Most of us adore cats—all cats, any cat no matter their background. I don’t know about you, but I love meeting up with new cats and seeing cat antics on the Internet. Cats are all catlike, yet they come in so many different shapes, colors, styles, and personalities. While I don’t buy cats from breeders, I’m always curious about new and unique breeds of cat. I imagine you are, too. So here’s a rundown on some I discovered (or revisited) this 
week. You can see 15 of them displayed at this site. https://www.catster.com/breeds/newest-cat-breeds
Here are a few that grabbed my attention: The Highlander is an experimental breed—a cross between a Desert Lynx and a Jungle Curl. These cats have a wild look about them with curled ears and a bob tail and wild markings in a variety of shades and coat patterns.
The Aphrodite or Cyprus is an interesting breed, occurring naturally and can be traced back to over 10,000 years. So these cats have come from a feral population of cats. I found it interesting that their coloring and markings vary
Some of these cats are considered Aphrodite Giants and they can reach weights of 11 to 18 pounds for females and as much as 24 pounds for males.
If you enjoy knowing about some of the most rare and unique cats around, do as I did and initiate a search to learn more.
We’re juggling three books here this week, all in various stages of the process. Book 19 of the Calico Cat Mystery series is with the Kindle formatter. Watch for this book to debut soon. Warning, while there are some wonderfully touching moments with Olivia in this story, I’ve also included a couple of murderous episodes giving this book another dimension of mystery and intrigue. As with all of the Calico and 
Klepto Cat Mysteries this lively story will be available at Amazon (and autographed and paw-tographed copies at 
Meanwhile I finished my edits/proofs on Book 69 of the Klepto Cat Mysteries over the weekend and sent it to the editor (the woman who makes me look good). This story was a lot of fun to write as it kept me on my toes and allowed me to have fun along the way. I think you’ll enjoy the twists and turns and little surprises I tucked into this story. Watch for this book to debut around the end of March.
Tomorrow is International Cat Rescue Day. If you’ve been thinking about adding to your feline family, this is a good day to do it. I’m still working to save the little orange tabby that’s roaming free in my neighborhood. That would be an important rescue. If each of us focused on just one abandoned or free-roaming or shelter cat today, just imagine how much of a difference we could make for cats.
I cannot understand why in this day and age, with so many cats being abandoned and left to fend for themselves and so many being euthanized every year, why cat owners do not have their cats neutered/spayed. But the evidence (of so many feral and 
sheltered cats and euthanized cats) shows that still way too many people are not getting it!!! They don’t understand that we have created a crisis 
situation among cats worldwide. There are not enough people to care for the number of cats that need care. The simple answer is to spay and neuter your cats.
I’m interested in some of the judge shows on TV—well, an author needs a break from writing and the curiosities that come up in some of the cases keep the brain active. Sometimes you see cases to determine custody of dogs and even cats. A typical cat case is when someone leaves their cat(s) with a roommate or a friend for a couple of weeks and they don’t return to 
get them until many months later. Who should be given custody of the cats—the person who owned them, but abandoned them or the person who cared for them and has become attached to them?
cats back—since, by law, cats are considered property and the cats are his property.
litigants in this case were men and both quite emotional about these cats.
It’s a good thing to have a backup person to care for your cat(s) should you become ill or you must go out of state to care for an ill relative or something. But if you want your cats back, you really need to create evidence that you truly deserve to have them. You know how 
easy it is to become attached to one or more sweet cats. The caregivers just might want to keep them and they’ll start gathering evidence against you.
It used to be that the cat’s nature, when compared to that of a dog, was described as aloof (distant, detached, unfriendly, remote, unapproachable, snooty). Does this describe your cat(s)? I didn’t think so. There’s new evidence and beliefs about cats that discount this premise. I don’t know about you, but I’m awfully glad 
to see this. Sure, we’ve all known cats that seem more discerning than others. They’ll take their time to make friends and maybe they won’t greet you each time you come home from work or play. But what about those many times your cat curls up next to 
you or in your lap and gives you that look that says, “I love you more than catnip—you are my everything?”
you that endearing slow blink? Does she bring you her toys, fall over in front of you as you walk across a room and roll over showing her tummy? Does she head-butt you, lick you, give you whisker-face kisses, invite a belly-rub? Yeah, that’s not aloofness.
Monday we discussed what you can do to protect the feral cats and homeless neighborhood cats. If you aren’t aware of needy cats in your area, and you’d like to help cats, consider reaching out to one or more local cat shelters. These shelters are not typically run by 
someone with unlimited funds, and the expenses for running a shelter can be higher than you might think. Here’s a site that explains how much it can cost to start an animal shelter.
Then there’s the ongoing costs for housing, supplies, food, and let’s not forget medical care. Many of the cats come to the shelter with injuries or other medical challenges. For this reason, most shelters (if not all of them) have staff who promote fund-raisers to help sustain the shelter and take care of expensive surgeries
Winter’s not over yet and there are still cats living out of doors without shelter. You may be aware of some in your neighborhood, and you want to help, but how? Build or buy a cat shelter. You can purchase one for 
anywhere from $20 to $140. Some of them come with a heating element. Or you can add straw to help keep the cat warm. In case you know of a cat in your neighborhood that needs shelter, I’ve provided a link to cat shelters rated best of the best for outdoor cats. Check them out. If you know a cat 
that needs one and you can’t afford it, pass the hat. Surely there are others who care about the homeless cats in your neighborhood—cats that are only trying to survive.
Yes, you can make them from storage bins, Styrofoam coolers, or even random pieces of wood. Remember to use straw for extra warmth.
It’s been quiet around here this past week or so as I work on the next Klepto Cat Mystery. I hope you’ve all enjoyed reading the latest one—It’s Meow or Never. In this story Olivia joins Rags on a wild horseback adventure, and Savannah and Parker team up to solve another sticky cat mystery.
Of course there are rumbles backstage that make this one of Olivia’s most action-packed stories. Be sure to order or download Olivia’s Perilous Curtain Call. I think you’ll like it.
