Tammy Manka

My name is Tammy Manka, and I am a certified cat trainer, ABCCT (Animal Behavior College). If you know me, then you know I am very passionate about cats. For most of my adult life, I have had cats, all homeless cats that seemed to “find me”. I volunteer for a local cat shelter located in Northeastern, PA where most cats have been taught High Fives!

In July of 2016, I was walking my dog Panda who started sniffing and paying attention to a fake wooden well that was in my yard. When I looked in the well, I saw ten kittens. Not more than two weeks old. They were all wet and soggy and I initially thought they were mice. They were loaded with fleas, and all needed to be fed. From that point on, I raised them. Bottle feeding them several hours a day and giving them baths in Dawn until they were old enough for flea treatments. I made sure they all had their shots and vet visits within the appropriate time frames for their ages. Soon, the time passed, and they were now old enough to be adopted. I was fortunate enough to find homes for five of them. However, five remained. I did not want to hand them over to a shelter. So, I ended up keeping five of the little cherubs, as I called them.

Fast forward three years later. My cat Charlie started to have issues in the litter box. He would keep going in and out struggling to pee. At one point, he started to lay down in the litter which was very uncharacteristic of him. I immediately took him to our 24-hour emergency vet. As it turned out, Charlie had a urinary blockage. When all was said and done, Charlie blocked twice within a 24-hour time. The emergency vet recommended “PU” surgery or perineal urethrostomy. The surgery is performed on male cats to create a new urinary opening that allows urine to bypass the narrowed region. Charlie came through the surgery with flying colors. However, his recovery was tough. He had to wear an e-collar and use a litterbox of newspaper pellets. He struggled to have bowel movements and was generally not very happy with this process. It took awhile but he did recover. He did, however, develop FIC or Feline Idiopathic Cystitis. This is a type of feline lower urinary tract disease, (FLUTD) where he has unknown bouts of abnormal urination.

It was during this time that I started to thoroughly research his issue. The emergency vet explained that male cats are prone to urinary blockages more so than females. Some of the reasons why this could happen is if the cat isn’t getting enough water. Charlie ate mostly dry food and was never a big water drinker. I vowed for this not to happen to any of my cats again as this was a very nerve-wracking time for me, and Charlie and the surgery was quite expensive.

I began my quest to research better food options for all my cats. I made sure to read each label of each can of cat food to see if the ingredients were appropriate for them. I found myself looking at the moisture content in each can. The number of calories and what actual ingredients were cat feline appropriate to feed was a given. I also began researching supplements I could use to assist him when he had flare-ups of FIC. Supplements like Cosequin, D-Mannose and corn silk. I purchased more litter boxes and put water fountains throughout my house to encourage drinking. I even went to the extreme by installing cameras near the litterboxes so I could monitor when the cats used them. I also found myself spreading the word about Charlie’s ordeal to people I knew who had cats and about the importance of proper feline nutrition as well as recognizing abnormal behavior in our furry friends.

With a commitment to fostering understanding and harmony between cats and their owners, I strive to create a positive and enriching experience for both you and your beloved pet.

I’m cat mom to ten cats and one dog.