While not recent, this was Harley’s last photo. We had no idea at the time it would become a memory, and not a moment. 2020 has reinforced that sentiment deeply – be grateful for what you have, as you never know when it will be gone.

2020 was a time of hardship, pain, sacrifice, and uncertainties but it was also a time of reflection, reinvention, self-discovery, and a new landscape of blessings. Like many, I say good riddance to much the year has brought, but I’m also grateful for what it gave. Read more

Just days before his trip to the vet, everything with Zee seemed fine. This is him with his beloved girls – daughter Peanut, “wife” Zoey, and daughter Mia.

Cats have always had the reputation of being mysterious. Egyptians believed them to be magical creatures, capable of bringing good luck to the people who housed them. They are also notorious masters of disguise, especially when it comes to hiding weakness or pain, including chronic conditions like dental, kidney, and heart disease. This goes back to their existence in the wild when trying to avoid attracting the attention of would-be predators, and even a purr, which humans consider a sign of contentment, can be a signal the cat is in pain. All this means pet guardians may not immediately see physical signs that something is wrong, bringing me to the story of Zee and his emergency trip to the vet. Read more

At 15 years old our beautiful Zee is the purr-fect model to champion senior cat adoptions.

2020 will forever be known as the year of COVID, redefining life as we know it. Hardships, challenges, tragedies, and more became part of the landscape. Social distancing changed how we participated in milestone moments in life – births, deaths, and holidays to name a few. It changed how we worked, how we shopped, how we communicated and so much more, often making it difficult to find the silver lining in any of it. But silver linings did exist – one for me – my relationship with Zee, our 15-year-old Maine Coon cat. Working remotely from home since March I’m able to spend more time with him than I ever would have before and I’m grateful, especially as I’m painfully aware my time with him is no longer measured in infinite possibilities of days ahead, but of finite moments that are coming closer to an end. Read more

October is National Black Cat Awareness Month* and last Saturday (aka Caturday) to promote the cause, I shared a photo on several Facebook pages dedicated to black cats of my black cat rescue, Shadow, with the brief caption, “Celebrate! The Beautiful Black Cat.” The picture was simple – a closeup of him with an uncluttered, softened background, with my equally simple call to action in the text of the post: “October is Black Cat Awareness Month, so let’s celebrate this Caturday by sharing the awesomeness of black cats with pictures of your beauties today! This lovely model is our rescue, Shadow, who showed up at our doorstep about a year ago.” Read more

For Mia and me, our happiest moments are those that are also the quietest.

I love all my cats, each for their wonderfully distinct personalities, but I share a special affinity for my sweet Mia, a cat who most vividly mirrors me if I were a cat and she a human. We both have our moments of strength and boldness, but for the most part, we are introverts at heart, rather unbothered by our frequent desire for peace and solitude. Read more