Whenever we domesticate an animal, we assume certain responsibilities, such as feeding, watering, and cleaning up what comes out the other end.  It’s what goes with pet ownership. In fact, how many reluctant parents have said to their six year old “You’re not old enough and responsible enough yet”. It’s because they aren’t old enough to take responsibility and do the necessary tasks to keep a pet.

Our pets depend on us for their survival. We feed them and water them. That by itself makes us their God.  We protect them, like our children, during times of danger, and comfort them when they are scared.  We offer fun and adventure.

It is important to develop feeding and cleaning, and even play and snuggle routines that are predictable and dependable. A break in routine can be stress enough for some animals, especially when they have a history of hard times.

This last winter, I was extremely ill with pneumonia and almost died. My cockatoo was so distressed, it plucked itself. My significant other was at his wits end running two businesses, taking care of the house, the animals, and visiting me. He did the best he could, but it’s a lot of work for two people, let alone one. It took my pets several weeks to settle down. When I got home, they all needed a great deal of reassurance that I was going to be OK. I was home for a long time recuperating and everyone got lots of love from me all day. I believe they helped me get better, but that’s another blog.

Predictable and dependable feeding, cleaning, play and affection routines are a source of comfort and bonding for our pets and us. Sometimes I get so busy with work, I think of getting paying someone to do my pet chores. Then I say to myself- hey- you made this deal, it’s a part of loving your pets. I don’t think they would love me the same if someone else was doing all the work of keeping them.

I’ve always had a problem with this question. I think anyone with eyes and half a brain should be able to figure out this one. Anyone who watches Animal Planet should be able to unequivocally say yes. The dilemmas of the meerkats, the intrigues of lemurs, and pathos of rescues… it certainly brings out the feelings in me.

When I was a first year college student, I had to take a philosophy class. The first day of class we were handed a paper on animal rights. It was a radical take, to be sure, but the presumption was that rights were determined by sentiency- or the feeling principle of life. This has stayed with me all my life. Of course it didn’t stop me from pithing a frog in my physiology class to test its sciatic nerve, but it started me thinking.

I have a salt water aquarium at home. Over the years, we have had an assortment of critters living in the tank. It’s pretty amazing the things that creatures with no brains and no nerves can learn to do. They have preferences for all sorts of things, like light and water flow and temperature. You can train a coral to come out of its calcium home and wiggle its little tentacles in the current for food. No eyes, no taste buds, no brain, no nerves. But still, it can obviously sense something, it can feel something. How much more does an animal with a brain, and eyes, and a central nervous system process?

Does sentiency depend on a nervous system? Is it part of something deeper? Maybe something abstract, like consciousness, or is it a property of life itself?  Is sentiency and feeling a part of being alive? These are questions I ask myself when I cuddle my pets, but as for the initial question, do animals have feelings, I don’t care if scientists ever find out the answers in their labs. I have personally seen such feelings as joy, wonder, fear, rage, frustration, contentment, shame, regret, tenderness, jealousy and much more. No, I don’t have video for objective proof. I just know.

I have spent nearly every day for the last five years talking about cat urine. Somedays I drift off into Cat Pee Princess Land…

Where litter boxes are full and there are no stray puddles. And all the cats are happy, curled up and purring gently.

But that’s only in my day dreams!

To talk about this subject, you need some clear terminology, and lots of humor, because it’s not a very funny subject. People love their cats, sometimes more than their family, and when one cat is, well, acting out, it can lead to marital strife, and a ruined house.

 In fact, the cat usually loses with its life. The #1 cause of feline euthanasia is spraying.

Cat urine is self explanatory. Cat spraying is when they back up to a surface, and tail twitching, mark the surface with their urine. Inappropriate elimination is not the same as cat spraying.

Never punish a cat for this, and always make a vet visit as it may be signs of a urinary problem or other underlying medical condition. I’ve seen pictures of the things that grow in the urinary system of cats, and you would have a problem too if they grew in you.

Cat Spraying in the Wild

Cats in the wild use urine marking to mark their territory and declare something as “mine”.  Domestic cats are no different, but they usually don’t do this as part of their normal behavioral repertoire, at least not the fixed, well adjusted ones. For unneutered males, it’s also very natural, and both breeders and rescuers donate their houses to cats.

70-80 percent of the time, a spayed/neutered cat will spray because it is having anxiety over another cat. It can be a cat in its domestic group, or a cat next door, or a tom outside. Even if the cat is not in sight, your cat may be able to smell it and feel threatened. Spraying, or urine marking its territory reduces its anxiety.

The Modern Social Cat

There are some cats who are perfectly fine, social cats. I have talked to some people who have a group of 12 perfectly happy cats. No problems, no fights. Then I will talk to someone with three hellions who fight all the time, pee all over, and are all causing their human great stress. It’s all in the personality mix, and, like children, there’s no way to tell if you’ve got a bad apple until you get one.

And all it takes is one. Just one uptight, dominant cat – it can be male or female, the sex doesn’t matter, and the marking commences. Sometimes it’s a clearly unhappy cat, or a very clear group bully. Sometimes the bully just hates one cat, or tries to get everyone to obey him/her. This can be very abusive, and the dominant cat can spray to establish dominance, while the subordinates (particularly if there is a really abused cat) can spray to reduce anxiety from the abuse.

The Loner

Some cats should never be with other cats. Cat people know who these cats are. They are notoriously anti-social and don’t care what anyone thinks. They are content with crumbs of affection from their humans and minimum contact. I believe these cats are extremely sensitive to any outside stimulation and have a rich inner life.  They are best found a single cat house.

Spreading the Love

I have talked to people who have been peed on, had their food peed on, had their marriages break up, had their houses ruined. We have talked to people who house set on fire because a cat peed on an electric outlet. For people in rescue, because the situation is always changing, and the cats are in a state of flux and uncertainty, the houses are just donated to the cats. The problem is when spraying starts as a stress response, it can quickly become a stress reducer, and a habit. This does not bode well for the cat, or their human. In rescue situations, it really makes it difficult to adopt out a cat.

It only takes one cat to start the group a-peein’.  One cat smells the others, then they have to add their two cents worth. Pretty soon, it becomes a chemical conversation where everyone wants the last word. To us, it just smells like chemical warfare.

Routines and Rules

One of the really basic needs of our pets, whether dog, cat, parrot, or other, is a need for routines and rules. OK, at this time I get food. On this day my litterbox gets changed, OK she’s mine when she’s on the couch- but she’s yours when she’s on the lazy boy, OK. This is my happy place, OK. Here’s mine OK.

My cats would go through an intricate dance of making rules when I would move. I used to move a lot.  When situations change, it’s a great stress to our pets, and for cats, new rules need to be figured out. For rescue situations, the rules are ever changing, hierarchies are ever changing and its drives some cats crazy with stress.
This is why flower essences can be such a life saver, and can really prevent some very bad habits from forming in the first place. In the case of cat spraying, we need to minimize stress, and territoriality. For cats who have been saved from overcrowding and hoarding, they may never be adoptable. But their situation can be improved with the right combination of flower essences.

There are flower essences for just about everything- every mood, every fear, phobia, every emotional block. Flower essences are the most amazing blessings I believe we have from the 20th century, and they help animals even better than they help people.

I always want to help every animal that I possibly can- almost to a fault. And that’s why I have spent the last five years listening and learning.

We would love to hear your story. We would love to hear about how you used our formulas, and how they worked.

We are constantly searching for a better way to treat this difficult problem. If you know of a better way, we’d love to hear it.

I don’t know when my love affair with my pets began, but it was early on. We didn’t have pets until I was in 6th grade because of my allergies. My allergies were so bad, I could just walk into someone’s house who had cats, and my lungs would lock up. I remember wanting so bad to have a cat, because I was fascinated by the texture of their fur. I think a lot of women still are. But when we were kids, it was dogs.

The first dog we ever got was Buttons, a butterscotch cocker-mix. We never did get a purebred. My mom thought they were too much trouble. A mutt was better. So mutts it was. And we loved her. We would go kidnap her from each other’s beds at bedtime, and feed her treats under the table, particularly my mother’s corned beef and cabbage. She was so soft, and she had the most amazing feeling in her eyes. I think those eyes taught me about animal emotion. She could be so tender, and understanding, and so playful, and so ashamed when she was caught stealing food from the trash.

As we spend more time with computers and less time with each other, or more time at the mall than at the park, our soul somehow becomes lonelier and lonelier for something of nature. After all, we are a part of nature, and ultimately its soul is inextricably linked to ours, and ours to it. 

As we crave connection and are prevented it by our daily grind, our pets give us the connection to something outside of ourselves we crave. For some people who are socially unskilled, this is as good as it gets.  For many times in my life, it’s all I ever wanted. Men could not understand how I was content to live with two cats. But those two cats were my friends, and though they didn’t talk much, they comforted my when I felt bad, and kept me company when I needed it. They didn’t make much of a mess (not compared to a man) and didn’t complain. When they died, I was very, very sad.

Now I live with two parrots, two cats, a salt water aquarium that is highly over-engineered, and a man.  I still cannot imagine a day without my animals. But now they demand much more, wake me when their litter box is icky, and as for the fish…well, let’s just say they can’t take a joke. My bird, Spud comes to the office with me, and is such a workaholic, she squawks in the morning until we are on our way. She is great fun at work and I appreciate her company at work, as does everyone else. We play her favorite whistle game form different rooms, and I get my work done while she sits and looks fabulous (which is what she does best).  With so much personality, who wouldn’t succumb to her wiles? She really likes to help out with shipping orders, and our shipping bench is her domain where she can chew big cardboard boxes to her heart’s content.

Bappy, my cockatoo, is as silly as a bird gets, and just as smart as they come. When he was a baby Bappy, I put the fear of God in him about electric outlets and under the sink cupboards. He is incredibly smart and incredibly loving, and can be incredibly challenging. This New Years I was in the hospital and almost died. I came home, and he plucked out all the feathers under his wings.

He can open an 8ft sliding glass door and get out onto our small porch, where he delights in disassembling all the microirrigation.  He hasn’t been on the front porch since he was six, as he would scream really loud in delight. Needless to say, the neighbors didn’t like it.

Bappy loves to dance and every morning during bathroom time, we sing and he dances on my arm. His favorite is “Chantilly Lace” which begins…”Hello BaaaaPPPYYY!”  Needless to say, I’ve reworked the lyrics to fit his birdness.

Chantilly Lace and a beaky face
And a cocky tail, hanging down
A wigglin’ walk, and a giggling squawk…

OK so I’m whacked about my birds.
I have two orange tabby brothers, Rosco and Rex. Rex is a huige lunker of a cat, who drools when you pet him and loves to dance in my arms. He kneads my spleen, only to give me love bites. He is an incredible hunter.  Rex fetches, as does Bappy.  Rosco is super affectionate and slightly cantankerous. He walks on my pillow and yanks out my hair in the middle of the night. His nickname is “CompuKitty”. He has an affinity for keyboards, especially when you want to use them. He’s a talker.

The animals in my life have been one of my deepest joys. They are my teachers, my friends, and a source of wonderment.

I call this formula our great unsung formula. We didn’t know quit what to call it, and so we called it New Kitty. We wanted to call it “Your cats can all get along” but that wouldn’t fit on the label.

New Kitty is for any situation where your cats are not getting along. So many feline behavior problems begin because cats are not getting along.  When cats are crowded and tempers are habitually flaring, marking becomes the norm, and pretty soon, the cat is given up for adoption. The problem was started by humans, but the cat pays for it.

Using New Kitty and common sense really goes a long way to promoting group harmony, even with cats who haven’t liked each other for a long time. The cats don’t have to be new to each other, just not getting along.
This formula can be used with a number of other of our great formulas, such as No Spray, No Bully (when fur is flying), PSR Pet Stress Relief, Rescue Pet, and Frady Cat to effect certain changes in a group of cats, or in certain individuals.

Cats are wonderful, relatively low maintenance companions for humans. Although they are usually content with decent food, a comfy place to snooze, and a bug to chase now and then, when they develop behavior problems, they are notoriously difficult to live with.

This is why flower essences are a god-send for cat owners. These are all natural, easy to use substances that have no side effects, and no harmful long term effects as well. They work energetically, so they are harmless to other animals who may drink from the same bowl, or who may be on medication. You cannot hurt anyone or anything with these.

A cat’s sensibility is a remarkable thing to observe. They seem to play and stalk invisible things, and sometimes they have responded to your sudden fright before you’ve even registered it. So their sensibility seems to be geared in a different way. I believe they respond to energy in a way totally different than any other creature, certainly different than humans, and dogs. And this is exactly the level that flower essences work on.

In my many years of interacting and loving cats, I have never run into anything else like flower essences to help balance and support a cat’s many sides for maximum harmony. Pharmaceuticals usually have a long list of problems, and often lobotomize and zombify a cat so it’s not even any fun anymore. Who wants a pet like that?
The trick to using flower essences is in the formulation. Since flower essences only work on a very specific emotional nuance, we need as much information as possible to really get to the cause, and deal with that. Usually when we recommend products, we don’t have a lot of information, and we go with probabilities and experience. This doesn’t always work, but we good results most of the time.

Bottled Blessings hopes that one day all pets will be cherished and cared for.  In an effort to help pets with “issues” Bottled Blessings is dedicated to developing all natural flower essence products for the following problems:

• Submissive Urination in dogs
• Indoor Only Cats- for cats who used to roam, but are now at home.
• Midnight Crazies (cats)

If you know anyone who would be interested in helping us to develop all natural, totally safe medicines for these problems, contact us at:blog@bottledblessings.com.
Remember, we will only be using flower essences in our products. Your pets will always be safe.

The typical dog, cat or parrot is a relatively intelligent animal that needs exposure to a number of situations, people and animals in its formative years.  Most of the time, this is the best way to socialize a dog or a parrot. When my cockatoo was young, we took him to all kinds of places, like Home Depot, and outdoor cafes. As he got older, we’ve had to limit him to the house as I don’t always trust him when he’s in season. But he has been well socialized. Spud, our other parrot is exceptionally well socialized, as Mark, my SO took her everywhere when she was young, including  work, boat races, the beach, etc. For her species, she is fabulous.

For dogs, it’s a lot different, but even more important. A poorly socialized dog is a liability, and unpopular in many dog oriented events.  I believe training is imperative to dog ownership, and if one can’t take the time, don’t bother getting a dog. It doesn’t matter if you live in the country, or the city, a dog needs time and space. It needs to learn how to go for a walk, how to play outdoors, get along with other animals, and be friendly.
When I got my cats, I invited my nephew and niece over often. They mauled my cats until my cats were exhausted. I taught them how to pet a cat, and how to be nice to them. The cats got love like they never knew existed, and they still love those kids.

The most important thing we can teach our pets is manners.  With parrots, it’s imperative for a long term relationship that is based on mutual trust and respect. My cockatoo must approach me a certain way, and not just rush at me. He knows how to approach me and turn his back for petting.  I call this good manners and it’s based on my anxiety and comfort level. I am the alpha, and when I’m OK, everyone can chill.  Loving human leadership, pet manners, and fun marks a well ordered human-animal bond.  We have these relationships for love, but we express that love in a number of ways, and fun is one of the best ways. Without proper socialization, fun is hard to achieve and the relationship is strained. Play can quickly erode into aggression, and soon its drama- trauma.
Flower essences can assist this in a number of ways and I will talk about this at length in a number of blogs. Flower essences can help an under socialized pet come out of its shell, accept affection, heal old wounds, lift depression, reduce stress, and al last, really let love and joy bloom in the soul of a pet.  They are a blessing for the animals, and can never hurt them.

 

Whenever we domesticate an animal, we assume certain responsibilities, such as feeding, watering, and cleaning up what comes out the other end.  It’s what goes with pet ownership. In fact, how many reluctant parents have said to their six year old “You’re not old enough and responsible enough yet”. It’s because they aren’t old enough to take responsibility and do the necessary tasks to keep a pet.

Our pets depend on us for their survival. We feed them and water them. That by itself makes us their God.  We protect them, like our children, during times of danger, and comfort them when they are scared.  We offer fun and adventure.

It is important to develop feeding and cleaning, and even play and snuggle routines that are predictable and dependable. A break in routine can be stress enough for some animals, especially when they have a history of hard times.

This last winter, I was extremely ill with pneumonia and almost died. My cockatoo was so distressed, it plucked itself. My significant other was at his wits end running two businesses, taking care of the house, the animals, and visiting me. He did the best he could, but it’s a lot of work for two people, let alone one. It took my pets several weeks to settle down. When I got home, they all needed a great deal of reassurance that I was going to be OK. I was home for a long time recuperating and everyone got lots of love from me all day. I believe they helped me get better, but that’s another blog.

Predictable and dependable feeding, cleaning, play and affection routines are a source of comfort and bonding for our pets and us. Sometimes I get so busy with work, I think of getting paying someone to do my pet chores. Then I say to myself- hey- you made this deal, it’s a part of loving your pets. I don’t think they would love me the same if someone else was doing all the work of keeping them.

Be master again! Often when we get a pet, we expect them to be, well, civilized, and too often, human. But they aren’t.  They are a dog, or a cat. We joke about them being our “furbabies”, our four legged children, etc., but in the end, they are just animals.  To expect them to act or be any different, is simply illogical.

Now no one loves their pets like me, but I have to look at my pets, and admit that Spud is a bird. She may get sassy, and, yes she likes coming to the office, and helping to get out orders. She may even have ambitions within the company, but she’s a bird. She’ll never do my accounting, and can’t plan the growth of my company (although that would be interesting).  To expect any more of her would be doing her a disservice.

So when she gets uppity, for lack of a better word, she needs to have her attitude adjusted. There are a lot of ways to do that with dogs, and Cesar Milan’s techniques are laudable and humane. But so is our formula, No Bully. I can give her some No Bully, and in two days she is no longer ornery and bossy. And I don’t get bit by my bitchy bird. This works equally well on cats and dogs, although I think larger dogs will need more training and technique.

It really is possible to be master of your house again, and let your pet just be a dog, a cat, or a whatever.  It’s better for them, and for you, and Bottled Blessing’s No Bully can help.