Cats and Classical Music

Cats and Classical Music

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles
Cats and Classical Music by Giselle Stancic As a cat adopter and classical musician, I’ve long been intrigued by the influence of our feline friends on composers and their music. Cats hold a special place in keyboard, vocal, orchestral, and contemporary music.  Going back in history, one of the earliest cat-inspired compositions was Domenico Scarlatti’s “Cat’s Fugue” from 1739. As the story goes, the composer’s cat wrote the melody as she walked across the harpsichord keyboard. Here’s a piano version. Can you hear the kitty on the keys? Moving into the 19th century, Gioachino Rossini’s “Duetto Buffo di Due Gatti” consists of one word —   you guessed it —  “meow.” Check out this performance by opera sopranos Kiri Te Kanawa and Norma Burrows, complete with a little playful purring. …
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From Fearful To Friendly!

From Fearful To Friendly!

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Happy Tails
From Fearful To Friendly! By C. M. Saracco He appeared near our porch one day:  a shy, striped grey cat.  Crouched beneath a bush, he eyed the empty food bowl that I’d left out for a neighboring stray. When I called him, he hissed and ran. I went inside, refilled the bowl, and placed it on the porch.  My mystery guest was nowhere to be seen.  But a few minutes after I retreated into the kitchen, he crept towards the bowl. Young and slim, he had a clipped left ear, which told me he was a feral or stray male who’d been trapped, neutered, and released.  By the looks of it, this kitty was well under a year old. Weeks passed before I could get close enough even to take…
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How To Be A Proactive Eco-Friendly Cat Owner

How To Be A Proactive Eco-Friendly Cat Owner

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Current "Mews", Vet's Corner
How To Be A Proactive Eco-Friendly Cat Owner By Anna Huerta Some people easily live an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Others may be too overwhelmed even to try, perhaps fearing the high costs or overthinking the effort required. Besides that, people might not even be considering how their pets could add to their household’s environmental impact. However, some simple swaps in your own pet’s, specifically cat’s, lifestyle could help reduce your total carbon footprint. Starting with food, it’s essential to select brands that require fewer resources during the production process, like valuable areas of land or large amounts of water. Some environmentally friendly options include foods made from organic ingredients from companies like Open Farm, Lily’s Kitchen, and ZiwiPeak. It’s also important to check if most of the cat food you buy…
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Your Cats’ First Week Home Pt.2

Your Cats’ First Week Home Pt.2

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Vet's Corner
Your Cats’ First Week Home Pt.2 By Cece Gu When it comes to cats, bonding can be unpredictable due to their moody behavior. Some cats, such as Persian, Burmese, or Ragdoll, have a more friendly and sociable personality and can be easier to bond with. Some breeds, such as Siamese, tend to be a little more standoffish. But one thing to keep in mind is that if you’re patient, you can form a bond with any breed of cat as long as you do it the right way. Bonding does not happen over a few hours but may take days or weeks. Here are some more tips for gently and effectively introducing new cats to you and your home. Tip #1: Set up a small space to bond in. Cats…
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Enjoying the Outdoors Safely

Enjoying the Outdoors Safely

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Vet's Corner
Enjoying the Outdoors Safely By C. M. Saracco It’s a dilemma many cat parents face:  they want their cats to enjoy the outdoors while remaining safe and protecting wildlife. What if it wasn’t strictly an either/or choice?   Leash / Harness Training   Training your cat to tolerate a harness and leash can help your cat explore the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors while remaining safely near you.  Combined pricing for both units is affordable, often $15 - $40.  For more than a decade, I’ve used this option with my now 19-year-old cat Ezekiel, a rescue who had been accustomed to roaming outdoors and occasionally fought with neighbor cats or dashed across the street.  He’s now indoors-only except when we harness him for a backyard sunbathing or garden exploration session. …
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Growing Your Own Kitty Treats

Growing Your Own Kitty Treats

All Posts, Cat Blog Articles, Vet's Corner
Growing Your Own Kitty Treats By C. M. Saracco The sunny days of Spring are a great time to grow cat grass or catnip for your kitties.  Both are easy to cultivate in Santa Clara County, in containers or in the ground.  And both are reputed to offer mild health benefits – for example, cat grass can aid digestion and help cats eliminate hairballs, while catnip can reduce anxiety and encourage exercise. Most cats like them.  Growing these treats for your cat is actually quite easy.  You just need a couple of sturdy containers and a sunny spot indoors or outdoors.  If you’re impatient or just don’t want to get your hands dirty, many garden shops carry cat grass and catnip plants.  But growing your own is fun and inexpensive and…
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