It happens, you simply adore cats or dogs or horses or hamsters or even birds, and find out that you’re allergic to them. What to do? Should you deprive yourself of the joy of having the pet of your dreams? Will you take shots or pop pills for the rest of your life? Many people push through the discomfort as best they can—keep their hands away from their eyes after petting the cat, bathe the pet often, wear a mask while grooming the horse or cleaning the bird cage, etc.
When it comes to cat allergies, there are some things to consider before bringing one into 
your home.
Did you know, for example, that dark-colored cats tend to release more allergens than light-colored ones? There are also cat breeds to consider that are less allergenic. There’s the Siberian, for those of us who love the cats with lots of fur, the Balinese as well as some of the hairless cats and the curly breeds—the Rex cats. How can the Siberian be hypo-allergenic? According to experts, they have a lower enzyme level in their saliva and it is the enzyme or the protein in the saliva that causes your allergies. I thought it was cat dander—dry skin. Well, allergies and their causes can be a confusing topic, so I found you this site where you can learn more about cats and allergies and how to enjoy the best of both worlds—having a cat and controlling your allergies. https://www.webmd.com/allergies/cat-allergies
You probably read that the oldest cat on record died this year. Rubble, who resided in England with his family, lived to be 31 years old.
stuffed the kittens into a backpack and tossed them into a Dumpster. Thankfully they were discovered before entering the crusher and are now being cared for in loving homes.
During 2020 we, here at the Klepto Cat Mystery factory, have been busy too. We had our most productive year yet with 8 new stories featuring Rags, the Klepto Cat who can’t keep his paws off other people’s things. And we might even make 9. The 49th book in the series—the 9th book I’ve written this year—just might make it to publication before the ball falls in New York. If it all comes together as we hope it will before New Year’s Eve, we’ll introduce the new book later this week. Wait until you see the cover on this book!
How many of you have the Cat-a-Day calendar and each morning you enjoy tearing yesterday’s page off to reveal today’s adorable cat? I don’t know about you, but I learn something more about cats throughout the year from that calendar. I’ve even contributed to it and I’ve had a couple of my photos accepted. Thrill! I’m still waiting to hear if a photo of Olivia with her paws crossed will make it into the 2022 calendar. I think they’ll contact the “winners” around October. Crossing my paws too.
them—or only 10 of them have ever been registered. Yes they are a recognized breed. This is the Ojos Azules (Spanish for blue eyes).
Even during a pandemic and the holidays—which are quieter than most years, but also awkward because of the national-world health crisis—we continue to write and produce the Klepto Cat Mysteries. Where are we in the process? I’m currently proofing the formatted print book version of Book 49—“In PURRsuit of the Unknown.” And I’m hoping the cover art is ready when the book is ready to publish. I’d like to bring the book to you before the end of the year, but this may be the first book of 2021.
well set and it will be published on the heels of Book 49. Do I have a plan or organized itinerary for production in 2021? No. My plan is to continue playing it by ear. As soon as I turn a book over to the beta readers and the editor, I’ll start writing the next one—hoping that an interesting, intriguing and fun storyline emerges. It always does.
Like me, you’ve probably received at least a couple of holiday cards with cats on them. Facebook is delightfully cluttered with photos of cats dressed for Christmas, posing with holiday decorations or in a Christmas stocking. I don’t know about you, but I’m loving it. I spend my evenings flipping through facebook saying, “Awwwww. How cute.” I giggle. I actually giggle at some of them. (It’s a far cry from the facebook posts before the election.) Yes, this is a sweeter time, albeit seriously worrisome with the pandemic still looming over us mixed with hope as the vaccines are almost visible over the horizon.
If you have more than one cat or have had a variety of cats over the years (like me), you have learned one important lesson. No two cats are the same. They each comes with a plethora of traditional cat-like behaviors and traits and characteristics, but there’s also always something unique about each one of them. They teach you something new about cats. Isn’t it fun???
and she’s teaching us tons. Loving the lessons.
On my website, 
There are so many things about the holidays that can pose a danger to our cats. Indoor cats can slip out through an open door as people come and go. They might find a helping of food that could make them sick (or worse), or get a splintered chicken or turkey bone stuck in their throat. There are beautiful holiday plants that are poisonous to all pets (including poinsettias, lilies, amaryllis (which is a lily), and mistletoe), cords they might want to chew on, ribbon, tinsel and other traditional decorations that are not safe for cats. And if you have a young cat with that kitten energy, your tree and your decorations are probably in danger this year.
it yourself, add icicles or angel hair, or mix a chemical into your tree water to make it last longer, follow the links I’ve provided and read the articles. Heck, the tree itself can make a cat or kitten sick if they eat the needles.
What’s cuter than a cat napping? For the last two years I’ve bought day planners with adorable photos of napping cats on the pages. I smile each time I turn a page and see the napping cat of the week. Gosh they’re cute. I’ll bet you have some sweet photos of your cat napping. I sure do—too many to share in this space. In fact, I could make my own calendar or photo book of cute cats sleeping. They do it so well, don’t they?
be sound asleep. Are cats narcoleptic? Or are they just more at peace and relaxed than we are? Cats can go from a sound sleep to wide awake faster than the speed of light. Again, that’s unlike any human I know. If we’re roused out of a sound sleep by something alarming, we don’t have our wits about us. If we land on our feet 
(which is doubtful), we might flounder and even fall while trying to figure out where we are, what happened, and why we’re suddenly lying half naked across the coffee table. Yeah, you
don’t see cats making such fools of themselves.
fresh water placed in strategic places throughout your house can help. Some cats are fascinated by water fountains and will be enticed to drink more from a fountain. Other will drink more water if you turn on the spigot for them at least occasionally.
lick the droplets off. That’s how he drank. Lily and I had a ritual where every morning I’d turn the bath water on ever so slightly and she’d take a long drink before breakfast.
aren’t trained to perfection when it comes to keeping the lid down, never ever use any of those automatic toilet bowl cleaners.
