My 2015 Cat Resolutions

Angel and her catnip toy

Chucky chillin'

Sweetie at the food bowl

Patty, with cute turned up to 11

Wild Bill Russell

Sammy ?-2014

My 2015 Cat Resolutions

For Angel and Chuck:

1) I resolve to put quality in our time together; toy play with Angel, and one-on-one with Chuck.

2) I resolve to finish the transition to wheat litter, in hopes that it reduces Chuck's intestinal issues.

3) I resolve to allow solutions to cat problems to grow organically with time, rather than jump to conclusions, or react with panic, or feel pressure to fix it NOW.

4) I resolve to find a new veterinarian, preferably a holistic practitioner.

For the 'o' cats:

1) I resolve to take both Sweetie and Patty in for veterinary check-ups in the Spring.  No more wishy-washy 'should I, shouldn't I?' about this.  Can't do it now, because we have no electricity for a heater in the barn as holding area, and it's too cold out now.

2) I resolve to TNR the elusive Wild Bill Russell.  

3) I resolve to put Sammy's heart-shaped container in a place that I can see daily.

For friends and family:

1) I resolve to assist The Paw Project, Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs, Best Friends Animal Society, Paws for the Cause, All About Animals Spay and Neuter Clinic and others in as many ways as I can!

2) I resolve to encourage all cat-loving people that I meet to give 100% of themselves to their feline family members.

For myself:

1) I resolve to work on my own health, so I can offer positive vibes and attitude to the hubby, my people and cat families, and to my co-workers.  This includes physical exercise and mental relaxation.  2015 is my year for joy, humor, and growth!  

2) I resolve to re-establish electricity to the barn, by sweetly encouraging the hubby to GET IT DONE.

Lazy Magoo

My niece's cat Magoo knows how to get comfortable!

Merry Christmas, all!

The Move

Gratuitous Patty O'Malley photo from last month

My office moved to a new location last Friday, changing my 10-15 minute commute to 45-50 minutes.  Positive: I have my own office now, instead of a cube!  Negative: Cannot go home at lunch to visit the kitties.  So now Chuck and Angel, Patty and Sweetie will have to do with less of 1) me, and 2) no lunch snack.  Now, every one of my cats could stand to be on a bit of a diet, but I am going to miss them tremendously. And what will I do with my lunch time now?  Where will I find cats to play with?  Guess I'll have to get creative; maybe there is a cats-only veterinary nearby my new office that I can stop at and visit.  Perhaps I'll learn to take a walk and breathe in some air!  Or, I can go to the nearest library and check out the cat book selection.

Had a bad moment or two last week, when the impact of this change hit me.  And yet, my employer is growing, new things are happening, and it's exciting to be in the middle of it all.  And of course, the hubby has promised to jump in and fill up bowls with food or water if I am delayed.  Guess I'll just get extra kitty lovin' in on the weekends!  The mad weekend smooching crazy lady with cats...that's me!

P.S. At the company holiday luncheon raffle, I won a Nook!  Can't wait to figure out how to use the thing, and our local libraries have all kinds of free reading material downloads, so I won't have to spend eleventymillion dollars on new books.  Plus, the thing is a super huge camera, so let's see what kind of new cat photos I take!

Non-surgical Contraception for Cats and Dogs

What if...we could trap a colony of feral cats, give 'em all shots, then turn them loose again?  And what if one of these shots rendered the cat sterile?  Instead of surgery, the animal would have minimal time in captivity, minimal amount of handling, but all the benefits of a standard spay or neuter used by every TNR group?!?

Well, click here: Alliance for Contraception for Cats and Dogs to see what these fantastic folks are working on!  So many more animals would get sterilized if an injectable medicine can be discovered and used.  Humane and helpful, these scientists and veterinarians are working hard to find a solution to overcrowded animal shelters.

And think of the reduced cost for a non-surgical injection!  Even if it has to be administered by a licensed veterinarian, there may be no anesthesia needed, no more concerns about holding the animals for 24 or 48 hours for post-operative healing. Certainly makes sense to me!

Sweet Charlotte, loving for her forever home

I included this photo of Charlotte just because she's a lap kitty who wants a home of her own!  She was rescued by Paws for the Cause Feral Cat Rescue, and I've had the pleasure of being her lap for a few times.  She's on Petfinder!

Farewell to Orbit

Our blog pal Orbit left us last week, and in his honor, here are photos of as many black cats I could find.  He was a curmudgeonly old kitty, and we will all miss him

Chuck, near the hot-air vent

Evie, with her brother and sister

Pearl, visiting my front yard (see Angel in the window)

Sweetie

Rest in peace, dear Orbit.

Sweet Sleepy Angel

If you turn the sound 'way up, you can hear that delicious purr that comes from a warm, sleepy cat who seems to be enjoying a little bit'o contact from her human.  Ah, if we could bottle this feeling and sell it, we'd be bazillionaires overnight!

Twin Kitties And Other Neighborhood Sights

While taking my evening walk in the neighborhood, I caught sight of some cool things!

Aries, the backyard neighbor's cat, begging for kibble...

Yikes!  Fatty Patty is a major chubby...maybe I should feed some of HIS kibble to Aries after all...

My two-doors-down neighbor's cats.  I don't know their names, but I was told they are sisters who were rescued from an animal shelter...yay!  So, I've made up my own names for these two floofy-tailed beauties...

Pearl, because she is black with grey on her shoulders.  She lets me pet her a little bit then runs away, and...

Opal!
This is closest I've ever gotten to her!
I am trying to make friends with these two, since they show up in our yard daily, but mostly run away when humans appear.  Don't like that they are outside a lot, but at least they aren't strays.  I do not want to start feeding them, like Aries (above), however, I've got my eye on them...

A hornet's nest in the tree I walk under almost EVERY DAY!  Gives me the willies to think about them, but I was never harmed...

Pretty decorations around a front door!

Sidewalk art left over from Thanksgiving.  Walking on rainbows!...

Lots of lights at this house!

This trellis is festive!

P.S. Our friend Orbit is still unwell, and his people are worried.  Sending purrs to Pooplogs and Peeballs, wishing the whole family comfort.

Angel Has Garlic Breath

In the hubby's arms

Being vegans, the hubby and I rarely eat out due to a lack of good places to eat.  Hey, this is Metro Detroit, not California!  Anyhow, we have a few favorite restaurants that serve great vegetable-based meals, and some have this stuff they call garlic sauce. It's raw, whipped garlic, and it's pure heaven to eat.  You must eat this with a close friend, because you cannot be around anyone else without bowling them over with your breath...seriously.

When we bring home a serving of garlic sauce, Angel gets all excited about it!  She will lick it right off my fingers, or from a piece of toast that's been buttered with the stuff. We do NOT allow her to have too much, but it's fun to watch her enjoy herself!

Cat Hotel Complete...until I get crazypants again

The final (hah!) bit of work on The Cat Hotel is done.  The hubby and I added a piece of clear acrylic across the balcony on the second floor, to act as a windbreak.  The bottom floor already has a windbreak inside; a hallway really, but I noticed that Patty O'Malley tends to use the upstairs, and I want him to be as cozy as possible when Old Man Winter joins the party soon.  We originally had plans for two compartments on that second floor, but once Sammy (R.I.P., baby!) left us, we blocked off the extra entrance, and insulated everything carefully.  After fresh straw was packed in earlier this month, I plugged in the warming pad on the bottom apartment, and now we have pretty much done all we can for now.  Have thought about draping a tarp around the whole thing, but hesitate due to the potential for the tarp to flap in the wind.  Flapping would drive the cats nutty, I'm sure!  I'm still thinking about it; that's my crazypants way!  Truly, I'll never quit trying to make the 'o' cats' quarters as warm, secure and comfortable as if they were living in the house with me.  Thoughts of pitching a tent and living with them on the deck have crossed my mind too...like I say, crazypants!