Yup, you got it… counters, clutter, keys, and Kizmet. It’s a typical day in the life at our house as Kizmet lays claim to everything in his sight, as his casual extended paw of possessiveness shows.

My keys. My counter. My clutter.  Oh, and not that it matters, but obviously this is a Photoshopped image. We would never allow any of our cats on the counter. Or the dining room table, or the couch, or our bed, or the coffee table, or the TV entertainment center, or… Never mind, clearly if you believe any of this, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you…

Being that Peanut and Mia are actually reading my blog, how could I in all good consciousness kick them off the dining room table?

Alright… just look at that sweet face… Could you kick Peanut off the couch? I didn’t think so…

Mia and Peanut sleeping together on our bed in a heart shape. I think there are strict “no kicking the cats off the bed” rules for something as endearing as this…

Zee is such a regal and stunning creature that he simply must grace our coffee table as a treasured work of art.

Rolz so perfectly emulates a cat sculpture that one would not even realize he is residing on the TV entertainment center…

What about your house? Do you have strict “no cats allowed here” rules, or, like us, are you a bit more relaxed with where you let your cats hang out?

Editors Note: I shared a special guest post this past Wednesday from my youngest step-daughter, Jackie, and today I have one more special guest post to share from my other step-daughter, Crystal. Crystal is a 3rd grade teacher and like me, she often measures the moments in time by the lessons we learn along the way. While she is very much familiar with the Zee/Zoey feline gang, this particular visit last week brought with it the unexpected lessons of love, companionship, and understanding that only a cat can teach…

Lesson Number One: If you open it… they will come.

As a guest entering Deb and Dad’s home, other than the fact that there is more cat furniture than people furniture, and there are bins busting to the brim with more cat toys than any pet store would possibly carry, you might not even realize they have cats. The moment you enter, you might see a blur from the corner of your eye, but would probably shake it off as jet lag. You’d never suspect that eight felines were lurking… sniffing out the unsuspecting guest… Read more

Editors Note: I have my own perceptions of my cats, but what I find most fascinating is how others perceive them. As you may be aware, last week was both happy and sad at the same time, as we had family visiting for summer vacation and also to pay respects to a dear friend that had passed away, which means that the cats also had family visiting. One such guest was Dan’s youngest daughter, Jackie, who is 14 years old and a HUGE animal lover. What did she think of the cats? Well, I am very happy to let you know exactly what she thought of them as she shares her take on the Zee/Zoey gang in her first guest post debut and she also shares her first foray into cat photography with absolutely stunning results. Take it away, Jackie! Read more

For whatever unfathomable reason, shelter workers will tell you that statistically black cats are often the last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized. The reasons vary, but the ill-conceived superstition that they bring bad luck is at the top of the list. Other reasons are more superficial, such as that their black fur is harder to see in shelter cages and they are difficult to photograph. People have a tendency to fall in love at first sight with pets, so the more colorful pets have a far better shot at getting adopted. To help create awareness about this plight, today is National Black Cat Appreciation Day and in honor of that, I would like to share a special post from a friend of mine I introduced you to a few weeks ago, Liz Wyman of Cats Love Naps who has made it her personal quest to help get me on the Ellen DeGeneres Show! Liz knows firsthand the unjustified prejudices black cats face in shelters and makes it her mission to help dispel the myths so that more black cats are adopted into loving homes. Read more

Zee and Zoey look wistfully out the window missing Crystal and Jackie. Harley lifts her head momentarily from her nap and says, “What? No one told me we had company… how long were the girls here?”

Saying goodbye to family is never easy and when Dan’s girls left yesterday to go back home to Boston, it left us with a swell of emotions. We were so blessed to have had their company, but we also lost a dear friend to cancer several days prior to their arrival, causing the visit to be bittersweet. We did our best to celebrate his memory and live in the moment, and rather say “goodbye” as they boarded the plane, we called it “we’ll see you soon.” But, no matter the words, we will miss them terribly and it only goes to serve the lesson once again how fragile life is and that you really need to embrace every precious minute you have with those you love when you can. Read more