Between Naps
a blog by Simon Teakettle
NOTE: The 2016 blog is
now HERE.
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Join the FAN CLUB
more than 60 species
from 32 countries on six continents
This blog began in 2006, after the adoption of
Simon Teakettle III (Terzo).
Blogs from 2006-2014 can be found on the Site Map.
December 26, 2015:
This is our last post for 2015, and means that I get a fresh new blog of My Very Own for 2016.
I'm celebrating this week because we added the 32nd country and 60th species to the Fan Club, with a wild boar from Sri Lanka.
I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the new toys I received for Christmas. Some of them came from Bobbi, but there was also a Very Big Stocking from Juliana Najak and Matthew Ramar, as well as a couple of great gifts from June Coxon. See the photos on my page.
Now you'll have to Excuse Me, because I have some balls to chase!
December 19, 2015:
The first cat cafe in Vancouver, B.C., has just
opened. It's called Catfe.
We have a cat from one of the first cat cafes, in
Singapore, on our Fan Club page, along with
seven Siberian cats who live at the delightful cafe in Chelsea, Quebec.
We've just added our first Russian Blue to the Fan Club. "Blue" is the color the cat fancy calls what appears to be grey. So I'm not grey and white, but rather, in "fancy" terms, blue and cream.
We're all ready for Christmas, a new experience for me, because last year at this time I was in a cage at the Aylmer SPCA! Can't wait to see what's in these things Bobbi calls "stockings," and to find out what else she has in store.
December 12, 2015:
This is the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland. The beloved classic has been turned into many movies and a few stage productions, including the Virtual Production of Simon Teakettle's MEWSical Society. See the cast HERE. The Rock Cats, who belong to the Society, actually perform live, traveling by bus all over North America.
As you can see, we're getting ready for Christmas. Do check out the Christmas facts on our Facts page.
December 5, 2015:
We have exciting news about the Fan Club. Thanks to Simon and James Quesnel, we've added Barbados to our list of countries, and five more species, including the rare Patagonian Mara, who is rarely found outside Argentina. That brings us to an astounding 59 species from 31 countries on six continents!
The Quesnel boys (and their sisters) already have two pets in the Fan Club. Bungie was our first rabbit, and Carson is a golden retriever they added to the household in the fall.
November 28, 2015:
Americans celebrated Thanksgiving this week, which leads me to write about one of my favorite subjects: FOOD. I think I've mentioned before that Bobbi won't give me Fancy Feast or canned Friskies unless I sit beside my tray in the kitchen. No amount of ankle-rubbing and meowing persuade her to relent.
One of our MEWSical Society members, Toffous (an orange male) is a great communicator. He lives with Pookie and their human, crossword puzzle creator Kathleen Hamilton, in Montreal, and Kathleen said he's been "talking" since he was a tiny kitten.
He and Pookie have separate bowls, and one day, when he realized he was eating from the wrong bowl, he made a sound like "Oh!" and moved to the other bowl.
Another MEWSical Society member, Aimee Arden, has her own special bowl with her name painted on by a talented artist. Here it is, beside the handmade pottery bowl given to the first Simon Teakettle when he was a kitten:
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November 21, 2015:
Bobbi loves lights, and we have strings of mini-lights on our "weed tree" in the living room, and lights above the windows outside. I enjoy watching these turn on, even when she's out, because they're on a timer, but I usually don't see them turn off, because we're already in bed by the time that happens.
But I've noticed in the past week that other houses on our street have lights as well. In fact, the lights across the street are many different colors! Bobbi says this is for Christmas, but I don't know what that means, because last year at this time I had just been taken in by a family who took pity on me and my sister Belle, when they saw us in their back yard.
We were only there a short time before being taken to the Aylmer SPCA and put in separate cages. I was happy to be warm, dry, and fed, but felt really lonesome until Bobbi came along, the day after my first birthday, to take me home with her.
November 13, 2015:
This Friday the 13th is an Odd Day. Three consecutive odd numbers make up the date only six times in a century. The previous stretch of dates like this started with 1/3/05, 13 months after the Wright Brothers' flight. Even if you add the numbers in today's date and divide the sum by 3 it is still 13.
We've always considered three and 13 as lucky numbers, celebrating the first Simon Teakettle's birthday on April 13, and using the number 3 in various ways over the years.
There are only three Simon Teakettles, Simon I, Simon II (Tiki), and Simon III (Terzo). My last name is Teakettle, but my first name is Q.T. Penny, for Quattro Teakettle.
There are also only 33 cats in the MEWSical Society.
November 7, 2015:
Christmas decorations have already replaced Hallowe'en merchandise in all the stores, and Bobbi has already gotten out all of Terzo's Christmas costumes for me to try on. Most of them are Too Big, and I'm not sure if I want to deal with more photos. Aren't there enough on my page already?
But I am happy about my fancy gold collar with its collection of Jingle Bells. I don't like to wear it all the time, however, because the bells fall into my Food!
I much prefer the big red ribbon bow!
October 31, 2015:
HAPPY HALLOWE'EN!
Here's the photo Bobbi took of me with my own
special pumpkin:
October 24, 2015:
Next week brings National Cat Day (on Oct. 29) and then Hallowe'en. I'm not sure what to expect, because I don't remember last Hallowe'en, when I was just a kitten and probably living outside, avoiding anything that looked threatening. But Bobbi tells me no one will scare me this year.
October 16, 2015:
Today is Feral Cat Day, which I want to celebrate for a couple of reasons. One is that Simon Teakettle II (Tiki), was a feral who turned out to be part Siamese. He taught Bobbi so much about feral cats that she was invited to spend an hour with Steve Dale, award-winning pet columnist, talking about how to handle feral cats on his radio show on WGN Radio, Chicago.
The other reason is that I was, technically, a feral, too! I don't remember the first months of my life, but I do know that last fall, as the weather got Colder and Snow began to fall, my sister, Belle, and I found a Warm Household willing to take us in for a while. They already had cats, so decided after Christmas to take us to the Aylmer SPCA, where Bobbi found me the day after my First Birthday.
So, like other ferals, I had learned how to Survive Outdoors, finding my own food (field mice!) and shelter. That has made me Very Grateful to have a Home of My Own, with no other cats to compete for Food or for Bobbi's Lap.
October 10, 2015:
This is Canadian Thanksgiving, so I'll be enjoying turkey flavored Fancy Feast pate this weekend. Yum!
One of the neat things about our Fan Club is how much information we learn about various animals and countries. Our latest fan is a Barbary ape. These macques are the only wild monkeys found in Europe. They arrived with the British Royal Navy as pets, after they invaded north Africa in 1704. They then reverted to the wild and remained in the British protectorate. They're all named after members of the Royal family, and Steve Pitt, who took this photo, decided her name must be Victoria, because was was clearly "not amused."
October 3, 2015:
October is Adopt a Senior Pet month, and although I'm not yet two years old, I remember several older cats at the Aylmer SPCA, where Bobbi found me last February, who would have made loving companions.
There are advantages to adopting a senior pet. You already know his or her health record, and can decide if their personality suits yours. An older cat, for example, is less likely to race around the house and trip you, so is better for an older human or one with disabilities.
All rescue cats, regardless of age, are usually grateful to find a "forever" home. That makes us eager to please, willing to adapt to the human's routine, and usually very affectionate.
September 27, 2015:
The MEWSical Society began with two cats and a parrot. We just received an update from the parrot, Mrs. Doyle, who lives in Sooke, B.C. She doesn't write very often, spending her time, instead, teaching Steve and his family how to respond to her growing vocabulary.
She waves to him each morning, and sometimes to her favourite people. If she doesn't want to go somewhere with Steve (she understands "upstairs", "mailbox", "garden", "shower", and several other possible destinations), she pushes his hand away and says "Bye-bye". She presents her claws for clipping on request, and watches the whole thing with great interest.
I was dismayed to hear she also has a bad habit of chewing paper, favoring important documents. I was going to scold her about that, but I'm not yet two years old, and she turned nine last summer.
September 19, 2015:
As you have probably guessed by the number of specied in our Fan Club, we're interested in all kinds of animals, not just cats. Did you know we have a page full of fascinating Animal Facts on the website?
Bobbi has just added a new Feature to the site, where writers can ask One Free Question. I wonder if I should be doing this as well. Maybe we'll start that on my Second Birthday, next February 3.
September 12, 2015:
We added a flock of Canada geese to the Fan Club this week, along with seven adorable Siberian cats who live at the Cat Cafe just north of here, in Chelsea, Quebec. This breed is hypo-allergenic, which allows people who love cats but can't have one in the house to enjoy these delightful felines, and find out it this breed might work for them.
We also added our first tigers, three cubs born at the sanctuary where reknowed performers Siegfried and Roy care for many wild animals.
I've been asked why there's only one photo of me on this page. That's because I have My Very Own Page with the diary of my first six months and lots of pictures.
There are also photos on the Simon Teakettle Facebook page, which I urge you to "like."
September 5, 2015:
This is Labor Day weekend, and I have no idea what that means. Most cats don't understand the Concept of "work." We know there are "working dogs" but, let's face it, dogs do all kinds of Silly Things that cats would never Consider.
I suppose you can say that I have a Job, of sorts, in that I write this Blog once a week (with a Little Bit of Help) and also encourage and maintain my Fan Club.
But I haven't yet taken over the MEWSical Society, because I'm Still Learning how to play some of the Percussion Instruments Terzo had mastered. Who knows when we might mount our Next Virtual Production?
I plan to spend a good part of Labor Day napping, as usual, with Brief Play Sessions with Toy Mice and balls. See my toys on My Own Page.
August 28, 2015:
Given the amount of broadcast air time devoted to the U.S. election, which isn't taking place for another year, Canada's election this October might be overlooked by World Media.
But it's important to note that a Cat is running for Prime Minister. Earl Gray, a handsome long-hair who looks like a Maine Coon, is running for The Tuxedo Party of Canada. His home base is Halifax, Nova Scotia, and he doesn't plan to travel, relying instead on Canadians who want to replace the Current Government with a candidate who supports animal rights to Vote for Him.
I think I may be Too Young to Vote in this election, but I'm going to Do My Best to promote This Worthy Candidate.
August 21, 2015:
The Simon Teakettle Facebook page gets lots of Likes, but we need to spend more time adding photos and content there. For example, the Fan Club just added Cuba to the list of countries, and we expect to add Ireland and Spain soon, as we has friends traveling there this fall.
And we should be pointing out how rich the content is on our Facts pages. Information on the superios intelligence of the octopus has just been added to the Animals page, and we keep adding to the Food page, the Inventions page, and others.
You'll find the Cuban dog on my page this week, along with my friend, Zach, who befriended him and sent us the photo.
August 15, 2015:
Last Thursday was Left-Handers Day, but it didn't dawn on me that I should also be celebrating because I'm clearly Left-Pawed. Experts aren't sure all cats demonstrate a paw preference, but I certainly do.
And next Monday is Black Cat Appreciation Day. I'm the first in the Simon Teakettle family who has no black fur, but I still respect the Company Logo, which is a solid black cat in honor of the first Simon, who didn't even have a white "locket" as Tiki had.
And we have lots of black cats in our MEWSical Society and Fan Club. The youngest one is Nolan, who joined the Zobel household a few months ago.
Speaking of the Fan Club, we've just added our 44th species, a lovely green lady gecko named Maggie, who lives in New York City.
August 8, 2015:
As I think most of you know, I'm fairly new to this website, having taken over in Febuary when I was adopted from the Aylmer SPCA at the age of just one year.
Still a kitten, I had a lot to learn, including what was Allowed and Not Allowed in this household, as well as how to Sit By my Tray in order to have food put into my dish.
Well, it's been six months and although I'm still doing kittenish things (batting balls, carrying toy mice around, jumping at toys hung from doorknobs) I've become a Lovely Young Ladycat. Surf over to my page to see the latest photos and recent entries in my Diary.
August 1, 2015:
I've become an avid bird-watcher this summer, as I have a Wonderful Shelf in the office window where a tubular feeder hangs just outside the glass, just a foot or two to my right.
You can see photos of me on this shelf on My Page.
We just received copies of two Great Books for
human bird lovers. Feeding
Wild
Birds and
The Audubon Birdhouse Book
thanks to the primary authors whom Bobbi helped
negotiate their book contracts. See their praise on the Testimonials
page.
Both books are also featured on our Recommended Books page, which includes a link to a review.
Although the authors are based in the U.S. quite a bit of research on how birds eat was done in Canada, including specific studies of chickadees. We have a lot of those at My Feeder, along with finches and Pretty Yellow Birds I really like.
July 25, 2015:
When Terzo started the Fan Club in 2008, it was a response to cats who were disappointed that they couldn't join the MEWSical Society, as it had already achieved its limit of 33 cats and a parrot. So we started a Fan Club for other cats and dogs, adding several llamas and an alpaca who lived in the NWT with one of the Society members.
Then people started sending up more cats, more dogs, and more other animals! We thought it would be great to add more provinces and states, and a few more countries, but never dreamed we'd achieve the current results.
Forty-two species in twenty-three countries on six continents?
Wow!
That was achieved last week, when we added two more species (monkey, sand crab) and two more countries (Cambodia, Singapore) which bring the total number of fans to more than 400.
July 18, 2015:
I'm in a bit of a Panic, because it's just a week until National Dance Day, and I'm not prepared. First of all, I don't dance. But as the Spokescat for Simon Teakettle Ink, I took over the MEWSical Society, who is expected to offer dance music for This Special Occasion.
Terzo was a talented Percussionist, aided by advice and mentoring from NEXUS, the acclaimed group who performs all over the world.
But even the smaller tambourine Terzo played is too big for me! I'm going to start practising with the smallest Hand Drum and hope to have a photo on my page in time for next week.
Stay tuned! Pun intended.
July 11, 2015:
Well, the Fan Club has reached 40 species! Helen Maris Russo, who loves animals, sent us a photo of Two Crows eating Watermelon near Lake Toxaway, North Carolina.
Meanwhile, I've just received a new Big Ball which looks like the Globe, so I can keep an eye on all Six Continents where we have fans! That photo will be on my page soon, along with other new pictures, and the next installment of my Diary.
The diary is not like this blog, but rather a chronological narrative of my experience of being adopted at a year old, adjusting to living in a House (instead of a cage or outside) and learning how to Behave Properly.
July 4, 2015:
This household celebrates both Canada Day and the Fourth of July, as Bobbi is an American (who came to Canada 48 years ago) and I was born in Aylmer, Quebec. So we watched the showcase on Parliament Hill on Wednesday, and will enjoy fireworks from both NY and Washington this evening. All on TV, of course.
Last week we saw all the amazing photos our friend Juliana took on her trip to the Far East in March. She and her husband took a belated honeymoon to Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore, and took photos for the Fan Club whenever they saw a cat or a monkey.
So as soon as she sends them, monkeys will become the 40th species in the Fan Club, and we'll be able to add two more countries as well.
June 27, 2015:
Yesterday was Bring Your Dog to Work Day. I feel sorry for any dog who has to spend a day in a stuffy office, sitting quietly under a desk while his/her human is busy on the computer.
I go to work with Bobbi every day, but only when I feel like it, and I have a carpeted shelf in the office window with a bird feeder outside, and lots of squirrels who run up and down the big pine tree in our front yard.
See photos of me in various windows on my personal page, including a new photo of me just inches away from a tiny squirrel who was so busy gobbling down leftover bird seed that he was able to ignore me!
June 20, 2015:
I mentioned in an earlier post that I have a neat rolling carrier which I really like, but one of my Fan Club pals has an actual stroller, which allowed her to take in a recent event in Ottawa. Jacqueline Singleton helped sell copies of The Box in the Closet at Prose in the Park. See her in her stroller on the Fan Club page, along with the handsome new tuxedo we just added to the gang.
Domino Lanyi was adopted from the same shelter where Bobbi found me last February. He helps in the office at the Connexions Resource Centre in Aylmer, Quebec.
June 13, 2015:
June is a prime time to adopt a pet. Some parents reward a child for good marks by fulfilling their request for a dog or cat, and some families feel the summer months are ideal to help a pet become accustomed to the household. If the family isn't taking a vacation, parents may feel that a new pet will keep the children active and entertained, and help them learn responsibility.
All that makes sense, to a certain degree, but adopting a pet is not a short-time commitment. Who will walk the dog several times a day after school resumes? Who will feed the cat and clean her litterbox when everyone is busy with after-school activities and homework?
Kimberly Maxwell has just produced a delightful little book which you can download from Amazon to read on your computer. Check out You Had Me At Meow on our Favorite Cat Books page, and on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/atMeow
June 5, 2015:
Two of the local theatre groups we support are completing their current seasons with exceptional shows. Orpheus presented a superb production of Hairspray, with an energetic and exceptionally talented cast singing their hearts out. They were dressed in costumes created by our pal, Judy Froome.
Great Canadian Theatre Company concludes their strong season with a political comedy called The Public Servant, very appropriate for the national capital.
May 30, 2015:
June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month. This can be a great idea because the kids will be out of school for the summer, and have time to bond with and help train a kitten or puppy.
But it's often better to adopt a slightly older pet. This allows the family to see how large the animal is likely to grow along with his or her temperament. A pet over a year old has already been spayed or neutered, has received some basic training, and any health problems will be evident.
I was a year old when Bobbi found me at the Aylmer SPCA, and after four months, I've adapted beautifully. Go to my page to read my diary and see current photos.
May 23, 2015:
A Big Dog has just moved in across the street. Carson came here from Toronto last weekend, but was originally rescued from Greece, so he doesn't know a lot of commands in English.
We enlisted the help of Rocky & Balboa Russo's owners to help us out, as they used to speak Greek to their former dog, Spero. In case anyone is interested, here are some common commands, spelled phonetically: Come-- Eh-la, Sit-- ka-cheh, Stay--mean-eh, Down- kah-to.
I haven't met Carson yet, because we have to wait until it warms up again and Bobbi can open the front door. Then one of the boys will bring Carson over to meet me.
Meanwhile, he's been added to the Fan Club.
May 15, 2015:
This is a long weekend in Canada, earlier than usual because Victoria Day is always the third Monday in May. So it comes two weeks before the Memorial Day weekend in the U.S.
Although we've had a chilly spring, our lilacs are in full bloom, and I watched intently as a family of yellow finches enjoyed the buffet at the bird feeder outside our office window. I've learned how to sit quietly on my carpeted shelf, so they don't fly away when they see me.
May 8, 2015:
We just added four new species to the Fan Club, thanks to prolific photographer Steve Pitt, who sends us photos from his lakefront home in the tiny hamlet of Rutherglen, Ontario.
He captured a lot of activity last week, including two stunning wood ducks, two mergansers, two mourning doves, and a persistent squirrels who keeps raiding the bird feeders.
Who would have thought, when we started the Fan Club, that we'd reach 36 species from 23 countries!
May 1, 2015:
May is National Pet Month, and yesterday was Adopt a Shelter Pet Day. I continue to be Very Happy that Bobbi found me at the no-kill shelter in Aylmer, Quebec, in February, just after my first birthday!
This is a good time to think about pet safety. There are many links on our Cat Resources page, along with information about common problems, and Bobbi's award-winning article on training.
I've had to Amuse Myself quite a bit this week, as Bobbi has had a lot of Work do on the Computer. I curl up in my bed in the office so I can Keep an Eye on her, but I must admit I'm not much help otherwise. See what she's been up to on the Media Room page.
April 25, 2015:
For the first time since Bobbi brought me home from the Aylmer SPCA, I went outside in my rolling carrier. At first, I was reluctant to go inside, but she tempted me with a treat:
I was a bit anxious in the car, not knowing where we were going, but it turned out it was just a short drive away, for my first "wellness" check at the vet. In the waiting room, I made friends with a little dog on a leash, who wagged his tail and reminded me of the dogs at the shelter.
The vet found me in great shape, and was happy to see I was wearing my Gatineau license along with a blue star tag bearing my name and phone number.
April 17, 2015:
One of Bobbi's birthday gifts this year was a gift certificate for set of special coasters. Sylvia Adams (whose lovely Tulip is in our MEWSical Society) thought it would be ideal if these bore photos of all four Teakettles: Simon the Elder, Tiki, Terzo, and Yours Truly.
So it took a while before Bobbi found me, and was able to send my photo to Coasterly. Here they are:
April 10, 2015:
April 11 is Happy Pet Day, but as far as I'm concerned, Every Day should be celebrated by giving your pet extra treats, pats, and cuddles!
I'm wondering what it would be like to cuddle with the latest member of our Fan Club. Beau Buchanan is a Burmese Mountain Dog who lives in Alabama with two other dogs and an active family. Isn't he adorable?
April 3, 2015:
This is Easter weekend, and I'm hoping the bunny who lives across the street will cover over to bring me an Easter Basket. I'm not interested in eggs or candy, but would appreciate a Basket full of cans of Fancy Feast, and some Toys.
Among my favorite toys are Balls, and Fat Plastic Straws, but I also like Little Mice (especially the one that squeaks when I pick it up in my mouth!), and the Very Tiny brown one that I keep losing under the dresser.
See Bungie the Bunny on our
Fan Club page. Search for his name, as he's quite far down.
March 28, 2015:
Several people were looking at some photos of me this week, and asked what my gray and white coat is called. Of course Bobbi looked it up, and discovered that I am a bi-color (which means half white) but instead of being a tuxedo (or jellicle cat, as T.S. Eliot called them) my second color is grey. But in the "cat fancy" world, there is no grey; instead it's called blue. You can see my uneven markings in the photos on my page, which is just called Penny.
The Simon Teakettle logo has always been a black cat, but Terzo extended that to Tuxedo, and here I am, representing the company in blue and white!
Read about cat colors on the Cat Fanciers' website. One of the things you'll discover there is that there's a gene that suppresses color, producing white fur.
We have information about all this on our Cat Facts page.
March 19, 2015:
I'm posting a bit early to celebrate the First Day of Spring, which also happens to be International World Happiness Day.
I now spend most afternoons on the shelf in the office window, where I Supervise additions to the website, contribute to this blog and to my Diary, and welcome new members of the Fan Club.
This week we have our first Wolf, whose reddish fur gave him the name Little Red. Like the deer, otter, calf and several birds in the Fan Club, he comes to us courtesy of Steve Pitt, who lives on a wonderful rural property in northern Ontario.
March 13, 2015:
I not only survived Friday the 13th, but received a terrific new toy from a friend of Bobbi's who came to visit. I'm not sure what it's supposed to be, but it's purple and it has a Tail, which is the Most Important Part of any toy!
Meanwhile, one of my favorite toys is this Ball that runs around a Track. I play with it several times a day, just before we go to bed at night, and occasionally in the middle of the night if I get Bored!
March 7, 2015:
I'm not going to fib: Bobbi is still writing this blog for me, but I do sit on the desk, watch intently, and tell her what to say.
I will be 13 months old next weekend, just in time for another Friday the 13th. Because some people are superstitious, we need to refer you to some new links on the I Love Cats page. These include all kinds of tips for cat safety.
The news this week is a new member of our Fan Club from Jerusalem, thanks to a friend who loves to travel and writes a great travel blog.
February 28, 2015:
It's still very cold here (we're in Canada, close to Ottawa) so I haven't yet discovered the front windows where there are carpeted shelves expecially for a cat to lounge and look outside. One of these is in the office, facing the bird feeder. That's going to be fun!
The other one is in the guest room, where I'm not allowed yet. I've only been here three weeks, so there are places I haven't been able to explore. But I'm very content, as I have a big living room, dining room, kitchen, office, den and bedroom where I have toys and a couple of windows to look out.
Bobbi still closes me into the den/bedroom/bathroom when she goes out, and overnight. I don't mind, because compared to a small cage at the SPCA, this is wonderful!
So far, my favorite toys are balls and straws. And mice, of course! I pick these up in my mouth and carry them to different rooms, but haven't started hiding them, as Terzo used to do.
February 21, 2015:
This is an interesting week. Feb. 19 was the start of the Chinese New Year (this is the year of the goat). Then February 20 is Love Your Pet Day, and February 24th is National Spay Day. Since I (Q.T. Penny) was spayed just six weeks ago, I can reassure everyone that this isn't a Big Deal, and everyone should support shelters who do this, as it's the only way to keep the feline population from exploding.
One of our affiliates is Alley Cat Rescue who welcome donations for the great work they do. Since I had the misfortune of being a "stray" before I was brought to the Aylmer shelter, I know how dangerous it can be on the street!
February 13, 2015:
This is Friday the 13th, but tomorrow is Valentine's Day, so if you're superstitious, you don't have to worry. Thirteen has always been a lucky number in this household, and I certainly have reason to celebrate, as I'm enjoying my new surroundings. Here I am inspecting a Valentine box that seems to have been created just for me:
February 7, 2015:
After months of auditions, we finally have a new Spokescat for Simon Teakettle Ink. Q.T. Penny is just a year old, and was adopted from the SPCA of Western Quebec in Aylmer last week. See her first set of photos HERE. We'll be adding to these on a regular basis.
She's taking over this blog, but not until next week, because she needs time to learn how to use the computer. As always, Bobbi will edit her comments, for clarity, spelling and punctuation. Stay tuned!
February 1, 2015:
February 1-7 is International Coaching Week. Since this is an important function of this website, we want to make sure readers of this blog understand what we offer. Go to the mentoring page and the branding page to find out.
If you're currently coaching a new kitty to use the litter box, you'll appreciate a new book by Anne Moss, one of our MEWSical Society members. Go to The Cat Site to read all about this important topic.
January 24, 2015
Our affiliate, Alley Cat Allies, has registered to take part in the Million Cat Challenge, which aims to save the lives of one million cats over the next five years. They're also working on expanding and updating their Feral Cat Handbook, which we'll announce here as soon as it's available.
If you don't let your cat use your tablet, you're not keeping up with current trends. Evidently, there are many games especially developed for cats to play online (who knew?) including mouse-chasing and fishing. Read about what's available at catster.com.
If you have an old tablet, donate it to a local shelter!
January 17, 2015
2015 marks the 45th anniversary of the birth of the first Simon Teakettle. He became so popular on CBC radio that we registered the company name in 1981, in part to protect it from copy-cats.
This is also the 30th anniversary of Bobbi's first book. Five Fast Steps to Better Writing was so successful that she published a new edition on its 20th anniversary, under the Simon Teakettle Ink imprint.
January 10, 2015
Start off the new year by learning more than a thousand facts about cats. Emma Boyes has a new book: 1006 Fascinating Facts About Cats, which is now on our Favorite Cat Books page. One fact you may not know is that cats have whiskers on their feet! These help them recognize prey. Another thing that might surprise you is that cats respond best to a name ending in an "ee" sound.
January 3, 2015
Did you know that a cat’s brain is biologically more similar to a human brain than it is to a dog’s? Both humans and cats have identical regions in their brains that are responsible for emotions. That's just one of the facts we just added to the CatFacts page.
One growing trend in 2014 was cat cafes springing up all over the world. Meow Parlour is New York City's first permanent cat cafe. Located on the lower east side of Manhattan. Open from noon to 8pm, except on Wednesdays, the space is furnished with tables and chairs, along with custom-designed cat-friendly bookshelves. Cats come from KittyKind, an all volunteer, no kill rescue group. and are available for adoption. Patrons can purchase coffee and treats at the Meow Parlour Patisserie located around the corner, and then bring their food and drink inside. It costs $4 for a half-hour slot, but patrons can stay for up to five hours and take advantage of free WiFi.
Q.T. Penny
Spokescat
WE SUPPORT SELECTED CHARITIES
& RESCUE GROUPS, including: intsikelelo.org
creationofhope.com alleycat.org
treehouseanimals.org ottawahumane.ca
circuscats.com
aylmer-hull-spca.qc.ca
adoptashelter.com
the Aga Khan Foundation
nakhweh.org sheldrickwildlifetrust.org
Sarmoti Foundation
saveacat.org
youcaring.com/thaicats grizzlyencounter.com
adoptapet.com
Featured members
of the
MEWSical
Society
The Rock Cats,
part of the
famous Acro-Cats
Aragon, model and TV star
Lily Fry, reading the paper
AFFILIATES
We also support
Alley Cat Allies
Alley Cat Rescue
and
Adopt A Shelter
Click on the
The Animal Rescue Site
to give food to an animal in a shelter
The Morris Animal Foundation is one of the sponsors of the CWA conference, and one of its mandates is to fund studies to help prevent and treat cancer, which is the top killer of pet cats and dogs.
A list of Celebrities who Live with Cats
Bernadette Kazmarski:
paintings, cards, mugs and other items