Most of you have read at least some of my Klepto Cat Mysteries. And many of you know I will have an announcement sometime this year. Savannah and Michael are expecting their second child—a boy, and I need help naming him.
You may recall, we named their first child–a little girl, Lily, Lilliana Grace after a great grandmother. What will we name the baby boy and why?
The winner gets three free Klepto Cat Mysteries of your choice (to US addresses only) or three kindle books.
Leave your choice here as a comment or email me PLFry620@yahoo.com
You may notice the great seal we’ve added to the “about” page. I’ve posted it here, as well. We’ve been chosen as one of 30 best cat blogs by Tuxedo Cat Blog in the UK. You might want to check out some of the others here: http://www.tuxedo-cat.co.uk/30-favourite-independent-cat-blogs/
stockings for our new great grandchildren who joined our family that year. But I had to do the work during Lily’s afternoon nap or there would be sequins and beads everywhere. Sometimes I get too much of her help in my office—usually when she wants attention or food. And I don’t dare leave a glass of water alone on my desk as Lily WILL help herself to it.
With more and more of us working at home, this is bound to be a consequence. I’ve had to apologize a time or two for my cats while involved in a telephone interview. Here are a few additional videos of disruptive cats: This one interrupted a yoga filming session in the most adorable way. 
I’m sure those of you with cats sometimes feel as though they’ve taken over your home. I mean, you want them to feel comfortable, well loved, like they belong, but how far is too far? Have you had a kitten or a cat practically destroy something in your home? Lily used to scratch paint off the hall walls. I referred to the orange paint designs showing through the white as her artwork. I’d even take guests on tour to see it. Yeah, that hallway was scheduled for a new paint job—once Lily outgrew her passion for scratchin’.
bring in. I can’t use raffia or ribbon around vases or to dress up a wooden rabbit or duck decoration, for example. I had the cutest birdhouse decoration with both raffia and a pretty bright bow. I still have the birdhouse, but the foo-foo stuff on it had to go. Sophie eats it and Lily chews on it, too.
Just a few days ago someone asked me, “What’s wrong with my elderly cat? She walks around crying all night.” Well, I’d just read something on this topic and relayed what I learned to this cat owner. I told her, it could be that she’s in pain, that she’s confused, she wants company, she’s hungry or any number of things. When a cat changes her behavior, there is a reason and it’s up to us, as their caretakers, to figure it out.
who’ve been around cats for a long time know, it doesn’t work that way. They say cats are mysterious creatures and boy is that true. There seem to be three periods in a cat’s life when she can develop a habit or maybe an unexplained behavior problem. Kittenhood (she might come with an idiosyncrasy or trait), as she ages (senility or a physical problem can develop), or a behavior or attitude can come about due to a situation (something frightened her—caused her to become introverted or maybe aggressive).
Most of us have been required to give our cats medicine at one time or another. It’s a real struggle, isn’t it? I’ve always preferred administering the liquid medicines, but even that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle when the cat wriggles. That pink stuff isn’t easy to wash out of a white sweater, either.
approach a meal enthusiastically. He looks suspiciously at what she puts on the plate, then licks the gravy from the canned concoction and walks away. A neighborhood cat, who’ll eat anything, comes along and finishes Smokey’s meal. True story. My mom actually buys extra gravy to pour on Smokey’s food since that’s the part he’ll eat. It seems that the only thing keeping Smokey going is treats. He loves the out of doors, but he’s actually staying inside more so he doesn’t miss a visitor because he has us all trained to give him treats when we arrive.
Our Lily, on the other hand, lives to eat. She gets three canned food-meals per day and we free-feed kibbles. Plus, she begs when I’m eating and when I’m in the kitchen preparing a meal. She’ll devour practically any morsel you give her—cantaloupe, peaches, apricots, applesauce, avocado (which I learned recently isn’t good for cats—so she no longer gets that), peas—she loves peas and, of course, chicken.
I’ve been around cats all my life and I’ve adored them from day one. But I’m afraid that I’ve taken them for granted in some ways. For example, I know that cats sometimes hiss. It’s what a cat does when backed into a corner. When a cat hisses he looks pretty scary because his ears go flat, he swishes his tail, and he shows his fangs. He looks like he’s going to bite and, if you’re close enough, you might get sprayed by his spit. No one wants to see their cat hiss at them. A hiss is a warning and you’d better heed it.
A cat’s fur is often what attracts us to them. A luxurious coat of fur certainly invites petting. But a cat’s most alluring feature can also be your biggest headache. While some cats seem to have nice, tangle-free fur, others need a lot of combing and brushing. It has been my experience that the cats who need it, hate to be groomed and those who don’t, love it. And, while it’s easy or at least possible to maintain some cats’ fur, others seem to get matted every time the cat rolls over or steps out into a breeze. An aging or obese cat will have trouble managing his own fur and may tend to mat or will have trouble cleaning up after a litter box visit.
But you risk cutting the cat. As you may have noticed, their skin, especially on the tummy, is paper thin. Sometimes it’s necessary to shave your cat. That would be for medical reasons (to facilitate a medical procedure, for example), for sanitary purposes (the cat isn’t able to clean himself “back there”), or she is seriously matted (tight mats can be painful for a cat). But it is recommended that you do not shave your cat at home. Take her to a cat groomer or your veterinarian.
What about giving your cat a summer cut—would he or she be more comfortable with less fur? Our long-haired calico Daisy did not like to be combed, so it didn’t happen as regularly as was necessary. By the end of summer, her underside was terribly matted. And those were the days before easy-peasy (but expensive) flea remedies. Those were also the days when we allowed our cats outside. So once a year, I’d take Daisy to the groomer and have her flea-dipped and they’d give her a summer cut. In Daisy’s case, we’d just shave her tummy. No casual observer was the wiser when they’d look at Daisy as we just did a sort of comb-over. Well, when she was standing or walking, for example, the shave job was not noticeable, at all. Daisy looked as pretty as always.
I first introduced Debbie De Louise’s Cobble Cove Mystery series last year. She has contacted me to tell me about a new release—Written in Stone. Here’s the promo:
We like to think that the little fur ball we bring home or the sweet cat we take into our heart will live happily ever after and beyond under our gentle care. However, sometimes cats do get injured and they can get sick. It’s your job as a kitty mama or papa to notice the sometimes signs that your cat is ailing and to get help. However, often the signs are subtle. Here’s a site that might help you determine when it is appropriate to call your veterinarian and what to tell him or her. 
would get diabetes (until I met one with it) or cancer (until one of our cats developed an incurable cancer in his throat.) 
