Aristocats Read Catscapades

Miss Bella has good taste

Meet Miss Bella. She is one of many cats who are enjoying Catscapades, True Cat Tales—especially when her “person,” Karen, drops treats on the cover.

Here’s what Karen says about her lovely girl:

“Miss Bella is a British Shorthair, hence the proper name, ‘Miss’ Bella! I adopted her from Forever Home Pet Rescue of Simi Valley, Calfiornia after meeting her brother at a pet adoption fair. A breeder had gone out of business and dumped nearly 100 cats on various rescue groups. Miss Bella was one of them! A volunteer came up to Santa Barbara to do a home check and brought along two kitties for me to meet. Miss Bella ended up running and hiding under the bed and we couldn’t get her out, so we had to adopt her!!! Since she had very little human contact during her 2 ½ years at the ‘kitty mill,’ she was shy about being petted and terrified of being picked up (which continues to this day). Even so, she was a sweet, calm kitty and she fit in from Day 1. She awakens me every morning by pulling the covers off my head and kissing my ear and then moves on to kiss my fingers. I wake up giggling every morning.”

Karen Stevens, founder of All for Animals
http://www.allforanimals.com

Editor’s note, Miss Bella no longer hides, even when strangers come to admire her. She has become a wonderful companion for Karen. It took Karen a while to decide to adopt another pet after her beautiful cat, Cassidy, died. Read the story of how Cassidy had been abandoned in a warehouse district in Santa Barbara, California and how Karen rushed to his rescue one rainy morning. This story is among over 40 in Catscapades, True Cat Tales.

Order your copy here: http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

Where Do Cats Live?

Lily Happy in Her Home

No, the boat is not a luxury liner or even a houseboat docked nearby. This is a small, one-man fishing boat that is parked on a trailer along a neighborhood street. The scrawny black and white cat seems to spend most of his time sleeping on top of the outboard motor. The first few times I saw the cat, I thought, “How cute—a cat in a boat.” Later, when I noticed a paper plate with a few kibbles sitting on the bow, I knew—someone is feeding this stray who has chosen to live what few years the old guy might have left on this old, abandoned boat.

This cat came along too late to be featured in my book of cat stories, Catscapades, True Cat Tales. But there are stories of cats in unusual living conditions. I write about Pebbles, for example, who had a perfectly fine home with loving people, but who chose to wander down the nearby ravine to join a cat colony that gathered several blocks away. It took her people a while to figure out where Pebbles was going every day. Eventually, they learned that, although she was sleeping in her cozy bed by night, she was hanging out with the colony by day.

Lily was born in an abandoned Volkswagen and experienced her first six weeks sharing an attic with 14 other kittens. Alma and her kittens live in an overgrowth of ice plant in a San Diego cat colony. Bootsie tired of living in a barn and moved into a neighbor’s home. Her story is interesting because, unbeknownst to Bootsie’s new “person,” she gave her the same name as she had when she was a barn cat. Max was raised in a woodpile until we rescued him and his sisters. And then there were the four aging cats that were orphaned when their young “person” died unexpectedly and who each had to adjust to new surroundings. This is a story of divine intervention.

All of these stories and more are featured in Catscapades, True Cat Tales. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html. Order your copy now for Mother’s Day giving.

Dangers for Inside Cats

Lily Has Spring Fever

Spring is here and even the cats are enjoying it from inside. Lily, Max and Sophie love the thrill of chasing the various bugs and flying things that find their way into the house. They like watching the accelerated bird activity outside the windows. And they love the scents we bring into the house—on our shoes and in the garden bouquets.

I miss having cats in the yard with me when I’m gardening. I miss watching them roll in the warm dirt, nibble on tall grass, bat at butterflies and I miss being able to photograph them in natural settings. But we, like so many other cat people, are committed to raising our cats inside where the danger level is lower.

That said, let me remind all cat owners that there are also dangers inside—more than we always realize until our cats teach us some tough lessons. Yesterday, for example, I saw Lily playing with something. I discovered that it was a piece of red ribbon from our granddaughter’s hair and it had been severely shredded. Lily was in the process of eating pieces of the fine string. I snatched it up and she fought me—she was almost desperate in her eagerness to grab hold of that long, fine piece of string that had unraveled and was tangled all around the giant cat tree. She searched for several minutes for more string after I had picked it up. Then she found it in the waste basket where I had deposited it. I had to remove it to a more secure place.

Soon after this incident, Lily came into the living room and began pulling at strings visible on a piece of fabric I had fashioned into a cape for our granddaughter. I quickly put that away. I’ve never had the experience, but string, according to the vet, can be a disaster for a cat. If they swallow it, it can get entwined in their intestines and kill them. Have any of you had this kind of horrific experience?

I did have a cat swallow a piece of string with a needle on it once. That was a close call and my heart still aches when I think of the pain it must have caused the beautiful shaded silver Persian. It happened while I was sewing one day. Here’s the short of it—read Catscapades, True Cat Tales for the whole story plus around 40 additional heartwarming, harrowing and humorous cat stories.

Crystal was sitting too close to the pin cushion and, while licking herself, evidently picked up a piece of green thread with her tongue. She most likely tried to spit it out, but it kept moving farther into her mouth until she had no choice but to swallow it. Unfortunately, there was a needle attached to the thread. Thankfully, we discovered the needle which was stuck in her throat, in time to remove it before it caused any real problems. Order your copy of Catscapades, True Cat Tales here:
http//www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html or through Amazon.com.

It will make a wonderful Easter gift.

What are some of the other dangers inside a home for cats? Here’s a partial list: a variety of plants and flowers, chemical cleaning and other products, onions, ribbon/string, pins/needles/pin cushions, falling objects, bags with handles, faulty window screens and more. The list is much longer for kittens and includes toilets and blind cords. You’ll learn more about dangers for inside kitties in Catscapades, True Cat Tales.

And you’ll enjoy over 40 fabulous kitty photos. Order yours today and get a free gift with each book ordered. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html.

Catscapades, True Cat Tales–the Book!

Lily

It’s official. Our shipment of Catscapades, True Cat Tales is scheduled to arrive in our driveway Thursday! We’ll be shipping books Friday, March 19, 2010. It is the right time for you to order your copy to read and copies as gifts for all of your cat-obsessed friends…

Here’s a taste of what you will find in this charming book:

Introduction
A cat is a cat is a cat. Or is it? Every cat I’ve loved has come with at least one peculiarity distinguishing this cat from every other cat. It’s these enchanting and the not so enchanting distinctions that inspired this collection of cat stories.

Throughout the pages of this book, you’ll read about clever, clumsy and quirky cats. You’ll meet cats that are extraordinarily daring, incredibly spiritual and deliciously humorous. This book even features cool cats, scaredy cats, curious cats, courageous cats and un-catlike cats.
You’ll fall in love with Frigie Frypan, the fearless chocolate and white cowboy kitten who survived being dumped in a coyote-infested wilderness. Yet, just when he was ready to settle down with a doting family, he was catnapped.

You’ll smile while reading the story of Gus, the reluctant babysitting cat.

You’ll cringe at PomPom’s valiant attempt to defend her injured kitten against well-meaning strangers and marvel at her sudden ability to trust one human completely.

You’ll meet an obstinate calico who responds to mind-talk, an engaging Himalayan who responds to a spiritual healing and an injured tabico kitten who responds to an outpouring of love. And then there’s Sammy, the cat who changed a heart.

Read about adventuring cats, heroic cats and mew-sical cats as well as throw-away cats who create new lives for themselves. There’s also the story of four aging cats who were orphaned when their owner died unexpectedly and whose uncertain future was purr-fectly orchestrated through nothing less than divine intervention.

You’ll be captivated by these stories. You’ll laugh, you’ll weep and you’ll go hug your own cat.

http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

Order Cat Stories Book at Discount Today Only!

Lily Meets Her First Balloon

Today is the last day for the prepublication discount on the new print version of Catscapades, True Cat Tales. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html. The book shipment will arrive within days and the price for your copy and gift copies will be $12.95 each plus tax (CA residents) and shipping. It’s still reasonable for a book of charming cat stories. And what a great gift this book makes—especially in its brand new form. Check it out. It is beautiful.

Lily is the cover girl. She’ll be a year old April 1. Here she is the first time she ever saw a balloon—and what a balloon it is!

We’ve had some conversations, lately, through the Cat Writers Association discussion group about signs and visions we experience that seem to be communication from our cats that have crossed over. I shared that we wonder if Lily was sent by our soul-kitties, Katy, who died at 17 years old of kidney failure after a year of treatment in 2004 and Winfield, who died of cancer in 2007 at the age of 14. She has so many of these two cats’ traits it is uncanny. Her story is in Catscapades along with many many others. There are also over 40 color photos of cats and kittens.

Order your copy at a discount today, Monday March 15, 2010.

Catscapades Table of Contents

Daisy

Catscapades, True Cat Tales
Table of Contents

Introduction
My Life With Cats
The Legacy of a Cat Lady

Section One: My Cat, My Teacher
Things I’ve Learned From My Cats
Sammy: The Cat Who Changed a Heart
Winfield: The Furry, Purry Mentor

Section Two: Throw-Away Cats
Stories of Strays and Other Free-Roaming Cats
Memoirs of a Colony Cat
Ferals in the Woodshed
Sophie’s From Rags to Riches Story

Section Three: Kitty Cat Rescue
The Promise
Frigie FryPan and the CatNap Caper
Tina’s Surprise

Section Four: Uncat-like Behavior in Cats
Gus: The Babysitting Cat
PomPom, the Super Mom

Section Five: Catty Communication
What Did the Cat Say?
Daisy and the Cat Carrier Caper
Daisy and Katy: The Kittens Who Learned to Love

Section Six: Cats as Companions
Our Feline Friends
PomPom and Other Crazy Cat Names

Section Seven: Healing Cats
Saving Maggie’s Kittens
Crystal Swallowed What?
The Tale of Smokey’s Tail
Lily’s Miracle

Section Eight: The Rainbow Bridge
Momma Cat Needs Help Crossing Over
Helping Your Cat Find the Rainbow Bridge

Order your copy before March 15, 2010 (Delivery of books after March 15, 2010) and pay no shipping. Also receive a free gift. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

Explaining Heavenly Cats Photo

Heavenly Cats

This is one of 46 photos of cats and kittens in my new print book, Catscapades, True Cat Tales. Order your copy before March 15, 2010 and get free shipping plus a FREE gift. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

Order Catscapades, True Cat Tales NOW

Lily

The book is at the printer. Order your copy before March 15, 2010 and pay no shipping. You’ll also receive a free gift for each book ordered.

http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

What are people saying about this book? Be sure to read the testimonials page at this website.

New Cat Stories Book to Be Released

We’re almost ready to go to print with the new perfect-bound (real print book) version of Catscapades, True Cat Tales. Some of you may recall that the original subtitle was, “Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats.”

This new edition includes over 40 stories and vignettes featuring over 3 dozen cats and kittens and 46 charming photographs. The stories are amusing, they’re touching and they’re real. If you like cats, you’re going to enjoy this book.

I will be offering a special discount for those who order the book during the weeks it is at the printer. Here’s the deal—pay $12.95 (the actual price of the book) and I’ll pay the shipping AND send you a FREE gift along with the book as soon as we receive it from the printer. If you’d like to get a jump-start on this offer, send me a check for $12.95 (per book desired), along with your shipping address (one address only). We will deposit checks when we ship the books. (California residents, please include $1.06 tax.)

Send you check to this address:

Matilija Press
PMB 123
323 E. Matilija St., Ste. 110
Ojai, CA 93023

Or call with your credit card information:
805-646-3045

Email me with any questions: PLFry620@yahoo.com

This offer is good only until the book arrives here from the printer—estimated date March 15, 2010.

Frigie FryPan Kitty–the Saga Continues

Those of you who have read the story of Frigie FryPan in my book, Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats, know that he is no ordinary cat. Oh no, he is definitely one of the extraordinary cats. (Actually, most people who see this book challenge my title, saying that there is no such thing as an “ordinary” cat.)

As you can see from this photo, Frigie is curious. He wants to explore and experience everything that’s available to him just as fast and furious as he can. I have not met this cat—my grand-cat—yet, but it sounds to me as if he has the cat version of ADD. My daughter’s frequent phone calls, these days, always start out with something like this, “You’ll never guess what Frigie did today.” And she’s right, I never can guess. His antics are just too bizarre and mostly uncatlike.

This picture shows Frigie the day he helped clean the stove. Last week, he set out to more closely examine the large bags of kitty litter that my daughter bought on sale. She placed them safely on top of the large freezer in their garage. But, in this household, there are no “safe” places. In his spare time, which Frigie seems to have too much of, he discovered the kitty litter and proceeded to open the bags, which created a lovely “sand” fall cascading down the freezer and onto the floor. I’m sure this kept him entertained for a good while. Needless to say, my daughter didn’t appreciate his handiwork when she saw the sandy mess.

My daughter once bought some pies for a special occasion and set them up out of reach of any normal cat—who would not be interested in pies, in the first place. But Frigie, as I said, is not a normal cat and he thought the pies were for him. So he just helped himself. Sometimes he shares his finds with the other, less creative, cat and the short-legged dogs. Like, for example, the doggie bag of steak (or was it ribs) that the family brought home one night.

Frigie could keep people entertained (and other cats intrigued) by his antics through a blog of his own, don’t you think? In the meantime, read about him in Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats. On pages 38-40, I tell about his catnapping ordeal. Yes, two catnappers grabbed him, put him in a sewing machine case and drove off. It wasn’t long, however, before they tired of him and brought him back. My daughter and granddaughter were delighted to see their Frigie come back to them. Now, they aren’t quite so sure it was a good thing. He is more of a handful than they ever expected.

What other cat do you know who loves to nap inside the refrigerator or a clean frying pan on top of the stove? Frigie does. He also likes to be involved in the morning shower routines, see what’s cooking in the oven and ride on the back of a horse.

Read more about Frigie and 40 other cats in Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats. Order your copy here: http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html