It's Time for Our Weekly Recap!

It's Friday and you know what that means--our blog recap for this week!  Let's dive right into this week's news, shall we?

On Monday, we covered our special Friday event, our 1st Annual Exotic Animal Awareness Candle Light Vigil at In-Sync Exotics.  We would like to thank everyone who came out to pay special tribute to the animals that lost their lives one year ago plus all the exotic cats that lost their lives while in captivity; we truly appreciate your support and solidarity.   On the same day, we hosted our Fall Potluck and Camp-out event for our volunteers.  Plus, we showed off our volunteers handiwork as they renovated the bobcats' house.  Monday would not be complete without the announcement of our BIG Fall Festive & Pumpkin Bash event!  We hope you attend this event as our cats just LOVE to play with their pumpkins!  Click HERE to read Monday's blog posting!
 

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since Raja's passing.  Our Tuesday's posting was a tribute to our beautiful tiger whom we love and miss very much.  To learn more about our beautiful boy and how a local Eagle Scout honored the Raja's memory be creating a beautiful memorial garden, please click HERE.

We had a special surprise for our readers on Wednesday!  Mr. Kibo and Shira's mom wrote a great letter about her servals who relocated from Virginia to Texas.  To learn more about our two new servals, click HERE to read Connie's letter from home!

 

Yesterday, we thought we'd provide a fun and educated look at our cats' paws.  So...after reading this posting, did you go home to check out our cat's paw?  Haven't seen the posting yet?  Well, click HERE so you can learn all about the mysteries held within the "palm" of the paw!

 

And now we "paws" for our commercial announcements! 

Big Cats Need Dental Care Too!

First of all, we want to thank the 23 donors who graciously contributed towards our cats' dental work, raising thus far, $1,855! Unfortunately, it seems we've reached a plateau on our Razoo project "Big Cats Need Dental Too!" We still need to raise about $8,145 so that four tigers and one lion can receive root canal therapies and one tiger can receive root canal therapy and a tooth extraction. We are hoping to schedule all the dental surgeries, ideally before the big cats "Turkey Toss" event, which is scheduled for next month!

Can we count on you to help us with the cost of the big cats' dental surgeries? $10 or more will make an impact on the dental health and well-being of our animals. By making a tax-deductible gift, you are making a positive difference in the lives of our beautiful cats! Please click HERE to make a charitable contribution today!

Warm Fall Stuff!

Finally! Fall-like weather is coming to Texas! The leaves are changing color or falling off the trees, the animals are more frisky, and it's time for outdoor sporting events, like football! Can you think of a better way to stay warm, as you watch your favorite outdoor sporting event, than snuggled under one of our warm and soft stadium blankets? Or how about wearing one of our warm In-Sync Exotics' hoodie or sweatshirt? You can see all our new "warm" stuff at these two sites:

Product Number: 030-701666667

Click HERE for our stadium blankets!
Click HERE for hoodies, sweatshirts, and caps.

We even have a hoodie for the doggie! 

Plus we noticed that many of our T-Shirts are on sale!  We are not sure how long the sale will last, but it should be good through tomorrow night!  To see our items on the Marketplace, click HERE and don't forget to make your Cafepress purchase through iGive (iGive.com) as we receive a 6% donation based on the dollar amount of your Cafepress purchase!

New items will be added to our on-line gift shop throughout the next two months, so keep visiting our shop for some more great Christmas gifts. We'll also be watching the Cafepress main site (Marketplace), so we can let you know when we see our items go on sale, giving you the opportunity to take advantage of the great discounts! We thank you for shopping our on-line gift shop as our the proceeds goes towards the care and feeding of our wild ones!

If you love our work then please tell the world! You have an opportunity to help us make even more of a difference in our community and the lives of our animals. All reviews are visible to our potential donors and volunteers. It’s easy and only takes a couple of minutes! Please click HERE to get started!
 

If we receive 10 or more positive reviews (4 or 5 stars) between now and November 15, 2012, we'll win! The average review takes about 2-3 minutes, so please, if you haven't written a review for us, now would be a terrific time! Thank you!

We hope you enjoyed this week's blog postings and that will join us again next week for more informative, funny, and interesting blog postings on our exotic animals!

Please NOTE that we are now on our Fall Tour Schedule! That means we are only open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am - 6:00pm. For tour information, please click HERE! We have some great fall and winter activities coming up that you don't want to miss, so stay tuned for more details!

In the meantime, have a safe and wonderful weekend and we hope to see you soon--especially since the weather is much cooler and the cats are active!
 

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Let's Pause for the Cat's Paw!



Hide and seek pic from

http://weheartit.com/entry/35315012#

So, what do you know about your cat’s paws other than they are cute and adorable when the razor-sharp claws are not extended and shredding your furniture?

Chances are you never really studied how your cat walks across the room; perhaps mistakenly thought your cat walks the same way you do?  Unlike humans, our cat’s paws were created to help her be the best carnivore predator that she can be.  Cute or not, chances are you may not really know that much about your cat’s paws; so, let's paws for a moment and talk about these remarkable bits of cat anatomy! 

The Walk

http://pusscats.com/Cat_Physiology.htm

Humans tend to walk, heal to toe.  Our cats are considered to be digitigrade walkers—this means cats stands and walks on their digits, or toes.  The small size of her paws of her paw pads makes it easy for her silently stalk her prey through all types of terrains.

Show Me Your Paws

A cat's paw pads are composed of thick skin, connective tissue and fat. Countless nerves within the pads detect variations in the texture and temperature of surfaces and objects. When encountering a strange object, a cat usually touches it with a paw before deciding on a course of action. I know you've seen yours do this many times. The skin is rough and thick, generally about 1/20 inch, and provides a tough surface for protection when walking and a firm grip on slippery surfaces. It creates a noiseless tread when a cat is stalking prey.

You can test to see how sensitive your cat is to touch by gently ticking your cat’s paw pad while she sleeps—guaranteed you’ll get some sort of response from of your sleeping kitty if you tickle her pads!  Remember, to move fast if she's irritate by your "test."

Leave Cat Card On The Table

 Cats are able to announce their presence without even being in the room.  How?  Well, cats have small glands that are tucked between their paw pads that secretes an oil scent that only another cat can smell—kind of like a cat only “calling card.”  So when your cat is scratching your furniture or window curtains, just think, she is not only filing her nails, but she is also leaving some of her scent behind!  Oh yea!

Tiny Little Paw Prints

Have you ever noticed that when you and your kitty are waiting to see the vet, the bottom of your cat’s paws become a little moist?  That is because your cat has tiny sweat glands on her paw pad.  Needless to say, those paws get real moist when the vet walks into the room with a vaccination needle in hand—those little anxious paw glands go into overdrive as they help keep the cat’s body temperature balanced!

A Rainbow of Paw Colors!



Paw Picture from Way of Cats Blog

Look carefully at the pigment of your cat’s fur and skin—are they the same color of your cat’s paw pads?  For the most part, they should be the same color—black cats have black pads, grey cats have a sort of grayish colored pads, orange cats have orange pads, and for the multi-colored cats—well, heck anything goes plus all four pads may not be the same color!

 Right?  Left?  Or Both? 

Fabulous Pet House Blog

Is your cat a south paw or a righty paw? Cats tend to have “paw dominance” somewhat akin to the right- and left- handedness found in humans. In one study, researchers observed right front paw usage was observed in 20 percent of the cats while another 40 percent favored the left side. The remaining 40 percent were ambidextrous (adept in the use of both left and right paw). 

 Reminder:  Tootsie Care!

The ASPCA recommends examining your cat's feet regularly for debris and injury. In hot and cold weather, your cat's paws may need to be moisturized, as the skin can dry out and crack, which can lead to pain and infection. I n some long-haired cats, hair growing between the toes can be irritating, so you may want to keep this hair trimmed for your cat’s comfort!

We hope you learned something new about your cat’s paw.  If you are an expert in your cat’s paw, then perhaps you can answer the following question (silently and to yourself please):

What is a toe tuft?  And how many toes does your cat have?  Hmmm….Thinking….  Thinking…. 

The answers are at the bottom of this posting!

We now paws for a commercial announcement...

 Pumpkins Bash Fun!

In just 4 days we will be hosting our Fall Festive & Pumpkin Bash--and you are invited! Our Fall Festival will be held on October 28th from 11:00am - 4:00pm at In-Sync Exotics. This is another fabulous In-Sync Exotics special event as our cats just LOVE to play with their pumpkins; your kids (the human kind) will enjoy great games & prizes, get lost in a maze; have their faces painted; bounce around in the bounce house; participate in our raffle; and much, much more!

 To share this information with your friends, family, and co-workers, we have created a printable flier; all you have to do is click HERE to see and print our beautiful flier! 

Okay, commercial over!  Here are the answers to our two questions!  According to Wikipedia:

Toe tufts are commonly found on cats with medium to long coats. Clumps of fur that stick out at least 1-2cm beyond the paw pad can be considered tufts. In addition to soft paw pads, toe tufts help a cat to silently stalk its prey by muffling excess noise. However, outdoor cats tend to lose their toe tufts due to excessive abrasion on the rougher outdoor surfaces. This is in stark contrast to indoor cats who spend most of their time walking on carpet or smooth floors.

Although toe tufts do not cause additional hairballs in cats, it does make some aspects of hygiene a bit more difficult. For example, cat litter, dirt and other particulates may stick to toe tufts and cause the cat some discomfort. Therefore, a cat with extra-long toe tufts should be checked regularly for tangles and taken in for grooming.

Cats have five toes on their forefeet and four on their hind feet, reflecting their reliance on gripping and holding down their prey with their claws.  Whew!  We learned a lot about cat paws today!

We hope you enjoyed today's blog posting! Be sure to check back tomorrow for more fun and informative information about our exotic cats and their friends of In-Sync Exotics! Don't forget to let us know your reaction to this posting by clicking on one of the reaction buttons below--and share this blog posting with others please ~ Thank you!

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A Letter From Home!

Probably one of the hardest thing to do is to let your cats, that you raised from a young age, move to a new home--especially if that home is a few thousand miles across country.  Often times, previous owners release their animals to us and never visit our facility to see how they are adjusting to their new environment. 

 

So when we learned that Connie and Joe planned on making a trip to see Mr. Kibo and Shira in their new home, we were thrilled!  We hoped this trip would give the couple an opportunity to see what type of diet and enrichment we provide all the cats.  And watching our staff and volunteers caring for the animals, hopefully eased any "mommy" separation concerns they may have had prior to their arrival. 

 

So, last week we had the honor of meeting Mr. Kibo and Shira's parents!  The flew all the way from Virginia to spend the weekend (plus Monday morning) with the servals. 

Connie was most kind to write a letter providing us a little bit more insight into our servals' past life.  It is rare for us to receive any personal information about our new residents, such as their likes or dislikes; now, thanks to Connie, we have an idea of what kind of special treats to provide Mr. Kibo and Shira!  So Connie, without further ado, please take it away!

Hello Everyone, 

African Servals…Mr. Kibo and Shira’s mom, Connie here J 

Thank you for the kind words and love sent our way.  Joe and I arrived at In-Sync Exotics on Saturday, October 13^th--one week after Mr. Kibo and Shira’s arrival, so we could help with the cats’ emotional transition to their new home.  

 

We arrived at In-Sync Exotics on Saturday night shortly after we arrived in Dallas.  Since we live in Virginia, we decided to fly out so we could spend more time with the cats.  Vicki was especially welcoming to us and let us watch them feed all of the cats in her care.  We saw the love that all the members of In-Sync Exotics have for the cats under their care.  They talked to the cats in a very friendly and soothing voice.  They provide appropriate portions of meat tailored to each cat’s need – you have to be careful not to give too little or too much, and sometimes you have to separate some cats from others during feeding so that they will not steal food from other cats in the same enclosure.  We saw them call each cat by name during feeding, and they paid close attention to how the cat was behaving.  

 

On Sunday night, they call it “Bone” night.  They gave each cat bones with meat on them.  The cats really enjoy their bones, and they carried these bones away to a private spot where they cradled them while gnawing on them.   We watched Mr. Kibo tear into his bone like a kid discovering his first trick or treat bag..lol J…  The only items the servals tore into were my Crocs—who knew they would enjoy them as  chew toys!  Shira licked her and suckled on her new piece of meat...what a joy to watch!  What you may not know is that Mr. Kibo and Shira actually enjoy vegetables…but more on that later… 

Appearance differences…  How to tell the two apart! 

Shira is a little larger than Kibo even though she is the female.   Kibo was born with a distinctive crook at the end of his tail.   

Personality differences….  

Kibo:  “Hidey cat” likes to sleep under blankets and sheets, enjoys playing with small red potatoes.  He especially likes to lay on top of a refrigerator for the warmth. 

Shira:  Outgoing, inquisitive, alpha cat sister of Kibo likes to sun herself, and sit atop a refrigerator in the darker and warmer part of a room…I believe enjoying the natural warmth of the top of the refrigerator. 

Kibo and Shira are most active between 5:30am – 8:30am, but they can be pretty active earlier in the morning.  They begin shutting down for sleep by 9:00am, if they are not being engaged in some sort of activity.  They signal their interest in playing by “chirping” and head butting you.  Occasionally, they will walk past you several times in-display to signal an interest in you—that is your cue to reciprocate.  At night, they get very active and jump around the house. 

Interests… 

Kibo:  The “adventure” cat (yes, he’s also a “hidey” cat) likes to run away as he did on two occasions and the last time for 6 hours, he enjoys climbing ladders, fences, and up into the rafters of the house.  Loves to hide under a table draped with a quilt and stick his paws out to play with a horse crop.  He likes to eat flip flops, or more accurately, he enjoys chewing and eating rubbery items – he was not able to break off pieces of a pair of Mommy’s Crocs, but he did “air condition” those slip-ons by chewing on them.  He loves to sit nearby and stare at Joe’s Crocs when he’s sitting in the recliner to watch the TV, but he’s never tried to take a bite out of them while he’s wearing them – we think it’s an unfulfilled fantasy to bite those Crocs.  He ate industrial strength “tennis balls” from a pet store, and he ate the flip flops of a house guest for which he required surgery to remove the intestinal blockage.   

 

Food interests… 

Kibo:  Likes to eat primarily at night.  Loves little red potatoes, and brussel sprouts, and it may be due to these food items also being used as a toy before eating them.  Roll them to Kibo, and he’ll bat it back to you a few times before entertaining himself with them prior to eating them. 

Shira:  Likes to eat a little throughout the day and night.  She loves spinach!  Don’t forget to limit the spinach to 5 or 6 leaves per day as a treat or her stool will be pretty soft.  She will patiently stand by while I try to feed spinach to Kibo, but she stays very close to get additional spinach if Kibo declines.  Kibo would usually take his spinach while sitting beneath some stairs, but occasionally takes it directly from one’s hand.   

While I love Mr. Kibo and Shira dearly, I know they now have the best home and looking forward to a long lasting relationship with Vicky, In-Sync Exotics and volunteers…and perhaps meeting some of you, personally along the way when we visit. 

Best Wishes, 

Connie & Joe

We'd like Connie and Joe to know that they are now part of the In-Sync Exotics' family and we hope they will continue to be a part of Mr. Kibo and Shira's lives.  After all, a few thousand miles should keep loved ones apart...

To read about Mr. Kibo and Shira's big move from Virginia to Texas, click HERE!

Here are a few pictures of Mr. Kibo and Shira!  Enjoy all -

Hello Shira!
 

Hello Mr. Kibo!

Looking good Mr. Kibo (front) and Shira (back)!

Hmmm... So where's Neffie? 

Don't worry, Neffie is doing just fine.  She is slowly getting used to the brother-sister pair and has now taken to sharing the serval house with her new house mates!

And now for our commercial announcement!

Pumpkins Bash Fun!

In just 5 days we will be hosting our Fall Festive & Pumpkin Bash--and you are invited! Our Fall Festival will be held on October 28th from 11:00am - 4:00pm at In-Sync Exotics. This is another fabulous In-Sync Exotics special event as our cats just LOVE to play with their pumpkins; your kids (the human kind) will enjoy great games & prizes, get lost in a maze; have their faces painted; bounce around in the bounce house; participate in our raffle; and much, much more!

To share this information with your friends, family, and co-workers, we have created a printable flier;  all you have to do is click HERE to see and print our beautiful flier!

We hope you enjoyed today's blog posting! Be sure to check back tomorrow for more fun and informative information about our exotic cats and their friends of In-Sync Exotics! Don't forget to let us know your reaction to this posting by clicking on one of the reaction buttons below--and share this blog posting with others please ~ Thank you!

>^..^<