Why Your Comments Matter

Pippin, by Pippin's human, Suzi

Last February on the 27th in 2012 I posted this picture with a short blog. June 22, 2012 I received this comment from his owner, Suzi. I'm sure, by her comment, that she won't mind my posting what she told me about Pippin. So, here it is and just to point out to my visitors and readers that every comment you choose to leave means a great deal to the author and other visitors/readers of the blog you post it to, they do get read. Your comments count and each one is welcomed.

Thank you Suzi for your comment and I am very glad to know your kittens name. I am so very sorry for your loss of him. You're comment made a difference. 

Hello! I thought you might like to know who this dear white cat was... His name was Pippin and he was my dear cat from 1998 to 2003. I took this photo when he was about 5-6 months old. He's actually playing with a little stick I had tossed to him. He was an amazing character and I've written many stories about him. This photo was one of the first of my photographs I posted on line back in 1999, and it keeps showing up all over the world, with captions in many different languages, on web sites, blogs, chain emails with cat photos, etc. etc. I'm glad my dear boy's photo has been so popular and that he can continue to bless people's lives a little bit, even beyond the grave. - Sincerely, Pippin's human, Suzi on A Cat's Prayer

Catspaw

Please remember, if there is something you want to share, to leave a comment and your name. Thank you to everyone who has already left comments on my blogs, I appreciate them all.  

~*~*~ Its Time Once Again For... *~*~*

Cat Collar With Bell ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

go FANCY!

During last years' winter months I put cat collar with bell on my four felines so I'd be able to hear them whether they were out of doors or in the house somewhere. Its quite the tale to tell, really. Their reactions to having a constant quiet jingle close to their ears every time they moved, scratched or shook themselves was quite comical. At first it was merely adjusting to having an alien cat collar with bell around their necks where nothing had been before; they didn't react to the bells until they moved. Sassy and Molly, being much older and wiser and old hats at this sort of thing ignored both cat collar and bell; just accepted them. 

go BRAIDED!

Emerald and Winston, however, had different reactions. Winston's was confusion to his cat collar with bell, he couldn't figure out where all that noise was coming from every time he moved and figured that maybe the best strategy would be to 'run' from the noise until he realized the jingle from his cat collar with bell was following him wherever he went so, problem solving cat that he is, he went to his mother, Molly, for advice and observed the way she handle this new and intrusive situation. After watching her ignore cat collar with bell, he began to get used to his own cat collar with bell and learned to ignore it as well.

or go BELLS!

Then there's Emerald.

Yep and then there's Emmy! Boxing Winston's ears???

Totally and singularly unimpressed, she fought with what she regarded as her 'new enemy' and managed to get the cat collar with bell caught, twice no less ~ once on her tooth and another time, in her claw. Immediate rescue and relief came in the form of tightening up the too-loose cat collar with bell so she was no longer able to attempt maneuvering it over her head. 

Its hard to see Em's Cat Collar With Bell, but its there

 Is she a smart cat or what!  It annoys her to 'jingle' when she is strategizing catching a bird and its totally funny to watch her as she adjusts her body and behavior so she can still stalk them but in the end, not catch them. 

Sassy and baby from her last litter before she was spayed

Her mother, Sassy, hunts the over-numerous mice, voles and rats on the dairy and leaves the birds alone, completely. She's developed strategies where, while hunting, she is able to keep her cat collar with bell completely quiet. Sassy only jingles when she wants too. 


Catspaw *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A Cat Breed With BIG EaRS and More...

The Cornish Rex

I could get used to this cat breed quite easily

The Devon was discovered by Beryl Cox in Buckfastleigh, Devon in the UK 1960, in with a litter of kittens near a disused tin mine. This odd breed was, at first sight, thought to be a link with the Cornish Rex; test mating proved another story altogether. Cats in general have three hair types: guard, awn and down. The Devon Rex sports a coat that has little guard hair. What they do have is a curly and very soft short coat so they are not as naked as they first appear.


The curl found in Devon Rex fur has its origin in a different mutation and gene than those of Cornish Rex`s and German Rex`s; when breeding a Devon with either of those breeds you will get a cat without rexed or curled fur. 

Devons are medium sized and referred to as "pixie" or "alien" cats because of their highly unusual appearance. With uncommonly large ears set low on their wide heads, their eyes are large and the noses slightly upturned - they are definitely attention getters. They have whiskers that are short and often curled to the point where it appears as though they completely lack them altogether. Distinctly lightly built body types with long, sturdy legs that are very well suited for long leaps, they end in unusually large toes. Devon Rex`s come in different colors with ears that are large and slightly rounded.


Devons are highly active, mischievous, playful, and very people-oriented. They have been described as a cross between a cat, a dog and a monkey or more famously as "monkeys in cat suits". These cats are high-jumpers and will attempt to cram themselves into any space large enough to admit them. With this very strong trait you will often find them in the odd nooks and crannies of a half closed closet, a slightly vacant shelf or half full laundry basket. They have a preference for high places and will go to almost any lengths to reach the highest spot in any room. Most Devons chose a central person to whom they will devote their love. They playnip but they don`t bite to cause harm. 

Highly intelligent, the typical Devon Rex can be leash trained, taught to fetch or to perform a host of tricks usually associated with dogs, like jumping on command, to heel when walking and playing tag.
As a typical show of affection they possess a particular penchant for being up close and personal, especially circling round the head and neck of human companions; they can often be found mounted up top of a shoulder or nestled into the cranny created by the neck and shoulder when one is prone. Devon Rex cats are faithful companions who will usually stalk the object of their affection from room to room awaiting the opportunity to leap onto their arms, lap or shoulder for attention and affection.

Colored Devon

Devon Rex grey kitten

Yep, I could definitely find a place for this darling breed of cat, couldn`t you?


Catspaw

~~~S.A.N.D.Y~~~

Sandy, Mrs. M's companion, has a tale to tell:

Sandy is a beautiful, long haired gold Persian and belongs to friends of ours. Mrs. M got him as a tiny kitten and he has grown into a lovely, good tempered companion for her. 

One day, a few months ago, Mrs. M heard a loud yowl from Sandy and found him limping rather badly. She and her son took him to the vet. Turns out that he'd somehow managed to break his hip. Now whether he'd gotten caught somewhere in the house or had climbed and fallen Mrs. M had no idea, but he'd hurt himself and being an indoor cat it could only have happened in the house. 

For a month or two, Sandy had to get used to dragging around a small cast but the vet said he healed very well being the young cat that he is. He is now back to his old antics and is as healthy as ever, though he has a slight limp and every so often will react to a slight sciatic nerve that becomes bothersome to him. 

Happy news is that Sandy is back on all four paws and is the same loveable, burly kitty that Mrs. M and her son adore. 

Catspaw  

(How To) ~ Save On Kitty Treats ~

If you're anything like me, cat food is an expense in itself and its hard to replace with something that is healthy enough to be adapted as an alternative or a replacement for bagged or canned cat food. 

I've tried several recipes from online sites and so far have found little to nothing that is suitable. What I have found to be suitable is not within my price range to buy and prepare. Course the other consideration is the cats themselves, it may be the healthiest alternative since sliced bread but if the animals won't eat it, it becomes a huge deficit to the budget that most of us simply cannot afford.

That doesn't mean you give up altogether.  In testing to see what my cats will eat, I found they like chunks rather than the puree most people make and they like meat above everything else. Well, cats are meat eaters! So I'm looking at different ways to alternate, which is pretty tough when meat is on my list for us and its so expensive to buy (and share). 

I decided to start with their kitty treats. Usually I buy Whiskas Temptations and Purina Luv brands from Dollarama; stores charge wayyyy too much for these pet products and I'm not interested in spending a 1/4 of a paycheck on cat treats!! 

$2.99 In some stores!

Up to $2.50 in stores!

To compensate for buying these products only once in a while now; I purchase a 500 g bag of Meow Mix Cat Food or whatever other brand I can find on the shelf at my local Dollar Stores and use it as Cat Treats for my cats. It doesn't taste the same and they know it, but its a higher end cat food that they don't get because I can't afford to pay $25 for a large, 8 kg bag of the high end stuff. Frankly, with 4 cats to feed...

Also ridiculously priced for a mere 500 g bag

Although my cats tend to disagree with my brilliant plan to save money the expense of their more refined taste buds and flatly refused this offering, at first; I cleverly concealed a few morsels of Temptations and Luvs in, gradually weaning them off these addictive treats. 

Now its a once-in-a-while thing for them to be served their absolute favorites and they've have to adapt to getting a tiny bit less of it. Ok, a lot less of it!

But what I save on these tiny 85 g Temptations and the 60 g Luvs bags, I can use else where. Its easy to think it doesn't make a difference in the long run but just start adding it all up every time your shop and you will see what a hemorrhage it has become to your budget. Just a suggestion. Cats are highly adaptable, they'll learn or they will go without.

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

Old memories of mom

The midday sun was high and the air was balmy in the little shelter they called home. He was pretending to stalk along the bulwarks, playing. Abruptly his attention was violently snatched and driven toward the sound of soft yowlings of kittens; Sailor's eye grew extremely wide and he froze in midstep as his mother crossed the dilapidated cloister and tenderly cuddled her offspring. Sailor was riveted to the spot, scarcely able to draw breath as he watched himself nuzzling his only parent's soft, warm belly for food. 

Sailor's siblings?

 Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle, Con't

He had been born here a year ago but his mother and his siblings had simply vanished without a trace. The only sound that had reverberated off the ancient, human-made walls had been his hungry cry. Sailor had heard the noises, hearkened to them because he could not yet see. Something warm and gentle had lifted him and given him the milk he so desperately needed for survival before setting him down again to sleep. He always felt tired after the 'something' had fed him. It was strange that he had no fear of whatever force had its life within those walls. Now, he crouched just outside this same relic of a building once again. 

 Catspaw

My Cat Collar With Bell Poem

Climbing in the trees
Running on the ground
The birds are safe when they hear the sound;
The jingle of my cat collar with bell.

I know my owners
Listen out from the door,
I hear them calling me, more and more.



I come a running, harken to the sound
The jingle, jangle of my cat collar with bell,
Goes round and round.






Safe in the house
Eating my treat
I soon recline on my very own seat and silence
The tingle of my cat collar with bell.

Up and awake
I've had my nap
I dash about the house with my owners in a flap;
To the chorus of my cat collar with bell.

Catspaw

Sailor and the Ruined Castle

Here is the story I've just started working on... As promised, I will post a part of it every day to every other day so come back again to read the next exploit in the adventure that Sailor undertakes in his journey to uncover the mystery of the ruined castle.

Chapter One

Sailor hesitated at the edge of the enclosed lake, from this vantage point he could see what he'd journeyed here for. The old dilapidated white fence was still leaning against some trees on the other side; it would be a small matter to attain the castle side of the briny, he just had to travel from rock to rock all the way around. It was late autumn and nature was browning up before winter struck, but there were still some trees with green left on them. The sun was so warm and soft as it illuminated the ruins of the baked and brown castle that Sailor felt himself starting to doze. But No! He shook himself awake, he had to ford the lagoon and reach the monument by nightfall at the very latest, everything depended on it now. 

Can you find the white fence?

 

Catspaw

Cat Foods Made From You're Own Larder

Molly & Sassy

I was employed on the computer early this morning while Molly, Sassy, Emerald and Winston happily dozed, in their own spots of course, by any window to soak up the rare sunshine we have these days. Since they are very much aware of everything I do and every move I make, when I headed for the kitchen it took only a few seconds for each of them to come trailing in to check out what I was up too. After all, they believe they should know exactly what's going on at all times in their house.

I removed the grinder to a chorus of curious meows and yips of expectation, then dug around in the depths of no-mans-land - the fridge - to see what was plotting my downfall because it was left for too long. Sure enough, I struck the dreaded leftovers to add to the raw pigeon I had just unthawed. Yep, I was not disappointed to find chicken, meatballs and a potato or two. That would be just enough for the next batch of natural kitty food. My hubby did the honors with the pigeon that he plucked and gutted for me.

Raw Pigeon, the whole bird

They are small birds so I just cut it in half and ground it up with a bit of water – yes, bones and all; the entire bird! 

Pigeons look a lot like chickens but smaller

I ran it through several times to make sure the bones were ground and rifled through the end product to assess both the consistency and the lack of bone fragments. Having satisfied myself to that end, I deboned the remaining chicken with the skin, fat and jelled juices, threw in the meatballs with two potatoes and ground it all together to form this yummy looking concoction: 

 consistency of can cat food; all meat

Its quite alright to add a little cooked potato for bulk but I don't add more than two pieces. Put this mixture an air tight plastic container, pop it in the fridge. Combine with canned cat food or serve as is. I know my cats will enjoy the change of venue because I tried them on it first to make sure. Little bits of meat when I was making dinner showed me they would not hesitate. If you try this yourself you will find that they won't eat much at one time, this is because its natural food and fills their tummies for longer periods. It has all the nutrition they need and its 95 % pure meat. It does need to be refrigerated as it will go rancid if left out. 

Emerald enjoying the homemade kitty food

Good Luck and let me know what happens if you decide to do this yourself. I'd appreciate and welcome your comments/feedback.

Catspaw

Well Written Ads Successfully Find Homes for Cats and Kittens

You’ve raised the kittens and it’s time to leave the nest. You have rescued a stray and it’s time to find a good home; what should happen next? To find them a loving home advertising for free, is the quickest way to go, on the more popular classified search engine sites. 

First, find a website like Kijiji where you can advertise everything from selling toasters to giving away kitty’s to good households, read the guidelines and write a really great ad. When I had a litter from my unspayed females to find new residences for (they have since been spayed) and when I rescued three throwaways that were tossed from a car near the dairy we live on, I posted ads on Kijiji that got three hundred responses within the first two to three days and phone calls/emails inquiring about them the same day. Since then, I have successfully found homes for fourteen kittens, three of which were strays and one six month old fixed male cat. How did I do it? Read on. 

Knowing me for the writer I am, I like to include a bit of a story about them that catches people’s attention and I always include the cutest pictures I take from a bunch that I have. I like Kijiji because I can write more than on some of these sites and I can easily update my ad with changes. Here is an ad I wrote for a stray cat that came round one night – yes, of course I took him in. 

“3 weeks ago a 6 month old (my husband estimates his age as 6 months), Fixed, white multi colored cat was abandoned at the farm and has been wandering from house to house ever since looking for someone who will accept him. He is clearly an indoor cat and has been trying to live outside in the barn ever since. The other cats here do not accept him so he's been getting rough treatment from them. I was able to catch him and he's very grateful to be indoors again, as he's not used to the harsh cold outside. He's unusual with a large head and large paws, six toes on each paw! He is healthy. His temperament is VERY loving and gentle. Even after such terrible treatment, he's very responsive to human kindness and compassion.

Please, I know he's not a tiny kitten but he is still a kitten. At only 6 months old, he is as loving as one. He would adapt well to a home with no other animals or to one with younger animals. I believe he would be no trouble around children. He really needs a home and with the Christmas Season soon to be passed, sometimes human compassion passes as well. I would love to keep him but I already have 4 cats and they are not taking kindly to his presence. I have to keep him separated, in a cold porch, by himself, visiting him once in a while until someone claims him and calls him their own. He desperately needs a new home! Please, someone, give him one. He is litter box trained.

Please contact me by email or phone to see him. I will give cat food and kibble to the new owner of this homeless baby.”

Although this seems like a lot of text to include in an ad and I usually write a little less, I included this much because this cat is older and most people want kittens. It’s more the content than the length that got me the results I wanted for this older stray. I have found that telling a story about the animal helps people understand the urgency of finding a loving home for it. This extends to any animal be it cat, dog or bird. The time of year also seems to have a bearing on an ad’s success.  I wrote this one at Christmas last year when it was popular to give a kitten as a gift. If necessary I will keep the animal for a little longer until the new owner can collect it and I usually offer canned cat food or kibble when they come. Because it was the first cat for the new owner, I put together a small 'care kit', he couldn't believe I'd done that and was very appreciative. I have had an email since, the cat has had a vet visit and is doing very well. His new master is happy with him.

Catspaw