Old school thought—that cats are aloof and incapable of caring—has been pretty much thrown out the window as we spend more time with cats over the years and tune into them more. Those of us with cats know the truth. Cats certainly are quite capable of emotion and of showing those emotions.
Even if your cat doesn’t like to be picked up 
and cradled like a baby or she would rather not snuggle on your lap, if she loves you, she certainly has her ways of showing it. My Himalayan, Katy, while she wasn’t a lap cat, she loved being close to me and almost always rested a paw on me when we were relaxing together.
Lily continually brought me her stuffed toys and my cozy socks. She’d also sit near me and just stare. I’d say, “I love you, too,” 
because I was certain that’s what she was saying to me.
You probably have many examples of your cat’s demonstration of affection, even if it isn’t traditional. Here are 9 signs that show that your cat loves you. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/9-signs-prove-cat-loves-171100418.html
They include following you around, rubbing against you, kneading, blinking slowly as they stare at you. Read this article and see what you think. I’m sure you can list additional ways your cat demonstrates her love for you.
There are some crazy research studies being conducted these days. A recent one involved men with cats. Researchers at Colorado State University showed photos of men sitting or standing alone and pictures of the same men holding a cat. They displayed these pictures on a dating site. Their take-away from this research was that, in today’s world, women are less likely to date men who like cats. Say what? It’s evidently true. Here’s the link to the story. 
We’ve heard about cats alerting their family to a house fire. We all read about a cat attacking a dog that was bothering a boy on a bicycle. In my Klepto Cat Mystery series the starring cat, Rags, does this sort of thing fairly often. And it seems that my stories aren’t as fictitious as one might think. Here are a few examples of amazing rescues by real life cats.
began pouncing on the man repeatedly, finally waking him up. When the man realized he wasn’t feeling well—he was able to call the hospital and get help.
A cat named Tommy in Columbus Ohio didn’t waste any time when his owner fell out of his wheelchair and couldn’t right himself. Tommy apparently dialed 911 and summoned the help of professionals. When the rescue team arrived, they found Tommy sprawled out near the phone.
As you know, there are thousands of businesses focusing on products for and about cats, from fancy foods to designer cat clothing, gigantic jungle gyms, and scads of cat motif items for those of us who adore cats and want to flaunt it.
this story: He and the love of his life, Paloma, were dining out when a tabby kitten meandered in and cozied up to them. As Cameron says, “Before the check arrived, we’d devised a scheme to sneak her past the concierge at our airbnb condo…” and they brought her home. They named her Nyx –the Greek Goddess of Night—and ended up calling her Nyxy—thus the name of their business NyxyCat. These are photos of that lucky cat, who seems to have brought the couple luck, Nyxy.
Have you heard of the kittyo? It’s a device that allows you to speak to your cat when you’re out of the home, play with him, and even offer him treats. It would be fun to watch your cat’s reaction when he hears your voice. We had a cat once that would attack the phone when she heard my voice on the answering machine. At least that’s what we think was happening when we’d come home to a message on the phone and the receiver on the floor. Check out the Kittyo here: 
If you’ve been following this week’s blog posts, you’re probably ready for a lighter, more uplifting topic. So I thought I’d end the week on a happier note—focusing on when you finally find that purr-fect new addition to your loving home. As most of you know a lot goes into preparing a home for a kitten or even an older cat. You may have to go back into your memory bank to recall what it was like to have a kitten around, for example. Some older cats come with baggage—you know, habits and unusual behavior, maybe fetishes. But that’s for another article or blog post. Today I want to touch on something more fun—cat names.
struggle to name a cat and other times when the name is obvious. Some cats come with a name—you might choose to keep it, alter it some, or discard it altogether.
him. I thought and thought about a name for this robust kitten. I discarded name after name. Finally I found his name at a grandson’s graduation ceremony. I listened as the names were called out and Max is the name that stuck. I finally chose Lily’s name when I realized she was as delicate as a flower. We had to change Katie’s name when she came to us because we already had Katy. It took a while, but we finally chose to call her Dinah because she was always in the kitchen with us.
online and I’ve come across some adorable cats and kittens with some very unusual names. One tiny girl was called Goose. How do you suppose that came about? If you’re like me, you have to spend some time with the cat or kitten in order to find a name that fits. When you know it, you know it.
Here are some fun names people have actually named their cats: Rosie Posie, Lucy Blue Belle, Kitty O’Meowly (love that one), Duchess Honeysuckle, Butterbean, Mr. McWhisker and Mr. Fuzzy Pants.
are some tips for choosing the right name for a particular cat. Note such things as, where did the cat come from? Lily was born in a Volkswagen and raised in an attic, Max’s mother carried him from the backyard behind us to our woodpile, Katy came from a kitten mill in Missouri. Sophie was living on the streets when someone trapped her to give her the opportunity for a better life. I’m sure we could have come up 
with names related to their beginnings. I have a friend who named a kitten Wally because he was found inside a wall of a house that was under construction.
First, let’s establish whether or not an animal can grieve. Those of you who have had cats and other animals for any length of time—you know the answer. Absolutely animals feel and express emotion. You’ve seen your cat’s happy dance, her grumpy side, signs of frustration, fright, irritation, adoration—all of it. To know a cat is to know how deeply she loves and maybe that’s one of the most endearing things about a cat.
Sophie. Sophie was four when Lily came to live with us. She seemed to enjoy having a little sister to play with. It appeared to renew Sophie’s energy—give her a spark she’d lost when her senior pal, Winfield, crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. While Sophie and Lily did not become snuggle-buddies, they didn’t groom one another or sleep cuddled up together, I know now that there was a bond between them.
surprise some—others will nod knowingly. We certainly saw signs that Sophie was mourning when she realized Lily was not coming back. I believe that some of that knowingness came from us. Sophie sensed the shift in our emotions. And she responded. Anyone who has had cats for any length of time can tap into their cats’ sensitivities. We know our cats. They’re creatures of habit and when the behavior changes, you know that something has changed within them. Either the cat is happier and more contented because of a positive connection with another animal you’ve introduced or another person, perhaps. Or she is hurting because she’s ill or grieving. What are the signs of grieving in a cat?
Sophie and Lily would run at breakneck speed up and down the hallway—Lily being chased in one direction and the chaser in the other direction. Now, at least twice a day Sophie walks through the halls calling as if for Lily. It’s sad and haunting.
for food when it’s mealtime, checking in with me when I’m working in my office, and scratching on my favorite chair.
Okay, so you feel that enough time has gone by. You’re past the most painful part of your grieving, and you’re ready to welcome a new cat or kitten into your home without any expectations. You’re open to getting to know a new cat or kitten without any intentions of grooming it to fit the mold of the cat you just lost. Now what?
NOT as easy as it used to be. Here’s what I’m finding in my search so far.
2: Shelters are closed. The cats are with foster families and there’s no walking into a facility and shopping for a cat or kitten.
pretty much to these policies.
other words be patient with your new fur-companion. While you’re getting to know her, she has issues of her own—a history that has molded her this far—experiences that have helped to create her self image, her behavior, etc.
Is there a right way and a wrong way to grieve the loss of a pet? Experts say that it can take three weeks to three months to work through the grieving process. As I alluded to yesterday, it often depends on the circumstances of the loss and what else is going on in your life. Loss this year (2020) is particularly difficult as we’re already feeling so much perceived loss of freedom. Nothing is quite the same and this is a stressful way to live. Add to this the loss of a beloved pet and it can really tax our emotional system.
dogs that have died or who are struggling with serious health issues in recent weeks. One friend lost two dogs within weeks of each other under totally different circumstances. (Sudden health issues.) If these pet parents are like me, they’re asking themselves, “When should I begin to think about adopting again?”
As I said yesterday, every kitten that strikes my fancy looks remarkably like Lily. Yeah, there’s a part of my brain that wants to replace her, although I know intellectually it’s impossible to replace a cat. They each come with a different set of habits, attitude, and purr-sonality. In fact, experts say that it’s an emotional pitfall when you’re bent on choosing a replacement cat that looks just like your former cat.
Some recommend volunteering with cats or fostering cats as a way to ease back into the kitty-cat game. This can be a healing activity for you and it certainly is a gift for needy cats and kittens.
It’s still adopt-a-pet month. Since I’m revving up to fill an empty space in my home and my heart, this topic is in the forefront of my mind. All week we’ll discuss how people deal with the loss of a pet and the complicated adoption process in these unusual times. We’ll talk about the waiting period between the time you lose a cat and when you begin to consider adopting again. How long does one typically grieve the loss of a precious cat? For me it seems to depend on the circumstances of the loss, as well as the depth of the bond I had with that particular cat.
the day when I allowed my cats outdoor privileges, and this little guy was hit by a car. I cried for days. I’m sure that my grief was tied up in the fact that I was pregnant with my first child and more emotional, my attachment to this little guy, as well as my guilt for allowing this to happen.
girl to the moon and back. She put me to bed each night—lying next to me on my pillow for several minutes before trotting off to do her thing. How sweet is that? Despite my deep feelings for that precious girl, I was more accepting when she died. She died on her terms and it was at the end of a long and very good life. I mourned, but in a more thankful, grateful way. I gave thanks for having had her in my life and I was able to let her go.
the fact that I was blindsided by her fast decline at such a young age—11 years. I find myself wondering what we could have done differently—did the treatment actually interfere with her recovery? One factor in my grief is that Lily and I were so close. It’s harder to let go of something/someone who was so much a part of your every day/every minute life.
I think the situation this year with the virus lingering unseen potentially all around us and our fears and our frustration with the whole situation, magnifies the stress of loss—any sort of loss. We’re all struggling to some degree with the changes and restrictions during this pandemic. We’re struggling to stay in survival mode. When something affects us emotionally, such as a loss, it hits harder—the pain goes deeper.
While our cats don’t go outside, I still enjoy the concept of cats frolicking in the flowers, enjoying the sun’s rays, and visiting neighbors who welcome them. After all, inside or out, cats still display wild instincts.
They stare out into the neighborhood through the windows. Some will dart outside every chance they get.
through our yard, curl up under a shrub, or climb one of our trees.
