Meowy Monday – National Tabby Day

If you have a tabby cat and you consider him or her to be super intelligent, warm, and outgoing, you are not alone. There seems to be something about the tabby that really tugs at a heart. I didn’t cozy up to a tabby until a mere dozen years ago and boy am I glad I fell inlove with that little girl.

Lily arrived at our house one day in a carrier with another kitten. A friend of my daughter’s 3 cats each had a litter that year and produced 15 kittens.  I was interested in maybe adopting–rescuing one. My daughter brought me two to choose from—an adorable grey tabby with orange (a torbie) and a calico (one of my favorite types of cat). This was not a bonded pair—might have even been from different litters. That day, we surprised ourselves when we chose the tabby/torbie and boy am I glad we did. What a wonderful cat Lily was for the mere 11 years she lived. I miss her still. Her kidneys failed at a very young age and there was nothing that could be done.

If you love a mackerel, spotted, ticked, or classic tabby with grey, black, cream, or orange coloring or a delightful torbie tomorrow (Tuesday, April 30) is the day to celebrate him or her.

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Feline Fun Friday – Hairball Awareness

Today is National Hairball Awareness Day—bringing awareness to those of us who either freak out when we see our cat struggle to produce one of those ugly wads of fur on occasion or who believe these are natural occurrences for a cat.

What? I thought they were natural and noraml. Every cat I’ve ever had regurgitated a furball on a fairly regular basis. That isn’t normal?

According to some of the articles I read this week, apparently not.  The fur the cat licks up and swallows should land in the litter box. That would be the natural way for the cat. If she’s accumulating too much fur in her digestive tract, however, she will regurgitate it. And professionals would rather not see this happen, so they recommend regular brushing/combing and possibly a little help from a petroleum-based cat treat. There’s apparently also cat food that helps prevent shedding. Here’s a site with additional information: https://nationaltoday.com/national-hairball-awareness-day/

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Paws Up for Wednesday – Helicopter Cat Mom

Are you a helicopter cat mom or dad? Are you constantly watching and searching for and checking over and fussing over your cat(s). If so—good for you!!! There are a lot of difficulties and serious problems that you can thwart by your diligent attention to your cat. It’s the same with a dog, a horse, even a gold fish, I would imagine. It’s important to keep a close eye and hand on the animal at all times so you’re aware when a problem occurs in time to make a difference.

You will want to know as early as possible if your cat is losing weight, gaining too much weight, constantly licking a spot on her paw or elsewhere, using the litter box more or less often, or if there are changes in her mood or behavior. Is she less present and social and affectionate, for example. You want to notice a lump or a growth early on. Is her fur becoming matted because she isn’t grooming herself? Is she losing patches of fur? Has she become touchy anyplace—ears, back, paws…?

Keep in mind that any change in personality or behavior could have a physical cause.

Just last week I noticed a strange growth or something on the bottom of Olivia’s paw. She wasn’t licking it excessively, nor was she limping or favoring that paw in anyway. I happened to notice it during a cuddle session. Even though it didn’t seem to be bothering her, I thought the discoloration was not normal, so off to the veterinarian we went.

This was not a happy day for Olivia. She does NOT like a change in her routine unless she initiates it and being put into a carrier and carted off somewhere in the car is very frightening for her. Then she was poked and probed and messed with by strangers while we watched. No, she was not happy. But she cooperated.

It was found that she had a growth on a toe pad. They cleaned it up and took a snippet of it for a biopsy. We brought her home with a big cast-like bandage on that paw which lasted for less than 6 minutes once we got home. But the bleeding had stopped–she seemed to have no discomfort. Vet said it was okay if she managed to work the bandage off.

Biopsy shows no cancer–just a random sore that we will watch. So far so good.

Whew!!!! Otherwise the vet gave Olivia a clean bill of health. Good weight, good condition–everything good, but I am still keeping an eye on that little blip on her toe pad because I’m a helicopter mom, just like most of you are.

 

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Meowy Monday – Surprise Coming Soon

I’m extra excited about an upcoming book in the Klepto Cat Mystery series. Not only is it, in my opinion, a riveting story, the cover will feature one of my favorite photographs. The picture to the left is gorgeous–but this isn’t it. Smokey was my mother’s beloved cat. He now lives happily with my niece and her family. As many of you know, Smokey is the model for Rags in the Klepto Cat Mystery stories and on the book covers.

Secretly I’ve been waiting for the right story and the right title and the right moment to use the photograph I mentioned because it is so spectacular. Well, my cover designer, Bernadette, and I agree, this is it. I can’t wait to launch this book and show off the fabulous shot. I’ll tell you how I managed to get it when I reveal the cover. When? you ask. It looks like we might publish this book—Book 70—in May. I’ll keep you posted. For now, Book 20 in Olivia’s series is with the ebook formatter. You’ll be able to read this book early in May.

 

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Feline Fun Friday – National Cat Lady Day

We celebrate cats here at this blog, but we also need to pat ourselves on the back occasionally and own up to that once derogatory label people might put on someone like us who adore our cats. Remember when we used to shudder and back away from the term, Cat Lady—well, I think that was probably the term Crazy Cat Lady. Now most of us wear that badge and crown proudly.

We love our cats—some of us go to great lengths to  rescue throw-away cats, foster kittens and cats, take in more cats than is maybe completely reasonable (been there-done that). We stop and smile at cute cat pix and videos on social media. We get excited when we see a cat in a window as we’re walking in our neighborhood, or a cat on the porch. I take pictures of cats I see out and about. And I’ll stop at a pet store just to look at the cats up for rescue that week.

Cat Ladies (and Cat Gents) talk to the cats we meet and have deep conversations with our own cats. Yeah, it might sound a little over-the-top to some, but I own it. Yeah, I’m one of those Cat Ladies and I am a little crazy at times. So what?

If you are, too, celebrate your love of cats and your devotion to your own cats today. How will you do that? If you’re like me it will be by creating a fun, new experience for your own cats or just creating a lap for them to enjoy longer than usual. There’s nothing as soothing and relaxing and lovely as a cat in your lap, and your cat will tell you so through her sweet, soft purr and eye-blinks.

 

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Paws Up for Wednesday – National Tortie Cat Day

Today is National Tortie Cat Day (or Tortoisehell Cat Appreciation Day). If you’ve ever had a tortie, you’re probably celebrating in your heart. I am.

What is a tortie (or tortoiseshell) cat? They sort of look like a calico without the white and the colors (black, grey, brown and a light or dark shade of orange) are not organized over the fur, but mixed all together forming a mottled look—dappled, speckled.

Some say torties are born with attitude—torti-tude. Those I’ve known had little minds of their own. Some torties are a bit sassy at times, but mostly, in my experience, they have a sweetness that is quite intriguing—and they’re smart. In my experience torties are smarter than the average cat and they know how to get what they want.

Fun facts: One in every 3,000 torties is a male.

Of course, tortoisehell is not a breed, but a color found in many breeds of cats

I mentioned torti-tude—torties can be feisty, some say unpredictable and certainly regal. I would describe our tortie, Sophie–who was with us for 18 years, as regal, sweet, and healthy. She never had a sick day in her long life, until her kidneys started to fail at age 18.

If you have a tortie, this is the day to lavish all of her favorite things on her. If she’s like most, she isn’t finicky, but she does have her likes and dislikes. One thing she probably adores is her brand of affection. It has been my experience that a tortie isn’t your typical cuddle cat. She makes the rules when it comes to affection. Yes, this cat is worth celebrating. (I miss you, Sophie.)

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Meowy Monday – Cats Inside Versus Outside

Do you have friends who still offer their cats the freedom of the out of doors? I imagine you have neighbors who do. I now have six neighborhood cats visiting my yard pretty much on a daily basis. Two coming from one neighbor, one each from two other neighbors and two cats that I don’t know where they belong.

They’re all beautiful, well-cared-for cats. That, I’m glad to see, and Olivia and I enjoy seeing cats in the yard. So far, they’re mannerly and fun to watch. But I sure do worry about their safety, as I’m sure you do about the cats roaming free in your neighborhood.

There seems to be no middle ground in the controversy between total indoor cats and cats being allowed to roam. Some cat people choose to keep their cats inside while others let their cats roam. One of my friends says, “Keep a cat indoors? I couldn’t do that to a cat.” Of course, countless cat owners today, including me, say quite the opposite, “Allow a cat to roam free? I couldn’t do that to a cat.”

I grew up with the open-door-policy where my cats were concerned. I’ve had numerous cats over the years which I allowed out if they wanted to go out—they all did. And too many of them never came back. Some came back with injuries.

Then I bought a purebred Persian and vowed to keep her inside. I did and things went swimmingly. I learned that you can train a cat to be happy as a housecat. I mean, if they never know anything different and if they have everything they need inside, it’s easy to keep them safe and happy.

So I’ve been a believer in keeping cats inside for the last thirty-five years and this commitment has served me and all of the cats I’ve rescued since very well.

I’ve since learned that indoor cats is a thing. Everyone is doing it and just look at all the help and support we’re getting for this “movement.” Cat organizations and experts everywhere support this decision. Major companies are creating amazing things to keep indoor cats active and entertained and healthy. There are podcasts and videos and conferences and professionals to show us how to keep our cats happy and healthy indoors—by giving the cats lots of attention and  using window perches, climbing apparatus and places to claw, chew, play, hide. You can even build or purchase simple or elaborate outdoor tunnels and other enclosures for your cat to enjoy the out of doors in safety.

There will probably never be a total winner in the debate between keeping a cat indoors or allowing them total freedom, but there are statistics that show which decision is actually healthier for your cat. Can you guess which one it is?

Here are a few statistics I found. The lifespan of an outdoor cat is as much as 10-12 years shorter than that of an indoor cat. Another study shows that outdoor cats live an average of 2-5 years where an indoor cat lives an average of 10-20 years. The reasons are many—there is a long list of dangers for cats out of doors—disease, parasites, traffic, wild animals, toxins and poisons used in neighbors’ yards or stored in an open shed or garage. Cats can be closed in someplace, picked up by someone who thinks it’s a stray or attacked by other cats or even humans.

Indoors or outdoors, it’s a choice. Just make sure you’re making the right choice for your cat.

 

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Feline Fun Friday – How Do You Leave Your Cat?

It’s inevitable that you will leave your cat(s) home alone at some point for varying amounts of time. How does your cat react to this? Are her reactions different when you’ve left her for a quick grocery store run than when you go away for a day or longer? If you have more than one cat, they probably all act differently when you return.

I’ve had cats appear to be sulking when I’d return home after an inexcusably long absence—you know, like an hour or a day. Some of my cats have completely dissed me when I’d return. I remember Katy (my Himalayan) coming into the room when I’d return, but she wouldn’t be social. She’d stare at me—glare at me—from across the room until she felt I’d been punished enough, then she’d show me some love.

Winfield, (our white odd-eye cat) would usually greet us when we returned from anywhere no matter how long we’d been gone, especially if we brought back a ripe cantaloupe. I always knew, when I came home with groceries, whether or not I’d picked a good cantaloupe. If Winfield greeted me in the kitchen, sniffing the air, I knew it was a good one. He loved cantaloupe and he knew how to choose them.

Do you tell your cat goodbye when you leave? I always do. I want to know where Olivia is when I leave—to make sure she hasn’t been closed into a room or a closet (it has happened). And I tell her we’re leaving and that we will be back. I’ve noticed that the longer we’ve been gone, the less cordial Olivia’s greeting when we return. I think many of you have experienced that. It’s kind of a cat thing. Give that cat time, however, and she’ll be all over you, mapping out where you’ve been with her keen sniffing mechanism and letting you know how much she missed you—or is the snuggling just a way to make sure her scent is all over you in case you happen to leave again?

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Paws Up for Wednesday – Fun and Interesting Cat Habits

If you’ve adopted a lot of cats over the years as I have, you know how different each of them can be. Some of them develop very interesting habits and ways. Olivia loves her morning treat, but there’s a ritual she insists on before she’ll accept it. First she walks into the room where the treat-man is. Then she stretches, walks closer for petting, rubbing back and forth against his legs. When she’s had enough petting, she sits down, looks up at him, and sweetly mews letting him know she’s ready to accept her treat.

Sometimes Olivia will sit across the living room and stare at me until I pat the sofa next to me, then she’ll run to me, jump up onto the sofa, and curl up next to me. Doesn’t she know she doesn’t need an invitation to cuddle?

She loves an open window (with a sturdy screen behind it, of course). On a nice day I’ll call, “Window, Olivia. Want window?” and she’ll come running.

One habit that many of my adopted cats have had is hiding from visitors. Some never got over their fear of other people. Olivia is learning the difference between someone coming here to visit and a delivery person simply dropping off a package. She no longer hides when she sees the Amazon or UPS trucks pull up. She watches the delivery person trot up to the house and drop the package, then rush back to their truck. No fear. It’s a start—and then, sometimes the package is for her, so maybe that’s why she’s now interested in the delivery people.

When Olivia wants canned food, she waits until I go into the kitchen, then she joins me, mewing and mewing. I’ll get out the can and she disappears, but I always find her waiting at the spot where we first started feeding her.

We had a cat once who always checked his kibbles bowl when he saw us preparing for bed. If he was low on kibbles, he’d wait at the bowl for someone to walk past and notice that he needed a refill. He wasn’t always hungry at that time. As soon as we filled the bowl, he’d often go on to bed with us. He was just planning ahead. This is the cat who drank water with his paw. And that was all the time. We never did see him lapping water from a bowl, he’d dip his paw and lick the water off it.

Cats enjoy different types of petting. Some like it rough, others want gentle hands. Some enjoy a tummy rub and others adore having their head or chin scratched. Some love to curl up in a lap, while others want to be near, but not touching. I’ve had a couple of cats who wanted to be close to me, but not on me. They’d lay next to me with a paw on my leg. One of those was a lovely Himalayan and she used to adore curling up with me on my pillow at night.

Cats are so similar with some very different ways. What are your cats’ most unusual and charming habits or likes and dislikes?

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Meowy Monday – What’s Happening in the Klepto and Calico Cat Mystery Factory?

For those of you who missed the announcements, we have two new books for your spring reading pleasure almost back-to-back.

Maybe you noticed that we came out with two books in January—Olivia’s Perilous Curtain Call (Book 18 of Olivia’s series) on January 18 and Meow or Never (Book 68 or the Klepto Cat series) on January 31.

Well, we did it again in March. I published The Good, the Bad, and Olivia (Book 19) on March 11 and Within Paw’s Reach (Book 69 in the Klepto Cat Mystery series) on March 26.

So what’s happening now in the factory? Promotion, of course, and, yup, we have two more books in the works. You’d think I was twins.

Book 20 of the Calico Cat series is with the editor this week. It should go to print before the end of April.

I’m half-way through the first rough draft of Book 70 of the Klepto Cat series. Expect it to debut sometime in May.

Moving right along.

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