Cat Tales with Laura and Inspirations with Laura

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date December 2, 2024
No Comments on What My Cats Want For Christmas

Cat Toys And Cat Trees

My cats love cat trees. They love to sleep up high so they can keep watch on animals outdoors and the other cats in my house. Cats love to sleep from a high vantage point out in the wild and indoors, as they can spot prey or potential danger. I like a very sturdy cat tree; otherwise, the support for the bed will fall off, and you will have to repair it or replace the cat tree. I try to buy cat toys with catnip, as they are a favorite for most cats. I purchased a new cat massager for my cats, and they love to rub their face, checks, and under their chin on it. Cat hammocks are a must-have for my cats as they love to sleep in the hammock curled up in a tight little ball and keep warmer that way.

Heated Beds

My cats love the heated windowsill cat beds and the round ones on the ground. I have had one wicker plastic model that has lasted ten years and counting. My outdoor K&H heated cat beds last at least ten years before they wear out. Buy a top-quality heated bed, as it will last for many years. Wait for sale prices before buying a heated bed. I generally buy my heated cat beds in the middle of the summer for about 50% off the original price. My cats do not like heated beds that have a cover over them unless it has a roof. Sometimes, three to five cats may come out of a heated cat building in the middle of the winter.

A Heater Or Furnace For Your Cats

If you have cats in your home, they are most likely toasty and warm with your furnace. If your cats live in another building, have an infrared heater in it, or consider putting a furnace in the building, as it will distribute the heat evenly. Ensure your building has lots of insulation in the walls and the attic, as it will save you money on your heat bills. Have warm and draft-free areas for your cats to sleep in at all times, as cats do not do well with any drafts that may hit them while they sleep and may develop a respiratory illness.

Cats Want To Be Happy And Healthy Everyday

Give your cat the gift of regular vet visits. Your vet may be able to prevent a disease from killing your cat because he caught it early by examining it in an annual physical. Keeping your cat’s shots up to date may save his life and prevent your cats from sharing their illnesses with your other household cats if everyone has their shots current.

Cat Food And Treats

Buy grain-free and non-GMO cat food without byproducts or fillers, as you are what you eat. Try to buy dye-free cat food and canned food without ash. Cats love freeze-dried cat treats. If your cat does not like a particular brand of food, throw it away; your cat knows what is best for him because of how he feels after he eats it. Buy the best cat food that you can afford for your feline friend. I hope everyone’s dreams come true this Christmas and their feline friends live all of their nine lives to their fullest potential. God, thank you for all of our blessings, as we would be nothing without you. Praise be to God.

Tags cat food and treats, cat Toys, Christmas and Your Cat, gift of good health, heated cat houses, Inspirations with Laura

The Lost Art Of Conversation

The Lost Art of Conversation

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date November 29, 2024
No Comments on The Lost Art of Conversation

Not Visiting With People While You Are With Them

It is insulting to keep texting while sitting at a table with people. Put your cell phone away and visit with the people sitting at your table, as you will learn a lot from them. I was at a group meeting discussing what had happened and what we planned for the future. One woman left the room and talked to someone on her phone. If you are attending a meeting, have your full attention on the meeting, or stay at home and text away to your heart’s content. Think if God had a cell phone and started to text away while you needed him to listen to one of your prayers desperately. God has your full attention every day, and you should also give your full attention to others. I have gone to homes where they leave their TV turned on and watch it instead of wanting to talk and visit with you. When treated like that, I might as well have stayed home as my cats give me more attention. We need to converse with people like we used to, as it is a way to learn new things and show people that you love and respect them and care about what is happening to them and their families.

Facial Expressions

Facial expressions can reveal a lot about what people are thinking or feeling. A text message does not indicate how someone is truly feeling. Little happy or sad faces do not let you know what is happening in their lives. Some people will say they are fine when everything is wrong. Face-to-face contact shows what is going on in their hearts and minds. Doctors want you to make an office call so they can look you over and see the pain on your face or feel a broken bone and know what is going on with your body aches and pains.

Visit With Your Neighbors

Farmers would visit with their neighbors on the other side of the fence years ago. Now, they may wave at each other and keep working their ground. It is sad that most of the time, you only see your neighbors at funerals or weddings. Call up neighbors today, visit them on the phone, and ask them how they are with their family members. You could plan to go out for coffee with your neighbors and have a lovely day catching up on old times and what is happening in their lives now. Visiting is showing people that you genuinely care about them. Every time you visit with someone, you learn something precious.

Visit With God And Give Him Your Full Attention

Never pray while texting or watching TV, as that disrespects God. Give God your full attention, as he does for you. God notices your facial expressions and sees the pain in your eyes when you have lost a loved one or suffered some horrific tragedy in your life. Take time to talk and visit with people, showing a sign of love, caring respect, and a deep commitment to their well-being. Have A Lot Of Conversations With Lots Of People. Please turn off your cell phone for a while and reconnect with family and friends by the art conversation, and you will be glad you did.

Tags Conversation, eye to eye contact, Inspirations with Laura, visiting

Cats And Medical Issues

Cats That May Start To Stagger When They Walk

I have a cat that started to stagger when she walked. They cleaned out her ears and eyes. My vet ordered a complete blood workup for her. It came back with an elevated white blood cell count. She is now on antibiotics to see if that will clear up any issues. If she continues to stagger, my vet said she must have a brain tumor. A brain tumor will kill a cat in about four months. I hope she does not have a brain tumor, but if she does, I will do the humane thing and have her put to sleep for her benefit so she does not have to suffer.

Blindness In Cats

A head trauma or stroke can cause loss of vision in your generally older cat. I discovered that he was blind by the way he would land on me when he jumped up on my lap. He later would reach out his left paw to judge how far away an object was that he wished to land. I took him to my vet, and he said he was blind, but most cats adjust quickly to this disability. They told me never to move anything in my home, just as you would for a person who was blind. He finds his food dish, water bowl, and litter box without mishaps. He has adapted well to his blindness, thank goodness.

Cats And Cancer

I have had several cats that died from cancer over the years. Two of my older cats died from mastectic breast cancer that they fought for two years. One of my male cats died from lung cancer. One of my male cats died from mouth, nose, and throat cancer. I had an outdoor cat that had a mass in her ear. I had a female and a male cat that died from liver cancer. I had all of these cats put to sleep as I did not want to see them suffer.

Cats And Normal Medical Issues

Some cats have to have asthma inhalers to control their asthmatic attacks. Cats generally get respiratory infections now and then that need to be treated with antibiotics. Your cat may step on something or get an animal bite that needs to be treated by your veterinarian. Ear mites can be prevalent in cats, and you must treat every cat in your home to get rid of them. Indoor-outdoor cats can get fleas, and you will have to treat all of your cats and have your home treated by a pest control person. Cats should have a physical once a year and make sure all of their shots are current and up to date.

Cat Tail Surgery Or Broken Leg

I had one cat that landed wrong at 8 PM, and he had to be rushed to my vet and have his leg set in a cast. I had to do physical therapy with him to encourage him to walk on his leg. One day, I noticed a big lump on my young cat’s tail. My vet removed the mass as it was not cancerous, and his tail healed up quickly. God bless our cats and keep them happy and healthy for many years to come.

Tags Cat Cancer, Cat Emergency, Signs of a Sick Cat, Whats Upsetting My Cat ?

Life Can Be Like A Rodeo

We Can Be Living With Everything Going Our Way, And Then Something Changes It

You may feel like you are on cloud nine when things are fine. Suddenly, something happens, and you feel like you are at a rodeo, and you are the one on the horse trying to hang on for dear life. You may have worked for a company for many years and suddenly find out they are replacing you with a younger, more qualified person. You feel like the horse bucked you off at the rodeo, and you are out of breath and can hardly get up again. You return to the horse and hope the next rodeo will be better. We must never give up on pursuing our dreams, for without dreams, you are not living or moving forward. We will have many failures and disappointments in life that we must learn from to reach our dreams in the future. Life will have many rodeo rides that we wish not to attend, but they will come our way on occasion, and we must get back on that rodeo horse and stay on until that final buzzer rings.

Don’t Take Things To Heart

If you are in school and someone calls you a name or puts you down, do not let that define you as a person. If you take everything to heart, it will break you. Never give anyone that kind of power over you. Somedays, you will have to be your cheerleader. If someone calls you stupid, prove them wrong, or if they think you cannot complete a task, complete it. Some people will try to break you because they feel it puts them above you, but you and others know that is false.

Health

Health issues can be the worst rodeo ride of our life. The Doctor may tell you you have an illness with no cure and only three to five years to live. Do not let what the Doctor said stick in your mind. Keep a positive view even when the odds are stacked against you. If you think you are going to die and there is no hope, you will die because you have that imprinted in your brain. Keep busy and occupied so you cannot think about your Doctor’s words. Get a hobby, travel, live in the moment, be spontaneous, and act like you did before your Doctor spoke to you, for if you think you are going to die, you indeed will. One man told a doctor he was going to die, and the Doctor told him with that attitude, you most likely would before your time. It’s all in a person’s frame of mind, at least sometimes.

Go For The Gold In Life

Remember, in your life, you must always get back on the horse that bucked you off, or the horse will control you, and you will never be able to stay on that horse again as he has power over you. Never let someone define or control you as they are not your friend. Always rely on God for direction in your life; then, you cannot go wrong.

Tags Inspirations with Laura

Cats And Their Cattitude

Winchester

Winchester has lots of cattitude. He thinks he reigns superior over the cats next door. Winchester fights with the other cats once in a while over food and who gets to sit by the door. Winchester always sits in my lap when I sit in my recliner. He can be very playful and very kind to my other cats. Once in a while, he gets very moody and tries to bite me when I pat him or pick him up if he has ventured outdoors. I love Winchester despite his cattitude. After all, we all have some attitude issues of our own. Winchester carries himself with a swagger as he is only five years old. He is very confident and sure of himself in the cat world.

Cali

Cali is part Siamese, and all Siamese have a lot of cattitude. She ensures she gets lots of attention when and where she wants it. She tries to get my male cats off of my lap, but I do not let her get by with that. Cali is 13.6 years old now and still doing well. She loves to be petted but does not care to be held for too long. Cali loves heated covered beds in the winter and lying next to the heat registers.

Faith

Faith detests having her claws trimmed, and she turns into a wild beast, where even my vet and his assistant can hardly trim them. Otherwise, she is a gentle cat. Once in a while, she will instigate a fight with another cat, generally over a toy, bed, or food. She loves to play with cat toys on a string. Faith is seven years old.

Sherlock

Sherlock was born in the house next door, but he still does not want me to hold him and hardly lets me pat him on his head. He likes to hide in the kitchen cupboard next door and is generally in a cat tunnel beside his father, Peter. He will always be shy. Sherlock is nine years old.

Mr. Gray

He wants attention 24/7 and makes his presence known often when I care for my cats. He is loving and very outgoing. He loves to play with toys and is very good to his parents and two brothers who live next door. Mr. Gray is nine years old.

Addi

Addi is ten years old and does not have any attitude issues. She gets along with everyone in perfect harmony, and she and her offspring are very close. Cali and her sons like to sleep in hearted cat beds in the winter months.

Hilford

He is an extra shy cat. He will let you pet him on his terms, is gentle, and would never try to bite you. Hilford has a beautiful cream color with a blue tinge to his eye color. He loves to play with toys and sleep in cat beds.

Peter

Peter is a beautiful part Maine Coon cat that was born on my farm. He is the father to Hilford, Sherlock, and Mr. Gray, as well as two other kittens I gave away to a loving home. Peter is timid but will let me catch him when it comes time for his checkups at the vet.

Tammy

Tammy was born on a farm from a cat whose offspring once belonged to me. She is six years old and does not care to be touched, as she was an outdoor cat before I adopted her. She gets along well with all of my other cats.

Tigress

Tigress is Tammy’s offspring. She used to let me pat and hold her, but now she would rather be left alone. She looks like a tuxedo silver tabby cat. Tigress is three years old. She loves cat towers and heated beds in the winter months.

Garfunkel

Garfunkel is a very mild and mellow cat. He tolerates a lot from any cat before he gets mad. If a cat tries to push him out of bed when sound asleep, he lets them know with a little bit of a growl. He is a lap cat and loves to be next to one. He has an excellent temperament. Garfunkel is twelve years old.

Conrad

Conrad was born on my farm. His Mother was Lizzie, and his Father was Onyx. Kohl was his half-brother. Conrad is timid but loves to sit on my lap with Garfunkel right next to him. Conrad is ten years old. He has sleek fur and loves to sleep in warm cat beds and on a recliner in the winter months.

Tags Cattitude, Introducing a New Cat Into Your Home, Whats Upsetting My Cat ?

Sharing Is Caring For Others

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date November 15, 2024
No Comments on Sharing Is Caring For Others

Many Places Have A Sharing Pantry

A sharing pantry is for people struggling with bills or illness. When you give to a sharing pantry, give things you would want to receive if you were on the receiving end. If you have abundant food in your garden, share it with someone who would appreciate the fresh produce. I have given away things I raised, which people enjoy. Never let good food go to waste when so many people are starving. Sharing pantries helps out people in your community. I have heard of wealthy people going to these and bragging about it. Shame on you; you have been blessed, and not everything is about you. It would help if you had been raised to treat all people alike and not judge anyone as you do not know what they have endured. I think sharing pantries are essential, and they should be respected and used as they were intended to be used.

Good Used Clothing

Many children do not have warm winter coats to keep the elements out in the winter months. At the end of the winter season, one should go to the stores, buy some on sale, and then donate the nice new coats next year. If you have new clothing that hangs in your closet, please donate it to a worthy cause where it will do some good before it goes out of style, as everyone wants it to be in style. I have donated many new shoes over the years. The most needed things at shelters are underwear, socks, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and sweatpants. They need hats, gloves, and warm and toasty winter coats. If you do not have time to buy any of these items, give a cash donation if possible.

Be A Secret Santa

Surprise a stranger with a gift certificate to a store that they can use to buy food, gas, or whatever they need. Tell them that the gift certificate is a gift from God because it is if God has blessed you so that you can afford to give them a gift certificate. People need to know they are loved and appreciated in all walks of life. Kindness matters, but it matters a little bit more at Christmas. The party you help may feel down as they have lost a dear loved one, and your kindness lets them know that God and other caring people still love them.

Share Your Talents With Others

All of us are talented in one way or another. Maybe you can sing Opera, play the piano, harmonica, or accordion, or you are a great writer or illustrator. Do not hide your talents under a bushel basket. Could you share them with the world? Yes, as we have social media, people can find out about your abilities worldwide as they could not years ago. I love to look at good artwork, read books that broaden my horizons, and share my God-given talents with others. Sharing is caring for others, and think what a sad place the world would be if we never shared our knowledge, gifts, or talents with others. We would stagnate and fall backward as a nation as we would not learn anything. Our expertise and skills would die with us.

Tags be a secret Santa, share your talents, sharing pantry

Excess Baggage

Get Rid Of Old Baggage In Your Life

If something or someone is wearing you down in life, get rid of it or try to avoid them. If someone you know always puts you down and never praises you for anything you do to help them, you do not need them in your life. Unfortunately, some of us hang onto excess luggage as we do not see any alternative but to do so. Find a job that gratifies you and others if your work gets you down. Rental property can be terrible as some tenants leave all their garbage behind and trash a house that is only five years old. I feel sorry for landlords when they must be in the garbage business. They make no money whatsoever after someone trashes a house, and that is the reason why rent is so very costly today. When you rent or borrow something, leave it in the same or better condition when you leave. How you act in life will catch up with you eventually. No one gets a free ride in life unless it is a ride to jail because you did not treat someone right or you destroyed property.

Too Much Baggage On A Trip

It is true that the first time one travels, you pack everything except the kitchen sink. I remember I had a massive suitcase with enough pants and shirts to change into every other day. One learns quickly that you do not need all those changes of clothing. It was hard to maneuver that massive suitcase on the train as it stuck halfway out the door when the conductor left the train station. I barely had the strength to pull it through the train door, or it would have fallen to the platform, never to be seen again by me. As I was moving down the aisle with it, it kept bumping into people, and I kept apologizing constantly until I finally made it to my seat on the train. Lifting a heavy suitcase and storing it in a storage bin on a plane is almost impossible. Ditch the heavy and massive luggage, as it will make for a difficult trip instead of a relaxing trip.

Free You Mind Of Excess Baggage

Dwelling on the past is not good, as it prevents you from moving forward with your life and enjoying it to its full potential. Past mistakes are water over the bridge, as you cannot change the current in your life, but you can change the direction in your life. Don’t let the mistakes of the past define you forever. Always ask God for guidance if you feel you have lost direction. Ask God to forgive you for your mistakes or sins from the past, and do not keep carrying that excess luggage that weighs you down mentally and physically. We start life without heavy baggage and should end our life without heavy baggage. Put your trust in God, as he will supply you with all you need daily.

Tags Inspirations with Laura, too much baggage

Winterize

Things In Your Home To Winterize

Having your furnace and water heater checked over is a good idea. If a thermocouple or ignitor switch goes out in the middle of the winter, you may be without heat or hot water for a long time, depending on how busy your maintenance specialist is. Make sure you have a new furnace filter in your furnace every month to three months, depending on what kind of filter you purchased. If you are going on an extended vacation, you should winterize your toilet and plumbing to ensure you don’t have broken pipes and disasters when you return home. Ensure the weather stripping around doors and windows is in good shape and that older windows are caulked to keep out the elements from rotting boards and ruining the walls in your home from ice melting. Try to remove snow from your roof with a snow rake and get rid of ice dams. Ice dams can cause a lot of damage. Most new roofs have a product that lays under the shingles and prevents ice dams. Ice dams damage your gutters and the boards on the bottom of the roof, and then water can leak into your home, causing significant damage.

Winterize All of Your Vehicles

Ensure your battery maintains a good charge, or you may be stranded on a cold, dark, wintery night. Check the antifreeze in any vehicle with a motor and radiator. If it is not at a low-temperature rating, you could end up with a frozen engine block that could cost thousands of dollars to fix or replace. Ensure your engine and transmission oil are good and not a milky color, which means it has some water that will cause damage. Check to make sure the 4-wheel drive mechanism is greased and working freely. Have sand, an emergency kit in all your vehicles, and a shovel and red flag to tie up high on your car if you get stranded on the road in the winter. Without a red flag tied up high, the snow plow could cause significant damage to your vehicle when clearing the road, as he will not know it is not just a snowdrift.

Winterize Yourself

When working outdoors, have waterproof snow boots, mittens, and heavy socks so your feet do not freeze while working outdoors in the elements to move snow. I have on a heavy winter coat with a head covering where only my eyes are exposed. I start by moving the snow away from the house with a shovel or walk behind a snow blower, and then I work at the rest of the yard with a heated truck and blade to get rid of the rest of the snow. I put the pickup truck in four-wheel drive and can plow through most drifts unless they are solid as a rock.

Winterize Buildings For Your Outdoor Pets

Put insulation in any pet building you build, such as a heater, a heated water dish, and plenty of heated small buildings that only use electricity when they sense a pet’s weight. Ensure your pets have a warm and draft-free place for a safe winter for your beloved pets. Ensure all of your pets’ shots are up to date. Every creature, great and small, deserves a warm place to rest and sleep.

Tags tips, Winterizing

What Life Is All About

What Life is All About

What Do You Want To Leave Behind When You Die

I hope you want to be remembered for the good things you did with your life. I hope you teach as many people as possible the arts of your trade. If you have knowledge in a particular area and do not share it with others, your life will not have helped as much as it could have. Be kind, loving, and compassionate, and do not let your possessions control or define you. Some people will collect a particular item, and finding more of it is what occupies their minds and their daily lives. Possessions mean nothing in this world or the next; the human connections you make will fulfill you. Possessions do not care for you or love you. They just take up your time and keep you awake at night thinking about them. Help people in any way that will benefit them the most. Be a cheerleader for people and encourage them to do well. I want to be remembered for being kind, loving, compassionate, hopeful, sharing, and bringing joy and sunshine into the lives of others. I hope I have passed along what I have learned to others so they will have a fulfilled life for me being here and cheering them on to be the best they can be.

Forgiveness

We must forgive everyone who has done something wrong. You must forgive your family members, friends, parents, and yourself if you want to be happy in life. If you do not forgive others, why should anyone forgive you? When you forgive people, you do not have to forget what they did wrong, as only a fool would do that. Never let yourself get stung twice by the same Bee. Forgiveness sets you free, and you have a clear mind that is not clouded by the past.

Spending Quality Time with Loved Ones

Life is short, so spend quality time with those you hold dear most. Eat out often and go to plays, concerts, and events that they enjoy. Make sure you go on family trips or with a friend. It is lovely to be on vacation with an excellent, dear friend. Your friend and you will share some common interests, and you will learn that you like many things that your friend does. Once you see a ballet or opera, you will enjoy it. Time spent with loved ones is the most valuable time there is.

Time With God

Spending time with God is valuable; he should be your best friend, as he has seen you at your best and worst. God has helped you through turbulent and stormy times. God has been your cheerleader since you were born. Reading the Bible and daily devotions is one way of spending time with God. Praise God without ceasing for any blessings he has given or presented to you that have helped you. Be one of God’s good shepherds; that is a beautiful way to be remembered. Praise be to God.

Tags Inspirations with Laura, tips, what life is all about

Cats And Heated Beds

Helping Feral Cats Stay Warm

Cats need to sleep in a cozy and warm place in the wintertime. I like K&H heated cat beds, which last for years before the heated pad wears out in the building. Their building or house for cats has a flap on the front and back so cats can enter and leave quickly. The pad only heats up when it senses the weight of a cat sitting or lying on it. I also love the heated plastic mats you cover with a fleece cover, as the cats you are helping out can lay on it for warmth. If you dislike using a heated bed, place a lot of straw in a small building or box so the cats can make a little tunnel and stay warm as they snuggle together. Ensure any cats are out of drafty, northerly, or westerly winds. You can also hang a heat lamp over an area where they sleep. If you put a small electric heater in a building, ensure it shuts off automatically if it gets tipped over to avoid a fire that could kill the cats and spread to other buildings.

Housecats Love Heated Beds

My three house cats love to sleep in heated beds, as they are senior citizens now. The extra warmth feels good on their muscles and bodies, and they stay extra toasty and warm throughout the day. My nine cats next door love heated cat beds, windowsill cat beds, self-heating cat beds, and cat hammocks and towers. Their house has a furnace that keeps them warm, as most are senior citizens. Generally, in the heart of winter, three or more will curl up together in a heated K&H building. The windowsill heated bed is favored if the sun is shining.

Heat Registers

Some of my cats sleep next to the heat registers and purr contentedly. The minute they hear the furnace kick on, they are the first to get to their favorite heat register in the house. They prefer the register not to be fully open but almost fully open.

Cats Curled Up Next To You At Night

Cats are like heat-active missiles, as they will get as close to you as possible on a cold winter’s night. Sometimes, I have a three-cat night: one cat is by my side, one above my head, and one by my toes. A cat, from head to toe, keeps you warm and toasty.

Cats And Blankets

If you keep an extra blanket here and there, your cat will find it. I sometimes find Cali curled up on a pile of blankets. She will lay there and purr away loudly like she has found her dream bed, which is very soft and warm. Garfunkel will lay on top of a nice soft pillow and fall into a deep sleep. Once, I got a free small blanket in the mail and laid it next to my chair. Garfunkel and Cali started claiming it, and later on, Conrad loved its warmth. Keep your cats and feral cats warm and safe this winter.

Tags cat beds, Heated cat beds, Heated outside cat houses