MSI Press Blog

  In my family, we rescue feral cats, integrate them into our human and cat family, and keep them indoors for their own safety.  Some of them get fat. We call it the feral rescue syndrome. Having to forage for food and not always finding it outdoors, they do not believe that food will always be there for them and overeat, especially if free feeding is allowed. Fat cats have a problem: they get diabetes; they get cancer; they have trouble walking and breathing; they could die younger than necessary. Our beloved Murjan, who crossed the rainbow bridge at the age of 19 -- not bad for a fat cat with diabetes and cancer (chemo for 3 1/2 years) -- actually became non-diabetic as he lost weight from attention to his diet. Unfortunately, while he put up a good fight, the lymphoma ultimately won out. (Cancer is something even humans cannot win with, in many cases.) With the vet's guidance, we put him on a weight-management cat food, DM. It comes in dry and set variants, and he got both....

  This is not the first time we have written about cat cancer in a Caturday post. We learn more about it over time, and it seems that more in general is learned about it over time.  Blind Cat rescued share the following interesting and information post about cat cancer:  Feline Carcinoma (blindcatrescue.blogspot.com) . Cat cancer not only occurs, but at least in our household has become common as our cats have aged. Among our cats, three have died of it, and two are living with it. The breed does not seem to matter; it appears that cancer is blind to breed. Intrepid was the first to be diagnosed with cancer and the first to die with it. In his cancer, it was small cell lymphoma. He lived only a few months after diagnosis. His vet missed the cancer -- that happens with people, too. After describing Intrepid's late night howling to a friend who works at the SPCA, he gave us the name of a vet with excellent diagnostic skills. She immediately intuited the problem, scoped Int...

  Precerpt (excerpt from prepublication book) from Raising Happy Cat Families by Luna Norwood -- Coming in from the Cold And then there is the situation where a feral cat literally comes in from the cold (often not by request). One moment, they’re out there, surviving in the chaos of open space, and the next—they’re dropped into a world bounded by walls, filled with strange smells, expectations, and no visible escape routes. For a feral cat, this abrupt shift in territory can be deeply shocking. Outdoors, territory is fluid and layered: open air, moving sunlight, shifting alliances, and the constant demands of self-defense. Indoors, by contrast, is static and enclosed. It smells of humans and other cats. Boundaries are suddenly vertical—cat trees, shelves, window sills—not horizontal. Social rules are tighter, proximity is unavoidable, and the absence of hiding places can feel like exposure rather than comfort. Some cats take this change in stride. Many do not. While some cats thr...

  Last Caturday, I made the comment on a post by Animal Friends Shelter in Gaza, Palestine, on X/Twitter that one of their cats looked like my late Murjan , shown above, hugging me (he was a hugger and a communicator). In response, the staff sent me a note and a video (such a nice surprise): Animal Friends Shelter on X: "@msi_press I qm so sorry for Murjan, he is in a better place now and will never forget your love. Today we made this video special for you and for Murjan hoping you like it 😻 https://t.co/4oZTNkI0ig" / X (twitter.com) They did this out of kindness and did not ask for a donation; later, I learned that they do not have enough food for all their cats and have to spread it out. If anyone feels like donating, here is where you can do it: PayPal Acc : Donate.AFScats@gmail.com or https:// paypal.me/DonateAFS?coun try.x=IL&locale.x=en_U And if you can, do not forget other shelters that are also hurting for funds to support their animals. For more Caturday posts...

  Murjan, hugging his owner/staff Happy National Respect Your Cat Day! 🐱 Today, March 28th, we celebrate our mysterious, majestic, and sometimes mischievous feline friends who grace our homes with their presence. Why Our Cats Deserve Respect Cats have been our companions for thousands of years, evolving from skilled hunters to beloved family members. They provide us with: Companionship without demands Stress relief through their soothing purrs Entertainment with their playful antics Independence that teaches us to respect boundaries Unconditional love in their own unique way How to Honor Your Cat Today Give them space : Respect your cat's independence and let them come to you Offer fresh treats : A special snack shows your appreciation Dedicate playtime : Engage with their natural hunting instincts Create cozy spots : Provide comfortable places for napping Simply observe : Take time to appreciate their grace and beauty Remember... "Time spent with cats is nev...

  Our white cat Murjan (pictured here) had a very thick fur, but one day a bald spot showed up. and then it grew larger. The vet scratched his head and gave us some salve. But the spot grew even larger. Now, we could see it right off, without even having to look for it through his fur, and the fur around the bald spot pulled out easily making the bald spot even bigger.  We took Murjan to a specialist. The specialist scratched her head and then gave us flea medicine for all the cats. By then, Murjan was not the only balding cat. Two others among the six started showing the same signs. So, the specialist asked us to bring in one of the other cats, too. She was able to pull a larger patch of hair from that cat to analyze -- and sent both samples to a lab. It turned out to be scabies. No one had considered that because these were indoor cats. However, a neighbor's cat had come into the house and spent some time with our cats. That cat was an outdoors cat, and the neighbor did not ...

  Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication) from Raising Happy Cat families by Luna Norwood Snyezhka, a Siamese-Tabby blend, was an easy rescue. Night after night on our house surveillance camera, we would see this small tan cat stop by our downstairs door, where we left food for the street cats, and eat with relish. One night, I was in our basement area in the early hours of the morning when Snyezhka came up our hill and to the downstairs door for her nightly feast. As she ate, two large tom cats pounced on her, clearly ready to mate her. But she was not in agreement, and she fought them off. Half their size, with twice their spirit. I opened the door, quickly grabbed her, and brought her inside. She did not fight me. She appeared relieved to be safe from her suitors. She slept on a chair in the basement room all night. I placed a disposable litter pan near her, the kind that come with a removable lid, seeded it with some poop from one of our litter robots, and she used it a couple ...