All of us with cats have stories about how we acquired them. We find them by accident, we rescue them from a variety of situations, or we seek out a particular breed. We buy cats, invite strays into our homes, and accept cats as gifts. I must say this is a pretty good account of how I’ve acquired cats over the years. Some have wandered in,
some I found, some I have gone in search of—some I rescued, some I purchased. I’ve bred cats, found homes for my kittens and for strays. I even inherited four cats one time. All in all I’ve had about two dozen cats. Some I had for years, others not nearly long enough. Each of these cats created a very different story while here on this earth plane and all of them embedded themselves in my heart forever.
An actor wants to be seen, a singer and a lecturer want to be heard, and a writer wants to be read. It’s a thrill to receive positive feedback from the work that you do. For me, it comes in the form of reviews.
the computerized card catalog and was quite surprised at how many of my books are in the system.
People ask, “What inspired you to start writing these cozy mysteries?” As with many things, it was a process. I’d been writing nonfiction for over forty years when I decided to retire from that aspect of writing and teaching and maybe start writing something more fun. Fiction? I’d never written a lick of fiction. So I started by writing a book of cat stories—Catscapades, True Cat Tales. I wanted to see if I could put together a story. I was familiar with nonfiction and I’d been editing fiction, but could I create an interesting and readable story?
Do you have ladders, platforms, and cat walks in your home for your cats? Cats love to hide out under furniture, in boxes, cupboards, cat trees, blanket-tents and such, but they also like to climb and play king/queen of the mountain. Cats like to perch high and watch their kingdom from above. Other than their desire to look down on us peasants, why do you think cats like being in high places?
haven’t lost their instincts to hunt, to be wary of predators, and that’s part of their innate desire to hang out in high places. Kittens will climb drapes. Cats will hop up onto empty shelving if it puts them above everything and everyone else or on the kitchen table, for example.
Cats climb trees (and sturdy houseplants). Outside, they climb up onto roofs, into the rafters in a garage, onto the roof of cars. And if you were to build them a catwalk in your house, they’d delight in using it every chance they get. It’s something to consider—especially if you don’t want your cats on the kitchen table.
We’ve all heard of cats waking their family when fire breaks out in the home. We’ve seen videos of cats fending off coyotes, saving a child from a dog attack, and protecting her kittens from an intruding animal, for example. And we’ve all heard that cats are thought to be therapeutic just because they’re cats. Studies show that being around a cat can lower your blood pressure, for example.
tons of compassion. Not all cats seem to.
who might be helpful with a family member’s PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. Most of us find comfort in our cats—in fact it’s hard to define what our cats bring into our lives. But apparently the ordinary cat, without any training whatsoever, can become a registered emotional support animal that can enjoy many privileges. A registered emotional support cat will be accepted into an apartment complex where pets are unwelcome. They can fly with their human free. Now as to whether they can fly in the cabin with you—that is something that’s being highly debated lately with the event of so many people coming out of the woodwork and trying to travel with peacocks, pigs, and other more exotic animals which they claim are service or support animals.
I think most of us would scoff at this question. I mean what happens in your household when you try to sleep in or when you want to take a nap after a hectic day? What about when you feel sicker than a dog and all you want is to be left alone? What is your cat’s reaction? How empathetic is she?
it’s their duty to wake you up in the morning. But is that because she doesn’t want you to miss an appointment? She knows how you don’t like to be late for work? She’s missed you terribly all night and is eager to give you kitty smooches? Not likely. In my experience cats wake us up in the morning because they’re hungry. And that’s not a sin, is it? I mean we want to give our cats what they need and what they want. It’s a healthy, smart cat who knows how to take care of her own needs. But what about when we’re sick?
Does your cat curl up with you on the couch? How sweet. But is that because you’re using her favorite throw and Fluffy is simply interested in the cozy blankie and your body heat? Does she know to stay off your tummy when you feel sick? Will she let you sleep through her dinner time?
of humans. He has pointed out medical issues with children, which isn’t out of the realm of actuality. There are instances where cats (as well as dogs) have seemed to diagnose medical problems with their humans before a doctor could. But as far as I can tell with my two kitty-girls, all they want is to be fed on time and enjoy their own creature comforts no matter what our human issues are. Sigh.
Again I must apologize for being absent. I’m still struggling with some sort of virus. Been to the doctor–got antibiotics–got worse before finally feeling better. I’m not used to this and I don’t like it. Even neighbors are saying they’re just not accustomed to not seeing me heading out for my daily walk or puttering around the garden or chatting over the fence with a neighbor or a neighbor’s cat. But it is true. I’m sick.
Every single month there are celebrations and “holidays” related to our pets. You’ve read some of my posts related to “take your pet to work day,” “hug your cat day,” “visit a cat shelter day,” “answer your cat’s questions day,” etc. Here are some of the celebrations you can look forward to this month: Would you believe this is national Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month?
No, I don’t mean sick of cats, but sick with cats. How do your cats react when you’re too sick to keep to your usual routine? We all know that most cats don’t do well with change, especially when it affects their routine. Make a cat wait an hour or even ten minutes for a meal and she isn’t pleased. Curl up on her favorite sofa all week under her favorite blankie while recuperating from some foreign ailment and you never know what her response might be.
Sophie will lay across my lap when I stretch out on the couch on a normal day—almost every single afternoon/evening. But apparently not when I’m sick. Last night, however, I guess she could tell I was human again—barely, and she resumed her usual behavior. I’d also returned her blankie to her by then.
Together we survived and hopefully we can all return to our normal routines. High-paw, 
Lily and Sophie. (I wrote that Saturday morning, but things didn’t go as I’d hoped.) Sure, I began to feel better. I even fixed my own meals a couple of times. Then, the UGLY started taking over again with new annoying and even painful symptoms. I guess I’ll have to ease back into the human race one day at a time–one hour at a time. This is no fun, gang, but it’s still easier with cats who express their love for you even when you’re at your worst.
This is Bootsie. I never had the opportunity to meet Bootsie, but I fell in love with her from hearing her story and seeing her pictures. Doesn’t she look like a really cool cat?
cat showed up at Ann’s door. She opened it and the cat walked in, as if to say, “Hello, I belong here now.” When it appeared the cat was staying, Ann named her Bootsie. Even though she was allowed to go outside, Bootsie never left the yard.
Ann was surprised and asked, “How do you know Bootsie?”Sign up for Catscapades Newsletter
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