I’ve been working remotely from home on and off since March of 2020 when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic and President Donald J. Trump declared a nationwide emergency. I actually prefer it – I’m highly efficient in a home environment, I don’t need supervision, I don’t have to worry about health issues associated with my eyesight and commuting, and I’m grateful for any extra time I’m able to spend with my cats who are also thrilled when I’m at home all day long.

At the beginning of this year, I got the news I’ll now be working permanently from home and while I’m happy for the change it doesn’t come without challenges, one of them being my physical fitness because if I don’t make a conscious effort to step away from my computer for some exercise, I could literally be sitting for hours on end without a break. Not healthy. Now, imagine your indoor cat – in a sense, they have always been working remotely, trapped in whatever four-walls environment we have created for them, and their need for exercise is equally important. As guardians to our pets, it’s up to us to provide them with the exercise and stimulation they need to keep their bodies fit and their minds sharp because the fact is, a sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy for us and it is unhealthy for a cat, too. Read more

This is Zoey and the image I designed for our 2021 holiday card.

One of my greatest joys besides my cats is to share awesome pictures with great graphics of them for the holidays during the month of December on social media. Since not all of you are on social media, I thought I’d share some of my favorite images I’ve posted of them over the past several weeks on this beautiful Christmas day.

Enjoy! And from myself and my feline gang – Zee, Zoey, Mia, Peanut, Rolz, Kizmet, Jazmine, and Shadow, our sincerest wishes for a safe and joyous day. I can’t speak for my cats, but I know all I want moving forward is a time that isn’t cloaked in stress, worry, division, and fear. I miss everyone so much and wish for a day when we can all celebrate together, safely, and in mutual harmony. Read more

The best rule of thumb – decorate with faux flowers, and if you’re not sure if a plant is poisonous, look it up at www.petpoisonhelpline.com

Thanksgiving is over. December is here, and there’s a cool nip in the air which can mean only one thing – for many of us it begins the mad dash of holiday decorating, shopping, baking, and more. It can be a wonderful time of year, but it can also bring certain dangers to our feline friends, especially all those gorgeous plants associated with the holidays, such as poinsettias, mistletoe, lilies, holly, amaryllises, and paperwhites, to name a few. Read more

Happy Thanksgiving from the whole gang!

May this Thanksgiving bring you peace, love, safety, and reasons to reflect on what’s still good in this world and in your life. We’re grateful for all the friendships we’ve made on this blog and always appreciate your visits. We’re also blessed to be sharing another year with our eight feisty feline companions, something we don’t take for granted. In that spirit, here’s a picture of each of them (in order of age), something I am thankful to share. Read more

It’s National Cat Day, what else can I possibly say?

Hmm…shall we start with my house?

Mine is a kingdom ruled by eight feisty felines, and certainly nary a mouse.

The living room is lived in – oh yes, it is – with dozens of cat beds, kitty trees, and blankets scattered about.

Psst…need a toy? Just come over here, under the couch!

Add to that the mountain of cat toys – what would you like – squeaky, feathers, fur, or stuffed? Let me check, I’m sure I can find what you like under the couch.

Or perhaps you’d prefer some peace and quiet?

Did I mention I have eight felines, so every day is quite the rambunctious riot.

Never mind that how about you just sleep in? Just remember, with my cats, anything past 5:00 a.m. is considered a sin.

Weekday, weekend, the time has no boundaries when you’re a cat.

Chop, chop out of bed, human, the howls start. Time to feed us breakfast, who cares if it’s pitch dark.

I stumble out of bed, an athlete at her best, maneuvering a feline obstacle course as I strive to walk to the kitchen without a misstep.

The feeding begins – this one gets this, and that one gets that. No wait, it’s that one gets this, and this one gets that.

Feeding time is always an ordeal when you have 8 hungry cats with individual diet needs!

Pick up the dishes and on to the next, scooping the litterbox and moving on to the rest.

If you scoop it, they will come.

Scoop I do, followed by pooh. Scoop again, kitty says thank you. A clean box for me, now here’s a new gift for you.

The day ends with me on the couch. Like a moth to a light, I become covered in cat. It’s a glorious moment and I think to myself, National Cat Day, that’s every day in my house.

Happiness is being with happy cats!

National Cat Day was founded in 2005 by Colleen Paige, a pet and family lifestyle expert, in support of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of cats that need to be rescued each year and to encourage cat lovers to celebrate the cat(s) in their life for the unconditional love and companionship they bring us.