Hot and Humid Adventures with Astrid

I'm going to start this post by saying that, this year, I'll be sharing my Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day post on September 1st. The actual day is today, August 28th, but my feline angels Rosie and Sammy had a September 1st birthday, and so this year I'm going to meld the two together. That said, I am still remembering all of my furry and feathered angels today, and I'm also thinking of all of you who are remembering your Rainbow Bridge angels, today and every day.

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Today, pup Astrid is here to take you along on another one of her adventures. This adventure was a short one, though, because it was nearly 100°F on this sunny day.

The farther we get into the summer, the more acclimated Astrid gets to hot, summer walks. That said, she still is not a big fan of summer weather, and so her summer walks are never as long as her autumn and winter walks. That's fine with me, though, as not only am I also not a fan of the heat and humidity, but I don't want poor Astrid to suffer heat exhaustion or a heat stroke.

Astrid will sometimes surprise me and beg for a longer walk on a hot day. While I usually let her pick where and how long we walk, sometimes I'll start directing her home if it's excessively hot and she seems to want to head farther and farther from air conditioning. It's not worth risking her health, and luckily she tends to ultimately realize when it is indeed way too hot outside to keep going.

For now, the hottest days are behind us. We often have one last heat wave in September, but for now we have some days with highs in the 70s coming up. I can't wait. Though, I more so can't wait for the even cooler, crisper autumn walks.

Astrid hopes you all get to enjoy some cool days! She's certainly looking forward to it just as much as I am. Happy Wednesday!

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Spooky Summertime Doodle of the Day

We have yet another new spooky doodle to get us through this summer weather. Today's of course stars Astrid, and a creepy cake she'd love to taste.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip relating to taking your cat to the vet is in regard to nonrecognition aggression. In relation to vet visits, nonrecognition aggression is typically when one cat goes to the vet, and when he or she returns home, one of the other resident cats does not recognize them. This is typically because the returning cat smells unfamiliar, with odors from the vet. Though it can be a disconcerting and scary thing to witness, nonrecognition is not terribly uncommon. What's more, there are ways to potentially prevent it, and to help your cats recover from it.

One way to combat nonrecognition aggression is to take your cats to the vet together. This way, neither of them will come back home smelling differently than the other. This method is easiest if both cats travel well and can safely visit the vet together. So, if nonrecognition is a concern in your home and it's a viable option, do consider taking your cats to the vet together to prevent future aggression between them.

There are other options to help prevent nonrecognition aggression. One is to use a synthetic pheromone spray, or a diffuser, to help keep all cats as calm as possible. Yet another option is to gently wipe down the cat returning home from the vet, in order to remove as much of the vet clinic smells as possible. Similarly, when a cat returns home from the vet, you can also wipe them with one of their usual blankets from home, to help transfer their usual scents back to them. Of course these are not fail-safe methods, but they can potentially help prevent nonrecognition aggression between cats.

All of the above being said, sometimes nonrecognition aggression might occur despite your attempts to prevent it. If it does occur, first and foremost, separate the cats who are involved, in order to keep them both safe. Then, reintroduction might be similar to how you introduce two unfamiliar or new cats to each other. Slowly and safely allowing them to sniff, see, and then interact with each other might take some time, but your kitties can indeed return to one big happy family with time and patience.