Have you made any promises to yourself this year? Are you going to change something that isn’t working, work harder, take more time off, spend more time with friends/family, lose/gain weight, eat healthy, exercise more? Whew! That’s a lot of promises to make all at once.
If I were to ask my cats for advice about New 
Year’s resolutions, they’d probably say, nap more so I can cuddle with you, buy more treats, stay home more with me, no more vet visits, bring me one of those cute birdies I see outside the window, no more car rides…
Interestingly enough, in my constant research, I came across a list of Cat-inspired New Year’s resolutions. I thought you might enjoy seeing them. Here’s the link: https://www.cathealth.com/behavior/playing/2559-cat-inspired-new-year-s-resolutions
In this piece, the author suggests such things as, enjoy the little things, don’t pay attention to what others think of you, if you like something go after it (stalk-pounce), be an explorer. Yeah, this sounds like what your cat might tell you. And I suggest that you read the article as it really is quite valid and could be useful.
Here’s another fun list of resolutions for your cat and from your cat. You’ll get a kick out of this: https://caringvets.com/2017/12/new-years-resolutions-cat/
Have you made any new resolutions related to your cat or other cats for 2019? I guess if I
were to consider changing anything in the way I interact with or treat cats, it would be—it has to be—be more proactive on behalf of my mother’s cat (the star of the Klepto Cat Mysteries) Smokey (AKA Rags). He gave us a scare last week when he had another urinary tract blockage. He MUST stay on the prescription food. NO dry food. Since Mama is 97 now and only wants (what most of us want) a happy cat who loves her, it’s going to take some tough love from me to make sure Smokey has no access to anything other than what the veterinarians have prescribed. So far so good as I have confiscated all of the food and treats he’s not supposed to eat.
Yesterday Lily sent me to her veterinarian’s office to pick up more of her prescription food. While I was there, I met Buddy, their greeter cat. He’s been there for a few years, but I’ve only just glimpsed him before. This time, I found him in a box on the counter mostly sleeping. He’d open his eyes to check out each client, especially if they had a pet with them. And he did agree to a brief photo shoot. Handsome guy, isn’t he?
A neighborhood favorite was a tangerine girl named George. Her owners said she was a 
Maine coon cat—such a lovely lady who enjoyed spending time in our yard posing. And boy did I take the opportunities she presented to photograph her. You can see why—she had a knack for positioning and style. She was a regular run way model—well, yard ornament, you might say. We lost George at the age of fifteen this last year.
another photogenic cat. I’ve caught him in many interesting poses over his eight years. Like George, he’s an indoor/outdoor cat, which makes photo shoots more fun. The background is more natural and interesting. Smokey is actually half ragdoll, although even the veterinarians and techs at the emergency animal hospital didn’t believe me. One said, “I saw that on his paperwork and I just said, ‘Whatever!’” Yeah, she didn’t believe me.
I love our two kitty girls and many who lived here before them, but I also thoroughly enjoy meeting other cats and kittens when I’m out and about. The latest cat to join our neighborhood collection of indoor/outdoor kitties is Moonie. Isn’t she pretty? Too colorful and maybe too clumsy to catch birds, it seems. She watches those wild birds that I feed, but no one has ever seen her with one or even trying to get one. That’s how to stay in my good graces, Moonie.
Many of you, after reading the most recent Klepto Cat Mystery, start hungering for the next one. I thought I’d let you know where we are with Book 33. I have finished the writing, my beta readers have given their feedback, the cover is in progress (LOVE it), and the book is currently with the editor.
decisions to make. Each book takes hours and hours from the germ of an idea to the end result when you can curl up with the book and your cat and experience it.
nonetheless and the result, of course, is hilarious and precarious. Keys are mysteriously appearing and disappearing. What do they mean? The local pastor promises a big reveal at the church on Sunday. In the meantime, however, villagers are in an uproar—while some are frantically seeking keys, others are giving theirs away. But almost everyone shows up at the church to learn the secret, even an uninvited cat who, it turns out, is responsible for the show going on. Yes, his klepto ways once again saved the day, until he finds himself in a seriously precarious situation. You won’t believe how he got out of that mess.
of business, for example. Just last week I walked into a new pet store looking for wild bird seed. When a cat skittered across my path, of course I stopped to meet and greet her. She was a character. While her brother snoozed peacefully in a cat bed under the counter, she had taken it upon herself to check stock, never mind that there was a dog complaining in the background because he was getting a bath. She had a job to do and she was going to do it.
Here in Ojai, California, we have or have had cats in various establishments. Sterling lives and works in a feed store. There have been a couple of library cats, and our outdoor bookstore is usually graced by a cat, as is one of our nurseries. But there are also cats in office settings across the US, warehouses, medical buildings, restaurants, factories and other types of businesses. How does a cat become a shop or library cat? Often by mistake. The cat just shows up either injured and in need of help or just looking for a safe place to stay. Sometimes business owners will adopt a friendly cat to keep rodents at bay or to greet customers and add ambiance to their establishment.
Please send good and healing thoughts to Smokey today. Smokey is my mother’s cat–the one I patterned Rags–the klepto cat after. He’s in the hospital with a urinary tract blockage. Ouch! So glad one of my daughters and I popped in on Mama 
Sunday unexpectedly and that we happened to catch Smokey straining to pee. When I saw the problem, we scooped him up and took him to the nearest emergency pet hospital. They pulled the catheter last night and if all goes well (if all comes out well) we can bring him home today–I’m sure with a 
strict diet.
This is a day of transition for many. We’ll all become a year older in 2019 and we’ll certainly be faced with new challenges, experiences, and lessons. We’ll meet new people, make new friends, and lose some of those we’ve known. Just like a kitten exploring the world for the first time, we’ll stumble and get back on our feet. We’ll fail and, if we allow ourselves the opportunity, we’ll succeed. But one thing’s for sure, we’ll never get a do-over for the things that went awry in 2018. If we’re fortunate, we’ll walk away from the past with only those things that will lead us to a more peaceful and happy existence—lessons learned, successes realized, precious memories, and a grateful heart.
aren’t working in your life, you may need to forgive and forget. Leave behind those things that hamper your sense of well-being. Shove aside the thoughts and actions that hold you back and keep you stuck. And bring forward those gifts that you can use to become a better person.
As the week and the year come to a close, I’d like to share a feel-good story of a traveling pair—Richard and his beloved cat, Willow.
In recent weeks we’ve talked about the dangers, hazards, and upsets the holiday season brings to our cats. But I actually think cats enjoy certain aspects of the big holiday celebration in ways that we might not even notice.
Our cats love the days we spend at home decorating and baking and wrapping. Of course, they think we’re doing all of this simply to entertain them. I have to say having cats around during the holidays is a lot of fun.
made on him. As my mother ages (she’s 97 now), we consider Smokey her support cat, so I thought he should be recognized as such.
1: Stay close to your person—underfoot if necessary and definitely on her lap or at least her feet, to remind her not to leave again or never to bring a bunch of people into the house.
Remember how she left you with only kibbles for all those hours to shop and visit people over the last few weeks?
her change her mind about going out, wind yourself around her ankles to let her know how much you need her. If she falls, oh well, then she won’t feel like going out will she?
5: Give her a lot of help. She might be busy today picking up gift wrap, cleaning around the house, and moving things from one room to another. If you want her attention, you need to help her. You can tear the paper in small pieces for her, make sure she has lots of kitty-cat company in the kitchen, lead her into and out of the rooms and up and down the hallway while she’s carrying heavy boxes. Speaking of wrapping: if you get under the tissue and inside the boxes, this will make her laugh and a happy person is one that will pet you and scratch you behind the ears.
Happy Holidays from Patricia, Sophie and Lily
