This is probably not a regular Wednesday feature, but I came across this article about flame retardants and cats that I found interesting. I have several. None have thyroid disease that I know of. Apparently lots of cats are getting thyroid disease, and scientists have linked it to flame retardants in furniture. The compounds polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Another source of PBDEs is in canned fish/seafood flavored cat food, such as salmon and whitefish. Cat diets based on fish-flavored canned food could have PBDE levels 12 times as high as dry-food diets. Cats may get more than 100 times greater dietary PBDE exposure than American adults. Another reason to be careful of what you feed your pets. Of course, humans have high PBDE exposure as well. It appears that we are killing ourselves–and our pets–with the chemicals we have used.

This article can be found online in the semi-monthly journal, Environmental Science and Technology, from the American Chemical Society.

Here’s an interesting article about a cat who seems to predict when people die. Oscar lives at a retirement home, and so far 25 people have died within about four hours of him choosing to sit near them. The cat sits with the person until they die. Yet, he’s rather unfriendly.

I wonder if the cat really knows. I would say probably. My pets know when I’m sick. They feel the need to lay on me then.

Here’s a nice picture of Max. He rarely stays still enough to get a good picture, and he rarely has such a sweet look. Don’t let him fool you though. He bites when petted. He will be two years old this fall. He also seems to cause all the problems in the house. He seems to piss off the older black cat who thinks he is the king of the house. Chasing and fights ensue.

What a long weekend! This picture perfectly describes my weekend.

I get asked that a lot. Lately I haven’t known what to say. I know there is a lot that is new, but how interesting do others find it? I’m still working on my project, although it has been a slow week coming up to the holiday. I had a seminar end this week, and the other didn’t meet. So I’m off to live in my now quiet head.

I have my costume for Tahitian competition. Well, all but the flower. I have to decide on a flower, and it has to be real. So that means it has to last all day (from 7 am to about 6 pm).

Last weekend I was busy meeting up with friends–even after a long day at the garage sale. It seems that most people are out of town this weekend or have other plans, but perhaps something will come up spur of the moment. A friend is supposed to have a party either Friday or Saturday, but I haven’t heard anything further.

Oh, I finally got a Nintendo Wii, which is supposed to be for my son. I have been playing. It’s a lot of fun. I ended up with a sore arm from playing tennis.

Work? Well, it’s still the same, although it seems that some new interest could provide more immediate funding. Just have to see.

The cats are pretty much the same. So is the dog. I have one cat with an immune disorder, and he’s not looking so good right now. Not much I can do about it other than keep him comfortable. It’s kind of icky to watch him waste away.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there.

Also Happy Birthday to my son who is 15 today. Happy Birthday to Hamlet, the cat, who is 7 today.

This new contraption just came yesterday…

It’s a must-have at my house. I have been through 4 Littermaid litter boxes, 3 Performa litter boxes, and this, I hope, is the last automated litter box I ever buy. At least I hope I don’t have to buy a new one next year. The Littermaid boxes lasted about 6 months before they died. My first Performa died within a couple of months so under warranty, I got a replacement. The replacement made it just past it’s warranty before it died. The last one hadn’t died completely, but the noise it made on it’s last legs made me want to kill it.

This new box is pretty cool. Kinda spacey. There are only two pieces. I pulled them out of the box, plugged in the base and set the round top on the base. In less than five minutes, I had a working automatic cat litter. The whole top turns to sift the litter (no rakes!).

The biggest problem is that the cats like to watch it turn, and absolutely have to stick their necks inside to see what is going on. Every time it ran yesterday, at least three cats were watching. Mesmerized. This was more exciting than the birds outside.

It holds a nice amount of litter. The cats seem to like it. It was used within 10 minutes of being set up. (No, this is not a paid post. I just think this is cool.) Also, it only takes up a 2 foot by 2 foot space. The old box took up 40 inches in length of floor space which doesn’t account for walking area for the cats to actually get into the box. Oh, and the clumps go into the drawer that you line with regular garbage bags. No more special bags, litter pans, etc. If you have cats and need an automatic litter box check the site out. They have video.

Well, it’s official. The doves have moved. Perhaps it was too stressful to be stared at by three cats all day long. They are nearby because I have heard them cooing, but I don’t know where they moved to. Maybe they built a new nest in one of the trees in front. They didn’t seem to mind when I went out the front door. Poor kitties will have to find some other entertainment.

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My cats are tormented by two doves who have taken up residence under the awning. They have been busy for several days building a nest, so there is a lot of activity. The cats watch intently from the livingroom window. I wonder if the birds can see the cats.

It looks like we will have several weeks of torture. They haven’t laid eggs yet, but they have performed all the activity required for making eggs. That’s more than my cats can handle. I’m mostly concerned about all the bird poo I will have to scrub from the bricks and sidewalk. This is the first time birds have nested here.

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Please vote for me over at the Blogger’s Choice Awards for “Best blog design.”

I sent my son off into the sky this morning. He should arrive back at his dad’s house this evening. It will be interesting to see how the seminar he went to stays with him and how he affects others. It’s quiet again here, which I have to get used to again. The scaredy cats have come out of hiding. Now they are in “needy” mode.

He wanted to go to the next seminar in the series, so we got signed up this morning before getting to the airport.

The final part of his seminar all the parents, relatives and friends were invited. It was very moving to see the teens get up and speak, especially when they acknowledged their families. Not all the teens spoke. I was rather surprised that my son did because it seemed like he wasn’t going to. I was also surprised by what he said.