Mog Blog

Last summer I read in Your Cat Magazine, that a charity called Smokey Paws had been set up in the UK to raise funds, so that every fire engine could have special sets of oxygen masks on board to help save our pets in house fires. In the USA this is standard but not in the UK. I was very surprised that here in the UK the fire engines didn’t have them and decided to donate some money from the business and nominate Southsea Fire Station to receive a set. I also wanted to let people know about this fantastic charity in the hope of more people donating funds. A full set of masks costs £90 but you can donate any amount to go towards a set for your chosen fire station.

As a cat sitter, one of my worries is housecats being inside homes and in the event of a fire having no means of escape. These masks can be used on dogs, cats, rabbits and all number of smaller pets. It is my goal to get a set of masks on each Southsea fire engine in 2016. Thank you to all who have donated so far.

Today I had the pleasure of meeting some of the fire crew in Southsea Station and after a tour and a cuppa I presented them with a set of oxygen masks.

Thank you Southsea Fire Station for you do for Southsea!

When I look back on 2015 I remember it for many personal things, some sad but most of them happy. 2015 was an amazing learning adventure for me because a lot of the animal related courses and workshops I was interested in, I actually completed or attended and I made some lovely friends along the way.

It started last January with me completing my reiki 1 and 2 and later attending an animal reiki workshop to enable me to use reiki with cats and other animals. Reiki works so well with cats, calming them down and helping to balance their mind, body and emotions. Cats can be very timid and stressed and reiki has helped with some of my cat sitting customers and also with my own cat with his stress/bladder problems.

I also attended an animal healing weekend with the well known Elizabeth Whiter, which was wonderful.
Later on I was lucky to attend an animal reiki course with Jo Rose and I also completed an online animal reiki course with Kathleen Prasad.
All the wonderful teachers have their own styles and I found it interesting to pick and mix with the different ways people use to heal animals.

I also completed a course in feline behaviour which I have been meaning to do for years but never got round to it and you will be pleased to know I passed with distinction (well it would have been embarrassing if I hadn’t!!)

Finally in November I attended a workshop with the wonderful James French who has developed the Trust Technique, this is a healing method that is using reiki with animal communication, truly inspirational man!

So with all that and quite a lot of books read, mostly feline related, I think 2015 was a fantastic year for learning and study.

Have you ever wondered if your cat actually watches the television ?

Would it be useful to put on a DVD for your cat while you were out?

A DVD that could entertain your cat and give our feline friends some mental stimulation, especially if your cat is an indoor cat.

Well why not take a look at www.catdreams.co.uk or watch the video clip of my cat Mr Ringo.

Please remember to provide a nice comfortable chair for your cat and remove all breakables from the television area.  Enjoy!!

Saying goodbye to our cats is one of the hardest things we have to do in life. People who aren’t cat lovers often say “but it’s just a cat, you can soon get another one”, I feel sorry for those people because they must have never known love from an animal as special as our cats. Yes the hurt when you lose a cat is awful but surely to have loved and lost is better than never loved at all? We as cat owners or guardians (who really ever owns a cat?) have the option to ask a vet to help end a cats life when they are suffering and nothing more can be done, this is never easy but I have never met a cat guardian who regretted the last act of kindness they did for their beloved cat, we feel terrible playing god over our cats lives but most people know it is for the best however emotional we feel. In my job as a cat sitter I have often had to take cats to the vets on their last journey as their guardians are away on holiday and it’s always very sad as they never get to say goodbye. The vets in Portsmouth are just amazing and have always been so supportive to me and the cat’s guardians in such sad emotional times. I know of at least one local vet that even has a special room for euthanasia, a clear sign that there is more understanding with the human/animal bond.

I always say to people, talk about your grief for your cat with lots of cat people as it really helps. Our cats are not just pets they are family members and need to be remembered visit this page. If you are keeping the cat’s ashes maybe put them in a potted plant in the garden, so you can remember them and it’s a comfort they are nearby. Put up photos of your cats around the house to celebrate their life and connection to you. Maybe buy a piece of jewellery to remember them by, I have a cross with a paw mark on, it gave me great comfort when I had to have my lovely Tammy put to sleep many years ago. When my other cat Gizmo died I wasn’t there but my husband was and I have a wooden cat with her ashes in on my office shelf as she loved being with me in the office, I needed to do something as it was upsetting when I couldn’t be there for her at the end.

 This post is dedicated to Bolly, Poppy and Phil, three lovely feline friends that passed away this month xxx

Some time ago I had a really emotional day at work, I took one of my favourite and long standing clients to the vets to be put to sleep. Millie was 16 and suffering from kidney failure, it was her time to go. Millie was a feisty tortoiseshell if ever there was and hated the car but she was very calm, she knew it was her last journey. I had known and looked after Millie for 10 years and she was a lovely cat, preferring to stay indoors in the company of her owners and watching the fish in their tanks.

18 months ago, Millie’s owner a young man lost his fight from a long illness, Millie never left his side when he was at home and missed him greatly when he died, and she was a great comfort to her owner’s widow in the months that followed. Her owner asked me to go with her to the vets as it would be very emotional to say goodbye to one of her last connections with her late husband. It was a sad day for us both as I had loved Millie like one of my own cats and I was touched to be asked. We both agreed afterwards that Millie and her husband were together again, I hope so.

The next day was better , I went to visit a lady who had rescued 6 kittens, and I went to see them to take her some cat food and to try to find homes for them. I feel happy and lucky that I can help people and their pets and make a living as well. It’s not just about feeding people’s cats when they go away but helping people find new pets, rehoming some cats and helping them to say goodbye when the time comes.

It never ceases to amaze me the connection people have with their cats, the people who tell me their cats are a reason to get up in the mornings and others who say having a cat has broken down barriers for them to meet new people. Many urban streets have cats that no one really knows where they live and people bond over them and all care for them, these cats often have many homes and lots of meals, such a beneficial relationship for all concerned.