Wherever I go I look for cats in unusual or interesting places doing unusual things. Recently, I found this formerly feral cat—who’s actually still living feral with help from the chiropractor in this office—lolling on a giant shoe chair.
I’ve photographed cats in trees (love those 
opportunities), on fences, among flowers, behind bushes, on rooftops, and even on a motorcycle. (Sorry I don’t have access to that photo.)
I have pictures that people send me—my brother sent 
me a picture of three kittens playing in his horseshoeing caddy years ago, my daughter sent me this one of the kitten snuggling, probably unbeknownst to a pony. You’ve probably enjoyed the photo I use sometimes of the kitten sleeping in a baseball cap and the one of the cat in the out basket on a desk. Cats pose in drawers, boxes, windows (love cats at a window), inside cars, and with other cats. And the cell phone camera sure makes it easier to capture the moments with your cat.
It appears there are a few cats in the running to take the beloved Grumpy Cat’s place since his passing. One lives in Austin, TX. Louis is a pure-bred Persian with quite an unpleasant look on his face, but his owners say he is lovable and playful. 
You probably don’t give your cat’s tongue much thought, unless she licks you. Then you might recoil from the sandpaper feel of her cute, little pink tongue. Have you ever wondered why a cat’s tongue is so rough?
tongue has a unique purpose. It’s a grooming tool. Grooming for cats in the wild is vital to their well-being. They clean all traces of their meals from their face and paws so as not to attract predators through the scent. Licking keeps them cool in the summer. Cats sometimes lick to relieve stress—in fact some over-groom.
The design of a cat’s tongue can get them into trouble. I once had a cat swallow a needle. I believe what happened is that she was sitting too close to my pin cushion while I was sewing and, in the process of grooming herself, she licked up a piece of thread which happened to be attached to a needle.
pretty much must be swallowed. There’s no release mechanism on that barbed tongue. What goes in, must go down. We discovered the needle sideways in Crystal’s throat and the veterinarian was able to remove it. Whew!!!
The cat’s tongue is instrumental in lapping water. You’ve all watched your cat drink from a bowl, maybe your glass of water, and even from the tap or a fountain. The tongue is a big part in the process of drinking. It used to be thought that cats drank by forming a spoon shape with their tongue. The fact is that they fold their tongue back and sort of flick the water into their mouth, closing it in time to swallow. Whatever their process, they certain can lap up the water and sprinkle a few beads of it all over their face and whiskers in the process. Cute!
Is there no end to breeders creating new cat breeds? We’ve made cats taller, leaner, squattier, cobbier. We’ve bred cats with long fur, short fur, and no fur—curly, straight, and in between. And what about their ears? I guess the only two we haven’t come up with yet is a no-ear cat or a flop-ear cat (like the flop-ear bunny).
and I do a lot of research about cats. The Scottish Straight is a new one on me. It’s the Scottish Fold, but with straight ears. Very cute. In fact, the story of how the Scottish Fold came to be is interesting. Here’s a link you might enjoy: 
There’s also the LaPerm and the Silkirkrex—curly cats. The Silkirk has luxurious, thick fur.
and, get this, they cannot reproduce—they’re sterile, there’s only one place where you can purchase one and they cost between $17,000 and $96,000.
We all have them—friends and family who are allergic to our cats. What to do? How do we make them comfortable in our home? Here are a few suggestions:
medicine before arriving. I have a supply of over-the-counter allergy remedies on hand for those who forget.
4: Clean litter boxes—I mean remove the litter and scrub the pans before adding fresh litter.
adopting one of the allergen-free (or almost allergen-free) breeds.
According to the experts, there are no completely non-allergenic cats, but there are some with less of the allergens. They include the Siberian, Bengal, Cornish Rex, Russian Blue, Siamese, and Sphinx. I know people whose allergies act up in some homes with cats and not in others. My allergic granddaughter says that she is not allergic to her friend’s Maine coon. I’ve seen friends and family with cat allergies able to tolerate Smokey, my mother’s part ragdoll cat and not other cats. Is that because of the cats or are the houses where these cats lived kept cleaner than most–more open-air homes?
There’s a new book in the Klepto Cat Mystery series. You’ve gotta check it out! Cats of a Feather is the story of one cat’s genealogical search. Fun premise, right? Here’s the description:
Mark Twain once wrote in response to “What is a Mirror,”
I have many photos of my cats and other cats in boxes, bags, luggage, cartons, baskets, hidey holes, and anywhere else where a cat or a kitten might fit. Cats like to hide. They like to crawl under blankets, into purses, even inside the dishwasher or refrigerator. I saw a picture last week of a kitten sitting next to a jar of mayonnaise in the door rack of a refrigerator.
cupboard, Lily often slips in behind me and occupies the empty spot for a while. She crawls inside the cupboard when I’m stacking cat food cans after a grocery store run (my helper). She often takes a nap in
like hidey holes and they provide tunnels and caves for cats. If only they would make those cat trees more sturdy. I think most of them are at least a little dangerous for the exuberant, playful cat. They’re top-heavy and easily tip when a large cat becomes playful.
How often do you find your cat in your suitcase or tote bag when you’re packing for a trip or an event? Is it because the cat wants to go with you? Most likely not. The cat probably sees the suitcase or tote bag as a marvelous new place to sleep or play.
Around 2014 we began hearing and reading about cat cafés. I’ve visited a couple of them, you probably have too. And you’ve read about cat cafés here in this blog. I wondered if they’re still popular or if they’ve gone by the wayside as trends often do. Are they making a difference for cats? Most of them, as you know, strive to find adoptive parents for homeless cats and kittens.
quite well in their mission. It is predicted that 2020 will be the best year yet for the cats supported by these cafés. While, in 2014, there were a few such establishments where you could go for a cup of coffee and a lapful of kitty love. Today, it’s reported that more than half of the states have multiple cat cafés 
with several in some cities. If you want to find a cat café in your area or where you’ll be visiting soon, you’ll find a guide here: 
to one cat café is in no way representative of them all. Each one is different. But they all have cats and all of them have the same premise—to find good homes for the cats.
Authors rely on feedback for their work—reader comments and professional reviews are priceless. I pay attention to both the positive reviews and those that are a bit critical. I actually learn more from the critical ones. Fortunately I receive few of those, but some of them have been helpful. What do I learn from critical reviews? In very few cases, I learn how petty and ignorant a person can be. But mostly I learn new and different ways to present my stories—I get some valuable feedback that I actually apply.
value them. What author doesn’t love hearing that her words matter—that she has inspired a reader or touched them in a meaningful way with her story? And believe me the Klepto Cat Mysteries have garnered hundreds of wonderful reviews. Thank you, everyone.
One of my decisions when I first started writing the Klepto Cat Mysteries was to write my stories from a human point of view without giving the cats a voice. My books, as most of you know, are human-driven with a lot of kitty-cat action. This reviewer appreciated that fact. I wonder, do any of you read cozy mysteries with cats where the cat speaks or where the cat has a point of view? I haven’t read a book where the cat talks.
