Crystal and I in the Keys

Editor’s Note: My step-daughter Crystal has been promising me for months that she would write a post for Zee and Zoey’s blog. She comes to visit her Dad and I quite frequently from Boston, so I assumed I would get some sort of cute post on the comings and goings of the feline activity in our household from her perspective, as she is very familiar with the habits of our furry gang. What she sent me came completely out of the blue the other day and I am still quite overwhelmed with her heartfelt words.

We all have our own perceptions of who we are as a person, but do we really know how someone else perceives us? Crystal knows I will be attending BlogPaws in a few days and am also a nominee for the category of “Best Designed Blog” for the Petties. She wanted to send a post of support on my behalf before the big announcement will be made this upcoming Friday night. Well, after reading her words about me, I have all I will ever need and am the biggest winner in the world already. To be blessed with such a wonderful family is a gift that I do not take for granted. I am graciously humbled by Crystal’s expression to me and am so proud of her for all she has accomplished in her life and for all that she is striving for in her future – Deb  

I have been promising my step-mother, Deb that I would appear as a guest-blogger for some time now.  Many various cat-inspired themes have crossed my mind, and many posts have been started, but lacked genuine inspiration to continue.  Last week, Deb posted about some similarities she noted between herself and the great Ernest Hemingway.  She noted, tongue-in-cheek, the similarities between his birthplace, and where her mother was born, for example.  In our family, we have lovingly referred to these coincidences as “God winks,” a term coined by Squire Rushnell.  Read more

Author & Radio Host, Nick Sacco

I recently had the distinct honor and pleasure of being a guest on Pet Talk Radio with host, Nick Sacco, to talk about all things Zee and Zoey related. This former Marine and police motorcycle officer might appear gruff on the surface – he has the look of someone who could stop trouble in its tracks, but one quickly learns that Nick is a kind and gentle soul with an endless supply of love, compassion, and support for all creatures, but, in particular, for cats.

In that regard, he has written a book called In Heaven Kittens Play that, through his own personal experiences with what he calls the “Blue Angel and Her Garden of Pets,” details why he believes the loss of a pet through death is not the end, but only the beginning for them.  Many of us are already familiar with the term “The Rainbow Bridge” – that place just before heaven where your pet goes and waits for you, until you too pass one day, and then you can cross the bridge together on to heaven. The Rainbow Bridge is a beautiful place filled with wondrous gardens, plenty of food, and health is renewed to full vigor.

For Nick, The Blue Angel is his own personal pet guardian that comes to him in visions and greets each animal in Nick’s life that has passed on. Nick has been privileged to witnessing these creatures, many old, many sickly, transformed before his very eyes to beautiful creatures, beaming with health and radiance as the Angel takes them to the Rainbow Bridge.  He retells these visions with vivid detail and while each passing is unique, the commonality is the joy and happiness that these animals experience with the Blue Angel.

While we all may have different views on the afterlife and religion, I think as pet lovers, we would at least agree that given the choice, we would want our pets to move on in peace and comfort to a happy, joyful, and welcoming place. I think this is especially true for the millions of animals that are abandoned each and every year without a loving forever home. Where do they go when they pass? Thankfully, Nick feels that they too, are finally given the love and friendships they so deserve as they live with the Blue Angel and Her Garden of Pets. Read more

Left to Right - Mia, Rolz, and Peanut

Siblings Mia, Rolz, and Peanut have been together since birth. With the exception of an occasional tiff, these three amigo’s are the best of friends and you can be certain if you can find one, the other’s are close by!

Make no mistake, this is one man cat, Zee, standing next to some really big man shoes!!! Just disregard the heels in the background – we can save those for Feline Female Friday. Got it?

Zee typically wanders into our walk-in closet when we are putting away laundry and then we accidentally shut him in. Rather than making a big fuss about it by meowing loudly and scratching the wood doors with his sharp claws like Zoey would do, he usually stays in the closet until we figure out he is missing and open it again. While he is a Mancat, he is quite the gentleman and rather polite about the predicaments he finds himself in…

Standing in front of the Hemingway House before we enter for the tour

As you know, I was on vacation recently with my family and one of the places we went to visit was the Hemingway House in Key West. Clearly, being the cat lover I am, this was really no surprise. But, what can one say about the Hemingway House or Hemingway that hasn’t already been said? After all, he’s been dead since 1961 and is  firmly entrenched in the pages of history. The house remains a beloved tourist attraction in the Keys and the Hemingway cats are legendary. Nobel Prize writing author (Old Man and the Sea), cat lover, notorious drinker, and fisherman are all images that come to mind when I think of this literary talent. Now, upon further inspection, I have come to the conclusion that Ernie and I are long lost relatives. The evidence seems all but indisputable, but I will let you be the judge… Read more