December is National Cat Lover’s Month—something most of us celebrate all year long and have for all of our lives. And the more cats we get to know and the more time we spend observing them, the more deeply we love cats. Here’s a gift for you. There’s always been controversy and mystery around where cats came from and how long they’ve been on earth and when they 
were domesticated. This article makes these questions even more mysterious. Well, not totally. There are some interesting discoveries noted here. I always enjoy learning more about the history of the domestic cat, but it is a little muddy. No one seems to be able to 
connect the dots. For example in this article you’ll see that cats were first seen as early as five to four million years ago.
Human contact with cats dates back to the Middle East around 9,500 years ago.
Fossils from cats have been found in China date back
5,300 years.
Cats were considered sacred in Egypt around 2465 BC, but there are no authentic records of domesticating of cats before 1500 BC.
Some believe domestication started over 12,000 years ago.
It’s muddy in my mind, but I’m awfully glad we discovered cats and have domesticated them to a point where we can snuggle with them, but I also appreciate that hint of wild still lingering inside those adorable, furry beings.
You’ve probably read numerous articles stating that no one actually knows what makes a cat purr—how it is mechanically possible.
of muscles around the larynx. Makes sense. But there are new answers to this age-old mystery, and you might find them interesting. They have to do with a small pad evidently recently discovered in the cat’s throat that is what creates the purr sound. Here’s a report with details. It’s interesting, but really, who needs to know how it happens when they’re curled up with a sweetly purring cat. It’s enough just to feel and hear the purr. I guess the next question will be why does a cat’s purr affect us so greatly—make us relax and smile, and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Have you ever invited a cat in or brought one home from a shelter or rescued one from a box of kittens in front of a grocery store and realized later that it was meant to be? How often have you felt as if the cat rescued you as much as you rescued the cat? Maybe you suddenly found yourself smiling and laughing more as you cared for this fur-being and learned more about his or her 
personality. You felt good to give the cat or kitten a warm place in your home and soon found that creature was also warming your heart.
perhaps or from the pain of loss.
hurting or struggling. And most often their entrance into our life was not brought about by our conscious effort. It was as if the universe orchestrated the union, and sometimes we don’t even realize the impact a cat has on us until the cat crossed the rainbow bridge.
Thanksgiving is over. You are probably one of many who either entertained at home or you spent time in the kitchen preparing a dish to share and had dinner away from home. Either way, it surely upset your cat’s daily routine. She’s glad to be back to normal today, but maybe she’s also a bit needy—she needs you to assure her that everything’s okay.
up (make sure the screen is tightly in place), take her outside for a jaunt under supervision, of course. And you might want to add something new to your routine with your cat.
1: Introduce a new toy or two. If she has a basket full of toys, switch them around. Bring out some she hasn’t seen for a while. If she doesn’t know what to do with the toy, play with her—show her some interesting ways to play with the toy.
place toys here and there inside it.
watch your cat leap after them or spring into the air to catch them.
We all know that animals, especially, can often overcome a weakness by strengthening another aspect of their body or senses to compensate.
abnormalities. Injuries and neglect can cause physical damage. Here’s a site features some well-loved and adored cats with handicaps such as deformed limbs, Dwarfism, deafness and blindness as well as neurological issues. Have you ever treasured and pampered a cat with what might be considered a defect?
Those of you who read my Klepto Cat and Calico Cat mysteries know that I have my cat stars do some pretty wild and crazy things in these stories. They ride horses, go hiking, do a lot of exploring and make some interesting discoveries, take things, find things, lose things—oh yes, they’re busy and active for 
sure. But Rags’s and Olivia’s fictional pursuits pale in contrast to what some real adventuring cats are doing. And here’s a website to prove it.
I found it interesting that of the 9 cats featured, 3 are orange tabbies, 3 are hairless varieties of cat, and one is handicapped, but you ought to see what they can and will do and, by the way, seem to enjoy. One thing that fascinated me was the fact that not only are they all so comfortable wearing vests/harnesses and leashes, some will also tolerate goggles and other apparatus for their safety.
Writers wear many hats. We write, of course. That’s primarily what I signed up for when I became a writer over 50 years ago. But I quickly learned that being a published author also means being a researcher, interviewer, imaginative story-builder, editor, reader, keen observer, open-minded listener, foreseer, wordsmith, and definitely an aware and diligent promoter.
realize why I need a nap after a day of writing. I’m using a lot of parts of my brain and my awareness.
blog, of course, but I might also do book signings, blog tours, send out a newsletter, and more. I talk about my books everywhere I go, for example.
sides of your brain to do it right. And over 125 published books later, I still enjoy the process.
Klinefelter is actually a syndrome. You’ve heard of it before, but maybe not by that name. I actually stumbled across the term this week by accident. So what does it mean? It’s the term for a male cat that happens to have calico or tortoiseshell markings.
These are names for calicos or torties with tabby markings. Then there’s the calamanco (a tortie) or the clouded tiger (another name for calico).
Here’s another cat-related name I’ve never heard of—Grimalkin. It’s a term for an old female cat.
I’m excited to announce the publication of Olivia’s first Christmas story—Olivia’s Christmas Miracle. Oh, what fun I had creating this story and I’m thrilled to present it to you. Here’s the description:
As I’ve mentioned, I have a large collection of pictures of cats I meet as I walk, shop, visit, garden and so forth. Here are a few I met while visiting relatives last weekend. The family I visited said the big black-and-white cat is Lily, but I wonder if they’ve checked that 
out. She’s a big girl for a girl.
