My brother's newest family member - Abbie. Ironically, they named her Abbie without even knowing the name had special meaning for me. The first cat trapped on the Loews properties was named Abbie.

During the past Memorial Weekend, I traveled from Florida with my mother, up north to Pennsylvania to visit my brother and his family. I decided on a whim to buy a book at the airport and a couple chapters into it, it turns out there was a subplot about a rescue shelter for cats. A short while after we arrived, we had to drop my brother’s dog off at the local Petco to be groomed. We ended up walking out with a rescue cat for my nephew who had been wanting a cat for the longest time (it was a complete surprise for him). On the way back home to Florida, I heard strange noises on the plane and thought I had to be going crazy… it sounded like a cat. Not being able to take it any longer, I asked the young man sitting next to me if I was hearing things…. Nope, he had a cat in a carrier next to him… Read more

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Despite that the yard is fenced and he is supervised, Rolz lives for the moments we open the door to the backyard to unleash his inner wild feline self. Every glorious sense of his is heightened and one would easily assume at a glance that perhaps a bobcat or lynx had happened upon the premises. Every muscle, every hair on his body is stunningly displayed in this photo and the quote by Jean Burden could not be more appropriate or inspired.

Jean Burden (September 1, 1914 – April 21, 2008) was an American poet, essayist, and author. She was the poetry editor for Yankee magazine for nearly fifty years and also published six best-selling books on animal welfare and pet care. She also served as administrative officer for the Meals for Millions Foundation in Los Angeles, California from 1956–1965. (Wikipedia)

What cat wouldn’t love this custom-made five story cat condo!

If there is one thing my cats have (besides my undying love) is options. Until watching episodes of Jackson Galaxy of My Cat From Hell, I had not really even considered that concept, in this case, what type of living environment was I providing for my cats to ensure they were as fully acclimated to their feline roots as possible while living in the confines of a “human world.” But after watching show after show, where he would constantly refer to cats as either being “tree” or “bush” dwellers and needing those critical respective vertical and horizontal spaces in their lives, I realized with great relief that I had those bases covered in spades, whether intentional or not.

Our indoor environment is a virtual playground of high and low spaces for our kitties – we have numerous cat condos, from one level ranch style dwellings to five-story high rises. We have book cases, a fireplace mantle, counters, cabinet tops, and endless other pieces of furniture and accessories that let kitty perch with a bird’s eye view. We also have all sorts of low lying nooks and crannies for kitty to carefully hide for privacy or a safe haven. Generally speaking, those high and low moments are reserved for “events” such as heightened playtime, when some imaginary (or possibly real) ghost spooks them, when we accidentally drop a cookie pan on the floor with that clattering noise that terrorizes them to no end, poofy tails and all, or when company comes which causes all seven cats to scatter like bugs until they determine the terrain is safe again. Read more

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In our household of seven cats, any one of them could have easily been the perfect model for this James Herriot quote. Somehow, however, this image of Zee is the one that really rang true with me. Just look at how elegantly his body and tail drape over the folds of the blanket atop the couch. In the background, a lovely floral arrangement artfully placed, with the color tones of his fur and the accessories so perfectly matched, that it would appear a glorious picture made exclusively for the word “connoisseur.” 

James Herriot (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995) was a British veterinary surgeon and writer, who used his many years of experiences as a veterinarian to write a series of books of stories about animals and their owners. He is best known for these semi-autobiographical works, which are often referred to collectively as All Creatures Great and Small. (Wikipedia)

What happens while we are sleeping? Do the cats take it upon themselves to get caught up on reading… Maybe a classic like War and Peace, but probably more likely to be Puss in Boots!

Let’s face it, if there’s one thing we’d like to know about our cats, it’s what the heck to they do at night while we are sleeping. Do they get caught up on reading? Play poker? Watch reruns of Everyone Loves Raymond? Sometimes I will wake up and find all of them sleeping on the couch, innocent and precious looking as little lambs, yet the living room floor is covered with toys and decorative pillows and a plant will have been knocked over… Read more