Ack! I meant to share this question two MONTHS ago, but it sat in my inbox and I just spotted it and realized I hadn’t! (Sorry, Jacquie!)
I see on this date in 2016 you asked for folks’ thoughts on pet insurance. Would it be worth it to asked the question again, five years later? Much has changed in the industry.
How about it, folks? Tell me your thoughts on pet insurance!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have a question if anyone is interested. My cat, Jada, every year has real itchy areas by her ears. With steroids and antibiotics the condition goes away. However, this time it has cleared except for one spot. Have put her on a Hills P/R food for a few months now, she’s had a negative ringworm test, is on Revolution for any fleas, and goes right back to scratching and bleeding when I take her cone off. Seems like she will spend the rest of her life wearing that cone. Anybody have any ideas?
Hopefully someone else will chime in here, but the only thing that comes to mind for me is to maybe (if you haven’t already tried this) add an omega-3 oil to her diet. I’ve had it help with itchiness several times in the past, and I feel like it’s worth a try. (Side note: when I first got Canasta, she was shedding horribly – as in, every single time I petted her, I’d get handfuls and handfuls of cat fur. She’d snuggle up to me, and I’d leave the room absolutely coated. I’d never seen anything like it before. I tried adding an omega-3 to her diet, and 3 days later the shedding was completely gone. It was very cool to see it work so well, so fast.)
If anyone has any other ideas, please leave a comment!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am wondering if you have a new camera or is it the lighting at your new home. Recently, I have noticed some of your wonderful pictures of the kittens are sometimes dark and not as vivid and bright as in the past……or is it just me?
I’m using the same camera I’ve been using (in other words, my phone – it’s a Pixel 4a). The lighting in this house is awful – I half suspect that the previous owners were possibly vampires. They certainly liked their house DARK. I’ve replaced all the lightbulbs in the house with brighter ones, but the lighting fixtures all really need to be replaced (they’re pretty old and not in a charming way), and once we’ve gotten all the other stuff done to this house, we’ll start replacing all the light fixtures with lights that will shed, y’know, some REAL light. (The fact that the windows in this house are smaller and fewer than in the last house makes a difference, too.)
(Side note: the list of work being done on this house is not short, believe me. As I type, there are men in our house making holes in the ceilings of our bathrooms to install exhaust fans. Next up: new air ducts either upstairs or under the house (I don’t remember; Fred keeps track of that boring stuff). Then there’s: the new flooring in the computer room and master bedroom, after which we will be carpet FREE. After that: the removal of diseased, dying trees including those (many expletives deleted) Bradford Pear trees in the back and side yards. And: new field lines for the septic tank. Then: some electrical work. Also: new window coverings. The list is lonnng and I am so ready for it all to get done and life to calm down a bit so that I can actually get started painting rooms and replacing light fixtures!)(That might sound like complaining, but it’s just a list of what needs to be done. I do not regret buying this house one tiny bit. I love it! Truly, it feels more like a home to me than the last – absolutely beautiful, wonderful, conveniently-located – house did.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I tried to get some group shots of kittens at Petsmart this weekend (I’m a volunteer cat/kitten sitter) and thought about you, Robyn. It’s amazing your images aren’t blurry! Do you have a secret for keeping your camera so steady? Or is it just a really good camera?
It’s a pretty good camera (my phone), but mostly my secret is to snap as many pictures as quickly as I can, and hope that one of them comes out sharp enough to use. (Really good lighting – which I do not have at the moment – helps, too!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just a question, you mentioned the name of your cat fence a while back. Can you repeat?
It’s the Purrfect Fence, they have a site right here. We use the Existing Fence Conversion System.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robyn and others who find genetics fun (me also!)-thought I would share this article with you about tabby coloring: Now we know how tabby cats get their stripes.
That is very cool – and interesting!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you think that Hannah’s toes will darken all the way or will they stay both brown and white??
This is an excellent question, and I haven’t got a clue. I’m going to guess that they’ll stay brown and white and hopefully her new mama will let us know!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hannah Hollandaise’s eyes will stay blue? Bet she’ll be able to scam her way to pretty much anything she wants at her forever home…
Yep, Hannah Hollandaise will keep those blue eyes! (I thought for a while that Theo’s eyes were going to stay blue too – they were blue for longer than I expected – but what seemed like overnight his eyes changed color. I expect he’ll ultimately end up with green eyes like his mama.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Because we are lemmings, we signed up for the Pusheen Cat Kit box, and included in the box was this adorable tunnel.
Hannah Hollandaise approved.
As did Franco Fondue.
I love that Franco Fondue and Tia Teriyaki are both looking at me.
Sofia Soy Sauce approved of this toy ice cream cone.
Alfie Alfredo gave the tunnel the ol’ snifferoo.
Theo Pesto had on his very best Ears of Concentration.
Tia Teriyaki sat and waited her turn.
This is the box everything came in, and it had a perforated section that you could punch out to make a hole, and the instant I put it on the floor, there went Hannah Hollandaise to check it out.
Tia Teriyaki said “Will it ever be MY turn?”
And then it was!
The kittens ran off to play, and mama Molly Marinara decided to check it out. I love that she’s sitting in it looking at the mirror.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have I mentioned that Khal’s nickname is “Floomp” and that we don’t really call him anything else at this point? I feel like he’s looking very Floomp-y in this picture. Just a big ol’ pile o’ Floomp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Posted on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Tumblr) yesterday.
Just dropped off Tia Teriyaki, Hannah Hollandaise and Sofia Soy Sauce for their spay surgeries! They’re good little travelers and only offered up the occasional objection. ❤️ (They’ll spend the night at the vet and will be back with us tomorrow morning.)
I recently ran across this picture (left) of Molly Marinara and a blue-eyed Theo Pesto from July, and it immediately made me think of that picture of Ben Affleck in the midst of an existential crisis. I mean, come on – y’all SEE the resemblance, right? (Of course, Molly Marinara gave up smoking when she got pregnant and remains smoke-free.)
Here’s a reminder that the floofy gorgeous Molly Marinara is still available for adoption. She is the sweetest girl who is so laid-back, and just wants to be petted (and fed. She’s very interested in food right now and expects regular treats!) We haven’t let her around our permanent residents since she’s still in protective-mama mode, but she’s such a chill girl that I fully expect she’d be fine with other cats as long as they were introduced properly. She absolutely LOVES tennis table balls, loves being petted, will push her head up against your face so you kiss her, and likes being brushed. She’s the sweetest thing, seriously, and so gorgeous that I’m amazed no one has inquired about her.
She’s about 2 years old, has been spayed and vaccinated, and basically is ready to find her forever home so that she can be the baby now. If she sounds like the perfect addition for your family, please email info (at) ffhsv.org to inquire. WE ARE LOCATED IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA AND ADOPTERS MUST COME HERE TO COMPLETE THE ADOPTION.
YouTube link
That track ball toy is always a favorite!
Just a reminder that these three boys – Franco Fondue (top), Alfie Alfredo (left) and Christopher Chutney – are still available for adoption. They can be a little timid at first, but warm up pretty quickly and are very playful goofballs. They have a LOT of fun playing like wild things, and when they’re sleepy they’ll curl up against you for a snooze. If one, two or all three of these silly boys sound like they might be the perfect addition to your home, email Forgotten Felines of Huntsville at info@ffhsv.org to inquire. They’ll be neutered on Monday (Sept 13) and can go home soon after. (All kittens must either join a home with a playful cat already in residence OR be adopted with another kitten.)
We are located in Huntsville, Alabama and adopters MUST come here to complete the adoption. info (at) ffhsv.org to inquire.
YouTube link
Christopher Chutney has learned a new trick and is FAR too pleased with himself, the little turkey.
Theo Pesto’s all “How YOU doin’?”
Good night innernets. ((Permanent resident) Newt.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Previously
2020: D’Artagnan (has an opinion. Shocking!)
2019: “She’s a monster.”
2018: “Hi innernets! Check out my toe beans!”
2017: “COME HERE I WANT TO BITE YOU FACE.”
2016: No entry.
2015: Teeny tiny complaint.
2014: “Oh, hey. Is it nap time? I think it is!”
2013: I love this picture so much. Arya’s like “Oh, don’t look at him. He’s just showing off.” and Norbie’s got the determined, crazy eyes.
2012: The Terrible Pickle is having Deep Thoughts.
2011: No entry.
2010: “What?”
2009: In other words, I think he’s back to normal.
2008: Death of a watermelon.
2007: They’re awfully sweet and awfully cute.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
Hi, we looked at pet insurance in NZ but my mother is very good at asking the right questions. So we got told that Jack the Tripaw would not be covered for cat fight injuries because he had been in them before. Now a three legged cat who gets in a cat fight is not the instigator. So that’s a bit if a dumb criteria. Jack just gets reminded he’s the most expensive cat my Mum has ever served in 80+ years of being a cat servant.
On omega 3, I encourage humans with sensitive skin to use it orally so I’m sure it’s good stuff.
The look of disdain on Khal’s slightly obscured face says it all: how dare you call me anything other than magnificent.
Guess I’ll have to get a larger SD card for my phone. Love trying to get just the right pic. You are my hero, Robyn!
I love Pusheen! I hope Allie Cat does, too, because she’s going to be getting a box!
One of my cats has an itchy ear problem as well, and if I let him eat Fancy Feast, he starts having issues (and also may get spots on his leg that he licks till it’s bare). I’ve found that a good quality canned food (like Wellness) works to keep him from getting the itchy spots. The omega3 may work as well, but you may want to look into a food with fewer byproducts. I’ve always found Hills to be poor quality with lots of fillers, sadly, and it used to cause a lot of issues with my guy.
So like all the reporters today, I have two questions not just one. The first is a request for an expanded answer on Omega-3s. Dosage and recommend brands? I need more specific help.
The second is can we have a discussion on cat food? I think I understand that wet/canned is better than dry, but what brands or flavors are better health wise. Shopping for cat food is worse than grocery shopping for humans. My cats have mostly eaten Royal Canin as their former vet recommended it. But I’ve since moved and acquired a new vet who sells Hills which I previously had understood wasn’t a healthy as R.C. A good, better, and best discussion that includes ingredients to look for/avoid and pricing considerations might be helpful for all. I think like most people, I want to give my cats the best food I can reasonably afford.
Thanks!
I have to be honest, I just grab whatever’s in the store (usually Petsmart) when I need it, and follow the directions on the back of the bottle. I’m SURE there are some that are better than others, but I have obviously not spent the time researching (usually because when I need to get some, I’m in a hurry and just go with what’s convenient.)
I’m going to post this question in next Friday’s post, but in the meantime I can tell you that I stumbled across a cat food review site several years ago (can I find the link? I’m shocked to tell you that I did – it’s this site right here. After I read all the reviews, I started offering the cats higher-quality food until I found two kinds that they’d eat. They’re currently eating Blue Buffalo Wilderness and Merrick Before Grain. We supplement the kibble with canned food in the form of the only canned food these jerks will eat: Fancy Feast. Offer them the more expensive, better-for-them canned stuff, and they will not touch it.
I’ve heard that even cheap canned food is better than kibble, and if I could convince my cats to eat canned food all the time I’d go for it. But they won’t do it, and I don’t have the energy to fight them on it. (Actually, if I could convince them to eat raw food, that’s what I would love to do. You can read more about raw feeding at CatInfo.org.)
My vet and I are big fans of Dr Lisa Pierson (catinfo.org) and I’ve moved all my cats to just wet food, following her guidelines about feeding foods with more protein and moderate fat to obligate carnivores. I highly recommend reviewing her list of foods. When Jinx threw diabetic numbers at us last December, getting him off dry and to low or no carb can food brought his numbers back to normal. And I’ve got Tuxie on low phosphorus Weruva Truluxe to help his very very early kidney signs, since he does not like the prescription kidney diets.
So, here’s my take on pet insurance: it’s a crapshoot. I took a good look after one of my kitties went through lengthy and expensive kidney failure at the end of her life. It’s a situation of pay now, or pay later. I chose to pay later. Looking at my math figures, I decided I would be better off saving a little extra money from each paycheck, and rather than send to an insurance co, I’d keep it myself in a savings account and keep that tiny amount of interest for myself. For those who think they don’t have the discipline to do that every month? Set up an automatic withdrawal. You don’t miss what you don’t see.
If by some miracle your kitty comes to the end of their happy life with few complications, then *you* have that money, not some insurance co. Besides, I could not find any insurance (at the time, maybe different now) that would pay directly to my Vet. It was on me to file claim forms and provide receipts, and frankly I just didn’t think I had that discipline to follow through with all the paperwork.
I have Healthy Paws pet insurance and have found it worth every penny when kitty had an unexpected health situation. Our plan does not cover routine care. Something to keep in mind is that the premium does not stay stable- it has gone up a bit every year.
(Whoa – I wrote a lengthy piece on pet insurance based on my experience, but it disappeared and wasn’t posted. Perhaps too long, or perhaps because I included a link. Or perhaps because I have butterfingers!)
For a brief recap, Although I had many cats in my life, I never had pet insurance until adopting a 6 year old shelter kitty. A 30 day trial coverage came with her via the shelter. I chose another company that covered nearly everything including routine checkups at 90%. For me the annual premium was doable. For the first 4 years, it was all routine care. Then she developed IBD and a few other issues which my kitty. a wonderful vet and I fought for two years although the visits, procedures and meds were pricey. But the insurance company would cover most of the costs once I submitted the reimbursement forms, which was easy to do online.
Now, there are many types of reimbursements, coverage plans and the like. Shop around. I would try looking up “Compare Pet Insurance Plans” or similar online. I found an article from last year in New York Magazine’s The Strategist that was truly helpful in understanding the varieties and levels of plans. Also, talk frankly with your vet about her/his experiences with various companies.
Now, still missing my girl, I adopted a 1.5 year old tuxie girl from a shelter. She’s doing well, and is insured. I did change the insurance company, not because of a bad experience – quite the contrary. But for a young cat, her policy seems more suitable for now. In the end,it is a series of decisions we each have to make ourselves on behalf of our kitties.
Edited to add: the link to the New York Magazine’s The Strategist article.
Robyn – Regarding the lighting, FWIW, I just replaced all my boob lights with 13.5 inch flush mounted ceiling lights with integrated LED (3 light color options from warm white to daylight that can be changed at will.) that are dimmable. The LEDs are supposed to be good for 15 years. The toughest part of installation was removing the old lights, and while not “pretty” (they’re a flat light surface with a brushed nickel edge), these suckers are BRIGHT. I actually had to adjust my living room light down from “daylight” to “warm white”. Got them at Home Depot, $55 for a two-pack. I don’t know the brand because I threw out the boxes, and I couldn’t find them on HD’s website, but if you’re looking for strong light, something of this type might work for you, at least in rooms were function matters more than form.
Wait – there’s a Pusheen Box?!!
On the itchy spots. We used coconut oil. first we put it on the spot, but she licked it off right away. Didnt seem to matter if it went on the inside or outside, the spots healed right up. Bonus her arthritis was effected so much that she acted like a bouncing jumping kitten again, with soft fluffy fur! quarter teaspoon a day, but we just opened the lid and got out of the way because girlfriend was addicted! she’d lick it for quite a while but I doubt she got more than a teaspoon a day that way. She loved it. Still miss my little Star baby.