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Is Your Home A Barren Zone For Your Cat? How To Enrich Your Cat's Environment (p46)
The lifestyle magazine for modern cats and their companions
FALL· WINTER 2016/17
DOES YOUR CAT NEED A FRIEND?
SHHHH! HOW TO STOP PESKY NIGHT-TIME MEOWING
Want It!
p65
THE BEST TOYS FOR YOUR CAT
Ways In Which Cats Are Cute, Defined
Publications Agreement Number 42496543 Return Mail Dept, 202–343 Railway St., Vancouver, BC V6A 1A4
Turn to page 22!
Cat s! o o t Tat p80
moderncat.com DISPLAY UNTIL JAN 31 ‘17
p20
It's Princess Cheeto!
9 WAYS TO HELP YOUR OLD CAT FEEL YOUNG THE COOLEST FINDS FOR CAT LOVERS DIY CAT PILLOW LOVE CATS & TRAVEL? WHY NOT HOUSE-SIT?
Cats Galore Inside! p70
$5.95
Adopt Me!
6 Ways To Make Your Litter Box Better p54 + We're Giving Away Cool Cat Stuff! p20
VOL 5
NO 2
P H OTO H U G O M A RT I N E Z
FALL/WINTER 2016/17
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74 FEATURES 24
Excessive Nighttime Vocalization Your furry alarm clock and what to do about it!
28
9 Ways to Make Your Old Cat Feel Young Put some bounce in your older cat’s step with these nine ideas for restoring some kitten-like ‘tude.
BY MIESHELLE NAGELSCHNEIDER
32
Love Cats, Will Travel Stay in amazing locales around the world for free, simply by looking after someone’s pets!
54
6 Ways To Make Your Litter Box Better Step up your litter box game with these six ways to make life a little easier and better.
56
Does Your Cat Need a Friend? How to tell if your cat wants a buddy, how to choose the right friend, and how to arrange a meet-cute between them.
60
BY NOA NICHOL
BY LAUREN CHEAL & TARYN CHEAL
THE GOODS 22
Toys Your Cat Will Go Crazy For! Keep your cat active and engaged with these Modern Cat-approved toys guaranteed to delight your cat!
36
Purrfect Presents Great gift ideas for everyone on your list!
68
Cat-tastic Décor Finds to thrill both your cat and your inner interior designer.
BODY & SOUL
Want
it!
How To Enrich Your Cat's Home Environment
BY POOJA MENON
46
Your Hairball Survival Kit Help for handling this hairy phenomenon.
48
Make an Easy Catio; Love This!; Quotable
50
Catnip & Friends How catnip actually works, plus alternatives to try!
52
Connie's Book Club; Just Chillin'
BY DR.LIZ BALES
BY REBEKAH CHOTEM
64 The 10 Cutest Parts of Cats: A Definitive Ranking We lay it out for you—the cutest cat parts, itemized. You’re welcome. 74
65
The Coolest Cat On The Internet Get ready to fall in love by Princess Cheeto, star of the Internet's coolest cat photo series. BY ROSE FROSEK
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14
In USA: MODERNCAT (ISSN 1929-3933) Volume 5, Issue 2. Published semi annually by Modern Cat Inc. at 142 Churchill Drive, Newington, CT 061114003. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, CT and additional offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Modern Dog, PO Box 310402, Newington, CT 06131-0402.
Cat-Tastic Décor F inds!
68
46 LIVING 10
Stuff We Love Modern Cat staffers’ current obsessions.
18
We’re Giving It Away! We’ve got months of amazing giveaways, from awesome Cat Ball cat beds to a one-year supply of Wellness cat food, just waiting to be won! Turn to page 18 to see what’s up for grabs.
30
Cat Tums Too-cute tummy shots to brighten your day.
REGULAR FEATURES 6 Editor’s Letter 8 Contributors 10 Stuff We Love 12 The Scoop 20 Photo Contest 77 Marketplace
40 COVER CAT It's Princess Cheeto! Get ready to fall for this flamin' hot Internet sensation. Flip to page 74 for too much adorableness. Photographed by Hugo Martinez.
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Tricia Helfer Knows Cats—and She Wants To Help Your Understand Them Too. Your most pressing cat questions answered.
44
Pretzel Nation How an online community rallied around one very special cat.
62
Your Cat Is Even Smarter Than You Think …Particularly when she pretends not to understand you.
66
DIY Craft: Chic Cat Throw Pillows Improve your sofa with the addition of these adorable (and easy to make!) embellished pillows.
70
Adopt These Cats Your new best friend could be on this page!
72
DIY Craft: Make Your Cat a Tiny Hat! Is there anything more delightful than a wee marching band hat? We think not. Get the how-to on page 72!
80
Last Lick: Cat Tattoos Inked with cat pride! Find your tattoo inspiration here.
BY ROSE FROSEK; PHOTOGRAPHED BY SEVERINE WIDER
Win Me!
18
SAMOA SUBMITTED BY KAT
W
e’re crazy about our cats. Of course we are—they’re our family, trouble makers one second and adorable couch mates the next, cheering us up at the end of a long day. It’s love, plain and simple—perhaps the plainest and the simplest—unblemished by the jealousies and misunderstandings that so often plague other relationships. In fact, it’s proven that the company of cats even provides actual health benefits, reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, something you’ve perhaps seen yourself—simply petting your cat or even watching her play can lower your heart rate and blood pressure and generally have an overall calming effect on your being. Personally, I can’t think of a better way to unwind after a hectic day at the office than with some kitty downtime, watching focused leaps for a dangled wand toy or crazy, laugh-inducing catnip-fueled antics. Spiritual guru Eckhart Tolle says a purring cat on your chest will help thought subside, focusing your attention on the “now.” He posits that animals are more deeply connected with the source of life than most humans, and that their rootedness in just “Being” transmits itself to us when we’re in their presence. So here’s to our cats, those Zen master role models and love bugs who bring daily joy to our lives. Our goal here at Modern Cat is to help you live your best life with your cat, helping you to understand their needs and provide them with the best of care giving them the greatest chance at living long and healthy lives. We’ve packed this issue with everything from the best toys to engage and entertain your cat (p 22), how to solve problem behaviour like nighttime vocalization (p 24—you can thank us later), how to enrich your home environment and make your cat happy (p 46) and so much more! We hope you enjoy the issue as much as we loved putting it together. Thank you for being a part of our amazing cat-loving community!
CONNIE WILSON WITH DAO DAO, PHOTO TANYA KING
EDITOR'S LETTER
OUR R E ADE R S WR IT E
Friday Freebie Love! “I received two gifts in the mail yesterday. One was my bag from The Tiniest Tiger and is absolutely gorgeous! I love it. The second was the box it came in—my adorable Windy jumped into as soon as it was empty. It sits next to my chair and all three cats sit in it and rub against it. Thank you Modern Cat magazine and The Tiniest Tiger for both gifts.” —Donna Newman Hanson Win Freebies on Facebook! Follow us: >> facebook.com/moderncatmagazine
With love,
The New Kidney Disease Test That Could Save Your Cat's Life >> moderncat.com/new-kidney-disease-test
Connie Wilson, Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief
“
It’s so wonderful to watch an animal, because an animal has no opinion about itself. It is. —Eckhart Tolle
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F AL L · WINTER 2016/ 17
Catching kidney disease early can enable cat owners and veterinarians to treat the disease and allow cats to live years longer. “My last 2 cats required daily fluids infusion due to kidney failure. Each lived almost an extra 2 years with this treatment. I'm glad to know I can find out sooner now.” —Vicki Jankowski
cat
C ON TRIBUT OR S
F A L L · W I N T E R 2 0 1 6 / 1 7 VOL 5 NO 2 Publisher
Dr. Liz Bales has spent the past 16 years practicing veterinarian medicine. Her specialty is the unique behavioural and wellness needs of cats, with a focus on feline behaviour, nutrition, and internal medicine. She is also the founder of the Feline Environmental Enrichment Design Company (FEED Co.) and inventor of The NoBowl Feeding System. In short, this woman knows her cats! Check out Liz’s article on how to enrich your home environment to meet your cat’s needs on page 46!
Modern Cat Inc. Editor-in-Chief
Connie Wilson Editor & Creative Director
Jennifer Nosek Audience Development & Digital Marketing Director
Lauren Cheal Social Media & Events Coordinator, Subscription Services
Nav Nagra Design & Production
Clara To Sales & Marketing
Jacqueline Lowndes, Julia Pineda Junior Accountant
Celine Benipayo Copywriter & Administrative Assistant
Rebekah Chotem Controller
Cecilia de Roca Chan, CPA, CGA Honourary Editor-at-Large
Jytte Wilson
We’re thrilled to feature the artwork of illustrator Michelle Simpson in this issue! A professional illustrator and graphic designer with a BAA in Illustration, Michelle draws inspiration from nature, animals, and her childhood memories. We can see why her children's book, Monsters In My House, won the Brenda Clark book prize award! Check out more of Michelle’s work at michellescribbles.com and flip to page 24 to see her illustration for “Excessive Nighttime Vocalization” (We’re sure you’ve seen your cat give you this look!)
INTERESTED IN SUBSCRIBING? Give us a call at 1-800-417-6289 or subscribe online at moderncat.com/subscribe Advertising inquiries call (866) 734-3131 In Canada: MODERNCAT (ISSN 1929-3933) Volume 5, Issue 2. Published semi annually by Modern Cat Inc. at Suite 202–343 Railway St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1A4 POSTMASTER: send address changes to Modern Cat, Suite 202–343 Railway St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1A4 In USA: MODERNCAT (ISSN 1929-3933) Volume 5, Issue 2. Published semi annually by Modern Cat Inc. at 142 Churchill Drive, Newington, CT 06111-4003. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, CT and additional offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Modern Dog, PO Box 310402, Newington, CT 06131-0402. PHONE
For this issue, professional photographer and animal lover Severine Wider trained her lens on our super-adorable Star Cat contest winner, Pretzel. As Pretzel’s many devoted fans—appropriately dubbed Pretzel Nation—can attest, nothing can keep a good cat down, as these photos clearly show. Severine runs Severine Photography, a portrait and wedding photography studio based in Jacksonville, Florida, and home base for the beautiful portraits she creates. She loves to photograph pets—just ask Severine’s two Weimeraners, Comet and Zizou. Check out Severine’s photos of this remarkable cat on page 44. 8 moderncat
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