Just in time to share in this post, Michele, at Miki’s Hope has posted her review of CATalyst for Clues. As some of you know, in this story, Rags is a runaway cat. Check it out here: http://www.mikishope.com/2017/11/book-review-catalyst-for-clues-klepto.html
How many ways can a cat escape? I hope Rags and I never run out of ideas, because his escapes and resulting escapades are what keep fans coming back for more of my Klepto Cat Mystery stories. I’m sometimes afraid the authorities will eventually come down on me for allowing my fictitious characters to be so lackadaisical where their fictitious cat, Rags, is concerned. However, every time Rags’s people discover one of his escape routes, he finds another one. No matter what they do or how much they trust him, he manages to go adventuring.
If Savannah and Michael ever do find a way to keep Rags contained, the Klepto Cat
Mysteries would certainly lose their edge of suspense and mystery.
So, rather than trying to find new ways to secure Rages, I’ll continue to work on sharpening his curiosity and cleverness as he continues to discover opportunities and avenues giving him access to the world beyond.
In the new story I’m working on, Rags ramps up his skills and instincts to new levels as he inadvertently saves a beloved pet, expertly solves a long-forgotten mystery, and is the catalyst that shields his family from extreme danger—all because he’s such a darn good escape artist.
Do you have a cat that MUST go out? Most cats can be house-trained. That is, they can become inside only cats and be happy in an enclosed environment. But I’ve known a few who absolutely had to have access to the outdoors. Smokey, my mother’s cat, which is also the cat I’ve patterned Rags after, is one of them. As a kitten, even though he had access to a large home and a kitty door into the garage that had interesting climbing apparatus for him, he insisted—I mean INSISTED on going outside to explore and roam.
A cat I adopted from our local shelter, Dinah, had the same desires. She even refused to use the litter box. She never had an accident inside, but she could sure hold it until someone let her out. She’d even go out in the rain to do her job, while we waited at the door to let her right back in.
Would I bring home another inside/outside cat? Not if I can help it. The indoor/outdoor cats I’ve had did not live as long as those I keep inside only. Those neighborhood cats I see outside my windows are looking rougher around the edges the longer they’re allowed out. And there’s the worry. My mother constantly worries about Smokey’s whereabouts. And she keeps him inside more and more often.
Here’s a good site that gives tips for keeping your outdoor cat happy and healthy.
Neighborhood Garden Cat
https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/indoor-cats-vs-outdoor-cats/
One source says that indoor cats can live to be 17 years old. But statistics show that outdoor cats live an average of two to five years. So far so good with Smokey (and Rags). Mama just turned 96 and still lives at home. Smokey has reached the ripe old age of eight and he still looks good. She’s dodging bullets so far. But then, as he ages, he spends more time inside. And he’s never out over night.
Denver is the first US city outside of California to ban the declawing of cats. There are eight cities in California with that ban in place, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Today, let’s talk turkey…and stuffing and loaded mashed potatoes… What I want to tell you is be careful what your cat eats from the Thanksgiving table.
Monday we talked about what to do with your cat when you leave town for a few or a lot of days. Here’s another alternative. Those of you who have been following this blog, will recognize this post as I posted it in August of this year. I thought you might enjoy seeing it again.
anywhere in the world. They get such amenities as paw-icures, teeth-brushing, massage, pool time, cuddle time, agility course work outs (ever hear of iron-cat or iron-dog), sunset beach walks, and even visits from Santa Claus. For the more intellectual pet, there’s story time and private rooms where they can watch Animal Planet on TV.
It’s true. Now you can purchase all of the Klepto Cat Mysteries for your Kindle and in print AND 2 of them are also published as AudioBooks.
she doesn’t expect to walk into a mystery, become part of a not-quite-legal surveillance team, be kidnapped by a deranged stranger and meet a steaming hot veterinarian. Beloved neighborhood cats are missing—the community can only guess at their fate—and Aunt Margaret’s life is being threatened. Is it because she has a clue to the missing cats or is it something more sinister? If you like light mysteries with only a little terror, if you’re infatuated by interesting cats and if you love a love story, you must read this book.”
People have busy lives—even cat people. We have to go to work. We go out for exercise and social activity. And sometimes we go out of town, especially during the holidays. Guess what? Cats don’t really like it when you’re gone. Your cat might seem aloof. But you may also notice that she comes around to check on you every once in a while throughout the day and night. Right? She hangs around at meal time. A smart indoor/outdoor cat will come in before dark. She may enjoy curling up in a warm lap and snuggling alongside you all night long. And when you’re gone, she might feel the loss. What to do?
necessarily have a herd instinct, but they do seem to like the company. Some cats even go so far as to make friends with a dog, rabbit, hamster, duck, etc.
Once—only once—did we consider leaving our three cats alone without someone checking on them. We were going to be gone for about 24 hours. At that time, they were eating kibbles only. We had 3 litter boxes. We would leave several bowls of kibbles throughout the house and several bowls of water. At the last minute, however, our next door neighbor, Robert, offered to check on the cats while we were gone. We agreed and thanked him. When we returned, we learned that when he came in that evening, he smelled gas. Our stove connection had broken. Robert called another neighbor and they shut the gas off. I still get sick at my stomach at the thought of what could have happened if Robert hadn’t come in when he did.
The bad news is that at last count, over 70 million cats need rescuing. But according to at least one source—a major source in the scheme of things—the ASPCA—things are getting better. There’s no “handle” to be had on this yet—not by a long shot. There are still far too many homeless, struggling, and suffering cats (and dogs). But since 2011 the statistics are better.
First let me announce that Book 26, the latest in the Klepto Cat Mystery series, “The Perilous PURRsuit,” is available as a Kindle Unlimited book just like all the others. Thank you to those who pointed out that we’d missed a step in submitting this new book to Amazon. What would we do without watchdog-fans?
Do you watch My Cat From Hell on TV? If so, you’re familiar with Jackson Galaxy, the cat whisperer, so to speak. However, he prefers to bill himself as a cat behaviorist. But his brand of help involves the cat’s person, as well. He strives to help the owner meet the cat half-way. He says he tries to help people realize they don’t own a cat, they’re in a relationship with a cat and that we need to stop looking at the cat through dog-colored glasses.
Book 26 of the Klepto Cat Mystery series is now available in print and for your Kindle. Order The Perilous Pursuit here: 
