Fluffy’s Top 2024 Resolutions

Happy New Year! And for our dear feline patients, a Happy Mew Year (Note: the official Kitty New Year is observed on January 2nd). As we toss out our 2023 calendars and hang up 2024 versions, many people are focused on their resolutions for the new year. As it turns out, our whiskered friends have their own checklist for the coming months. A local Heath, TX vet examines some of them in this article.

Find New Ways To Give The Humans Orders

Cats are very, very good at meowpulating us. In fact, they may have started meowing specifically to boss us around. However, while Fluffy isn’t shy about speaking her mind and letting us know what she wants, things do get lost in translation. 

Technology to the rescue! You can now get your cat programmable paw pads. These speak specific words when Fluffy steps on them. While results may vary, some kitties get the hang of it pretty quickly.

Show My Loved Ones I Care

We may joke about how aloof cats are, but they are actually very affectionate. Of course, cats have some pretty interesting ways of showing their adoration. Fluffy may show her love by curling up on your lap, following you around, rubbing against your legs, meowing at you, or sleeping on your pillow. Or she might bite, scratch, try to trip you, or bring you dead birds. That’s all just purr for the course! 

Stump Researchers … Again

Our knowledge of feline behavior has been greatly expanded in recent years. While we will probably never entirely figure these quirky adorable furballs out, we have made progress.

Here are a few interesting recent discoveries:

• We now know that cats can exhibit nearly 300 different facial expressions … most of which are at least somewhat disdainful. 

• While we’ve known about Fluffy’s hunting prowess for a long time, we now have a full list of her victims. As it turns out, cats kill and eat over 2,000 species, including over 300 that are endangered. (You can’t entirely blame them for this: after all, we used to reward our furry pals for killing vermin. They may just be trying to please us!) 

• Another interesting finding is the fact that cats possess a mental map of their surroundings, and actually track their owners’ movements. Think of this as a kitty GPS. 

• We may have domesticated cats as far back as 9500 years ago. French archaeologists have discovered an early burial site where human and feline remains were interred together. This site, in the Neolithic village of Shillourokambos, located on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, is estimated to be 4000 years older than Egyptian cat art.

Fluffy will probably always keep some secrets to herself, but it’s clear that we still have a lot to learn. At the end of the day, gaining a deeper understanding of our furry companions benefits both us and them. It will be interesting to see what we find out about these mysterious creatures this year! 

Master Precise Hairball Drops

Fluffy doesn’t enjoy hairballs any more than you do. These are an unwanted effect of one of Fluffy’s top qualities: her cleanliness. Kitties are very attentive to keeping their coats clean and soft. In fact, your pet spends as much as a third of the time she’s awake grooming herself. Unfortunately, she will swallow some of her own fur in the process. We don’t have to tell you what happens next: it’s not your pet’s cutest trick.

One thing that can help is to brush your pet regularly. The key is to capture that fur in the brush before she swallows it.

If your cat seems to be getting too many hairballs, talk to your Heath, TX veterinarian. These can occasionally cause blockages, which are very dangerous.  

Dominate Scotland

Thanks to a rewilding program, 19 Scottish Wildcats have been successfully reintroduced into the wild. This breed, which was previously deemed functionally extinct, is now on track for a hopeful resurgence. With any luck, we can announce even more feline inhabitants of these lands next year. 

If you’re interested in conservation efforts, why not make that part of your 2024 agenda? That is definitely a pawesome cause to get involved with! 

Find More Ways To Control The Humans

You may be familiar with the Crazy Cat Lady syndrome. Interestingly, there is some truth to this idea. Certain cats can carry a parasite, known as toxoplasmosis, which affects the brain and makes its victims more receptive to kitties’ charms. In most cases, the parasite is harmless. However, there is a risk to pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems. There’s no need to panic: simply taking a few precautions can reduce or eliminate any risk of infection. Ask your Heath, TX vet for more information.

Back to kitty resolutions. We suspect that Fluffy is still working on other ways to take over the world. (Cat World Domination Day is June 24th: we’ll keep you posted.)

Win The Battle With The Red Dot

Kitties are super lovable, and they’re especially cute when they’re hard at play. Take time to play with your feline friend! Interactive games offer a more enjoyable and stimulating experience for Fluffy than simply swatting at a toy mouse. Keeping a laser pointer nearby while you relax on the couch or chair is a convenient way to do this. Just don’t shine the light directly into your pet’s eyes.

Work On Sleep Times

For some reason, kitties are very, very tired. These drowsy balls of fur can sleep up to 20 hours each day, though most of them manage to get by on 12 to 18 hours. You can help your sleepy pet rest by offering her lots of comfortable napping spots to choose from. 

This is another good goal for people as well. Getting good sleep is very important for your health and well-being!

Charge The Catteries

It’s no secret that cats are always looking for warm napping spots. (Fluffy isn’t actually cold-blooded, and she doesn’t use solar power, but it seems no one has told her that yet.) You’re probably going to find your furry buddy snoozing in the sun at some point this year. Create a comfy spot in the window so your sleepy buddy can watch birds and squirrels in between those 32 naps.

Entertain The Humans

Cats may be small, but they are worth their weight in gold when it comes to comedic relief. That’s one of the best things about having a kitty! Fluffy has a special way of filling our hearts and lives with love and laughter.  At some point this year, you’ll find yourself chuckling at your feline buddy’s silly antics. 

Internet Takeover

Fluffy is well on her way to achieving this goal. With the rise of the world wide web, our feline friends quickly became internet stars. We’ve never gotten tired of laughing at cute videos of playful kitties. We can’t wait to meet next year’s social media celebrekitties!

All of us here at Pet Doctor, your Heath, TX animal hospital, wish you and your families a wonderful new year. We are looking forward to providing top notch care in 2024 and for many years to come.