The Cat's Meow

While this is an archaic 1920s American slang term that meant "impressive to the ladies", in my case it literally means, the cat's meow. I have three of them. All unique, all special in different ways, to include their meows. In fact one of them got her name, MewMew, because of her vocalizations.

She showed up in our side yard a couple of years ago, during a hard freeze, holed up inside our hot tub area. Hubby had hung tarps around the entire canopy so we could enjoy a night in the jacuzzi, get out, and not freeze our patooties off. I was outside one morning, checking on our plants, when I heard this constant mewing coming from inside the structure. So I slipped inside and this dark-haired tabby kitten emerged from between the two tarps covering the hot tub. She'd been using the heat from the tub to keep her warm. Needless to say, she adopted us within the week.

Saying Goodbye to a Forever Friend

You know, there you are, at a time in your life, when you're staring at that critter, whether it be a cat, dog, bird, or whatever, and there's just something about them, that as an animal lover, pulls at your heart. Your common sense starts tapping you on the shoulder. Maybe you have a bunch at home right now and don't have room for more, you can't really afford another pet, or you've just moved into a place where you can finally rescue animals and give them a forever home but aren't sure the landlord will appreciate your compassion for another four to eight pets. The reasons for giving in or not giving in don't matter. Once that critter sets its eyes on you, nothing is going to deter you from making them a part of your family. So you flick that little sprite of common sense off your shoulder and bring them home.

They become a part of your life, your daily routine. Because it's so gradual, you don't even realize the changes you make to accommodate their needs. Like a child, you make allowances; you cater to what they want. Ice cubes in their drinking water, a blanket over their cage, home-made gravy over their food, a soft pillow on the couch you swore you'd never let them on, and hundred dollar medicines for ailments you didn't even know they could get. You suffer through fleas and parasites, freezing walks in the iciness of winter, holding an umbrella over a midnight potty run because they hate water but it's a hurricane so what else can you do?

Puff Up, You'll Look Bigger

Reposted from June 21st, 2011

So, I'm on Facebook this morning when I came across a video I couldn't resist. I generally don't watch videos people post since there's so many, on a variety of subjects that don't interest me, and I have a ton of stuff I really need to accomplish each day, but just the title of this one made me curious: "Cat gets caught barking by a human and resumes barking". I didn't have a choice. I had to watch.

The video begins with a black cat sitting in an open window, barking to the world. Yes, you heard me right…barking. The owner then comes around to the right side of the feline, who realizes the cat is out of the bag (so to speak) and his ruse is up. As he turns, he gives out a couple of choked bark/meows, almost like “oops, I’ve been caught”, then he starts to do the typical cat thing…he meows.