THE SCRATCHING POST
Winter 2001, Issue 6 - 2001 Home2Cats Odyssey! Edition
by Home2Cats Founder: Barbara Stanley

Home2Cats
P. O. Box 752671
Memphis, TN  38175-2671

Mews You Can Use

Giving your cat people-food as an occasional treat is acceptable. After all, how many of us can resist the faces of our furry friends while we are dining. There are, however, some people-food items that you should not give your cat:

Chocolate ---

Chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to animals. Theobromine causes increased heart and respiration rates, vomiting, diarrhea and depression.

Cow’s milk ---

Cats lack the enzyme needed to break down lactose (milk sugar). Drinking cow’s milk may cause digestive problems, including diarrhea.

Onion and onion powder ---

Onions contain oxidizing agents that can damage feline red blood cells and cause anemia.

Raw eggs ---

Eggs contain a protein that blocks the body’s use of one of the B vitamins. Feeding your cat raw eggs may cause dermatitis, hair loss and neurologic dysfunction.

Tuna ---

Tuna is low in calcium and too high in phosphorus. This may cause a vitamin E deficiency.

Cat Laws

Law of Cat Magnetism ---

All blue blazers and black sweaters attract cat hair in direct proportion to the darkness of their fabric.

Law of Furniture Replacement ---

A cat’s desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.

Law of Cat Composition ---

A cat is composed of Matter + Anti-matter + It Doesn’t Matter.

From the Cat's Clawset

According to the Koran, the cat is the essence of purity. A cat hospital was built in Bab-el-Nasz, and it was considered a blessing to bring food to the patients. It is unlawful to chase cats from mosques.

Cat Tails Profile:  Madison aka Chef Madison

Breed:  Mammoth Mastodon

Madison weighs in at a ‘sleek’ 23 lb. Like most chefs he is very temperamental and his favorite room of the house is the kitchen. 

Madison is never afraid to voice his opinion …….He usually has something to say about any subject matter. Nearly everyone that visits Home2Cats walks away as a Madison fan. 

Madison loves to ‘lay a trap’ for the unexpecting……He will put on his best behavior; and then, when the newcomer lets down his guard, Madison reels him in for the ‘kill’. 

If a cat can be ‘bi-polar’, then that’s Madison. On a scale of 1 to 10 Madison’s attitude tops out at 11….But than that’s what makes him a special cat!

Madison’s Most Favorite Things:

Favorite Item ...	Refrigerator -- Great to perch on top of and contains the 'Mother lode'
Favorite Toy ...	Empty Coke carton
Food ...	Eukanuba
Destination ...	Home2Cats kitchen
Activity ...	Lounging / sleeping
Song ...	‘Things Go Better With Coke!'

Madison’s Least Favorite Things:

Least Favorite Item ...	Feeding bowls with high sides that require standing while eating
Least Favorite Toy ...	Toys that require too much interaction with the player
Food ...	When you're a 23 lb chef there isn't much you don't like
Destination ...	Vets
Activity ...	Being brushed -- The 'brusher' had better know how to retreat quickly!
Song ...	'We Are Siamese If You Please'

Chef Madison

Chef Madison doesn't  believe in New Year's resolutions.  Especially if they have anything to do with dieting.  Madison believes that every household should always have lots of feline snacks on hand.

Here's one that is sure to be a crowd pleaser:

Shrimp Cat-Tail

¾ cup cooked, shredded shrimp ½ cup cornmeal ¼ cup warm water

½ cup whole wheat flour 1 tablespoon of butter

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine water, butter, and shrimp. Add flour and cornmeal to form dough. Cut dough with cookie cutter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Refrigerate or freeze unused treats in an airtight container and bring to room temperature before serving.

Animal and People Recognition:

In memory of people:

Ted Cartledge
--Ruth Blann Cartledge

*

In memory of animals:

Bumper-Thumper
--Barbara and Larry Stanley
--Brenda and Donald Hargrove

Annie
----Barbara and Larry Stanley

Samson
--Barbara and Larry Stanley

Baxter
--Barbara and Larry Stanley

Garfield
--Barbara and Larry Stanley

*

In honor of people:

Barbara and Larry Stanley
--Ruth Blann Cartledge
--Brenda and Donald Hargrove

A Word From Home (2Cats)

A special thank you to all the volunteers that gift wrapped for us through the holidays at Barnes and Noble.

National Animal Poison Control Center—800-548-2423