Happy Birthday, Astrid!

Did you see the title of this post? Did you?

Indeed, it's pup Astrid's birthday! This happy, goofy girl turns 11 years old today. I can't even fathom that. She doesn't act her age, and I'm so very glad for that.

Those cookies are from the birthday girl's favorite Etsy shop, that being YUMYUM4DOGS. We're not sponsored, but Astrid is a huge fan.

Astrid got to enjoy a couple of the little cookies this morning to start her birthday. She'll get more of them throughout the day, of course. There are so many of them that Astrid will probably have to finish the cookies out over the next couple of days. Well, Astrid would happily chow them all down today, but this here human is a party pooper.

Happy Birthday, sweet and silly Astrid! All of your humans and kitties love you so very much! You make our lives so much brighter and exciting, and we hope to spend many, many more birthdays with you.

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Tip of the Day

As part of our National Cat Health Care Month series of tips, today we're here to remind you of the importance of ensuring that your kitty is fed fresh food on a regular basis. To begin, as you all certainly know, moist food can spoil if left out for too long. It won't go rancid right away, but if left out for long periods of time, there is a concern for spoilage and resultant gastrointestinal issues if eaten. For this reason, refrigerate any unused portions of moist food (which can be reheated for a short amount of time in the microwave), and do not leave moist food out in your kitty's bowls for too long. While far less likely, it is not impossible for dry food to spoil, not to mention the possibility of it becoming stale, or even ants helping themselves to food that is sitting out. So, try to ensure that uneaten old food is not left at the bottom of a bowl for too long. Also try to make sure that your kitty's dry food is stored in some form of an air-tight container, or at least that the bag is securely sealed.

Continuing on with the importance of fresh food, many cats are indeed picky eaters, which means it is quite possible that some kitties may not eat food that has been sitting out for a certain amount of time. In addition to this, as some cats age, their senses, including smell, start to diminish. Similarly, cats with certain ailments might need food with a fresh, strong odor in order to feel tempted to eat. This is another reason to offer food that is fresh and therefore enticing, so that the kitty will indeed have a desire to eat it.

All of this being said, also keep in mind your individual cat's weight, diet, and overall health. It is of course important to ensure that your kitty has sufficient access to food. Food allowance or scheduling will be different for an underweight cat versus an overweight cat, so all such considerations have to be made. If you have any concerns regarding your cat's food situation, of course discuss this with a veterinarian.