Rescue Cats-- A Love Story From Cat Lady Kim

Every time I post an image of my studio assistant Buttonwillow, I'm surprised at how many Cat Ladies comment that she looks just like their very own beloved bi-color kitty. Miss BeeDub is proud to have so many twins all over the world!

I am also constantly inspired by stories of cat rescue and adoption told by animal lovers from around the globe, particularly those who adopt adult and hard-to-place cats.  One such cat lover is Cat Lady Kim who recently wrote to me after seeing Buttonwillow's portrait, telling me how much it reminded of her of Midy, pictured here.  Sadly, Kim had said goodbye to 17-year-old Midy just days before.

Midy

Here is the story of Midy's adoption as told by Kim:

We have been doing cat rescue since my Hubby and I were married 36 years ago. Most of our kitties have come from the streets. After one of my kitties died (Angel, my Soulmate,19 years of age) we went to the local shelter to open our home to a new kitty . 

My son fell in love with a BIG black and white cat named Snazzy (and they often say, you don't pick your fur baby, they pick you).  Snazzy was 10 yrs of age at the point of adoption. We found out that Snazzy had a mommy and she had been in the infirmary for 6 months. We took Snazz home and kept checking up on Midy. 

We knew we would adopt her even though we never saw her and we were told she had kidney disease. We were told we would have to give her sub-cutaneous fluids every few days for the rest of her life. 
 My darling husband knew I could never leave Snazzy's momma at the shelter...and Hubby said its fine we will learn to give her the fluids.

Finally Midy came down from the infirmary and we got to meet her. Do you believe in Love at first sight?  Well this was it.  She was the tuxedo cat I always dreamed of and there she was. My daughter and I started to cry when we saw her and everyone at the shelter were so excited because after 8 months in the infirmary she would be going to a home to be with her son. People were crying at the shelter. 
 

Snazzy

                          

Midy was already 12 and between her health and she and Snazzy's age, no-one ever thought they would leave the shelter. The people who owned them for a number of years, one day put them together in a cat carrier and left them in front of the shelter over night with a note about them. And there they stayed at the shelter for a few years wondering what the heck they did to deserve being there. Oh I could cry when I think of those wasted years. 

When we brought Midy home, Snazzy ran right up to her in the carrier and I swear they kissed each other through the gate. Even though Snazzy is so huge, he is such a momma's boy, so shy and when Momma came,even after 8 months without her, they were side by side again and they remained that way for the last 5years. When she was so sick with cancer, he would put his big body in front of her to protect her and let her rest or I would see him resting his head on her back. Oh it breaks my heart so that he is without her. We tried everything. I went to an oncologist and had her on oral chemo. All kinds of meds to keep her comfortable...Making the decision to give her peace was the hardest decision in the world but she was starting to suffer so much and I loved her too much to let her suffer. 

Snazzy was with her till the end. I do have other kitties, but he only loved his Mommy. The first night, when I got up to go to the bathroom I heard this weird noise in the kitchen. My big boy was crying for his Momma. Oh it kills me.They have been through so much, I wanted them to have many years of peace. At least Midy had 5 cage-free peaceful years with Snazzy and a family that adored her every breath. 

Aside from the ones we find, we will only adopt seniors to give them a second chance for some happiness. Even if we have to say good-bye sooner, it's important for them to have some quality. They deserve that. We have also decided to volunteer at the shelter where Mid and Snazz were adopted to honor her sweet memory. This will help me with my grief.

Thanks for sharing your story Kim!  I hope it inspires many others to consider adopting an older or special-needs cat.
 

        

Buttonwillow Awaits Your Call

Uh-oh.

Look at what showed up on our patio a few days ago. 

Yes, it is the world's cutest black kitten ever known to 

man, woman or patio. 

 Her Highness is not pleased. 
 

 
So of course Buttonwillow immediately got on the internet and placed an ad in the "Found" section of the local paper, hoping that the rightful owners of the pitiful little lost waif would call immediately. 

Oh dear. They must have lost their phone.
 Not to mention the 
world's cutest black kitten ever known to 

man, woman or patio.

(To be continued, I'm sure...)

Those Delicious Redheads of the Cat World

artwork copyright 2012 Susan Faye

Does your heart belong to a stripey-orange-hued cat? The official designation for this color is "red", but even if you describe your delicious cat as orange, ginger, marmalade, cinnamon, apricot, pumpkin or peach, there is no doubt that these lovable redheads of the cat world have a special place in the hearts of their Cat Ladies and Lads...

 ,

And there is no better ambassador for ginger cats everywhere than Cecil, a handsome cat who showed up at the door of Cat Lady Rose eight years ago. There is no telling where Cecil will turn up next! A bit of a clown, he loves to mug it up for the camera, and Rose's photos of him never fail to crack me up.  Here are a few examples:

"I thought you said the cutest mugs go on top..."- photo copyright Rose Gates

Sometimes Cecil Gets A Big Head - photo copyright Rose Gates

Purrfect Fit- photo copyright Rose Gates

Cool Cat- photo copyright Rose Gates

Unsinkable Cecil- photo copyright Rose Gates

"CATsserole" copyright Rose Gates

To find out more about Cecil's favorite cat rescue organization, please visit Angelcat Haven

Are YOU lucky enough to share your domicile with a ginger cat? Then it's time to show off!  You are invited to share photos of your little darlings on my Facebook page this week:

 https://www.facebook.com/SusanFayeArt  

(to see all of the photos posted so far, click on "posts by others" in the drop-down box at the top of the posts)

Thanks for visiting!

Meet Topsy and Turvy

The votes are in!

My teeny tiger tabby duo now have adorable names, thanks to your wonderful suggestions and participation in the selection process both here on this blog and on my Facebook page. "Topsy and Turvy" came in with 18 votes, with "Fiddle and DeeDee" and "Polly and Molly" close behind with 16 votes each.

Kittens Topsy and Turvy are particularly grateful to Nancy T. for coming up with the winning names!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Topsy and Turvy would like to remind you that today is World Spay Day, an annual event of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International to inspire people to save animals' lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats. If your pets are already spayed or neutered, you may want to make a donation to one of the agencies providing low-cost services, to enable someone else to spay their pets or feral cats at a low cost. You'll find lots of great information here, including a locator for finding low-cost spaying and neutering: WORLD SPAY DAY 2012

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

NEW from Susan Faye Creative Arts!

My most popular art images are now available for sale as high quality giclee prints at IMAGEKIND! New images will be added over the coming weeks and months, so check back often. The print of Topsy and Turvy pictured here has just been made available.

Your art will be printed on your choice of photographic or fine art papers, with several sizes to choose from. You may also choose to have your artwork matted and framed or printed as a canvas wrap.

Click here to visit my new online gallery:
http://susanfaye.imagekind.com

Do You Collect Cats or Canines?

If you collect the REAL kind of kitty or canine, it's good to remember that Tuesday is World Spay Day, an annual event of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International to inspire people to save animals' lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats. If your pets are already spayed or neutered, you may want to make a donation to one of the agencies providing low-cost services, to enable someone else to spay their pets at a low cost. You'll find lots of great information here, including a locator for finding low-cost spaying and neutering: WORLD SPAY DAY 2012


If you collect the collectible kind of cats or canines, we'd love to see photos of your collection! Below is but a small sampling of Cat Lady Rose's collection of sparkly and fun vintage cat brooches! Show us photos of your own collection of vintage cats, dogs, or other animal collectibles on my Facebook page (you must be a "liker" of the page before you will be able to post pictures there...)

Cat Lady Rose is one of the founders of Angelcat Haven, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing the homeless and stray cats in the vicinity of Plainville, MA, who are in need of a HAVEN while waiting for their loving new homes. Find out more about their participation in low-cost altering of cats as part of Spay Day, and vote for Simon Gates in the Spay Day Photo Contest here!

Here are a couple of "keepers" from my own collection of collectibles:
salt and pepper shakers!

A couple of svelte and winking twins

And some of Disney Figaro Cat's long, lost cousins...

Currently up for adoption in my Etsy Curio Cabinet: DOGS IN HATS SHAKERS

These little lustreware cuties are looking for a new home and are ready for any climate in their jaunty caps! See what else I have for sale in my Curio Cabinet here.

Thanks for visiting!

Adopta Guadalajara...Spotlight on International Cat Ladies

Meet Gato Lady and Perro Lover Diana, pictured here with her daughter and their friends Hoppy, Luna, and poodle Trufa . Diana is part of a wonderful information network and website in Mexico called Adopta Guadalajara, providing valuable information on cat and dog adoption, prevention of pet overpopulation and animal abuse, and responsible pet ownership.

Diana says, "Most of all, we promote spaying and neutering of cats and dogs, no matter if they are males or females. In Mexico this is not so common as we wish it was. We also want people to be responsible owners and to adopt instead of buying animals."

Their facebook page is ADOPTAGDL with over 65 000 fans, and they also have a radio program that can be heard through internet.

Keep up the good work, Diana and Adopta Guadalajara! Muchas Gracias!

Thanks for visiting!!

Today's Featured Cat Lady ACEO... Cat Mom No. 9

Cat Mom No 9 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on February 24, 2009. She introduced us to Spay Day, an annual campaign of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International to inspire people to save animal lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats.

Spay Day takes place on the last Tuesday of February each year, however, Cat Mom No. 9 encourages you to make EVERY day "Spay Day."

Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are euthanized in U.S. shelters each year. Spaying or neutering is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats and a proven way to reduce the vast numbers of animals who are born each year, only to die prematurely and without a family who loves them. Learn more here: Pet Overpopulation and what you can do.

Thanks for visiting!

My original ACEO art of Cat Mom No. 9 (pictured above) is now available for purchase in my Etsy shop! This mini watercolor painting is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card.

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. Click here for more details.

Name Games, Continued...

THANK YOU to Bead Artist Chris Maj for coming up with the wonderful name for Wheelbarrow Cat! Be sure to check out her fantastic creations at her blog: Bead-n-4-Fun and Beyond. In our very scientific poll, her suggestion of Captain Wheeler von Barrow the IV received the most votes at 14. Thank you to everyone for all of your creative suggestions! Stay tuned for a story about "Wheeler" and some of his garden friends...

Did you play the anagram name game yet? Cat Lady Rose of Angelcat Haven did! She wrote: Hey Susan, I love anagrams! Here are my favorites for my name Rose Gates:
Assert Ego
Sago Trees
Go See Arts
and my favorite.....
Tea Ogress!
Can't you just picture a female ogre drinking tea?

Angelcat Haven is celebrating their 500th adoption. Be sure to visit their website and congratulate these wonderful Cat Ladies on their accomplishment!

Try out your own name and then share the results with us in the comments!

For The Love Of Cats

Cat Lady Julie says, "I believe in rescuing animals, and they saved me from the most difficult year of my life."

About 5 years ago, Julie adopted Bowie and Tess, brother and sister cats rescued from a pet hoarding situation. Sadly, in 2009, Bowie (pictured at left) became ill from several health issues and passed away at the age of three. That same month Julie lost a dear friend to brain cancer and finalized a difficult divorce.

"I learned to never say...'it can't get worse'. Not sure why I was being tested and no one knew what to do or say to help."

"Needless to say Tess and I were so sad and lost, all we could do is cuddle and cry. Then an old classmate contacted me, asking if I would be interested in adopting her 7-year-old cat Seesaw. She lived with inlaws and someone was allergic... I knew we needed some happiness and Tess needed company in the house so I said yes. We renamed him Ceasar, the most social cat I have ever met. He made us laugh and brought a little sunshine back into our life. Then in May of last year, I got a text of a picture of a cat. It was from my sister's boss whose aunt just died and had 3 cats to place, one left --Smokey (Bones), so I said of course!"

The terrific trio pictured here are a testament to the healing power of cat love!
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Whatever you do, don't call this lovely structure a "barn".

Cat Lady Dee operates a private cat sanctuary in a remote area of South-central Pennsylvania "as a living memorial to my daughter and only child, who died unexpectedly almost 10 years ago. I am presently caring for 40+ cats - the majority are feral. All are spay/neutered and vaccinated."

Recently, Dee was forced to move her cat sanctuary. "You would not believe how few places have the zoning that will allow a multitude of cats! Even agricultural areas! One farmette I looked at would have been perfect - but we couldn't have cats! Oh I could have a thousand hogs if we wanted, but no more than 10 cats!"

She and her husband eventually bought a small parcel of land that would allow for a cat sanctuary and are currently building a deluxe "cat house" (it may look like a barn, but for red tape purposes it is not. Dee's beautiful kitties certainly are not livestock after all!). Best wishes to Dee for continued success with her living memorial to her beloved daughter.

______________________________________________

Meet Cat lady Geri and her two bi-color beauties, George and Gracie. She explains, "While they are definitely a 'Comedy Team,' they were really named after my grandparents!"

Upon seeing her portrait with her kitties she said, "It brings tears to my eyes, because it shows the joy I feel when I am with my kitties. THANK YOU so much! You just made my day SO much happier!"

Thank YOU Geri! Creating art like this brings ME so much joy and I am thrilled and honored to be able to create keepsakes to represent the love that pet owners feel for their furry friends! Thank you, pet lovers, for sharing your stories with me!

Lucky Boys

Meet Ernie, man of leisure. At 17 pounds, it's a tight squeeze into his Harry and David pear box, but don't try to pry him out of his favorite place to lounge. It's there that he enjoys his delusion that he is one of the few humans in a house filled with felines...

You'd never know that this handsome boy had a bit of a rough start in life. Cat Lady Charlene remembers the day that her family visited a Mennonite farm to look at quilts: "As we were saying our goodbyes, the farmer drop-kicked this tiny black kitten out the door and past us about 6 feet. The kitten came screaming up to my daughter, and all I could think is, 'no more cats.' But better judgment prevailed and my daughter reasoned at least the kitten would have a chance with us trying to find him a home.

"Little did we know his condition...he was so dehydrated that he lapped up quite a bit of water we poured into our hands for him to drink. He was anemic from fleas, dehydrated and dying but had the strength to make it known he needed us. We stayed with him round the clock for three weeks until he finally made a turn for the better. And what can I say.... from 8 ounces to 17 pounds, he is now spoiled rotten, babied, and thinks he is human....Somehow he discovered the pear boxes years back. At Christmas, when they arrived, he was known to dig the pears out of the box so he could get in !"

Ernie's housemate Clarence can tell the tale of an equally dramatic rescue. Cat Lady Charlene was visiting an animal rescue in Waimanalo, Oahu on Christmas vacation. Charlene says," We went to find a cat to 'replace' the one we had rescued two years prior from a beach near the shelter, but whose illness finally killed him.

"Two days earlier a disastrous flood broke a dam above the shelter and killed all of the dogs, but the cats were able to all climb on things to escape. Clarence came running up to us, soft as a little bunny, and we adopted him on the spot. He flew from Oahu to Pittsburgh like a real trooper.

"He is always intrigued with the workers that we hire for different jobs. He will watch for hours, and I take him out on a leash to look over the equipment and tools which he seems fascinated with. He is quite the watch-cat, and takes his role as overseer very seriously. "What a gift they both are."

Charlene is affiliated with an award-winning cat clinic in Pennsylvania and maintains their Facebook page. You can visit their website www.catclinic.net

Make EVERY Day Spay Day USA

Don't delay--neuter or spay! Don't wind up like this Cat Lady who delayed having her she-kitty spayed. These kittens will be adorable for a few weeks until it's time to find homes for them. And, if they in turn are not neutered or spayed, the problem becomes exponential .

Yesterday was Spay Day USA sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States ; a day to raise awareness about pet overpopulation and to help you become a part of the solution. Spay Day may be over, but there is still time (2 days) to enter your pet's photo in their photo contest. And there are still 364 days to take action!

Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats and a proven way to reduce the vast numbers of animals who are born only to die prematurely and without a family who loves them. Learn more about why you should spay or neuter your pet.

Visit the Humane Society website today to learn about local events, low-cost spay clinics, trap-neuter-release programs for feral cats, and other great information.

Thanks for visiting!

Support Your Local Feline Fella--A Tale of Cat Tats

Cat Lady Samantha grew up with a dog and didn't really care for cats. That is...until she met Feline Fella Dan almost nine years ago.

Sam tell us, "Dan grew up with cats and shortly after getting married in 2003 we decided to adopt Hondo (the gray tabby). And it's true, cats ARE addicting!!" Hondo was adopted from Fancy Cats Rescue.

Soon to follow were Boogers (on Sam's shoulders), Fido (the tuxedo cat) and three Ragdoll cats-- Pork Chop, Tiskers, and Mittens. The newest member of the family is puppy Ethan, a lab mix, who is soon to be a year old.

Lest anyone doubt his devotion to his feline friends, Dan, a police officer, found a way to proclaim his feline fella status to the world:

"My husband loves his cats SO much that he has Boogers, Hondo, and Fido tattooed on his left arm (he wants the other 3 cats on his arm, but I said maaayyyyybbbeeee later!!!) :D

"Dan is a cop and recently made it onto the S.W.A.T team. During the S.W.A.T. school, they were giving him so much crap about his cat tats, that at their graduation the squad presented Dan with a white stuffed cat, as they felt so bad for teasing him (EVERYONE knows he's a cat lover). So crazy cat ladies and crazy cat husbands unite!"

Thanks Dan, for showing us that a "tough guy" public servant can also be a big softie with a big heart! We salute you!

You can find out more about Sam and Dan's furry family on Catster.com. Here is Booger's Catster page where you can find out how he got his name, and find links to the other cats' profiles.

Thanks for visiting!

Featured Cat Lady: Angelcat's Angel Angela

Ready for a little heavenly inspiration?

Angelcat Haven, a foster home-based cat rescue operation in Massachusetts, will be celebrating its four-year anniversary on November 11th. Not long ago, co-founders Cat Lady Angela and Cat Lady Rose celebrated the rescue of their 500th cat, named Bory.

Says Angela, (pictured here with her own cats Simba, Patches, Jerry, Honey and Dorey), "We are especially proud that this milestone comes after only four years in operation as a 501c3 non-profit rescue! On behalf of the rescued cats, I would like to express my gratitude to our dedicated staff of volunteers and supporters, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has chosen to adopt a rescued cat or kitten from us!"

Rose fills us in on a little history: "For many years Angela and I volunteered together at the town shelter. She was the president of the volunteer organization, set up all of the policies, chaired all of the fundraisers, and was the resident Feline Care Coordinator, adoption coordinator and medical and behavioral expert.

"Although we learned a lot at the city shelter and made many positive contributions to the care of the cats there, there was much more we felt could be accomplished and ultimately decided to start Angelcat Haven. Here it is 4 years later and 500+ cats later!"

The goal of Angelcat Haven is to help the cats that fall through the cracks of the existing shelters, to work on reducing overpopulation through education, reduced cost spay-neuter programs, and community trap and rescue programs, and to work with and socialize the strays and ferals so that they can live out their lives in a warm, loving new home.

"Angela is a non-stop hardworking force of nature. She is a strong, opinionated, and intelligent woman who is always right, (just ask her!) but she has a heart of gold. Her sacrifices for the cats are many. She takes in the overflow when there are no foster homes available and allows the volunteers access to her home and workplace to care for the rescued cats. She oversees the volunteer organization as well as running her own business, caring for two foster children, her own pets and somehow finds time to coach girls field hockey!

"There would be no Angelcat Haven without her guidance and insight. I think the world of her and want to let her know how much she is appreciated!"

Congratulations and best wishes to two very determined and devoted Cat Ladies for all that they have accomplished on behalf of our furry friends!

As a fundraiser, Angelcat Haven sells colorful catnip mats for your feline's endless enjoyment. Buttonwillow owns one, and gives it her endorsement--not only does it give your kitty a great "buzz", it's a lovely place to nap when the "buzz" wears off... Get yours today at: Catnip Mats

Remembering Old Friends--Tuxedo Gus

It's common knowledge among feline fanatics that tuxedo cats are something special, but when a tuxedo cat comes with its own built-in bow tie, you know resistance is futile.

Cat Lady Carrie can tell you all about that first-hand. It's a tale of survival, and a tale of commitment and love.

As a volunteer at the Good Mews Animal Shelter nine years ago, a fellow volunteer introduced Carrie to "the frowziest little mop of black fur. They began to explain how he was the only survivor from his litter. All of them had been attacked by some sort of animal. He had sustained an injury to his back legs but had pulled through his ordeal! My heart melted, of course, and I knew he had to be with me."

Little Gus came to live with Carrie, her feline fella Brian, and Teeny--the one cat they had at the time. Gus turned out to be a special needs cat who faced some extreme challenges, including life and death battles over the years, but the nurturing love and devotion of Carrie and Brian always pulled him through.

"Despite his health issues, Gus grew into the most handsome boy. He had fur like black velvet…thick and so soft, the longest white whiskers you have ever seen and the cutest built-in white bow tie, shirt and shoes. Early on, he even managed to start walking on his back legs. He sort of scuffled around clumsily, but was able to use them nonetheless. He was so full of quirky personality! He would lumber over to the sofa every night and stretch one paw up to let us know that he was ready to be lifted up for a cuddle. He would lie on his back tucked into his dad’s or my armpit enjoying hours of chin scratching purring non-stop. He loved tuna juice and treats. His favorite toys were milk jug tabs and the plastic safety wrap on dip and sour cream containers."

As you can see, Gus's feline family grew over the years.
And it was with great sadness that the whole clan said goodbye to Gus a few weeks ago.

"We still can’t quite grasp the fact that he is gone. Life will never be the same without his happy spirit rumbling and bumbling around in our lives. But we are quite sure that Gus now has angel wings and strong legs and a perfect plumbing system. He is rolling around on endless miles of soft carpeting purring his days away."

"Never underestimate the power of the purr."

Read Carrie's full-length tribute to Gus in her blog post: GUS: The Purring Little Engine That Could but be sure to have a hanky or two handy.

You'll also want to check out Carrie's fun and delightful hand-crafted sculptures, ornaments and cake-toppers in her Etsy Shop: The Snippets. Fifteen percent of her profits go straight to spaying/neutering/rescuing cats in Kentucky!

Scotty's Big Rescue... Part 3

Last week Paddy the Library cat told us a little more about his rescued friend Scotty . Today Paddy tells us a little more about Scotty's special heritage:

Scotty Burns (That’s his fancy name!) is a Scottish Fold cat.

These are special cats with big, round, “owl” eyes. Some of them have ears folded forward and some have straight ears but they all have the traits of the Scottish Fold: mellow and loving with a sweet, wide-eyed expression.

All Scottish Fold cats trace their ancestry back to Susie, a white, folded-ear cat found in 1961 on Mr. Ross’s farm in Scotland. These cats with folded ears must be bred to a straight ear Scottish Fold.Because the folded ear is desirable to more people, a non-reputable breeder will breed two “Folds” together.This can create hardened cartilage and result in a stiff tail and arthritis-like symptoms throughout the body that shorten life and cause constant pain.We have, at our house, another Scottish Fold rescue that suffers from this condition.I will tell you about our Robert Burns [Robbie] sometime!

Scotty and Robbie sense a kinship, and we can often find Scotty sitting or sleeping near Robbie who is getting old and doesn’t feel well [pictured here].

I have been enjoying again some books by Peter Gethers about his Scottish Fold cat, Norton.You might like them too: The Cat Who Went To Paris, A Cat Abroad, and The Cat Who’ll Live Forever. True stories and so much fun to read!


So, that is some of what I’ve been thinking about this summer. Hope you are having some summer fun too!

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!

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!

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

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! "