Purrspectives of the Crazy Cat Lady

2009-12-24T16:39:00.002-06:00

Lesson learned: Don't ever try posting a four-stanza poem on Facebook status because it will get jigsawed. Therefore, here is the poem in its entirety. Happy Christmas, everyone! :)

The world is so alight with love
At this time of year
When kin and friends surround themselves
With jollity and cheer.

But gaze into the Christmas sky,
And you'll see shining bright
The love that lights the universe
And warms our hearts tonight.

This love was once upon a time
Aglow within the eyes
Of a babe beneath a star,
That beacon in the skies.

May this special kind of love
Be yours the whole year through ~
That is the Christmas wish I make
With love from me to you.

[Photo borrowed from Wallpaper Pimper.]

2009-11-04T18:45:00.002-06:00

At the risk of adding to the Swine Flu mania, I am posting the following information just in case some kitty mommy or daddy finds it helpful:

The AVMA just released the following information:

A 13-year-old cat in Iowa developed signs of a respiratory infection after several people in the household were ill. Preliminary testing was positive for 2009 H1N1 on October 29, and the results were confirmed on November 2. This is the first report of a cat infected with H1N1. The cat has recovered from its illness.

To date, this is the first cat confirmed infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus.

Here are some tips to help keep you and your pet healthy:

* If you are sick, see your doctor.
* If your pet is showing a problem, see your veterinarian.
* It is a good idea to wash your hands before and after handling your pets. This is just good common sense.
* Do not expose your pets to other sick pets.
* Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, and toss your soiled tissues in a covered waste bin.
* Good preventative measures can help keep you and your pets healthy. That's good advice any time of year, but especially during flu season.

Good luck to you all as we make our way through flu season!

2009-11-01T14:01:00.006-06:00

An old adage maintains that a picture is worth a thousand words, so today I will be substituting a few photos for a whole lot of words. These are photos taken by my friend, Tisha, when she cleaned for me a few days ago. Alas, there are none of Melly, who pretty well stays under the bed when visitors are in the house. And aren't my baby boys growing up *FAST*??? :) If you are my Facebook friend, on my profile page there, you can see all the photos Tisha took. :)

Trey

Trey again

Joey

Joey with Halloween eyes :)

Joey and Elly Fae

Elly Fae

Deuce

Chelsie

One last note: happy birthday to Tisha on November 2! :)

2009-10-24T20:11:00.003-05:00

This is Tito Collier, the latest addition to the family of David Collier, one of my former baby boys. Well, actually, I guess David will always be my baby boy no matter how old he gets. :)

Anyway, I am using this picture ~ with his permission (thanks, David!) ~ to highlight my wish for all little animals to have happy endings. Friends repeatedly tell me that I can't save them all, but I surely wish I could. Even good intentions can't bring uniform happy endings, however ~ a fact emphasized to me when I arrived home from school yesterday to find a dead kitten on my doorstep. He was one of those born to one of the strays that hang around Elly's home and mine, and the little guy had been having some problems lately. I *planned* to start dosing him with Albon, if I could catch him. However, a killer-busy week kept postponing those best-laid plans, and look what happened. He had wrapped himself around my angel statue to take his last breaths, so I like to think he had a divine escort to the Rainbow Bridge.

I surely have learned a painful lesson about procrastination.

Ironically, today's e-mail from Petplace.com's Dr. Jon dealt with kitty lifespans:

People often ask me, "How long will my cat live?"

Recently, I saw a client with a 22-year-old cat. If I didn't know how old this cat was, I would have guessed that he was 10 years old.

Today cats live longer than ever. Just 20 years ago the life expectancy of a cat was four to six years; today they live 14 years or more.* Life expectancy in cats depends on many things, but the most important factor is whether the cat is an indoor-only cat or an outdoor cat. Life expectancy varies significantly between the two.

The life expectancy of an indoor cat is generally 12 to 18 years. Many indoor cats may live to be in their early 20s. The oldest cat in reported history was 28 years old at the time of death.

Outdoor cats generally live to be around four to five years of age. Their deaths are typically due to traumas like being hit by a car or attacked by a dog. Outdoor cats are also more susceptible to several deadly viruses that are spread by fighting or prolonged intimate contact with an infected cat.

Keep your cat healthy by feeding a high quality diet, and providing routine vaccinations and physical examinations....

I hope your cat lives a long and healthy life. That is one of the reasons why I take the time and energy to write this newsletter and why I started Petplace. My goal is to share practical information that will help keep your cat happy, healthy and alive longer!

Until next time,

Dr. Jon

Hey, Dr. Jon ~ I hope to accomplish the same goals with my blog! Happy endings for everybody! :)

2009-10-18T18:06:00.002-05:00

With only a couple of weeks until Halloween, people are planning costumes, candy, and ~ unfortunately ~ carnage. I am one of those grumpy old people who don't like Halloween. In fact, it's my least favorite time of the year, and I am always so relieved when we are past it. People use it as an excuse for meanness while others show extreme disrespect to our blessed dead. Why would a graveyard be an evil place when loved ones are buried there, y'know?

As the mommy of two black kitties and two other almost-black kitties, I also worry about black kitties at this time of year. Many of the strays that Elly and I feed are black, and each Halloween season, I pray that they all will stay safe from those who might have other ideas for them.

Dr. Jon's recent e-mail from PetPlace.com had this advice for kitty mommies and daddies at Halloween:

With Halloween just around the corner, many cat owners are gearing up to dress themselves, their children, their dogs, their homes and sometimes even their cats in Halloween attire. Including our pets in fun festivities is like second nature to cat lovers because our cats truly are part of our family.

But when it comes to Halloween, do our cats really enjoy wearing costumes? Well, this can all depend on so many things, like their temperament and even more so, the type of costume you choose. But to be honest - most cats don't like to be dressed up. In fact, I think Halloween is one of the least favorite holidays to most cats.

To keep your cat safe this Halloween, here are some tips:

1. If your cat is an indoor-only cat, consider keeping him or her closed in one room during trick-or-treat so he or she doesn't accidentally get out of an open door.

2. If your cat is an indoor/outdoor cat, it is safest to keep your cat inside during trick-or-treat night and Halloween nights.

3. Don't force your cat to wear a costume if he or she doesn't want to. Halloween is supposed to be fun for everyone and you don't want your cat to be miserable. There are also other ways your cat can enjoy the festivities [meaning extra treats and toys!]

4. Keep your cat away from burning candles (like those in the jack-o-lantern). Their swishy tails can easily knock candles over and create house fires or cause injury to your cat.

5. Keep your cat away from candy, strings, candy wrappers and any other loose objects on the floor and tables - if cats eat these things, it could make them sick.

May you and your furry loved ones have a *safe* and happy Halloween. However, I can't help looking forward to November 1 when it's all over!

[The graphic in this post is courtesy of Art.com.]

2009-10-01T10:46:00.003-05:00

At 6:30 this morning, I was cuddled in bed with Trey, who was purring, kneading with his paws, and sucking my finger, as he does when he is supremely content. At 7:30 as I signed surgery papers at the vet, he and Deuce were glowering at me quite unhappily.

Today is their doodle surgery, y'see. So besides getting no breakfast and being stuffed into a carrier during their primo romp time, they will be facing surgery today. I try not to feel too guilty since neutering a kitty will only prolong his life and health. However, I do have a low guilt threshold, and I can't help wondering if my baby boys will still love me when I bring them home this afternoon.

As if in response, today's e-mail from Dr. Jon linked to an article asking can pets really love? Here is the kitty part of that article. I was happy to note that my fuzzy half dozen have often displayed *ALL* the signs of affection listed! :) Now I will be hoping for some of the same signs from my baby boys later this afternoon! :)

Love of a Cat
By Dr. Nicholas Dodman

Cats are said to be independent, aloof, and not in need of company except on their terms. This is true only of some cats; certainly not all. Cats raised by people from an early age either think they are almost human, or that the human is almost a cat.

In fact, throughout a cat-person bond, the two may switch roles without realizing it. On occasion, a cat will bring home a dead or half-dead animal as a token of her love and respect (a touching, if gruesome, method of confirming the bond).

Bringing home "love offerings" of this type is a sign of attachment and belonging. There are others that require less clean up. When the bond is strong, a cat will:

# Tend to follow you around. She may not follow immediately, but after a moment or two she might casually saunter into the room where you're sitting (as if she's trying to play the whole thing down). Your cat may jump in your lap or may just find a chair nearby. Either way, she prefers to spend time with you.

# Become slightly depressed when you leave, and greet you enthusiastically upon your return. She may learn to recognize the sound of your car pulling up and run to the door, expecting your presence.

# Send subtle cat signals of affection to you throughout the day. These often take the form of classic "cat kisses" – staring at you adoringly, then squinting or slowly closing her eyes.

# Send not-so-subtle signals, such as rubbing her head upon you (marking you with her scent), and of course, purring.

# Lying on her back, with her stomach exposed. This is a sign of trust, because your cat is now in a vulnerable position. Many owners mistakenly think this is a request for a belly rub. It usually isn't.

This is a cat's affection at its most intense. They can't hold your hand, and they are not given to jumping up and kissing you. There's no difficulty to describe this sort of relationship as love.

2009-09-20T17:50:00.006-05:00

This week I am showing you more recent pictures of my baby boys so that you can see how much they have grown. To give you something for comparison, the top three pictures are from early summer. As you can see from Picture 5 of Trey with Joey, they still have a way to go before catching up with their 20-pound brother, but they are thriving. Not bad for the little bits that came to me weighing less than a pound (Deuce) and just over a pound (Trey). :)

2009-09-13T18:37:00.003-05:00

Here's a bonus post for you for this week because I wanted to share.

My little Deuce has an attraction to toilet paper. I spent a lot of time rerolling salvageable toilet paper and cleaning up toilet paper that he and Trey had dragged and shredded throughout the house ~ making the place look like snow had fallen indoors ~ not to mention making the boys look as if they were foaming at their mouths with the shredded TP there. Deuce was definitely the TP unroller in these cases, but Trey happily joined in the fun when the TP hit the floor.

I thought I was so clever when I installed another TP holder ~ this one higher up, out of the reach and sight of my little guy because I hang my robe over it.

So *NOW* what does he do? On three different occasions ~ so far ~ today, I have seen him with a Puff in his mouth. He is pilfering my pop-up Puffs by snatching them right from the box.

Oh for the good ol' days when he was too small to jump up onto my desk! :)

[Photo courtesy of Itchmo News for Dogs & Cats.]

2009-09-13T18:01:00.003-05:00

Since school has begun, I have even less time and energy for something like housecleaning. And sharing a house with six furry critters only compounds the problem.

I hire a lady once a month to clean for me. She is extremely efficient and thorough, but once a month isn't really enough to keep the homestead as spic-and-span clean as I like for it to be. However, I am stretching my budget beyond its limit to afford even that.

Consequently, I have learned a few shortcuts for between Tisha's monthly visits. Many of these methods were highlighted in an e-mail I received from Dr. Jon, a vet who sends out his daily advice column through the sponsorship of PetPlace.com.

Here was his e-mail with a few comments from me, too!

When you own a cat, keeping the house clean is never easy. From all that shedding to hairballs and those occasional "accidents" every day can be a real challenge.

And the more pets you have, the more challenging the task becomes. So here are a few quick and easy tips that can help keep your house clean:

1. Avoid white furniture and accents. That goes for walls, rugs, couches and pillows. Outside cats and indoor/outdoor cats get dirty. And all cats shed. Add to that the occasional hairball or "accident" and, well, it's a bad combination all around for white furniture and accents. Continuous contact between your pet and your house will destroy these items quickly, so consider darker tones. [Vikki's Note: I knew better, but I fell in love with a *big* sunflower rug that I bought for the living room ~ the problem being that the background is *beige.* *HUGE* mistake. All my kitties but Trey have some black on them, and that fur accumulates on the rug and sticks there like glue. Only my Oreck has enough suction to pull it up, and because of my back problems, I'm not supposed to vacuum with anything but my little cordless vac. So I have to wait for Tisha ~ or run the Oreck myself and then hit the Vicodin bottle. Occasional barfy messes on this rug are that much harder to clean, too. For any kind of stain, I highly recommend OxiClean Stain Remover, found with laundry products. If OxiClean won't eradicate the stain, nothing will!]

2. Get yourself some throw rugs, pillows and furniture throws to use around the house. They're decorative and can hide problem stains. [Vikki's Note: Yep, I'm all about hiding those stains when the OxiClean is overmatched!]

3. Keep closet doors closed. Cats love to hide and nap in closets, which also means that they shed in your closets. And if they happen to have an "accident" in the closet, it may be a while before you realize it. That makes clean-up even more of an issue. [Vikki's Note: You may have to be creative if you have louvered doors as I do. My kitties can paw them open. So I installed latches on some, and put heavy, decorative doorstops in front of others.]

4. Spot clean messes quickly. Take a few minutes each day before you leave the house and before you head to bed to remove pet hairs and stains that may have collected throughout the day. I strongly suggest investing in the Swiffer Sweeper for this. It's great for quick clean-ups. This 2-In-1 Swiffer allows you to sweep and mop at the same time, cutting your cleaning time in half. It picks up 50% more dirt and hair than a broom and removes everything from dried food, vomit and pet fur to paw prints on virtually any surface in your home. So not only is it quicker, it also works better than traditional sweeping and mopping! If you own a cat, you really should own a Swiffer. This is a pet owner must-have!

Check out the Swiffer Sweeper. [Vikki's Note: As soon as I get past some financial obligations, I'll give the Swiffer Sweeper a try on that living room rug and get back to you with the results. By the way, one of these financial obligations happens October 1 when Deuce and Trey have their little operations on their doodles. Please keep us in your good thoughts! Thanks! And as Dr. Jon says...]

Happy Cleaning!

Until next time,
Dr. Jon
And Vikki, Too! :)

[Photo courtesy of Somerville Free Classifieds. Yes, I know the kitty isn't cleaning, but she is the photo for a housecleaning ad. Besides, she was too darn cute to resist!]

2009-09-07T18:34:00.003-05:00

Bonus Kitty Comics for Labor Day! :)

Were truer words ever spoken? :)

2009-09-05T23:00:00.002-05:00

I know you're wondering what the heck this cartoon has to do with *Purrspectives of the Crazy Cat Lady.* I can sum up my reasoning in two words: KITTY LITTER! If ever there was a man who should be buried in it, here he is ~ though maybe I'm insulting kitties and their litter in the process? When I first heard that *Blago* might be impeached, I said, *Ding dong, the witch is dead.* However, this particular witch lingers and lingers in the most public and disagreeable ways ~ kinda like the odor of skunky roadkill on the highway. Or is that insulting skunks?

2009-08-29T22:41:00.002-05:00

Most of us have encountered this hide-and-seek game when it's time for a trip to the vet. How do our babies *know* when we work so hard to trick them? :)

I had another use for my carrier on Friday. We had quite the adventure here.

Friday morning, after a killer week at school, I was awake kinda early, so I decided just to get up and maybe finally get to read my morning papers online. I have been seriously out of the news loop since school started simply because I've had no time for reading or watching news. I fed my inside kitties, and then, as I opened the door to feed outside kitties, one of them ~ Deuce's littermate ~ jumped over my foot and got inside.

The poor little guy was terrified and went ripping through the house ~ and I mean *ripping* ~ tearing up things in his path mostly in the bathroom and bedroom, where he went up the curtains, down the curtains, and up the curtains again to perch atop them ~ howling and knocking down my pink-rose garland there along with a wall-hanging that had belonged to my mama.

After sharing a bed with six kitties overnight, I am wheezy on a good day, but after chasing this kitty, I was *really* gasping, and my attempts to calm him down weren't working very well. I must have sounded like a wheezy monster to the little guy.

I finally got him off the curtains, and then he ran to my office and hid in a corner, underneath a cabinet. As much as I *HATED* to bother her at 5:15 in the morning, I had to call neighbor Elly for help. I had to get ready for school soon, and with my arthritic back, I knew I could never get down on the floor and get both the kitty and me up again if I happened to catch him.

Bless her heart, Elly came right over. We hoped to lure him into a carrier baited with some canned kitty food, but he didn't budge. After about 15 minutes of futile waiting, I decided a more active approach was needed. I lay on the floor, reached under the cabinet *carefully,* and scruffed him. He wasn't happy, but with the scruffing, I didn't get scratched.

Elly held the carrier tipped up so that I could drop him inside, and then she let him out outside. He was *VERY* happy to be outside again. My own fuzzy half dozen were amazingly calm throughout the whole ordeal though Deuce showed no signs of remembering his littermate ~ and vice versa. However, I was a mess.

At least our adventure happened on a Friday, not a Monday! :) After school, I took Elly out for her favorite, Chinese, to say thanks. I'd still be lying on the floor with the kitty huddled in the corner without her help.

This morning I kicked the door before I opened it so that any kitties gathered there would scoot back a bit. I didn't have to worry about Friday's kitten. He watched from a distance until the food was in place. :)

2009-08-23T14:27:00.002-05:00

Have you missed me? I'm guessing posts will be fewer now that school has begun, but I will surely try for at least once a week. And I will rely heavily on the kindness of others, too ~ meaning I will use that wonderful copy-and-paste feature on my computer.

First, though, I will share with you that we have late-summer kittens in the neighborhood. One stray had a litter over by Elly's in some unknown location, and another stray had hers literally by my back stoop. I saw them when I was carrying in groceries Saturday. She kept them there overnight and then moved them to a more secure location this morning ~ thanks be to God because I was a frazzled mess trying to keep watch over them in their fairly exposed location. She had four, but one didn't survive. Five dead kittens in one summer is a little hard on the emotions, but I managed. We definitely didn't need more kittens in the neighborhood, but I don't want to decrease their population through death.

Now for the *borrowed* part of this post. I subscribe to a daily kitty newsletter from a wonderful place called PetPlace.com. Today's e-mail included recipes for homemade kitty treats. *I* will certainly give Julia Child no competition, but I thought maybe some of you with more culinary expertise would like to try them:

The pet stores are full of cat treats. But did you know that you can make your own healthy kitty treats at home? Here are some recipes to help you find a way to your cat's heart:

Savory Cheese Treats

* 3/4 cup white flour
* 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
* 5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

# 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
# 1/4 cup cornmeal

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine cheeses and yogurt. Add flour and cornmeal. If needed, add a small amount of water to create a nice dough. Knead dough into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch. Cut into one inch sized pieces and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Chick N'Biscuits

* 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/3 cup cornmeal
* 1 tablespoon soft margarine

Preheat the over to 350 F. # Combine chicken, broth and margarine and blend well. Add flour and cornmeal. Knead dough into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch. Cut into one-inch sized pieces and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 18 cookies.

Crispy Liver Morsels

* 1/2 cup cooked chicken livers
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/4 cup cooked carrot, mashed
* 1 tablespoon soft margarine

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Place well-done livers in a blender with 1/4 cup water. In a bowl, combine flour and margarine. Add liver mixture and carrots and knead dough into a ball. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into one-inch sized pieces. Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 F for 10 minutes. Makes 12 cookies.

Tuna Tidbits

* 6 ounce can of tuna
* 1/4 cup water drained from tuna
* 3 T cooked egg white, chopped
* 1/4 cup cornmeal
* 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine tuna, egg white and water. Add cornmeal and flour and blend to form a dough. Knead into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into one-inch sized pieces. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Makes 12 cookies.

Happy cooking!

[The image at the top of this post was borrowed from Whimsy of Andrea.]

2009-08-18T17:17:00.004-05:00

This poster released by the Michigan Humane Society shows the poster for 'Catfax' which allows would be owners to get the history of their 'new' cat before they adopt. (AP Photo/Michigan Humane Society ~ Courtesy Yahoo News)

Check into the Michigan Humane Society Web site for further details. :)

2009-08-15T19:46:00.002-05:00

Are you planning a trip to Lithuania in what is left of your summer? Well, have I got the site for you see when you are there: the Cats Museum!

Founded in 1990 at Young Naturalist’s Centre, the museum was established by Vanda Kavaliauslkiene, who was collecting exhibits for the museum many years. The first exhibit, a little black wooden cat, came from Poland in 1962. Visitors are greeted by cats in stained glass, on stair handrails, on the lamps, and in over 10,000 other exhibits there.

Here visitors can get acquainted with cats, their breeds, and their character features. The museum features exhibits from many countries throughout the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, China, Portugal and Taiwan. Miniatures of both male and female cats are created from porcelain, glass, amber, marble, crystal, and other media.

Children's pictures, artistic photographs, works of professional painters, and other items are also presented in the expositions. Visitors are greeted by a beloved cat, Mikis, who is considered to be the head of the museum.

You can e-mail the museum at jgs@splius.lt.

2009-08-14T19:56:00.002-05:00

Your bonus post! You can probably guess why this appealed to me! :)

2009-08-14T18:48:00.003-05:00

This kitten rescue story was in today's Post-Dispatch:

Kittens Survive Truck Crushing in Alaska
By Rindi White
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
Thursday, Aug. 13 2009
WASILLA, Alaska — Two tiny kittens owe their lives to a rescue by a couple of seasoned “junkyard dogs.”

The pair is a little smudged but otherwise unharmed after the nest of shredded paper their mother made for them under a pickup seat was smashed by a car crusher over the weekend.

Gary Jacobsen, 10-year owner of Alaska Car Crushing of Wasilla, said the kittens were a pretty lucky pair. They’ve been named Crush and Smash as a reminder of their ordeal.

“It’s unbelievable they’re alive. They were the luckiest cats in the world the other day,” Jacobsen said.

The kittens were living in a brownish-purple 1970s-era GMC crew cab pickup. Jacobsen said the truck had been at the yard a while, maybe a couple of years. He said he thinks the mother cat likely moved the other kittens out of the nest but may have been interrupted before retrieving this pair.

A worker checked the truck before it was loaded into the crusher, he said, but the kittens were under a back seat, in an area that was difficult to see.

The truck was put through the crusher Aug. 1, then stacked on a flatbed trailer — the bottom-most in a stack of nine vehicles — and strapped down to be hauled to Schnitzer Steel in Anchorage for shredding, Jacobsen said.

On Monday, Aug. 3, Jacobsen’s brother Jeff Pruitt heard a “mew” while standing beside the loaded vehicles. Thinking it might be a toy, the men listened for another sound for more than 10 minutes. Amid all the engine noise from running machinery at the business, the “mew” was inaudible.

Jacobsen said they turned all the equipment off, then heard the sound again. Workers at the plant spent about an hour unloading the vehicles stacked on top of the truck and ripping the roof off. After a lot of prying — and a little
ribbing — they found the kittens’ nest under the seat.

“It was quite an ordeal,” Jacobsen said. “A couple guys came into the yard and said, ’What are you doing?’ (I said,) ’There’s a cat in there.’ ’Well, it’s just a cat,’ they said.”

Jacobsen said the kittens survived the weekend imprisoned in metal without food or drink. But they weren’t likely to have been as lucky at the metal recycling plant, where the pickup would have been crushed between rollers and shredded with a hammer mill.

“It’s the right thing to do — we didn’t really even have a choice,” Jacobsen said.

Asked how the cats survived the brutal strength of the crusher, he said a well-placed tire — an item usually removed before crushing — kept the cab area from being completely crushed.

Crush and Smash have been adopted by Shirah Roth at Schnitzer Steel in Anchorage. Roth said she and her daughter are keeping the unweaned kittens fed with milk around the clock.

2009-08-12T13:57:00.005-05:00

I have only a *Kitty Bit* for you today. With school starting in one week, I have many, many things needing my attention right now. However, I wanted to pass along news about Walgreens' Prescription Savings Club, which will provide *significant savings* for you and your family when you buy prescription medications. I am mentioning it here because Walgreens includes *PETS* in your family. :) Lots of kitty kisses to Walgreens!

Please note that this is a club, not an insurance. Here is more information from Walgreens:

If you live in the United States or Puerto Rico and are not enrolled in a publicly funded health care program, such as Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE, you are eligible for the Prescription Savings Club. Children under the age of 18 can be enrolled by a parent or guardian.

Enrollment for an individual is $20 per year or $35 for an entire family. Family enrollment includes spouse, dependents under the age of 23 and pets. Additional adult family members living in the same household, such as a parent or grandparent, will be issued their own card at the individual rate.

In this program, some meds are as little as $12 for a 90-day supply, so membership could be a good investment for you. Check it out! :)

[My thanks to my friend Emmie for giving me a heads-up about this program!]

2009-08-09T19:39:00.004-05:00

Neighbor Elly's Roadie is 15 this year. Like most people, Elly was figuring that each kitty year equals seven years, the same conversion rate as dogs have. However, kitties have a whole different scale. Consequently, instead of being 105, Roadie is actually a youthful 76. I found this chart and information at the site for the Tally Oaks Vet Service:

A popular misconception is that cats age seven years for each calendar year. In fact, feline aging is much more rapid during the first two years of life. A cat reaches the approximate human age of 15 during its first year, then 24 at age 2. Each year thereafter, it ages approximately four "cat years" for every calendar year. Thus, a 5-year-old feline would be approximately 36 in cat years. It should be remembered that a cat who lives outdoors ages far more quickly, perhaps even twice as fast, than an indoor cat.

[Birthday kitty photo courtesy of Funny Underline.]

2009-08-08T11:25:00.004-05:00

When all else fails, blame the cat. Good grief!

From Yahoo News:

Fla. Man Blames Cat Paws for Child Porn Downloads
Fri Aug 7, 8:29 pm ET

JENSEN BEACH, Fla. – Florida investigators say a man accused of downloading child pornography is blaming his cat. Keith Griffin of Jensen Beach is charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography after detectives found more than 1,000 images on his home computer.

According to a sheriff's report Friday, Griffin told investigators that his cat jumped on the computer keyboard while he was downloading music. He said he had left the room and found "strange things" on his computer when he returned.

Griffin is being held on $250,000 bond in the Martin County jail. It is unclear if he has an attorney.

My opinion is that someone needs to be neutered with a cheese grater ~ and I'm *not* talking about the poor kitty!

[Photo courtesy of Ecohaven.]

2009-08-07T08:44:00.007-05:00

I cannot abide cruelty of any kind, but it's especially heinous against those who depend on us for their care ~ like children and animals. As you know already, I am a big proponent of animal rescue organizations. But how wonderful it would be if the need for these organizations was reduced to natural-disaster situations rather than the consequences of cruelty or neglect of animals.

As a teacher, I know that nipping negative behavior in the bud, so to speak, is a wise strategy. Consequently, I was pleased to read the following article in today's Post-Dispatch:

Pet-Focused Reading Program Aims to Prevent Cruelty
By LINDA LOMBARDI
FOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday, Aug. 06 2009
WHEATON, Md. -- "I have no use for a cat." That's what Mrs. Crump says when the golden cat shows up on her porch and slips in the door. And when she thinks about letting the cat out, one child in Natalie Nelson's kindergarten class
can't help but interrupt.

"That's not a nice thing to do! You can't tell a cat to shoo, because they like you," the student calls out.

It's not a bad summary of one of the lessons of "Mrs. Crump's Cat," the book that humane educator BJ Altschul is reading to the class.

Altschul's visit to Arcola Elementary is part of the Humane Education Ambassador Readers program, which brings volunteers into schools to lead activities based on a carefully selected list of picture books about people and animals. The goal is to help children develop the empathy for other creatures that prevents animal cruelty and promotes responsible care of pets.

Each book is chosen partly because it helps children understand something about the meaning of a pet's sounds, tail-wagging and other body language. These basic lessons in animal behavior are important because many of the children involved in the program have no pets, and their only experiences of animals may be fearful ones.

"If they're not raised around animals, they may not understand how you can listen to an animal," says Nicole Forsyth of United Animal Nations, which developed the program.

In the book read to Nelson's class, Mrs. Crump warms to the cat, letting it dry off by the fire. And when it won't eat bread, she goes to the store to buy it some cream... and then a bowl, and flea soap, and a pretty collar.

After the reading, a few students are chosen to act out the story, and the class puts what they've learned about cat communication into action. When the child playing the cat would rather stay with Mrs. Crump than be let loose, Altschul asks the whole room, "How would you let her know that? What kinds of sounds would you make?" The class breaks out in a loud purr.

The mission of United Animal Nations is to take animals out of crisis situations such as natural disasters, but President and CEO Forsyth says they found themselves dealing with more cruelty cases, such as puppy mill rescues. Rather than simply react to these situations, they wanted to get involved in prevention by teaching humane attitudes towards animals from an early age.

The Humane Education Ambassador Readers program is designed so that it can be implemented on a local level by trained volunteers, which is important since few animal welfare organizations have the resources for a large dedicated humane education staff. And it is structured to fit in with specific curriculum standards for different states.

Teacher Heather Bracken of Hazel Strauch Elementary School in Sacramento, Calif., has had humane reading volunteers in her third grade class for the past two years. Bracken says that in her inner-city school, the program is important because it may be the first experience her students have of the idea of "an animal as part of the family."

But a big reason that it works is that it does double duty:

"They come in with documentation of how it fits into the standards," she says. "It makes it easy for a teacher to get approval from her administrator."

Having been successful incorporating the program into curriculum standards in Sacramento, Calif., Washington, D.C., and British Columbia, the group is now gearing up to expand to other cities.

Although it's too soon to judge the long-term effectiveness of the program, Bracken says that some results were clear in how her students talked to her after the visits, such as expressing concern for stray animals.

And she says that none of the parents complained when they got the inevitable requests for pets, because the students knew the effort that would be involved.

The program "taught the children the sense of joy of having an animal, and also the responsibility that goes along with it," she says. "They go home and educate their parents, too."
___

Pets columnist Linda Lombardi can be reached at creaturewriter@gmail.com

* * *
Rest in peace, Sam the Koala. She was the koala that survived the massive fires in Australia back in February and then became famous through the picture shown here. Sam was euthanized during surgery when doctors determined that her cystic disease was inoperable. Those who cared for Sam at the animal shelter as well as the firefighter who shared his water with her are devastated. I feel just as I did when I read that Barbaro had to be put down, too. :( Is it being soft-hearted or soft-headed to feel so deeply for animals you've never met?

2009-08-06T07:56:00.005-05:00

I love both puppies and kitties ~ with a slight edge to kitties simply because that's what my lifestyle has allowed over the years. However, I know that there are definite *Cat People* and *Dog People* out there. For those of you needing some guidance on the difference between cats and dogs, here is an explanation by way of PetPlace.com:

PET DIARIES...

From a Dog's Daily Diary:

8:00 am
Oh Boy! Dog Food! My favorite!

9:30 am
Oh Boy! A Car Ride! My Favorite!

9:40 am
Oh Boy! A Walk! My Favorite!

10:00am
Oh Boy! Getting petted! My favorite!

11:30 am
Oh Boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!

Noon
Oh Boy! The Kids! My Favorite!

1:00 pm
Oh Boy! The Yard! My Favorite!

4:00 pm
Oh Boy! To the Park! My Favorite!

5:00 pm
Oh Boy! Dog Food! My Favorite!

5:30 pm
Oh Boy! Pretty Mums! My Favorite!

6:00 pm
Oh Boy! Playing Ball! My Favorite!

6:30 pm
Oh Boy! Watching TV with my Master! My Favorite!

8:30 pm
Oh Boy! Sleeping in Master's Bed! My Favorite!

From a Cat's Daily Diary:

Day 483 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh food while I am forced to eat dry cereal.

The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape and the mild scolding I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.

Today my attempt to kill my captors by rubbing around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded; must try this at the top of the stairs.

In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair; must try this on their bed.

Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body in an attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was.

Hmmmm, not working according to plan.

There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary confinement throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell of food. More importantly, I overheard that my confinement was due to my power of "allergies". I must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.

I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit.

The bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant. He speaks with them regularly, and I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured.

But I can wait; it is only a matter of time.

Disclaimer: Many of these articles were submitted by PetPlace.com dog lovers and the original source is unknown in terms of origin, author or copyright. It is not our intent to infringe on anyone's copyright and if it is done, it is done unknowingly and we would be happy to remove the offending content. Just email us.

[Photo courtesy of Riverside Cards and Balloons.]

2009-08-05T15:30:00.005-05:00

Yet Another Doting Mommy Alert! :)

I took some pictures of the *Terrible Two* as they are settling down for a nap. As you can see, Trey is thrilled to pieces about receiving a bath from his bubby. They are growing up much too fast. I have threatened to stop feeding them so that they will stop growing. :) Like that would really happen! They eat better than I do 'cause I will eat generic, and they won't! :)

[Hey, Melinda! Notice the pink-rose tissues in the bottom corner of my desk organizer. I still have them! :) You just can't put boogies and snot on pink-rose tissues! :)]

2009-08-03T09:16:00.002-05:00

Yesterday you met Nora, the piano kitty. Today you get to meet Casper, the bus kitty. Known in England as the *Commuter Cat,* Casper lines up with other boarding passengers before taking his place on a seat for his ride.

The BBC Web site has a Casper video, along with this story:

Commuter Cat Is Star of Bus Route

A cat has become such a well-known user of a Devon bus service that its drivers know where to let him off.

Casper has been queuing with other passengers to get the number three service from his home in Plymouth for months, bus company First said.

It added that he often sat in the queue and then quietly padded on board and curled up on a seat for the ride.

Casper's owner Susan Finden, 55, who picked him from a rescue home in 2002, said he had always been a free spirit.

Mrs Finden said she named her pet after Casper the Friendly Ghost, as he has a habit of wandering off.

A spokesman for First said that drivers had been bussing Casper around for months, but Mrs Finden said she had only just found out about his use of public transport.

The care worker said: "He'd always go off and have a wander.

"Once I had to walk a mile-and-a-half with a cat basket to bring him back from a car park.

"He does love people, and I don't know what the attraction is but he loves big vehicles like lorries and buses."

A notice has been put up by First in the bus drivers' rest room in Plymouth bus station asking them to look after the rogue passenger if they spot him sneaking on board.

Another article mentioned that Casper has a preference for First buses over Citybuses, and he has become such a celebrity that some First-bus passengers use his picture on their computer desktops.

First-bus officials have no plans to collect retroactive fares from Casper. At 12 years old, in kitty years he would be classified as an *OAP* and get a free bus pass anyway. :)

[My thanks to my friend Stephen for sending me links to Casper.]

2009-08-02T12:49:00.007-05:00

I want to introduce you to Nora, the piano-playing kitty. Nora has mew-sic in her heart and an orchestra to accompany her. :) Move over, Susan Boyles, because Nora has become a You Tube sensation, too, with over 2.5 million fans tuning in. So kick back and listen to Nora's Cat-certo! Okay, so maybe she isn't Vladimir Horowitz, but she can play better than I can! :) And all this time I thought kitties preferred *strings*??? :) Janet, maybe she can join you and John some time for a piano party? :) [The downloadable photo I found is apparently one of Nora in her more formative years. You can find links to two of Nora's earlier videos at this same Web page.]

Speaking of formative years, my baby boys are famous now. Deuce and Trey were just chosen to be Kitties of the Week in the EdHat Santa Barbara e-zine! Their favorite bubby, Joey, was a Kitty of the Week himself for Halloween 2006. :) Thanks to their Auntie Em for sharing the e-mail and link with me! :)

2009-07-31T18:21:00.002-05:00

How ironic that I should see this cartoon today because Elly and I were *JUST* talking about this tendency in our babies. I have spent at least a bajillion and one dollars on kitty toys, beds, and kitty trees for my fuzzy family, and they seem just as happy with empty boxes and up-ended waste baskets. :) Oh well. Today I read an article with a checklist to make your home both safe and happy for your kitties, and I am okay and then some on every point. :)

2009-07-30T13:04:00.004-05:00

You knew that the closer I get to school, the more infrequent my posts become, right? I'm not sure whether I want to know if you consider that good news or bad news. In either event, even when school starts, I promise to *try* to post at least once a week. Finding kitty topics to cover isn't the problem ~ the problem is finding the time to write about the topics!

Since this is also time to be working on my September newsletter as well as on school-related material, I am spending a lot of time in my office, an office that includes a fairly common device called a paper shredder. Since I first plugged it in, I have been concerned about its convenience for me and its safety for my kitties. To have the best of both worlds, I kept it turned on, but over the openings to the blades, I placed an old mousepad to keep kitty paws, tails, and tongues away. After reading this article, I threw convenience out the door, and now I keep my shredder turned completely *OFF* between uses.

From PetPlace.com:

Hi! My name is Erica Cacioppo. On May 26th, 2006 my lab/pit mix, Shelby had a horrific accident involving a paper shredder.

I woke at 6 AM to a horrible sound. It was Shelby screaming! It was a sound I have never heard and can't get out of my head. I ran downstairs and asked my husband Gino, who was holding her, what was wrong. Before he could answer I saw the most horrific sight of my life, Shelby's tongue stuck inside our paper shredder. Our other dog Sophia, thinking Shelby was being attacked was pulling relentlessly and with all her might on the shredder, not knowing she was making matters worse. Even though in shock of the situation we worked as fast as we could to get Shelby to the vet. We had to pry Sophia off and put her in the bathroom. In that time Shelby had bit her own tongue off. I suppose in animal instinct.

Gino got Shelby in the car as I got dressed and got together our purse and wallet.

This all happened in a matter of 5 minutes. Our closest animal clinic was an agonizing 20 minutes away, at which time Shelby was bleeding profusely. We got there just in time. She started going into convulsions just before being put under for surgery. During the operation she got between 40 to 50 stitches and loss her entire tongue. After the surgery the vet, Dr. Emo, told us she didn't know how Shelby would be able to eat and drink, as she has never seen or heard of an injury like this. At this point we had decided to put her to sleep. Thank God the vet did extensive research and found a study on dogs with the same injury and they adapted to the situation over time and had the same attitude and a great quality of life. We then decided to give Shelby the chance she deserved.

It paid off! She is very happy! Shelby getting her voice back was no problem, 2 weeks later she was barking at the neighbor dog again. She can eat wet food very easily with our help and as of mid June is doing okay with trying to learn to eat dry food again. She is drinking water through a syringe that we give to her. She lets us know when she wants water. She is starting to learn how to scoop up water on her own and on June 17th ate her 1st rawhide that she stole from her sister! She still drools some, but has learned to wipe her own mouth on towels we have in the house and outside for her. We have no doubt she will completely adapt with some time and effort. She's our miracle baby!

We want people to know that this happens and that if it does you can save your baby! If you are in a similar situation please e-mail this web site and they will contact me and I can help you with any questions you may have. I beg you to please tell everyone you know and please UNPLUG your shredder or GET RID OF IT!!!! You NEVER want to go through what we did!!!!!! It was utterly horrible. We couldn't eat or sleep. We have bad nightmares about what happened. PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!!

Thank you,
Erica Cacioppo, Shelby's owner

From Shelby's vet:

One night while I was working at the St. Louis Animal Emergency Clinic a 4-year-old female spayed Labrador retriever named Shelby came in. Little did I know this would be a dog that I'll never forget. Shelby presented after recently getting her tongue caught in a paper shredder. Despite the owners' and the family pitbull's valiant efforts to rescue her, the traction on Shelby's tongue was too great and it gave way at the level of her epiglottis. Basically, Shelby lost her entire tongue. Despite this, Shelby presented bright, alert, and responsive but was a little head shy and per owners could be unpredictably "snappy" at times making an oral exam difficult without sedation. She had blood dripping from her mouth but the rest of her physical exam
was within normal limits.

In order to provide the owners with a realistic prognosis (in terms of swallowing, prehension, laryngeal reflex, voice) and because the case was so unusual, phone calls were made to the University of Missouri Veterinary Teaching Hospital (UMC-VMTH), a specialty practice in St. Louis called Veterinary Specialty Services (VSS), and my father, Phillip Hornbostel M.D. (a general surgeon) for advice. I learned of a recent study done at UMC-VMTH which showed the prognosis for dogs after traumatic glossectomy (tongue excision) was excellent and explained these results to the owners. The owners were satisfied that an acceptable quality of life was possible for Shelby and opted for surgery.

The immediate and most pressing concern was blood loss. Stabilization was the highest priority since fatalities due to traumatic glossectomy have been reported. In Shelby's case, a preoperative bolus of fluids was given and was adequate for stabilization prior to anesthesia. Pain medication was also given. Preoperative bloodwork to determine if Shelby was anemic was done and her value PCV was 55% which is normal. Upon intubation an oral exam was performed revealing not even a "stub" of tongue, but only a small amount of tissue remaining at the back of the throat. The edges were trimmed and the remainder of the defect was closed with suture.

Shelby recovered well. Her red blood cell count after the surgery but she showed no clinical signs of anemia. She was offered water with a syringe 16 hours after surgery which she took relatively well. Just 24 hours post-op she was offered canned i/d meatballs but it was another 12 hours before she was successful in getting them to the back of her mouth and swallowing them. Shelby was eating and drinking well (syringe drinking) 36 hours later and likely could have gone home at this time. At the owners request Shelby was allowed a full 72 hours of recovery before returning home.

Shelby has been pretty famous since this "freak" accident and has even made the Channel 4 news in Saint Louis! At the time of the news story a few weeks ago she was still getting syringes of water which was likely not necessary but was a result of Shelby training her owners.

University of Missouri recommends kibble for these patients. One post-op patient ate canned food in the form of meatballs in order to get adequate daily water intake. Most of these dogs learn to drink water by scooping it out of the bowl. Another consideration might be a wall mounted watering device with a nipple attachment.

Quality of life was the owners' number one concern and they are thrilled at how much she still enjoys life, including food. All in all Shelby is a happy, albeit very lucky, dog.

NOTE: the most common reason for this traumatic even to occur with paper shredders is from children feeding food into them and dogs licking at the food. We recommend that you NEVER keep your paper shredder on auto feed and keep it out of the use of children.

Dr. Emo works as an Emergency Room veterinarian in St. Louis, Missouri.

So, *PLEASE,* don't take any chances with your precious pets! They should be shedding, not shredding. :)

2009-07-25T09:04:00.002-05:00

To follow up on one of yesterday's *Kitty Bits,* I did a *bit* of browsing, :) The consensus seems to be that carriers are the best means of transporting kitties by car. However, no mention was made of the best location for the carriers.

Pet harnesses were also mentioned ~ though they seem to be more for dogs than kitties. They clip to seatbelts and allow pets enough freedom to sit, lie down, or stand comfortably while keeping them contained in a small area. These harnesses come in a variety of sizes and colors.

You can find them just about anywhere that sells pet items online. The best picture I found was at My Pampered Pets, but since that place is located in New Zealand, you might want to find some place closer to make a purchase. :)

2009-07-24T15:26:00.001-05:00

Cardinals Trade for Holliday
Why am I not surprised that the Cardinals didn't listen to me? Oh well. We'll see how this works out. I also said Cincy would be the sleeper team in the Central, and it looks like Houston will be. :)

2009-07-24T10:24:00.005-05:00

Kitty Bits

I am borrowing the title idea from Bernie Miklasz, one of my favorite Post-Dispatch sports writers. Each Saturday, his column contains *Bernie Bits,* brief news items or comments instead of one specific thesis for his whole article. Today I have some *Kitty Bits* for you. Hold your joyful applause please! :)

First up, Trey. He had his booster-shot appointment this morning and received a glowing report from Dr. Britt. He is up to 3.8 pounds now, just about where he should be for a kitten his age. Considering how pitifully emaciated he was when he came to my doorstep, he has made tremendous progress, and I am so proud of him. Dr. Britt said it was easy to tell that Trey has become a mama's boy ~ and his mama doesn't mind one little bit. :)

We live only about 5 minutes from the Douglas Vet Clinic. Unless neighbor Elly happens to be with me, I put the kitty carrier on the front seat beside me so that I can talk to whatever kitty is making the trip. None of them are ever happy about it, so I try to alleviate their anxiety as much as possible. This morning, however, I got to thinking about air bags in my Toyota Corolla, and I couldn't help wondering what a deploying air bag would do to the carrier and, consequently, to my fluff of love. I know there are special car seats for dogs, but kitties are at the mercy of their carriers. Maybe the wise thing to do is to put the carriers in the back seat each time?

Yesterday I went grocery shopping with Elly, and Super Wal-Mart happened to have those Fancy Feast Appetizers that I mentioned in an earlier post ~ $1.29 for a teeny package, so I bought only three for my six babies to share. Usually a bag of Temptations Treats will last me 4-5 days for 5 kitties ~ Elly Fae won't eat treats for some reason. So we're talking the mother of all treats with these appetizer things ~ barely enough for a couple of bites per kitty. And pulling the foil top off required the muscles of Atlas. In fact, I stupidly tried using the leverage of my teeth on that easy-to-open corner, only to get a mouth full of that *Delicate Broth.* YEEEEEEWWWWWW! But the kitties seemed to like it ~ a lot. I hope they savored each bite because they won't be getting any more until their mommy wins the lottery or marries a millionaire. And since I don't buy lottery tickets and I don't date anymore, I'd have to say that my odds of doing either are considerably diminished.

Nonetheless, just today I read an article in the good ol' P-D stating that even in this recession, two out of three pet owners continue to pamper their pets. In these dismal economic times, pet retailers are reporting steady to rising profits. Even Hallmark Cards has reported an increase in sales of their "from the cat,* *from the dog,* and pet sympathy cards. You know that I very much want happy endings for all little animals, but even with all this pampering, animal shelters are bursting their seams as more and more animals are sent to them by people hurting financially. I would like to see maybe a little less *material* pampering and more love given instead to an extra kitty or puppy in the household.

I am always reading to find better ways to care for my fuzzy family. During summer, one of my special concerns is bug spray. You can buy some that is safe for animals, but you often have to order it, and it can be pretty pricey. Yesterday I read that Listerine can make an effective repellent, and hair spray can make an effective bug spray. Sticky hair spray will gum up a bug's wings so that it can't fly, and the spray will also seal breathing orifices so that the bugs can't breathe. It has been used effectively on wasps, ants, and roaches. Since it's water-soluble, it can be cleaned up easily with a damp cloth, and it won't stain fabrics. If you can get past the suffocating-a-bug thing, it would be a good alternative to a chemical bug spray.

I *thought* I had found something else to help my youngest babies when I read that daily doses of castor oil would help kitties' immune systems. Kittens who lose their mamas too early, for whatever reasons, can suffer from stunted immune systems, so I was happy to hear this tip since Deuce and Trey *lost* their mamas before they were fully weaned. However, thanks be to God that I always go looking for more information because in all other articles, I read that castor oil is actually toxic to kitties. It can be part of a concoction for treating external wounds, but it should never be given to the kitty as oral medicine. Two lessons here: (1) Don't give castor oil to your kitty. (2) Double- and triple-check everything you read online, even if it's something you read here. My feelings won't be hurt, and if I'm wrong, I want to know what's right!

I'll finish with a couple of baseball thoughts since I started with one. Dear St. Louis Cardinals: Operating under the old baseball bromide that good pitching stops good hitting, I would rather have Roy Halladay than Matt Holliday. I know the chances of getting either are equal to a snowball's chance in Death Valley, but I thought I would throw my two cents in there. :) And...Dear Cardinals' Fans: Don't worry about the Cubs. When a member of the Cubs' ground crew was mean to a kitty in the spring, I put the Calico Kitty Curse on the team. Combined with all the other curses on the Cubs, they stand...well...a snowball's chance in Death Valley of winning the Central.

Okay, everybody, *NOW* you break into that joyful applause! :)

2009-07-23T09:31:00.002-05:00

Since Trey goes to the vet tomorrow to get his booster, I thought this was an appropriate chuckle for the day. And goodness know we need some extra smiles this week!

2009-07-21T15:42:00.004-05:00

Melinda called me today with sad news. We had lost another former student, the fourth this year. Although our grief is nowhere close to that of the loved ones of these girls, we are devastated. And at the core of our grief is the opinion that burying our babies just isn't right. They should be burying us.

Kathy Lynn Rutledge Ruscher was only 48 years old. I do not know the details of her passing except that she died at home and the family has requested memorials be made to the Heart Association. Kathy's obituary appears at the WJBD Web site, so I won't give those details here. Instead, I will share memories.

She was a superb student and a bright young lady who was also athletic. In fact, in my last year of playing on an organized women's softball team, she and two other of my *barely-former* students were teammates. One of the coaches, a good friend of mine named Mike, had a huge crush on her. He had a thing about women in white shorts, and when he saw Kathy in her white shorts, his tongue hit the ground. :) He asked me to fix him up. I did. And later they married and had three children.

Usually I try to avoid weddings ~ I'm just not into ceremonies of any kind. However, since this was probably the one-and-only fix-up that had ever reaped positive results, I attended this wedding. I remember Kathy's desperately needing a safety pin that I happened to have in my purse sewing kit. She commented that she knew if anyone would be prepared, it would be Miss C. :) Their wedding was basically a small, family ceremony, and afterward the newly married couple walked among the guests and greeted everyone warmly and lovingly ~ so much more satisfying than stereotypical receiving lines.

Mikey and Kathy lost their son, Kevin, a few years ago, and not too long afterward, I ran into them at Super Wal-Mart in Mt. Vernon. I will never forget the absolute agony on her face at that time. I have no children, other than furry ones and students, but my mother always said to multiply the grief of a child losing a parent by a billion, and *maybe* you would understand the grief of a parent losing a child.

Perhaps ironically, the last time I saw Kathy was just a few days ago, again at Super Wal-Mart, but here in Salem. She was with her lovely daughter, Kaitlynn, and I was thrilled to see Kathy so happy again. We chatted for many minutes about how busy she was with her family, which now included son Christopher's two boys, Sam and Jacob. Oh my, but she was *SO* proud of her grandsons, though she was somewhat concerned that one of them seemed to prefer his grandpa to his grandma. :)

And now, suddenly, I hear that she is gone. I won't say *forever,* for she left too many special memories behind for a lot of us.

Instead, I will think of her being reunited joyfully with Kevin as they wait patiently for the rest of us to show up.

2009-07-21T13:21:00.005-05:00

My neighbor, Donna, is moving to Virginia soon and needs a new home for her kitty, Lacie. As an adult kitty, Lacie will sadly have some trouble finding a new family, but we're trying. She is a well-behaved orange-and-white kitty who is current on all her shots and has been spayed. At this time, Lacie is an inside-outside kitty, but I'm guessing she could easily become all one way or the other so long as she has someone to love her. The Cleveland Kitty Cottage is filled beyond capacity, so taking Lacie myself is out of the question. If any of you have any leads in the Salem, IL, area, please let me know ASAP. Donna is moving in three weeks.

This request offers a good segue to the North Shore Animal League. As you know, I am an enthusiastic proponent of no-kill shelters. The League is the largest no-kill shelter in the world.

This information is from Wikipedia:

North Shore Animal League America, headquartered in Port Washington, NY, is the largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization in the world. Since 1944, The League’s mission has been saving the lives of pets through adoption, rescue, spay/neuter and advocacy initiatives. Every year, the League reaches across the country to rescue, nurture and adopt nearly 20,000 pets and to date, the League has placed close to 1 million puppies, kittens, cats and dogs into carefully screened homes. One of the first animal rescue agencies on the ground in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the League rescued more than 1400 pets from the region.

The League is also home to the Alex Lewyt Veterinary Medical Center, which provides 24-hour care for the pets sheltered at the League.

In 2007, the League received three Chihuahuas born without front paws. They resembled pint-sized kangaroos, and got around by hopping on their back haunches. The pups were evaluated, and, in a special initiative, toy-sized aluminum wagons were custom built, allowing them to move more easily. They now live in a home with an employee of NSALA.

Every year the medical center takes care of more than 10,000 outpatient visits, administers more than 15,000 vaccinations and performs over 11,000 free spay/neuter procedures for every adopted animal, preventing over 132 million potentially unwanted litters. Additionally, the League’s SPAY/USA program is a nationwide referral service for affordable spay/neuter services. The League is also home to a National Shelter Rescue and Humane Education Team. North Shore Animal League America offers a wide variety of programs such as a mobile adoption program, adoption counseling, training and foster care for pets with special needs.

At the League's official site, you can read their mission statement and also learn about *mutt-i-grees,* the mixed-breed dogs looking for loving homes, too. Kathryn Erbe of *Law and Order: Criminal Intent* is a celebrity spokesperson for The Mutt-i-Gree Club. Through links from the home page, you can learn how to adopt pets, donate to the League, or sponsor a pet if you are unable to take one into your home. There are also links to news and advice articles, animal programs, and other no-kill shelters.

Please bookmark the site and shop here, too, whenever you need a gift for yourself or other animal lovers!

2009-07-20T11:02:00.003-05:00

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? :)

This just in from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

ST. LOUIS — Secrecy was a must. Inside Nestlé Purina Petcare headquarters,
they used a code name: Project Trident. Plans were afoot to shake up the $17
billion U.S. pet food industry. The goal was a new cat food. Not a meal. Not a
treat.

"A game-changer," said Vincent Biroscak, senior brand manager for Fancy Feast.
"A paradigm-shifter."

A team of 40 at Purina worked 3½ years to develop this new product, shape it,
fine-tune it. They spent hundreds of hours on research and design. When a
select group of St. Louis area cat owners last year tested the product at home,
they were forced to sign nondisclosure agreements.

And then, late last month, the new product quietly began to appear on store
shelves nationwide.

Fancy Feast Appetizers for cats.

After reading the entire article, I got to feeling like something of a negligent mommy to my six. According to a survey attached to this article, Fancy Feast is the top-selling canned kitty food in the USA ~ with 440.2 million units sold a year. With so many feline mouths to feed, inside and out, I can afford only the runner-up kitty food, Friskies, at 360.9 million, and Whiskas pouches, which weren't even in the top five. I save Fancy Feast for special occasions and treats.

However, now, apparently, I should throw appetizers into mix. Again according to the article. the consistent Fancy Feast customers are the ones *highly devoted* to their kitties. My ego can't help being somewhat crushed to know that I'm a notch less than devoted to my babies. I wonder if they will settle for extra cuddles and kitty kisses instead of more Fancy Feast? :)

Nevertheless, I will probably give the appetizers a try ~ as treats for my fuzzy family. Which of the eight varieties should I try first?

Flaked Skipjack Tuna? Steamed Tilapia? Tender Tongol Tuna? White Meat Chicken and Shredded Beef? Seabass and Shrimp? Steamed Wild Alaskan Salmon? White Meat Chicken and Flaked Tuna? Or simply White Meat Chicken? All come *In a Delicate Broth,* so the decision becomes even more difficult.

I visited the Fancy Feast page at the Purina site in hopes of finding a coupon. Not only was there no coupon, there was also a warning about counterfeit Fancy Feast coupons being sold on eBay ~ so, buyer, beware!

In the meantime, I wonder if Ameren would mind sacrificing my monthly tribute to them so that my babies can have appetizers? :)

The Surveys:

Top-selling wet cat foods

Units sold (June 2007-June 2008)

1. Fancy Feast (Purina) 440.2 million

2. Friskies (Purina) 360.9 million

3. Private Label* 123.9 million

4. 9 Lives (Del Monte) 102.1 million

5. Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys (Purina) 59.3 million

* Excluding Wal-Mart sales, private label includes all generic/store brands.

Source: Information Resource Inc.

Top global pet food makers

1. Mars
Some brands: Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin
2007 global sales: $11.8 billion

2. Nestle SA (including Nestlé Purina Petcare)
Some brands: Purina, ALPO, Friskies, Fancy Feast
2007 global sales: $10.9 billion

3. Colgate-Palmolive
Hill's Science Diet
2007: $3 billion

4. Procter and Gamble
Iams, Eukanuba
$2.99 billion

5. Del Monte Foods
Meow Mix, 9 Lives, Jerky Treats
$1.7 billion

Source: Euromonitor International

2009-07-18T08:59:00.001-05:00

Just a quick smile today! Lots on the Saturday agenda! :)

2009-07-17T08:14:00.002-05:00

I'm starting this day with a much-needed smile. A bad storm last night destroyed neighbor Elly's beautiful Bradford pear tree. It *just* missed hitting her covered deck and carport on the way down. Now the outside kitties are filling the downed tree, enjoying their new *jungle gym* while they have it. :)

2009-07-16T10:57:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I told you about *Kitlers.* My close, personal friend Emmie Jean in Shakopee, MN, sent me a picture of her former baby boy, a Kitler named Gully. She has submitted his photo to the Kitler site, but you can see it here *first!* :)

2009-07-16T09:23:00.003-05:00

The *cause for claws* is on my mind today.

My friend Stephen sent me a Care2 article about the kitty declawing controversy. Even though my four oldest are declawed, I have been struggling with the thought of declawing Deuce and Trey. In my mind, they have already gone through enough no matter how much more convenient their declawing would make things for me. They will still have to be neutered Octoberish, but for boys that procedure is relatively minor.

I didn't think twice about having my girls declawed ~ for purely selfish reasons. They had zero problems recuperating, and there were no behavioral changes afterward. The trick is to have the surgery done when the kitties are still very young and light on their feet.

However, after Elly Fae, I was reading more and more online about just what the procedure involved: something similar to our cutting off our fingers at the first knuckles. By then, too, Elly and I were feeding two *declawed* stray males that someone had dumped, and we fretted every day that they would be unable to defend themselves ~ though we learned later that a kitty's back claws are really more important for defensive purposes.

Nonetheless, when Joey joined my household, I did, briefly, consider *not* declawing him, but ~ since his sisters were declawed ~ I thought he should be, too. Joey had a little more trouble with recovering. These days the resulting wounds are glued shut rather than sutured shut, and Joey managed to tear open one of his wounds and bleed a bit. A little TLC and Neosporin fixed him right up, but I was having more and more doubts about the whole declawing thing in general ~ intellectually speaking, for I surely didn't think I would need to make any personal decisions about it for a long, long time.

Then Deuce and Trey came along, and the controversy was suddenly personal again.

They played so roughly with each other that I was sure declawing was the *smart* thing. Otherwise, I would have two scar-faced kitties on my hands. However, as they grew, their play became less injurious, and they really are very well-behaved, responding well to *NO!* when they hear it and, even better, *remembering* the no-no things and responding appropriately without further reminders from their mommy. I have lots of sisal surfaces for claw sharpening, so my furniture isn't necessarily at risk ~ though, truth be told, my furniture is so *used* that a few claw holes won't make much difference. :)

I am also re-learning the skill of claw clipping ~ this time, on the advice of Dr. Britt, using baby nail clippers instead of regular claw clippers. The baby clippers are easier to maneuver and cut more cleanly. I try to handle the pedicures when my baby boys are sleepy, and so far I have encountered very little resistance.

After a conversation with Dr. Bailey, I definitely decided that the twins will not be declawed. He assured me that they can live harmoniously and safely with four declawed kitties. As a vet, he is reluctant to perform the surgery and will only if *not* doing it means that an inside kitty will have to move outside.

The article that Stephen sent to me says that San Francisco is considering a ban on declawing kitties, and I know that places in Europe have already outlawed the procedure. In fact, in these areas, vets who are willing to perform the surgery can be reported for animal cruelty.

By no means am I saying that those who opt for the surgery are being cruel. In the right circumstances, I would choose it again myself. I just like considering all the angles before I make decisions like this one ~ especially when the decisions involve the welfare of an animal. And declawing is one thing my sweet little boys will not have to endure. As I said, they have been through enough.

As an alternative to clipping, I am also considering nail covers called *Soft Paws* and/or *Soft Claws.* They come in jazzy colors, and the new, improved versions are supposed to stay on better than the prototypes did.

I wonder if my energetic little boys would mind wearing *pink*???? :)

[The photo at the top of this post was borrowed from ShackSpace.]

2009-07-15T11:57:00.006-05:00

How offended would you be if someone told you that you look like Hitler?

Apparently there is a huge difference of opinion regarding kitties that have this particular facial phenomenon.

Enough *fans* exist that there is a Web site devoted to these *Kitlers,* as they are called. Cats That Look Like Hitler has the following tease for the site: "Does your cat look like Adolf Hitler? Do you wake up in a cold sweat every night wondering if he's going to up and invade Poland? Does he keep putting his right paw in the air while making a noise that sounds suspiciously like 'Sieg Miaow'? If so, this is the website for you."

Besides photos of qualifying kitties, there are links to Kitlerwear and the Kitler Community ~ as well as a forum for people who love Kitlers.

On the other hand, some people are offended by the whole comparison ~ both in general terms and in kitty terms. For these people ~ and in a sense of fair play ~ the site also offers a forum for the *We Hate Kitlers* faction.

So long as we're talking about *looking* like Hitler and not *acting* like Hitler, I'm not one of the offended kitty people, but you can draw your own conclusions.

However, purrsonally I would be more impressed if the kitty looked like Elvis or my most major-yums man, Dennis Farina. (How happy am I that I had a good excuse for including his picture in my blog!)

2009-07-14T14:28:00.003-05:00

Okay, I have to share the latest havoc wreaked by the Terrible Two. :)

Some background: I almost always eat at my desk, working or reading on my computer as I eat.

More background: My Terrible Two are very playful little guys who seem to think their mommy should share her meals with them.

At lunch time today, they were playing in the living room, so I thought I could have a peaceful lunch. I made my salad, grabbed a diet sodie, and headed for my desk.

Just as I sat down, I heard the pitter-patter of eight galloping feet, and here came the Terrible Two, around the corner, up over the second shelf of the bookcase, over the top of the cart with the kitty beds on it, over the top of the cart with the TV on it, where they then skidded onto my desk and right *INTO* my salad ~ knocking my newly opened diet sodie into Kingdom Come.

Sigh.

They seemed to enjoy licking the Ranch dressing off themselves and each other as I was washing them with a wet washcloth. Fortunately the Diet Sunkist didn't stain anything of any major importance.

I should have known that chaos would ensue as soon as I tried to eat healthier food. Deviating from the usual crapioca that I eat has only upset the natural order of the universe.

And in the future, I think I will eat standing at the kitchen counter. :)

2009-07-14T09:13:00.008-05:00

Today in Yahoo News, I read an article about how cats control humans. The article cited a study by Karen McComb of the University of Sussex. I had the same response to this monumental thesis as I did when KSDK ran a story about how the St. Louis pools had more people in them when the weather got hot: DUH! Good grief, tell us something we don't already know!

I ended up with six kitties inside because they control me. Because of allergies and asthma, I'm supposed to have *zero* kitties. I had settled on two, Melanie and Chelsie, but then my neighbor, Florence, a dog person, found a stray kitten ~ an adorable calico ~ who needed a home. First of all, I'm a sucker for calico kitties. Second of all, this kitten broke into loud purrs as soon as I cupped her in my hands. So that's how Elly Fae became a member of the Cleveland Kitty Cottage.

Okay, three kitties. That's not so bad. Mama had three kids. Three has always been my lucky number. I was born on March 3. Then a hungry black kitten showed up in the neighborhood. I swear I intended only to feed him, but then I made the mistake of sitting in my glider swing outside while he ate. When he was done, he climbed into my lap and licked my nose to say thank you. So that's how Joey became a member of the Cleveland Kitty Cottage.

Recent posts told you how Deuce and Trey were added. So like I don't already know that kitties can control us? For goodness sake, I added the expense and care of two special-needs kittens when I have property taxes to pay and a novel to write! The former will be taken care of today, the latter ~ well, who knows? Summer's running out on me fast!

My good friend Melinda has advised me to put on kitty blinders whenever I leave the house now. I am too easily controlled by fuzzy cuteness, purring, kitty kisses, and fluffs of love, either big or small. I think maybe God has stamped *SUCKER!* on my forehead in letters only feline eyes can see.

So I could have told Ms. McComb about the kitty-control thing a long time before she went to the trouble of studying kitty purrs. Of course, if I were to be studying something, I would probably choose kitties, too. :) Can I get a grant for that?

2009-07-13T09:33:00.013-05:00

Another Doting Mommy Alert!

I just cleared the digital and wanted to share some of the photos with you. At least I give you fair warning when all I will be doing is sharing photos and/or anecdotes of my fuzzy family, right? :)

Here the twins, aka the *Terrible Two,* have some quiet moments together. Those quiet moments don't happen too often unless they are sleeping. I have two *very* energetic baby boys ~ and considering how pitiful they both were not too long ago, I am thrilled and thankful that they are so rambunctious now! :) In the middle picture, you may notice the nick next to Deuce's eye. That's a battle scar from one of his wrestling matches with Trey. As they get older ~ and get regular pedicures ~ they don't play quite so roughly. :)

Melanie is eleven years old now and not entirely happy about the new additions. She tolerates them better than Elly Fae, not so well as Joey and Cheslie do, but if they get too close to her, she does hiss and otherwise show her displeasure. Therefore, I knew there might be some trouble brewing because both she and Trey like to sleep in front of the TV in my office. Much to my surprise, they shared the space. Well, kinda. Trey sneaked in while Melly was sleeping. Not too long after these photos were taken, Melly woke up and wasn't so agreeable about finding another fluff of love there. :)

Deuce absolutely, positively worships his big brother, Joey. Until Trey joined the household, Deuce followed Joey around like a shadow, even to the point of standing between Joey's front legs when Joey was trying to drink. Joey has been fairly good-natured about it all, though sometimes he'll growl his displeasure. However, Deuce mostly ignores it. Both he and Trey know that Joey is a gentle, sensitive giant who would never hurt anyone intentionally ~ so, no, Joey isn't licking his chops prior to chomping down on Deuce in the first picture. :) Deuce still breaks into loud purrs whenever he even sees his *big bubby.* Though Joey doesn't always like to share his sleeping space, Deuce will inch ever closer until he's close enough to be content. :)

2009-07-12T08:36:00.004-05:00

In an earlier post, I told you about a Web site, freekibblekat, that offered opportunities for us to provide free kibble to shelter animals.

Here is another one: The Animal Rescue Site.

Their Mission Statement

The Animal Rescue Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific need — providing food for some of the 27 million unwanted animals given to shelters in the U.S. every year. Over 10 million animals are put to death every year in the U.S. alone because they are abandoned and unwanted.

Each click on the purple "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button at The Animal Rescue Site provides food and care for a rescued animal living in a shelter or sanctuary. Funding for food and care is paid by site sponsors and distributed to animals in need at the Fund for Animals' renowned animal sanctuaries (including Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in California), pet shelters supported by the Petfinder Foundation , North Shore Animal League , and other worthy animal care facilities supported by the GreaterGood.org foundation.

100% of sponsor advertising fees goes to our charitable partners.

How You Can Help In Mere Seconds — Every Day

The Animal Rescue Site provides a feel-good way to help promote awareness and prevent rescued animal deaths every day — through easy and quick online activities.

Please remember to click every day to give help and hope to those most in need. Every click counts in the life of a rescued animal.

You Can Help Even More

In addition to clicking the purple "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button, visitors can help more by shopping in The Animal Rescue Site store . With each item purchased, shoppers generate funds for the feeding and care of animals in shelters and sanctuaries. The store offers a wide array of items to show your support.

So here is another site that I hope you will bookmark and visit daily! Thanks! :)

[Personal Note: My condolences and prayers to the family of Kelly Jo Cain, who was found burned to death in a pickup truck in White County. Kelly was a former student, and I cannot imagine anything more horrible for her and her loved ones. Hold your loved ones close each and every day, for some day will be your last chance to say, *I love you.*]

2009-07-09T17:07:00.001-05:00

A message worth passing along for the sake of *ALL* pets!

2009-07-09T10:41:00.008-05:00

This isn't my kitty. Her name is Roadie, and she owns neighbor Elly. Roadie and Elly have been together 16 years since Elly found her as an injured kitten that someone had thrown beneath a bridge. Roadie had bounced off the concrete, but fortunately survived to have her happy ending. She had some damage to her back legs and still walks like a coon, but she's a happy, healthy coon. :)

Yesterday I rode shotgun when Roadie had her annual trip to her vet in Flora ~ a wonderful lady named Dr. Deb, who saved the life of my third kitty, Elly Fae, in 2004. The clinic was in a bit of chaos yesterday because of a power outage, but the vets and staff were soldiering on and Roadie got her check-up and allergy shot.

Yep, poor Roadie is allergic ~ to flea meds like Advantage ~ so each season when she gets dosed for fleas, she also has to be dosed for a reaction to the med. This kind of allergy, called a *contact allergy,* is not that uncommon in kitties. Last summer, my own ~ my oldest ~ Melanie had a *seriously* negative reaction to a new flea med called ProMeris. Trying to save money since I have so many kitties, this summer I tried flea collars, but they were so potent that *I* had an allergic reaction to them. Usually for contact allergies, you just have to remove the irritant. In Melanie's case, I had to give her a bath with Dawn dish detergent. Sometimes the irritant isn't chemical. It can be something like fabric used in bedding.

The fleas themselves can cause allergies of their own. Again, I have a personal example because my second oldest, Chelsie, has this problem. Good ol' flea spit caused severe itching to the point that Chelsie was scratching herself hard enough to leave scabs and biting and licking her fur enough to leave bald spots. Consequently, each flea season, April to December, I try to be vigilant to nip any flea problems in the bud. I have learned to stick with Advantage despite the cost. It gets the job done without being so toxic that my kitties can't handle it. Last year Chelsie had to have a series of allergy shots to get her straightened out.

Like their purrsons, kitties can also have food allergies. Melanie can't eat ocean whitefish at all. She likes it well enough, but within minutes she hacks it up onto the carpeting. Elly's Roamer responded the same way to salmon. I can't offer mine too much variety because Melanie responds with digestive problems if I deviate from what she's used to. On the other hand, some allergies do arise from foods that kitties have eaten for a while ~ a reaction to the protein component of the food. Sometimes a simple change in diet ~ to a hypoallergenic diet ~ will help. Sometimes allergic responses to food involve respiratory and/or itching problems, too, so your vet will have to become involved.

The fourth kind of kitty allergy is an inhalant type. The same things that can bother us can bother our kitties. However, where we may respond by sneezing, kitties may respond with serious itching. Treatments can involve everything from hypoallergenic shampoos to allergy shots to desensitizing treatments.

A helpful article from Pawprints and Purrs, Inc., will give you additional information on all these kinds of allergies. However, I wish an itchless future for you and your furry loved ones. :)

[A personal note: In the right column, you may notice some links to certain shopping-for-pets sites. I am affiliated with these sites and earn pennies if you browse or shop there. Please click my links if you need something? Thanks!]

2009-07-06T08:28:00.005-05:00

*Scruffing* is the topic for today, as per the suggestion of my close personal friend, Emmie Jean. :)

One of my vets explained the process to me last week when he was clipping Deuce's toesies, but I also did some supplemental research online before mentioning scruffing here.

A scruff is the loose skin on the back of an animal's neck ~ any animal, though I will be focusing on kitties since I am the Crazy Cat Lady, after all. :)

Scruffing is *GENTLY* pinching or gathering this skin between your fingers and lifting. As Dr. Bailey explained it to me, it is used for calming or desensitizing your pet. However, my online reading also mentioned using it as a training technique and/or a method of establishing dominance.

You really don't want to use it as a means of exerting your dominance because all kinds of behavioral or emotional problems can arise. You don't want your kitty to be afraid of you or to become aggressive either to defend himself or exert HIS dominance, right?

As a training technique, scruffing should be saved for the especially bad no-no behaviors. Again, *GENTLY* scruff your kitty and press him to the floor ~ *NOT* roughly ~ as you either hiss like his mama or firmly say the word, *NO!* Hold the kitty against the floor until you feel him relax. Speak to him softly then and pick him up for cuddling so that he knows that love will not be withheld because he's been a bad kitty.

Do not, do not, *DO NOT* lift your kitty by his scruff. Kittens might not be affected so much since they are not so far removed from being held and carried that way by their mamas. However, older kitties could be hurt or injured if you don't support their body weight as you lift.

What Dr. Bailey and I discussed was simply using scruffing to soothe a kitty for something like claw clipping ~ or administering medicine. By first massaging the scruff, you will release endorphins that will tranquilize your kitty. Older kitties who have not been scruffed since kittenhood may not be affected. Dr. Bailey said regularly massaging a kitty's scruff will keep his system responsive to the process.

After you have massaged the scruff, then you may *GENTLY* pinch the scruff and tug or pull up on the kitty ~ again remembering not to lift a kitty entirely by his scruff.

I *KNOW* this calming technique works because I used it on my older kitties, Joey and Elly Fae, when I had to apply their Advantage. Previously, both of them had fought me like wildcats at Advantage time ~ to the point that I had to call neighbor Elly for back-up. Using Dr. Bailey's suggestion, I was amazed by how miraculously easy applying Advantage on both of them was this time. Joey is 20 pounds of kitty muscle, and I had no struggle with him at all. Elly Fae may be the smallest of my adult kitties, but she is also the alpha kitty in this household, inclined to being a bit of a you-know-what about things that don't please her. The most resistance I had from her was the faintest little prolonged growl as I administered the Advantage ~ but, again, no struggling!

In fact, since then, Elly Fae has been especially loving and cuddly. When she is on my lap now, I will massage her scruff and tug ever-so-gently on it. She purrs all the more deeply and looks at me with dilated, half-closed eyes. I think I may have an endorphin junky on my hands! :) So long as she is a happy kitty, I don't guess it matters so much, huh? We can't have the Terrible Two harshing her mellow. :)

[The first two pictures in this post were borrowed from HelpWithPetTraining.com. The third picture is of my tranquil baby girl, Elly Fae. :)]

2009-07-05T08:24:00.002-05:00

Except for the summers when I lost my daddy and mama, this summer has been the worst and most disappointing ever. I won't bore you with the reasons why, but I will tell you that having the Terrible Two around in addition to their big-kitty siblings has been the salvation of my summer.

No matter how dismal and worrisome things have gotten, I find tremendous joy in watching my fuzzy family play and romp and interact. And when I need a hug or some loving, I don't have to look too far before I have a lapful of furry, purring affection.

I realize that I have reached my limit of kitties now. When my friend Patty has accused me of being a kitty hoarder, I have always said that a person isn't hoarding so long as she can afford to care for the kitties that she has. Well, I have reached that limit ~ my budget has stretched as far as it can go with six kitties now. However, I had planned to stop two kitties ago. I'm glad I didn't. Though the Terrible Two have required more attention, care, and expense than most new kittens, I wouldn't trade either of them for a bajillion dollars now.

One of my friends has also been coping with blues wrought by a crappy summer and even crappier economy. She and her husband already have two pampered kitties, and I recommended to her what I am recommending to you now: Visit your local animal shelter and adopt another kitty or two ~ or a dog if that is your preference. Shelters are bursting at the seams now because so many people are surrendering pets because of money problems. However, my thought is to open your pocketbook and your heart a little wider to bring another pet or two into your household. *Love* is the most powerful force in the universe, and goodness knows we need as much of it we can get. I can guarantee that watching your pet play and receiving his/her expressions of love will do more to perk up this dismal time in our history than all the other therapy in the world.

Your new addition doesn't have to be a kitten or puppy if you're not into that intensive training thing. Older kitties and puppies need love, too.

Give what I'm saying some thought, okay? My animal rescues happened to be in my own back yard, but you will probably need to make the trip to a local animal shelter. Many animal shelters will help you with costs of shots or neutering as part of the deal for your taking home a new loved one.

Then send me pictures and your pets' stories, and I will post them here.

We may not have much money these days, but we always have love to give, right? And it's an investment that will *always* give you huge dividends in return. :)

2009-07-04T09:20:00.004-05:00

Warning: Obsessive, Doting Mommy Alert!

Yep, I just had to share some of the absolute adorableness of one of my baby boys, who apparently has inherited his mommy's passion for baseball. :) A couple of nights ago, as I was working at my computer and keeping an eye on the Cardinals' game, the Terrible Two were napping next to me when Deuce awakened and began, first, to watch the game and then to participate. Those pictures are shown here. Trey preferred to remain a spectator. :)

By the way, Deuce had an appointment for his booster yesterday. He is up to 3.1 pounds! When he was in my ICU kennel, he weighed in at only 13 ounces, so he has made tremendous progress! :) He's still on Amoxicillin through the weekend, and I had to buy Advantage for six kitties ~ can I get a stimulus package payment, y'think? ~ but I am hoping and praying that we are rounding the corner to better health in my kitty M*A*S*H unit here. :)

Next up: convincing Trey not to poo on the shag carpet!

2009-07-02T08:32:00.002-05:00

In the *Crazy Cat Lady Faves* area, you may have noticed a link to help feed shelter kitties: freekibblekat.com. I check into this site every day to answer ~ or try to answer ~ the kitty trivia question there. Besides being a quick bit of fun, each visit also means free kibble for shelter kitties. There is a corresponding page for puppies, too.

An article by Mia Carter at PetcareSuite101 highlights the young lady who is helping so many shelter animals:

With the difficult economic situation, more and more cats and dogs are landing in animal shelters, but many animal welfare organizations are in trouble. With more homeless pets to care for, the bad economy has put animal shelters and animal rescue organizations in a difficult position, as they've seen fewer donations due to the economic downturn - all at a time when the animal shelters must care for more homeless pets.

This has many dog lovers and other pet lovers wondering "How can I help homeless pets?"

For these animal lovers looking for a way to help hungry dogs and cats in need, there's a solution: FreeKibble.com.

What is FreeKibble.com?

FreeKibble.com is a website designed to gather food for homeless dogs living in animal shelters.

The site is the brainchild of 12-year-old Mimi Ausland, of Bend, Oregon. Ausland came up with the idea for the website as a way to help the homeless animals at her local animal shelter, and the site is now benefiting animals in shelters from Oregon all the way to Florida.

The website works like this: Visitors to this pet-friendly website answer a dog-related trivia question. Regardless of whether the FreeKibble.com visitor gets the pet trivia question right or wrong, the website donates 10 pieces of dog kibble to an animal shelter to help feed hungry homeless dogs.

FreeKibble.com makes one donation for each website visitor who plays the pet trivia game, called Bow Wow Trivia.

Freekibble.com's primary mission is this: "To provide good, healthy food to dogs and cats to those shelters who are working so hard to see that none of them go hungry - they need our help. In addition to providing free kibble to the Humane Society of Central Oregon, we've added 10 new shelters to the program (from Oregon to Florida!) and plan to expand the program to many more!...every piece of kibble counts!"

How Will I Remember to Visit FreeKibble.com Every Day?

Can't remember to visit FreeKibble.com every day? Dog lovers can sign up for an e-mail reminder to answer the daily dog trivia question, which means 10 more pieces of kibble will be donated to a hungry dog.

It does not cost website visitors any money to donate pet food to homeless pets. The website is supported by an array of pet-related businesses, so FreeKibble.com visitors are urged to support the pet companies and websites that make it possible for the website to donate food to help homeless animals.

From April, 2008 to January 2009, more than 680,000 meals of Castor and Pollux pet food were provided to homeless animals.
Is there a Website to Help Hungry Homeless Cats Too?

FreeKibble.com helps provide dog food to animal shelters, but this has many friends of felines wondering "What about the cats?"

FreeKibbleKat.com is the solution; this cat version of FreeKibble.com works in the same way. Website visitors play the cat trivia game - Meow Trivia, as it's called - once a day. And for each person who plays the cat trivia game, FreeKibbleKat.com donates 10 pieces of kibble (for cats) to an animal shelter....

Please bookmark both kibble sites and visit often! :)

2009-06-29T09:00:00.004-05:00

Would you believe that today I want to talk about pumpkin power? And it's not even Halloween or Thanksgiving. :)

However, in my Internet ramblings, I have discovered that pure pureed pumpkin is an almost miraculous digestive aid for kitties ~ and puppies, too.

This tip is from www.pets.ca:

Tip 75 - Pumpkin for cats - pumpkin for dogs - Pumpkin for diarrhea or constipation

If your dog or cat is having the occasional case of constipation or diarrhea, one of the things that might help is canned pumpkin. Yes canned pumpkin in its pureed form (NOT pumpkin pie filling) is a fantastic stool softener which makes it a good natural remedy for constipation. It often helps with upset stomach or indigestion for both cats and dogs. It is very rich in fibre and adding just one or two teaspoonfuls to your pet's food often gets the system moving in no time. Dogs will occasionally want to eat it directly and that's fine too. Sometimes though, finicky cats and dogs won't touch it no matter what you do.

On the opposite end of things is diarrhea. Since the dietary fibre in canned pumpkin absorbs water, it can be a great help to a cat or dog that has diarrhea. Some pet owners report that it firms up their pet's loose stools or diarrhea within a few hours. Again one to two teaspoonfuls is all that is needed.

N.B. It should be noted that both diarrhea and constipation can both be very serious and require immediate veterinary care depending on the cause. Whatever the cause, diarrhea or constipation lasting more than 24-36 hours requires vet care.

Since Trey has had some serious pooie problems, I have used the pumpkin successfully. Another site said that the pumpkin, administered weekly, also deters furballs, so I plan to add it to all my kitties' food.

Yet another tip recommended freezing the pumpkin in usable amounts by making pumpkin twisties out of plastic wrap or using baby food jars for larger amounts.

Who would have thought that something that looks amazingly like orange poo itself could be so useful? :)

2009-06-28T08:22:00.002-05:00

Lately I have been living a bit of a lie.

The sign on my shed says *Strays Welcome Here.* However, somewhere along the path of good intentions, the neighborhood has been inundated with strays and strays having kittens. Three stray mamas gifted us with a total of 14 kittens in my shed, in a kitty house on Elly's carport, and under her house. Deuce was one of those strays; Trey was a fifteenth kitten that just showed up from who-knows-where like so many of the other strays that mysteriously appeared here. Elly and I have pondered and pondered how this happened because several years ago, we were feeding only *two* strays, and they were males.

We have managed until this year when so many kitties have created both budgetary and emotional problems for us. Elly couldn't even get out her back door because kitties swarmed there at feeding times. You can imagine how devastated I was when I failed to see a kitten, Deuce's sibling, underneath my car and ran over him. Though I rushed him to Dr. Britt, he was gone before she could do anything. Everyone consoled me with the usual *These things happen when you have so many kittens,* but I still feel terrible about it. Where Elly and I previously drove oh-so-slowly in the alley, we now inch along until we're sure there are no kitties anywhere close to our cars.

We had to do something. Then we heard about a lady named Cheryl and her Southern Illinois Pet Rescue that has a no-kill policy. Cheryl managed to round up one mama and four of the kittens, and she left with promises to come back for another round-up. But then Cheryl suddenly passed away from a heart attack the very next day.

We were both saddened and stunned. Cheryl's friend called soon after, however, to assure us that the mama and her kittens had already been placed with a lady on a big farm in Nashville, IL, and this same lady will take as many other kittens and stray adults as we can round up.

That particular project is on temporary hold, though, until Elly recuperates from a tummy virus. Since neither she nor I can get around so agilely these days, we are hoping for some help from the local animal control in the gathering process since we do have a new home for the kitties.

In the meantime, Elly and I continue to feel bad because we can't welcome so many strays anymore. Being so poor you can't care for what you want to care for is a frustrating feeling. But we know our first responsibilities are to the kitties we have inside.

Please keep us in your good thoughts!

2009-06-27T12:26:00.006-05:00

Today belongs to my other special-needs kitten, Trey Baby Wader Cleveland. The *Wader* is in tribute to the sweet, little gray kitten that was born in my shed a couple of springs ago. Male hormones guided him away from here, but he eventually returned only to pass away here because in his journeys someone had been mean to him. That's another story, though, and one that breaks my heart ~ so I will focus on Trey.

Neighbor Elly and I were flooded with kittens from strays this spring ~ a subject for another post. However, Trey was not among those kittens. He showed up suddenly one morning, huddled into a teeny, frightened ball. I watched him for a day and a half, but no mother showed up to care for him. I knew he had plenty to eat if he wanted it because I set out breakfast and suppie each day for the strays. However, even the kittens of those strays were bigger than this little guy, so I couldn't be certain he was able to get through the gauntlet of bigger kitties.

The next evening Elly called to tell me that this kitten was still huddled outside, and we had some major storms on the doorstep here. Having brought Deuce inside the previous month to bring my household total to a fuzzy five, I definitely didn't need another kitty inside, right? But how could I leave him outside?

He didn't make the bringing-inside process easy for me. He was too weak to run, but he scooted faster than I was able to scoot beneath my bushier lilac. These days arthritis in my back keeps me from maneuvering too smoothly, but eventually I was able to gather him up and bring him inside, where I kept him inside the *ICU Kennel* I had used for Deuce for a while. Since I had one kitten named Deuce, Trey seemed like a good name for this one. :)

Trey continued to huddle in a corner of the kennel. Whenever I reached for him, he hissed at me or flinched, so goodness knows what his life had been like previously. I took him to my wonderful vets at the Douglas Vet Clinic the next day. Besides being emaciated, he had a belly full of worms. Dr. Bailey told me he would need a huge amount of TLC ~ was I sure I wanted to proceed? I had to give the little guy a chance.

He required a lot of medicine and milk replacement as well as food, and his pooie problems persisted for several weeks to the point that he couldn't always get to his litter box. He had to spend a day at the vet clinic, too, before he finally started to come around.

During the night, he sometimes emits this mournful meow until I call to him to let him know that I am close by. He is the aforementioned kitten that peed on my bed during the night, but I *think* he was marking his mommy because of his abandonment issues rather than the problem being behavioral as Chelsie's was. Time will test the validity of that brilliant insight.

I do know that he has stopped hissing at me and flinching away from me. In fact, he seeks out my attention and loves to cuddle. He and Deuce have become energetic playmates and loving buddies ~ much to Joey's relief since Deuce doesn't bug him quite so much now. Joey takes his big brother duties seriously and will protect the Terrible Two from their sisters or help me break up wrestling matches that become a little too rambunctious. :)

Trey had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Britt yesterday. He had gained over a pound in just two weeks and received a clean bill of health along with his shots. He has quite charmed his favorite vet tech, Karen. :)

You already know that he had me from the dance at the lilac bush, right? :)

2009-06-25T18:59:00.002-05:00

My heartfelt thanks and thank-you huggies to my close personal friend, Emmie Jean Henderson in Minne*snow*ta, for creating my logo for me! She is an ultra-talented and generous friend! :)

2009-06-25T08:37:00.008-05:00

Today's focus will be one of my aforementioned special-needs kittens, the first one to join the Cleveland Kitty Cottage: Deuce LoveNugget Cleveland, who happens to think he's Rambo.

Deuce was one of a litter of four to be born to a stray who commandeered my shed. I was feeding first the mother, later the kittens, too, and regularly changing a litter box placed in the shed for their use. The kittens were mostly afraid of me and ran to hide in various locations in the shed whenever I opened the door. Therefore, I hadn't worked up any huge attachment to any of them other than just to enjoy watching them through my office window as they played outside.

One fateful Saturday afternoon when I opened the shed to clean the litter box, I noticed one of the kittens wedged TIGHTLY beneath the opened door of a cabinet in there. I keep the door propped open so that kitties have access to beds I have made for them with towels and blankies on the cabinet shelves. The trapped kitten was barely moving and emitted only a feeble meow as I freed him. I laid him on a blanket, and he didn't move at all other than to meow faintly occasionally.

I called my wonderful neighbor, Elly, for help and then the Doctors Douglas, Mike and Britt, who operate Douglas Vet Clinic in Salem. They are closed Saturday afternoons, but Dr. Britt met me at the clinic. Both Elly and I were very much afraid the little guy wouldn't survive. Lying as he had been, pressed so tightly against the concrete floor, he had scraped off his whiskers and facial fur, and he was also hypothermic. Dr. Britt gave him a warming bath and a steroid shot, then kept him at the clinic over the weekend ~ for free I should add.

Monday I was able to bring him home for TLC here. I named him Deuce because he was getting a second chance. At the time, he weighed less than a pound, and I had to get up every three hours to feed him milk replacement and whatever canned food I could get him to eat. When I was at school, Elly took care of him.

As he picked up weight and strength, his Rambo tendencies began to emerge.:) He is a persistently playful bundle of energy now, but also a loving, purring cuddler who loves to snuggle with his new mommy and pester his big brother Joey for attention.

On his first follow-up visit to Dr. Britt, she couldn't believe he was the same kitten she had seen just a couple of weeks before. The initial fear was that he had sustained enough brain trauma that he might be blind, but thanks be to God, he is now healthy and happy. Well, mostly healthy: He is, at this moment, recovering from an upper respiratory infection. Again, Dr. Britt ~ and amoxicillin ~ saved the day. :)

My wish is happy endings for all little animals. I know I can't save them all, but I'll do what I can!

2009-06-24T08:58:00.001-05:00

Wow! Would you look at the time since my last post! The world has *REALLY* been too much with me since that last post ~ which happened to be on my late and beloved mother's birthday. I can't say that I actually have that much more time now, but I do have have some ideas and a greater urge to share them for some reason.

First, however, I have some housekeeping to handle. You will notice that the name of my blog has been changed to something with more specific focus, and soon I will be changing the look of the page, too, as I can grab the moments to work on it.

Having just acquired kitties five and six through cosmic forces greater than my own preferences and common sense, I have decided to devote my blog to all things kitty. Yes, I know that I have already written plenty about kitties thus far, but now I am crossing over to the furry side completely. :) Yesterday, in spending time with two of my best friends, Melinda and Jo Lynne, I discovered that as they talked about their kids and grandkids, I wanted to talk about my kitties. They listened as good friends do, but deep inside my grateful little heart, I knew they were thinking that I should get a life. :) The fact of my life is, however, that kitties *are* my life these days ~ hence, the change in focus for my blog.

I mentioned to them that if I had it all to do over again, I would like to be a pet psychologist. No vetting for me ~ I can't handle blood, and no way would I ever be able to inject that *final dose* when final doses are needed. But I do love to watch animals interact and to *try* to figure out what is going on in their minds. Consequently, I will use this blog to talk about my critters and any insights I have acquired along the way.

A galvanizing moment occurred about midnight last night as I was changing my bed after one of the new kittens peed on it ~ insights on *that* to come later. As I wound down afterward, I did a lot of Web browsing to find others' insights and decided to add my blog to the mix. An earlier post here highlighted the troubles I had when my second oldest, Chelsie, put me through this same ordeal, so I am not without experience this time around.

So I'll be back as I can to get this new home in shape and to start adding those profound insights. Try to contain your excitement. To all my wonderful friends, I can't promise that I will talk less about my kitties, but maybe by writing about them here, I can branch out into other conversation areas when I'm socializing with friends. :)

FYI: the kittens pictured here are Deuce and Trey, the two stray special-needs kittens that found their ways separately into my heart and home.

Until next time... :)

2007-11-13T17:09:00.000-06:00

These photos were forwarded to me by a colleague ~ the guidance counselor at our school! Anyone with ties to Redneck USA ~ aka Southern Illinois ~ will appreciate the photos (aka memories???). :)

Redneck Power Ball Winner

Redneck Yacht

Redneck Horsehoes

Redneck Harley

Redneck Grill

Redneck Bass Boat

Redneck Shopping

Redneck Palm Pilot

Redneck Pet Carrier

Redneck Kitty

Redneck Doorbell

2007-10-28T13:59:00.000-05:00

Do you think I could substitute Splenda? :)

2007-10-21T18:01:00.000-05:00

Update: *WONDERFUL* news from Ft. Worth. Chris has been moved to a *regular* room ~ Room 497 in Richardson Tower for anyone wanting to send an e-mail. Whatever surgeons did Friday apparently helped more than any other treatments for the infection problem. Chris has been *eating* today and told Sister he wants *REAL* Sprite please. :) He also *stood* for the first time since the accident ~ on his good leg ~ no pressure yet on his bad leg, but we are so hopeful now. Keep the prayers aimed at Ft. Worth please. He still has a way to go, but thanks be to God for this news! :)

2007-10-21T14:01:00.001-05:00

My apologies for being so neglectful with my blog. Besides being sidetracked with a super-busy school year ~ *FOUR* new textbooks, y'know, and a sophomore class that is *VERY* big and very under-achieving and very attitudinal ~ I have been dealing with a very painful herniated disc in my back after I tried to move a bookcase without removing the books first. I'm not quite the hoss I used to be. :) Even more serious, however, is the fact that my 25-year-old nephew, Chris, has been in the trauma ICU of Harris Methodist Hospital for over three weeks now, following a forklift accident where he works. Doctors are fighting valiantly to save his leg, but for every bit of encouraging news, there seem to be two setbacks. Infection has been a complication, and also Chris's spirits. Besides just dealing with his current situation, his fiancee was killed by a drunken teenage driver this summer. So please keep him in your thoughts and prayers, and if you would like to send him an e-mail of encouragement, you can here: https://www2.texashealth.org/contactus/volemail.asp.
You will need to designate the *Harris Methodist Ft. Worth* hospital as the recipient and the *Bloxom Unit Trauma ICU* as the room number ~ his full name is Christopher Vines. Hang on to your loved ones *tightly!* Life can change in a heartbeat!

2007-09-22T21:32:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have been curious about how the kittens are doing, here are some photos that I took today. Dawson is the black and silver kitty, and Wader is all silver. They will be five months old on Monday! Would you believe that Dawson started out as an *entirely* black kitty? But now everything but his face, legs, and part of his tail are turning silver ~ while Wader, who was born all light gray, is getting to be a darker silver. :) If Woody had lived, he would look very much like Dawson ~ though maybe a little more silvery because Woody had more silver on him when he was teeny. We surely do miss our little Woody. :((( Dawson has become quite the cuddler and will come running for cuddles when he hears my back door opening ~ and then he jumps up onto the bench where we sit, waiting for me to join him. Wader is more stand-offish and will come *close* to me, expecting me to go to him so that he can get his belly rubbed. :) Wader loves belly rubs, but Dawson not so much. He prefers the cuddling. :)

2007-09-11T20:26:00.000-05:00

I'll never forget 9/11 ~ or the man who helped us to begin the healing, Jack Buck, Hall of Fame announcer of the St. Louis Cardinals, whose poem still inspires us:

Since this nation was founded...under God
More than 200 years ago
We have been the bastion of freedom
The light that keeps the free world aglow
We do not covet the possessions of others
We are blessed with the bounty we share

We have rushed to help other nations
..anything...anytime...anywhere

War is just not our nature
We won't start...but we will end the fight
If we are involved we shall be resolved
To protect what we know is right

We have been challenged by a cowardly foe
Who strikes and then hides from our view

With one voice we say, "There is no choice today,
There is only one thing to do"
Everyone is saying - the same thing - and praying
That we end these senseless moments we are living

As our fathers did before...we shall win this unwanted war

And our children...will enjoy the future...we'll be giving.

Written by Jack Buck
September, 2001

2007-09-01T07:37:00.000-05:00

I wonder how to make this recommendation to the judge? :)

2007-08-24T18:33:00.000-05:00

News Item: In this undated photo provided by Rochelle Steffen, a 6-year-old Weimaraner, named Monte, poses for a photo with a football card of Michael Vick in its mouth in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The remains are being auctioned on eBay. Steffen of Cape Girardeau, gave every Vick card she owned to her dogs and let them go to town on the images of the Atlanta Falcons quarterback who is scheduled to plead guilty to a federal dogfighting charge Monday. (AP Photo/Rochelle Steffen)

Vikki's Note: Yesterday I read that all the dogs taken from Michael Vick's home would have to be destroyed since, obviously, they can't be magically transformed into gentle and loving pets. My heart broke all over again for those poor dogs. Michael Vick has been suspended from the NFL *indefinitely.* I hope that *indefinitely* becomes a synonym for *forever* in his case!

2007-08-22T19:52:00.000-05:00

Baked potato, cottage cheese, and sliced tomatoes. :)

2007-08-10T16:55:00.001-05:00

Maybe now life can return to normal?

2007-08-06T16:58:00.000-05:00

Sad, isn't it? Here's my advice for anyone wanting to be President or Governor of IL: pay careful attention to what the incumbents are doing, and then do the opposite!

2007-08-06T16:54:00.001-05:00

This is my old-age planning, too! :)

2007-07-31T17:42:00.000-05:00

People who leave children and pets locked in closed-up cars during the *heat* of summer are either unforgivably stupid or unforgivably cruel ~ or both. I see nothing wrong with this kind of justice! :)

In case you can't read the balloons:
Panel 1 ~ "Yeah, you keep drinking, little guy..."
Panel 2 ~ "You're okay now..."
Panel 3 ~ "We're gonna get you nice and cooled off."
Panel 4/1 ~ "You better let his owner out of the car now, Nate."
Panel 4/2 ~ "Yeah, come on, buddy! I'm ROASTING in here with the windows up!"
Panel 4/3 ~ "Oh, NOW you care how hot it is in there."

2007-07-30T16:58:00.000-05:00

I'm Catholic, and ~ unfortunately ~ I feel this way, too. My faith is strong, but lately I haven't been so happy with my church!

2007-07-28T12:27:00.000-05:00

I care thismuch about Barry Bonds's breaking Hank Aaron's record. Hank Aaron was and is such a gentleman, and Bonds is so NOT. In my heart, Hammerin' Hank will remain Number One! :)

2007-07-25T08:58:00.000-05:00

Stories like this help me keep my perspective as I face an $800 plumbing bill and several days with no hot water! Note to PETA, the ASPCA, and the Humane Society ~ keep up the pressure, guys! I hope Michael Vick never collects another penny of endorsement money and as little NFL money as is legally possible!

2007-07-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

Speaking as someone who just spent nearly $500 trying to keep a kitten alive ~ and as just a human being in general ~ I think the death penalty is too good for the likes of Michael Vick. Let's spread dog food all over him and then lock him in a room with a pack of ravenous dogs and PETA people! GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRR! Or maybe do the same thing to him that he and his *peeps* did to those poor puppies???

2007-07-19T16:41:00.000-05:00

Janet ~ thanks for the loving and understanding response to my last post. I am still missing my little guy a lot. He was just a baby, so I am struggling with the unfairness even though I know that God has His reasons and life is frequently unfair.

Today I received a sympathy card from the Flora Vet Clinic, where Woody passed away. It contained the story of the *Rainbow Bridge* that I mentioned in my previous post. For anyone who may not know about the Rainbow Bridge, here is the story ~ by an anonymous writer:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

I take a lot of comfort from these words, not just for Woody, but for all my beloved pets who will be waiting for me later.

2007-07-10T20:02:00.000-05:00

My baby boy didn't make it. :( Dr. Herliman called me early this morning to tell me that Woody had passed away overnight ~ I had been scheduled to pick him up today and bring him home. However, his frail, little body had handled all that it could I guess. I am heartbroken ~ but I will bring him home in a way: he is being cremated, and I will sprinkle his ashes beneath the lilac bush where he and his brothers played so happily and provided me with so much enjoyment when they were first venturing from the shed. Ironically, on the day I learned of his death, I also learned that he had been named Kitty of the Week for a Santa Barbara e-zine: http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?id=1839: a sweet tribute for such a sweet little guy. Mommy will see you again on the Rainbow Bridge, precious.

2007-07-04T16:42:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th, everyone! Please keep my baby boy in your good thoughts. He's a very sick little kitty. :(

2007-07-02T20:25:00.000-05:00

I have had a very sick baby boy. Woody has had prolonged diarrhea that Albon hasn't stopped. And wouldn't you know it ~ my vet's office is closed all this week. Consequently, I called the vet clinic I used before the Douglases opened their clinic here in Salem: the Flora Vet Clinic. It's 45 minutes from here, but I had to do something. Dr. Lacie was wonderful with Woody. The poor little guy has lost .7 of his 2.5 pounds during this ordeal, but please join me in praying that Dr. Lacie's treatments will heal the little guy.

What I actually wanted to share, however, was a brother's love in action. I've been trying to get Woody to drink Pedialyte to keep him hydrated. When he resisted drinking it from both bowl and dropper, I emptied the waterer and put the Pedialyte in there ~ about half and half with water ~ and he's drinking it better that way, thanks to his big brother, Joey. If I hadn't seen this myself, I wouldn't have believed it. I kept setting Woody next to the waterer, and he just stared at it. Joey was watching ~ and with his paw he tapped Woody on the top of his head, then guided him closer to the waterer, drank a bit himself, and then sat and watched until Woody drank water/Pedialyte, too. Woody has been drinking better since then. I told Joey that he is the *best* big brother ever! I'm sitting here bawling just thinking about it ~ of course, very little sleep doesn't help the emotions much. :) We had a rough overnight with Woody having two poo accidents on the bed. He was trying valiantly to get down and to the litter box, but he just couldn't make it. So I was changing bedding twice overnight and doing a couple of loads of laundry.

Please keep my baby boy in your good thoughts? The picture shows my two little boys on the back of the loveseat. :)

2007-06-26T18:28:00.000-05:00

An *OLD* catcher like me can really identify with this dilemma! :)

2007-06-23T17:45:00.000-05:00

So that's how people like *W* and *Gov. Rod* get reelected! :(

2007-06-23T17:13:00.000-05:00

Since I shared the bad with you, I will now share the good, too. :)

You will recall my hassles with both the Tribute card people and with One Way Furniture about my jewelry armoire? Well, today I received some kitty furniture that I had ordered from Doctors Foster and Smith, a pet supply place that I have used frequently in the past. Because of the addition of Woody to my Kitty Cottage, I ordered the *Cozy Corner* kitty furniture.

Previously I have been extremely pleased with the sturdy quality of Drs. F/S cat furniture ~ so much that I have returned to buy more for both me and for Neighbor Elly.

Although the price of the *Cozy Corner* remained comparable to furniture I have bought from Drs. F/S in the past, the quality was extremely disappointing. Besides being rather difficult to assemble because of the tightness of the bolts, the overall quality and stability are flimsy, and the carpeting is of a much cheaper grade than that used on furniture I have bought from this store before. In fact, at *Wal-Mart* I recently bought a bigger tower that was of better quality and at half the price.

I e-mailed Drs. F/S this afternoon, and almost within the hour, I received a reply e-mail from their Customer Service, telling me to return the *Cozy Corner* for a complete credit. I wrote back, saying that I had already assembled the thing and that I didn't want to deal with the hassle of shipping back something so bulky.

Almost immediately, I received another e-mail with a $50 credit for any future order with Drs. F/S!!!! That was half what I paid for the *Cozy Corner.*

I was *AMAZED.* These days so many companies just want to pass the proverbial buck. Look at how *little* satisfaction I had from One Way Fruniture ~ and how much hassle I had with the Tribute people just to get them to credit my account for a check that they had cashed a month ago. So high fives to Doctors Foster and Smith. If you need anything for your pet, go here: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/! A great ~ and ethical company with an on-the-ball customer service department!

More good news: Joey and Woody are actually becoming buddies now ~ though Woody is just a little intimidated by his *big* brother. After all, Joey weighs 20 pounds, and Woody weighs less than three pounds! However, Joey is learning to play more gently, and Woody is learning that Joey means no harm. In fact, yesterday when I awoke from a nap in my recliner, I had both my little boys on my lap, sleeping together! :) Good thing I have a *big* lap, huh??? :) Melanie and Chelsie are learning just to ignore their new little brother ~ Elly Fae still growls and hisses, but we're working on adjusting her cattitude. :)

2007-06-19T19:49:00.000-05:00

Ta-da! Tribute has credited my account for the CapOne check! Yippee! I checked in first thing this morning, and then cut up my Tribute card, wrote them a letter telling them to close my account and why, and sent the card and letter on their way this afternoon! :) Even now I think Tribute might be trying to pull something because the money wasn't posted until *TODAY,* but the date given for the posting is May 24, the day before they cashed the check. Hmmm... But I won't make an issue of it ~ I just want to be done with these people!

And Woody had his first vet appointment this afternoon. Dr. Britt confirmed that he is a little boy. :) He didn't like being in the carrier at all, but he was so good at the vet even though we had to wait for a while.

He weighs a big two and a half pounds ~ he needs to be at five for his little operations. I asked Dr. Britt about Soft Paws, and she says they are worthless and come off after just a couple of days. So Woody got his toesies clipped today and will again when he has his booster on the 11th ~ and we'll see what his weight is then for declawing and neutering.

His itching was indeed fleas, so I had to buy Frontline for Joey and the girls. Woody got Advantage this time since he's so small, but on the 11th he will get Frontlined. I will need to Frontline Joey and the girls again, too, in about six weeks. Dr. Britt says Frontline lasts a lot longer than Advantage. He was dewormed, too, and got his shot ~ which took *three* sticks. I wasn't happy about that, but Dr. Britt said he has really thick skin, so the first stick was a problem, and then some off it spilled on the second, and she had to give him a third to make up the spilled amount. He didn't even peep ~ but for one who hates the crate, he was surely happy to get back in it ~ and even happier to get home.

I had no trouble Frontlining Joey, Melanie, and Chelsie, but Elly Fae put up such a fight that I had to call Neighbor Elly over to administer the Frontline while I held Elly Fae. Even then it was like World War III, and I was just sure Elly Fae would be mad at me for days ~ but an hour later she was wanting some cuddles. :)

My precious little boy is already costing me some big bucks ~ but he's worth it. :)

2007-06-17T09:45:00.001-05:00

Happy Daddys Day to my daddy in Heaven. And thanks be to God ~ the MIA kittens and Prissy have come *safely* home! They were waiting for me for breakfast this morning. I will keep Woody inside though: putting him back outside now would be too cruel, and he seems to really like being inside. I explained the situation to Prissy, and she seemed to understand. :)

2007-06-16T18:46:00.000-05:00

We have some changes going on. Wade turned up missing somehow ~ the last time I saw him was Thursday morning. And as of Friday evening evening Dawson was gone, too, and Prissy was nowhere around.

I am not THAT surprised about Dawson because lately he had been following Prissy every time she left the yard, but I am surprised about Wader because he was such a scaredy-cat about everything.

As you probably expect, Neighbor Elly and I are worried sick about both of the kittens ~ not so much Prissy because she is an experienced child of the streets, and she had been gone more and more lately.

I'm guessing that Willow had been alone the bigger part of Friday because when I checked into the shed after a workshop in Carlyle and then again after supper, she was very happy to see me. I just couldn't leave her alone in the shed overnight ~ especially with such mysteries connected to Wade's and Dawson's disappearances ~ so I brought her inside. My Fuzzy 4 are *NOT* happy about it ~ lots of growling and hissing, but I am praying they adjust soon.

Willow has done a lot of exploring and a lot of playing. She just ignores her siblings' lack of hospitality. :) She has been littering and eating just fine ~ and she loves to cuddle and purr. :) It looks like my Fuzzy 4 have become my Fuzzy 5 unless Dawson and Prissy show up? Just what I needed, huh? I asked the Lord to give me a sign if I was supposed to bring Willow inside, but I surely didn't want to sacrifice Wade and Dawson for the sign. :((((

There were still no sign of Prissy or Dawson or Wade this morning ~ and breakfast was one of the prime times to see them all. Prissy was *always* here for breakfast, and the kittens were all active and playing at that time of the morning. Some kitty *was* in the shed last night because I had left a little canned kitty food, and it was gone, and the litter had been used ~ not by a kitten though because the clump was bigger. We are keeping our eyes open, and today we even drove up and down streets in the neighborhood to see if we saw any of the missing kitties. Neighbor Florence and her kids and grandkids are on alert, too, and we even checked into animal control to see whether ours had been picked up, but no. I surely *thought* I had made them a comfy home, so we are hoping and praying that someone somewhere took them inside and is spoiling them outrageously?

The latest development is this: I have gender identity issues! Now that *Willow* is inside and I was able to get a good look at *her* beneath some decent lighting, methinks my Willow is really a Woody. :) I'll get confirmation Tuesday when he/she has his/her first vet appointment. However, I just looked at some pictures online, I am pretty darn sure I tried to make my little boy into a little girl. :)

Update on the Tribute card issue: They refused to talk to CapitalOne, citing third-party privacy issues. So CapitalOne sent me copies of the cancelled check. I will go on record now as stating that I sent TWO letters with appropriate enclosures and sent TWO faxes with the same attachments to Tribute on Thursday and Friday, and that money better be in my account SOON! GGGRRRR!

2007-06-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

Not that I'm implying anything ~ okay, I am. :) And I must confess that having just read Seymour Hersh's *The Dark Side of Camelot,* I am sorely disillusioned by politicians past and present. At one time, I would have walked through the proverbial fire for Robert Kennedy. Okay, I probably still would ~ but not for his brother even if RFK asked me! While I can't and don't believe that JFK would have *really* compromised the safety of our country and integrity of the Presidency for a few rounds in a rumpus room, I do believe that he was a very naughty boy on a regular basis. I can't help wondering how different his situation would have been in *this* era of tabloid journalism????

2007-06-08T23:14:00.000-05:00

I thought you might like an update on my grandkitties. Here you see Wade, Willow, and Dawson on the glider swing on my *pitio* ~ my *pitiful patio.* :) They are getting so big and *too* adventuresome for my peace of mind. I know they have to learn how to be outside kitties, but their *Grammy* can't help worrying about them. I wish I could bring them *all* inside ~ and I have been *thisclose* to bringing in Willow a couple of times. She is the one who likes me best ~ except for Prissy. What keeps me from bringing her in is having to leave Prissy, Dawson, and Wader outside ~ it just doesn't seem fair to them. We have a new tomcat in the neighborhood, and he's mean. Tonight Bootsie, another stray that my neighbor Elly and I feed, got into a big fight with him, helping Prissy protect the kittens. As usual, Bootsie took his licks ~ poor little guy ~ and Buster, yet another of our strays, wasn't around to help him. Elly and I put Neosporin on Bootsie's cuts ~ and cried because we can't do more to keep them all safe. :(

Another update on my Tribute card situation: I am going another round with Tribute. Today CapitalOne told me that Tribute had *cashed* their check, but the amount still wasn't showing up in my account either place. So I was on the phone about that for a while this morning. A CapitalOne account specialist is supposed to be faxing a copy of the cancelled check to Tribute, and then we will see what happens. So in the meantime, I guess I have to pay Tribute as if I owe them to avoid any negative consequences on my credit or late fees. :( It's always something, isn't it? Please send good vibes my way? :)

2007-06-06T16:46:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day Part II! :)

2007-06-05T01:36:00.000-05:00

I have another *buyer beware* for you. If ever you get a tempting credit card application from Tribute cards, throw it immediately into the nearest trash can.

I should have suspected that these people were trouble from the very first when errors at their Web site prevented my registering my account online ~ and there was no link to report the problem then. Subsequently, I tried to phone in the problem, only to be told by the customer service dude that there was nothing he could do about the Web site. Finally, after about three months, someone caught on to the problem, and I did register ~ much to my relief because I do a lot of online banking. However, by then, the high interest rates were beginning to register in my teeny brain ~ my own fault there.

My next step was to attempt to transfer my Tribute balance to my CapitalOne card. Although CapitalOne reported that the transfer had been made, it didn't show up in my Tribute account ever. When I called Tribute, once again, I was moved through an automated round of voices and ultimately told *Good-bye!* by the automated voice. I tried again ~ punching buttons for options that didn't fit my situation just to see whether I could get a real person. I finally did ~ but he couldn't tell me why the credit wasn't showing up in my account ~ only that it wasn't. Well, duh. So he put me on hold for a good ten minutes and came back to tell me that Tribute doesn't accept transfers?????

I called CapitalOne back, and they have put a stop payment on their check to Tribute and will send me a credit card check to deposit enough money into my personal checking account to pay off Tribute and close that account-from-Hell.

So learn from my experience, Grasshoppers. CapitalOne has been *fantastically* helpful and polite ~ Tribute so *not.* Of course, the bigger lesson might be to avoid using credit cards at all ~ but if you must use one, CapitalOne gets my vote forevermore! What's in your wallet??? :)

2007-06-05T01:34:00.000-05:00

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh ~ in the good ol' summertime...! :)

2007-06-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

Kudos to the judge for bringing us to this emPARISsing event! :)

2007-06-02T16:51:00.000-05:00

Never forget the power of prayer ~ aka *knee mail*! :)

2007-05-31T17:05:00.000-05:00

2007-05-28T11:49:00.000-05:00

One of my former students ~ and always one of my *baby boys* ~ sent this to me, and I thought it would be good to share it on this Memorial Day:

Here's one woman who is telling it like it is...in her opinion! Written by a housewife from New Jersey and sounds like it! This is one ticked off lady.

"Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001? Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they? And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet? Well, I don't. I don't care at all. I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns him self in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia.

I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are so mehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights. In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured; I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the Bank; I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed "special" food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts; I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and -you guessed it - I don't care!

And may I add: "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan

I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this.
"If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." also by Ronald Reagan

One last thought for today: In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America, he said: "A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in... And how many want out."

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G. I. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom. YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BO TH OF THEM. AMEN!

Thanks for sharing with me, Chrissy! :) Love and huggies to you and your girls!

2007-05-27T18:02:00.000-05:00

God bless America and the men and women who made and keep us free.

2007-05-23T19:27:00.000-05:00

Here is an update on Prissy's kittens: Dawson, Willow, and Wade. (I named them after characters in my last novel!) They are so precious and so playful! I have made my yard shed as kitten-friendly as possible ~ including a doghouse given to me by my friend Patty. However, the kittens play in and on the house and prefer to sleep on a blanket in an old storage cabinet. Prissy is an excellent mother even though she is just over a year old herself. Yesterday I found a surprise from her in the shed: a dead squirrel. Either it had invaded the shed and Prissy killed it to protect her babies, or the squirrel was Prissy's way of repaying me for helping her care for her kittens. :) I keep looking for homes for the kittens ~ but less enthusiastically each day as they wrap me around their little paws. However, Prissy *will* be getting fixed as soon as the kittens can be without her a couple of days. She may be a stray, but she's a stray that seems to like living in my shed! :)

2007-05-23T19:06:00.000-05:00

This post concerns the saga of the jewelry armoire. I have been re-doing my bedroom into a *cottage chic* look and, subsequently, decided to replace my old jewelry armoire with a painted one with roses. I found what I wanted at a place online called One Way Furniture ~ and it was on sale with free shipping, too. This sale must be *meant to be* ~ I thought!

My first clue should have been when delivery was a week later than originally promised. I was excited when the armoire did arrive ~ even though the *huge* box was not easy for me to manipulate by myself ~ and some assembly was required: attaching the legs and also the mirrored top ~ no big deal there. I am usually pretty good with assembly instructions.

However, imagine my surprise when I discovered that the top drawer was missing from the main unit. I had to wonder how a piece of furniture could leave the warehouse with a drawer so obviously gone, but, hey, people make mistakes, so I e-mailed One Way Furniture (OWF) with the problem. Their first reply told me to send them the assembly instructions and part number. I promptly replied that there were no assembly instructions and part number for a drawer that should have been already in the main part of the armoire ~ a unit which had arrived fully assembled. I heard nothing and heard nothing though I sent two more e-mails. Then, when I got a little nasty in my wording, I did get an e-mail saying that they would order *the part.*

Then I got another e-mail saying that *the manufacturer* was going to send me a whole new armoire. I said I didn't want a whole new armoire ~ I wanted only the drawer missing for the armoire I already had. They said *the manufacturer* wouldn't send out just a drawer. I asked why not? A drawer was surely more convenient and *cheaper* to send ~ and I did *not* want to deal with shipping a 45-pound armoire back when all I wanted was my drawer. If they would go to the trouble of sending the whole armoire, why not just take out the darn drawer and send that by itself?

Well, OWF held firm: if I wanted the drawer, I had to deal with getting a whole new armoire. So I told them to forget the whole darn thing ~ and that *MEN* must be in charge of *the manufacturer* for making something so simple into something so complicated ~ and I was still amazed that the armoire could be shipped without the drawer in the first place. Hey, somewhere there is a drawer in need of an armoire, right?

So I have disguised the hole in my armoire with ivy ~ it doesn't look *that* bad ~ and I surely don't have enough jewelry to make the loss of storage a problem. But I did want to say *Buyer, beware!* of places like One Way Furniture when they offer a item at a huge discount and with free shipping, too!

2007-05-19T18:47:00.000-05:00

2007-05-13T13:43:00.000-05:00

Happy Mothers Day, Mama.

2007-05-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Mothers Day to my beloved mama in Heaven. I surely do miss you, Mama.

I have loved this picture since I first saw it ~ and not only because it has kitties in it. The expression on the kitten's face is so full of pure joy from being with his mama ~ the same kind of joy I felt when I was with mine. :)

And in honor of this Mothers Day, one of the strays that I feed ~ Prissy ~ decided to use my yard shed as shelter for her three kittens. :) Just what I need ~ more feline mouths to feed ~ but they are so precious that I won't complain too much. They are *just* getting their eyes open ~ though I had to get an ointment from my vet to help them. Poor little things have some kind of eye gunky going on. If you know of anyone who would be a good mommy or daddy for a kitten, please send her/him my way! :)

2007-05-10T20:56:00.000-05:00

The following cartoons are in the realm of things I would love to see. Please humor me. I am ailing with a *nasty* sinus infection ~ and one of the strays I feed just introduced me to her three teeny kittens. I don't know whether to :( or :) that particular news ~ but these cartoons make me smile. :)

2007-05-06T21:17:00.001-05:00

Free Countdown Clocks at WishAFriend.com

But who's counting??? :) That would be me! Have I mentioned that this has been a killer school year??? However, the good news is that after 30 years, I am finally getting new grammar texts for all four of my English classes. The new books translate into a ton of planning this summer, but I like the series so much that I can't complain. :) If, God and TRS willing, I retire in four years, remind me to tell the next English teacher to be *VERY* good to the books because it will be 26 years before she/he gets new ones. :)

2007-05-04T23:13:00.000-05:00

In honor of my ol' high school buddy, Janet ~ who lives in England now with her English muffin/husband, John. :)