Cat Pet Peeves

This has been a busy cat-theme month for me over at my Pet Peeves radio show. I get to rant each week about pet topics that tick me off--and I’ll hazard a guess that some of the same things raise your hackles as well! For instance, what do you do about the cats when you’re pregnant? “Get rid of the cat!” is the WRONG answer, IMO, and yet that’s what many new parents are urged to do. Well meaning family and friends (and sometimes doctors) wave their hands in the air about dangers but many of these concerns are ill founded, says cat behavior consultant Marilyn Krieger. (And I agree!). Yes, you should take proper steps to prepare yourself and your cat(s) for the new family member. And yes, hygiene is important. But the myths about breath-sucking and suffocating-felines are simply that: myths. And toxoplasmosis (a nasty illness dangerous to the fetus) can be easily prevented--and you may already be protected! Check out the “OH BABY!” show on cats and infants. Later in the month, Dena Fitzgerald of the American Humane Association joins the show for “CAT-ASTROPHE! Adopt-A-Cat Month.” Did you know that this animal welfare organization makes funds available for local shelter initiatives of spay/neuter, or even building shelters? What a neat organization. If you can’t wait to hear the Pet Peeves interview, check out the site at www.americanhumane.org