Ingrid King's Blog: The Conscious Cat, page 504

My 10 favorite cat books of 2012

I read so many wonderful cat books all year long, it’s really hard to pick only ten favorites, especially since the books cover such a wide diversity of genres. Here are my ten favorites for 2012, in the order in which I reviewed them:

Grey Expectations by Clea Simon – but really, the entire series featuring Harvard grad student Dulcie Schwartz, her kitten Esme and her ghost cat Mr. Grey. These well-crafted, cat-centric mysteries are a joy to read.

Cats Can’t Shoot by Clea Simon. The second in...

This Cat

I came across the poem “This Cat” by Karen D. Mitchell on my online travels, and it touched me deeply. Karen is the publisher of the blogNeko Scribe, where she and her tortoiseshell cat Calpyso the Watch Cat sharenews and views related to animal welfare in their hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, as well as across the nation and the world.

I’m republishing the poem with Karen’s permission.

“This Cat”

is

steel woven in wool,

black wands flickering

in two full moons.

“This Cat”

has

claws that tap bars

an...

Ruby’s Reflections: undercover kitty

Hi everyone, it’s Ruby! Mom said I should tell you about where I sleep at night, because she thinks it’s just “so darn cute!” I don’t really know why she thinks it’s so cute. I don’t do it to be cute, I do it to stay warm!

When we go to bed at night, Allegra curls up on one side of Mom, and I curl up on her other side. Usually, Mom has her arms around me, and Allegra is wedged against her back. It’s nice and cozy, and a good way to start the night. But as the night goes on, I get a little chil...

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Allegra, Ruby and Ingrid
May your day be filled with peace, joy and purrs.

The night before Catmas – the adoption version

By Harry Shubin

T’was the night after the adoption event,

And all through the store,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a stray cricket on the floor

The Center Coordinators were all snug in their beds

Thinking of ways to move adoptions ahead.

The cage cards were hung on the enclosures with care,

Each telling the story of the cats who were there.

Poor Fluffy, poor Mittens, Whiskers and Sprite

Abandoned and alone on this cold Post-Adoption night.

Each cat was nestled in a Maddie’s Blanket, and thought...

Conscious Cat Sunday: holiday memories

Cats and Christmas trees can make for a challenging combination, but I love the holiday season, and one of my favorite parts hasalways been the annual decorating of the Christmas tree. Until the tree is up, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas to me, and even though it’s been a little more challening for the past couple of years with two young cats, I’ve made it work.

I’ve collected ornaments for the pastthirty some years, and inevitably, bringing out the ornaments each year leads to a lovely,...

Cat tree winner

Congratulations, Maxwell, Faraday and Allie! You’re the winners of a cat tree from Your Cat’s Tree! Maxwell, Faraday and Allie, who are part of the same family (we only have one winner for this contest) chose the 27 inch Casita Fur Cat Tree.

Look for an e-mail from Ingrid.

Mews and Nips: Hemingway’s cats, lapcats, and more

If you’ve ever been to Key West, you have probably seen some of the descendants of Ernest Hemingway’s famous cats, many of whom are polydactyl (six-toed). About 40 of them currently livein and aroundthe Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum on the island. I visited Key West in the mid 1980′s and was thoroughly charmed by these wonderful cats.The cats have roamed free for generations, but unfortunately, they got caught up in a decade long legal dispute afterthe US Department of Agriculture received...

Cat Crib cat hammock winners

Congratulations, Carolyn Schellhardt, Debra Becker and Linda Meyers-Gabbard, you each wona Cat Crib cat hammock! I hope your cats will enjoy their new hangout. We’d love to seephotos of your kitties in their hammocks onThe Conscious Cat Facebook page.

Look for an e-mail from Ingrid.

Review: Paw Prints in the Moonlight by Denis O’Connor

I often feel that I overuse the words “charming” and “delightful” in my reviews of the many wonderful cat books I read, but they are the first two words that came to mind after I finished Paw Prints in the Moonlight: The Heartwarming True Story of One Man and His Cat. However,they really don’t do the book justice, because itis so much more.

From the publisher:

When Denis O’Connor rescues a three-week-old kitten from certain death during a snowstorm, little does he know how this tiny creature wi...