Meow Mice Mews

Lessons from Our Pets

2012-01-28T08:26:00.000-05:00

Jack taking a water break while hiking. Which pet lessons is Jack teaching? Read below to find out

In the spirit of the book, All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat, by Suzy Becker, I recently read an article in the Health Corner Section of the William Penn Life magazine, Jan. 2012 edition. This article, titled " Pet Lessons" by Debbie Wolfe, RN lists 13 lessons we can learn from our pets for us to lead happier, healthier lives. These lessons are Forget Multitasking, Take Naps, Walk Every Day, Live in the Moment, Don't Hold a Grudge, Wag Your Tail (in people's case this means smile, put a spring in your step) Maintain Curiosity, Be Silly, Play, Stretch Often (this is my personal favorite, since my dog, Jack is helping me to perfect my yoga downward dog! Drink Water, Eat Fish, and If You Love Someone Show It. These ideas seem so simple and so true. Once again our dogs and cats show us they are in the know when it comes to being happy and healthy. They are truly our best friends! Oh Yes, answer to photo caption....The lessons are Walk Every Day, Live in the Moment, Drink Water, Maintain Curiosity, Be Silly, and yes if Jack, an Australian shepherd had a tail it would also be Wag Your Tail!

If you would like to read more please go to and read Debbie's entire article Thank you, Debbie for your clever insights.

http://www.williampennlife.org/wplife/2012/Wm.Penn.Life.Jan.2012.pdf

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T10:49:00.001-05:00

Please be careful of turkey bones, table scraps, and other Thanksgiving goodies for your dogs and cats! Please do not give your pets turkey bones!
Happy Thanksgiving from Meow Mice!

Keep Your Pets Cool!

2011-07-22T08:19:00.001-04:00

LK with her Buddy, Jack

Our sweltering summer days are here in Ct. (at least for this week) Below is some excellent advice from a Fidelco veterinarian, especially with our dog friends in mind.

"As you may know, dogs do not sweat like we do. They do have sweat glands, but only on their feet and not on the rest of their body. So they rely on panting, a method of breathing out excess heat, to cool down their bodies. This method is not as effective as sweating. So, as we head into the next couple of days where the heat index is fore casted to reach 105 degrees, I want to take the opportunity to provide guidance on how to best keep our dogs healthy and happy…

Three factors to keep in mind to prevent heat injuries are: shade, water and rest.

The shade is your best friend. A cool environment should always be available and animals should not be left outside for long periods during the day without lots of water and adequate shelter from the sun. Your vehicle is comparable to an oven in this weather, even in the shade, so bring your dogs inside. Keep all pets indoors with very high temperatures outdoors.

Always keep a fresh, full bowl of water nearby. Always. Do not leave your dog's water bowl in the sun or it will heat up.

Limit exercise to the cooler parts of the day, such as early mornings and late evenings. The sun is the strongest midday anywhere between 10 am and 4 pm. If you plan on spending the day outdoors with your dog, try to find a nice spot that has a good-size shaded area and a nice refreshing breeze and utilize work/rest cycles, e.g., 25 minutes on then 15 minutes off.

Please take increased precautions with old, obese, or infirm dogs. They have a harder time regulating their body temperatures than younger, healthier dogs.

Heat injuries happen very fast and sometimes unexpectedly.. Heat stress, a.k.a. heat exhaustion, is a warning that the dog is becoming overheated. Heat stress progresses to heat stroke if the dog is left untreated. If your dog should show signs of serious distress from the heat it is best to cool them immediately with cool or tepid water rather than really cold water. If ice packs are available they can be applied to areas where circulation is very good, such as the armpits, groin area or neck. Blowing air over them with a fan as you cool them off with water can be helpful. As soon as they seem to be gaining some comfort proceed to your veterinarian immediately. Dogs who suffer from heat stroke can develop delayed complications that are really serious, including death, if they are not properly monitored and cared for.

Spending quality time with your dog on a hot summer day is loads of fun but potentially dangerous. If you are hot, chances are your dog is even hotter. Use common sense and be safe! Enjoy your summer and remember to keep your dog cool!"

Michael J. Bednar, DVM

Director of Animal Medicine

Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc.

Under the Watchful Eye!

2011-05-10T06:43:00.000-04:00

Recently, I was putting the finishing touches on a new batch of Meow Mice and realized that Meow Mice's chief product tester, LK was undercover doing an impromptu inspection! I offered LK some catnip and the mice and catnip passed! It wasn't really a bribe the quality of the catnip needs to be tested....my new catnip is now ORGANIC and approved by LK. I'm sure your cat will love it, too. To find out go to www.meowmice.com

Okay, I'm not really here. Just checking out the new catnip mice!

Looking Good!

Looking Sleepy! The catnip and mice passed. My work here is done!

April Showers Bring Spring Meow Mice!

2011-04-16T17:34:00.001-04:00

Maybe today's rain will bring a new Spring Meow Mice for your favorite cat. Energize your cat this spring with a fresh Meow mouse available at www.meowmice.com!

Friendship in Strange Places!

2011-03-28T06:49:00.056-04:00

How Is Your Cat at Making Friends!

"Friendship isn't about who you have known the longest

It's about those who came and never left your side."
If you don't want to attempt a live friend for your cat try a Meow Mice at www.meowmice.com

HOW TRUE!!!

2011-03-09T17:05:00.003-05:00

This book is a must for all cat lovers

about All I Need to Know I Learned From My Cat (And Then Some) from Workman's Publishers...

"In the years since we first published All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat , with over 2 million copies in print and the fastest-selling book in Workman’s history, one thing hasn’t changed—people are still starved for wisdom. Few oracles have dispensed as much common-sense truth as Binky, Suzy Becker's cat. "It's O.K. to wear the same thing every day." "Know all the sunny places." "Flaunt your hair loss." "Get mad when you're stepped on." Life lessons such as these and dozens of others propelled the book like a champagne cork to the top of The New York Times bestseller list.

You can also take a quiz to find out if you are a cat person! Go to:
http://www.workman.com/products/9780761147664/

about Suzy Becker
Suzy Becker is an artist, entrepreneur, and author of I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse?, My Dog's the World's Best Dog, and Manny's Cows. Binky, her muse, was a Holstein cat.
More about the author

Show Your Love to Your Cat on Valentine's Day with Meow Mice's Love Collection!

2011-02-10T06:02:00.001-05:00

Go to www.meowmice.com and browse the Meow Mice Love Collection. You cat deserves Meow Mice!

Winter Mice!

2011-01-19T22:37:00.000-05:00

Now your cats can enjoy winter without having to ever go outside. Buy them a Winter Meow Mice in soft sherbet colored fleece. Your cat will love to cozy up with one of these soft, yummy mice. Available now at Meow Mice!

Happy New Year from Meow Mice!

2011-01-02T15:25:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year to all Meow Mice friends and Meow Mice Mews followers. Don't make your cats have to chase real mice. Buy them Meow Mice to start the New Year off right. www.meowmice.com

Happy Holidays with Cleo the Cat!

2010-12-13T07:03:00.000-05:00

Where is LK the Cat?

2010-10-10T14:32:00.007-04:00

Can you find LK? This is her latest hiding place under the grill cover, especially when it is raining and we haven't let her back in yet. I realize this isn't quite like finding a hidden person or picture in a book, such as in Where's Waldo? Hopefully, most books' hidden pictures will present more of a challenge. If you have children, grandchildren, or any young ones in your life you might also interested in discovering some of Barefoot Book's hidden animals in their books. Of course the obvious title to display on Meow Mice Mews is "Where's the Cat?" by Stella Blackstone and illustrated by Debbie Harter. Not only can you use your detective skills to seek out the hidden cat, Where's the Cat? teaches positional words. like, "on", "up", "under", "behind", etc. Beginning kindergartners are usually tested in school on these words for understanding. Of course you can always add a Halloween or Harvest Meow Mouse to help you find your own cat. Click on book cover to shop at Barefoot.

Can You Find the Cat?

Annoucing: The New Natural Meow Mice!

2010-07-13T10:41:00.001-04:00

The Natural Collection is for cats who really get into mouthing their toys and for their environmentally conscious owners. The Natural Meow Mice are handcrafted out of 100% organic US grown cotton fleece. The white fleece is undyed and unbleached. The light brown fleece is unbleached and dyed with low impact fiber reactive dye. Each natural mouse is over 3 inches long and is fully stuffed with over 1/3 cup of organic catnip. Small pieces of unbleached, undyed, US grown organic cotton batting are also used to give each mouse its unique, plump shape. The 10 inch undyed, unbleached, organic cotton cording tail is knotted inside the mouse and double stitched for safety. Each mouse is sewn with toxic free cotton thread and the ears are bonded with non toxic glue. If your cat leaves his/her toys very soggy from chewing you definitely should try the Natural Meow Mice!

The Natural Meow Mice are for your eco-conscious Kitty.

Available at: www.meowmice.com

Is It a Gnome or a Cat?

2010-06-04T19:24:00.006-04:00

A gnome is in the garden busily destroying some bushes when a house cat appears. "What are you?" asks the cat.

"A gnome," comes the reply. "I steal food from humans, I kill their plants, I make annoying music at night to drive them crazy, and I love mischief. And what, may I ask, are you?"

The cat replies,

"Ummmmmm,

I'm a gnome."

This is so true since LK just dug up some newly planted seeds in our garden! She has decided the garden is her new litter box.

What is My Cat Trying to Tell Me?

2010-05-19T16:11:00.012-04:00

Okay, you may be wondering what the book, Marley and Me has to do with a cat blog. Tell me what you think when you are done reading.

     LK, Meow Mice chief product tester has received a clean bill of health after a recent illness.    She is now medicine free. Without any tests, I already could tell that she is back to normal. LK is no longer sitting hunched up under the coffee table. She is relaxing fully stretched out and is once again purring. Unfortunately, LK has also gone back to her annoying habit of waking me up.
     In the early morning hours, 3:00am or so LK will come to my side of the bed and either jump on me or start meowing. This is her signal to tell me to give her some food. She has me trained to do this because if I don't she keeps pestering me.
     This past Monday morning it was a different story as I did not wake up to LK's usual antics. I guess I was sound asleep. LK is not a cat to give up. So as her persistence increased so did her methods. My headboard is also a bookcase.   LK in desperation knocked a book by my head off the headboard to the floor. Of course, the loud thud woke me up and she got the food she was craving. Later that morning when I was making the bed I realized Marley and Me was the book lying on the floor. This was the only novel and the only dog book in the stack of mainly inspirational and spiritual books, including the Bible that were available to her paw. Was she trying to tell me something more since she picked the only book that had anything to do with dogs to send to the floor? Was she jealous? Does she want me to be thankful she isn't a dog and certainly not a dog like a Marley? Does she want to ban the book?    Maybe I'm giving her too much credit for her choice being intentional, but still I WONDER!

How To Give Your Cat A Pill

2010-04-22T18:52:00.006-04:00

Unfortunately, LK recently was sick and had to take a lot of pills. Four pills twice a day! This was no small feat! My vet did a demonstration, but then I also watched this video to help. The information about tilting her head back really helped. I also added wrapping her in a towel. She is now down to two pills twice a day and is doing much better. I am also doing much better with my pill giving. Practice makes Purrfect!

Cat with a Real Meow Rat! Too Cute!

2010-04-07T20:10:00.015-04:00

Hopefully your cat will love their Meow Rat from www.meowmice.com even more! Each Meow Rat has a 1/2 of aromatic, premium catnip in it. Only $6.98 at www.meowmice.com

Meow Rat with a Meow Mouse!

Spring Fling Festival

2010-03-12T21:28:00.005-05:00

For all Connecticut Animal and Earth Day Fans:

Saturday, April 17 12:00 Pm to 3:00 Pm
701 Russell Road, Newington
800.452.0114 cthumane.org
The Connecticut Humane Society celebrates Earth Day with a Spring Fling Festival.
• Get up close and personal with our adoptable dogs as they walk the “runway” showing o their new tricks
• Enjoy a guided walk on our nature trail • Kids can create earth friendly crafts • Plant Sale - courtesy of White Flower Farm
• Visit The Children’s Museum and the Glastonbury Audubon Society tables to learn about exotic pets and wild birds
• Learn how environmental agencies and animal rescues contribute to our community
• Live Performance by the Bluegrass band, Earnest Hem’n’haw And The Shotgun Republic • Vendors
Proceeds to benefit the Connecticut Humane Society.
Meow Mice will be there, along with Barefoot Books!!!!

Introducing Meow Mice's Chief Product Tester!

2010-02-10T09:28:00.002-05:00

LK with a Meow Rat!

Introducing Meow Mice's Chief Product Tester, LK. LK stands for Little Kitty because she came to Meow Mice Headquarters about 10 years ago as a very thin and hungry stray. She now weighs 11 pounds and has made herself quite at home with us. Through LK's tireless efforts, Meow Mice are cat approved for superior quality and workmanship. LK puts her paw of approval on every Meow Mice design before it goes into production. Her very high standards test for quality, safety, durability, enjoyment, and playability!

Meow Mice Are a Cat's Dream

2010-01-01T16:07:00.000-05:00

Each handmade, plump 2 ½ inch Meow Mouse is lovingly stuffed with at least one third cup of premium catnip. Small amounts of polyester fiber are added to give every mouse its adorable shape. For your cat's safety the 10 inch ribbon tail is also knotted on the inside and double machine stitched.

Meow Mice have been cat tested and owner approved.