MSI Press Blog

Have cats? Here are some tips to keep them safe and your Christmas merry: Christmas Tree Safety      Secure the Tree : Make sure your Christmas tree is securely anchored to prevent it from tipping over if your cat decides to climb it.      Avoid Tinsel and Ribbon : Cats love to play with shiny objects, but tinsel and ribbon can be dangerous if ingested. Stick to safer decorations.      Use Cat-Safe Ornaments : Place fragile ornaments higher up where your cat can't reach them. Opt for unbreakable decorations on the lower branches. Toxic Plants      Poinsettias, Holly, and Mistletoe : These popular holiday plants are toxic to cats. Keep them out of reach or consider using artificial versions. Holiday Foods      Avoid Human Food : Many holiday foods, including chocolate, onions, garlic, and certain spices, are toxic to cats. Keep these foods out of reach and avoid feeding your cat table scraps. Cords and Lights ...

  Intrepid I came across this delightful article about why we perceive cats as cute. Thought it might bring a smile to someone today from Catster . Here are the six reasons but do read the article - there is more there, including in-depth explanations of these reasons. Their appearance subliminally appears to us. We want to keep them safe. We are hardwired to respond to their meows and purrs. Their purrs have healing properties. They blink to communicate with us. They know when we are feeling sad. For more Caturday posts, click  HERE . Read more  posts about cats . Watch for Luna Norwood's forthcoming book,  Raising Happy Cat Families . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, author advice, and more -- stay up to date) Read current/previous issues of the newsletter HERE .   Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing w...

  A new pleasure emerged this week. It turns out that Bear, who loves the outdoors but is an indoor cat, is quite willing to tolerate a leash. Now, he will take off like a dog, running with the wind and causing me take more than big strides to keep up. Both of us g on flat-out runs. Murjan , a much-beloved cat, who died in 2021 at the respectable age of almost 19 after 3.5 years of chemotherapy for lymphoma, loved to be taken for walks. (He never ran; he ambled -- perhaps the age made a difference since Bear is only a couple of years old.) Murjan even developed a special meow that sounded like "out" -- mwout -- that he would insistently repeat until the leash appeared and the door opened. the only other cat I have had who showed any interest in walking outside, but, supposedly, most cats can be trained to walk on a leash with patience and persistence although it's important to keep in mind that not all cats will take to it. Here are some steps to help with the process: 1....

  Learning the Ropes: Kitten Moo following big brother Bear (peek inside) into the litter robot For years, we have had one litter robot per room -- at times four, at times five. They held great promise of reducing the workload. Just plop in a bag, let the robot do its work for a few days, then pull out the drawer, toss the old bag now full of used litter, and plop in a new bag. Every seven minutes after a cat used the robot, the drum would turn and whisk the litter into the drawer with bag. Initially, they did work pretty good, but they quickly broke down. Nearly every day one or another robot has to be cleaned and repaired -- the pincers are not touching, the plates are dirty, litter is in the gears, etc. Sometimes, turning the robot off and then on gets it back on track; other times pressing cycle, reset, or reset & cycle works. Sometimes, a slap works. Other times, though, it is a matter of disassembling and completely cleaning the robot, typically a 20-minute task that cann...