Jazmine

A Sliver of Sunshine is a Cat’s Happy Slice of Life

Jazmine and her slice of sunshine.

The other day, Jazmine scratched at the floor and did her circle-around thing before she quietly settled. She had found the last sliver of sunlight before the day would soon set to nightfall and basked in its delicious warmth. I love her attitude. Finding joy in the smallest moments of life. A cup is half full, not half empty, kind of cat. We can learn lessons from our cats – they teach us every day, and this is one lesson I try my best to live by as well.

Happy Sunday and warm purrs to you all.

The Mane Event – A Discussion About Why Only Lions and Some Domestic Cats Have Them

This image of me from 2009, surrounded by Mia, Peanut, and Rolz epitomizes the past, present, and future of who I am.

For nearly most of my life, I’ve been an avid crocheter. I’m a person who needs center and balance and there is just something calming about the craft. I never tire of the magic of how my fingers, a crochet hook, and assorted colorful balls of yarn intertwine to weave a creation that comes to life before my eyes. Much of the peace also stems from my cats. I truly can’t recall a moment in which one of them is not curled next to me, or on my lap, purring contentedly as I quietly crochet whatever current project I’m working on. Read more

A Black Cat and Orange Cat Spell of Friendship for Halloween

Despite Shadow being with us for nearly three years (he showed up at our doorstep on November 8, 2019), the relationship he and Jazmine share is still tenuous. Granted, there are times they can be within a foot of each other without incident, as in the above photo, but those moments are few and far between, and the body language of both shows a cautious truce. They can, however, miraculously forget they are enemies when a can of tuna is opened, with them so intoxicated by the odor it renders them helpless to hissing and swatting, their typical modus operandi. But once the tuna festival is over, it’s back to stare-downs and belligerence. They can even pick each other out from our clowder of seven when everyone is in a group swarm, such as at dinner time, knowing which cat gets a paw swat to the head, and which doesn’t. Sometimes I can barely tell which cat is which, so I find that skill quite the fascinating marvel. They can get along with everyone else, just not each other.

So, for Halloween, I thought why not play a trick, and give everyone a treat? All that’s needed is a little witch’s spell and some help from Photoshop, and voila, you’ll see that anyone can be friends!


A pinch of tuna, a sprinkle of catnip, a ratty old blanket, and an empty box should do. Hocus, Pocus, throw it in the cauldron, do some fancy editing, and there you go, a Happy Meow-O-Ween to you!

Take care everyone and keep those kitties inside, safe and sound for this not-so-pet-friendly holiday.

Happy 9th Birthday to our Beautiful Ginger Cat, Jazmine

Jazmine – then and now. Happy Birthday precious one!

 

When we adopted Jazmine at the Global Pet Expo in March 2014, we figured her to be about 6 months old, so we christened her birthday as September 28, since we didn’t really know what day it was. Well, using that premise, today is her 9th birthday, which seems totally unbelievable to me! How in the world does time keep flying by so quickly? Regardless, every day with our princess has been a blessing and we wish her many, many more birthdays in the years to come.

Where is Jazmine Napping Now? The Fun of Odd Cat Habits

My office is a small, 12 x 11 square foot space. Some might describe it as claustrophobic, cluttered, and chaotic. Others, like me, would say it’s cozy, charming, and comfy. It’s home to several monitor screens, keyboards, and printers for both my personal and remote computer work needs. There are also mountains of books, photo albums, binders, cat trinkets and mementos, stuffed animals, awards, wall-hangings, a couch, lamps, desks, file cabinets, a chair, bookshelves, stacks of boxes with packing materials for my books, an exercise bike, and more. How all this fits into one room is beyond me. But it’s my space, it defines who I am, and I love it. So does Jazmine, as rarely is there a day she isn’t somewhere in the room with me. And speaking of Jazmine, did I mention the room also has a cat tree, cat beds, numerous pillows and blankets, and cat shelves on the wall? Read more