If you have more than one cat or have had numbers of cats over the years, you know that each cat speaks a slightly different language. Katy was a Himalayan from a kitten mill in Missouri and that beauty had a southern drawl if I’ve ever heard one.
The Siamese are known for their clear, loud, and frequent vocalization. There’s a part Siamese next door and, believe me, she won’t let you get a word in edgewise. Persians typically speak quietly with a soft voice.
When I found Max, a snowshoe-type kitten, I had no idea he’d grow to be quite a big boy. Yet, his mew was almost silent it was so quiet and meek.
Currently we have Lily and Sophie and I can tell which one is addressing me even in the dark. Lily spews tiny mews and Sophie elongates her words emitting more of a “meeeeooooowwwww.” Yes, Lily is soft spoken, except when she is bringing me one of my cozy socks or a stuffed animal from her toy basket. Then she sort of sounds a loud yowling alarm letting me know she has a gift for me.
I’ve read that most cats have the capacity to make 32 different sounds vocally. Someone has even attempted to translate those sounds into words we can understand. Check the list out here. You might be surprised what your cat is telling you. Perhaps you identified his prrrt to mean “I love you,” when in reality it might be, “Move. I want the warm spot.” http://www.bandofcats.com/21-cat-behaviors-32-cat-sounds-and-their-secret-meaning/
Hmmm, I just checked the list and Prrrt isn’t on it. So I guess there are more than 32 sounds a cat can make, including hissss, yowl, growl, and purrrrrrr. Have fun with this. I did.
Kittens in the fall? It’s possible—more so in certain years and climates than others. Our Sophie was born in August—way after (or before) traditional kitten season. Our local human society shelter is alive with kittens right now. I’m told it’s because of the warm weather we’ve had this year. Whatever the reason, I LOVE visiting kittens no matter their birth date.
likely to survive? That can be true for feral cats and the reasons are logical. They are facing harsh weather and a depletion of rodents without the maturity and skill of an adult cat. Cats in the wild must be more aggressive in order to survive and many of them don’t make it because of the conditions they were born into. Experts 
say that autumn kittens raised in a healthy home suffer no signs of the seasonal syndromes that feral kittens 
might face.
I enjoy exploring the connection between the big cats and our sweet domestic kitties. I know that the house cat comes from wild cats, but it still blows my mind to realize that Lily and Sophie (as well as your Tabitha, Fluffy, Tommy, and Phoebe-kitties) share 95.6% of their DNA with the tiger. In fact the Siberian tiger is the most closely related to the house cat.
your cat? A study of DNA provided by an Abyssinian cat showed that cats share approximately 90% of their DNA with humans. Hey, that means we’re fairly closely related to, not only our precious fur-kids, but to tigers, maybe snow leopards, and lions. Don’t get too excited. We’re still more closely related to the chimpanzee—that DNA number at 98.8%.
Have you ever known someone or knew of someone who kept more cats than seemed logical or healthy? Maybe you’re aware of someone who attracts feral cats to the neighborhood by feeding them. I was once aware of a house where a lot of cats lived inside and out. People talked about the crazy cat lady who resided there. You’d see cats wandering around everywhere, lounging on the porch, peering out from under shrubs, and from inside through the windows of the 
rundown house. In fact, my step-grandmother might have been considered a hoarder as she kept dozens of cats in her home and in one large aviary-type cage in her backyard. From what I understood, she’d rotate the cats from inside to outside so every cat had the same treatment. She had a running vet bill because she made sure they were all spayed and neutered and healthy.
I was a kid then, but I wonder now, did anyone ever check to make sure she was taking care of those cats? Or did people do as most of us do and just drive by and point a finger at the crazy cat lady-house. I don’t know of any authorities ever having checked on my step-grandmother’s cats, but I do know that people regularly dropped unwanted cats off at her place, thinking, “Kathleen will take care of him—no guilt here for abandoning this cat.”
such, I see things from a different angle. The Internet, reality TV, and just the process of living and learning has opened my eyes over the years, to what was once hidden and pretty much ignored. I now know, and I hope you do to, that if you see something suspicious where cats are involved—someone is trying to care for too many of them, the cats look unhealthy or stressed, etc., you should say something.
I may have been breaking the law here in California when I fed the stray that set up housekeeping in my garage a month or so ago. I’m not sure of the logic behind this law—should I have let the cat try to figure out how to feed himself? I have to say he didn’t seem skilled enough to catch one of the birds I feed. And he was wild! If I hadn’t been feeding him and earning his trust, would we have been able to trap him and take him to the no-kill shelter where he’s currently being cared for?
attempt to care for them.
Have you ever posted a review at Amazon.com? Do you read book reviews that others have posted? I love to visit the Klepto Cat Mystery book pages to see what readers are saying. Yes, I listen to my readers. Sometimes I make changes in future stories based on reader comments. But mostly I sort of bask in the glory I feel after reading a positive review.
This was possibly from a reader in the UK—see how they spelled “humor?”
Treat yourself to the newest Klepto Cat Mystery, A Purrfectly Perilous Plot, and enjoy a suspenseful read this weekend. If you’re among the first 5 to post a review of this book at Amazon, and if you contact me with your address, I’ll send you a print (US only) or Kindle copy of Klepto Cat Mystery, Book 40 when it’s completed.
Does he like it or not? Does your pleasure and desire to pet your cat come with rules and reservations and limitations?
an attic with three momma cats and 15 kittens. It’s highly likely that she didn’t get much attention, except from a child now and then. We adopted her when she was not quite eight-weeks old.
She’s 10 now and she’s what I’d call an opportunistic cuddler. She doesn’t particularly like being held or petted unless it could be to her benefit. Often when I try to run my hand over her fur, she slinks away or dips her back to avoid my touch. Other times, she welcomes my scratches and petting. It depends on her mood and the circumstances. I get the “petting go-ahead” most often at meal time.
feet, on my desk as I write, or next to me on the sofa–she’s within watching distance. She follows me into the bathroom, watches me through the window as I garden, and goes to bed with me at night. In chilly weather she sleeps up against my legs. When it’s hot, she prefers snoozing on a corner edge of the bed. When I’m in the kitchen, she’s like Velcro against my ankles as I move around. So I think she likes me. But if I decide I want to love on her—pet her, ruffle her fur, hug her, she often squirms 
away from me. I sometimes wonder if she is just super sensitive to touch. Is it physical or emotional?
One of my bucket list dreams is to visit the Irwin’s amazing animal preserve in Australia. Yes, I love animals and I love visiting preserves and zoos. What animals do you navigate toward when you visit a zoo? If you’re like me, it’s the cats—the big cats. Then I enjoy watching the magnificent giraffes, the majestic 
elephants, the comical otters and penguins, the fascinating and dramatic flamingoes… Oh, I guess I’m not satisfied until I’ve taken in everything.
We sometimes drive out to the desert and visit a wonderful preserve for wild and exotic cats. What an interesting place. What a crazy variety of cats—big and small.
from becoming extinct because of breeding programs in zoos. The condor, for example. Every California condor is tagged because the only condors hatched and alive today are the result of breeding programs. The bald eagle population in many places was seriously diminishing some years ago. It took human intervention to correct human error, which was killing off these raptors. Now the bald eagle is back and they’re surviving and producing again in the wild.
Cinder-Block is a sweet solid grey cat who lives in the UK and who, by some food fetish or maybe a genetic quirk, has become…well, there’s no polite way to put it…she’s FAT. Really fat.
up, put her on a strict diet, and they’re trying to get her to work out. The video of her modest attempt to work out is hilarious and it has gone viral on the Internet. Here’s a cute shot of Cinder (now known as Cinder-Block) using as little effort as possible and complaining all the while as her new caretakers gently coerce her into her new work out routine. 
But first, an announcement: Book 39 of the Klepto Cat Mystery series is now available at Amazon.com in both print and Kindle formats. Order A Purrfectly Perilous Plot today. I think you’ll find it an interesting, fun with an unexpected series of twists and turns.
flies—writers arrived at the Mandalay Beach Resort in Oxnard for inspiration, resources, and tools. More than a dozen professionals were on hand to teach and mentor along with several literary agents and publisher’s editors who invited pitches from eager authors. At least a few of these authors floated home with the encouragement they need to complete and/or submit their writing project.
me the opportunity to promote my Klepto Cat Mysteries. How? you ask. As was the case with this conference, I get to bring my books to show and sell. I signed some of my publishing and book marketing books as well as my Klepto Cat Mysteries for eager readers. I get to talk about the writing I’m doing now (fiction) as it relates quite deeply to my professional history—in fact, this series is an interesting part of it. I use this venture as an example when talking about publishing options and how to choose the best one for you and your project.
to make a difference for cats as well as in the way we relate to one another in kindness and love.
