After landing at the Orlando airport my friend, Theresa, gave me the bad news, “I’m afraid Callie hasn’t been eating while you were away.” After a summer trip to visit my son, I came home to a very sick kitty. This wasn’t the first time Callie had issues with eating, so I knew the drill. After a visit to the vet to check her bloodwork, hydrate her with fluids and dose her with anti-nausea medication, I was off to the store to find some enticing food. Callie was uninterested in her prescription diet, so it was time to bring out the smelly stuff.

With two aging cats, our home has become a nursing home for ailing pets. My other kitty, Kiwi, was injured a couple years ago and walks with flat hind feet. Due to her unusual gait, I take her for regular chiropractic adjustments from our holistic vet. According to Sandra Murphy, author of Imperfectly Perfect Pets, “Animals show less concern about blindness, a bum knee or even the need for a wheelchair than humans do.” Kiwi definitely enjoys her treatments; she closes her eyes, purrs and lays still while our vet works down her spine. “When we’re open to the possibilities, such pets offer lessons in living life to the fullest,” says Murphy. Callie has definitely figured out how to live life to the fullest by improving her dining options. If she isn’t pleased with what is in the bowl, she just looks at me as if to say “Is that all you’ve got?”

This issue is jam-packed with tips to help you live your life to the fullest. Check out options from local experts to help shed stubborn pounds. Find immune boosters for kids to prepare them for back-to-school. Seek less stress and more fun with tips from our feature article, Simplified Parenting and incorporate the minerals you need to function your best. As summer winds down, I hope you make time to enjoy an activity that makes you purr.

Here’s to living life to the fullest!

Kris Urquhart, Publisher