how she was supposed to respond to or handle this. Should she be grateful that he told her? Could she believe that nothing was going on? Should she forbid him from seeing this woman? Should she be angry? Was this the same as cheating? I’ll tell you what I told her in the following article.
If Your Husband Is Telling You About His Attraction To Someone Else Before An Affair Has Happened, This Is A Positive Thing: I can’t tell you how many women write to me AFTER an affair has already happened and wish that the husband had told him about his feelings before anything happened (when they could actually do something about it.) Often, once the cat is out of the bag, it’s already too late.
So, as much as it may hurt right now, I can promise you that this is better than being told about it after the fact. You’re being given a very valuable heads up that can allow you to prevent a huge amount of damage. Yes, I know that it hurts. Yes, I know that you probably still feel quite betrayed and angry. This is completely understandable, but you also have to appreciate that your husband was willing to be honest with you, as hard and as risky as that might have been for him. The truth is he could’ve acted on this sexual attraction without uttering one word. Many men do this without a second thought. The fact that he came to you first indicates that he wants to fix things before he turns a corner that may well change the landscape of your marriage.
How To Handle It When Your Husband Tells You He’s Attracted To Someone Else: Hopefully, by now you can see that there is some positive about this. However, the question as to what you should do now remains. You can’t just ignore this. If this was just a little thing that would go away on it’s own, your husband wouldn’t risk what he is by telling you. He clearly thinks that this is serious enough to bring your attention to it. This situation has to be taken seriously and handled very quickly.
First, you should ask your husband for clarification. Without hounding or becoming hysterical, you should ask for further specifics. How long has he felt this way? How does she respond to him? Have they been together without others present? Is there mutual flirting going on? Has she approached him for something more? You need to know if he’s having feelings that are being reciprocated.
Now, it’s very important that you be very conscious of how you respond when he answers to these questions. Because if you respond with anger or more rapid fire questions, he’s going to then know that he can’t be honest with you because if he is, he’ll only get a negative reaction. So, he’s going to learn to clam up and to hide things from you. You can’t have this. You need to keep communication open so that you can keep tabs on this situation.
The Best Way To Keep Your Husband From Her: Women will often ask me if they should forbid their husbands from seeing the other woman. Actually, you should leave this up to him. Your best bet is to make him happy and fulfilled at home so that he’s motivated to stay away from her. Basically, you should outline for him that you want to focus on repairing and strengthening your marriage. Tell him that in order to do this, he can no longer have contact with her. It will be impossible or very difficult for you to keep his attention and commitment if you’re always having to worry about her.
It’s important that he get some pay off for telling you the truth so that he’s encouraged to keep communication open. Try to be receptive, upbeat and committed to improving your marriage. If he sees that his situation is improved by being honest and open with you, he’ll continue putting your marriage and you first. You have to do your part by allowing him to be honest about what’s making him look elsewhere and then immediately addressing and fixing the issues.
The bottom line is that it’s never fun to hear that your husband is attracted to someone else. But, his telling you about this before anything has actually happened actually shows his commitment and loyalty to you. This is actually a very positive thing. Many women do not have this luxury, so take advantage of this heads up and strengthen your marriage so that you never have to worry about this woman again.
Source: Cats n Things
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