Isn’t life with pets awesome? Pets love us in a way that no one else can! The human-animal bond is the inspiration behind the pet lifestyle website, PawCulture™. Their motto is “You love your pets. We love your pets, too.” They’ve created a great place for all of us pet owners to gather and celebrate the love we have for our pets!
Inspiring Pet Tips
Manna (left) and baby Dexter napping.
Every cat is a new experience. They have a way of teaching you that no matter how many cats you’ve shared your life with, there is still something left to be learned. Cats are definitely not cookie cutter creatures!
Here on Playful Kitty, I do a lot of research to learn everything I can about cats and share it with you. Being able to find accurate, helpful pet tips is really important! I was able to find some tips on PawCulture™ that were both helpful and inspiring. The issues that they cover in their Tips & Advice section were things I could easily identify with as a cat owner.
One article from PawCulture that really inspired me was Do Cats Get Lonely? written by Kathy Blumenstock. The article explains that even though cats don’t socialize the way dogs and humans do, they are still in need of our attention. Cats can get lonely as a result of either a lack of social interaction or an environment that doesn’t meet their needs. Loneliness can result in unwanted behaviors. The article has some excellent advice from veterinarians about combating loneliness in your cat’s life.
Loss and Loneliness In Cats
Reading PawCulture’s article on cats and loneliness immediate brought to mind a situation that I had with my cat, Manna, not so long ago. She went through a very lonely period. It was quite the struggle to find just the right way to help her out of it.
Manna (right) giving Cinco a kiss.
What happened? The “C” word. My very healthy, 10-year-old cat, Cinco, was suddenly diagnosed with cancer. He had no symptoms of illness at all until the day before his diagnosis. While there are great advances being made in helping pets with cancer, there weren’t any good options for Cinco. Despite my willingness to move Heaven and earth for him, the only realistic option I had was to let him go.
As if bringing an empty carrier home from the veterinarian’s office wasn’t difficult enough, I had to face Manna. She had never been an only cat before. My dad found her abandoned in a trailer park when she was only 3.5 weeks old. She has been living with me (and Cinco) ever since.
Some one-on-one playtime with Manna.
It was obvious that Manna knew something was wrong when she investigated the empty carrier. In the following days, my composure melted like gelatin in the hot summer sun every time I saw her checking Cinco’s favorite hiding spots. She looked for him desperately all around the apartment. It broke my heart that I couldn’t explain to her what was happening.
Right away, I knew that a little extra Mommy and Manna time would be needed to make up for her missing best buddy. I played with her every chance I got. There was a lot of extra effort put into spending quality time with her. To a point, this was very helpful, but it was clear I was never totally going to fill the gap left by Cinco.
Finding New Love
Manna has never been a fan of sharing the spotlight with me. LOL
Trust me, this sad story has a very happy ending. My husband and I decided that Manna needed a new kitty to bond with. We had the ability to rescue another cat from homelessness and it was the right thing to do.
A friend had taken in a cat that had a litter of kittens. Our friend was not going to be able to care for the cats much longer (he had a terminal medical condition), so he really wanted us to adopt one as soon as possible. We came to his home with our carrier and one little kitten crawled in and didn’t want to come back out. This kitten chose us!
There is no way to know how things will go when you bring two cats together. Most of the time, they will at least tolerate each other. I hoped and prayed that this would be just the right buddy for my dear little Manna. I was nervous when I first introduced them to each other!
Baby Dexter (right) says hello to Manna.
At first, there was some friction. This is expected when cats meet each other for the first time. Cats have to size each other up. I took some deep breaths and let time work its magic.
A few days later, it happened! I was sitting in my computer chair and I looked behind me to see Manna and Dexter (the new kitten) asleep together in my recliner. My heart fluttered when Manna began to groom Dexter. It wasn’t just a few licks, but full “I’m your momma now” type grooming. She had adopted him as her own! Manna fell in love again.
Ever since that night, Manna and Dexter have been the best of friends. Sure, they annoy each other sometimes, but they truly enjoy each other’s company. They cuddle, play, chase each other, and share food. I could not wish for a better ending than this!
Manna’s happy ending! This is Manna (top) and Dexter as they are today.
Visit PawCulture
“You love your pets. We love your pets, too.”
Want to experience the inspiration for yourself? Celebrate the unbreakable bond between pets and their people by visiting PawCulture for information, inspiration, entertainment, helpful tips and advice about loving your pet. Their website has pet tips and all kinds of great articles for pet lovers including:
- Pet DIY Projects
- Pets of Celebrities
- Pet Rescue Stories
- Pet Recipies
- Pet Travel and Adventure
- Pet Lifestyle
You can find PawCulture at PawCulture.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Don’t forget to check out the Cat Clubhouse while you are there!
Have you ever helped a lonely pet?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PawCulture. The opinions and text are all mine.
I am glad Manna adjusted so well to Dexter and loves him. I know how tough it was for you and her last year to lose sweet Cinco.
We remember when you lost Cinco to the Bridge. What a sad, sad time. But bless you for loving Manna, and knowing what she needed. We are happy that Dexter and she are so close now. 🙂
We remember when you lost Cinco to the Bridge. That was so, so sad, but thank you for loving Manna so much, and so well, and knowing what she needed. We are happy that she and Dexter are so close now! 🙂
We’re so glad that Dexter and Manna get so well along ! Purrs
we are so glad Manna accepted Dexter into her life. obviously no one in our house has ever lived alone (though we suspect a couple of resident cats would like to try it out)
guys…..we iz buzzed happee ya get a long ….we noe furst hand that sum times it werks out; otherz
… knot….thanx for sharin this psot N de link; we R gonna have de food gurl chex out sum DIY stuff !! 🙂
♥♥♥
That was so heartbreaking when you lost Cinco. Especially for Manna. I’m so glad you were so sensitive to her feelings and her needs, and that Dexter was the right kitty to come along to be her pal.
This is such a wonderful post! I’ve got tears welling up in my eyes reading it. I’m so happy Manna was able to fall in love again, with Dexter. They have such a great bond. I recently discovered the PawCulture site and I love it! They have so much great content.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Such a wonderful post. I had that problem when my Brother Ivan died, I was so very lonely. Now look at what a family I have. I will never be lonely again.
Watching your video really moved me. Well done for having the courage to tell your story on camera.
We are so glad Manna and Dexter are the best of friends. We love seeing them together!
Purrs and hugs xx
Athena and Marie
You have no idea how touching this was to me. I can say 100% for sure you are 100% correct! We lost four furkids in the last two years first we lost our Glover not more than 3 months later we lost our Brandy. Glover and Brandy were dogs. In the following year we lost our cat Vino of cancer. JubJub and Vino were best friends. Not more than 4 months after JubJub became very sick. We did everything we could to save him, sparing no expense, but he too left us. Although we had other cats in the house, the two of them were so close. I do believe that animals, cats and dogs, make their attachments and when one is gone, the other suffers of dire loneliness that their humans can not take the place of. Animals DO mourn. Thank you for sharing your success in helping your kitty find love again. I wish we had known this before – but we do NOW!
I love the Pawculture site. So full of wonderful information – thank you for spreading the word about it.
Such a sweet tail. I am so glad Manna and Dexter are buds. That had to be incredibly hard to watch. <3
That’s a beautiful story. Introducing cats is always a risk. My new cat is completely different than my previous cat but my dog likes her more … Primarily because she actual likes him.
Robin, thank you for sharing Manna and Dexter’s beginnings story with us. Watching your video brought tears to my eyes. I know that losing Cinco last year was indescribably difficult, but I am so happy that you and Manna have found joy again in Dexter. He is an adorable bundle of cuteness, and it sounds like he and Manna are the perfect pair <3
The thought that Praline may have been lonely when I went to work or traveled a lot, is one of the reasons I got two cats when I lost her. I believe Truffle and Brulee keep each other company.
It was so heartbreaking (just as a reader) when Cinco passed. I was so glad that you adopted Dexter and that Manna loves him! When my sister brought her dog Lulu home from the vet for the last time, she let her other dogs sniff Lulu. I wouldn’t have thought to do that, but I think it gave them some closure.
Great post! I am glad your kitties are buds. Gracie grew up with my parents dog Buddy. When he passed, she was so depressed. She seems to be really happy to have Echo around now! They love each other.
There is nothing as heartbreaking as losing a beloved pet and that goes for the other pets left behind. Bentley was so sad when our Golden Retriever left us so suddenly. Pierre brought laughter and love back to all of us. I am so happy that Dexter has become besties with Manna. ♥
I have always lived with both cats and dogs. I’m always surprised when people say cats aren’t as social as dogs because that has not been my experience at all. And when our cat Elsie passed away in September, Rosie absolutely missed her and felt lonely. I like to think of dogs as extraverts and cats as introverts. Cats sometimes aren’t as expressive outwardly, but they feel things just as deeply inside.
Beautiful post, It’s so hard losing a pet. But i am so glad Dexter has found comfort with you.
That must have been really hard on all of you. I’m glad Dexter and Manna get along so well now! They’re adorable cuddled up together.
When Timmy came to our home he lived with Inky who was 21. Toby came right after as I felt that Timmy would be alone after Inky left us. Timmy and Toby stayed with Inky 24/7 at the end. Cats are so empathic.
Pete and Timmy
It was a very sad day when you shared the news of Cinco’s passing. I’m so happy that Dexter is in yours and Manna’s life now. It is a joy to watch them interact with one another.