Mother Churchill's Corner

Remove a stuck cork!
If you've been yanking on a cork in a wine bottle and it won't budge, here's a simple solution: Take a hot, wet towel and wrap it around the neck of the bottle. The heat will cause the glass to expand a little, so the cork will pop right out.

Information Source:
Tips #1, #2 & #3 found in the 04/12/10 issue of WOMAN'S WORLD magazine.
In their (Smart ideas for your home section).

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 Headlines Of The Month

"The Cat That Can Foresee Death"

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The scientist in Dr. David Dosa was skeptical when first told that Oscar, an aloof cat kept by a nursing home, regularly predicted patients' deaths by snuggling alongside them in their final hours.
Dosa's doubts eroded after he and his colleagues tallied about 50 correct calls made by Oscar over five years, a process he explains in a book released this month, "Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat." The feline's bizarre talent astounds Dosa, but he finds Oscar's real worth in his fierce insistence on being present when others turn away from life's most uncomfortable topic: death.
"People actually were taking great comfort in this idea, that this animal was there and might be there when their loved ones eventually pass," Dosa said. "He was there when they couldn't be."
Dosa, 37, a geriatrician and professor at Brown University, works on the third floor of the Steere House, which treats patients with severe dementia. It's usually the last stop for people so ill they cannot speak, recognize their spouses and spend their days lost in fragments of memory.
He once feared that families would be horrified by the furry grim reaper, especially after Dosa made Oscar famous in a 2007 essay in the New England Journal of Medicine. Instead, he says many caregivers consider Oscar a comforting presence.
The nursing home adopted Oscar, a medium haired cat with a gray-and-brown back and white belly, in 2005 because staff members think pets make the Steere House a home. They play with visiting children and prove a welcome distraction for patients and doctors alike.
After a year, the staff noticed that Oscar would spend his days pacing from room to room. He sniffed and looked at the patients but rarely spent much time with anyone – except when they had just hours to live.
He's accurate enough that staffers know it's time to call family members when Oscar stretches beside their patients, who are generally too ill to notice him. If kept outside the room of a dying patient, he'll scratch at doors and walls, trying to get in.

Information Source: The above story is from an article written by Ray Henry for the Associated Press. Found in February 1, 2010 issue of The Arizona Republic newspaper.

"Cats Read Human Emotions"

New research proves that cats really do know how to pull at your heartstrings – and your emotions! The study finds that cats have created a particular sound – the combination of an urgent meow plus a comforting purr – that initiates a nurturing response in humans, making us more likely to give them what they want (like food)! Study author Karen McComb, Ph.D., believes they've developed this special meow as a way to trigger our maternal instincts, making it hard for us to ignore their distress calls. Another example of how smart cats are: They only turn it on for the person they know will come to their aid – never strangers, other cats or even the folks in their household who don't feed them!

Information Source: The above story is from an article found in the November 2nd 2009 issue of Woman's World magazine. Animals Are Smarter Than You Think! Section. Author unknown.

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

"With Love"

Wilhelmina

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

Wilhelmina's Links

Feline First Aid

Feline Health Care

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"The Perfect Gift For Any Occasion"

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