A Tribute to (Cat) Moms!

Introducing a trio of "Cat Moms" to warm your heart:

Daughter Karen tells us about Cat Lady Brenda and her reading assistant, Ebbe:

"I never imagined that my Mom, at age sixty-something and with two thirty-something daughters, would become a mother yet again at this point in her life.

"But she has, to a furry little boy named Ebbe.

"I had never considered my mother an 'animal person.' (The last time a pet lived in our home was during the first Reagan administration.) So my sister and I were pretty surprised to learn that she had agreed to adopt, sight-unseen, a kitten abandoned on a friend's doorstep.

"Little did I know that this kitten, now a full-grown cat, would so completely capture my mother's heart, providing her with an endless supply of affection, entertainment, and what we refer to as 'Ebbe stories.'

"So on this Mother's Day, I am giving her this portrait because I want to honor the nurturing and generous Mom that she is, to her children both human and feline." Be sure to visit Karen's pottery studio at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/karenrobertspottery/



Daughter Calli commissioned this portrait of her mom, Cat Lady Dona and kitty Kahn: ""My mom adopted Kahn from the SPCA last year. Before she went to look at the cats she told me 'I don't want a boy cat and I don't want a black cat'.

"But Kahn, a little black boy kitty, captured her heart and my Mom knew immediately that he was the one. He has ruled her house ever since! Kahn has a lot of spunk - he likes to play, explore, and most importantly, cuddle. He has been a great companion for my Mom."

Son Eric tells us about his Mom and her feline friends Smoochie and Molly:

"She IS the cat lady...She takes the 'Big Lug' (her 17-lb, 16-year-old cat; his real name is Smoochie) to the county home at every holiday, in costume, so that the folks can pet and admire him!...Smoochie is overwhelmingly friendly, loves attention, and is a die-hard groveler for table scraps...

"The smaller, darker one is Molly. She's 13, very standoffish, and is famous for her 'scream' meow when anyone but my Mom approaches her. She and Smoochie used to get along, but she always swats at him now...It doesn't seem to bother him though, and he rarely swats back or gets angry at her. When they sleep, they still curl up together in a basket or on a big pillow.

"I could write for hours about all the crazy episodes with her and the cats over the years!"

So here is a big heart-y ♥♥♥ thank you to all of the maternal types out in the world...with love, from your children, both furry and otherwise...

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

Nine out of 10 Vets Agree: It's Smart to Smile!

Canine cutie Jango is all smiles. So is Dog Devotee Candace, who recently celebrated the big four-O!

Friend Miki tells us: "I remember Candace never thinking of herself as a 'doggie mom' but that quickly changed when they got Jango. Candace and her family love the outdoors. They take Jango hiking and camping all the time.

"Jango is a yellow lab who actually smiles when you greet him. He looks like he's growling since he scrunches up his nose and shows his teeth, but his tail wags like crazy when he smiles!

"The vet told Candace that when dogs smile like that, it's a sign of intelligence."

I'm sure Jango will join us in sending Candace belated birthday wishes for a happy and exciting year ahead. Let's all show some teeth!

Be sure to visit Miki's Etsy shop Fresh Lemon Blossoms where you will find beautiful and colorful paper goods and handmade delights for all occasions!

Spotlight on Maine Coon Cats

Cat Lady Laura's heart belongs to two members of that lovable breed of gentle giants known as the Maine Coon Cat...David (the larger cat) and Sesame (a female half the size of David) are from different families: David was given to her by a friend and Sesame was adopted at the local Humane Society. They look and act like brother and sister even if they are not related and happily claim the honor of being Laura's furry children.

Maine Coon Rescue is a nationwide 501c3 Non-Profit organization dedicated to rescuing Maine Coon and Maine Coon Mix cats. They describe how the heavy-boned Maine Coon breed developed to adapt to the harsh climate and rugged terrain of Maine:

"Its long legs assisted to traverse obstacles, snow, wooded areas, causing them to develop a great deal of stamina and sturdiness. Their coat is insulated against the wind and cold, it repels water and snow. Their feet are larger than most breeds to give them traction on snowy surfaces with tufts assisting in the distribution of their weight. Their ears are larger and thicker because of their dependence on hearing, also providing approximately 75-90 degrees of rotation to more acutely funnel sound. Their tails are bushy to protect from cold and long to act as rudder and provide more balance and power in running and maneuvering at a rapid pace."

Most of us are familiar with the traditional Maine Coon with tabby markings, but the breed includes cats with many different colors and markings. Visit Crazy Cat Lady Carm's website and you will enjoy beautiful photographs of her fantastic pride of Maine Coon cats and friends on a daily basis!

Here is Carm's blog header for spring--each season or holiday Cat Lady Ann "dolls up" Carm's Custom portrait. It's so much fun to see what she will come up with next!!

My auctions on Ebay this week feature ACEO artwork of Maine Coon tabby cats. Each oneof these original mini watercolor paintings was a part of the 365 Cat Ladies series featured in this blog during 2009. Here is your chance to collect original artwork without breaking the bank, plus you will own a little piece of 365 Cat Lady history! Auctions end Saturday morning, May 8th.

Place your bid today at: http://myworld.ebay.com/whimsysu

Remembering Gracie

When Cat Lady Sharon first met Gracie she was about 2 weeks old and barely recognizable as a kitten.

"She still looked rather primordial. Her mother was a black cat with a white chest and Gracie looked like she was going to be a grey cat. Since the family lived 50 miles away I didn't see Gracie again until she was almost 10 weeks old and I went to pick her up. I was shocked to find out that she was Siamese."

"Even as an energetic kitten Gracie never got into trouble around the house. She was always very careful when she explored every nook and cranny. Like most cats, she loved being in high places. I think the most exciting times of her life were the three times she found a mouse in the house and suddenly became a fierce warrior...

"Gracie had a privileged life--she stayed indoors, had lots of toys, tasty food, very comfortable accommodations, and was well-loved. She loved to follow the sun around the house and watch the goings-on in the neighborhood. When she was 2 or 3 I asked her vet how he thought she would do with another cat in the house and he recommended against it so she was always the queen of the house. She flew across the country a few times visiting family (always in the plane's cabin with me!) but it became clear that she was more comfortable staying at home so friends and/or a professional cat sitter would take care of her whenever I traveled.

"Gracie was a very sweet cat--introverted with others but always very loving with me...Up until 6 months ago she was a very healthy cat but I knew that she was already living beyond the expected lifespan of an indoor cat. She was diagnosed with lymphoma in early September and responded well to medication so she was still able to enjoy her life even though her energy was diminishing. She turned 20 in late March and just after Easter she definitely took a turn for the worse. She was peacefully euthanized on April 10th."

Rest in Peace, Sweet Gracie.

[FOOTNOTES: "Since I knew Gracie's end was coming I thought about what I wanted to do for my feline future and decided that after about a month I would get two cats together...My plan was to wait a month so I could get some work done at home and do a bit of traveling before adding to my household. However after one night without a cat I knew that I couldn't wait a month so that day I went and adopted two 2.5 year old sisters--Daisy and Coco. Both are grey and white. They are both delightful--active and sweet and very fun to watch as they cuddle and lick each other."

QUILT NOTE: "The crazy quilt was a gift from my great aunt who purchased it on Nantucket Island (off the coast of Cape Cod). It was made in the 1860's...the workmanship is meticulous and the variety of fabrics and embroidery is really amazing."]

CAN YOU FIND THE CAT MOTIFS? (click on quilt image, then click with magnifying glass cursor to see detail)...There are several kitties scattered throughout the quilt, plus dogs, birds, butterflies and children!

Cat Ladies In The News

Today is the first day of Be Kind to Animals Week. This event was established in 1915 by the American Humane Association: "In this annual tradition, we commemorate the role animals play in our lives, promote ways to continue to treat them humanely, and encourage others, especially children, to do the same." Read about some special Cat Ladies and Animal Lovers who will inspire you:

In honor of Be Kind to Animals Week, Cat Lady Carrie (aka Cat Lady No. 45) is having a special fundraiser sale in her Etsy online shop, with proceeds benefiting three special organizations. You will love her whimsical animal sculptures! Read more about the fundraiser here: SnipPet Fundraiser


Animal Artist and Cat Lady Jennifer was the winner of our Spring Celebration Giveaway, receiving a custom portrait of her kitty Pumpkin Pie. She writes: "My Pumpkin painting is awesome!!! Thank you so much!!! I framed it immediately and hung him in the kitchen since I'm in there so much and he looked so nice against the sunny yellow wall...My husband just said today that it was the nicest thing I've ever won:) " ...Here is a photo of the framed portrait...



Cat Lady Mimi is taking time out from painting watercolor portraits and bicycling, to model her new Tangerine Cat brooch from my Etsy Shop. Photogenic tortie Enza doesn't mind striking a pose for the photo shoot. You can see more of Mimi's artwork here, including custom portraits: Mimi's Watercolor Art


Hooray for Cat Lady Karen (aka the Food Lady) who participated in the Earth Day “Together We Can” art gallery event in New York City hosted by Fancy Feast and Friskies. This eclectic collection of art promoted the recycling of cat food cans. Karen's artwork raised over $300 in an auction to benefit Keep America Beautiful. Skeezix is already busy emptying cans for future masterpieces...Karen asks that you Take the Pledge to recycle. For each pledge made now through May 30th, Purina will donate $1, up to $100,000, to Keep America Beautiful®

Thanks for visiting!

All Aflutter

Illustration Friday
(theme:"cocoon")

Garden Fairy Lillilani remembers when her winged feline Zanna was nothing more than a black and white striped CATerpillar...Now freshly hatched from her cocoon, Zanna enjoys fluttering about the garden with Lillilani, weaving in and out of sunbeams with her delicate wings.



Do you believe in Garden Fairies? You'll find this design on note cards, totes, mugs, t-shirts and other gift items at my CafePress shop: Garden Fairy No. 2

On The Road With Tina Tabby and Tiny Tim

Hello! Tina Tabby here, reporting on my recent adventures as Tiny Tim and I accompanied Cat Lady Susan and Cat Lady Anne on their recent cross-country drive.

After flying through some very bumpy clouds to Alabama a week ago, we met up with Anne and proceeded to dodge tornadoes and some scary Severe Weather (yes, it was scary enough to deserve capitalization!) through Mississippi and Tennessee.

It was clear sailing through Oklahoma where we visited the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Here we are enjoying a pair of classic Western Cowboy motifs. Can you spot us in the picture? It was a lovely museum but it was heavy on the Cowboys and I would have enjoyed seeing a few more Cowgirls and Cowcats sprinkled into the mix! Yippy-Ki-Yo!

After another day's drive across the plains, we found ourselves in The Land of Enchantment, New Mexico. First inhabited by Native American populations for many centuries, New Mexico eventually became part of the Imperial Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain, then it became part of Mexico, and then a U.S. territory before it became a U.S. state in 1912.

Here we are in the Central Plaza of Old Town Albuquerque. Spanish is a very beautiful language, and has been spoken in New Mexico for over 450 years! I learned that this sign reads: Church of Saint Felipe of Neri, founded 1706. It's fun to learn and appreciate different languages!


We also drove through the beautiful deserts of Arizona and enjoyed the gorgeous cacti and vistas. We saw some blooming ocotillos. The flowers look like little red birds sitting on top of the long branches and it made me lick my chops. During this part of the trip I was a little scared, because Tiny Tim and I don't have pedigree papers, and I've heard that in Arizona that might be a scary thing.

After a nice visit in Southern California where Cat Lady Anne and Tamayo live, we flew back to the Pacific Northwest with Cat Lady Susan where we are happily sitting by the fire waiting for the May flowers, courtesy of the April showers!

Happy Trails!

P.S. Did you know that there are clones of me and Tiny Tim? It's true! There are purrfect replicas of us that have been made into sachets, bookmarks and brooches available in Cat Lady Susan's Etsy Shop.

If you become the owner of one of these Tina Tabby clones (or any of her friends) -- send us a picture of places your clone has traveled to...We will post it here in future travelogues!