For those of you that know me, you know pictures aren’t my thing. I have a blog filled with gorgeous pictures of cats, but probably 95% of them are taken by Dan. Of the remaining 5%, 2% are stock images and 3% are really horrible, blurry pictures that I have taken – usually at an event like a BlogPaws conference where I travel alone. Even though it should be relatively obvious, I try to point out when I have taken the image, because I don’t want to discredit any of Dan’s beautiful pictures.

When it comes to selfies – those pictures that one takes of oneself, at very close range – my photography skills actually become even worse. And truthfully, at my age, selfies are not my flattering, best friend so I rarely attempt taking them. Cats and selfies – that’s an entirely different story because in my mind, there is just no such thing as a bad picture of a cat, and that is why New York Times bestselling author, Gwen Cooper’s newest book, Kittenish, is such a home run. Read more

Rescued – The Stories of 12 Cats Through Their Eyes edited by Janiss Garza is the kind of heartfelt and inspiring book that offers hope and humanity in a world where far too many cats are living in the streets and shelters, without the benefit of a warm, loving, and safe furever home. For those cats that are lucky enough to be rescued, they each have a unique story to share and often the road from rescue to residency is a long and difficult journey filled with trepidation, mistrust, and reservations. Read more

Wise Cat Lesson #1 – If there is a sun puddle to be found, always take the time to nap in it…

I’m always one of the first on board to champion looking at our cats to teach us wise lessons. You know, like taking the time to just relax, step away, and chill from all the stresses of everyday life with a wonderful nap in a sun puddle like they do. I’m also the worst at taking my own advice and tend to overwork myself to a frazzle sometimes. So, when I do relax, I’m often the polar opposite of my typically restrained, reserved, and logical persona. In other words, sometimes I go to the extreme and seek out entertainment like reality TV and way out there funny shows like South Park and Family Guy to just let my mind completely unwind. The same is true when I read. Most of the time I like to read assorted genres of novels that are 2 inches thick and take days to finish, but then there are the times I just want a quick read filled with fun, snark, sarcasm, and humor. And cats. Read more

If you look closely, you will see that our whole gang of seven is in this photo and they are very concerned… As in they are very concerned with who will feed them dinner…

Yeah… it’s true… I’m not feeling so well so today’s post will be short and sweet. No lessons to learn, no complex cat concepts to ponder, and no commentary to inspire reflective comments. There will be no quiz at the end of the post and everyone is free to go home early without homework! It seems I’ve come down with some sort of throat infection… possibly due to having to talk like a pirate all day yesterday which was International Talk Like a Pirate Day….All those Grrrs and Arrrrrs can be rough on a throat….

I’m sure I’ll be fine – I went to the doctor and I am taking antibiotics to get rid of the infection, but none of that really matters. The larger issue, of course, is will I still be able to feed the cats? Relax guys… I promise you will still be fed!

Happy Caturday all and if you have not yet entered to win a SisalAngle™ Incline Scratcher and BrushUp™ Self-Grooming Post from  SmartyKat®, please make sure you go back and visit Wednesday’s post for the details and to leave a comment for your chance to win.

Believe it or not, when I had cats years ago, I just did not know some of the basic etiquette of cat behavior and cat grooming care like I do today. For example, when my cats would inevitably scratch (and consequently shred) my furniture, I would scold them to stop which was a tactic that very rarely worked. And if they weren’t scratching the furniture, they would be shedding all over it and telling them to stop doing that clearly didn’t work either. And truthfully, you don’t want them to stop – cats were born with claws for a reason and scratching is an instinctual behavior that is important to their health and well-being. The same with shedding – it is a normal, healthy, and natural way for them to lose dead hair and maintain proper body temperature. Read more