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Cool Cats: Meet Ship Cat, Gussie |
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Written by Stacy Mantle
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Monday, 12 December 2011 17:57 |
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 Fresh fish, soft sea breezes, craggy shorelines and over ninety feet of deck space to roam under skies lit with bright stars is everything the most pampered cat could dream of, but only a few felines have made that dream a reality.
Cats have a long history aboard ships, with duties ranging from official mouser to “comfort cat.” Besides being excellent mousers, cats were thought to be able to predict weather and, depending on their mood, control the weather. If a cat happened to go overboard, it was in a sailor’s best interests to insure she found her way back on board or it was believed the cat could create a ship-sinking storm in retribution. While only a select few felines are destined for life aboard ship, Gus Hodgkins is a six-year-old American Bobtail can lay claim to this life of luxury.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 18 December 2011 16:56 |
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Written by Stacy Mantle
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Tuesday, 04 October 2011 15:45 |
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 Once upon a late night dreary, while watching TV, weak and weary,
Surfing through unusual, and violent TV shows,
While we nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone rapping, tapping at our small cat door.
"Tis some stray, " I muttered softly, "Tapping at our small cat door – Only this, and nothing more…"
Ah, distinctly I recall - it was during the late fall,
And each feral cat we have, scrambled in across the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; frightened of the constant slapping
of the feral cat a'tapping – sure a sign of mind-crazed rapping -
For the horrid sound of door flap as it slammed against the door
Even Coyote stopped his yapping, quickly silent evermore...
And the sad consistent rapping of the constant, steady tapping
Thrilled me - filled me with a terror, that I'd never felt before;
So that now to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
'Tis some stray cat wanting entrance at the path of my cat door -
Some late abandoned stray cat wanting entrance at the path of my cat door; -
This it is, and nothing more...
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 04 October 2011 16:02 |
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Traveling with Two Cats on a 2,800 Mile Trip |
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Written by Tammy Souch
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Wednesday, 25 May 2011 15:36 |
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 Back in 2008, our family made the 2,800 mile trip from a small seaside town in Maine to the great urban expanse that is the Phoenix Valley. Making the journey were myself, my husband, our daughter, and our two cats – Jake and Fear. We knew it would be interesting to travel clear across the country with two felines, and it definitely was. It wasn’t nearly the hassle we thought it would be, though. They actually provided us with some great family memories.
So we were all packed up in our family sedan and set to go (we had hired a moving company to transport the majority of our belongings – wow, it was so much easier than driving that big truck ourselves). The trunk was filled to the gills. The backseat contained our daughter, her road trip gear, the two cats, the cat litter box, the cats’ food and water dishes, and one standard cat carrier.
We figured the one cat carrier would be good for Fear (our more timid kitty) to hide away in when he was frightened. Looking back on it, I feel like such a horrible cat mom to have let them roam freely in the back. I realize now that our feline kids were only one hard brake away from injury (PetsWeekly has an awesome article on preparing for travel article here), and I’m very thankful that nobody was hurt.
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Feline Lessons: Overcoming Adversity |
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Written by Michael T. Smith
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Wednesday, 25 May 2011 14:25 |
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 Guest Author Michael T. Smith offers up this inspiring story about a cat named Bob.
Bob joined us just before Christmas of 2010.
He was a stray cat living outside the office where Ginny worked. She and her co-workers kept him and the other strays fed. The weather grew cold. Ginny lost her job.
"I'm not leaving him!" she said to me. Bob came home for Christmas.
Four months later, Bob was still with us. We took him to the vet and got him his shots. Soon he will be neutered.
In the meantime, because Bob doesn't get along with our cat, he lives in the garage at night and in the yard during the day. It breaks my heart, because he is a big loving boy. He needs a home. We hope to find him one. If not, he won't be left on his own.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 August 2011 20:46 |
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It’s the beginning of a new year, but before we get too far into 2012, let’s take a journey back in time with this list of our ten favorite pet and animal-related videos of 2011. Don’t worry – you won’t see any Rebecca Black here!
