Atlanta area...

Zoo Atlanta is pleased to announce yet another way friends and fans can participate in the campaign to keep giant pandas in Atlanta. Join Pints for Pandas, an upcoming tasting event presented by SweetWater Brewing Company on Friday, August 14 at 9 p.m. All ticket proceeds will go directly to the Give So They Stay campaign!
Visit www.pintsforpandas.blogspot.com for tickets and information. The event will take place at the SweetWater Brewery at 195 Ottley Drive in Midtown Atlanta.

Darby O'Gill

This big boy is one of my success rescues, he has been through it with an abscessed face and being hit by a car, but he is whole and healthy and actually loves being an indoor lap cat now even after the years he spent outside running around, but he was never feral, he was just never properly taken care of. He is a big tuxedo Maine Coon with light green eyes & yes he is spoiled.

cute & funny

Stop shelter animals from being sold for research!!

Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the petition: "Stop Shelter Animals From Being Sold for Research!".

Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We are trying to reach 50000 signatures - please sign here:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/649021463

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well.

Thank you again!

A thank you for giving these dogs a chance...

Dear Friends,
I have just read and signed the petition: "Over 400 Dogs Spared a Life of Unimaginable Suffering".
Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We are trying to reach 10000 signatures - please sign here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/911002395

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well.
Thank you! Love & light

Bad news on Yellow...

The vet took one look at him & knew he was very ill, so she suggested prior to neutering he be tested for the FIV, FIP & leukemia...well poor Yellow Cat was pretty far gone with it, hence the bad condition he was in. He was already suffering breathing issues not to mention the state of his overall physical body. I thought he just had severe malnutrition. The vet suggested putting him to sleep which we did even though it made me heartsick. Now that I think about it, it is rare a tom cat comes to your house, stays in a tree and doesn't leave, even at night. I guess the poor little guy knew he was on his last legs. It makes me so angry that there are so many irresponsible people out there contributing to the poor life conditions all these unwanted animals must face. I want to scream and hit and rail at someone right now, everyone really. Spay and neuter is the answer, why so many people ignore that is beyond me. I am grateful to my vets, they have always been compassionate and have even cried with me when warranted and rejoiced at other times like when Darby made a full recovery from what could have been a deadly blow. Well I guess this is my last Yellow Cat update, Godspeed little kitty. RIP.

another funny cat...

Lion petition...

Dear Friends,
I have just read and signed the petition: "Save Lions From Carbofuran Pesticide Poisoning!".
Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We are trying to reach 50000 signatures - please sign here:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/669931689

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well.
Thank you! Peace, love & light!

Tutankhamen

Tutankhamen giving me the evil eye for taking his picture with the bright flash.

This is my heart, he'll be 14 years old September 23rd and he is such a good boy and a mama's boy too. :)

cat funny of the day...

This just made me laugh, we have a glass coffee table & end tables, and I never thought to get a picture like this!!

Yellow Cat update...

He is the stray/feral that I mentioned in a below post.
I finally got him into our outdoor building on Friday to keep him out of harms way until his vet appointment to get fixed and get his wounds treated if they need it on Thursday. I don't know what they will say about the state of his skin and coat, I can't figure it out, I guess just being outside, but his fur is really thinning out. He is eating OK and using the litter box fine, but he stays up in the rafters of the building a lot. This cat really likes being up high, it must make him feel better. Today was the first day he was down while I came in to feed and water him. He let me pet him a little bit. I was hoping he would be used to it by now, but I think he is just scared never having been kept inside anywhere. But his day with the vet is almost here, and he can get back out and about a few days after his 'fixing'.

From Alley Cat Allies...

Thank Florida Prosecutors for Enforcing Anti-Cruelty Laws:

Over 30 cats have been found dead in Miami-Dade County, Florida, their bodies mutilated. The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office is pursuing and prosecuting this case under the Florida anti-cruelty law (§ 828.12). The cats who were brutally killed--and the people who cared for them--deserve justice.Please help us thank the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office for upholding anti-cruelty law by lending your name to the "Thank you" petition. This petition will be sent with a letter from Alley Cat Allies, thanking the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office for their action. Encourage friends, and family to sign as well.Thank you for helping to protect the lives of cats.Sign the Petition: http://bit.ly/27Etu8

Please take a moment to thank the law enforcement who respect all life & are willing to punish this heinous crime. Thank you! Peace & blessings!!

Whiskers!!

Look at those whiskers, they are bigger than she is!! Kiara is our mini Maine Coon that we brought inside when a dog chased her onto our front porch. I believe she was an elderly neighbor's cat who passed away & the family of the elderly lady came into town and put her out without another thought, how someone could toss this precious little life out is beyond my comprehension, but as we all know it is a tragedy that happens all too often and is eating away at the the soul of humanity as we speak.
She showed up at our house originally about a week after my queen kitty Nala passed and she would lay on the rock next to Nala's grave, well at that point I wasn't sure if she was actually still being taken care of as some one's pet or what, but the day the dog was chasing her, I am glad it was my porch she chose to run too & that was too much for me, she was not used to being outside and would not have made it, so in she came. She brought me back to 5 inside cats, which my husband assures me is absolutely the limit. Kiara is doing well and is being spoiled, she is somewhat shy but sweet as sugar, she has had to get used to the other cats though, there is still hissing and carrying on sometimes.

Dawn saves wildlife!

This is a very cool thing, if you buy one of the special bottles of Dawn dishwashing liquid seen above, you can go to their website & register your bottle (there's a code at the bottom of each bottle) & they will donate $1 towards The Marine Mammal Center and The International Bird Rescue Research Center to help fund important wildlife conservation projects that protect animals and their natural habitats. I only paid $1 for my bottle at Walmart!!! I got the orange scent, it has the duckie on the front. For most of us this is a normal purchase, so please think about trying Dawn so you can be part of the donation process to help wildlife, it's such a simple thing to do. Thanks!!

Here is the site where you register your bottle:

http://www.dawn-dish.com/en_US/savingwildlife/home.do

A new stray/feral has adopted us...

He's a skittish but sweet yellow tabby, my husband spotted him 1st and fed him, and of course he hasn't left since. He has apparently decided he likes the 'pampered life' of guaranteed food and protection from all these summer storms on my covered front porch. He's been with us for over a week now. His coat is bad, he has some old fight wounds & he needs fixed, so I made an appointment with the vet for next Thursday. Of course the fab five, especially Darby, are not pleased with this new visitor hanging out on their front porch, but luckily the herd are all indoor kitties and can't act out their displeasure.

SmartyKat Super Scratcher

My herd loves these things, they definitely prefer them to the posts, although they still use the posts some. I have read the corrugated cardboard feels natural on their paws, like tree bark would. They also have 'green' pluses - organic catnip, made of recycled materials and biodegradable in nature....it's a win-win!!

Darby is the model for the day in the photo, he is tired from scratching and has made it a bed!!

Help Arctic Wildlife

Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the petition: "Regulate Shipping to Protect Arctic Wildlife".

Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We are trying to reach 10000 signatures - please sign here:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/171028412

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well.

Thank you & have a good evening. Ciao!!

Rocky Top cat

Our colorful girl, we call Phoebe our Rocky Top cat, as we live in Knoxville, home of the UT Vols, whose team colors are orange and white, and fight song is Rocky Top

Darby, catnip & a tennis ball

He's just being a little silly here, I love how he kicks at the tennis ball. I know it's kind of dark, but you can see his little white feet going!!

And the study says...

Cats DO Control Humans, Study Finds....here is the link from LiveScience.com, but didn't we already know that :)


http://www.livescience.com/animals/090713-cats-cry.html

Another Irish quote...

Beware of people who dislike cats - Irish Proverb

Maybe I appreciate cats so much due to some of my Irish ancestors!

Gypsy

I can always count on Gypsy to be posing for the camera :)

Cat Quote

"Thou art the Great Cat, the avenger of the Gods, and the judge of words, and the president of the sovereign chiefs and the governor of the holy Circle; thou art indeed...the Great Cat." - Inscription on the Royal Tombs at Thebes

Cats played a really big part in Ancient Egyptian culture. In fact, the cat was one of the animals they worshipped, the goddess Bast had a huge following. Those of us with cats in our homes can certainly understand why with the grace and dignity all felines seem to possess almost from birth. We went to a local museum recently where they have an ancient Egyptian collection and part of the collection to our surprise was mummified cats! They did this to honor them in their death, I thought it was very interesting & this quote made me think of that.

Help ban bullfighting

Dear Friends,
I have just read and signed the petition: "Help Ban Bullfighting".
Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We are trying to reach 50000 signatures - please sign here:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/638133842

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well.
Thank you!

Beautiful Irish quote

"A cat's eyes are windows enabling us to see into another world." - Irish Saying







And in honor of the above Irish cat quote, a tribute to the Emerald Isle herself with the flag flying high over Bunratty Castle in the Shannon region, this is my fav photo from my son's recent trip to Erie, Erin Go Bragh!!

King Tut on the catnip

Heehee, so cute! He's licking the catnip off the scratching post and then the look on his face after indulging :)

Petition - Save the whales!

Dear Friends,
I have just read and signed the petition: "Stand Up for Whales - Don't Rest Until There's Justice!".
Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We are trying to reach 20,000 signatures - please sign here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/414048529

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well.

Thank you!

Another collage

What's in a name?

The naming of cats is a difficult matter. It isn't just one of your holiday games. You may think at first I'm mad as a hatter. When I tell you a cat must have three different names... - T.S. Eliot

The Fab Five + Nala the queen cat:

Nala, my queen cat - my son was 2 years when Nala came into the family, his favorite movie was The Lion King, Nala is Simba's (The Lion King) mate in the movie, I also found out this was a Swahili word that meant gift & it was perfect for her.

King Tutankhamen - I have always had a love for history & ancient Egypt is a favorite. I also remember reading the Marmaduke comic strip as a kid & there was a Siamese Cat that would make appearances from time to time & his name was King Tut & I thought that was cute. Plus, he really is a king, so the name fits!

Phoebe - Also in my love for history, Greek mythology is an interest. Phoebe is a big calico with a round white face. In Greek mythology Phoebe was one of the original Titan goddesses and is associated with the moon. Plus I was heavy into my geneaology research at the time and the name Phoebe makes several appearances in my family tree.

Gypsy Lady - Well this little Maine Coon popped into our garage almost 3 years ago to give birth & has never left. I found good homes for all the kittens & she found her home here. Gypsy from the Cher song Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves, and then I added the Lady because there is a Brooks & Dunn song called My Maria and there is one verse "Gypsy Lady" & the way he sings it, well I just love it!!!

Darby O'Gill - This gent belonged to the previous owner of our house, who was left by them. He was an outside cat at that time, we have since brought him in and made him an inside kitty. So Darby was his original name and the O'Gill came from my mom because she remembered the old fairy tales about the Irishman of the same name.

Kiara - Nala, who was a beautiful blue-gray and white dsh, passed away on Sept 16th, 2008. We buried her at the end of my herb garden next to a big flat rock. The week she passed this little bit of dark striped gray & white Maine Coon cat showed up on my front porch and her favorite place to lay was on the rock next to Nala's grave. Kiara then became our 3rd Maine Coon adoption. Nala being named after the Lion King movie, it seemed fitting the one sent in her place also be named from the movie, Kiara was Nala's daughter in the movie, so we now have our Kiara who is my little fairy kitty.

My girls...

Phoebe & Gypsy, the copy cats!

One of my favorites...