Make Your Fire Colorful:
Soak some pine cones.
To create bright yellow flames, pour 1/2 gallon hot water into a deep glass or plastic bowl. Dissolve 8 oz. table salt, add up to 10 cones. Soak overnight, place on newspaper until thoroughly dry, then toss one on your next fire. For white flames, use Epsom salts; for yellow - green flames substitute borax.
[Just add another treated pine cone to reinvigorate the colorful flames.]

IMPORTANT: Use only one compound for color per batch.

Below are some game sites to keep the little ones busy while you are in the kitchen cooking!

"This Months Tidbits Are"

Stop Hairballs: Zap hairballs before they even start by spreading a little bit of petroleum jelly on her paws, advises Tamara Hebbler, D.V.M. "When she licks them, the jelly lubricates her digestive tract, which prevents hairballs from forming."

Keep Her Coat Clean - Without A Bath: While cats usually keep themselves clean, sometimes they get dirty enough for a bath - but most hate water! Solution? "Dust your cat's coat with corn starch, then brush it through her fur," says Randall Anderson, D.V.M. "It will trap any dirt, so when your cat grooms herself, the dirt lifts right out - and it's not harmful to your pet."

Boost Her Mood! Massage can work wonders for cats," says Laura Pasten, D.V.M. The technique they love best: "Slowly rub in a circular motion, from the base of the neck to the tail." Special acupressure points along the spine boost endorphins, which make her happier and more bonded to you.

Feed Her Enhancing Food! Unlike dogs, cats need meat to survive. To make sure your cat eats healthily, feed her what she'd eat in the wild: meat, the same as you'd buy in your supermarket! Not faesible? Give her canned food; studies link diseases like feline diabetes to high - carb diets from dry kibble.

Source: From" Keeping Your Pet Happier" found in the 07/31/07 issue of Woman's World magazine.

*Stop Nighttime Meowing*

Place a night-light near Kitty's sleep space to prevent the meows that can disturb your slumber, recommends Annie Bruce, author of Cat Be Good (Good Cats Wear Black, 2000).
While felines have great vision, they still need some light to see properly and don't always feel safe in the dark, causing them to cry out. Turning on a night-light provides enough illumination to help them orient, keeping them calm and quiet till sunrise.

Information Source: From an article found in the June 13th issue of First magazine. First Pets Section. Author unknown.

Wilhelmina's Feline Headline Of The Month

Scruffy's Story

Scruffy's story has resonated with readers around the globe.
In the past week, the story of the ill-fated cat has become a social-media phenomenon, generating thousands of comments on Facebook and Twitter. It has been featured on local and national news broadcasts, including CNN. It has grabbed headlines in Thailand, New Zealand and Great Britain.
And in metro Phoenix, Scruffy's story also sparked important changes, shined a spotlight on questionable policies at a very public non-profit and championed the cause of an underdog. All of which are critical elements to my newly created role as The Arizona Republic's consumer investigator.
So, what does a cat have to do with traditional consumer affairs reporting?
Nothing ... and everything.
First, some background. Scruffy was a 9-month-old kitten belonging to Daniel Dockery, a recovering heroin addict who had raised her from birth. He credits her with helping him maintain sobriety.
On Dec. 8, Dockery brought Scruffy to an Arizona Humane Society's clinic in Phoenix for treatment of a serious laceration. When Dockery couldn't immediately pay the estimated $400 vet bill, his mother offered to pay with a credit card over the phone. Clinic staff, citing agency policy and fear of fraud, refused to accept it. They told Dockery the only way Scruffy would be treated is if Dockery surrendered ownership of his cat. He did. Scruffy was euthanized a few hours later; not because of her wound, but because doctors weren't available to treat her.
The Humane Society has had to deal with intense criticism over the situation. Its Facebook page has been hit with more than 4,300 posts. It hired a publicist to deal with the fallout. It assembled a team of volunteers to field angry calls from donors threatening to pull funding.
In the midst of that, I have been asked in dozens of e-mails and phone calls if I am happy that the Humane Society is facing such a crisis. The answer is no, not really. But I am satisfied that The Republic told the story.
Before publishing the first report on Dec. 24, I told the Humane Society's executive director and public-relations manager that I was concerned about the negative implications of the story. I twice asked them to reconsider their policy decision not to talk about "the disposition" of surrendered animals. They wouldn't say where Scruffy was, or if she were alive.
That changed on the Tuesday after Christmas. The Humane Society, now under siege from callers and e-mailers demanding to know Scruffy's fate, acknowledged putting her down. They said it was a mistake and apologized to Dockery.
The next day, the Humane Society announced that it had changed its policy not to accept credit cards over the phone and that it was creating a fund to help pet owners who couldn't immediately pay for treatment.
Humane Society officials said they wanted to make sure Scruffy's situation never repeated itself. Scruffy, like the newspaper, had become an impetus for change.
Consumer reporting is not easily defined. Some see it as business-oriented, product reviews and warnings. Others see it as a money-recovery mission, helping people who have been ripped off to get back what is theirs.
The Republic sees it as way to probe situations that otherwise might go unreported, to help victims of frauds, scams or deceptive practices and to expose issues that might have a ripple effect in the community.
In many cases, I will work with 12 News reporters Dave Cherry and Veronica Sanchez and the Call 12 For Action team. We want to hear your concerns.
Nobody could have predicted the worldwide interest in Scruffy's story. But before there was a story, somebody had to listen. Dockery was a man on the margin, easy to dismiss. I am glad we didn't.

Robert Anglen investigates consumer issues for The Republic and azcentral.com. If you would like him to look into a possible scam, e-mail him at robert.anglen@arizonarepublic.com.

Information Source: The above story is from The Arizona Republic newspaper. Found in Sunday, January 1, 2012 issue. (BUSINESS) Section

To All Of My Wonderful Friends Out There
"Have A "Purr"fect Day"

"With Love"

Wilhelmina

"You May Email Me at"
wilhelmina@maxhasthefacts.com

Wilhelmina's Links

Feline First Aid

Feline Health Care

Fanc-e-Mews

"The Perfect Gift For Any Occasion"

HISUNGLASSES

Mix all ingredients together well. Place in a non-stick 5 inch x 9 inch x 3 inch deep meat loaf pan. ( I used one that was self draining ) Bake at 350º Fahrenheit for about one and a half hours until a nice crust appears on top.

Scruffy's Story