Happy Holidays! We’re taking a break today to spend the day enjoying Christmas with our family.

Much love, peace, and joy to you and yours from Deb, Dan, Zee, Zoey, Mia, Peanut, Rolz, Kizmet, and Jazmine.

From big things, like my friends, family, and my cats, to the little things, like popcorn and leopard print, I’m grateful for so much in my life!

You’ve seen it all from me before – I share these same pictures every year, and I also say it every year – I love Thanksgiving. Not just for good food, good football, sharing time with family, and not working, but for counting the blessings in my life I’m afforded to have every day despite that life can be messy, complicated, stressful, and downright disagreeable. Here are some of the everyday things I’m grateful to have in my life:

My cats, my family, my friends, coffee, chocolate, sweatpants, wine, Cheez-Its, a great book, board games, the good health of my loved ones, when the Miami Dolphins win (this one is happening less and less), when a cat gets adopted, my Fitbit, leopard print, nature, trips to the beach, Netflix, feeding my birds and squirrels, Facebook, talking to a real person on the phone (this is also happening less and less), Photoshop, riding our Harley, wearing cat ears, Christmas cookies, chia seeds, family photo albums, my iPhone 7plus, yarn & crocheting, popcorn, music, when people are kind to one another, fun fonts, having a job and being able to pay my bills, the privilege of having food to eat every day, a safe home to live in, and the freedom to be me.

How about you all? What are some of the everyday things in your life you’re grateful for? Have a blessed day from all of us at Zee & Zoey’s, and as I do every year, here’s my favorite picture of my gang for Thanksgiving and a visual reminder that despite what certain kitties might tell you, NOT ALL FOODS ARE SAFE FOR THEM TO EAT!

Can someone please hurry up with this blog post and say grace so we can eat!

It’s simply impossible to look at Jazmine without smiling…

Jazmine would just like to take a quick break from her regularly scheduled all day snooze-fest to give us one of her purr-fectly trademarked shots in which she is irresistibly adorable! Job well done, Jazmine! Happy Sunday everyone – wishes for a beautiful and peaceful day!  

Rolz and Mia getting ready for a typical day of Sunday rest and relaxation…

For a cat, nearly every day is a surrender to a 16-hour a day nap, but for Sunday it seems even more poetic, as that is traditionally a day of rest and relaxation for us humans from the stresses of the work week. But we live in a different world now. For me, my day job is a nonstop whirlwind of critical deadlines that must be met in a challenging environment and my weekends, including Sunday, are a blur of laundry, running errands, cleaning the house, and trying to get caught up on blogging, social media, and issues related to overseeing the Cat Writers’ Association (something I’ve determined in my overwhelmed state will never happen!). I’m exhausted just typing about it, let alone living and breathing it!

But that’s okay. My day will come. My day of cat naps, relaxing, and just enjoying the “day” in Sunday is something I’m moving toward. My cats remain my all-inspiring mentors and I hope you’ll all take a cue from them and take a moment for yourself to enjoy the day! Happy Sunday everyone!

Plunk…one down…one to go…

And there we have it…sweet dreams precious babies…

September is Happy Cat Month, a month created by the CATalyst Council to assist in spreading the word about the health, welfare, and value of cats as companion pets, as well as to educate cat guardians what they can do to ensure their pet is happy.

Making sure a cat’s basic needs are met – food and water, safe shelter, clean litter, and regular veterinarian checkups are all important to that happiness, but it’s also important to provide a cat with fun and stimulating challenges that cater to their natural predator instincts to keep their minds sharp, their bodies fit, and their hearts happy and healthy.

It could be a cat condo that provides options for climbing, hiding, and scratching, or sometimes it’s an empty box, an unmade bed, or a puddle of sunshine to nap in. Or maybe it’s an unexpected treat, or a fun, catnip toy, or just the simple love and companionship from fellow catmates, or human caregivers.

Just some of the many things that make my cats happy!

A few more things…

Whatever it is, nothing gives me greater joy than knowing I’m making my cats happy, because the happiness they bring to my heart and home is returned a thousand times over. What are some of the little things you like to do for your cats to make them happy?