Articles written by Judy Lin - Page 3

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About me - Judy Lin

I am:

A writer, a photographer, vaguely intelligent, somewhat attention-challenged, very intense, loving cat-mommy to two black fuzzbutts, living in Holland, and a Mac addict.

I like writing about:

Food, science, nutrition, medicine, pets, my cats, the writing

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Pets & Animals > Cat Training Why cats are difficult to train: 4 of 9
Cats are difficult to train because they can somehow sense when you have an ulterior motive when you ask them to do something. Call it ESP, call it an ability to read body language, call it wahtever you want, but if you want to train your cat, you have to be completely honest with yourself and your cat. I can call my cats to ... More..
Pets & Animals > Cat Care & Health How to force feed a cat: 2 of 4
As unpleasant as it is, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do: force feeding a cat can make the difference between life and death, especially if your cat is overweight (fat cats are prone to idiopathic hepatic lipidosis and so should never go without food for more than 24 hours). The advice I'm about to give comes with the... More..
Pets & Animals > Cat Care & Health Cat health: Signs and treatments of feline chronic renal failure: 1 of 2
My CRF cat Tibbles came from a rescue group, City Kitties in Philadelphia. She'd been on their list of adoptable cats for a while, because she was a scrawny older cat with a litany of previous injuries and health problems, including stomatitis (all teeth, but 3 canines, were removed), a broken hip that hadn't set properly, an... More..
Personal Finance > Smart Spending Christmas shopping on a budget: 23 of 43
This year, for Christmas, I'm (practically) broke. I have 16 people on my list to give presents to, and less than 200 to come up with gifts for all of them*.Nevertheless, the shopping is almost complete, on 130, no less. There are several food items that will have to bought fresh, but they will be included in the weekly groce... More..
Pets & Animals > Cat Care & Health Basic cat care tips: 11 of 19
I was taking my cats to my parents', and so was waiting for the train station when a couple stopped me and complimented my cats. Both of them were calmly lying in their carriers, watching the goings on, not meowing or crying, just being very good cats. They asked me how I trained them, and I told them that honestly, I just go... More..
Personal Finance > Smart Spending Money-saving ideas: Tips for reducing your grocery spending: 7 of 11
I wasn't going to write anything about this, since our grocery bills are rather low as a general rule and I don't really do anything special to keep them low. I usually spend a little over fifty euros a week on groceries, a little more if the cats need kitty litter, we need more baking staples such as flour and sugar, or we r... More..
Pets & Animals > Cat Training How to keep your cat from destroying your home: 7 of 11
Cats are, generally speaking, wonderful pets. They are quiet, don't bark, don't require constant attention, instintively litter-trained, and easily amused-one of my cats' favorite toys is a wine cork, with the wined bits cut out. They can also be somewhat problematic, in that they'll scratch your furniture, knock over your va... More..
Pets & Animals > Cat Care & Health How to get your cat to eat healthily: 2 of 3
I've written before on why kibble is bad for cats. Obviously, this leaves only one other option for kitty, and that's canned food, or, for the truly dedicated, raw food. But if your cat has been eating kibble for 8 years, it is not likely to take to squishy food overnight. It takes time, and persistence, but the cat's health ... More..
Pets & Animals > Cat Care & Health Cat health: How to care for an obese cat: 13 of 19
Weight gain in pets, like people, is an insidious, slow process. Contrary to what the charts in vets' (or doctors') offices say, there is no line between "fat" and "not fat", but rather a long, slow progression. There is also the idea that a somewhat plump pet is healthy, when in reality the healthiest weight for a cat (or a ... More..
Personal Finance > Budgets & Saving Best ways to save money: 44 of 64
One of the best ways to save money is to do whatever you can do yourself. While people will rightfully caution you against rewiring your house, there are still many things you can do on your own that are big money-savers in the end. Since so many articles on saving money on groceries abound, this will deal only with ways to s... More..