Cover image courtesy of Cats for the GENIUS.

While it was enjoyable and completely fulfilling, the process for writing my most recent book, Makin’ Biscuits – Weird Cat Habits and the Even Weirder Habits of the Humans Who Love Them, turned out to be far more work than I initially anticipated. I had originally thought the book would be a collection of funny and cute stories from assorted cat lovers, sharing the wild and crazy antics of their feline companions. When I determined the book should also be a resource to share tips and advice on understanding cat behavior, that’s when it got serious. If only I had known about Ramona Marek’s recently released book, Cats for the GENIUS, before I found myself knee-deep in kitty-facts research. Read more

From myself and Jazmine, the ultimate biscuit making kitty in our house, thank you so much for your support of Makin’ Biscuits – Weird Cat Habits and the Even Weirder Habits of the Humans Who Love Them! Illustration by Stephanie Piro exclusively for Makin’ Biscuits.

Writing and publishing a book is a bit like having a baby. It takes several long months before the book is completed and once it is, you share the news like a proud parent who has just delivered a newborn baby. That’s how I feel with Makin’ Biscuits – Weird Cat Habits and the Even Weirder habits of the Humans Who Love Them. Now that the book is done, it seems all I do is post pictures about it on social media and talk about it in nearly every conversation. Read more

From our table to yours, we wish you the most blessed of days. L to R – love and purrs from Peanut, Rolz, Mia, Zee, Zoey, Kizmet, and Jazmine.

Years ago, Thanksgiving was one of those family holidays for me deep rooted in time-tested routines and traditions. But as I get older, I find it nearly impossible to recreate the past. Some traditions remain, some are replaced, and some quietly drift to the wayside, parked as private memories, tucked into the back recesses of my mind. Read more

Makin’ Biscuits by Deborah Barnes, ZZP Publishing, LLC.

It happened nearly two years ago – I got out of the shower one morning and bent over to wrap my wet hair with a towel. Moments later, I felt something land on top of my head – it was Mia, my extroverted cat who normally didn’t like close-up human contact. For whatever reason, she had decided it was the perfect place to settle for a nap. Being that I’ve had cats my entire life, I was accustomed to them doing weird things, but this was odd, even for my standards, and that’s when the idea of a book of weird cat habits formed in my toweled, cat-covered head.  Read more

My Zee is the epitome of a Maine Coon cat – he’s loving, loyal, and intelligent.

I love Zee. He’s such a sweet, gentle, and kind cat and he demonstrates his love back to me each and every day. He talks to me with his extensive meow vocabulary, he follows me around like a loyal puppy dog, and he patiently waits for me to get up off the couch at night to go to bed so he can cuddle next to me before he eventually settles in to sleep next to my head for the rest of the night. He also brings me gifts at various times of the day, such as stuffed toys dropped at my feet to show his love. But what he did this past Tuesday was so touching, thoughtful, and heartfelt it brought me to tears. Read more