Nick with one of his cats, Katie

Okay – Bless Nick Sacco of Pet Talk Radio for his bravery. I told him I had never done a radio interview before, but he still decided to have me on as a guest today! Overall, despite me being a newbie and the sound of my voice, I think it went well! I really had a blast and Nick is a fantastic guy! If you jump in at around the 13:20 mark, you can catch the interview as it starts. There were times when I had difficulty hearing him, so sometimes my answers might seem a bit odd!! Whew…. did it and survived to tell about it!!

Me swimming with Dash the Dolphin at Discovery Cove, Orlando

This bird felt I needed some company!

I just spent a couple glorious days with the family in Orlando – only thing, I really missed my kitties! I guess the residing Orlando animals sensed my mood – Dash the Dolphin gave me a lovely ride across the sparkling Discovery Cove Lagoon, a pretty bird decided my head was a perfect landing spot to keep me company, and we actually found the sweetest kitty living on the Sea World premises – she arrived a few weeks ago and is a Manx. Sea World staff assure me they are taking very good care of her. I know it made me miss home just a tiny bit less, having these amazing creatures around me! 

One last reminder to vote for Zee and Zoey’s blog in the Petties Awards 2011 – the deadline is Friday, July 29th and don’t forget as well, I will be live on the air tomorrow at noon, EST, with author and radio personality, Nick Sacco, of Pet Talk Radio. Click for details.

Such a beautiful kitty... we were so surprised to find this feline friend at Sea World!

Nick with one of his cats, Katie

For all things Zee and Zoey related, this has been a summer to remember. First, we found out our blog was nominated in the category of “Best Designed Blog” by dogtime’s Petties 2011 Awards, with a chance to win $1000 for our favorite local cause, the Cat Network of South Florida (voting is open until Friday, July 29th). Then, we found out our picture and caption was chosen as the first place winner by BlogPaws for an all paid trip to the upcoming BlogPaws Conference to be held this August 25 – 27 in Tysons Corner, VA.

Well, in what is the craziest twist of all, we are going live! Please join me tomorrow noon, EST, as I interview with author and gregarious radio host, Nick Sacco, on Pet Talk Radio. Nick loves cats as much as I do and has written a book, In Heaven Kittens Play, that is his own compassionate explanation of where he believes pets go when they die. I will doing a review of this book in the weeks to come and am so looking forward to reading it.     

Am I nervous? Absolutely. It’s not my fear of the questions he will ask (okay, maybe I’m a little fearful of that), or even the size of the audience listening in. It’s any woman’s fear… we typically don’t like the sound of our own voices, and I am no exception. Zee and Zoey are my passion, so talking about them is not difficult. Hearing my voice talk about them…. Another story all together.

I’m trying my best to just relax and not over think it. This is my first radio interview and I just hope I don’t let Nick down! He is quite the fan of my larger than life cat persona that I have created for myself… Little does he know, deep down I am just a quiet, shy, and reserved girl from Upstate New York and not the “crazy cat lady” he is expecting!! Tune in to see for yourself how it goes!  Click here for details.

Scotty and Cher – two of the twenty plus cats in the Riverfront Cat Community that Christine feeds each day

Despite working several jobs just to pay her own bills and to feed and care for her Riverfront colony of 20 plus cats, despite the overwhelming task to educate a community on the epidemic of cat overpopulation, and despite all the tragedy and heartache Christine Michaels often has to bear, this incredible Cat Crusader and Guardian Angel to the feline species would not have it any other way, as the love returned and possibility for a better day far outweighs the pain and effort. She is completely devoted to the well-being of these creatures and is relentless in her pursuit to make the world a better place for them. And that is why, in a nutshell, she is my chosen benefactor (via the Cat Network of South Florida where she volunteers) of the $1000 prize if I win the Petties 2011 Awards in the category of “Best Designed Blog.” Read more

Just what is an epidemic of cat overpopulation, how did it start, and what can we do to help?

On the surface, it would appear that these are relatively simple questions with quick and easy answers. For Christine Michaels, volunteer for the Cat Network of South Florida and Riverfront Cats, as well as my choice of donation should Zee & Zoey win the category of “Best Designed Blog” for the Petties 2011 Awards, it turns out this is the most difficult obstacle of all – trying to educate a community where there is little to zero awareness that a problem even exists, let alone a reason to help.

It became popular in the 1800’s for cats to be used in farms and townships to reduce rodent infestations

Let’s set the facts straight right now. Cats have been domesticated for thousands of years – whether it started with the Egyptians as a symbol of worship, or to reduce the rodent population in farms and townships in the 1800’s, to today – where our cats are beloved and pampered members of our household, this creature is the creation of human need and desire. All free-roaming, stray, feral, whatever you want to call them cats, are the descendants of unaltered tame cats somewhere in the ancestry line. One unsterilized cat dumped on the street for whatever human reason, can lead to 5,000 cats in seven generations. Multiply that by an entire community, filled with negligent or ignorant people, and that is how an epidemic is not only born, but sustained. Read more