Cat Lovers Unite!
Even though 3 had to leave early due to weather issues, fourteen very dedicated cat owners braved the stormy weather to attend the fourth Cat Lovers Meetup in North Dallas. That's just what dedicated cat owners do! One of the fourteen cat owners is owned by 9 cats and another cat owner has 8 feline family members, but most of the attendees are staff to 4 or fewer cats. Interestingly, no one has a one-cat household.
There was lots of great information shared and one of the topics discussed was about how underlying dental problems can sometimes contribute to some pretty weird cat behaviors. Yes, you might find yourself possibly needing ear plugs sometimes if your cat is experiencing a dental problem. But, hey, how long would you be silent if you had an abscessed tooth or two or 2-3 broken teeth with periodontal infection around them? Dental health in our feline family members seemed to be one of the major topics du jour.
We also discussed what occurs when we have a terrorist or two in the neighborhood. That, of course, is referring to wandering outdoor kitties (owned or not, fixed or not) that hang out around porch areas and/or windows. Outdoor cats often leave a "gift" or "calling card" by marking the porch or other places around the perimeter of the home, to let the indoor cats know they have been there. This creates lots of stress for the indoor cats because they can't push the outdoor "terrorists" away or run them off. Cats are programmed to defend their territory the best they can, which sometimes includes marking the inside of the home, unfortunately, in an attempt to tell the outdoor cats to GO AWAY - this is MY house!
I took a vote with the group (This was true democracy at work!) about taking the summer off, or not, from the monthly Cat Lover Meetups but after a very resounding "We don't want a break" was clearly heard, I have scheduled the 3 summer meetings on the second Tuesday of each month - June, July and August. Same time: 6:30-8 PM and same place: Coffee House Cafe on Frankford Rd., just west of Preston Rd.