Kitty Bytes - April 2014

Picture of the Month: Surprise!

Check out the submissions to this month's photo contest featuring members' cats caught with a surprised or puzzled look on their face..

You can submit your picture here, or just take a peek at other members' submissions.

Now's also the time to share last month's winner of the Kittens photo contest. Congratulations to our member HeavensKitty whose submission won by an impressive landslide, considering the very very tough competition! Here is the winning picture of kitten Skittles, surrounded by the runner-ups:

Congratulations!

We have more winners to congratulate this month -

Our member and newly-appointed moderator, MServant was the winner of last month's drawing contest! We worked with her on a very special prize too: a tee-shirt with a print of the winning drawing:

Love the design? This one along with dozens of other original designs can be ordered from:

Our CafePress shop

MServant and Therese are our Reviewers of the Month for April, each contributing several great new reviews to the site! Congratulations!
Congratulations to our member and advisor Ondine too, who won a $30 Amazon gift card this month for a review she submitted for Arm & Hammer Super Scoop Litter!

Want to be our next winner? Review cat products that you use and you could be the winner of this monthly draw!

Cat Health Products - Reviews Contest

Have you ever used Frontline or Advantage on your cat? Or how about ear or eye drops? Or maybe nutritional supplements?

Help us build the best reviews resource for cat lovers by adding your thoughts about one of these products, or any other product related to feline health. You could just be our winner in this month Reviews Contest!

Click for the contest rules and guidelines

Humane Trapping of Cats for TNR with Alley Cat Allies

Guest expert Amanda Novotny, Special Projects Manager of Alley Cat Allies' Law and Policy Department, was our host for a two-week long special forum. Questions ranged from ethical considerations of spay/abort to the practical aspects of choosing the right type of trap and bait. It's been an honor and a privilege to have Amanda with us. Feral cats have a special place in our hearts and in our community!

Click to visit the archived forum: Humane Trapping of Cats for TNR with Alley Cat Allies

Cat Genetics Interview with Professor Leslie Lyons

Whiskers on humans? We have the gene for it!

This was one of many fascinating topics that Professor Leslie Lyons, renowned feline genetics expert talked about in this interview. Two parts have already been published, where you can read about the feline genome and how it works, as well as on practical issues such as which genetic tests you should be ordering for your cat.

Do not miss out on this interview! The latest developments in the field of cat genetics is something every cat owner should know about!

Click to read:
Cat Genetics Interview with Professor Leslie Lyons - Part 1
Genetic Testing for Your Cat - Interview with Professor Leslie Lyons - Part 2

The Evil of Cat Bashing

What should be done with feral cats?

Unfortunately, there are still many people who think "killing" is the answer to the above question. A horrible op-ed published in the New York Times this month re-kindled the argument between cat lovers and cat haters, with the latter blaming feral cats for the decline in the number of song birds. This special blog post was written in response to the New York Times piece. Please help us spread the message by sharing it around!

Click to read: The Evil of Cat Bashing

Homemade Flea Remedies

What's a very effective natural flea remedy?

We scoured through the forums for ideas by our members and came up with this interesting collection of homemade methods for fighting those pesky cat fleas.

Click to read: Homemade Flea Remedies

Four Common Worms in Cats

There are four types of worms common to cats: roundworm, whipworm, tapeworm, and...

Do you know the fourth kind? Are you familiar with the first three? Time to read up on these internal parasites. Know the enemy! That's the first order of battle!

Click to read: Help! My Cat is Having Kittens!

Giardia and Giardiasis in Cats

Could chronic diarrhea indicate a giardia infection?

It certainly does! Giardiasis is an intestinal infection caused by a parasite. It is not limited to outdoor cats either, so even if you keep your cat indoors-only, make sure you know the telltale signs of giardiasis.

Click to read: Giardia and Giardiasis in Cats