Cat cafés have been cropping up everywhere since the first one opened in Japan in 2005. Then 2020 came along and everything changed. The cats were adopted or taken in by foster families and the cafés closed. Some will probably close for good, but others are doing their best to stay afloat. At Le Cat Café 
in Philadelphia, for example, the owners are continuing to find homes and fosters for the local shelter cats while reminding the public of their need for funds. They’ve taken to the popular conference program—Zoom to keep in touch. They hosted a Virtual Kitten Saturday and Cats and Mats—a virtual yoga class in recent months. Read more about their efforts here: https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-cat-cafes-philadelphia-adoption-foster-pets-20200520.html
In Nashville, Maegan Phan’s Mewsic Kitty Café may survive because of a GoFundMe program, and a government program she found out about. She plans to continue her business and her efforts to help homeless cats and kittens.
New York’s first cat café, Meow Parlour, has been closed for most of the year so far–fans are hoping they’ll reopen.
If you have a favorite cat café or you just adore the idea of the cat café and you’d like to see them survive this financial blow, here’s a site that offers ideas for how you can help. https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/5-ways-to-support-cat-cafes-during-and-after-the-coronavirus-pandemic
Yesterday we learned more about the Toyger breed. I thought it would be fun to explore some of the most exotic cats that people choose as pets.
coming into the limelight through Cats Magazine and Cat Fancy, cat shows and now the Internet, those of us who adore the fur, have also become interested in the glorious Himalayan, the Maine coon cat, the Ragdoll, the Siberian, the Norwegian Forest Cat, etc.
Evidently owning a large exotic cat is a dream of some people, thus the work some breeders have done to create what you might call mini-jungle cats. Take the Toyger, for example. It was developed by first crossing a Bengal with a street cat from India that happened to have the right type of markings.
June is Adopt-a-Cat-Month. This year, in many states, we still can’t go to a shelter and shop for a pet, yet people are really stepping up to help. In Canada, pet adoptions overall are up 60 percent. 
cleaned out. While many of the animals have been adopted, others are being cared for in foster homes while awaiting the right family. Reports show that this is one of the most successful years for pet adoptions, fostering, and donations, but still there are hundreds of cats and dogs, even bunnies, guinea pigs and snakes and rats waiting for homes
Each country and each state seems to be handling adoptions differently. If you want to donate or volunteer or adopt, check with your local shelters—both private and county/state run. Here’s how they’re doing things in the Austin area: 
We’re just about half-way through a very difficult year. So what have I been doing to keep busy? Writing, of course. We’ve just published the fourth Klepto Cat Mystery this year for your reading pleasure, and I’m hard at work on another wonderful addition to the Klepto Cat Mystery collection—one with some surprises and sweet gifts.
There must be hundreds of choices when it comes to feeding your cat. Visit the cat food aisle at any pet store for the first time and you’ll immediately become confused. That’s probably why most of us zero in on Fancy Feast when we adopt a cat. It’s readily available (in fact, prominent) at all grocery stores, there are many flavors and types, the can is attractive, and most cats seem to like it. Also they have a kitten version, so if you start your kitten on Fancy Feast kitten food, you’re likely to continue with that brand as the cat grows.
because the cat won’t eat Fancy Feast or because they’ve found a product or an alternative that seems healthier. Some of us must feed prescription food for a cat with kidney or bladder disease. And then there are those who feed raw or they make food for their cats.
Our little tabby, Lily, was a beggar. It didn’t matter what was on my plate, she wanted to taste it. She particularly liked chicken, avocado (which I learned is a no-no for cats), and cheese, but she was known to eat bites of tomato and other foods you wouldn’t think a cat would enjoy.
first thing many people do when they find themselves responsible for a lost kitten? Often, they give the kitten a bowl of milk. And sometimes that’s not a good idea. Many cats and kittens are sensitive to milk–it can cause a tummy upset and diarrhea. There’s nothing cuter than the kittens and cats shown on the Internet lately with their paws wrapped around an ice cream cone happily licking the sweet yumminess. But please don’t go out and buy your cat ice cream in order to make a splash on YouTube. The results after the photo shoot might not be so pleasant.
You’ve all seen the Klepto Cat Mystery book covers. Many of you have marveled at the creativity and beauty of the covers. Today I’m thrilled to introduce the designer.
Last Thursday we celebrated National Hug Your Cat Day. And I imagine that most of you with cats (and that’s probably most of you) did hug your cat that day and almost every other day of the year. But what does that hug consist of? Is your cat comfortable being picked up? Some of the most huggable-looking cats are not, unfortunately. As you know, if you’ve had very many cats in your lifetime, they each come with their own level of affection and/or aloofness. Right?
handled and smooched on. Others, not so much.
Winfield liked being held in your arms like a baby. It didn’t matter who held him—stranger or friend or us—he would relax in your arms and purr as you walked around the room or sat with him. Sweet.
When you have multiple cats, you don’t always know which cat is doing or has done what? You might think you know, but not always until… Yes, until one of them leaves. When Lily left us almost three weeks ago, she took a lot of housecleaning chores with her. I knew it was Lily cluttering the house with her toys and my socks. Since she left us, I’ve also learned that she shed the most, drank the most water, and she’s the one who kicked all the sand out of the litter box. I suspected it was Lily, and I didn’t mind cleaning up the litter and the fur because, along with her slovenly habits, she brought a lot of joy into our home.
and they change when a cat leaves. Another thing I notice lately is that when I make the bed in the morning, the bedspread is all catawampus and falling to once side of the bed. That never happened when Lily was here, I guess it was because she slept with me and held the spread in place.
I eat alone and in peace now. There’s no more large-eye begging. I don’t have to watch for a sneaky paw snagging a piece of chicken or tuna from my plate or a fur-face diving into my water glass.
pulled up all the rest of the carpet in the house, did a deep cleaning, and laid new carpeting. Max never did learn appropriate potty behavior. We took him in when he was about seven weeks old. Although I tried behavior-changing training, 
pheromones, Rescue Remedy, confinement, added affection and attention, a variety of types of litter and boxes and placement, he continued to pee outside the litter box. I also consulted with several veterinarians, AND I had a cat psychic visit him, but we never could change his behavior. We put up with this and kept loving him for 17 years. Boy did I miss him—but I sure didn’t miss his behavior. I still can’t believe I lived like that for 17 years. I deserve either a medal or psychiatric treatment.
