Below please find my blog--random posts about whatever is on my mind, or what I am up to in my cat life :)  If you have a question for me, or something you would like to see me comment on here, please email me at michelle@mewznewz.com !

Browsing Archive: October, 2011

Quick post about cleanup products I really like!

Posted by Michelle Merkel on Saturday, October 29, 2011,

I will be making a more inclusive list of things I really like, and why--and posting them to my "new owners" page, coming soon!

 Today, though, I just wanted to recommend some clean-up products after my last entry. 

For cleaning up stains in carpet and upholstery, I cannot say enough about Bissell Eww! It is an enzyme based cleaner, so it actually eats what is causing the stain, and nothing else.  This means you can use it on most surfaces without damaging them, and the WHOLE stain goes awa...


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Cleaning up after kitties... what rescue taught me.

Posted by Michelle Merkel on Tuesday, October 25, 2011,
Sometimes I find myself worrying about kitties--the ones that end up in the pound, put to sleep, or thrown out of homes because of behavioral problems.  Yesterday (and today) was one of those times.

For... well... as long as I can remember, I've been involved one way or another with rescue cats.  And dogs.  Be it the kitty someone dumped on the block and I brought home, or spending time in the Humane Society or animal control, or being a foster or organizer for a breed or general animal rescue...

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Exotic Shorthair vs Exotic vs Persian

Posted by Michelle Merkel on Saturday, October 22, 2011,
I had someone ask me the other day, "what is the difference between an Exotic and an Exotic Shorthair ?"  

Exotics are a relatively new cat breed.  The goal was to create shorthaired Persians--inspired, at least in part, by cats that came out of some American Shorthair breeders attempts to use Silver Persians to enhance their AS's coloring.  To achieve this goal Persians were crossed with shorthaired breeds having a similar type (cobby, compact bodies and round heads)--Burmese, British and Ame...
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Meat!

Posted by Michelle Merkel on Tuesday, October 18, 2011,
Persian and Exotic cats look best with a nice layer of fat over some good muscle tone.  My cats tend to do the muscle tone just fine.  It's the extra fat I never seem to be able to pack on them.  Don't get me wrong--you don't want them to be obese or FAT, per se, but very round--it just goes with the look.  Everything on them is supposed to be rounded.  Persian and Exotic kittens, in particular, look especially appealing a little plump.  My kitties are by no means thin, but I always feel like...
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October's Superstition Show

Posted by Michelle Merkel on Monday, October 17, 2011,
We survived :)  He was a tired boy--I got him up at 3:30am for his bath, and I think he had gone to sleep late, too.  He was pretty good for it tho.  I rushed it just a bit, and it showed--his coat was ever so slightly off in texture, and I didn't leave products on his feet and chest quite long enough to remove the bit of yellowing he gets from his food.

That said, I had 3 judges tell the audience about what a great job someone had done with him and his presentation while they were handling th...
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Getting ready for the show tomorrow

Posted by Michelle Merkel on Saturday, October 15, 2011,
Rockstar is looking nice.  He is really enjoying all the attention I've been giving him :)  He loves grooming and one on one time.

I wish I was a better Persian groomer.  I have come a long way, but there are still things I really need to learn.  No matter what I do, I still kind of feel like he is unfinished.  It's his face.  He is in kind of an in-between stage--his coat is much bigger than it was, but it still isn't enough to support a whole lot of face and head sculpting.  So while I have ...
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Decided to show Rockstar this Saturday...

Posted by Michelle Merkel on Saturday, October 15, 2011,
(written Tuesday, Oct 11)
I've decided I am going go ahead and enter Rockstar , my Persian male, in the Superstition cat show this Saturday.  I had been looking forward to it since last spring when I first started showing him in his short coat.  Some background information--I originally took Rockstar on as a project kitty--he was a nearly 4 year old male who'd been living in a cattery environment, and one that had never been shown.  He'd been clipped not too long before I met him, and had lots...
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About Me


Michelle Merkel Proud Proprietor of Mewz Precious Persians and Exotics Cattery. Originally from Montana, have lived all over the west and midwest, but finally found "home" in the valley of the sun. My degree is in Anthropology, with minors in Japanese and History. I am working on getting a dual Masters in Social Work and Public Admin. All of that is a long way from where I started--which was Pre-Vet. :) Besides grooming, breeding and showing my Persian and Exotic cats, I enjoy photography, writing, DIY projects, and computer gaming.

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