Quick Post about cleanup products I like!

I will be making a more inclusive list of things I really like, and why--and posting them to my "new owners" page, coming soon!

 Today, though, I just wanted to recommend some clean-up products after my last entry. 

For cleaning up stains in carpet and upholstery, I cannot say enough about Bissell Eww!It is an enzyme based cleaner, so it actually eats what is causing the stain, and nothing else.  This means you can use it on most surfaces without damaging them, and the WHOLE stain goes away--rather than just lightening it and/or making it smell less.  You can usually buy it at Petsmart/Petco/Target.  There are other enzymatic cleaners on the market--Nil-Odor (a professional janitorial chem maker) Digester is one I used to like a lot, until I found Eww, which I prefer hands down.  The other enzymatic cleaners will definitely help, and do more than probably just about anything else you can try--but Eww reigns champion, imho. 

Eww has a very nice, fairly subtle, clean smell it imparts while it is working.  It is pleasant to my nose, and the cats don't seem all that interested in being around it while it is working--although it doesn't seem to upset them, either. (Digester had a strong, sort of minty smell that could get overpowering if you had a big mess to clean up, and didn't do as well at disguising the pee smell while it worked, and the cats would come over to investigate what was going on.  Nature's Miracle, another enzymatic cleaner, didn't do much to mask the smell (smelled like cat pee and their fragrance while it worked), and I did not get satisfactory removal results with it.  I don't know if it is weak, or uses the wrong strains of enzymes, or what.  It is supposed to be great for pets, but the two types I tried, both of which were designed to treat cat urine, did NOT work--even with repeated applications, 3 days keeping the stain saturated, etc.  So don't waste your money there. 

To clean up new stains (pee, poop, vomit) clean up as much of the stain as you can with paper towels.  Grab any solids, then gently blot liquids (try not to force the material into the carpet pad or upholstery foam). Applying the cleaner requires a little care.  Think about the stains you are treating.  I have 2 ways I apply the cleaner.  I have a condiment bottle like you would find in diner--squeeze bottle with a narrow tip that I bought as Walmart for about $1, and I also have a pressurized, handheld mini pump sprayer I also bought at Walmart in the garden section for about $6.  If the stain is small and deep (a pee spot or two) then I use the bottle, and if I have a lot of stains to treat, or it was poop that is mainly in the upper carpet fibers, I use the sprayer.  The sprayer is pretty slick, because you pump it up and then there is no pulling the trigger.  It has an adjustable nozzle, so I can make a fine or coarse spray, or I can make a stream.  The stream or very narrow, coarse spray is what I use most--works great for pee spots. 

When you apply the cleaner, go around and saturate the outside perimeter of the stain first!  I go just outside of what I can see with my cats--dogs I used to go a ways around to saturate where I figured the stain had spread in the carpet padding.  Cats have concentrated urine, so that isn't generally much of a problem, unless you have several cats marking and remarking the same spot in short succession.  Go around the spot and make sure it is wet clear in to the padding.  This is putting up a barrier, so when you wet the stain itself it won't bleed in to clean areas, it will just push in to the cleaning liquid.  Then saturate the stain itself with the cleaner.  If it is a pee stain you are working on, make sure you get the padding good and saturated.  If it is poop, and was solid, just getting the top fibers should remove any smell/stain. 

Keep the stain wet for several hours.  When the cleaner dries, the enzymes/bacteria die and it won't work anymore.  With cat pee, especially if I feel it may be a marking issue, I try and keep it wet about 12hrs, 24 is better.  (If you have a lot of problems, 48 would be even better, but I have rarely had to do that--and I have had really, really troubled rescue kitties to deal with.)  Wet towels/facecloths/hand-towels do this very well--I just get them wet and put them over the treated stains, and make sure they stay wet.  I also use wet paper towels sometimes, especially if I have a lot of spots to treat--a bowl of warm water and a roll of papers towels is easy to get everything covered.  I make the covering a few sheets thick, wet them in the bowl, and move on.  They dry out faster, so check them every several hours and rewet as need be. You can also just keep rewetting the spots with water or more cleaner, but I always get sidetracked, so putting towels on works best for me so they don't dry out until I am ready. 

If you are treating dry stains, the technique is basically the same, but I STRONGLY recommend a UV light to help you find the exact locations of the stains.  In fact, I STRONGLY recommend a UV light anyway, because it will help you determine when your stains are really cleaned up anyway--especially important with behavior training.  It works REALLY well--make the room dark or wait for night time--then run around with your UV light and slowly scan.  Messes will fluoresce green--paler if they have been incompletely cleaned before.  Wet messes will sometimes not show up (but you can spot those with your eyes), and stains you are working on are hard to see--get the light close, and make sure it's very dark.  After you're pretty sure the treated area is clean (sniff test), let it dry and then apply the UV light to make sure it is all gone. If it glows, retreat.  The Eww does a good job of negating the smell, even cat pee. 

Good handheld UV lights can be had at most home improvement stores like Lowes and Home depot for under $15.  I really like the mini flashlight style ones with the LED lights.  It was about $12 at Home Depot.  The packaging suggested it was good to find scorpions, and certain types of leaks.  It is very bright and does a good job of illuminating trouble spots.  Black-light tubes work sometimes, but I have not had very good luck with that.  And they're bigger and more temperamental--plus the cost is about the same. 

Cleaning up after kitties--what rescue taught me

Sometimes I find myself worrying about kitties--the ones that end up in the pound, put to sleep, or thrown out of homes because of behavioral problems.  Yesterday (and today) was one of those times.

For... well... as long as I can remember, I've been involved one way or another with rescue cats.  And dogs.  Be it the kitty someone dumped on the block and I brought home, or spending time in the Humane Society or animal control, or being a foster or organizer for a breed or general animal rescue, I've done it.  A lot.  At times I have been overwhelmed--at one point several years ago I had 15-20 foster kitties living in my basement at any time, in addition to my own pets who lived with me upstairs, because the local humane society in the little town I was living in didn't have a permanent facility.  There are so many animals needing help--and the majority, in my experience, are there for behavioral issues.  For cats, this usually relates to going to the bathroom outside of the litter box.  When they do that, yeah--it's a pain.  But what a lot of people don't understand is that it is usually pretty easily correctable--especially with the tools we have today!  Some people do try--really hard--and fail.  This is usually because they do not understand cat behavior, not because the cat is bad, or thru any other fault of the owner.

The first step in correcting bad litter-box behavior is determining why kitty is doing it.  I say that--but I guess the first step is actually two parts--trying to figure out why kitty is going outside of the box, AND--just as importantly--starting proper cleanup, because every day the behavior goes on, and the smells become set, is another chunk of time it is going to take to correct the problem.  If kitty goes outside the box because of a medical issue, for example, the seed is planted in both kitty's mind and, literally, in your carpet-- because cats are very scent driven.  So even if you are on the ball and get the medical issue cleared up in days, if those spots aren't cleaned up PROPERLY and quickly, you are likely going to have an issue.  Even worse if you have multiple cats!

I am going to write separate posts for clean up techniques and identifying problems shortly, and will make links to them on a new information page I am going to add to my website for people looking for information, and especially for my new owners.

I guess what I most want people to know is that often times litter box behavior is one of the easier things to change about your cat, and that cleaning up cat messes is infinitely doable. Even big ones that have been around a while.  I know, because I have done both hundreds of times.  With the products available today it is really not very hard or time consuming to clean things up, and no one will ever know it happened but you.  The products are that good!  And behavior modification is not that hard, either, just takes a little patience and knowing how to go about it--the last part being the main problem most people face.  Dog training techniques will NOT work on cats.  (It usually makes things a lot worse.)  Cat techniques are actually usually much easier, results come sooner, and they require less effort by the owner. 

EXOTIC SHORTHAIR VS EXOTIC VS PERSIAN

I had someone ask me the other day, "what is the difference between an Exotic and an Exotic Shorthair ?"  

Exotics are a relatively new cat breed.  The goal was to create shorthaired Persians--inspired, at least in part, by cats that came out of some American Shorthair breeders attempts to use Silver Persians to enhance their AS's coloring.  To achieve this goal Persians were crossed with shorthaired breeds having a similar type (cobby, compact bodies and round heads)--Burmese, British and American Shorthairs, etc.  In 1975 out crosses for Exotics were limited to Persians and American Shorthairs only.  Heavy emphasis was placed on creating kittens and cats that were identical Persians, but with the short, super plush coat.  As a result, Persian lines dominated the Exotic Shorthair gene pool.

To get "shorthaired Persians" the offspring must have at least one shorthair gene present (of two possible).  Any time a Persian parent is used, the odds go up of creating longhaired offspring, because that cat will contribute only longhair genes to the offspring.  If the other parent exhibits short hair, they may have 2 shorthair genes (in which case all the offspring will have short hair), or--more likely--one of each, which results in some longhair kittens and some shorthair kittens.

As Exotic breeding improved, cats were being produced that looked just like Persians.  Many had short hair, but the quandary was what to do with the longhaired Exotic kittens that were being produced--some of which were looking just as promising as their Persian counterparts. From the CFA showing perspective, they didn't adhere to Exotic Shorthair standards because of coat length, and they weren't Persians because of their heritage.   So they could not be shown.  In 2009 CFA allowed for Exotic Longhairs to be shown--in Persian classes, but for Exotic points.  So your Exotic LH had to literally be just as good as the Persians.  At the same time they limited breeding to LHs--they could only be bred back to shorthair cats, since the goal was not to compete with the established Persian breed.  Other registries have handled things differently--some register Exotic LHs as Persians, and they can be used in Persian breeding programs.  That has been very controversial, and created a good deal of confusion.

So--an "Exotic" is a cat produced to be a shorthaired Persian.  Usually when someone says "Exotic" they mean Exotic shorthair, although the two varieties exist (LH and SH).  An Exotic Shorthair is a cat or kitten from an Exotic breeding program that exhibits the traits of a Persian, but with a short, plush coat.  An Exotic Longhair is a cat or kitten from an Exotic breeding program that exhibits the traits of a Persian--including the long coat, but has non-pure Persian breeding behind it.  A Persian is... in CFA terms, a Persian of pure Persian breeding.  If the cat comes from a registry other than CFA, Persian is referring to the type and characteristic of cat and coat, but the cat may have a pedigree including several other breeds.

What does this mean?  If you are considering getting in to Persian breeding and are interested in showing in CFA, be very wary where your cats come from.  Do your research, and pay special attention to pedigrees--especially of imported cats, as people in Europe, for example, often advertise their beautiful LH Exotics as Persians, which they may be in the registries they are participating with, but are not according to CFA.  I am seeing more and more of this in the US, too--people advertising their Exotic LHs as Persians.  

 Be aware of what you are buying--there is nothing wrong with an Exotic Longhair, unless you are breeding Persians!

MEAT!

Persian and Exotic cats look best with a nice layer of fat over some good muscle tone.  My cats tend to do the muscle tone just fine.  It's the extra fat I never seem to be able to pack on them.  Don't get me wrong--you don't want them to be obese or FAT, per se, but very round--it just goes with the look.  Everything on them is supposed to be rounded.  Persian and Exotic kittens, in particular, look especially appealing a little plump.  My kitties are by no means thin, but I always feel like I am fighting to get them round--and the best cats at the shows always look great.  In some cases, that bit of fat is what has kept my cat from winning--the condition another kitty had gave them the edge.  I have had judges tell me after the show they just need to be fattened up a bit...

I've tried RAW before, but--while it was an interesting novelty for a while--I have never had anyone eat enough of it, or for long enough for it to make much of an impact.  No matter the cut, variety, species--no real impact.  While I was at the show I picked up a couple of tubes of a "kitten mix" pre-made RAW diet.  In addition to lean beef it has chicken, egg yolk, beef heart, ground bone, and ground egg shell.  What I noticed first is that it has a lot of blood in it, and also that the texture is small, but has definite bits in it.

I actually bought it for my exotic kittens from Kozi and Rockstar.  I figured part of the problem with the others not eating it was that they hadn't been started on it until they were mature, or at least older--in Pie's case, 8mo.  On the way to see the kittens with their first try, I stopped by Rockstar's (my Persian male) room and let him try a piece.  The same cat I couldn't coax to eat more than a few bites last spring was VERY eager to eat whatever I would give him of this. 

The kittens were like "uh..." at first, short of Pinny, who dove right in with both front feet.  That was funny, because she was the last, and most apprehensive, about weaning and big kid food--especially canned.  Promise and Paisley wanted the first bit off my fingers only, but were very interested.  Protege is having a bad day and upset tummy, so I can't gauge him.  Kozi, my exotic shorthair mom, is still not interested.

At dinnertime I brought some more of the raw in for the kittens--and they were VERY enthusiastic about it.  The big patty I had brought up was gone in a flash!  They were looking for more.

So--I have great hope that maybe this time around, with this new product, and starting them early, I may finally have some nice round exotic kittens to show in a couple months.  These guys are already doing great for weight, but I am hoping this will help keep them round when the gawky/gangly stages set in.

October's Superstiton Show

We survived :)  He was a tired boy--I got him up at 3:30am for his bath, and I think he had gone to sleep late, too.  He was pretty good for it tho.  I rushed it just a bit, and it showed--his coat was ever so slightly off in texture, and I didn't leave products on his feet and chest quite long enough to remove the bit of yellowing he gets from his food.

That said, I had 3 judges tell the audience about what a great job someone had done with him and his presentation while they were handling them.  I was very pleased with that.  Judge Vicki Nye was especially sweet about that, and I had hoped Stephen had gotten her championship final comments on video, but alas, no.  Both she and Judge Betty White said lots of really nice things about him.

I was happy with how things went at the end of the day.  We ended up with a 2nd in LH championship, a 3rd in LH championship, and a 3rd in all breed championship.  Considering he was decidedly underweight, and the competition in Bi-Color Persians alone was tough (great competition all around--many, many VERY nice cats at this show!), he did great.  We did great ;)

I also met some very nice people this time around.  I was benched next to a very nice lady who was at her first show with a very nice kitty.  It was fun to watch her, especially coming back with ribbons.  She was also kind enough to take a few pictures of Rockstar while he was lounging around on his table waiting for classes.  On the other side of me was one of the ladies I consider a mentor, and someone I had not seen for quite a while.  It was a pleasure to watch her with her kitties, get her insight, and just chat.  Another mentor came and watched the show for a while, and although I did not get to spend much time with her, it was great to see her--and hopefully I will see her again soon and get some input on my babies.  I also met a very nice lady who traveled all the way from Seattle for the show with her beautiful odd eyed bicolor kitten.  I am hoping we can continue getting to know one another long distance--she has beautiful kitties.

A good day all around!

Getting ready for the show tomorrow...

Rockstar is looking nice.  He is really enjoying all the attention I've been giving him :)  He loves grooming and one on one time.

I wish I was a better Persian groomer.  I have come a long way, but there are still things I really need to learn.  No matter what I do, I still kind of feel like he is unfinished.  It's his face.  He is in kind of an in-between stage--his coat is much bigger than it was, but it still isn't enough to support a whole lot of face and head sculpting.  So while I have made things look pretty round, he still looks a bit bushy to me in spots.  If I work on those too much I think it will look out of balance.  Always reminding myself I can always take a bit more later, but if I do too much, I can't put it back on!  There are some REALLY great Persian groomers here in Region 5--so the competition is stiff, and my developing skills leave me feeling insecure sometimes.  I am anxious to hear what people have to say this time around.

It makes the Exotics so appealing.  LOL.  I get such a sense of accomplishment and pride when I make him look good.  But I always have that little voice tripping me up, and wondering what I screwed up.  My Exotics are easier, by comparison.  The bathing is very similar, even the blow dry.  But "sculpting" them is mostly just watching for hairs sticking out, or bulges developing where they ought not, and plucking them a couple times a week -- along with stray wrong colored hair in the color blocks.  You can do so much more with Persians to make them look great, but if you lack skill and confidence--it can be a daunting task.

/end blathering :)

I have some AWESOME pictures Stephen and I took last weekend of his and Kozi's babies, which I need to upload here (soon, after this weekend).  Stephen offered to put them on his tablet and on display in our benching area--for all the world to see.  I can't wait--they're beautiful.  It is like a prelude to their coming out to show this winter!

DECIDED TO SHOW ROCKSTAR THIS SATURDAY...

I've decided I am going go ahead and enter Rockstar , my Persian male, in the Superstition cat show this Saturday.  I had been looking forward to it since last spring when I first started showing him in his short coat.  Some background information--I originally took Rockstar on as a project kitty--he was a nearly 4 year old male who'd been living in a cattery environment, and one that had never been shown.  He'd been clipped not too long before I met him, and had lots of stains from liking to dump his food in his water, letting it get mushy, and then wading thru it, amongst other things. :)  Since he is white, and his coat is naturally very cottony and porous--you can imagine the stains. I brought him out a month after he came home with me, and he looked pretty good,  He is such a nice kitty--quality-wise, and especially in heart.  He did really well at the couple shows I took him to--despite having no ruff, short hair, crispy spots in his coat where I'd had to bleach the stains, and having no public experience.  Then the show season wound down for summer, and I got busy...

When I was showing him in the spring I envisioned that by October he would have a big, long, healthy coat, and that I would bring him back out and knock everyone's socks off... Well, it is October ;)  We had a hot summer here in Phoenix, Arizona -- a particularly hot summer, even by our standards.  And my family was tight on money, so we kept it a little warmer than I'd hoped we might in the house.  

End result?  He does not have the totally amazing coat I was dreaming about.  BUT... I was looking at his spring pictures, and he looks sooo much better.  It's all new coat, all well maintained coat.  It's considerably longer.  He has a small ruff.  His tail is beautiful.  He's carrying a little more weight, although he's dropped a bit in the last month <.<