How many times a day does your cat (or cats) make you laugh? There’s no doubt that cats are comical—little comedians. They play, they leap, they curl up and stretch in interesting positions, hide out, interact with other cats and babies, fall, climb, and give you looks that just crack you up. Almost 
everything a cat does is cute.
I’ve laughed at Olivia’s antics and smiled at Sophie a few times already today and it’s just four thirty in the morning. Last night I was doubling over laughing at Olivia’s crazy leaps and tumbles as she chased paper wads. She can be quite the out-of-control acrobat.
I think we all appreciate our cats for the entertainment they provide. Here’s a site showing photos of cats in trouble, causing trouble, and just being cats. I offer this for your morning chuckle. https://www.zarias.com/funny-cats/
We know how popular cats are since the advent of the internet, but did you know that cats were used in advertising all sorts of things long before YouTube and FaceBook? Here’s a photo of a poster in my office showing a couple of dozen ads from the 30s, 40s, and 50s using cats. There were cats in ads for matches, thread, medication, cigarettes, batteries, baking products and so much more. Here’s an article you might enjoy on the subject.
Well, here’s a holiday I wasn’t aware of until this year. Did you know that July 11 was All American Pet Photo Day? But it may not be too late for you to join in on the patriotic fun.
I don’t know why I have so many dates on my calendar wrong this year. Is it a pandemic thing? I’m usually careful to transfer dates from one calendar to the other at the beginning of each year. When I become aware of a special date I note it. But I’ve missed the mark with several cat-related holiday dates this year and I can’t figure out how that happened.
celebrated on July 10. In actuality it was celebrated on June 21. I’m mentioning it today anyway because it’s an interesting concept, it fills space, and because it relates to many of us who work at home. We have cats in our workspace 24/7 (whether we want them there or not).
It used to be just writers and artist-type people who worked from home. The world has discovered, however, that there are many jobs that can be conducted at home and more and more workers are choosing to continue working from home. 
And business owners are on board with this. One of my grandsons, for example, has proven to himself and his boss that he is as productive working at home as he was driving the 40-60 minutes to work in order to do business in a cubical each day. It looks like working at home will be a permanent situation for him. He doesn’t have a cat, but he has a dog and three small children. Yeah, I think I’d opt to go back to the corporate office.
some of them adjusted nicely and others not so much. Like most writers with cats, I wouldn’t know how to work without cats in the room or at least roaming in and out, leaving fluffs of fur and paw prints here and there, reminding me to get up and stretch (and play with them). Having cats in my office is sort of like having a window overlooking the beach. There’s always something interesting to watch or a sweet moment on the horizon.
Pet Photo Day. Here’s what the originators of this holiday suggest:
KCM and CCM? That’s Klepto Cat Mysteries and Calico Cat Mysteries. Oh yes, there’s a lot going on. Book 52 of the Klepto Cat Mysteries, “A Whisker Away,” came out last month and it’s gleaning all sorts of great reviews. Here are a few comments from readers:
We all know that cats are probably the most manipulative animals around. They are experts at using their wiles to get their way. If that doesn’t work, they might try laying a guilt trip on you. Cats have been known to create chaos in order to get what they want (and think they deserve). They knock things off the coffee table, tip your tall glass of iced tea, run across your fresh slice of strawberry pie…
demand, for example, the cat might jump up onto the counter and figure out a way to open the door to the treats himself, of course, pulling out a jar of Marciano cherries, hoping it hits your tile counter and breaks in the process. Are you laughing (or cringing) now because you’ve experienced such behavior with a cat? Or can you visualize your cat doing something like this out of spite? Give the cat what she wants and she’s probably Play Doh in your hands—that is if you keep giving her the treats or scratching her back or tossing her ball for her.
Lily used to bring me her toys. Did she do that for praise or attention? I’m pretty sure there was an ulterior motive in there somewhere, especially when she began bringing me my cozy slipper socks. (I was careful never to leave my underwear lying around where Lily could find it, especially if we were expecting guests.)
hand away from keyboard or letter-writing or needlework or your phone.
There have been many reports throughout the last year and a half about the effect of the pandemic on our household pets. Can they catch and spread COVID? Should you touch your cat or dog if you have COVID? Have our pets been confused by the changes during the pandemic? Of course they have.
positive change will sometimes knock a cat off kilter. One positive result of this worldwide situation is that more animals have been adopted. However, now there are reports of cats and dogs being returned to shelters.
are home more often. There may be new demands and rules to follow. Some cats and dogs have been fed more often and given more treats. Veterinarians are now saying that they’ve treated a lot of overweight pets in recent months.
study says that the changes during 2020 in their cats were mostly positive, but the changes in their dogs were mostly negative.
Is your cat a hidey cat or does she love having visitors? Is she used to the vacuum cleaner and the mop, or does she still skitter away when they come out? Will she snuggle in your lap when you want her to, or do you have to wait until she feels like it?
comfort level. I’ve had cats that were so accommodating, you’d think they were puppies—“Whatever you want, Mommy. I’m putty in your hands.” But those cats (for me) were few and far between. Maybe they were actually puppies.
Especially when you rescue rather than adopt, your cat may arrive with a can of worms—a purrsonality that keeps you guessing. Many of those cats become what I call oxymorons. They can be as skittish as a wild rabbit or fox or… And they can be as affectionate and loving and relaxed as a big old friendly dog. At any rate, they are fascinating creatures.
during 2020, is such an oxymoron. But I like to think of her as a loving companion in progress. Even her face illustrates her split purrsonality. She is aloof and remote—even snooty at times and just wants to be left alone. Then she has her extreme opposite side. In fact, at the moment that I’m writing this, she’s curled up and purring in my lap. Loving it!!!!
she comes to me seemingly for comfort. It doesn’t take long for her to regain her confidence until something frightens her again. I notice that when there’s a leaf blower or a chipper or hammering in our neighborhood, Olivia will look at me, seemingly for my response to it. I croon to her and this seems to settle her down some. Oh, she’s still on alert in case she has 
to do battle with the noisy intruder, but she will stay out in the open, usually wherever I am—maybe she thinks she’s protecting me.
I’ve learned that each cat has a different comfort level and that it can change over time. It’s up to us to provide the space they need to feel safe and to let them have their space, but to be there when they need our input and support. It’s a
big job, but someone’s gotta do it.
Some of you know, from reading my Klepto Cat Mysteries and now also my Calico Cat Mysteries, that I teach as I write. Actually, there are things to be learned in most books of fiction. You can’t write fiction without elements of truth—unless, I guess you write fantasy.
Here’s another blast from the past. I posted this in March of 2009—yes, a dozen years ago. There’s nothing quite as comforting and joyful as hugging or petting a cat. Experts say that just being around a cat can lower your blood pressure. That’s one reason why hundreds of business owners throughout the world have felines on their staff. If you haven’t discovered Trina Sampson’s Shop 
Cats site, you must go there and meet some of the working class of cats. 
There’s a place of business in my community situated on a small farm where cats and even dogs of various sizes wander in and out of the manufacturing studio. You never know when you will come back from lunch and find a soundly sleeping tabby curled up in your office chair or holding down the invoices in your out box. There’s a resident cat at the local feed store and there’s one working at our outdoor bookstore.
home office. Max is raccoon-like in size and shape—you know the type? He’s white with shades of brown markings and perfectly round bright-blue eyes. He’s formerly feral, however, and his pupils are often hugely 
dilated, so his eye color doesn’t always show well in photos. You can see a photo of Max as he strains to hit a high note while singing in Terzo’s Mewsical Society. 
