Tuesday, December 16, 2008

We Are Family

It's the Holidays, and this time of year always gets me thinking about family.



My cats are family. They aren't just animals who live in my home. They are my friends, and I care for them deeply. I will admit, I don't have children. I cannot imagine what that love feels like, but if it's anything close to how I feel for my goobers, I will be blown away.



We recently lost a member of our crew, and we are very much in the midst of mourning. Biggie came into our lives some five years ago, a wild cat, first appearing at the end of our porch. Yellow glowing eyes sizing up the place. It took another year and a lot of trust for her to accept us into her life. One cold night, I was out shoveling a path in the snow for other cats (and I admit it was also for our resident raccoons). Biggie appeared from out of nowhere, watching me. And from that moment on, our friendship grew. The simple act of shoveling a path seemed to endear me to her. Now, it wasn't all peaches and cream overnight. It took another six months for me to be able to pet her. And another six months to be able to pick her up. She kept a bit of her wildness until the end. I have the scars to prove it. It's on stormy wet winter nights like this one that I know I will miss her the most. A part of me will always think of checking on Biggie, out on our porch in her hut made of old blankets... I miss her so much.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

In Memoriam

Biggie has gone ahead... Our lives are not the same without her.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving Dinner



Today my Zoomer got a treat. Her last grape tomato of the year. Well, the last from my little garden. She loves veggies of all kinds and some fruit. Crazy cat that she is. We can't have a compost bowl because she will dump it and drag pieces parts to her bed. I've found green pepper parts, limes, apple cores - you name it. Now don't give me a lecture. I am careful about foods she shouldn't eat like onions and mushrooms. Although, she used to eat a lot of mushrooms before I read they weren't good for her. The jury is still out on that one. I need to do more research. We don't feed our cats mainstream manufactured processed foods. If they get kitty crack (dry and canned foods from the big brands), it's mostly as a treat or last resort. These days, I don't trust big companies to feed my family. I trust them to line their pockets and that's about it. Sometimes, we buy organic food from chain stores, but it's too expensive to be an every day thing. So our cats eat what we cook them. Livers, gizzards, hearts, brown rice, eggs plus what ever whole foods we might be eating. It's a balance though because no matter how much we love them they are still cats. But it's all a labor of love!!


Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Give your pets a hug and let them know how much you love them!

Thursday, August 21, 2008


My LoveBugs. Halfie & Bster

These two no longer live outside, and Halfie no longer has four legs, but that is a story for another day.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Nap Time

And this is my nap I'm talking about not the semi-constant state of couch potato-ness my cats exist in during the day. The funny thing is once I try to rest, it's like a switch has been thrown. Often I fall asleep with one cat pouncing on my feet (sharp little teeth and claws going right through the covers) and another draped across my back. My bedroom is an amusement park, me being the main attraction. If I'm not paying them sufficient attention, which I'm not since I'm trying to sleep, they will lick any exposed body parts or pull my hair. So, I'm tucked into a coccoon, and I open my eyes to check the clock, and that's the cue for whoever is sitting right by my head to meow in my face. And not just any meow but the loudest, most whiny sound you have ever heard. I'd say it's the opposite of blood curdling, but just as piercing. Occasionally, I succeed and squeeze about 20 min of sleep into an hour and a half. Most of the time, I stomp downstairs, annoyed and grouchy.

The trick is - don't let them know you're awake. And this may take practice and patience because you have to slip under the covers, tuck in all your wings, clamp your eyes shut and remain still, ignoring all onslaughts. And it's tough because they will do everything in their power to engage you. Stick to your guns and you just might become part of the scenery.

Good luck and sweet dreams!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Tis the Season






It's Babba-lope season. No, I'm not referring to an antelope type creature. Babba is the matriarch of my feline family, and lope is cantaloupe. We bought our first cantaloupe of the season yesterday and before we even cut it, Babba was in the kitchen mewing like a kitten. A kitten trying desperately to get her fix, that is. She has loved melon from day one, and it's funny to watch her dance around hoping to garner a few bites of the sweet orange fruit. The vet raised his eyebrows and gave me the oddest look when I asked him if it was ok. He'd never heard of a cat liking cantaloupe or fruit of any kind. Welcome to our world.

First Post

I have racking my brains for the past week trying to come up with something to say. Then it hit me. My cats don't mince words. They don't waste time thinking of witty comebacks. They speak their minds without hesitation. Why can't I be more like them?

Now there's a thought for the day...