Animal Clinic of Kalispell - February 2019

Working Felin

OZZIE THE CLINI

Hey, Ozzie here.

I’m the fluffy orange cat who calls The Animal Clinic of Kalispell home. I don’t just sleep here, mind you. I work here, too. I attend staff meetings and everything! It’s my job to help people feel relaxed. When someone comes into a veterinary office and sees a dog or cat just hanging around, they feel a little less worried. If another animal feels comfortable here, their own pet is going to be just fine. I can still remember the day Dr. Clark rescued me from the shelter. I’d gotten used to being at the shelter, so I was pretty calm when Dr. Clark picked me up. But when we arrived at the clinic, I got a little nervous. As soon as they let me out of the carrier, I took off, tearing through the clinic like I was trying to break the sound barrier. I was a little freaked out about being in a new place. The next day, after Dr. Clark found my hiding spot, I came to realize this was a great place to be. Even though I’ve been around since 2013, most people don’t know I’m here. That’s because I usually like to be in the back. That’s where my food dish is. Since I’m constantly on a diet, I need to be near my dish in case someone decided to feed me. Plus, I like to sleep on freshly folded towels

Strength of Mind TIPS TO KEEP MEMORY SHARP AND IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION Irish poet Oscar Wilde once called memory “the diary that we all carry about with us.” Of course, in Wilde’s time, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years old. As modern medicine continues to enable people to live longer, these “diaries” tend to become muddled. Fortunately, there are ways to counteract the natural dulling of our memory that comes with time. Puzzle Yourself Just like any other muscle, our brain needs a workout in order to stay strong. As Dr. Celeste Robb-Nicholson of Harvard Medical School writes, “Challenging your brain with mental exercise is believed to activate processes that help maintain individual brain cells.” Activities like solving puzzles, learning a musical instrument, or picking up a new hobby work wonders to keep your mind active and your memory sharp. These mental exercises are especially important after retirement, often to make up for the loss of stimulating challenges that work used to provide. Get Physical Taking care of our physical health has also been shown to help brain function. According to a study by Sydney University in Australia, aerobic exercise is particularly good at jogging our memory. The researchers note that “aerobic exercise acts by preventing the usual decrease in neurogenesis associated with aging, thus resulting in greater retention of neural matter — particularly in the hippocampus.” In short, exercises like swimming and running keep the part of our brain responsible for memory from shrinking. Spend Time With Friends and Family Humans are social creatures. Many studies have shown that being a part of a supportive social group can significantly benefit our physical and mental health. In fact, the American Journal of Public Health reports that people who have daily contact with friends and family cut their risk of dementia and mental impairment almost in half. Our mental diaries may be longer and fuller than they were in Wilde’s day, but if we fill those pages with hobbies, exercise, and close friends, our memories will remain sharp and vivid for the rest of our days.

Terrific Tuna Cat Treats

A lot of us are guilty of feeding our cats things they shouldn’t eat. Cheese and bacon

are tasty, but they aren’t good for your cat’s health. Ditch the table scraps and instead treat your feline friend to a great recipe inspired by MyRecipes.com.

Ingredients

• • • •

4 ounces canned tuna, drained and shredded

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon dried catnip

1 large egg

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