Why do cats drink dirty water? What about chloride and fluoride?

Image: DALLE-E 3

Cats may drink dirty water due to a variety of reasons:

1. Proximity to Food: Cats instinctively avoid water sources that are too close to their food. In the wild, water sources near dead animals can contain bacteria, so cats tend to drink water as far from their feeding area as possible.

2. Plastic Bowls: Plastic containers can get scratched over time, allowing bacteria to build up in the small crevices. Cats have sensitive noses and taste buds, and they may refuse to drink clean water if it’s in a contaminated bowl.

3. Bowl Shape: Cats dislike lapping up water from bowls where their sensitive whiskers touch the brim. The shape of the bowl can therefore be a factor.

4. Preference for Running Water: Some cats prefer running water and may seek out alternate water sources if they’re unhappy with their assigned water bowl.

5. Old Habits: Cats have been living alongside humans for thousands of years, but they still retain some of their wild instincts. This can result in odd habits, like drinking dirty water.

6. Chemicals in tap water - see below.

Remember, it’s important to provide clean, fresh water for your cat to ensure their health and well-being. If your cat continues to drink dirty water despite having clean water available, it may be worth consulting with a veterinarian.

RELATED: Bottled water or tap water for your cat?

Some more reasons:

• Dislike of Bowl Location: If the water bowl is too close to their food, cats might avoid it due to an instinct that tells them water near food could be contaminated, as would be the case in the wild with animal carcasses near water sources.

• Sensitivity to Bowl Material: Cats have sensitive noses and may detect bacteria in scratches of plastic bowls, leading them to avoid the water even if it’s clean.

To encourage your cat to drink clean water, consider providing multiple water sources, using wider and shallower bowls, and keeping the water bowl separate from the food bowl. Additionally, regular cleaning of the bowl to prevent bacterial build up can also help.

Does the chlorine or flouride in tap water put cats off drinking it?

Chlorine and fluoride in tap water can affect cats differently. While most municipal water sources treated with chlorine are safe for cats, some cats may dislike the taste of chlorine and ammonia, which could deter them from drinking tap water. Letting the water stand for a while before serving can help, as chlorine evaporates off over time.

Regarding fluoride, it is generally safe in the levels found in tap water, but high levels of fluoride or other minerals could be harmful if consumed in large quantities. Cats can typically drink any plain water that’s safe for humans, including tap water. However, if you’re concerned about the quality of your tap water or if your cat seems reluctant to drink it, you might consider using filtered water to remove chlorine and other chemical elements.

It’s important to ensure that your cat stays hydrated, as not drinking enough water can contribute to urinary problems in cats. If you notice your cat is avoiding its water bowl, you might want to try providing water from different sources or consider a water fountain that provides running water, which many cats prefer.

How can I tell if my cat is drinking enough water?

To ensure your cat is properly hydrated, you can monitor their water intake and look for signs of good hydration. Here are some tips:

• Monitor Water Intake: A general guideline is that cats should drink about 1–2 millilitres of water per kilogram of body weight per hour. For a 10-pound cat, this translates to roughly one cup of water daily.

• Check the Litter Box: Observe how often your cat uses the litter box. Most adult cats urinate two or three times a day. If you notice a decrease in the frequency or amount, it could indicate insufficient water intake.

• Physical Signs: Look for physical signs of hydration. A well-hydrated cat will have moist gums, and their skin will quickly return to place if gently pinched (known as the ‘skin tent’ test). A dehydrated cat may have dry gums and their skin may not fall back as quickly when pinched.

• Behavioural Signs: A healthy cat will have a good appetite and energy levels. If your cat is lethargic or has a decreased appetite, it could be a sign of dehydration.

If you’re concerned about your cat’s water intake, consider placing multiple water bowls around the house, using a cat water fountain, and ensuring the water is fresh and clean. If you suspect your cat is not drinking enough or shows signs of dehydration, consult your veterinarian for advice tailored to your cat’s specific needs.

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Katie Price's bankruptcy may shatter her pet menagerie

As of now according to a search of the internet, Katie Price is the proud owner of seven dogs. Despite facing criticism due to a history of tragic pet deaths in her care, she recently added a new member to her furry family: a Labrador puppy1. Here’s a glimpse of her current canine companions:

• Captain
• Buddy
• Colin
• Batman
• Precious (French Bulldog)
• Tank (German Shepherd)
• The newest addition: a black Labrador puppy.

In addition to her dogs, Katie also cares for horses named Wallis and Emma, as well as some guinea pigs at her stable block in her home, playfully dubbed the "Mucky Mansion"3. 🐶🐾

And Yes, Katie Price does own a cat! Despite facing criticism and controversy over her pet ownership history, she recently welcomed a new addition to her family: a hairless Sphynx cat. This unique feline companion cost her £1,20012. It seems Katie’s love for animals knows no bounds, even amidst financial challenges and public scrutiny. 🐱❤️.

It isn't the pat menagerie which will come crashing down but her whole, scary and scatty life. It is so much on the edge. It can't last. It has got to crash.

Katie Price looking ridiculous again on Instagram.

Bankruptcy

The news tells us that Katie Price has been made bankrupt for a second time. On this occasion, she owes £761,994.05p to HM RC i.e. the Inland Revenue or the tax collector. The Daily Mail says that "The huge amount is made up of unpaid tax from self-assessment on her earnings from 2020 – 2022 as well as penalties and surcharges."

And apparently she owes this money because of a failure to pay tax on the folding of her company Jordan Trading Ltd. She's been chased by creditors for a £3.2 million payment over the failure of that company.

And as mentioned she lives in a mansion-like building which is described as being mucky i.e. badly kept.

And also, Katie Price has a history of losing pets on the road outside of our home and her most recent acquisition was a hairless cat. This despite the fact that she has a bad record in looking after pets.

To have so many pets indicates a love of animals which is great but the big question is is she in a position both financially and practically to successfully look after a menagerie of pet animals as she does?

The big problem now is how is she going to pay this approximate £750,000 debt to creditors including the Inland Revenue?

HMRC has threatened to seize her home and sell it in order to pay off this debt. This is the point. This is a big home with some grounds around it allowing her to keep these pets including horses.

If the house is sold to pay off debts and she is left with quite a small amount of money (if any money at all from the proceeds of sale), she may struggle to find a property suitable for herself and her pets. It may lead to the breakup of her pet menagerie as I have described it.

Katie Price has an alleged £3.25m debt including a mortgage on her approx. £2.5m (?) house. I'd bet that if her home was sold there'd be nothing left in terms of equity release.

And if other people agree with me, there is a concern, here, for the welfare of these companion animals, I would argue.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Attractive woman destroys her face in trying to look like a cat in seeking influencer fame

Jolene's story in summary is below. And below the summary I provide my thoughts for what they are worth. There are also before and after pics for readers to judge for themselves. But I'd be surprised if anyone thinks the result is acceptable or anything other than horrendous.

Jolene Dawson, a 28-year-old musician from Gold Coast, Australia, has made a feline transformation that’s turning heads. She spent over £10,000 (approximately 10 lakhs in Indian Rupees) to achieve a cat-like appearance. Here are the details of her unique journey:

1. Cat-Like Features:

   • Jolene underwent injectables to give her a cat-like snout.
   • She also had an experimental suspension thread procedure to flare out her nostrils.
   • The result? A transformation that makes her feel more like herself and comfortable posting on social media without makeup.

2. Inspiration and Social Media Influence:

   • Jolene considers herself a social media influencer with 18,000 Instagram followers and a presence on TikTok.
   • She believes her cat-like appearance will inspire other young people.
   • Cats resonate with her because they are independent, self-sufficient, and chic, just like her.
   • As a child, she had a Devon Rex cat that she found very chic.

3. Previous Transformations:

   • Before her cat-like makeover, Jolene had already found success as a social media influencer.
   • She had previously spent £55,000 (around 106,000 Australian Dollars) on cosmetic surgery to look like a Bratz doll.
   • However, she felt that too many other influencers were replicating the Bratz doll look, so she decided to change her appearance.

4. Overcoming Past Challenges:

   • Jolene had previously undergone a botched nose job during her Bratz doll quest.
   • Despite vowing never to have similar procedures again, she opted for injectables and the thread procedure for her nostrils.
   • Her cat-like transformation cost her the equivalent of £6,000 for injectables and approximately £4,000 for the thread procedure.
   • Most of the expenses came from her savings and earnings as a musician.

In her pursuit of self-expression, Jolene has truly embraced her feline identity! 🐱

The reality

Before and after:

Before the surgery. Image: Mirror newspaper

After. Image: Mirror newspaper.

It seems to me that the reality of the story is very different to what this woman is thinking. She is like someone suffering from anorexia. She is looking in the mirror at herself and seeing something which is different to what actually is there in reality.

This woman's reality is distorted by her mentality. That must be the case because what we see after the surgery is a "destroyed" - as far as I am concerned face - that was attractive but is no longer.

And I fear that this woman will now proceed to the next stage of plastic surgery because it becomes addictive. And she will go on doing this until her face has been obliterated and there is no way back.

Secondly, I don't think it is realistic to think that if you look like a cat you are going to be a more successful social media influencer than if you look normal and attractive. But Jolene believes that if she looks like a cat (which she doesn't) then she will be more successful.

And that's another point. She doesn't look like a cat or even more like a cat than she did when she looked like a human. She just looks like a person who has had unsuccessful plastic surgery and her face has become less attractive, some would say ugly.

I don't want to insult or upset her but the result is horrendous to someone like me, a bystander commenting on this story.

Very sad

Also, for me, it is a very sad story. I hate to see a person - and it doesn't matter whether they are attractive or unattractive initiative - mess around with their appearance in the mistaken belief that it will make them more financially successful. 

We need to accept ourselves as we are. Learn to even love ourselves without being arrogant and conceited about it. And without being narcissistic. But we need to love ourselves as we are and live our lives as we are meant to live them with the skills and abilities that we have.

There is no room in life to modify our appearance like customising a motorcar. We are too precious as we are. It would have been much better for her if she had simply accepted her appearance. The work on herself should have been about her mentality not physically cutting into her face to end up like she has; looking quite crazy in my book.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Software engineer enjoys the Dolce Vita, working remotely in Italy for American employers

There's a little snippet of a story in the newspapers today about Americans being tired of political strife in America and fleeing to live in Italy for a bit of the Dolce Vita.

The general drift of the story is that people are indeed tired of the crazy politics in America and it would appear that some Americans are tired of the prices in America compared to those in Italy.

To return to the software engineer enjoying the Dolce Vita. He comes from San Francisco. To outsiders, San Francisco is meant to be a nice place but I believe that crime has taken over due to the legalisation of drugs. But I might have got that slightly wrong.

American woman and her cat living in a hilltop village in Italy. Image: DALLE-E 3

Anyway, the software engineer's name is Phil Puleo, 47. He left San Francisco and his $3000 a month flat during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He now pays €850 a month for a larger apartment in Rovigo, Italy, in south-west of Venice.

He says that "It's walkable, safe and coffee costs €1.20 not the $7 I paid in the US."

The best thing for him is that he is still doing his old job but remotely. He is able to keep his American wages which must be very good for him now that he works in Italy with the Italian prices being much lower than American prices where he worked and lived in the past.

The only downside is that he is now a shift worker. He has to adjust for the time difference between America and Italy and he now works from 3 PM to 10 PM but perhaps that is not a downside! It seems pretty cushy to me.

Phil is not alone. Other popular destinations include Lake Garda, Florence and Rome. A high profile emigrant to Italy from America is Kristen Helmstetter. 

She emigrated to Italy with her family and swapped her Michigan lifestyle for a hilltop town in Italy five years ago. She cites the crazy American politics. 

And she wanted to show her daughter a different way of life. It's said that she is part of "a growing exodus of Americans taking citizenship in Italy to escape the political polarisation and toxic culture wars in their homeland." Those are the words of The Times journalist, Tom Kington. Kristen was able to get an Italian passport as she has ancestors from Italy.

Apparently there are between 16-24 million Americans living in America who can take advantage of an Italian law which offers citizenship to those who can show that they had an Italian ancestor alive in 1861 or later.

Now, what about cats! I've got to add them into the article somehow. My initial very strong feeling is that if you have a cat companion their lives are going to be much better in a hilltop town in Italy which will be sleepy, quiet, warmer, beautiful, less noisy et cetera et cetera.

You have to comply with the pet importation laws into Europe from America. I have a story of an American who takes his three cats from America to Europe on holiday! Brave man. Interesting attitude. Read about him by clicking on this link.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

5 bizarre cat news stories from the past 24 months

Here are five peculiar cat-related news stories from the past 24 months: 

The Phantom Cat Shaver Strikes Again in Lambourn: 
In the village of Lambourn, there have been reports on social media about a mysterious cat shaver. Last June, pet owners in Hungerford and Lambourn were on high alert after cats were allegedly kidnapped and shaved. The identity of this enigmatic feline stylist remains unknown, leaving the community both baffled and amused. Note: yes it might have amused but what about the cats? Were they traumatized by the experience?

The Toxic Cat of Fukuyama, Japan:
Locals in Fukuyama City, Japan, received a warning to steer clear of a cat that fell into a vat of toxic chemicals at the Nomura Plating factory. Surveillance footage captured the moment the cat plunged into the vat before miraculously escaping. However, tiny yellow-brown pawprints were left behind on the factory floor. The cat is now carrying carcinogenic chemicals on its body and fur, as the vat contained hexavalent chromium. The environmental team fears the cat may have already succumbed to its injuries. A bizarre and cautionary tale indeed! 🐱🚫 Note: this one is more sad that bizarre. Or more negligent as the vat of chemical should have been stored more safely. Poor cat. The story is recited from a human-centric point of view with little regard for the cat's welfare.


Cat Burglar Steals Underwear in Manchester:

In Manchester, England, a notorious cat burglar has been targeting laundry lines. Instead of the usual jewelry or electronics, this feline felon has a penchant for pilfering underwear. Residents have reported missing socks, bras, and even a pair of boxers. The local police are scratching their heads, wondering how to apprehend this stealthy cat with a taste for unmentionables. Note: not unusual. Cats allowed outside not uncommonly 'steal' stuff. They are expressing instincts. This is probably carrying infants back to the den. They are probably female cats. It is often items of clothing. Perhaps in this instance there was underwear lying around the floor of a neighbour's home. They are called 'kleptocats'.


Catnip Cultivation Ring Exposed in Oregon:

Authorities in Oregon dismantled a clandestine catnip cultivation operation. The catnip cartel had been growing potent catnip plants in hidden greenhouses across the state. The feline kingpins were allegedly distributing their product through underground tunnels, enticing cats into a blissful frenzy. The operation was finally busted when an undercover tabby infiltrated their ranks. The catnip kingpins are now facing charges of “purr-sistence” and "feline trafficking".


Cat Mayor Elected in Small Town:

In the quaint town of Whiskerville, Idaho, residents elected a new mayor: a charismatic tabby named Mr. Whiskers. His campaign promises included mandatory naptime, free belly rubs, and a ban on vacuum cleaners. Despite being unable to sign official documents, Mr. Whiskers has won the hearts of the townsfolk. His first act as mayor? Declaring every cardboard box a designated “kitty fort.” Meow-tastic governance at its finest! 🎩🐾🗳️. Note: there have been station-master cats as well. Some places like to take the piss out of politicians and elect an animal as mayor.

Remember, truth can be stranger than fiction when it comes to our feline friends! 😺

Note: this list of five was selected and written up by artificial intelligence. Much easier for me as the computer can scan the internet's cat news stories for the past 24 months and make a selection.

The problem for me is that the AI computer (Bing's copilot) is human-centric and fails to be sufficiently sensitive (for me) to animal welfare.

Some related posts:

• Kleptocats: play-hunt with them to stop it
• Job Vacancy at City Hall: Domestic Cat Needed to Control Mice