Editors Note

For many, this is a time of year full of celebrations, sharing meals with loved ones and feeling thankful for the many good things in our lives. I count my beloved pets among the many blessings in my own life.Because of them, I recently became a volunteer at a local animal shelter. This is a municipal shelter with a majority of hard-to-place urban dogs (mostly stray pitbulls) and a collection of adult cats that have been relinquished for one reason or another.

Each trip I make to the supermarket, I always think of the people who are able to amass a tremendous amount of savings by clipping coupons and knowing exactly when and where to shop. I must admit that I lack that type of discipline! But I do stock up on staples when theyre on sale - especially cat litter and cat food - and I feel like a good cat mother whenever the pantry is full.

Even though similar statistics have been available before, it has become even more evident this year that cat owners dont take seriously the idea of regular veterinary visits.

Thanks to a consortium headed by the food company Royal Canin, a new survey was conducted in June 2016, and the results were not good: Cat owners were six times less likely to have taken their pets to the veterinarian this year as opposed to dog owners.

This summer, I witnessed the happy adoption of adorable kittens into families living in my neighborhood - a couple of brown tabby siblings born to a feral mother, and another few adopted from a local animal shelter. Nothing is quite as fun as a bundle of kittens. The idea certainly tempts me in certain ways - but I quickly realize that adding any new four-legged members to our established family is likely an idea relished only by me.

In each monthly issue of Catnip, we try to provide a good mix of topics that will hopefully appeal to the wide variety of cat owners who subscribe, and tangibly benefit the beautiful menagerie of cats that grace our lives. Its sometimes hard to pinpoint exactly what makes a good issue versus a great one. …

I love my three cats a lot. And before this group, I loved those cats a lot, too. All of my cats are - and have always been - the smartest, the funniest, the most loving, the most handsome, the most athletic ... and the list goes on. And I am guessing you have those exact same perfect cats living in your home and your heart, as well! I guess it simply is impossible to remain…

For the devoted cat owner, nothing is scarier than that split second when you realize youre likely dealing with a veterinary emergency. And if youre anything like me, it often happens at an inopportune time - maybe late at night during a snow storm; or in the middle of a hectic holiday weekend. …

All right, I will admit that my view on counter jumping may be all wrong - but frankly, I dont like when my cats do it. In this months issue of Catnip, Tufts Dr. Nick Dodman discusses at length why the behavior is natural and normal - and one that probably should be accepted by cat owners (and certainly not punished).

Im crossing my fingers as I say this, but I am very thankful for the extremely mild winter weve experienced in the Northeast! I am already thinking about a new gardening strategy this year - it will be just the second spring of living in this house, and I know I need to make a few changes that allow me, the leafy greens and friendly Mr. Woodchuck to live in greater harmony, or I might as well just plan on going to the farmers market every Sunday.

Increasingly, we seem to be living in a world where Google It becomes the answer to many questions and concerns, both ordinary and profound. Admittedly, there are advantages to finding the definition of an obscure word in far less time than it takes to pull out the tattered, old Merriam-Webster from the bookshelf. And locating a very good, well-reviewed Thai restaurant in an unfamiliar town has gotten a lot easier, too, thanks to the Internet.…

Growing up, and as an adult, I've always lived with a cat or two. (Sometimes four.) Most were healthy and lived well into their teens. Unfortunately, a few had chronic illnesses that necessitated more frequent trips to the veterinarian. And to be honest, for many of those visits (especially of the emergency variety), I never stopped to think about the people working in the office — those who greeted us at the front desk, the ones working behind the scenes, or that nice young woman who gently handled my nervous pet at the beginning of each exam.

It seemed that the veterinarian was the star of the show, and not much was known (by me, at least) about the rest of the cast, capable and efficient as they were. I'm guessing that…

As the New Year rings in, many people practice the time-honored tradition of writing a list of resolutions. Often, they include some type of weight loss and exercise plan, a return to a long-lost hobby, maybe getting involved in some meaningful charity work and simply trying to be a better person.However, I dont think a research group has ever conducted a study on the percentage of completion of these resolutions - or how quickly they are abandoned for other activities like binging on leftover holiday sweets, or. …