Between Naps
a blog by Simon Teakettle III (Terzo)
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Terzo is
a Leo, which makes him charismatic, proud, a little impetuous, but
charming, with humor and vitality.
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Terzo's
Vocabulary: Bobbi is also featured in an article in the January issue of Canadian Health, on the benefits of owning pets. It was written by Steve Pitt. |
Training Your Cat Like a Dog (Bobbi's award-winning article, free to download for your PURRsonal use only) If you want to reprint this on your website, please email us for permission.
LINKS:
The Cat Site
Spoil
My Kitty
Sugar
Plum's Shoppe
The
Discount Pet SuperStore
The Pride Cartoon
The Cat House
in San Diego
December 29, 2012:
We're in the middle of The Twelve Days of Christmas, so I thought I should remind you about my poem, which appears in Mewsings/Musings, and which caused a Lovely Lady from Fergus, Ontario, to create this magnificent wall hanging after she heard my poem on Basic Black on CBC radio.
You can see her name, E.P. Brown, which she added to the centre. She created this entirely from needlepoint, with a centre mat surrounded by 12 coasters, so it could be used when entertaining.
But Bobbi worried that it might get dirty or damaged, so left it intact and put it on the wall of our office.
I'm happy to report that I had received Lots of New Toys in my Christmas stocking, so I guess Santa received my letter and decided to forgive me.
Whew! That was close. Now I have to work on New Year's Resolutions.
December 22, 2012:
I postponed by letter to Santa this year, because I didn't know how to explain the photo at the right. But I can't wait any longer, so here goes:
Dear Santa: I'm a Very Good Kitty, and am almost
never Naughty. So I hope you'll understand What Happened in the
living room two weeks ago.
Bobbi had begun to put Christmas gifts under the
coffee table, and one contained Sparkly Tissue Paper that I'd never
seen before. I just couldn't resist! At first I just touched it, but
some of the Sparkles came off on my paw, so I pulled more paper out
of the bag, it began to Shred under my Claws, and you can see What
Happened after that!
I didn't mean to be Naughty, and tried to hide the Shredded Paper under the Christmas stocking and toys I had been given to play with earlier. But as you can see, that didn't work Very Well.
Bobbi wasn't Mad at Me, but told me I would have to Report This Transgression to you. Meanwhile, I just read the story about my friend, Seren Shojai, who got into Far More Trouble in Texas when she was a kitten. It also involved Sparkles. Read it in Amy Shojai's blog.
So, Santa Dear, I hope you won't hold this Minor Transgression against me. Please keep in mind that I'm Very Well Trained, praised by Amy and by noted broadcaster Steve Dale. They both commented on how well I Behave, how I Sit Up on command, give One Paw and then the other, and even offer Crossed Paws. You can see all this in my Video.
I don't want an Important Gift, although one wrapped in that Sparkly Tissue would be Most Welcome! I just want a bag of Temptations' Treats, a bit of catnip, and a few New Toys. I also need more of those plastic jingle balls I like to chase. Yours Truly, Terzo
December 15, 2012:
There's a lot to report this week! First, we had a Christmas messge from Tyler Coxon, a member of my MEWSical Society who has his own pages on this site. Read his Christmas poem and see the photos he sent us by clicking this link or the one above.
Mrs. Doyle, the African grey parrot in our MEWSical Society has attracted an admirer. Charlie Miccio is reportedly smitten with Terzo's lead drummer, and even encouraged the head Tibetan Spaniel in his household to join our Fan Club. They're our first members from Delaware, and we also have new fans from South Carolina and Wisconsin. We're hoping to have all 20 Canadian provinces and all 50 states represented soon!
I had a Naughty Moment last week, which I plan to report on in Due Course (unless I can persuade Bobbi to forget about it!), but that will have to wait until next week.
December 8, 2012:
We have our first member of my MEWSical Society from Malaysia! Gabby is also our first Malaysian fan club member, bringing the number of countries to eleven, on five continents!
Gabby send this PURRsuasive audition photo, hoping to snag a spot on the newly-revised Society page. A photo of Gabby stretched out on the balcony of his apartment in Kuala Lumpur is on the Fan page.
Other new fans have been cast in our latest Virtual Productions of Peter Pan and Snow White. See both cast lists HERE. You'll see that we didn't cast the last dwarf, Dopey, because no cat was willing to play that role!
I promised to share my Letter to Santa, but I'm still working on it, and in the meantime, I got into a Bit of Trouble. More about that next week!
December 1, 2012:
What a way to end the year: my third calendar, my photo on the GCTC Christmas card, and MY VERY FIRST VIDEO! It's on YouTube, of course, and you can view it here: http://lnkd.in/fKsbhH
It's getting lots of hits, mentions in blogs (such as Steve Dale's Pet World at Chicago Now). Do send the YouTube link to All Your Friends!
At the right, you'll see me at the computer, playing with my online Kitty Friend, as I think about what I want to share in This Blog.
November 24, 2012:
Christmas is coming! If I didn't have my Very Own Christmas Card (thanks to the Great Canadian Theatre Company, who asked me to pose for their card this year, I'd be buying the wonderful cards created by Jane Denny. She also sells ornaments bearing these designs, which you can see at: http://www.zazzle.com/thewhitecatco/gifts?cg=196831567087706443
Jane is a talented artist who also uses her cat Johnny for ideas for The Pride Cartoon, a hilarious comic strip you can subscribe to. Johnny is joining my MEWSical Society this year, along with a couple of other new members. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, I'm working on my Letter to Santa, which I'll be talking about in next week's blog.
November 17, 2012:
The December issue of Cat Fancy contains an article under the Behavior & Training section, about teaching cats. The article is titled Here's how you can teach you feline some key phrases, with the subtitle: Cats appear to understand a surprising amount of vocabulary. The article is by Janice Biniok, who interviewed Bobbi and describes many of the words and phrases I understand.
It's generally accepted that the smartest cats (such as Yours Truly!) have the vocabulary of a two-year-old child. As you know by reading this blog, I have gone Way Beyond That. Of course, I had a former English Teacher to help me!
Cat Fancy doesn't post the current issue online, but it will be on the site in a couple of months.
November 10, 2012:
We have great neighbors, and the oldest son, who is
now 11 and a Boy Scout, often comes over to help Bobbi do special
things. He, along with his younger sisters and brother, have helped
Bobbi take photos, and now have a credit as Photography Assistants on
this website (at the bottom of the Home page). Here is a Remembrance
Day poem Simon wrote and entered into a contest: PEACE
by Simon Olivier Quesnel
P-
Peace is what brings people together. Caring and friendship is what
it’s all about.
E-
Either black or white, we’re all equalA- A boy or a girl,
we’re all brothers and sisters.
C-
Canada and the United States of America don’t fight.
E-
Everybody deserves peace.
November 3, 2012:
The Cat Writers' Association is celebrating its 20th anniversary this weekend in Los Angeles. Bobbi is one of 18 founding/charter members who will be honored at this gathering, and it's too bad she can't be there in PURRson. Two conference seminars will have cat assistants. Media and behavior expert Arden Moore and her Turkish Van-mix Zeki will talk about putting the Me-WOW factor into your career, while renowned cat behaviorist Marilyn Krieger will bring along a Bengal friend who will help her with a demonstration of clicker training techniques in action.
November 1, 2012:
I asked for more members for my Fan Club, and look what happened! I received an entire flock of wild turkeys, and a dozen barn cats who keep them in line! They live on the McElroy farm in Gatineau, and you can see photos on the Fan Club page.
October 27, 2012:
Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of my finding my Forever Home with Bobbi. The Ottawa Humane Society recently offered a “two-for-one” offer on cats. Anyone adopting a cat older than six months had fees waived for a second adult cat. We think this is a Great Idea, but we're glad that offer wasn't in place six years ago when Bobbi adopted me from the OHS. I like being The Only Cat, and would be happy sharing my food, toys, or Bobbi's lap with another feline!
We're very close to our goal of 100 cats in the Fan Club with the addition of six cats in Minnesota, our first fan club members from that state! These cats live with author Catherine Holm, whose books are on our Cat Book Favorites page.
October 20, 2012:
This is Information Overload Day. Let's face it, the only information anyone really needs is: What day is it? When are you going to feed me? and Where is the Mouse I was playing with last night?
I can help you with the first question by offering my 2013 calendar, available for the third year in a row from Ottawa Photo. Produced by talented artist and photographer, Iris Ten Holder, this is the only one of her calendars that contains photos taken by someone else. Bobbi took the 12 photos in this year's calendar, as well as the cover, which shows me in my basket, in front of my portrait, which was created by Ottawa artist Dianne Oost.
October 13, 2012:
Six years ago I was taken away from my mom and brought with my siblings to the Ottawa Humane Society. I never saw them again, and after 10 days of All Kinds of Procedures, including early neutering, I was put into a cage, All By Myself, in the lobby. That's where Bobbi found me on Oct. 26, and took me home to become her Forever Friend. I didn't have a name, so it was a Great Honor to be given the famous name of Simon Teakettle III, and I quickly responded to my nickname, Terzo, which is Italian for "third."
I think this is the date we should celebrate, rather than my birthday. For that reason, I have found several Appropriate Gifts I think someone should give me on This Special Occasion.
A team of Korean design students created the Cat Tunnel Sofa, a comfortable piece of furniture with a tunnel running from the floor on one side to the arm rest on the other. Seungji Mun's cats can chase each other through the tunnel, hide in the back, totally out of sight (great for naps!), or peek out at visitors from either end.
A man in Melbourne, Australia, built an elaborate cardboard castle for his cat, Rufus. The castle is made from a series of boxes stuck together to form a tower-like structure, which has numerous openings for Rufus to play in and explore. Mr Browne’s musician brother, Ollie Browne, formerly of Art of Fighting, provided the music for the video.
October 7, 2012:
It's Canadian Thanksgiving, so Bobbi is Wrestling with the Turkey. But my turkey comes in little cans of Fancy Feast, and I don't bother even tasting her seasoned and gravy-covered meal. Instead, I'm preparing for Hallowe'en and the sixth anniversary of my adoption from the Ottawa Humane Society.
I'm also still working on increasing both the number of cats and the variety of other pets in my Fan Club. We've invited a baby zebra, just born at the Papanak Zoo, and hope to have his photo soon.
September 29, 2012:
I have some interesting stories to share this week. A lonely little boy with selective mutism, a condition which left him unable to talk or express emotion, began to speak with the help of his cat. An extraordinary bond with his two-year-old cream Birman, earned the pair won first prize at the Cat’s Protection Awards at London’s Savoy hotel last month. See the clip at: http://tinyurl.com/9m4a8r9
Rosario, the cat of Mission San Antonio De Padua in Monterey County. California, received his name in a special circumstance. Read his story at: http://tinyurl.com/9ebkwob It was written by a friend of ours, Cori Solomon.
We recently read about 10 Ways You Know Your Cat Rules You. Pay attention to this HERE!
September 22, 2012:
Our favorite Texas author, Amy Shojai, has just published her first thriller. Lost and Found featured an animal behaviorist and her clever cat. Macy, a Maine Coon helps save the day at the end when, on command, she literally "nails" one of the bad guys.
Amy has just started to write fiction, after a long career in authoritative books about pet care. See her books (including this one) on our Favorite Cat Books page. See Macy at the right.
September 15, 2012:
This weekend marks National Feral Cat Day, so it's appropriate to mention one of our Favorite Cat Books, Taming Me, by Cathy Unruh.
Meanwhile, one of our favorite cats, Johnny, star of The Pride Cartoon, just let us know that The Twelve Days of Christmas holiday cards and gifts are now available at Zazzle. All profits go to support a feral cat colony. Hear Jane Denny, creator of The Pride Cartoon and Art Director of The White Cat Company, interviewed by our friend, Deb on PetLifeRadio.com.
And we just heard that Tuxedo Stan, who lives with a retired veterinarian in Nova Scotia, is running for Mayor of Halifax. His campaign promotes responsibility pet ownership, and we're going to try to get him to join my Fan Club.
September 8, 2012:
I'm sure you all know by now that I do all kinds of tricks. In the photo at the right (taken by Debra Hulley, who designed Mewsings) you can see me giving my paw on command.
But I've never made a video. That isn't My Fault; it's just that nobody has come over with a videocamera to film me.
However, The Walker Art Center presented the first Cat Video Festival in August, drawing an audience over 10,000. The people’s choice award, the Golden Kitty, was presented to William Brandon, creator of *Henri 2, Paw de Deux*. Videos were submitted from around the world in the categories of Comedy, Drama, Foreign, Animated, Musical, Documentary, Art House, Honorable Mention, and Lifetime Achievement. Watch a selection HERE.
September 1, 2012:
Happy Labor Day, whatever that means. Cats don't work, don't join unions, and don't need a long weekend because every day is a holiday for us!
The closest I come to actually working, is Washing. I'm a very fastidious kitty, and spend a lot of time Keeping My Fur Coat spotless. In the photo at the right, you can see I'm wearing my denim vest as I show Tazi the proper way to Take a Bath.
September is Happy Cat Month. Humans take note!
August 25, 2012:
The U.S. Presidential election is heating up, so it's very timely to promote some sanity among all the overheated rhetoric (just learned that Neat New Word!). Thank goodness there is a Presidential candidate we can all support. One who supports rights for all Creatures, human and animal, and understands that All Work and No Play is not wise.
Rita Mae Brown, the author of almost 40 books, many of which feature animal protagonists, is promoting Sneaky Pie, the main character in her bestselling Mrs. Murphy series, for President.
In Sneaky Pie for President, she meets other animals and discovers that the water supply is being both polluted and drained. Since that means all animals will die, not just humans, Sneaky Pie takes matters into her own paws. Take a look at: http://www.ritamaebrown.com
August 18, 2012:
There's a goat in Kenya named after Bobbi. She was a gift to Keli Kamanthe, who was 11 at the time, so he's now 14 and his goat has been providing milk for his family and baby goats so other families can benefit as well. Keli is an orphan who wants to be a doctor. Support from the Get Your Goat program has allowed him to go to school, and his tiny rural community, Kikima, will soon have an orphanage, a self-sufficient facility with solar panels, a bio-gas plant for cooking, a well and pump for irrigation, and the long-term lease of the surrounding land for cultivation.
Keli's goat was a gift from Bobbi's close friend, Steve Pitt, through his friend, author Eric Walters, who set up the Kikama charity. I've decided he should join my Fan Club. That means my fans come from 10 countries on four continents!
August 11, 2012:
Happy Birthday to me!
What a boring summer! It's too hot for many of the birds to come to our feeders, and when I look outside, I don't even see many squirrels or dogs. The children across the street aren't playing in the front yard, but rather in the back, where there's shade and a kiddy pool.
The only way to pass the time (other than napping) is to find something to play with. I learned Scrabble when I was just a kitten, and you'll see me in this photo spelling out MEWSINGS.
We just signed a contract to distribute Mewsings/Musings through Red Tuque Books.
This week (August 11-15) is National Scrabble Week, so I guess I better get the board out again.
August 4, 2012:
My cousin in Chicago, CeeCee Grava, is just celebrated his 10th birthday. He lives in a condo way up high in a Very Tall Building with Bobbi's sister, Audrey.
My birthday is this month, too, but we don't know the exact date. I was born six years ago around the middle of August, so we celebrate on August 11th, because that's the birthday of one of Bobbi's closest friends.
July 27, 2012:
The first Simon Teakettle was a regular contributor
to several CBC network radio programs, sending in his requests for
music along with his comments. Among his favorite requests were two
Canadian musical groups, NEXUS,
who is affiliated with our MEWSical Society
and The
Canadian Brass, who also has a worldwide reputation and is still
performing widely.
This weekend Canadian Brass received rave reviews for their performance as part of the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival. The only original member, co-founded Chuck Daellenbach, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Tuba & Euphonium Association’s 2012 Conference in Linz, Austria. I think we need to recruit him to provide extra omp pah pah to our productions.
Bobbi met Chuck in January, 1984, when she directed a group of square dancers for a gala at the National Arts Centre for the Premier of China. NEXUS was also there, and both they and the Brass mentioned that they knew Simon Teakettle from his requests on the CBC.
We were happy to see the Brass continue to wear their white shoes onstage, and still include Tiger Rag (featuring Chuck) in their concerts.
July 21, 2012:
This National Doghouse Repairs Month. I have great respect for dogs, but want to point out that cats own The Entire House, and don't need a special smaller area where they can be confined for some reason. If we want a Hiding Place, we'll find our own.
I don't have any reason to hide, however. In fact, like many cats, I like being the Centre of Attention. Certified Animal Behaviorist Amy Shojai has written about this. In a recent post on her blog she said: When you speak on the phone the cat only sees you present. Since our pets quickly learn that humans talk to communicate, and nobody else is there, cats must think we’re talking to them. Therefore, while owners pick up the phone, cats respond with attention-seeking behaviors.
July 14: 2012:
We had another Friday the 13th this weekend, but it was the third this year, so we didn't bother contacting other black cat pals. We missed both Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day (July 6) and Pet Photo Day (July 11), but I planned to write about FOOD this week anyway, and my webmaster doesn't eat Fancy Feast. As for pet photos, she takes those all the time, where I like it or not.
I just received a photo of Lily Fry, a member of my MEWSical Society who lives in Texas. She found a tiny possum sitting beside her food bowl.
I can beat that, however, as I found a mouse IN my bowl! This came about because Bobbi and I were having a Serious Discussion about Food. I learned when I was just a tiny kitten that I have to sit beside my tray in the kitchen before Bobbi will fill my food dish, and have to perform tricks (like giving one paw and then the other) for treats. But we often have an Altercation (just learned that neat new word) when she forgets to fill my dry food dish before we go to bed.
It does me no good to sit beside my tray when she's in the other part of the house, so I have to “remind” her that my dish isn't full. The other day she got really annoyed, and announced, “No kitty ever starved overnight!” I'm really insulted.
By the way, I think it's time to tell her that I really don't know Right from Left. I usually put my left paw forward first (cats tend to favor one paw over the other) and because she then says “Right” and I give her my other paw, she thinks I know which is which.
July 7, 2012:
One my newest fans is Bart, shown at the right "helping" his human brother with his homework. Bart lives with a college professor in Arkansas who stumbled upon an ancient manual, entirely written in "cat" which three clever Florida felines had hidden on the professor's mother's computer. He pilfered the files, translated the book into English, and has now shared these proven tactics with All Cats Everywhere. This is the PURRfect companion to Mewsings, which explains how cats think. Go to my Cat Book Favorites page to read about this delightful book. By the way, the author found us by putting "cat humor books" in Google, and came up with this blog!
July 1, 2012:
We celebrate both Canada Day and the Fourth of July, because I'm Canadian and Bobbi is American. There's much rejoicing to do this year, because my Fan Club continues to grow so quickly. We just added our first pig! He's a cousin to Cuddles & Bailey Russo, who are members of my MEWSical Society.
Did you read that Google has developed an artificial brain that can recognize cats? Although the machine was fed random images from more than 10 million YouTube videos, the Artifical Intelligence "decided" one of the more interesting things to recognize was a cat!
June 24, 2012:
We just added EIGHT kitties and two more dogs to our Fan Club! That's a record, and it not only brings our tally of Fan Club members to 78 cats (plus 48 dogs, 2 birds, 4 alpacas, 1 llama, 1 horse, 1 rabbit, 2 beta fish, 4 hens, a robin and two ducks) but it add two more states, Rhode Island and Oregon, to the locations of our members.
The sextet who just joined us live with Lorie Huston, DVM, who has a great blog, the Pet Health Care Gazette.
The other two cats and two dogs live in Oregon, with Mary Lowd, author of Otters In Space. Don't let the title mislead you; it's a book about cats! See it on our Cat Book Favorites page.
June 16, 2012:
We don't celebrate Father's Day, as most kitties have no idea who their father is. But this is also Hug Your Cat Day, and June is Cat Adoption Month. So we need to acknowledge all the fatherless felines who are lucky to find Good Homes.
Vienna’s first-ever cat cafe has 6 different kitties available for snuggling. Moritz, Luca, Haru, Momo, Sonia and Thomas are from the Viennese animal shelter and are regarded as particularly friendly and playful. The cats roam freely in Cafe Neko, ready to be stroked and cuddled — and when they are tired of all the attention, they can disappear into their own space or climb high above the tables, out of reach of the guests.
Small Things is the first “cat cafe” in Canada. Located in Sudbury, Ontario, the visitors serve themselves to juice, coffee, cookies and tarts, all made offsite to comply with health regulations. As many as 12 cats are in residence, all “fixed” and vaccinated. They're available for adoption, and sell for $15 to $75.
June 9, 2012:
This week's kitty is Angela Zobel, who likes to nap with her head on the corner post of the desk. That may be because she's tired of waiting for her turn at the computer. She's one of three cats who live with Allia Zobel Nolan, a former senior editor at Readers' Digest and an award-winning, bestselling author of over 170 books for children and adults.
It's possible that Allia has installed the new program we just heard about. Kid-Key-Lock is designed to keep inquisitive toddlers from ruining whatever mommy was working on when she left the computer for just a minute. If you are a cat with a blog and his own email account, as I have, you'll want to watch carefully and memorize the password, so you can use the computer while she's out or asleep.
I often get Middle of the Night Inspirations, so don't want to find the keyboard locked! But if you have small kittens in the household, this is a way to keep them from playing Kittens on the Keys. The freeware is from http://www.100dof.com/ with the specific program download at http://tinyurl.com/cjvjbjr
Our other featured kitty this week is Tempe Katz-Couvrette,
the youngest member of my MEWSical
Society, who lives with three dogs, four alpacas and a llama, in the
Northwest Territories. She
helps Helena
Katz with research in the office.
June 2, 2012:
We receive photos from members of our fan club that just beg to be shared. This week, for example, we have a close-up of Beauty Benedik, who says I love you to The Man of the House, although to Lorri and Zach it sounds like lum lum lum. We agree with Lorri that it's not a Wise Idea to mess with someone's belief system. If he hears I love you, who are we to claim anything else?
Then there's Chocka Pitt, whose puppy antics in North Bay, Ontario, provide lots of smiles. Here she is, trying to take possession of a dachshund's tiny bed.
Our Fan Page contains other photos of Beauty and Chocka, along with a new picture of Stanley Haskins, relaxing in his New York city loft, and a couple of new members. We've just added another alpaca from the Northwest Territories: Morgan Katz-Couvrette, as well as the new Great Pyranees puppy who helps to guard them. His name is Mowka.
We decided that a few of our fans don't need names, such as the robin who insisted on building a nest on Chocka's porch, and the ducks Sammy & Rufus Olson watch from their sunroom in Thunder Bay .
May 27, 2012:
Happy Memorial Day to our American pals. I love when Canadian and American holidays are close together, because we get to celebrate twice.
It's also the final production of the season at Great Canadian Threatre Company. As regular readers know, the first Simon Teakettle began our relationship with this wonderful professional theatre just a few years after it was started by a couple of students at Carleton University. My name is on the wall, on one of the seats, and in all the programs. When Bobbi arrives at the box office, they all ask about Yours Truly. It helps that I have her bring a poster from me for them to hang backstage during every production.
I'm also a patron of the Orpheus Musical Society, which turned 100 in 2006. Bobbi will be going to see their final production of the season, Titanic: The Musical, on June 10.
May 20, 2012:
This is Victoria Day weekend, and Ottawa is celebrating the final week of the Canadian Tulip Festival. Yesterday I finally met one of my Biggest Fans. Lorna Olson lives in Thunder Bay with two members of my MEWSical Society, Rufus, and Sammy Teakettle. Sammy was named after Tiki because he looks as if they could have been twins, even down to the tiny white locket on his throat.
Lorna and her partner, Bob, spent the long weekend in Ottawa, and came out her to visit me after dinner at a local restaurant. I must say I was a Perfect Gentleman, and they were impressed by the Things I Do For Treats. Bobbi calls these "tricks" but I prefer to consider them as Accomplishments. We'll have photos soon.
They brought Bobbi some cheese and a box of candy from a store called Chocolate Cow. I was more interested in the pretty package than the contents.
Meanwhile, check out Lorna's book, Movers & Mavericks, which is featured on our Canadian History book page.
May 12, 2012:
I probably should celebrate Mother's Day, but, unlike many of my other Feline Friends, I don't call The Lady Who Shares My Office "Mommy." I don't remember my real mom very well, but she gave me a good start, teaching me how to Behave. I learned how to use the litter box, and how to wash my fur so the Black Glistens and the White Sparkles.
I decided I should post a photo from my first birthday, when I was still a nice armful (instead of a Much Heavier Big Boy as I am now). That's our friend, Deb, in the background. This photo is appropriate because May 15 is Hug Your Cat Day.
Shouldn't every day be Hug Your Cat Day?
May 5, 2012:
The two little French cats who look just like Yours Truly were a gift from my Wonderful Friend, June Coxon, author of Just Call Me Ernie. She went on a river cruise last month, and when she saw these in a shop she thought I should have them for my Collection. They now sit in a Place of Honor on our dining room table.
We already know the artist, Alberte Dubout, because we have one of his calendars.
By the way, this is Be Kind to Animals Month, so buy a little gift for Your Favorite Feline!
April 28, 2012:
I want tell you about two books by my old friend, Amy Shojai. Amy founded the Cat Writers' Association 20 years ago, and wrote me a lovely letter when I tried to join, telling me that they couldn't accept cats as members, but would welcome Bobbi instead. We just added her two ComPETability books to our Cat Book Favorites. One deals with managing multi-cat households and the other cats and dogs living together.
I'm very glad I don't have to share this household with either a dog or another cat, although I don't mind Chummy, our realistic German Shepherd pup, except when he monopolizes the screen door.
Both of these new books are packed with interesting information about cats, some of which we copied to our Cat Facts page. Amy points out, for example, that Cats Lead, Dogs Follow. She also says that cats should have 8 to 10 toys to ensure we always have something interesting to keep our brains active. I just counted and I have 8-10 toy mice, plus a dozen plastic straws (love to pick those up in my Big Paws), little catnip bags, and several terrific things on the ends of sticks that I love to chase. There's a fur thingy, feathers, and sparkly ribbons. Oh, and I have a bunch of sparkly balls. Does that make me a Spoiled Kitty? I hope not!
April 21, 2012:
The 67th feline member of our MEWSical Society is a tuxedo, like Yours Truly. Cujo also has a blog, called the Cujo Chronicles, and a book. See our Cat Book Favorites page for links to those. As you can see by his handsome photo (right) he has what looks like a black goatee.
April 23 has been designated World Book and Copyright Day, so I want to encourage you to look at all the book pages on this site, not just the cat ones. Start at Recommended Books, and then click on any links that interest you, including those for Authors & Entrepeneurs, for young people, Canadian History, Humor, etc.
April 14, 2012:
We didn't make a fuss over Friday the 13th yesterday, because it's the second of three this year! Read about this (and Many Other Things you never thought You Wanted to Know) on the Facts pages.
It is appropriate, however, to feature Sammy Olson, MEWSical Society member from Thunder Bay, who was named after my predecessor, Tiki, and has the same tiny white locket decorating his shiny black coat.
This is also Pet Appreciation Week, which I think should be celebrated more than once a year!
Speaking of photos, did you see the one of me with Bobbi on the PetPR site? Bobbi was the Featured Writer last week. Our profile remains on the site permanently, at: http://tinyurl.com/8xlwghs
April 6, 2012:
Happy Easter! We have two pictures to share this week, one which has made the rounds on the Internet, but is too cute not to post, because the kitty looks just like Yours Truly when I was a kitten.
The second photo is of me with my favorite Easter toys and basket. The tiny bunny with the pink ears sometimes comes out of the basket (don't ask me HOW!) to play.
We also want to wish everyone Happy Passover, as the two holidays happen to coincide this year.
There's Big News to share. Bobbi & I are featured on the PetPr site this week. Scroll down to find the Featured Writer of the Week.
Also, our pals in California, the Walkers, have just unveiled the renovation of their famous Cats' House. This cat paradise has been featured on many TV programs and in magazines. They're having an open house this month, and you can take a peek online if you go to: CatsHouse.com.
We also heard this week about a cat who lives quite close to one of the members of our Fan Club. Jake is featured in the Guiness Book of Records for having the most toes - 28 - which is four more than I have! Take a look at: http://www.lifewithcats.tv/
March 31, 2012:
There's a new TV channel called DogTV, which was launched in California recently. Humans will pay about $5 a month so their dog doesn't get bored while they're at work. Too bad Chocka Pitt (see below) didn't have the distraction of DogTV to keep her from chewing huge holes in that blanket. Cats are Much Better Behaved. We're self-sufficient on our own, even overnight (try doing that with a dog!) and time our naps for when The Humans are out. If we want to play, we retrieve our own toys (out of the closet, from under the bed, or behind the couch). Some of us have toy baskets strategically placed to make this even easier. Bobbi often comes home to find a mouse she hadn't seen for a while in the middle of the floor. That's usually one I had tucked away for just such occasions.
But some cats watch TV, especially if animals or birds are on the screen. This week's photo is of our MEWSical Society member, Pookie Hamilton, who is concentrating on Birds.
March 24, 2012:
Earlier this year I mentioned that I'm never naughty, so didn't need Steve Dale's book, Good Cat! But one of the newest members of my Fan Club, Chocka Pitt, should probably study the companion volume, Good Dog! Left alone for just a few hours, she managed to destroy an entire blanket, and then waited in her basket, looking very guilty when her master returned.
March 17, 2012:
We don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day in this household, because our heritage is Italian (and Feline!). But Bobbi went out for a pre-St. Patrick's Day dinner last night with two of our MEWSical Society "moms" - Theresa Jobateh (Geneva) and June Coxon (Tyler). Two other local writers were also there, but they don't have cats, so I'm not going even going to mention them! She had dinner with two other "moms" two weeks ago, Gill Foss (Niblet, Tigger and Tippy) and Sylvia Adams (Tulip). It seems that Lorna Olson (Sammy and Rufus) will be coming to Ottawa from Thunder Bay in May, so I'm hoping that Yours Truly will be included in one of these get-togethers!
March 10, 2012:
If you're following the U.S. political scene, you might want to know that a rescue cat named Hank, a Maine Coon rescue, is running for the Senate in Virginia. He has a website, election posters, and is running, of course, as an Independent. Steve Dale, the award-winning Chicago radio personality and columnist, has written about him in his blog
Steve says: Hank knows how to think outside the box, and hopefully inside the box even more often. We see Hank as an advocate for all the millions of cats and kittens without a voice in this country, and around the world.
FutureMedica is a blog focused on the future of healthcare and biotechnology, focusing on the very latest news and information related to this growing field. They recently posted 17 Health Benefits of Owning a Cat.
March 4, 2012:
The dogs are catching up to the cats in our Fan Club! An award-winning dog, Queezle Eldredge, has just joined with her five brand new puppies. Since her owner is away at university, Queezle is staying temporarily at grandma's, a very Convenient Location because her grandma is one of our favorite veterinarians, who is also the moderator of the Pet Writers' list.
There's another photo of Queezle on the fan page, with mom sleeping while one pup nuzzles close to her head.
We love pictures of any baby animals. Bobbi always tells me when there are some on television, and I know to look up when she says that word.
February 26, 2012:
We have a lot of news this week! A year-old mixed breed pup has joined the Spitt household in North Bay, and is featured on our Fan page this week. Her name is Chocka.
I also received a Wonderful Present in the mail from my Human Fan, Judyth in Montreal. She made me (by hand!) an Orange Velour Fish.
Then, a past President of the Cat Writers' Association told me about her Cat Training Flash Cards. Huh? Cats can read flash cards? Or maybe these intended for Humans who haven't read Bobbi's article, Training Your Cat Like a Dog. We'll have a link to Su Ewing's cards on our Cat Favorites page soon.
February 18, 2012:
Some of our MEWSical Society members keep in close touch, sending letters (Tyler) and photos. You'll see Willow doing yoga at the right, and Bailey in his basket.
Many of us were "rescue" cats, either adopted from a shelter or "found" somewhere. Bailey and Cuddles were among a colony of cats and kittens living on a business property in Florida. They were adopted by the humans who owned the business, and taken with them when they moved to Montana.
Bobbi found me at the Ottawa Humane Society I hadn't been living outdoors in a feral colony, but rather in a home with my mom and siblings. That may explain why I'm such a Well Behaved Kitty.
Or it could be that she's such a good kitty-trainer. Everybody should read her award-winning article, How to Train a Cat Like a Dog. It won $1000 from Sticky Paws at the 2002 Cat Writers' Association annual conference.
Here's a clever kitty book reviewer named Melon, reading a book written by one of our fans: http://tinyurl.com/6qqakt7
February 11, 2012:
We're celebrating Valentine's Day all next week. I'm wearing my "I Love Hugs" sweater, which is very cozy, and waiting for Bobbi to give me some Valentine treats.
Have you checked out the Cat Facts page? Bobbi keeps adding stuff there, and just included something about how brave cats are. A friend send us a quote by SAKI: Confront a child, a puppy, and a kitten with a sudden danger; the child will turn instinctively for assistance, the puppy will grovel in abject submission, the kitten will brace its tiny body for a frantic resistance. Many people see this in action all the time, along with big dogs and tiny kittens who have become pals.
February 3, 2012:
February is Pet Dental Awareness Month. I'm not going to fib and say that this makes me Happy. I'm Very Good about letting Bobbi clean my ears and clip my nails, and I love to be Brushed. But I'm not crazy about having her stick a toothbrush in my mouth!
However, last fall I had to spend an Entire Day at the vet to have my teeth cleaned, and I know the only way to keep that from happening again is to let her brush my teeth. Fortunately, she found a little rubber Finger Brush that's soft, and the toothpaste tastes pretty good.
I'm sure everyone knows you shouldn't use Human Toothpaste, but if you don't have the Special Pet Toothpaste on hand, you can use some baking soda. It seems to be the brushing that's important, not the paste.
Bobbi also adds something to my Water Bowl. It tastes great, and is supposed to help keep my teeth clean.
Speaking of Bobbi, she was interviewed on a local radio station this week. She spoke to Mitchell Caplan on CHUO's popular program, Click, discussing how Prose to Go was produced and her role as the Managing Editor. She read the beginning of Crickets, one of her contributions to the book, in which Simon Teakettle plays a Significant Part. Listen to the interview HERE.
As you can see by the photo to the right, I slept throught the Whole Thing.
January 28, 2012:
When I first started my MEWSical Society, I had no idea how popular it would become. We capped the membership at 33 cats (and the parrot, Mrs. Doyle, who was one of the founders). But cats and other animals clamoured to join. So I agreed to create a Fan Club. Now that group has 66 cats, 35 dogs, 2 birds, 2 alpacas, 1 llama, 1 horse, 1 rabbit, 2 beta fish, and 4 hens.
A few of our original Society members have retired, resulting in a couple of replacements and several promotions. See the new line-up on the revised MEWSical Society page.
Meanwhile, despite valuable assistance from the world-famous percussion group, NEXUS, I found that providing accompaniment for our Virtual MEWSical Productions was a daunting task. I have just four paws, after all, and Mrs. Doyle has just two claws to drum on her cage, perch, and any other object she can find.
So I've enlisted a few of my jungle pals to help me out. You'll see that our Virtual Orchestra includes a camel, a rhino, a ram, an elephant, and a giraffe, and two hippos. The blue one is an offspring of the blue hippo in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
You'll see bongos and a rectangular wooden drum tuned so that it produces different tones, along with a rainstick. Off to the right is a large one from Kenya.
January 20, 2012:
Many years ago, my predecessor (Simon II, aka Tiki) wrote an article for CATS Magazine called Cats vs Dogs: A Continuing Controversy. It later appeared in Mewsings. Now, one of our favorite authors, Allia Zobel Nolan, has expanded that idea, canvassing cats around the world to share why they'd rather be cats than dogs. With charming illustrations, this little book is just large enough for a feline to sit on, holding a page open to something they want to share, such as Cats don't beg. It's not our style. We simply put on our "if I don't get a treat this second I'll die face." See a full description and a link to the publisher on our Favorite Cat Books page.
January 13, 2012:
This is the first of three Fridays this year that fall on the 13th. The other two are in April and July, and this year they're 13 weeks apart! There are lots of Fascinating Facts about why 13 is considered unlucky, which you'll find on our Facts page, and information about black cats on the Cat Facts page.
Sammy Olson is just one of the black cats in my MEWSical Society. He looks a lot like Tiki, who also had just a tiny white locket. Other black members include Tyler Coxon, Natasha (Nat the Brat) Lennick, Charlie Heenan, Jorgito Jacobson, and Pigeon Stowe.
January 7, 2012:
I am a Very Good Kitty. For that reason, we don't need Steve Dale's terrific new ebook, Good Cat! But Steve's cat, Roxy, is a member of our MEWSical Society, so it's only right that I promote his book. As another MEWSical Society human pal, Darlene Arden, has said, Dale ferrets out the answers from internationally known experts, as well as from his own expertise as a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant.
She also mentions that Tribune Media, who host Steve's award-winning column, has published both this and a companion ebook, Good Dog! Bobbi was on Steve's popular radio show in October, 2007, when she left me alone (yikes!) to visit Chicago.
Bobbi promised me she'd put a full description of Good Cat! on the cat books' page, HERE. Steve also has a great website and blog.
January 1, 2012:
Happy New Year!
We're celebrating by announcing that we now have 66 cats, 35 dogs, 2 birds, 2 alpacas, 1 llama, 1 horse, 1 rabbit, 2 beta fish, and 4 hens in our Fan Club!
One is a Bengal kitten, who likes to sleep upside down. Here's Kyara Seguin, who lives in Gatineau, Quebec, with her older sister, Nala.
Another is Mactavish Cameron, a Sheltie who has been nicknamed Tavarotti, because he likes to sing! He lives in Nova Scotia.
And we have two darling Rottweilers, Max and Marley Preston, from British Columbia, who like to cuddle on the couch.
We've been asked about our hens. They live in Santa Monica, with a dog and three cats, and are named after legendary sit-com stars. Here are Lucy & Ethel (named after the I Love Lucy friends), admiring each other.
Their sisters, Laverne & Shirley, make up the rest of the Halperin Hens, much loved by the dog Huxley, who belongs to the Fan Club along with Halperin cats Salem, Boo and Claire.
Terzo, above, and Seren, below:\
Charlie Miccio, lives
in Felton, Delaware, with
five Tibetan spaniels.
Gabby Si Kucing Gedikz,
who lives in Malaysia.
Here I am at the computer, writing my blog.
Mewsings/Musings won
a Certificate of Excellence
at the 2002 Cat Writers' Association conference,
where Bobbi was also a featured speaker.
Terzo's Baby Pictures:
We often receive new photos of
members of my MEWSical Society.
Here's Bailey Russo:
Macy, the Maine Coon in
Amy Shojai's thriller.
The goat named Bobbi, in Kikima, Kenya.
Our Fan Club now has 87 cats, 49 dogs, a parrot,
4 alpacas, a llama, a horse, a rabbit, 2 fish, 4 hens,
a robin, two ducks, a pig and a goat, from
ten countries, including New Zealand, the
U.K., Norway, Sweden, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Kenya, the U.S. and Canada.
Here I am, as a kitten, learning to spell
Mewsings on the Scrabble board.
Here I am, listening to NEXUS and The Canadian
Brass, as I figure out the percussion line for one of our
productions. And here I am trying to teach Tazi how
to play the tambourines:
The only pig in my Fan Club, Wilbur Chonko
lives with two dogs and two cats in Florida.
Lily discovers a possum
beside her bowl.
Terzo found a mouse IN his bowl!
Bart Taylor, following some of the
instructions in The
Cat Manual.
My favorite lobster toy joins both
U.S. and Canadian flags this month.
My favorite of the six Huston kitties
is Dexter, because he's a tuxedo.
Here's a photo of me when I first came
to live here, at 10 weeks old. I wasn't
adopted from a cat cafe, but from the
Ottawa Humane Society.
|
10 Ways You Know Your Cat Rules You |
Angela Zobel napping on the corner
of Allia's desk in Norwalk, Connecticut.
And here is Tempe Katz-Couvrette,
helping with the filing.
Beauty Benedik, Montreal
Chocka Pitt claiming the only dog bed in the room.
Yours Truly, sitting up for treat.
That's Bobbi's hand, as Lorna Olson
took the photo.
Sammy Teakettle Olson
Les Chats de Dubout
Chummy trying to monopolize the front door,
as I climb on my stool and give him a nudge.
Pookie Hamilton, giving her full attention to Birds on TV!
And, below, Chocka Pitt, confessing.
I don't sleep inside anything, and think this kitty must be very
uncomfortable. But somebody sent this photo to Bobbi, saying she
thought it looked like Yours Truly:
Hank, Independent Candidate for the
U.S. Senate, in Springfield, Virginia
Queezle Eldredge
with her pups:
Holding onto my new orange fish.Willow Atherton-Reid doing yoga:
Bailey Russo relaxing in his basket:
Sitting in the February sun.
And curled up on my fur bed (which is on top of my paw print blanket.
Some of my percussion instruments, laid out on the piano bench.
And the members of my Virtual Orchestra:
Sammy Olson, Thunder Bay, Ontario.
