News for You and Your Cat

November 1, 2014

Dear ,

Ingrid and Amber

How is it possible that the holidays are right around the corner? It seems like only yesterday I wished all of you a Happy New Year! For the last couple of weeks, I've been busy working on The Conscious Cat 2014 Holiday Gift Guide - with the assistant of my two feline elves, of course! This gift guide will be the only guide you'll need to make all the cat lovers, and the cats, on your gift list happy this year. It's bigger and better than ever. The guide will launch on November 4, so keep an eye on your email inbox!

In this issue:

America's cats are facing a healthcare crisis: more than half of the country's 74 million cats are not receiving regular veterinary care. One of the reasons is that cats, in general, hate going to the vet's. Find out what you can do to help make vet visits less stressful for your cats and for you.

Conscious living involves making conscious choices in all aspects of our lives. This includes the cosmetics we use. Find out why choosing chemical free cosmetics is not just good for you, it's also better for your cats.

Wishing you health, happiness and purrs,

Ingrid.

Website: www.ConsciousCat.com
E-Mail: ConsciousCat@cox.net

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In This Issue

Why Cats Hate Going to the Vet, and What To Do About It

How Choosing the Right Cosmetics Benefits You and Your Cat

Highlights from The Conscious Cat

Upcoming Events

Marketplace

Why Cats Hate Going to the Vet, and What to Do About It

America's cats are facing a healthcare crisis. The findings of a feline health study conducted by Bayer Health Care found that 52% of America's 74 million cats are not receiving regular veterinary care. 83% of cats are seen by a vet during the first year after they're adopted, but less than half of them ever return.

These statistics are alarming, especially in light of the fact that cats are masters at masking any signs of illness. By the time a cat shows symptoms, a disease may already be in the advanced stages, which often makes treatment less effective and more costly.

Two of my favorite cat people are joining forces to help raise awareness about this growing concern. In his most recent episode of Cat Mojo, Jackson Galaxy interviewed Dr. Elizabeth Colleran, former president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and owner of two cat hospitals, Chico Hospital for Cats in Chico, CA and the Cat Hospital of Portland in Portland, OR.

Removing barriers to vet visits start at home

One of the main reasons why many cats don't get the veterinary care they need is because going to the vet visit can be an ordeal for both cat and guardian, and the stress begins long before the cat even gets to the veterinary clinic. Even the anticipation of a vet visit can make cat guardians anxious, and cats, being the sensitive creatures they are, will pick up on that anxiety. Getting the cat into the carrier is yet another barrier.

Please watch the video below to see what Jackson and Dr. Colleran are doing to help get more cats to the vet's. You can also find information on the website of the American Association of Feline Practitioners. The brochure titled Getting Your Cat to the Veterinarian: Reducing the Stress of Veterinary Visits for You and Your Cat provides detailed tips for cat guardians.

Why Do You Hate Going to the Vet?

ŠIngrid King, 2014. All Rights Reserved.

How Choosing the Right Cosmetics Benefits You and Your Cat

Conscious living means making conscious choices about all aspects of our lives, including the cosmetics we use on ourselves. Using chemical free cosmetics is not just better for you, it's also better for your cats, because not only does your skin come in contact with those products, but so do your cat's fur, paws, and mouth - and some of the chemicals used in conventional cosmetics can be harmful to both humans and cats.

Harmful chemicals in cosmetics

The skin is our largest organ that easily absorbs what is put on it. This means that our skin not only absorbs the beneficial ingredients in cosmetics, but also the chemicals, especially with repeat exposure. One third of the cosmetics products currently on the market contain chemicals that are linked to cancer. Of the more than 10,000 ingredients used in personal care products, close to 90% have not undergone any safety testing. Given those statistics, doesn't it make sense to be conscious about the products you use on your skin every day?

The European Union Cosmetics Directive, established in 1976 and revised and updated multiple times since, bans the use of chemicals that are known or strongly suspected to cause cancer, mutations and birth defects. In 2004, the directive was amended to require all companies selling cosmetics in the EU to remove these chemicals from their products. Many US companies sell their products on the European market and have been required to reformulate their products. However, just because a company sells its products in Europe does not mean that the same products you purchase here in the US meet EU standards.

Read labels carefully

Read your labels before purchasing cosmetics. Just because something is labeled "natural" and has pretty designs of wholesome ingredients on the label does not necessarily mean that it is chemical-free. Look for brands that comply with EU regulations.

Cruelty-free products

Another consideration that is important to me when choosing cosmetics and personal care products is that they are not tested on animals. Look for the Leaping Bunny logo - it provides the best assurance that the products you use are cruelty-free and have not been tested on animals. Incidentally, in 2013, the European Union banned the import and sale of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals.

I switched to mostly chemical-free cosmetics years ago, and it's a good thing I did: one of Allegra's favorite things to do is to lick my hands after I put on hand lotion. And while I don't let her do it for very long, because I don't think that too much of even the most "natural" hand lotion is good for her, at least I don't have to worry about her ingesting harmful chemicals while I let her have a little fun.

It's probably next to impossible to avoid all chemicals in the products we use in our homes and around our cats, but an informed and conscious choice goes a long way toward healthier cats and healthier humans.

Highlights from The Conscious Cat

Review: Neko Flies Birbug and the Telescoping Rod

Allegra and Ruby love their Neko Flies toys. The toys are developed and created by Ellen Tsuyuki, a multiple cat owner who was dissatisfied with toys available in the cat toy marketplace. Her company, Nekochan Enterprises, Inc., specializes in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of unique, high quality pet products. All of the Neko Flies [...] The post Review: Neko Flies Birbug and the Telescoping Rod appeared first on The Conscious Cat. ...ť

The Cost of Veterinary Care: A Vet's Perspective

Guest post by Elizabeth Colleran, DVM Three weeks ago, a long standing and wonderful client of ours scheduled a long-awaited dental procedure for her cat Lily. Until we could get her scheduled, she was on pain medication for the cavities we had previously diagnosed. Since we know that dental pain is the same in the [...] The post The Cost of Veterinary Care: A Vet's Perspective appeared first on The Conscious Cat. ...ť

Catification is a New York Times Bestseller

I am beyond excited for Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin: their new book, Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!) made the New York Times Bestseller list! The book debuted at number 17 in the Advice, How To and Miscellaneous category. Books make the list based on the number of [...] The post Catification is a New York Times Bestseller appeared first on The Conscious Cat. ...ť

Mews and Nips: Therapy Cat Provides End of Life Care for Veterans

Tom, a 7-year-old rescue cat in Salem, VA, provides hospice care to patients at the VA Hospital in Salem, VA. Tom freely roams the hospice ward like a doctor making his rounds, nibbles treats sneaked to him by patients, and brings comfort to old soldiers and their families during an emotional time. When the staff [...] The post Mews and Nips: Therapy Cat Provides End of Life Care for Veterans appeared first on The Conscious Cat. ...ť

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