The Best of 2024: Dr. Karyn's Favorite Stories About Her Cats

Hi, I'm Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.

You know how every now and then a long-running TV series drops in a flashback episode, where the majority of scenes are from previous installments? You just know that the writers either ran out of ideas or just wanted an easy week. Well, seeing as it’s that weird and sleepy period between Christmas and New Year when no one seems to know what day it is or what they’re supposed to be doing, I thought it was the perfect time for some reflection on the past year. That’s right, this is my flashback post!

I’m just kidding, but I did think it was a great opportunity to recap some of my favourite posts from 2024 and allow you to catch up on some stories you may have missed.

Clutch and the Vacuum: A Love Story

Read it here: Clutch and the Vacuum: A Love Story (With Video)

Technically, I’m cheating a little bit here, as this one actually came out at the end of 2023, but it is just too good not to include! The discovery that my very not-deaf cat, Clutch, is not just unphased by the handheld vacuum cleaner; he actually enjoys a nice grooming session with it! It’s a great way to get rid of his loose fur before it ends up all over my clothes and furniture, but he has started to get in my way when I’m actually trying to use the vacuum to clean the house. There aren’t too many cats (or dogs) out there that are happy to be in close proximity to a vacuum cleaner, let alone be groomed by one. Proof that Clutch is one unique feline.

How My Cats Help Me to Switch Off and Focus on the Now

Read it here: How My Cats Help Me To Switch Off and Focus on The Now

Despite the fact that cats are often the focus of social media, they don’t appreciate sharing your attention with it. Often when I find myself in a doom-scrolling spiral, it is the forceful affection of my cats – particularly Cyril – that drags me back. While I try not to read too much into my cats’ motivations, it does seem quite deliberate that, after spending a little too long staring at my screen, a cat will force their way between me and my phone. Reflecting on this has helped me to recognize when I have spent too much time in the clutches of the virtual world and bring my focus back to the wonderful creatures in my actual world.

What's That Sound? The Melodious Tones of the Feline Upchuck

Read it here: What's That Sound? The Melodious Tones of the Feline Upchuck

It might seem odd that one of my favorite articles is the one about vomiting, but what I liked about this one was that I knew it would help a lot of people understand what is and isn’t normal when it comes to feline digestive pyrotechnics, as well as be able to appreciate the difference between vomiting, regurgitation, and the “coughing” up of hairballs. We received a lot of positive feedback on this one, with people realizing that what they thought was a worrying respiratory problem was actually a sign of hairballs.

Sometimes I Scruff: When A Wrong Makes a Right

Read it here: Sometimes I Scruff: Thoughts On a Controversial But Practical Technique

Well, this one definitely ruffled some feathers! Reflecting on this topic after the article went out made me realize how much a dominating opinion can sometimes be mistaken for the correct or only one. Over the past decade, the use of a scruff hold to restrain a cat has fallen out of favor, with many feline specialists insisting that it is a cruel and distressing method. I can tell you that it was a bit distressing trying to get a good photo of me using this hold on Cyril because he kept purring and trying to roll over and play with me.

The fact is that we have no way of knowing with any certainty that a cat being restrained using a scruff hold is in pain or just upset because of whatever is transpiring that makes the scruff hold necessary. What I can tell you is that, with the exception of a few cats that simply resent being touched in this area, I have never observed any indication of pain from a cat restrained using a correct scruff hold method. What cats do resent and find stressful is being wrapped up and held tightly, and the less you restrict them, the calmer they are.

I believe in using well-executed techniques that are appropriate for the individual involved and the procedure being performed. Making blanket rulings and judgments based on human perception of such a technique might make some people feel better about themselves, but I’m not sure that it truly reflects the feline experience.

Rant over.

Alex and the Somersault of Happiness

Read it here: Alex and the Somersault of Happiness

Being able to share this special little maneuver with you all when Alex is so shy about sharing it with others brings me such joy.

He somersaults when he is happy – what more can I say?

Looking Ahead

As we say farewell to 2024, I am already looking forward to sharing more insights, quirks, and lessons from my life and work with cats. If there’s something (or someone) you’d like to know more about, get in touch using the comments section below, and I’ll see what the clowder and I can work out!

Wishing you all a safe and happy 2025 from Clutch, Alex, Cyril, Zelda, Zazzles and myself.