‘Owned by cats’: long-time cat-writer Sally Bahner authors ‘The Art of Raising a Kitten’

Lisa Reisman interviewed me about “The Art of Raising a Kitten” for the ShoreLine Times.

Author Sally Bahner photographed with her book, The Art of Raising a Kitten, at her home in Branford.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media

BRANFORD — This is the tale of Sofiya and Skitch Henderson and Skitch’s offspring Dewey and Tinkerbill.   

It’s the tale of long-time local reporter Sally Bahner who’s spent the last 50 years, as she puts it in her delightful “The Art of Raising a Kitten,” “being owned by cats.”

“I can describe my life by the cats I’ve had over the years,” she said at a recent pop-up book signing as part of the Holiday Cookie Sale & Gift Fair at the American Legion to benefit the Branford Compassion Club. 

“They’re just exquisite,” she said, when questioned on her love affair with felines. “Everything from their different personalities to their presence. They have such a presence.”

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https://www.ctinsider.com/shoreline/article/Owned-by-cats-long-time-cat-writer-Sally-17661199.php#taboola-1

Conquer Your Cat’s Fear of the Vacuum

From FearFreeHappyHomes.com

When I pull out the vacuum, Mollie disappears. Fortunately, our house is large enough that she has plenty of “safe” places to hide – often the linen closet upstairs or inside a kitchen cabinet.

There’s a name for this fear: Zuigerphobia. It’s a specific phobia, which is an irrational, yet excessive fear of a particular object. This type of phobia creates an immediate anxiety response, often causing the person – or pet – to avoid the object whenever possible.

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Moving Cats To A New Home: A Step-By-Step Guide

This post originally appeared in AllAboutCats.com.

Whether you’re moving cross town or across the country with your cat, safety and preparation go hand in paw. Stories abound about cats that have escaped during the moving process, so establishing a secure, comfortable location – on both ends of the move – is critical.

Continue reading here.

Feral to Friendly-ish: Cats Coming in from the Cold

Carl and Scooter

This article originally appeared at FearFreeHappyHomes.com.

A major conundrum of the cat world is the profusion of feral cats.

Robin Olson, president of Kitten Associates in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, recently trapped the most beautiful tabby-marked Siamese kitten in her yard. Dubbed Silas Buttonwood, he will be vetted, neutered, fostered, and placed in a loving home.

Silas Buttonwood

He is proving to be a challenge.

“He is a wild animal, but he has the potential to be socialized so he can live with humans,” said Olson. “He needs consistency and trust… I have to respect his wild heart.”

Silas was staying in Olson’s “blue bathroom,” the first stop for her fosters, but was still showing fearful behavior. Olson decided to move Silas from the bathroom to a large cage in her living room where he could get used to household noises and have more attention. Her job was to remain calm and maintain a routine that would help him feel safe.

The transition was tough. At first, Silas refused to eat but changed his mind and was soon resting on his familiar blankie. Olson observed that he likes seeing the other cats and her webcam shows him playing enthusiastically with a Turboscratcher during the night. She said he’s less shut down and is showing “a softer side to his cat nature.” He even responds to his name.

Continue reading at FearFreeHappyHomes.com.

 

Home For the Holidays – With Your Cat

Sage ready for travel. (Photo courtesy of Liz Tobey)

This article first appeared on the FearFree/HappyHomes website.

Cats are devoted homebodies. They like their routines and comfy naps in the sun, and if they do go out, it’s for a quick trip to the veterinarian’s office or maybe a secure outing with leash and harness.

However, sometimes you have to take them on a Big Journey. Holidays may be that time – perhaps the pet sitter fell through, special medication is needed, or you don’t want to face a family gathering without purr therapy.

Preparation is key to minimizing stress and making your cat a fear-free traveler.

May-December Cats: How to Make the Relationship Work

Sofiya, Tekla, and Mollie range in age from 1 to 16 years old.

This article first appeared in FearFree/HappyHomes.com.

There’s nothing like the joy of a living with a new kitten: the wide-eyed wonder, the playful antics, the unabashed energy. We love our older kitties, but every so often, there’s the siren call of kittenhood.

So how do you integrate a high-energy kitten into a household with a more sedate senior cat (or two)?

There’s no simple answer, but the process can be successful with some forethought and planning.

Read more at FearFree/HappyHomes.com.

Why Is My Cat Eating Litter?

w-ings / iStock / Getty Images

Reprinted from my article in The Spruce Pets.

Cats may eat litter—and other undesirable materials—for a variety of reasons. This behavior is referred to as pica, the eating of non-food items.

Continue reading at The Spruce Pets.

 

Is your cat’s litter box stressing him out?

Pulitzer, looking so innocent.

Published in FearFreeHappyHomes.com Jan. 14, 2019.

A mantra for cat caretakers: You can’t scoop the litter box too often.

While there’s a litany of tips for successful litter box training, if the box isn’t scooped often, the prettiest setup is useless.

Cats have extremely sensitive noses, and while they find comfort in familiar scents, a box full of urine clumps and poop is guaranteed to be off-putting. Not only is it smelly, it translates into stepping among feline land mines.

Pulitzer was my problem child when it came to using the litter box. He had a mild case of cerebellar hypoplasia and was a bit of a doofus. As a result, his litter box habits were erratic, but with vigilance we managed the problem. He was my biggest lesson in the importance of maintaining a clean litter box.

Read more here.

Zoom, Zoom! Agility Training Gets Cats Off The Couch

From FearFreeHappyHomes.com

A video circulated around the internet of a little girl leading her kitten through an agility course in her backyard. The girl’s energy and the tails-up, fearless enthusiasm of Suki, the kitten, were endearing.

For most of our cats, their best sport is competitive napping. But the Suki video shows that cats can indeed be trained and love it. Cats need a job, and agility training is just that. Not only does it build confidence, it also encourages them to hone their natural athletic skills.

Continue reading here.

Panda: Pink Nose and Jelly Bean Toes

A happy ending! See the update!

Panda needs a quiet home as an only cat. Her guardians have gone to great lengths to resolve her dislike of the two other cats in her household, but Panda is very unhappy.

Her mom says she is extremely affectionate. However, she’s clearly miserable in her living situation, which she shows by not using her litter box regularly; medication is no longer working.

Panda has panda markings – hence her name. She has a pink nose and matching jelly bean toes.