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Easy Ways to Maximize Your Cat’s Indoor Space, Fab Giveaways + MORE!
The lifestyle magazine for modern cats and their companions
SPRING· SUMMER 2014
Cat Mojo
IT’S LIL BUB & GRUMPY CAT!
Publications Agreement Number 42496543 Return Mail Dept, 202–343 Railway St., Vancouver, BC V6A 1A4
“Cat Daddy” Jackson Galaxy shares his secrets
The stories behind the internet’s most famous cats
Your Cat Will Love You p80 ? meoiw ng Cat
Decod zations Vocali 2 p3
Yum!
People Foods for Cats
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FUN DIYS STUFF WE LOVE FINDS FOR THE FELINE OBSESSED THE BENGAL CAT
Aww!
Men Love Cats Too
moderncat.com DISPLAY UNTIL JULY ‘14
$5.95
Smile!
Meet Grumpy Cat
Plus! Your Complete Guide to Being a Crazy-Chic Cat Lady
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FEATURES 18 Social Glue: Do Your Cats Have a Group Scent? How to promote bonding in a multi-cat household. BY MIESHELLE NAGELSCHNEIDER 32
The Conversational Cat 12 sounds that cats make and what they mean.
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A Tale of Two Kitties Meet our Star Cat Contest winners, Lazarus and Aerostotle, two extra-special cats who, despite rocky starts, have triumphed over adversity. BY ROSE FROSEK
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Get Your Mojo On How to become a problem-solving cat detective: an interview with Jackson Galaxy, star of Animal Planet’s My Cat From Hell. BY SUZANNE BEECHER
BY STEVE DUNO
THE GOODS
60 How Cats Broke the Internet The Rise of the Cat: from keyboard playing tabbies and Cheezburger memes to the ubiquitous, frowny-faced Grumpy Cat, “celebricats” are taking the world by storm. BY JEN REEDER 60
Stars & Their Cats Cat-loving supermodel Tricia Helfer on her 10—yes, 10—rescue cats. BY CHRISTOPHER AMERUOSO
BREED PROFILE 24
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Cool Cat Fab finds for the feline obsessed.
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The Complete Crazy-Chic Cat Lady Guide Modern Cat’s must-haves for the modern cat lady —and her male cat-loving counterpart, the cat gentleman, too. BY LAUREN CHEAL AND TARYN CHEAL
80 String Theory Get your play on with these nifty cat-approved string toys!
BODY AND SOUL 54 Jackson Galaxy's Tips for Better Cat-munication
The Bengal 56 Take a walk on the wild side. BY KELLY CALDWELL
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A Pets Before Profits Pharmacy; Gone, But Not Forgotten; The Find: Red Cross Pet First Aid App
52 LIVING 28 We’re Giving it Away! We've got months of fab giveaways—from modular cat condos to a year's supply of litter—just waiting to be won! 42 7 Easy Ways to Maximize Your Cat’s Space Delight your indoor cat with these nifty ways to increase his space. (Window perches, vertical space, outdoor enclosures!) 44
9 Random Acts of Kindness Spread joy! Small effort, huge karmic payoff.
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Men Are Crazy About Cats Too! Adorable reader-submitted photos of men and their cats. #toocute
REGULAR FEATURES 6 Editor’s Letter 8 Contributors 10 Stuff We Love 12 The Scoop 22 Photo Contest 78 Marketplace
30 COVER CAT It's Lil Bub! The adorable cat with legion fans graces this issue's cover. Turn to page 60 for more on this cutie and her "celebricat" friends, including Grumpy Cat! Photograph by Mike Bridavsky.
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58 52 DIY Craft: Amazeballs Make it! A how-to for super-simple yarn toys your cats will love. Whip one up in less than 5 minutes! Crafty! 58
8 More People Foods For Cats Get even more snack-tastic! Creative, healthy treats for your cat. BY ELIZABETH SCOTT AND LAURA PASK
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How to talk to Animals An intro to animal communication. BY CINDY BRODY
70 5 Ways to Help a Semi-Feral Cat Adjust to a Domestic Home There’s a lot of time (and patience) that goes into helping a semi-feral kitty adjust to a new home—but it’s all worth it. Here’s how to succeed where others have failed. BY TARYN CHEAL 72
DIY Eat: Say Cheese! We make entertaining easy with the deliciously adorable Nacho Cat cheese ball recipe.
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Connie’s Book Club Curl up with a good cat and a good book. Editor-in- Chief Connie Wilson’s round-up of must-read cat titles.
BY MICHELLE BUFFARDI
In USA: MODERNCAT (ISSN 1929-3933) Volume 3, Issue 1. 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.
ED ITO R ’S LE T T E R
Ou r R ead er s Wr it e
Sweet Tweets + Purrfect Posts Just want to thank you for the Natural Wand Cat Toy that I won. It arrived on the 26th and my cats just love it! It has even gotten the attention of my super-shy 12-week-old kitten. He actually comes downstairs to join in the fun when he hears the other kitties playing. My old guy even takes a few swats. I thought his playing days were over! Thanks again!—Deb Evans [Head over to facebook.com/ moderncatmagazine every Friday for loads of great giveaways!—Ed.]
CONNIE WILSON WITH DAO DAO
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s Dr. Phil is fond of stressing, communication (defined as the meaningful exchange of information between two or more living creatures) is the key to successful relationships. And a lot of us need to work on better communication skills—particularly the listening part and especially where our non-human friends are concerned. Our cats are constantly communicating with us; we just need to learn how to effectively listen to what they’re saying. For a primer on understanding your cat’s vocalizations, turn to page 32. And don’t underestimate active observation. This means being fully present, not just glancing at your cat while texting a friend. (Being fully present also has proven health benefits for us humans, too, like lowered blood pressure and heart rate.) You might notice things that had previously escaped your attention, like a less than lustrous coat or the reason for a change in behaviour. A listless cat may be telling you he’s bored and needs his environment enlivened with some vertical perching space, toys and regular playtime (turn to page 42 for ideas on how to jazz up your cat’s indoor space!). Yes, understanding how cats think and why they do what they do can seem puzzling and at times downright frustrating (especially if it involves inappropriate marking or litter box woes), but Modern Cat is here to help! Our spring/summer issue is chock full of ideas and solutions for living your best life—and that means with cats, of course! “Cat Daddy” Jackson Galaxy shares how to become a problem-solving cat detective (p 46) and how to improve your cat-munication skills (p 54). Mieshelle Nagelschneider, aka The Cat Whisperer, shares the secret for bliss in a multi-cat household (p 18), animal communicator Cindy Brody provides an intro on how to talk to animals, we check in with the world’s most famous cats—Lil Bub! Grumpy Cat!—and so much more. Hope you enjoy it! With love,
Connie Wilson, Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief
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I just read in @ModernCatMag that it's ok to feed your #kitty such things as spinach, blueberries, watermelon, chicken gizzards, and eggs!—@meowbox Just subscribed to Modern Cat. Can't wait for my first issue!—Teri Hilger Thank you for the photo shoot opportunity with the Star Cat contest! I'm excited to see my pictures!—Care for Lazarus I love your magazine, so glad to find your page!—Susan Estes
Lookin' good! Last issue's cover cat Mr. Magoo strikes a pose next to his Modern Cat cover feature. For a behind-the-scenes look at what we’re up to in the MC offices, the latest breaking stories and videos, cool contests, events, and exclusive giveaways, become a fan of Modern Cat on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Pinterest. Go to facebook.com/moderncatmagazine, twitter.com/moderncatmag & pinterest.com/ moderncatmag.
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We’re thrilled to have Mieshelle Nagelschneider, world-renowned cat behaviourist, share her expertise in this issue! Mieshelle has revolutionized feline behaviour modification programs by altering the environmental landscape within the household. In this issue, Mieshelle explains how to ease tensions in a multi-cat home by establishing a group scent (p 18). Nifty stuff! We are eagerly anticipating her next cat behaviour book (we devoured The Cat Whisperer), which will explore cat behaviour through study of the wild cousins of the domestic cat!
Publisher
Modern Cat Inc. Editor-in-Chief
Connie Wilson Editor & Creative Director
Jennifer Nosek Circulation Manager & Marketing Director
Jessica Nosek Audience Development Coordinator
Lauren Cheal Social Media & Events Coordinator
Taryn Cheal Design & Production
P H OTO L EO L A M
Maxine Matishak Design & Production Assistant
Vanessa Dong Sales & Marketing
Julia Klymenko and Kara Gerlach Accounting and Subscription Services Assistant
Celine Benipayo Controller
Jessica Rae Gordon, a newspaper, magazine, and children’s book illustrator, makes her Modern Cat debut in this issue! (p 32) Jessica grew up in the picturesque mountains of Nelson, BC, but currently resides in Toronto, ON. She creates playful and whimsical artwork using a combination of acrylic paint, cut paper, and pencil crayon, often layering solid coloured papers, patterns, and shading to mix flat areas with dimensionally rendered elements. Check out more of her work at jessicaraegordon.blogspot.com.
Cecilia de Roca Chan Donations Program Liaison
Jessica Nosek Honourary Editor-at-Large
Jytte Wilson Subscription inquiries call (800) 417-6289 Advertising inquiries call (866) 734-3131 In Canada: MODERNCAT (ISSN 1929-3933) Volume 3, Issue 1. 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 3, Issue 1. 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. PHONE
(604) 734-3131
OR TOLL FREE FAX
A lifelong cat lover and cat-centric style icon, Modern Cat staffer Taryn Cheal has an eye for all things feline. She collaborated with her sister/ co-worker/best friend Lauren Cheal on “The Complete Crazy-Chic Cat Lady Guide” on page 36 of this issue and loves to find amazing new cat products to share with our readers. Taryn lives in Vancouver, BC with her two adorable feral rescues, Penelope and Dorian, who are honoured to be among Modern Cat’s official product testers.
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(866) 734-3131
(604) 734-3031 OR TOLL FREE (866) 734-3031
The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, images, photographs or other materials. By accepting and publishing advertising the publisher in no way recommends, guarantees or endorses the quality of services or products within those advertisements. Copyright 2014 by Modern Cat Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means, electronic or mechanical, including the Internet or photocopying without the written permission of the Publisher. Modern Cat and its logotype are the trademarks of Modern Cat Inc. Subscription orders and customer service inquiries should be sent to Modern Cat Subscription Services, Suite 202–343 Railway St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1A4
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