Mollie Hunt's Blog, page 20
October 5, 2022
CAT’S PLAY IS ON THE WAY!
Fall is in the air and Black Cat Awareness Month (October) is here! If you’ve followed my Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mystery book launches in the past, you’ll know that the end of this month brings another cat-related observance, National Cat Day. For several years, October 29th is the day I’ve chosen to bring out a new book, and this year is no different.
Cat’s Play is the 9th Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mystery (but you need not read them in order), and this time Lynley is in more trouble than ever.
Friends of Felines, the cat shelter where Lynley is a volunteer, has been given a huge estate inheritance from a wealthy donor, and director Helen Branson has asked Lynley to help organize an online auction for the hundreds of valuable treasures. Lynley enlists her antique dealer friend Gil (pronounced Gee in the French fashion since part of his colorful persona is a faux French accent).
Lynley has also accepted the job of caring for the dead man’s cat Winnie, a calico diva with a mind of her own. The will stipulates Winnie’s caregiver live in the opulent Payne Mansion with the cat, so Lynley finds herself in the thick of things.
Some of those things go bump in the night, and the more Lynley finds out about the reclusive Roderick Payne, the more frightened she becomes. Something is not right at Payne House. Helen has asked Lynley for a third favor, but this is one Lynley may find deadly to fulfill.
Pre-order Cat’s Play (Crazy Cat Lady Mystery Book 9) now, and it will be auto-delivered wirelessly to your Kindle on October 29, 2022. Paperback versions will also be available.
October 1, 2022
Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? STACY LEBARON
Today’s guest on Who are the Cat Writers’ Association is Stacy LeBaron, a podcaster who has dedicated her work to helping cats.
Tell us a bit about your writing/blogging/podcasting. (Is “podcasting” a word?)
I am the “Head Cat” at the Community Cats Podcast. We started in 2016 with a show that was released 5 days a week. Since then, we have released almost 500 shows and had over 300,000 downloads. In addition to the podcast, we have launched 26 annual events including the Online Cat Conference, Online Kitten Conference, United Spay Alliance Conference and several one day events, Online Behavior Day and Online Feline Leukemia Day. We have a bi-weekly blog that currently features the work of many guest bloggers, but I have written several posts, and one of my favorites is about the Community Cat Pyramid. The goal of the Community Cats Podcast is to help folks “Turn their passion for Cats in Action.”
How do cats inspire your creativity?
I believe that we connect with cats in so many different ways, and we spend our lives trying to “hear” them. As a dreamer and optimist, I want to do what I can to make every community a humane place for cats. My background in Urban Studies and Non-Profit Management helps me to think outside of the box to problem-solve so that we can elevate the quality of life for cats.
What do you enjoy about of belonging to the CWA?
I will be honest, and for quite a while I didn’t think a podcaster could be a member; then I was introduced to CWA by Mary Tan of Whisker Media. I enjoy the online networking amongst the members. The team at the Community Cats Podcast is very excited to win five awards from the CWA. One of the awards was for our “Stay Feral” t-shirt design.
Now for some completely arbitrary questions.
Did you grow up with cats?Yes.
What is your earliest memory of being around cats?We had a grumpy cat, Duncan, growing up. She taught me very early on about the needs of personal space and cats. She lived to be 20 years old and would only let me pet her head.
It isn’t a question of like or dislike, but more understanding them and how varied the personalities of cats can be. It also makes me wonder if folks sometimes think that cats are like small dogs (and they aren’t).
Nala is a cat that I met in 1996. This was early on in my tenure with the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society. I was in charge of operations, and we took Nala in with her kittens and placed them in foster care. One of our trappers found some small kittens, and Nala adopted them and treated them like they were her own. Once the kittens were of age (8 weeks or 2 lbs) they went to the veterinarian to get tested and spayed or neutered. The orphan kittens tested positive for Feline Leukemia and the veterinarian immediately euthanized them. The foster home arrived at the end of the day to pick up the kittens, found out this information, and was understandably devastated. She immediately called me to say we needed a different plan.
Nala and her kittens all appeared healthy to me, but they tested positive. Thus began the journey in 1996 to change our protocols to always adopt out healthy cats with Feline Leukemia. Nala was my first FeLV+ adoption.
Nala was adopted by a family that had a seven year old girl who bonded right away with her. I asked the girl’s mother why she was okay knowing that Nala’s life may be shortened due to FeLV. The mother said it is the connection that is most important, and that we all need to learn about how to handle the death of a loved one. I almost started crying then and there…
Does cat love run in your family?Yes! My daughter Rachel has a wonderful Maine Coon kitty, Maggie. We just drove from Chicago to Providence in July with Maggie, and she was a star traveler. My niece Hannah has an “adventure cat”, Lily, who has her own Instagram page.
Yes, with Arden Moore- it was fantastic. I did it with my daughter and niece virtually.
“Adopt, Foster, Volunteer, Donate, Educate” is a common slogan for animal rescue. What do you like to do?“Turn my passion for cats into Action.”
Please give us the names and short descriptions of your cats.
I don’t have any cats at this time. I used to have quite a few. My last cat, Hooch, passed away in April of 2020.
For further information about Cat Writer Stacy LeBaron, check out her links here:
https://www.communitycatspodcast.com
https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/shop-merch/
https://www.instagram.com/communitycatspodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/communitycatspodcast
https://www.linkedin.com/company/community-cats-podcast/
September 21, 2022
#RememberMeThursday! LIGHT UP THE WORLD FOR ORPHAN PETS
It’s Thursday, September 22, 2022, so let’s get the entire world talking about pet adoption. Tweet, tag, post and share the beauty and life-saving significance of pet adoption on social media. Let’s honor the 1+ million orphan pets who ran out of time and help #SeeTheLight for the rescues that we can still help.
Changing just one mind can save a life.Share this post to help others #SeeTheLight about pet adoption on #RememberMeThursday. Unite with pet-lovers around the world to shine a light on orphan pets waiting in shelters and rescues for forever homes. Let’s take social media by storm for orphan pets!
As a volunteer for the Oregon Humane Society and House of Dreams Free-roam Cat Shelter, I’ve seen thousands of orphaned pets. They all have a story: their person has fallen ill and can no longer care for them; their person has died; their person has become homeless or taken an apartment that doesn’t allow pets; and so on. Though adoption is supposed to be forever, there are reasons why that doesn’t always work out. At the shelters where I volunteer, those surrendered are the lucky ones, because here in Portland Oregon, animals are cared for and stay as long as they need to find a new home. But that’s not the case everywhere. Help your local shelters become no-kill with your volunteer efforts.
~Shadwell~
Foster cat Shadwell was a young female from a hording situation who didn’t know how to “cat.” She liked being petted but would strike with claws bared whenever a hand got near. Her socialization improved with play and touch, and finally she was adopted by someone who could understand her moods.
~Popeye~
Foster cat Popeye, a 2-year-old boy, came to me from OHS with a broken leg, a herniated neuter site, and URI. In spite of all that had been dealt him, he was the sweetest cat. Transferred from another shelter, he had a long road to wellness, but in the end, he was adopted quickly
~Melinko~
Melinko is my granddaughter’s cat who came to stay with me while we figured out why he was losing hair and peeing blood. Sometimes there is no easy fix, and a month later after dealing with his flea allergy and ruling out other causes for the blood, the doctor determined he was stressed. Now that we know, his issues can be delt with head on. Melinko is back with his family.
~Frankie & Mia~
Foster cats Mia and Frankie are a bonded pair of very large cats who have only lived with one person for their whole lives. It took a bit of time to get them happy after suddenly being taken from their only home, but now they are doing fine. You’ll be able to adopt them soon!
#RememberMeThursdayGET INVOLVED IN THREE EASY STEPS
September 17, 2022
Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? ANITA AURIT
Our guest today on Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? is award-winning blogger Anita Aurit of FelineOpines, the World from a Feline Point of View.
Anita, tell us a bit about your writing/blogging career.
I had been published in several genres, but when I was published in Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover’s Soul, my cat writing career took off. The Chicken Soup PR people told me that I needed a blog. I did some research and didn’t want to be another cat advice blog; then I thought, “I’m a fiction writer. I love creating characters. My cats are characters.” This was the birth of FelineOpines, the world from a feline point of view. I have won awards for the blog and the blog inspired the Felines Opine book series. So far there are three books with the fourth in the works. My cats inspired me to write my first cozy mystery which will be published in 2023 and features two of my felines, Alberto and Oliver.
How do cats inspire your creativity?
Each of my three cats inspire me. Their personalities are so different, and their antics delight me every day. Since I began on this cat writing journey, I’ve received diplomas in Feline Behavior & Anxiety as well as certification as a pet bereavement counselor. Even my beloved felines who recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge inspired me to write a book about grief at the loss of a cat (Are There Head Bonks in Heaven?).
What do you enjoy about belonging to CWA?
As a CWA member I am connected with a professional group of content creators (authors, photographers, videographers, etc.) who inspire me. Many of the CWA members that I’ve met over the years have become friends. And the CWA Communications Contest is a way to have my work critiqued and recognized by a group of my peers. The CWA Certificates of Excellence and Muse Medallions I have been awarded are the highest praise I could receive for my cat writing/blogging/video work.
Now for a few arbitrary questions:
Did you grow up with cats?Yes, my mother liked cats. My dad, hard boiled Army Green Beret, loved cats. We have a photo in our family album of one of our cats named Smokey. My dad noted below the photo, “Smokey, went AWOL” and he noted the date. Is your cat an unofficial (or official) emotional support animal?
I went through one of the worst emotional traumas of my life 3 years ago. My cats sensed it, and they applied purr therapy every night and helped me through days that I thought I’d never get through. There were days I didn’t want to get out of bed, but I needed to feed my fur kids, clean their litter boxes, and make sure they were properly cared for. Was it not for them, I would have wallowed in my situation far too long. When I come home from work, they always come to greet me. They make my house a home. “Adopt, Foster, Volunteer, Donate, Educate” is a common slogan for animal rescue. What do you like to do?
I promote TNR, rescue, adoption, and fostering on my blog and in my community. I (or rather my felines) participate in Remember Me Thursday, and I have fostered and am a happy foster failure. I donate to my shelter monthly. What’s the craziest thing your cat’s ever done?
Alberto once went through a period when he would knock things off the counter or drop things into my purse for me to discover later in the day. The only item that disturbed me a bit was the knife I found at the bottom of my bag.
Please give us the names and short descriptions of your cats.
Alberto – one of my foster failures. He demands that I turn the bathroom faucet on in the morning, then he sticks his head under the wet stream. It’s his version of a shower. He looks like a Siamese but comes from a multi-species background. He is 22 pounds but is long so doesn’t show his weight. He can reach my waist when he stretches from the floor.
Oliver – Oliver was part of the foster failure as I fostered him and his brother Alberto. His name is Oliver because he was the runt of the litter and always hungry. (Oliver Twist, “more porridge please”) He has since blossomed into 22 pounds of feline but, unlike his brother who looks sleek and muscular, Ollie is rotund and has a bit of a waddle to his walk. He is a cat that lives to eat, and his diet is going not so well.
Lily – Lily is an 8 pound bundle of sass. Her nickname is Princess Stabby Toes. She is also a shelter kitty, and although I’ve had her all 8 years of her life, there is still a bit of feral in her when I pick her up to put her in the carrier or try to clip her claws. She is a love bug and sleeps next to me every night in the crook of my arm. She brooks no nonsense from her big brothers (who sometimes chase her around the house or try to steal her treats) and will give each one a random “whacky paw” when she walks by them, just for good measure.
Find out more about Anita Aurit at these fun sites:
https://www.facebook.com/Felineopines
https://www.instagram.com/aauritwrites/
https://www.pinterest.com/felineopines
September 5, 2022
NIGHT PASSAGES-A CAT POEM
NIGHT PASSAGES
Cat’s up.
Visits the commode,
then makes his rounds.
Meow, me-row, row-o-ooow
into the darkness,
skirting predator shadows,
seeking kibble prey.
He returns to bed,
jumping on my feet.
All purrs and purrumphs,
he settles in a circle.
A sigh
and back to sleep
while I stare into the darkness and
savor his kitty scent.
Collage Photos by Alexander Andrews and Altınay Dinç on Unsplash
September 3, 2022
Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? SANDRA TONEY
Hello cat people! Let me introduce today’s guest on Who are the Cat Writers’ Association?, Sandra Toney, a freelance writer with a formidable body if work.
Tell us a bit about your writing.
I’ve been writing for over 25 years. I have a B.A. in Political Science, but when I took elective classes, I always went for the writing classes and excelled. One of my professors said I should look into becoming a writer as a career. And here I am.
I first wrote about everything, but cats were such a huge part of my life that I started writing simple cat stories for a small newsletter. Eventually, I saw an ad in Writer’s Digest (old print magazine) in the 1990’s from Amy Shojai asking people to join Cat Writers’ Association if they liked writing about cats. That’s when I solely started writing cat articles and never looked back. I’ve always been a freelancer. I’ve written probably close to 1,000 articles and eight books about cats over my career.
How do cats inspire your creativity?
Whenever I have a question about something my cat Angel does or doesn’t do that I don’t know the answer to, it usually becomes an article. I research it and think that if I don’t know the answer to something, I’m guessing some others don’t either. I worked at a no-kill shelter animal for ten years in the cat department. That’s where so many of my articles came from during those years. I witnessed many illnesses, behavior problems, and fun things to do with the cats at the cage-free shelter. I wrote about them and learned right along with my readers.
What do you enjoy about of belonging to CWA?
CWA has been a lifesaver for me. Meeting Amy Shojai through old-fashioned pen-to-paper letters is what started my journey with CWA. She told me how to become a member, and I won a Special Award my first year. At the Awards Ceremony, I remember looking out at the crowd and seeing so many “famous” faces. I was giddy. It was MY Oscar night. The other members have become good friends, and I don’t know what I would do without them.
Ray and Angel before his kidney transplant
I quit writing for almost ten years because my husband was very ill. He died in 2020 and the CWA members rallied around me when I tried my hand at cat writing again. I was scared they had forgotten me. (I did keep up my membership dues even when I wasn’t actively writing). I had almost zero confidence that I even COULD still write. But my CWA family encouraged me, and it’s such a blessing to know all of them. And I guess I can still write because I’m getting published again after such a long absence.
Please answer any 3 (or more if you’re inspired) of the following questions. You may be as brief, wordy, serious, humorous, or creative as you wish.
What is your favorite cat movie and why?“Homeward Bound.” I cried a lot when the cat Sassy, a beautiful Himalayan, got separated from the dogs, but it was a happy ending.
Sandra and Buttons 1981
Did you grow up with cats?Yes, I grew up on a farm in northern Indiana. I mainly had barn cats, and some were semi-feral. I loved working with those cats, even as a young girl, to get them to gain my trust and tame them. Sometimes I was the only person who could touch them, but they always trusted me.
Do you sing to cats? If so, what songs do you sing?I sing a song called “Mommy and Me.” I think it’s made up. At least my version is. Ha. I think my cat Angel cringes a bit when I sing it.
Where are you sitting right now? From where you are, how many cat-themed objects can you see?I’m in my office at my computer. I only see 28 cat-themed objects including a cat mouse pad and a cat coaster. I thought there were more.
How would you identify your cat in a lineup?Angel would be the one meowing the loudest for no apparent reason.
Please tell us more about Angel.
Angel is a 12-year old calico. My husband and I adopted her from the no-kill shelter where I used to work. She loved him dearly, but now it’s just the two of us.
Thank so much for being with us today, Sandra, and for bringing Angel along with you!
You can read one of Sandra’s articles, “Can’t Have a Cat? Sponsor One” here.
August 29, 2022
GHOST CAT LAUNCH PARTY!
Today is the day! If you preordered your copy of Ghost Cat on the Midway, you will have it by now. I hope this post doesn’t interrupt your reading, but I have something really special to announce.
A contest giveaway!But not like anything I’ve done before. See what you think…
I’m not sure where the idea came from—most likely another author—but apparently readers are interested in proof copies of books containing the author’s hand-written notes. And when I say interested, I mean excited. I understand the draw, being an autograph collector myself. I find it fascinating to know the person has touched that page, written those words.
So…I am giving away to one lucky winner the proof copy of Ghost Cat on the Midway that I used to hammer out the final finished work.
Thrills and chills! when you see how many times I used the words, suddenly and apparently.
Mystery! deciphering my unreadable handwriting.
Insight! into the writer’s journey.
But wait! There’s more! The winner will also receive a paperback copy of the finished book, signed and personalized by the author. Good luck, Ghost Cat Fans!
Enter to win: Win the one and only proof copy of Ghost Cat on the Midway, plus a paperback copy of the finished book. Just email me at molliehuntcatwriter@gmail.com with Proof Contest in the subject line. The winner will be chosen by Tyler the cat in about a week. Winner will be announced on social media and personally notified by email. Sorry, US mailing addresses only.
If you haven’t got your copy of Ghost Cat in the Midway, book 2 of the Tenth Life Cozy Mystery Series, you can buy it here.
August 25, 2022
WHERE DO IDEAS COME FROM?
I go to clients’ houses and stay with their cat while they are on vacation or away for business. This practice affords me a lot of time to myself, time spent, aside from the cats, in writing.
This week I’m staying with a beautiful brindled tabby diva. I’ve sat with her before, and in fact, appropriately enough, this is where I typed the first words of Ghost Cat on the Midway last summer. It’s fitting I should be here now, with the finished book set to publish in a just few days.
Where do I get my stories? God and experience, is the short answer. Since basically I’m a visual person, ideas come to me in pictures as I write. I do my best to describe what I see, then take it as a jumping-off point to decide where the story is going from there. When I sat down with my laptop in that ivory-upholstered chair last summer—the one right over there with a cat on it now—I had nothing more than a picture in my mind. I saw an old fashioned county fair, the kind I went to as a child at the turn of the fifties. I’d already “seen” that my ghost cat hero Soji was destined to save a tiger. That could work with a fair.
Now that Ghost Cat on the Midway is finished, it’s time for me to sit down somewhere, maybe while cat sitting, and envision a new story. I already have the title: Ghost Cat Christmas. I see lots of red and green. A party. A murder. Maybe not in that order. And the question I always ask myself:
August 20, 2022
Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? NANCY PETERSON
Today on Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? we have Nancy Peterson, a pet magazine, newspaper, and blogpost writer.
I am the senior writer for the National Kitten Coalition (NKC) and enjoy writing and editing its blog articles. In addition to writing for the NKC, I’ve written articles for my local newspaper, The Sopris Sun, on topics such as the importance of native plants, the power of pet companionship for older adults, and the protection of pet cats and wild birds. I’ve also written blog articles for Fear Free, Out There With the Birds, Wellbeing International, Tucson Audubon Society and Audubon Rockies.
Colorado Animal Rescue, aka CARE
Tell us a bit about your writing.
In 1984, my first article, “The Rex Breeds,” was published in Veterinary Technician magazine. But it wasn’t until 1998, when I moved to Maryland to work for The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the nation’s largest animal protection organization, that I started writing professionally. I could write, but I wouldn’t have described myself as a writer. My first HSUS writing assignments came back with lots of edits, and that’s how my writing improved. I wrote for The HSUS’s website and Animal Sheltering magazine and created information sheets, pamphlets and publications on a variety of topics. One of the pieces I’m most proud of was entitled “Indoor Cats, Scratching, and the Debate over Declawing: When Normal Pet Behavior Becomes a Problem”; it was a chapter I co-authored in The State of the Animals III: 2005, published by Humane Society Press. I also freelanced and wrote for Catnip, CatWatch, Catster, Veterinary Technician and others.
I am the senior writer for the National Kitten Coalition (NKC) and enjoy writing and editing its blog articles. In addition to writing for the NKC, I’ve written articles for my local newspaper, The Sopris Sun, on topics such as the importance of native plants, the power of pet companionship for older adults, and the protection of pet cats and wild birds. I’ve also written blog articles for Fear Free, Out There With the Birds, Wellbeing International, Tucson Audubon Society and Audubon Rockies.
How do cats inspire your creativity?
Cats are the reason I write. I’m a huge ailurophile, and I write to inform, inspire, and celebrate anyone who cares about and cares for cats, including fosters, pet parents, animal shelters, rescue organizations, Trap-Neuter-Return groups, and the veterinary community. I’ve loved animals, especially cats, for as long as I can remember.
What do you enjoy about of belonging to CWA?
I believe I was first introduced to CWA in the early 2000s because The HSUS provided a special award, The Pets for Life award, for the annual writing conference. I was so smitten with the wonderful folks I met at the conference that I became a member. I went from being a member to being the Special Awards Coordinator and Swag Bag Coordinator for several years to being the president from 2006-2008. Writing was never my career, like it was for so many CWA members, but we sure had fun at our annual conferences and banquets. When I retired in 2015 and was no longer writing, I let my membership lapse. However, I stayed in touch with several CWA members. It wasn’t until 2022 that I renewed my membership because writing once again became a big part of my life. I look forward to virtually attending the 2022 awards banquet.
Now for a few arbitrary questions:
Did you grow up with cats?I grew up in New York City and brought home many strays. But my parents both worked, and I always had to find homes for the cats. I finally got a cat, Shasta, in my mid-20s. Over the years I’ve shared my home and heart with 11 cats; the most at one time were Buddy, Daisy, Stu and Monty. I returned to college in San Diego in 1978 to become a registered veterinary technician and worked in 2 small animal hospitals for more than 12 years.
I retired as the Community Cats Program Manager from The HSUS in 2015 and moved in 2016 from metro DC to Carbondale, Colorado (population 6,900). I volunteered for Colorado Animal Rescue (CARE) as a cat cuddler and switched to fostering kittens during COVID. I LOVE fostering kittens. I’ve served on the board of Neighborhood Cats since retiring and joined the board of The National Kitten Coalition (NKC) in 2021. I’m also a member of the Human Animal Support Services’ Focus on Felines Workgroup.
What crosses your mind when someone tells you they don’t like cats?It’s worse than they don’t like cats; some people even say they hate cats. It’s interesting, you rarely hear people say they hate dogs; they either like/love them or don’t. When people say they don’t like cats, they usually add that they’re not affectionate. I respond that they haven’t met the “right” cat and, that like people, all cats have unique personalities. Animal shelters and rescue organizations try really hard to match an adopter’s desires with the “right” cat. Like all relationships, none are perfect; there will be challenges. These same groups work hard to help resolve issues that threaten the bond between people and their pets.
When I traveled, I loved to visit shelters, especially those that had been through The HSUS’s Pets for Life program I coordinated from 2000-2005. More than 500 staff and volunteers attended the 10-day program taught by the Dumb Friends League in Denver, Colorado to learn about implementing behavior programs that improved the animals’ time in the shelter and decreased returns due to unwanted behaviors.
Before I left on any work trip, my sister would always remind me not to bring home any cats. Well, in almost 18 years with The HSUS, I only brought home one. I adopted Toby from a shelter in Florida. I was there for a veterinary conference and decided to visit colleagues who were making a video about caring for adopted cats. They took me to the shelter to choose some friendly cats for a taping. When I sat down in the multi-cat room, a cat immediately headed my way. He had to pass another cat who I just knew was going to slap him as he passed. Nevertheless, he was in my lap in no time, kneading, purring and licking me. I brought him and 2 other cats to the home studio. It just so happened that he was in the first cardboard cat box that I opened. He seemed very comfortable from the moment he jumped out. When I opened the bathroom door, he strolled out confidently and said hello to everyone. We never did film any of the other cats because he was so engaging.
The cats were returned to the shelter, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the special cat I’d met. I called the shelter as soon as it opened the next day and said I wanted to adopt Tobias. When I arrived at the shelter, I learned that he was at least 10 years old and had been rescued from a hoarder’s home. Well, Toby was the most affectionate cat ever and loved everyone he met, including my friends, the plumber, and my fosters. I always wondered if he was so affectionate because he didn’t get any attention in the hoarder’s home or if being so affectionate was the way he got attention. We had 8 wonderful years together.
Tell us a true cat story.I was inspired to write about Student Cat. Here’s his story in abbreviated form. I’ve written a children’s book about Stu but haven’t pursued its publication.
Students found his lifeless body on the side of the road and brought him to the clinic where I worked as a registered veterinary technician. He was in shock and had congestion in his chest, several wounds and a broken jaw. We stabilized him and performed surgery the next day.
Despite all the medications I gave Student Cat, now dubbed Stu, he was always purred and rubbed his nose on mine.
Stu’s one visitor was one of the students who had gotten permission to adopt Stu. I sent Stu home with lots of instructions for his care and in big letters I wrote, “IF YOU CANNOT KEEP STU FOR ANY REASON, PLEASE BRING HIM BACK TO US.”
Four days later, Stu returned because the mother was allergic. His freedom had been short-lived, and so I took him home for the weekend. It was then I realized he was limping. We x-rayed his leg again and saw a small break. While I was giving him anesthesia, his heart stopped. Dr. Zanders injected his heart with a stimulant, and I gave Stu mouth-to-mouth.
Throughout the day, I returned to Stu’s cage to monitor his recovery. Whenever I put my head inside his cage, his nose met mine.
That evening, I took Stu home for good. The bond that united Stu and me for 17 years was very special. He was very lucky and so was I.
How would you identify your cat in a lineup?Jenny has white eye lashes and appears cross-eyed because her nictitating membrane is adhered to her cornea. She has a black circle on the left side of her chin, a black circle on near right paw pads, and her microchip has migrated to her left flank. She loves to have her tummy rubbed and is missing her right upper canine tooth. I’ve clicker trained her to sit, come, turn around, stand and lie down.
Jenny
I live with my sister with our 12-year-old cat Jenny, I always called her a Tuxedo, but Vickie Fisher, EveryCat Health Foundation’s president, told me that Jenny is a solid black cat subjected to the white spotting factor to the extent of about 50% and would be called a black and white bi-color! She’s actually a tabby cat but the black gene has hidden all her pattern. Wow, who knew? Jenny looks kind of cross-eyed because her third eyelid is permanently adhered to her cornea. It may be related to the double, upper eyelashes that were surgically removed when she was a kitten. She was part of a litter of 5 feral kittens that I fostered from the age of 4-1/2 weeks of age.
Nancy and Toby
Check out Nancy’s suggested sites:
Here is a link to Research Gate where some of my attributed publications appear.
https://www.facebook.com/kittencoalition/
https://www.neighborhoodcats.org
https://www.facebook.com/neighborhoodcats/
August 17, 2022
HAPPY NATIONAL BLACK CAT APPRECIATION DAY from Soji!
Now, I know everyone who reads this post loves and appreciates black cats every day of the year, but unfortunately there are those humans who don’t. Black cats tend to linger in shelters, and some humans even think of them as bad luck. (We know differently, don’t we?)
Actually, in many cultures, black cats are seen in a positive light. According to National Today, “in Scottish lore, good tidings would follow if a black cat came to your house. Fishermen often kept black cats on their boats, believing them to bring good luck.”
But let’s ask a black cat what she thinks about the superstitions surrounding cats of the color black.
Let me introduce Soji, the Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove.Soji currently haunts the beachfront property of septuagenarian Camelia Collins and the pages of the Tenth Life Cozy Mystery Series, written by me.
“Soji was special. Not only did she live to be thirty-two years old—she was the seventh black kitten of a seventh black kitten, which supposedly makes her immortal. She’s said to come back to right great wrongs. A sort of Joan of Arc of cats.
Many claim to have seen her, and they all agree she is black, though some say she is big and long furred like a Norwegian Forest cat, and others say slim and shorthaired. She also appears misty white, as you might expect from a phantom.”
Hello, Soji. Thank you for appearing to us this National Black Cat Appreciation Day. What do you think? Do black cats enjoy their special day?
Soji: Of courrrse! Black is the perrrfect color for felines. It helps us hide from predators and conceal ourselves when we stalk prrrey. Our fur doesn’t show up on dark clothing and furniture like our lighter cousins. And just for fun, we can turn brown in the sun. But some humans are ignorant of our many advantages. Hopefully, with enough positive posts for this Black Cat Apprrreciation Day, others will be enlightened.
Are you doing anything special to celebrate today?
Soji: Aside frrrom reading about all my onyx-colored family? Not really. But I am looking forward to August 29th when my author’s latest book will be out, and everybody can read about my newest adventure. It’s called Ghost Cat on the Midway. Ghost cat—that’s me.
Thank you Soji. Tell us about this new story.
Soji: I am hero, of courrrse. I save the day.
I’m sure that’s true, but it looks like there’s a bit more to it. Maybe I’d better give the blurb from the back cover:
Camelia Collins is ready to enjoy Ocean Cove’s small county fair when the keeper of an aging tiger is murdered, and the tiger goes missing.
Who did it—a rogue faction of violent animal activists or something more arcane?
Only the ghost cat Soji knows the truth, but will the capricious spirit come forward before someone else dies?
Thanks so much, Soji, for joining us here today…
Soji?
Hey, Soji?
Well, it looks like our little ghost cat has disappeared for the moment. I hope everyone has a great National Black Cat Appreciation Day! Go pet a black cat, or better yet, adopt one!
