Scotty's Big Rescue... Part 2

Last week Paddy the Library cat told us about the teamwork it took for his rescued friend Scotty to arrive at his new forever home. Today Paddy tells us a little more about his new friend:


There are so many good people taking care of us cats--and dogs too! I hope they know how grateful we are. I was rescued too. I know.




Anyway, Scotty has turned out to be quite the boy. He is very big and, at first, he was a little too wild for us.


He even scared the dogs into a corner whenever he had the chance.

But our youngest cat, Skookumchuck [Skookie] didn't know enough to be afraid of him. Skookie insisted on jumping at Scotty and running circles around him. This helped Scotty to learn more quickly how to adjust. Now Scotty is getting used to being a house cat, thanks to Skookie!

Scottie and Skookie

Scotty goes outside once in awhile, under close watch, but he is learning that inside is better and safer and that food comes magically twice a day in a little blue dish with paws on it.

Next week I will tell you a little bit about Scotty's ancestry!

Thanks for visiting!


Paddy The Library Cat is a featured columnist here at 365 Cat Ladies and Friends. He is the Library Cat at Pacelli High School in Wisconsin. You may leave messages for him in the Comments section below this post. Thanks for visiting!

Market Research Results....And a Winner!!

A big thank you to everyone who helped Buttonwillow and me with Market Research this past week!

Readers were asked for their feedback on 16 of my new pendant designs. You can see the choices and read all of the responses here: What's Cookin' at World Headquarters.

Design "J" (Garden Cat, inspected here by Buttonwillow) was by far the most popular. The tabby cat, raccoon and kitten/bird/butterfly designs were also top picks. Opinion was just about split on the heart dangle vs. no dangle preference so I'll try to offer each design both with and without the dangle in the future...

Each name was thrown into a hat and last night a name was drawn at random to win the pendant of her choice. And that lucky winner is: Cat Lady Tanya who is currently in Great Britain but hails from South Africa. Congratulations!!!!

In her commentary, Tanya had expressed interest in a ginger tabby, so she chose this pendant from my Etsy shop:

Here she tells us why:

"My blog 3 Cats Creations is inspired by my three cats, Tiger, Garfield and Peanuts.

"Tiger was the oldest of our cats. She followed us home one day and from that day on was always a part of our family. On her first vet checkup the vet told us that she was a boy, but a few weeks later we realised how much fatter Tiger was getting. So we took her back to the vet and guess what, our little 'boy' was pregnant. That was quite a shock.

"Garfield was one of Tiger's kittens. He got his name from my hubby because he was orange and my hubby likes Garfield so it was a perfect match.

"Peanuts was my little lady, I found her one day in a bush crying really hard. She was so tiny, only about 4 weeks old. So I took her home and because Tiger was still feeding her kittens she eventually accepted Peanuts as one of her own.

"Unfortunately Tiger and Peanuts have passed away, and Garfield my big orange boy lives in South Africa with his grandparents while my hubby and I do some traveling. It has been so difficult leaving him behind.

"That is why I started making cats and painting cats, it makes me feel like my cats are still a part of me and a little bit of them goes into each of the cats I create."

Be sure to check out Tanya's adorable creations in her Etsy Shop: 3 Cats Creations on Etsy!


In the mean time, lots of new pendants are in the works here at Susan Faye World Headquarters, thanks to all of your valuable input. I'll be adding new designs to my Etsy Shop in the coming weeks. Visit this link to see the current selection: Susan Faye Wearable Art Glass Pendants

Thanks for visiting!

Remembering Old Friends--Part 4

Meet "The Fellas", two lucky pups rescued by Dog Lover Barbara--health care nurse by day and guardian angel to canine cuties by night...

Barbara told me about her guys in a letter written soon after this portrait was painted:

"Ozzi, the fella on the left, was originally found wandering the streets. He was a rescue dog I fostered for about half an hour before deciding he wasn’t going anywhere.

"He got his name because he was the companion, at that time, to my 16-year-old poodle named Toto. I wanted to keep the Wizard of Oz theme, plus I’ve always been an Ozzy Osbourne fan. I’m guessing he’s a long hair Chihuahua and Tibetan spaniel mix, mainly based on people’s reactions to his looks. He’s such a funny little guy, he bounces all the time. He loves to be laughed at, he learned long ago if he does his hoppy, bouncy thing, he gets loads of attention.

"Tippy on the right is a rescued Lhaso Apso who was surrendered at the young age of 2 for biting. His name was Tippy when I adopted him, and I’ve always guessed he was named that because he loves to walk on his ‘tippy toes’ ... He is very affectionate, but also a reliable guard dog. I adopted him, not knowing how much I would learn as we got to know each other. About a year and a half ago he became paralyzed when he jumped off a piece of furniture. He had surgery, and now is able to walk and run and has even started swimming as part of his on-going exercise."

"Together they are just too cute! They attract many comments when we’re out in public together. Great ice breakers! They get along well with Tippy the younger one allowing Oz to be ‘the boss’."

Sadly, Barbara and Tippy had to say goodbye to Ozzi several weeks ago on July 5.

Barabara writes: "It’s been hard, but your portrait will always be a wonderful reminder of him. I look at the portrait that you created and I see so much of his personality in it. It is a lovely memorial to him. I have since adopted a little poodle/Pomeranian mix named Chloe. It doesn’t make me miss Oz any less, but it does help Tip. Dogs get so lonely when their companions pass away--they just don’t understand."

Barbara--Our hearts go out to you and Tippy. Ozzi was one lucky pup to find such a loving home, and now Chloe is too!

Remembering Old Friends--Part 3

It was with heavy hearts but many happy memories that Crazy Cat Lady Carm, Feline Fella Randy, and the 8GR8CATS had to say goodbye to their beloved Puff-Kitty Silhouette a few weeks ago.

"Her loss leaves such an emptiness in us as her constant presence over the last 12- almost 13- years filled our days with love," says Carm. The very first of the Eight Great Cats, Puffy was a stray that suddenly appeared on the back doorstep of Carm and Randy one fateful October night and charmed her way into their lives. "Being a solid black-colored cat, only her peridot-colored eyes would shine in the night as she made plaintive pleas to let her come in so that we could become her PURRsons...Puffy worked her black feline magic and opened our hearts and the door to our home!"

Here is a beautiful poem that Carm wrote about Puff-Kitty Silhouette a few years ago and is a beautiful tribute to a beautiful cat who converted two beautiful people into devoted Feline Fanatics! (reprinted with permission of the author)

SILHOUETTE

Black silken fur and peridot eyes
My angel wears a spooky disguise

A purr like a motor, a meow that's so sweet
She greets me in earnest each time that we meet

I shall never forget that cold wintry day
That I fell in love with a thin matted stray

I opened the door, she opened my heart
It was clear from that moment, we never will part

Black silken fur and peridot eyes
I gave her my heart and what a surprise

A friend for a life time, a love that's so rare
Devotion forever if only I'd care

I shall never forget that cold wintry day
That I fell in love with a thin matted stray

I opened the door, she opened my heart
It was clear from that moment we never will part

Perched on a window to watch the sun set
A perfect black outline, my sweet Silhouette.

See photos and learn more about Puff-Kitty here: Thankful For Puff-Kitty Silhouette

Thanks for visiting!

Recently Hatched...

Drumroll please...

Introducing my brand new website:
www.SusanFaye.net!!!!

After a year or two of trying to fit up to five different websites and links on my tiny business cards (there's only so much you can fit onto 2 x 3.5 inches and still have it readable...), it was my fondest desire to have a single website address. I further dreamed of a website that was cute and simple to use; a directory containing all of those links in one place.

To my delight, Cat Lady Sarah (aka The Grape Lady) recently came to the rescue!

In addition to being a Crazy Cat Lady and Wildlife Mom (be sure to check out her blog The Raccoon Chronicles for some insanely cute photos), Sarah is a talented website designer. You can see more of her work here: Sarah Hunt Photography & Design

It was a fun collaboration and she is creative, speedy, and easy to work with!

Here is the happy result:

To celebrate, I'm having a special offer in my Etsy Shop this weekend. With any purchase you will receive a free catnip toy of your choice (limit one freebie per household). Just be sure to visit the new website, enjoy clicking on all of the links, then see if anything tickles your fancy in my Etsy Shop. If you do make a purchase, just add the code "catnip toy" in the "note to seller" when checking out and specify which catnip toy you would like if you have a preference.

If you have any questions at all, it's VERY easy to contact me now. Just visit the website and click on that little birdie with the envelope!!!

Thanks for visiting!

Scotty's Big Rescue

When not overseeing the Pacelli High School Library, Paddy is at home with quite an assortment of furry friends and two very nice Cat Ladies. Today he introduces one of his special friends.



Hi everybody. I am having a lazy summer sitting in the window watching the flowers grow. I have a friend named Scotty who sits with me sometimes, and he has a great rescue story. I really believe in rescue. So many people find a lot of love and peace when they find one of us in need.


We found Scotty on the Internet on the Scottish Fold Rescue site last fall. He had been a stray in North Carolina that a lady named Nichole tried to befriend. It took her many months to even get close to this cat. He was skinny and matted and very wild. When he finally let Nichole feed him, he would only come to her porch for food until, eventually, he let her hold him. Then he would purr and purr. He turned out to be a real love, but he remained wild.

Because Nichole couldn’t keep him, she contacted a cat rescue person named Melody. We found Melody’s name when we discovered Scotty on the Internet, and then a great adventure began: How to get Scotty from North Carolina to central Wisconsin where we live?

Melody eventually contacted Animal Rescue Flights or ARF , a “non-profit, charitable organization of pilots, volunteers, and friends who believe in the benefit of volunteering [their] skills and resources to help save animals in need. Animal Rescue Flights promotes, plans, and performs the transportation of animals from overcrowded shelters where they face certain death to other parts of the country where qualified families are waiting to adopt them. There is never a fee of any kind, either to the sender or the receiver of an animal flying with ARF.”

ARF arranged for five pilots to fly Scotty in a relay from Goldsboro, North Carolina [Tom] to Lewisburg, West Virginia [Rick] to Columbus, Ohio [Tom] to Indianapolis, Indiana[Mike] to Aurora, Illinois where Todd took off with Scotty for central Wisconsin where we picked him up at the local airport just 5 minutes from our house. All of this happened on November 28, 2009. We watched Scotty’s progress all day on radar. It was an unbelievable day made possible by so many generous people.

Todd made a video of Scotty’s adventure which is on YouTube:



You can also view it here on Todd's blog post. Isn't it exciting?! I'll tell you more about Scotty in my next blog post. Thanks for visiting!

Paddy The Library Cat is a featured columnist here at 365 Cat Ladies and Friends. He is the Library Cat at Pacelli High School in Wisconsin. You may leave messages for him in the Comments section below this post. Thanks for visiting!

Remembering Old Friends--Part 2

It was with great sadness that Cat Lady Cynthia (Cat Lady No. 205) said goodbye to her beloved Montana last week. The patriarch of his cat family (pictured front and center above with Grace, Wolfgang Thomas, Poe, Sophie Isabel Moon, Callie Kat, and Countess Ivy Von Macula), he had just celebrated his 19th birthday on June 14.

His nicknames included Little Man, The Buddha, and Boo Boo. This was how Cynthia described him in a blog post last year: "He's been with me through 10 moves and 6 new cats. Montana is one of those laid-back, dog-like cats that loves to chat with me. He's one of those a 'one-in-a-million' cats that I know I'll never have again. I cherish every day I have with him and hope for many more. He's my Soul Cat."

This beautiful watercolor of Montana was painted by Cynthia's father. She tells us:

"My parents are both artists...My mother's work is more abstract. My father, Thomas Gaskill, at 85 is still painting (mostly watercolors) and enters a piece yearly in the Florida Watercolor Society competition & other national shows. Although animals are not his usual subject to paint, he did it as a favor for me last winter - a labor of love. Whereas it was a treasure then, it is now priceless to me. "

"Montana's presence in our home was as huge as he was in his earlier days...we all miss his Buddha spirit and kind heart."

Remembering Old Friends

Cat Lady Alison (aka CL # 333) recently commissioned a portrait of some dear old friends:

Here she tells us a little bit about them in her own words:

"I'd be lost without a cat in my life!

"When I was 3-1/2 years old, a cousin's cat Midnight had an "oopsy" litter of kittens. This serves as a reminder that you should always SPAY & NEUTER your pets. We had attended my cousin's party and got to see the kittens. I was totally surprised when my parents asked me the next day if I wanted one. Who could turn down such an offer? And that's how our first cat, Miss Kitty, came into our lives. Being our first, she was special. Miss Kitty was a tabby with grayish brown striped coat and had the cutest round patch of white fur on her chest - we called it her 'pearl.' She was highly protective of my family when strangers were in the house and earned the nickname 'attack cat"'. She was not a mushy cat, she was very independent and it seemed like she was always "just there'...usually curled up sleeping. It was through her great 19 years with us that our love of felines was established, and when that sad day came to say 'good-bye' we honored her by feeling brave enough to accept a new cat into our broken hearts.

"Recently graduated from college (cats sure do mark time with you), and being the dead of winter, it was going to be hard to find a kitten outside of kitten season. Our first trip to Long Island's famous animal shelter North Shore Animal League proved just that - no kittens. (One day I promise I will adopt an older cat - perhaps in my older age). A shelter volunteer tipped us off that Saturday mornings new kittens were arriving. That next Saturday morning - early - we walked into the kitten-filled room. A good-looking, perfectly-marked, black and white tuxedo stuck her paw out as I passed her cage, and once confirmed she was a female, Katarina was in my arms. One should always RESCUE & ADOPT.

"From the minute Katarina jumped out of her box carrier once home, our lives were never the same. She was so different in personality and temperament, she was a true mush--the center of attention, graceful, highly intelligent and a truly loving cat, who always had her photo taken to finish up a roll of film. She was treated like a princess, and she returned our love many times over. Near the end of her 20 years with us, she required twice daily meds, which I gladly administered...it was earth shattering when she selected the week I had off from work to finally show us that it was time. With the absolute heaviest of hearts my whole family helped her over the Rainbow Bridge, where she promised she me she'd be waiting. Katarina was perfect in every way.

"There was a serious void in our lives, so it was off to the shelters again...and that is how Mina, our gray and white tuxedo, with a splash of white up her face, came to be with us. It was a delight having new life amongst our family...but in the 3 short months we had with her, we could tell something was not right, she never seemed to thrive. We have a few memories of our Mina, but sadly she was diagnosed with the deadly disease FIP. Unless FIP crosses your path, you will not know its horrors. Incurable and always fatal...we had to say goodbye to sweet wee Mina at the tender age of 5 months. The loss of her broke my heart. I was convinced she would be the last cat I would let into my life. I have joined forces online with others (strangers, now 'family') who have lost kittens and cats to FIP. Together we are in a crusade to help find a cure to FIP... in Mina's, and all their cats', memory. We just had a raffle ticket fundraiser which raised $6,193 in under a month going to the Winn Feline - The Bria Fund for FIP research. I send special thanks to Susan for donating gift items to this Fundraiser!

"I am now the proud 'cat mom' of Keely & Fiona - who help me continue to have cats grace my life. As for Miss Kitty, Katarina and sweet wee Mina, I'll meet them at the Rainbow Bridge one day...they all promised! "

What's Cookin' At World Headquarters...and a Giveaway!

Illustration Friday
(theme:"breakfast")


There's more than just breakfast cooking here at Susan Faye World Headquarters (pictured at left: Buttonwillow's dream breakfast).





Studio Assistant Buttonwillow and I are up to our elbows in Research & Development experimenting with designs for my new wearable art glass pendants.

Market Research is next and Buttonwillow can't decide which is her favorite. She needs your help!

Please take a look at the 16 newest designs below, and tell her which one you like the best in the Comments section at the end of this post (additional feedback, opinions and suggestions would be most appreciated and welcome if you are so inclined--i.e., do you prefer the ones with the heart dangles or without?)...[Ed. note: an astute reader or two pointed out that there are TWO I's... I'm changing them to I-A and I-B!]

As a thank you, your name will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a pendant of your choice, which will include 24" petite ball chain (up to a $20 value)!!! One name will be drawn at random on Sunday, July 25, at 8:00 p.m. PST.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G
H

I-A
I-B

J

K

L

M

N

O

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you in case you are the lucky winner, such as a link to your blog or e-mail address included in your comment.

Also, if you encounter trouble with the Comments feature, please contact me by e-mail --you'll find a link under my Profile.

All of the pendants pictured are currently for sale in my Etsy Shop online.

Thanks for visiting!

Everything's Coming Up Lavender!

Like Buttonwillow, you may be wondering what I've been up to lately.

I'm taking a little break from custom portraits during July and August, but I've got a few other projects up my sleeve. Such as making this small army of kitty corsage brooches. Just where are they all marching off to?

The Yamhill Lavender Festival in the Oregon countryside! Come visit me at my booth this weekend where I will be selling lavender sachets, catnip toys and much more!

This very AROMATIC festival takes place in the charming town of Yamhill, Oregon, in Beulah Park just off Hwy 47 on the corner of Hemlock Street and 3rd Street. There will be a plein air art show, arts and crafts booths, plant sales, food, music, and lavender in every imaginable form. Many local lavender farms will be opening their gates and giving tours.

The luscious art on the postcard above is a pastel painting by well-known regional artist Susan Day (not to be confused with Susan Faye!). For more information about the festival, visit Yamhill Lavender Festival

In the mean time, Buttonwillow needs to take a little time-out from her work as quality control inspector...

A studio assistant's work is never done!

Buttonwillow Strikes a Pose

Tom Cox and Janet of Under The Paw are hosting their Third Annual Most Witless-Looking Cat Competition, which ends on July 7.

I asked Buttonwillow if she would like to participate and, being a good sport, she tried out this pose:


I think she did a phenomenal job, don't you?

To enter your own little darling or to see all of the entries, you must be a member of Facebook and go to this link: Witless Cat Competition. Buttonwillow and I would appreciate your comments on her entry. Not on Facebook? You can enjoy past entries here: 2009 Winners

Thanks for visiting!