The Pain is Real!

Hello there furiends! The Tribe has been settling into our new routine with The Human working in her home office and not leaving all day, every day. She still has meetings and places to go but she is home quite a bit. This new situation has it’s benefits and drawbacks as we felines are forced to adjust to this new routine. Some things are good, some not so much but I’ll let Oliver and Lily weigh in too and you can decide.

There has been a bit of a contest as to who will permanently occupy the penthouse office condo. Each of us has laid claim during the week although I can’t imagine why Oliver would want to take up residency there he’s a bit stocky, but I’ll let you come to your own conclusions.

Oliver is not dealing well with The Human’s incessant interruptions of his daily naps.

All in all we are adjusting and do not require The Human to make too many changes to her work day but we do need to have her develop an appropriate snack schedule.

So there you have it. The new challenges and benefits to having The Human work at home! And now it’s time for this week’s feline news.

Pet owner apologizes after cat steals £300 hoard from neighbors

A very embarrassed human is returning hundreds of pounds worth of items that were stolen by cat.

Now I’ve reported on klepto kitties but Harry, a real life cat burglar is quite adept at his dubious profession.

Over the past four years, the naughty feline has brought home a hoard of stolen goods through the cat flap including a purse, sausages and M&S sports bras.

Owner Donna Hibbert, from Darley Abbey in Derby, said he has even managed to steal items off washing lines.

Harry’s brother Luna, another cat burgler, brings home objects that tend to be far less problematic, such as empty cigarette boxes and crisp packets, Ms Hibbert told the BBC.

Harry’s human, estimates he’s stolen around £300 (a little over $377.00 USD) worth of goods, with an apparent taste for luxury.

Hibbert makes regular Facebook posts about Harry’s ill gotten gains in hopes that they will be returned to their owners.

Harry is not the first cat to be called out for his tendency to steal from neighbours.

Charlie the “Klepto Cat” also left his owner in an unusual predicament with the items he brought to their door in Bristol.

The black and white cat has taken home everything from plastic dinosaurs to rubber ducks and even skateboards.

Owner Alice Bigge took a different approach when trying to return Charlie’s stolen goods.

In an attempt to discipline the kitten, she lined up the items on the wall in front of their house with a sign which read: “Our cat Charlie likes taking things, do any of these things belong to you? If they do, please help yourself.”

Ah, the life of a cat burglar!

 FDA Conditionally Approves First Drug for Anemia in Cats with Chronic Kidney Disease

As I have written previously, our Angel Jasmine had CKD and The Human cared for her for several years with special foods, medication, daily SubQ fluids and other natural treatments. Although it was hyperthyroidism (a stroke) that took Jasmine from us, there are a number of complications from CKD. This article may be a bit “sciency” for some of you but if you have a fur kid that has CKD, the “sciency” stuff is important to you.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration conditionally approved Varenzin-CA1 (molidustat oral suspension), the first drug for the control of nonregenerative anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats. Nonregenerative anemia can be a fatal condition because the cat’s bone marrow is not able to produce enough red blood cells to replace the older or damaged red blood cells that are naturally removed from the blood, resulting in the inability for oxygen to be carried from the lungs throughout the body.

CKD is a disease that requires day-to-day management in cats, and nonregenerative anemia is a complication that often contributes to death or euthanasia of affected cats due to poor quality of life. Cats can develop CKD at any age, but it is frequently diagnosed in older cats. It can be triggered by other diseases or malformation of the kidneys, bacterial or viral infections, kidney inflammation and associated damage (glomerulonephritis), cancers, or a build-up of protein in the kidney (amyloidosis). Cats with CKD develop nonregenerative anemia when their kidneys produce less of a hormone called erythropoietin, which helps the bone marrow produce red blood cells. 

The current treatments available for nonregenerative anemia in cats with CKD include blood transfusion, supplemental iron therapy and erythropoietin replacement. However, there are no erythropoietin treatments approved for use in cats. Varenzin-CA1 works by helping to increase production of erythropoietin in the kidney, which in turn stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.

“Varenzin-CA1 is the first drug to receive conditional approval for use in cats, providing access to a novel medicine for our feline companions suffering from nonregenerative anemia due to CKD,” said Tracey Forfa, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “Additionally, this is the first drug for cats under expanded conditional approval, a pathway to the marketplace that encourages development of innovative treatments and increases the options for treating animals with uncommon conditions, serious or life-threatening diseases, or diseases without existing or adequate therapies.”

Under conditional approval, the FDA has concluded that the drug is safe for its intended purpose and has a reasonable expectation of being effective. This allows cats suffering from the disease to receive the treatment while full effectiveness data is being collected. The initial conditional approval is valid for one year with the potential for four annual renewals. During this time, the animal drug sponsor must demonstrate active progress toward proving substantial evidence of effectiveness for full approval. If a sponsor does not meet the requirements for substantial evidence of effectiveness at the five-years mark, the product can no longer be marketed. 

Expanded conditional approval authority was granted to the FDA in the Animal Drug User Fee Act of 2018 and is intended for drugs that address a serious or life-threatening disease or condition, or an unmet animal or human health need, and for which demonstrating effectiveness would require a complex or particularly difficult study or studies. The expanded conditional approval program will sunset in 2028.

The reasonable expectation of effectiveness of Varenzin-CA1 was evaluated in a study conducted in two phases. The first phase involved a multi-center, double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled field effectiveness and safety study. The second phase was an unmasked, optional continuation of the field study. The study enrolled 23 cats from 4 to 17 years of age from various breeds or breed mixes diagnosed with nonregenerative anemia associated with CKD.

Varenzin-CA1 is a liquid given by mouth to the cat once daily for up to 28 days. The treatment may be repeated as needed after a minimum seven-day pause. Varenzin-CA1 is available only by prescription from a licensed veterinarian given that professional expertise is required to properly diagnose CKD and nonregenerative anemia in cats. 

Before prescribing the drug, veterinarians should advise cat owners about possible side effects, which include vomiting, increases in systolic blood pressure and thromboembolism (blood clots). The FDA encourages cat owners to work with veterinarians to report adverse events or side effects potentially related to the use of any drug, including Varenzin-CA1. 

The FDA granted conditional approval of Varenzin-CA1 to Elanco US Inc.

Cat saves diabetic owner’s life

When 51-year-old Amanda Jameson lost consciousness and nearly slipped into a diabetic coma, her cat Willow sprung into action; biting Amanda’s partner who had fallen asleep watching TV, then leading him upstairs to her. “I can’t thank her enough,” Jameson said. “She is the world to me.”

Realtor Terrified by Pair of Hairless Cats Leaves Internet in Stitches

A realtor has left the internet in stitches after a clip of her reaction to seeing a pair of hairless cats for the first time received 2.1 million views in a few days.

The video was shared on TikTok  by the owner of the house the realtor was selling, under the username @browneyedscgirl. It shows the realtor running out of the house terrified after seeing the owner’s two sphynx cats, locking the door behind her.

According to Hill’s Pet Nutrition, sphynx cats are a friendly, loving and energetic breed that craves human attention. Even though they always look serious, they are very playful and love to entertain their owners and follow them around the house like puppies. Dear human realtor, get over yourself!

Hilarious Cat Tweets Featuring Hard Working Felines On The 9-5 Grind (15 Cats With Jobs)

with coffee but we will start with a yawn and stretch.. It ain’t easy, but somebody’s gotta do it. And when that clock strikes 5, oh baby, we are outta there like a cat chasing a laser pointer.

My regular readers know how much I love a working cat story and this Twitter account is a gold mine of working feline info.  Meet 15 successful kitties who are slaying it in their careers.  So to all you working felines out there, two paws up!