July - A Hard Month

July is a hard month. After waiting months for summer to take hold we are suddenly bombarded with 90 degree temps and high humidity. Some days it is hard just to breath. But then we are rewarded with weeks like the one forecasted next week: clear skies and highs in the 70s!

Thai, my mom's Siamese, and Gabbie

Life is like that. Just last week I was struck by the irony of July 8^th. It is a day for celebrating Gabbie’s entrance into my life in 1977 just one day after the day that was supposed to be the end of the world (7-7-77). She was, at most, 3 weeks old and a spitfire of feline fur. She quickly became my best friend, closer to me than any human could ever be.

Effie

But July 8, 2008 brought an end to my physical life with Effie after 16 years. I’d spent nearly 12 years trying to convince her that domestication was way better than her feral life. When she finally agreed to give it a try we had only 4 years left together for a close friendship. I was so lucky that she had already given me her best with her babies, Mewdy Blue and his siblings.

 

Pixel in 1998

Today is the anniversary of the day in 2000 when Pixel’s pancreatic cancer invaded her brain and I had to let her go. Pixel came into my life as an adult in the feral colony but didn’t stay feral long. I’d trapped her for spaying but afterward, when I opened the carrier to change her bedding and add food and water she purred and rubbed against my hand. She’d taken almost no time at all to choose domestication. I’ve a much longer story about her life but for now just know that she was a special girl.

Only picture of all 6 of Tiggy's babies

In 1980 the clinic I worked for took in the stray animals from local animal control and many of them ended up on my family’s acreage. We all thought that Tiggy was already spayed because we’d felt what seemed to be a spay scar on her abdomen. Only a few weeks after she “appeared” on the acreage I realized how wrong we’d been. On July 12 she delivered 6 unusual kittens. Lando Calrissian and Yoda developed normally to robust longhaired cats. Pirate, Figaro and Zeit Geist, however, suffered from muscular dystrophy. (Princess disappeared at only 2 weeks of age).

Tiggy's babies all grown-up

My sister adopted Pirate and Figaro died early from Panleukopenia (he was vaccinated). Yoda had been the runt of the litter but with my TLC he became the largest of them all. Unfortunately Yoda disappeared only a week before I moved into to my first apartment. Lando and Zeit both experienced mast cell tumors and yet they both lived to old age. Zeit even had a urethrostomy at one point but lived to 16. Lando was my longest-lived cat, to date, finally succumbing to his mast cell tumors at age 19.

Pirate

Figaro

Zeit Geist & Yoda

Lando Calrissian

Then there’s July 13^th.  What else can I say except that Sunday will be the one-year anniversary of the day Mewdy Blue left me. How does one cope with such a traumatic, dramatic loss? I remember a line from the Lord of the Ring movies spoken by Frodo, “Some hurts go too deep.”

Effie and baby Mewdy Blue

Baby Mewdy Blue

Johnny Orr, 1927-2013

Official Iowa State University announcement:

http://www.cyclones.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209354665&DB_OEM_ID=10700

Bit of a departure here today. I’ve mentioned my Cyclones before so you’ll hopefully allow me this moment. I’ve included a picture of a cardinal just to give it an animal feel – besides, our mascot is Cy, the cardinal and our colors are cardinal and gold.

Cyclone Nation is mourning and celebrating tonight. 2013 had to give us one last kick in the teeth before it left. A legend of a coach and the father of “Hilton Magic”, Johnny Orr left us this morning. Although he was ISU’s winningest and losingest coach we Cyclone fans will always remember the magic of all those home wins.

I never liked “boy's" basketball until Johnny Orr came to town. I am from the era of 6-player girl's basketball so all that running back and forth just bored me. Then Johnny Orr brought us his fast-paced game plans and created a more competitive Cyclone team. As a student I bought season tickets with a group of friends and watched every home game in spite of wind, rain, snow, blizzards and even a cast on my foot (climbing up to balcony seats is really fun with a cast).

We were all treated to not just a new game but a new atmosphere. I remember one historic season that had my group of friends sitting in the second row right behind the basket nearest our team during two of the biggest games ever: versus the Iowa Hawkeyes and versus Oklahoma State. The crowd was so loud during the Okie State game that I was nearly deaf for days afterward. The floor even shook with our roar!

Now Hilton Coliseum is a place of fear for other teams. Even during seasons when our team isn’t a powerhouse, Hilton is still a hard place for opponents to play. Johnny brought the fan base back to life and it continues today. The games sell out even for non-conference games. Johnny Orr lives on in the success of his former players and in the hearts of all Cyclone fans. That’s a “dinger” Coach!

Two Adoptable Pets

Fundraising T-shirts available at the shelter

I had a vision the other day. First I saw Mewdy Blue from the backside as he walked away from me into a doorway. Next, the door was closed and all I could see of him were his paws reaching out from under the door. I’m not sure what to think of this but I’ve chosen to believe that he isn’t going to talk to me until I get going with things I’ve been avoiding. So I’ve come back to my blogs today. My return is going to be to help some Story County Animal Shelter pets find homes.

First I’d like you to meet a handsome fella who has a special need. I didn’t find a name on his cage so I decided to call him Maximum because he is a fair-sized cat with a heart full of energy. Though he has longhair his fur is easily maintained. He has already been through two adopted homes because the adopters didn’t do their research before taking him in. In the first home he didn’t get along with the resident cats so he returned to the shelter. In the second home he didn’t like the family dog,

When I approached him through the bars of his cage he acted upset –aggressive but not mean. I could tell that he’d gotten a whiff of the other cats and dogs on my hands. After I wiped my hands with an alcohol solution I found that he was very receptive to my approach.

Maximum has been living in a cage too long! He’s got a lot of pent up energy that needs to be released before his true personality can shine through. Let’s find him a home as an only pet, with no children either. I think someone is going to find a truly wonderful boy behind those golden eyes.

Just to be fair I also took a photo of a very sweet Yellow Lab/Golden Retriever-type dog. He is a barker in the shelter setting but when I stopped to take pictures of him he was quiet and just begged for my attention. Anyone who has ever had a Lab or Retriever knows how special these breeds are. They are smart, loyal and happy-go-lucky puppies throughout life. I’m sorry that I didn’t collect any information on the dogs today but how can you pass on a face like this:

You can meet these two wonderful pets at the Story County Animal Shelter but remember that the holidays will affect their hours. Call ahead before visiting.

The shelter is located at:         975 W Lincoln Highway
Nevada, IA 50201
Ph: (515) 382-3338

Their hours are:                       M-F 11 am to 4 pm

                                                Closed on holidays and weekends

You can see more of the pets awaiting adoption at the shelter website and updates on their Facebook page.

As Butterflies Go

The calls of cats passed were too strong for my sweet Lady Butterfly to ignore. She joined them this morning floating where butterflies and Bluebirds fly over the Rainbow. I can only pray that Mewdy Blue’s dream message the other night is true: she is happy and healthy tonight. If only I could be so happy.

Lady Butterfly

Almost 20 years ago I lost Gabrielle’s Galaxy, my best friend Gabbie. Two years later my precious baby boy Misha Baryshnikat joined her. The reason I bring this up now is because the other day I found myself calling their names as I looked for Lady Butterfly. I’m not sure if it is a case of a “maternal” mixing of names or if, just perhaps, those two are now hanging around Lady as she struggles with the late stages of kidney failure.

Misha Baryshnikat

I sometimes feel as if my life is in a downward spiral. Year after year I lose this cat then that cat and each loss is worse than the previous one. True, I’ve had good things happen too but it’s hard to see those things when loved ones are dying.

Lady in 2009 mid-rollover

Lady has been a tough little girl but she’s really having a hard time of it this week. I started treating her with Sucralfate to battle the high levels of phosphorus in her system, Lactated Ringers solution supplemented with potassium because her potassium is low and Azodyl to eat up all those toxins her kidneys can’t deal with. She’s been eating the Iams kidney diet as long as I mix it with water so she can lap it up but now she’s not so happy with that. This week I am giving her anything she will eat and that usually changes every day. (this morning she seemed to be happy with Purina’s kidney diet, tonight she's eating Iams Recovery Formula, what next?)

2011

I’m just afraid that she may not make it to the end of this year. That would mean three cats this year. Then only Sky Voice is left to represent my first feral colony even though he was born in my house. But I’m trying not to look at it that way. No, for now Lady is fighting and I am helping.

It’s just that feeling I got when I called out Gabbie and Misha’s names. Are they really here? Are they trying to call to Lady? I don’t want her to go with them, not yet.

UPDATE:  It doesn't look like Lady is going to make her 19th birthday. I've been carrying her around the house today and tonight she is restless. Right now she's hiding from me. Not a good sign for cat who's usually so cuddly. This is not going to be a good night.

Awards Time!

Me at my retirement show in October

Glitter here again. My human is just too humble sometimes. I think maybe it is an Iowa thing. We don’t usually like to crow about achievements or make a big deal out of things.

Yep, today was the first snow of the season!

But this time I think she’s gone too far. On Saturday she came home with a box that had a really hard rock-like thing in it. She called it a “trophy” and said it came from the Cat Writers’ Association.

From what I understand this is a really big deal. Kinda like those regional awards we cats win. Maybe even bigger! So finally she has a trophy to put on the shelf with all of ours. Why in the world didn’t she post it right away?

B.W. Huckleberry checking it out

So I’ve decided to do it for her. She won the Pro Plan Pedigreed Cats Award for her article in Cats US entitled “Harder Than It Looks”. Here’s the description of the requirements for the award:

“Pro Plan® Pedigreed Cats Award, sponsored by Purina, is presented to the writer or creator of the best entry of the year that focuses on cat breeds, pedigreed cats, and professional breeder issues including (but not limited to) health, care, nutrition, and showing cats.” (from the CWA contest rules)

B.W. still checking

In this article she described the work that goes into developing and maintaining a cattery. Sometimes I think our house should be called a cattery and all these other brats kept in cages. It would make my life a lot easier. I wouldn’t have to go around slapping sense into those other twits.

Here's what Mulberry Spot thought of the award (he always thinks he should be the center of attention):

Anyway, since today (11-11-2013) is the human’s 3^rd Blog-iversary this is a well-timed award. I think we should celebrate all night long – but first I have to lock the other cats in the bathroom.

Demetrius, part 2

Well, now that I’ve got that malware cleared up and life has settled down for the winter I’ll take you back to my story about little Demetrius, aka Demon………..

Demon supervising

So I learned all about cat shows. First I needed to make something to decorate Demon’s cage. Since I’d never been to a cat show before I didn’t really know what that entailed except that the show flyer gave me the dimensions of the cage. I decided to use poster board and set out to design some “demonic” illustrations.

Now you have to understand that the Iowa State Fair is held in August, nearly the hottest part of the summer – and the most humid. The cat show was upstairs in one of the older buildings. No air conditioning, no fans. The benching cages (the cages where the cats spend most of their time) were in one room and the judging occurred in another room. This might have worked just find except for the fact that this new attraction drew in what seemed like every body in the whole fairgrounds!

We sat beside our cages crammed as close to the tables as we could so the crowds of spectators could walk by and see our cats. I was so nervous and the cats were hot. The afternoon receptionist sat next to me with her own cat and we waited – and waited.

I can’t remember how many cats were entered but it was a lot. They only had to see two judges each day but it took forever. Even worse we couldn’t get in to watch the judging because of the crowd. When our numbers were called we squeezed through with our cats, placed them in the judging cages and then left.

Later, if we were lucky, we’d hear our cat’s number again and hope we’d won a prize. When I heard Demon’s number again someone told me it was for a tie-breaker so when they told me to go back in to retrieve him I figured the other cat had won. Imagine my surprise when, as I picked up my little Demetrius, the judge handed me a trophy! Screamin’ Demon had become the first cat to take first place at the very first Iowa State Fair Cat Show!

See how bad I was with that camera?

We went on to attend many other shows over the years but his winnings were never as wonderful as that first time. And of course I was hooked and became a nearly lifelong cat show competitor.

When I started college my visits to the clinic slowed down. I began working at a different clinic and began showing my own cats so I didn’t see Demon as much. But when I did stop in my boy would immediately jump right back up on my shoulders and my heart would melt.

Eventually Demon’s kidneys began to fail. Doctor gave him the finest treatments but he finally saw that quality of life had dwindled. Visits to the clinic are no longer as cheerful as they used to be. But I am thankful for all that Demon gave me. He is one of the reasons I know how to appreciate the cats I now have in my life. He also taught me that the heart does not forget. Demetrius lives in my heart for as long as it beats.

Demetrius

I came to the sudden realization the other day that this month will be the fortieth anniversary of the day my first show cat came into my life. The 23^rd kind of sticks in my mind, as well. I think this is the day he was born but I don’t have that written down anywhere, just in my faulty memory.

Nile and Gunnar, my German Shep/Lab mix

 He was born a barn cat, little Demetrius. That tiny blue kitten with a very long name. Nile was his mother. She was just the sweetest black cat you could ever imagine. We’d found her a short time after we moved into our first house in the country. She emerged from the culvert along the gravel road, an old flea collar securely fastened around her neck and her right front leg. We cut it off and washed up her wound but it had been there so long that a good amount of scar tissue had formed around it. She walked with her “elbow” pointing out the rest of her life but seemed happy enough to have a family.

Back then we weren’t allowed to have pets inside the house, except for my mom’s Siamese, that is. Oh, and my fish. Not knowing any better we let Nile have kittens to fill up our acreage and she was a good mom. Unfortunately the neighbor’s German Shepard began killing Nile’s kittens one by one. Finally one day little Demetrius was the only one left. Since he was mine, unofficially, I swept him up and took him into work with me.

You see I’d been working as the part time kennel person for a local veterinarian. He was new to the area having just moved from California. He’d bought the practice from a retiring veterinarian. But he wasn’t new to Iowa, he’d actually grown up here and graduated from Iowa State University. I learned early on that he was a cat-lover – and a sucker for a sob story.

I walked in through the front door of the clinic with the crying kitten and begged the doctor to take him in. He had inherited the cat that lived at the clinic. But that cat wasn’t very social so I convinced him that he needed Demetrius. He agreed without much thought. I could tell that our morning receptionist wasn’t so happy about the deal but what could she do?

Well it didn’t take long before he grew into a new name, Demon. They said they’d shortened it because the clients couldn’t remember Demetrius but I could tell there was more. Seems Demon had taken to climbing up clients’ legs to get to their shoulders. I’d always carried him around on my shoulders so I guess it was my fault J. As soon as he was big enough Demon lost his front claws.

For a time after that he’d stand beside people and just scream at them until they either left or picked him up. His name grew with him. Soon he became Screamin’ Demon.

But that wasn’t good enough. He learned how to climb up on people using only his back claws! He was a determined little cuss and I loved him so much. Eventually he lost his back claws too. But by then he’d grown big enough that he could jump up on my shoulders. Doctor told me not to let him, but when we were back in the kennel room by ourselves he rode on my shoulders all the time.

He soon learned of new ways to irritate the morning receptionist. One day when his least favorite receptionist was working he decided to take a nap on top of the patient files. She was mad enough at him for getting in her way but when he finally decided she’d had enough he “christened” the files in one box in his own aromatic way and left. He was banned to the kennel room for a week after that. (And Doctor’s son told me recently that was the first time he’d ever heard such curse words!)

But the clients all loved that boy and asked why he wasn’t out. So he got a reprieve.

Demon knew how to push his luck though. One of his biggest fans was a woman who had beloved cats of her own. She’d come in to buy food or meds for her cats and sit down to talk with Demon. Almost invariably he’d nip her hand and she’d squeal then laugh. But one day he bit too hard and the receptionist banned him to the back rooms again.

I think she more reasons though. I heard that they’d been finding little piles of turds in strategic places all around the clinic. Most were found around the reception area. Do you think he was sending her a message?

When Demon was almost 2 years old the other receptionist told me about something called cat shows. I’d never heard of them before but she had Persians and showed them once in awhile. Turns out the Iowa State Fair was going to hold their first ever cat show and the afternoon receptionist thought we should take Demon. He was used to being around other people and their pets so he surely would be able to handle the environment.

Next time I’ll tell you all about that experience and maybe add some pictures as I find them. Unfortunately I was using a 110 Instamatic back then and didn’t take very good pictures so there aren’t many to find.

What is going on here?

Hey, everyone. I’ve never posted here before but my person isn’t getting it done so I thought I’d take over for a bit. She sits in front of the computer day after day but never gets anywhere. I think it will happen eventually but until then – here I am.

My name is Jabberwoky Glitter, no, that isn’t a misspelling. Check out my registration papers. No ‘c’. Okay, so I’m not a registered pedigreed cat, just a technicality. I mean I know my pedigree. Where do you think my aqua green eyes came from? My daddy-o had that blue-eyed, lynxpoint Siameezer gene and me ol’ mum has a touch o’ the Ir-r-rish in her jade green eyes and patches o’ red hair. Just because none of that is on paper doesn’t mean I can’t be an award-winning cat.

People say that I win ribbons because I don’t have “torti-tude” like others of my ilk, or color and the judges are pleasantly surprised by it. But they don’t know what I’m like at home. Nobody pushes me around there, no sir-ee! I just make nice in public so the cameras can catch my good side.

The reason I’m writing tonight is because something really strange happened here last week and I wanted to tell someone about it. Here’s a video of the dumb little imp, Gooseberry, meeting a bag of mulch for the first time, before it all happened (he such an idiot making a fool of himself on camera):

Did you notice the grass? It has become all tan and crunchy, not at all fun to walk on like it used to be when it was green. The trees even started to lose their leaves several weeks early for some reason. I’ve heard some humans saying it is a self-preservation thing so they don’t die – they are going into dormancy. I think you can see the prairie plants in the background too, they’ve already lost most of their flowers. The butterflies are having a hard time finding any flowers to feed on.

Anyway, soon after this video, I think it was Wednesday, it happened. The sun didn’t really come up that day, or at least I couldn’t find it in the sky. In the afternoon I thought I heard some rumblings, like a noisy machine starting up but it sounded like it was getting closer and closer. Then suddenly Tourmalina came skittering downstairs yelling that the sky was falling! Well, the rest of us ran back upstairs to have a look out the windows to find out what she was talking about.

I didn’t see anything at first but as I stood looking out, I felt something hit my nose. Lady must have felt something too because she shook her foot and jumped down from the window. Then I noticed Two-ey, that outside cat, shake his head and look upwards. He must have felt it too. Then he shook all over and headed for the cover of his lilac bush. None of us could figure out what was going on but our person decided to close the windows. I headed downstairs.

Two-ey under his lilac bush

An overhanging porch protects the back door so she left it open for a while. Some of us decided to set up a lookout there and boy did we get an eyeful! First we heard the crackling of that crunchy grass like someone was walking on it. Then all the birds disappeared and grew very quiet. The rumbling increased and loud cracks broke open the sky!

The leaves on the plants and the lilac bushes started bowing. Obviously something was hitting them but what? No longer protected by his bush Two-ey ran for his life across the street. He has another hiding place but I don’t know where it is. Finally Tourmalina’s forecast came true – the sky truly was falling! Something fell in sheets out of the sky through the trees and all around us nearly flattening all the plant-life around us and making the cement look wet. Blizzard, that weirdo dog, started dancing around like he had to go outside (he refuses to use the litterpans, in fact, he likes to eat out of them!) but when our person let him out he wouldn’t go past the porch. I just laughed.

Blizzard bustin' in on Mewdy Blues' photo session

I had no idea what it all was but something niggled in the back of my mind. It all seemed a little familiar but it had been a loooooooonnnnnnngggggg time ago. Our person didn’t act at all concerned so we just settled in and waited for it to end. The cracks and booms startled us every now and then but nothing damaging really happened. By Friday it was all over and life has gone back to normal again.

Has anyone else ever heard of anything like this? Can you help me remember what this wet stuff is that opens up the sky and falls down on the earth outside? The plants seem to really like it. They’re standing up again and the grass has even grown a little. Maybe it’s a good thing but I can’t stand anything I don’t understand, do you?

Aren't I gorgeous?

Mewdy Blue Update

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Tonight Mewdy Blue is still hanging in there but hanging on your every prayer. He made it through last night pretty well staying in the dog’s crate with all his necessaries (a soft furry rug, water and litterpan). I stayed on the hard wood floor right next to him listening for his every movement. I think I must’ve fallen asleep for a bit because I suddenly awoke to the phone.

At first I couldn’t figure out who would call in the middle of the night but then I realized that light was seeping into the room around the curtains! Our veterinarian’s office was calling to get an update on Mewdy Blue. After that I spent the day pretty much the way I spent the night, checking on my boy, offering him food every now and then and giving him his meds when necessary. 

Effie

Bluebird

Question

I find myself pleading to his beloved mother, Effie, sister, Bluebird, and brother, Question, to help him through this. I ask them to please not take him to join them yet. It is too soon.

As I said, tonight he’s holding his own but I let him out to walk, or I should say stumble, around a bit. He really wants to go upstairs, and I would love to go up and sleep in my bed, but it is so hot up there. At 9 pm the heat index was still 101 degrees! So I guess I’ll be back on the floor again tonight. At least we have air conditioning in the living room.

So thanks for all your prayers and positive energy but please don’t stop. He needs all the help he can get.

The Final "Question"

I was staid, going through the motions, handling business and I thought I was going to be just fine. The plan was to pick up the supplies, pay my bill and then ask for them and leave. I thought I was doing fine…….until she handed me his ashes with that sympathetic expression. I felt the tears well in my eyes and I headed for the door. By the time I was sitting in my car I was full-out crying.

Question died on February 26^th. The snow was just beginning when I carried him out to the car and started toward Dr. Tammy’s clinic normally a half hour drive. That snow was coming down hard, though and the roads were progressively worse as I headed north. I believe it took me 45 minutes but I was in such a bad way that I don’t really know.

Unfortunately, Dr. Tammy was already in surgery and couldn’t leave but both of her associates were able to help me through my decision. My sweet Cutey-Q was dying before my eyes and we couldn’t do anything for him except end his suffering. He trusted me, he always had and all I could do was help him to die. I felt so helpless. He was so brave.

Q during one of his few cat show appearances

Out of all my cats during these last several years Q was the only one who ever stayed visible when someone visited. He had to be in the middle of things, to know everything that ever went on in his home. He tried to help the furnace guy check out the furnace and instructed the plumber on how to fix the plugged drain. When someone came to the door, he was right there to greet them while the other cats scrambled over each other to escape upstairs.

The vacuum cleaner didn’t bother him, nor did the dog. Out of all of my cats, Q was the only one who consistently came running when I called his name. He was an indoor only cat and never once acted like he was interested in going outside, at least not until that last week of his life. Suddenly, when the weather turned cold one day he tried to follow the dog outside. I decided to go ahead and see where he would go figuring he would simply turn around and come back in when he realized how cold it was. Instead he kept walking, right down the sidewalk toward the gate!

Question and his brother Sky Voice

I brought him back inside then and for the next few days I had to pick him up and hold him whenever I let the dog out. The night before our snowy journey he stayed close by me but didn’t want to be held. I stayed up with him most of the night worried that he wasn’t acting well at all. He’d been ill but I really hoped he would pull through.

Then, early in the morning he jumped up on my bed, though I don’t know how. He never moved again. I had to carry him downstairs because he couldn’t stand anymore. That’s when I called the clinic and told them I was coming.

Ironically just a short time ago I thought I was losing my precious Mewdy Blue. But he recovered, miraculously, and Q got sick. Part of my grieving included the feeling that fate was paying me back for praying for Mewdy Blue’s recovery by taking Cutey-Q. Another part of me feels guilty for ever taking my cats anywhere possibly exposing them to who knows what. Perhaps I should have kept them in a bubble where they’d never be exposed to the toxins and pathogens present everywhere in our world. But what kind of life would that be?

The mind and heart plays these games with our psyche shooting our emotions out of the realm of reality as we come to grips with a loss such as this. Someone must be blamed. We’re sure it is all our fault, or maybe it’s someone else’s fault or he’s not really gone, or maybe, just maybe I can bring him back (I’ve actually had a dream where we’ve euthanized one of my cats accidentally and I was able to counteract the euthanasia solution to bring him back).

Question

So today I look at the cats before me and realize that I no longer have any blue and white cats. All but two of Effie’s family are now gone. Besides Lady Butterfly (18), Effie’s sons, Mewdy Blue and Sky Voice (16), are the only ties left to the first colony of feral cats I ever worked with. The only ties left to so many spirits. Perhaps it is appropriate that they are both blue.

Character of Color

Ineffable (Effie) 1992?-2008

What kind of character does your household have? I’m not talking about the design of your house or the way you’ve decorated it inside. No, I mean what kind of a feel do you get from the animal “hues” around you?

There was a time when two blue cats, four blue and white cats and one silvery brown and white tabby resided with me. It gave me a cold feeling for a very long time. Their colors were cold, just the colors not the cats. I also had one red tabby, a brown-patched tabby and white and a couple of tortoiseshells but the number of blues outweighed their warmth.

Blizzard and Isis

Over the next several years the blue and white cats have left me and more red tabbies have joined us (along with a fiery calico and a quiet tortoiseshell). Now the household feels warmer.

Much warmer, huh? This is Mulberry Spot, Gooseberry and Strawberry

Now this is not to say that those blue cats were cold or snobbish, or that the more recent red tabbies are any cuddlier. I only mean that the atmosphere within my house reflects the colors that fill it.

Have you ever thought about the colors of your pets and how they affect the very air around you? Could they even affect your mood at times? Have you ever adopted a pet based on its color? Or do you find yourself attracted to certain colors without consciously having a preference for it (I mean you might “like” red tabby cats but find yourself looking more at calicos for some reason)?

Question, my Cutey-Q, 1997-2013

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how the color of your pets might affect you. Just drop me a line in the comments section.

Adoption News

Great news! That beautiful girl, Twix has been adopted. After all the time she has been at the shelter I'm so glad that she finally found the home she deserves.

Frito, my favorite chip!

Now we need to get a home for Frito my favorite girl. Boy, if only I had room.......................

Libby, a very discerning girl

and for Libby another long-time resident. Libby is a black, longhaired adult spay with beautiful gold eyes. You can see that her ruff is a smokey black but very full. She will need to be groomed daily with that long, full coat. Libby doesn't seem to like other cats so it would be best if she found a home where she is the only cat and probably allowed to be the boss!

She doesn't think much of my photo skills

Let's find these two great homes soon.

The shelter is located at:         975 W Lincoln Highway
Nevada, IA 50201
Ph: (515) 382-3338

Their hours are:                       M-F 11 am to 4 pm

                                                Closed on holidays and weekends

You can see more of the pets awaiting adoption at the shelter website  and updates at their Facebook page.