You know him as Rags the Klepto Cat. But to us he’s just Smokey, my mother’s beloved big-boy cat. He’s half Ragdoll and half no-one-knows. He has a mind of his own and he brings my mother a lot of joy and worry. You see, she wanted a lovely lap cat to wile her days away. But what she got was an active guy who insists on exploring the world beyond Mama’s nice home. She wanted him to be an inside cat, but he had other ideas. He’s more headstrong than my mother is and he got his way, so he has two kitty doors and usually a human door-opener standing by who will buy into his whim to be outside or back inside.
He’s also a lap cat. Nearly every day—once or twice—he’ll leap up into Mama’s lap and flop over for a cuddle. No, he doesn’t curl up—he flops and sprawls. I guess that’s his ragdoll heritage.
Mama insists on feeding him canned food to supplement his constant flow of kibbles. But
she worries a lot because he doesn’t eat much. It could be that he eats enough kibbles throughout the day to satisfy him. Or he’s being fed something he likes better than Fancy Feast as he adventures through the neighborhood each day. Or it could be that he fills up on treats and isn’t hungry come meal time. He gets a lot of visitors and herds each one toward where the treats are kept, then rubs against us with affection. Not one of us can resist him. So, yes, he gets probably more treats than he should.
Smokey is a cool cat, but he has bursts of energy and will let us see him play like a kitten occasionally. One of his favorite things to do is to pull his toy basket off the shelf and dump it. Then he goes to his hanging toy and bats it around a few times. As soon as playtime begins, it’s over. But then Smokey is almost 8 years old.
My mother gets a kick out of reading some of Rags’s escapades and she can just imagine Smokey doing some of that stuff. She likes that I patterned Rags loosely around Smokey. But he doesn’t seem to be impressed with my representation of him. In fact some of Rags’s actions and activities go strictly against Smokey’s grain. He does not like car rides, for example and he does not carry things around in his mouth, which is why Rags is actually a blend of cats. Rags looks like Smokey and has that confident air about him that Smokey has and sense of adventure, but some of the other aspects of Rags are taken from other cats I know
or have known.
Our sweet kitty, Lily, for example, carries things around in her mouth—brings me her toys, my slipper socks, etc. My daughter has had more than one cat who love riding in cars. It seems that when creating a cat character for a series it takes a village of cats—a colony. However, some of the other cats in the Klepto Cat Mysteries are nearly exact replicas of cats I’ve known.
If you would like to learn more about Rags, you must read my latest in the Klepto Cat Mystery series, Meowmoirs of a Klepto Cat. Order your print or Kindle copies here
While most cats are…well, pussy cats, some seem to have been spawned by an evil Tasmanian devil cat. What makes cats aggressive? Why do some cats play so rough? What causes a cat to fight his way out of a good petting session? Do cats get mood disorders? Are some cats just naturally angry?
simply warmth and nourishment. Kittens learn a lot about how to be a cat in those early weeks. One thing he learns is how to play nice and that’s vital to his future. Kittens get cues from mom and siblings demonstrating how to play gentle. And when the kitten is adopted into a forever home, it’s up to us to continue that lesson by using our hands for petting, not for wrestling with the little guy. Use wand toys to play with a kitten. If you use your hand to play rough with a kitten, he is going to respond by biting and scratching—grabbing and chewing. Over time, this play can get out of hand and become a bit rowdy. If you wonder how your sweet kitten became a tiger cat, look to your play tactics.
So the number one reason why a cat might become ornery is because he lacked proper upbringing by his mom and didn’t get play-time with other kittens at a young age. Number two is you—or whoever adopted the kitten when he was young. Play gentle, use a toy instead of your hand for exuberant play and your cat will be less likely to use you as a pin cushion and a chew toy.
he’s an intact tom, he was taken from his mother too soon, or he’s in pain. You might notice that the cat doesn’t seek you out to terrorize you, but he may react with claws and teeth when you try to hold him tightly, take a treat from him, back him into a corner, or restrain him against his wishes. I know, sometimes it’s necessary. But if you have an aggressive cat, it will behoove you to learn techniques and tactics for when you must physically handle him.
In case you haven’t learned it yet, that little fur ball you brought home—even the one that you’ve lived with for years now—is in charge. To keep peace in the family, most of us play by the cat’s rules. And this makes sense in many cases. But we can also help by not exacerbating the situation through teasing gestures, for example. Cats have been known to gentle down when treated with kindness and respect, although sometimes it can take a while.
Where do all of the ideas come from? From a cat’s whiskers to cat motif, from the cat’s anatomy to the perceived extinction of birds because of cats in the yard, from cat color to cat breeds and more—we cover the gamut of cat topics in this Catscapades blog.
look everywhere for ideas. We can find a plethora of information and concepts on the Internet, of course, but also in our everyday life—while interacting with other people and our pets, while out walking or driving in the neighborhood, during meditation, when in a crowded mall or coffee shop. Conversations with others often bring to light an opinion, point of view, fact, or inspiration that can foster a story plot or article idea. I love eaves-dropping. Many of my article, story, book, and blog ideas come from overhearing what others are saying in line at the grocery store, brief conversations I have in passing with someone, and observing other people (as well as animals) in a wide variety of situations.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Do you remember my post on whiskers? I decided to do that after seeing the photo I took of a cat with some of the wildest whiskers I’ve ever seen. I used that photo in the blog post this week. I saw three cats wandering in a dry riverbed one day when I’d made a wrong turn. I shot a photo and created a post featuring feral cats.
supper meal or a gift for a friend, try getting out of your head and look outside of yourself for ideas. It might come from a sitcom on TV, a commercial, something in a magazine you’re flipping through in a waiting room, something someone says, your favorite blog, a newsletter you usually don’t read, a brief conversation with a neighbor… I think you get the idea.
guessing. And sometimes it’s that guess, based on the cat’s activity or lack of activity that spawns a blog or story idea for me. What’s on that cat’s mind? My imagination goes bonkers when I look into Lily’s eyes. I might start thinking about a plot where the cat is sneaking in invisible alien kittens who visit earth every third Wednesday of the month to learn the ways of earthbound cats so they can create similar mystery and cunning on their planet to liven things up for their people. Yeah, I need to stop staring at my cats. But, hey, wouldn’t it be nice if the alien kittens showed our cats how to use the litter box without spreading litter all over the house and how to stop shedding on our clothes?
One of the cutest things about a cat is his whiskers. Have you ever noticed how your cat uses them? When he’s focused on a toy and excited, he might point his whiskers forward. This is called his game face because he’ll also do this when he’s in pursuit of a mouse, moth, or cricket.. Cute, right?
A cat’s whiskers act like radar for the cat. We’ve all heard that cats use their whiskers to determine whether they can fit into a tight space. I’m not sure that’s absolutely true. I’ve seen our cats pull their whiskers back in order to fit into a very small space, but a cat’s whiskers do help them to navigate in certain situations and especially in the dark.
Yesterday we talked about adventuring cats. In the past, I’ve featured cat breeds that tend to like water, such as the Turkish van, Turkish angora, Maine coon cat, Abyssinian, and Bengal. But have you ever seen a cat love…I mean absolutely love swimming in the ocean? Or is it his people that he loves so much? This video is amazing to watch. You’ll fall in love with this little black kitty named Nathan and marvel at his lack of fear—even of ocean waves and the feel of water on his fur. 
get wet. Here’s a picture of a Munchkin who delighted in taking a shower with his human when he was a kitten.
Our odd-eye white cat used to drink water with his paw. He’d dip his paw into the water bowl and lick the water off his paw. That’s how he drank water. After he tipped his plastic and metal water bowls over several times doing this, we switched to heavy pottery bowls designed for feeding and watering rabbits. That worked.
While at the Cat Writers’ Conference in Houston last week, the topic of adventuring with cats came up in one of our side conversations. It was discussed that more men are getting involved with cats thus, perhaps, the increase in hiking, beach-going, traveling cats. I think it’s grand—well, for the cat who enjoys that sort of thing. As much as Lily likes to be with me, I’m not sure she’d agree to accompany me on my daily walks or go hiking with me where dogs roam or even stand for a long excursion cross country or to another country. And I’m 
absolutely certain that Sophie would complain and complain and complain. In fact, Sophie was so traumatized when we evacuated the her and Lily to my mother’s house during the awful fire here in December that she later had signs of PTSD. She began licking a patch of fur out because she was so stressed by the ordeal and the memory of the ordeal.
And be sure to check out this site featuring the adventuring cat. Share it with your cat. That’s one way to find out if she would really like to go adventuring or if she’s an arm-chair traveler. 
As I’ve mentioned, we have some amazing authors and artists and other professionals in the Cat Writers’ Association (CWA) and many of us enjoy entering the annual CWA competition with our meaningful, useful and entertaining work. I’d like to introduce some of the winners this year.
Excellence for this work along with a Muse Medallion for her Pittsburgh C.A.T. Calendar and she won a cash award—huge recognition—for an article she wrote on kitten rescue. See Bernadette’s work 
I’ve been talking all week about my experiences at the Cat Writers’ Conference. Some of you might be wondering what in the heck is a cat writer and why do they have a conference. I mean, it’s obvious that a cat writer is someone who writes about cats or writes with a cat nearby or writes on cats… Now we’re getting silly. But then there is some silliness within the group, which is why I fit in so well and enjoy it so much. However there is certainly a serious side to the members and the premise of the organization.
our own. We’re focused on educating and informing the public about cats while also entertaining them through our writing and art. So we have members who write nonfiction articles and those who write short stories; authors with books (fiction and nonfiction) as well as artists who use pencil, paints, chalk, photography, and other mediums. Some of our members are TV and radio personalities.
year we have the opportunity to gather someplace within the US—New York, Texas, Arizona, California, South Carolina or ?—and we network. We present and attend seminars, mingle and share, cheer each other on at the awards banquet, exchange information and resources. It’s just the most wonderful opportunity to connect with those folks who we know only from their comments online, or their blog, etc.
This is also an opportunity to share the work we do through our annual competition. At stake are sought-after Certificates of Excellence, Muse Medallions, and money. There are cash prizes of $500 up to $2,000. Yeah, serious money.
enter your cat in the competition or just go as a curious spectator? I’ve been a looky-loo at several cat shows. I even attended one in Los Angeles once where Morris was on display (well, one of three Morrises—you know, the cat that helped to advertise 9Lives Cat Food in the late ’60s and ’70s).
My favorite cat show was one that I attended with Cat Writers’ Association members in White Plains, NY some years ago. I was signing books there. Aside from the beautiful pure-bred cats in all colors, sizes, and shapes (including my first sighting of a Savannah), they had a section of ordinary cats and kittens that were up for adoption. And every time a cat or kitten was adopted, a bell rang out and everyone cheered. Those were happy moments.
unhappy cats and also unhappy handlers. The breeder might have started out in this arena from a joyful place, but it appears that now they are somehow disgruntled—maybe just going through the motions of showing because it’s expected. But the joy seems to be gone. And that can’t be good for the cat.
I’ve researched cat cafes, I’ve written about them, I’ve talked about someday visiting one. Finally I did it! While at the Cat Writers’ Conference in Houston last week, we were treated to an outing to El Gato Cat Cafe. What a lovely experience.
windows through which to watch birds and other activity, tunnels, bridges, cozy beds, and toys. They also have people visiting and a caretaker who sits with them during visiting sessions to answer questions and, I’m sure, to help give the cats a sense of safety and familiarity. She also happens to be a vet tech and she observes the cats for any health issues.
As guests, you can interact with the cats, observe them, photograph them, and even pet those who will allow it. And this is important because the cats are all up for adoption and the patrons at a cat cafe help to socialize them–calm them, help those that are skittish to feel more comfortable around loving people. I’m sure that many of the cats have chilling stories to tell.
the cats look. They must be getting great nutrition and veterinarian care as well as a loving temporary home.
So where’s the “cafe” element of this cat cafe? Out in the parking lot. It’s a food truck operated by equally friendly people. They serve many interesting coffee drinks, other types of refreshment and a few food items.
