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We're so excited that we're absolutely giddy about our first ever monthly email. We've been calling it a newsletter only because we couldn't think of a better name. It will actually be a way for us to keep you in the know about stuff that we don't publish on the website (because we want the information on the website to stay focused on the essential needs of the cat--the resources and lifestyle that allows the cat to live a normal life inside our homes.)
We want you to become a partner in our mission to provide better lives to all those cats out there who depend on us for their basic resources.
We will also share information with our subscribers about the things we're thinking about and planning. By keeping you in the loop, we hope to include your ideas and requests when we finalize our plans.
This first email seems a good place to revisit a few ideas that we consider the foundation of Happy Cats Wellness.
Happiness in cats depends to a large extent upon how good or how bad they feel. A cat that is free from major discomfort and that feels safe and loved is a happy cat. In short, healthy and loved equals happy. Let’s give them the best life we can by keeping them healthy, loved and happy!
About a year after our last rescue came to live with us, we learned, with the help of our veterinarian, that cats have fundamental needs that we hadn’t known about. And those needs are essential to their health and happiness.
This is where we got our start.
Our education began the day a tea-cup sized feral kitten moved in with us. Caring for Eddy taught us several lessons about what a cat truly needs and the resources that allow a cat to satisfy those needs, and, of course, those resources must be provided by us when the cat is living in our home. You can learn about those essential needs by selecting Cat Friendly Home from the menu on the top of this page.
Behavioral disorders often result when those basic environmental needs are not met. And behavioral disorders can lead to medical problems. In Eddy's case, his anxiety led to intense, manic over-grooming.
Cats are skilled at hiding health issues.
One of the most important lessons we learned is that cats are very skilled at hiding signs of stress, pain, and sickness. That skill can lead us to believe the cat is perfectly OK even when it isn't. Early identification of behavioral and/or medical issues is essential for a cat's health and well being. That's why annual wellness exams are so important.
Health and happiness depend upon home environment and wellness exams.
Once we realized how important the home environment and wellness exams are, we resolved to spread the word to as many people possible so that other cats can live better lives too.
We want to hear from you even if you only write to say 'Hello'.
If you have questions or suggestions for us, or if you simply want to share a story or photo about your cat, reply to this email or select CONTACT US from the menu at the top of this page.
Thank you for joining our community of Cat Champions. Please tell all your friends and family about us. Working together, we can give our cats and many other members of the Cat Nation, the best lives possible--the lives they deserve.