Mister Cat is here to stay.
Mister Cat is getting a full blog post because this is his forever home and I want to be sure everyone has met him.
Vintage patio chairs are here, I got the replacement cushions here.
View this post on Instagram
When he first showed up, he was scratched and dirty… you can see photos of him here in this post.
At the time, I wrote:
As soon as he sees me, he RUNS to me calling– hello! hello! I have been inviting him in, and he will come in just to the doorway, so we will see if he wants to have an inside home by winter.
Did he decide he wanted an inside home?
He did.
My people.
He is the BEST.
He is a true companion.
He is an excellent communicator.
I am his person.
He loves shoes and catnip.
His paws are ginormous.
His purr is a rusty old motor.
Genetically, I believe he is part bear.
He is the MOST handsome man.
He HATES the garbage truck.
He LOVES petting.
Sometimes he likes to get feisty with a string or stick.
He prefers his catnip on a towel.
volume UP to hear him purring.
I feel so lucky that he came to ME.
So many strays do not have a cat lady to care for them… they brave freezing weather, lack of food, and very short and hard lives.
Unwanted cats STRUGGLE to survive.
PLEASE make sure your animals are spayed and neutered.
Get involved with TNR programs!
Trap. Neuter. Return.
Did you know that nearly ALL of the kittens who are euthanized at shelters are born to the stray, feral, and other unfixed cats who live outside in our neighborhoods… shelters are unable to meet the demand for caring for all these baby animals.
We can make a difference! ESPECIALLY if you are already feeding stray cats! You are halfway there! Getting them fixed stops the cycle.
I already wrote a post about how you can help your local shelter… Fostering is great because it allows your shelter to have more space and resources to help more animals… BUT there are also LOTS of ways you can help without even having animals in your home.
REDUCING stray cat populations also REDUCES cats in shelters; which in turn gives the cats-already-there a better chance at adoption.
To me, entering the shelter system is the very worst thing that can happen to an animal– ESPECIALLY cats… the dogs get out for a walk AND are given cages with access to fresh air and sunlight.
The cats at the shelter I foster through are caged in TINY spaces in a room with ZERO WINDOWS. My sweet man Webster waited in one of these cages for nearly a year.
This is UNACCEPTABLE.
If you are unfamiliar with TNR, Alley Cat Allies is a great resource.
wait for it… he is SUCH a character.
What I’m reading: SLOW DEATH BY RUBBER DUCK.
People.
ERRRMAHGAWD.
Read this book.
Chemical companies say to humans: PAY MONEY, to make your home a TOXIC WASTELAND
Rather than this ENRAGING humans, we do as the advertising instructs– we buy dryer sheets, glade, febreeze… how else will the corporate lobbyists get paid?
Yes. DRYER SHEETS ARE TOXIC… I already wrote a screed against fragrances and their toxicity, it’s the second half of this post, I LINK TO SCIENCE.
I’m banging the gong again because NONE OF THIS IS FINE.
Why do we AGREE to this bizarre equation? Why do we agree to sacrifice the wellbeing of ourselves and our families? WHY?
That is not a rhetorical question… I truly fail to understand WHY humans do not say– NOPE. GET OUT.
This makes SO MUCH no sense to me. If someone can explain, I would genuinely appreciate it because it MAKES ME INSANE.
ps– I know I owe you a kitten update… they have had issues that have melted my brain, but just in the last two days, things are FINALLY improving… I’ll tell you more soon!
pps– whoever recommended the Cat Dancer toy… THANK YOU!!! These babies were scared of every single thing I tried to show them/play with them… this was the thing that finally got their attention enough that they forgot about being too scared to play with me! they LOVE it! I am using it every day and their interest has not diminished!
June 20, 2019 @ 6:48 pm
Oh how I love to see your sweet and teddy bear Mr. Cat so deliriously happy he found you and a perfect forever home. Yay!!!
June 20, 2019 @ 7:30 pm
All of our animal companions have either been strays or shelter animals – every one of them has been a wonderful loving addition to our lives. As we live in the boondocks I don’t see any strays – once in awhile I see a neighbor’s animal – also an adopted cat. Gotta love ’em!!!
June 20, 2019 @ 7:32 pm
I am so happy for all of you. I got my Pretty Boy 5 years ago when my brother died after a few months hospital stay. He was a one man cat and always lived outside. When I trapped him in a Have A Heart trap, he hated me. But he had no where to go, no one to feed him, he was sick, and coyotes were closing in. Also his personality was so bad that he would never ingratiate himself to another person. So he came to live with me and for 8 months he snarled and lived mostly under the bathroom sink and only came out at night to eat and poop in a litter box. Then he noticed that if I went away, he only had dry food and no one talked to him. He also began to realize that he liked to feel safe and be petted. Now he is my best boy. Cats pick you for a reason.
June 20, 2019 @ 8:21 pm
I am delighted for both of you! Elvis is smiling down upon you❤️😻
June 20, 2019 @ 9:25 pm
What a handsome boy! I admire cats from afar as I’m allergic, but I do contribute to the local Alley Animals for their dedication to providing food, care, and TNR for the cats. You are doing a wonderful thing.
June 20, 2019 @ 11:53 pm
He is all fluffy goodness and I don’t know how you could resist burying your face in that soft, warm sleepy fur.
When I got my baby. I asked to see the kitty that had been at the shelter the longest thinking they would take me to an elderly, antisocial kitty who I was prepared to take home. Instead, they took me to the most gorgeous, social, playful girl who had been there 7 months because she is black. Superstitions I guess. I figure I just won the lottery and it’s everyone else’s loss. I adore my kitty who hauls around pot holders and taps me to get pets. She’s the best!
June 21, 2019 @ 3:25 am
He’s beautiful!
June 21, 2019 @ 8:25 am
Victoria, I am glad you and Paul have a new cat friend who will be staying with you forever! <3 I cannot agree more about dryer sheets and all these perfumed things ~ makes my asthmatic life a living nightmare going to work. The teacher I worked with in CA loved having Febreze in our classroom because, yes, 6th-8th graders sometimes smell. Lol! It was only really bad during winter when we were enclosed in the classroom. Whiteboard markers are also horrible! I'd take chalk any day…
Happy your fur bud is indoors now. I shared your story on Twitter and of course your new kitty went to my Animal Friends board. <3
Blessings and hugs,
Barb 🙂
June 21, 2019 @ 9:03 am
Victoria, I’m so glad this post came to my attention via Twitter just now. Cats and the neurotoxicity of household chemicals/fragrances are two of my favorite topics! 🙂
June 21, 2019 @ 9:05 am
Victoria, I’m glad I saw this post on Twitter. Two of my favorite topics – cats and neurotoxic petrochemicals! 🙂
June 21, 2019 @ 11:18 am
What a handsome cat! So glad he found you!
June 21, 2019 @ 11:22 am
I hope this video will work for you, it features two of your favorite things. 😊
https://www.facebook.com/363765800431935/posts/3442289492579535?s=100000091213049&v=e&sfns=mo
June 21, 2019 @ 11:56 am
I adopted a feral kitten four years ago from a shelter and this May I adopted a “mouser” cat from people who were moving. Despite being told the mouser cat was an outside 60/indoor 40 cat who liked to catch mice, she has to interest in outdoors and prefers lolling around inside. The “feral” kitten is very lively and affectionate and wants to go outside. Adopt don’t shop,
June 21, 2019 @ 10:12 pm
I’m so thrilled that you have a forever cat again.
Karen
June 21, 2019 @ 10:14 pm
I’m so thrilled you have a forever cat once again.
xo,
Karen
June 22, 2019 @ 4:14 am
I foster cats through our local rescue organization. I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen a cat “say” no thank you to one potential adopter and a resounding yep, this is who I want, to someone else. They really do choose their “furever” home/owners (staff). I would say that Mister Cat knew exactly what he was doing 😸
June 22, 2019 @ 9:16 am
OMG he is ADORABLE
June 22, 2019 @ 9:18 am
We adopted our cat man Walli from a campground last year. His mama moved his three siblings and never came back for him. We really admired his spunk and he was determined to go home with us. As he was living in a covered area that housed lawn mowers and golf carts we could not say no to this little bundle of fur. Even though it was challenging to take care of such a young kitten ( he was about 5 weeks) and a very ill black lab who was weeks away from passing, we don’t have any regrets. He is my husband’s best friend. It’s so much fun having such a lively character in our home after caring for ailing animals. And he has ver similar markings as your Mister Cat! Our house would be a lonelier place without him!
July 9, 2019 @ 12:56 am
It is ever so cute that you are soooo smitten with this cat…a video feed every three inches on the post. Congratulations and enjoy him!
Thanks for being so interesting.
Michele
August 8, 2019 @ 8:59 pm
Our man Domino chose us, too. He appeared on our porch one day, began sleeping there each night and, of course, we started feeding him. He was so loving from the very first. We checked out every way we knew to find owners but to no avail. One day we swept him up and took him to the vet to be checked out. He was not chipped so he became ours (and an inside kitty) from that day on. He is a big black and white long-haired, tuxedo boy with the sweetest personality ever, very mellow, laid-back, bundle of love and cuddles. We feel so lucky he picked our porch as his sleeping place.