A Gift From Greenies!

Check out what my pals over at Greenies sent me! A bag of Feline Greenies Dental treats and a very sweet note! I feel like a very lucky kitty to be friends with the Greenies people. Thank you Greenies!

Wordless Wednesday-Snuggly Winter Days

Wordless Wednesday-Festive Kitty

Anipal Photo Hunt #16: My 2nd Job

Well, of course, my first job is just like any other kitty out there. I'm here to take care of my humans-and it's a never-ending job! I cuddle and purr and warm laps day after day. I take my job very seriously, too. Purrsonally, I love my job and get tons of enjoyment from it.

I do have another job though. That job is to be an ambassador for homeless pets. You can always see a slideshow running on the side of my bloggy with pictures of adoptable pets at Wayside Waifs here in Kansas City. Sometimes I write a special blog for one of the animals at the shelter and I have written a couple of guest posts for Wayside Waifs as well.

Anderson is awaiting his forever home at Wayside Waifs.

I know how important it is to help get homeless pets adopted, my days at the shelter are still fresh in my mind. I hope that I can do some good in my little part of the world, whether I have helped a pet find its forever home or inspired another kitty to be an ambassador too.

Readpawty Review of Murder Past Due

Murder Past Due by Miranda James is one of the books I read for the upcoming #readpawty on Twitter. It is a cozy mystery written under a pseudonym. The author's real name is Dean James, author of the Simon Kirby-Jones mystery series. For this series, Cat in the Stacks, James took on a female name.

In "Murder Past Due" Charlie Harris is a librarian who takes his cat, a Maine Coon named Diesel, with him everywhere, walking him on a harness and leash. An old classmate, Godfrey Priest, comes back to town to be honored for being a best-selling novelist, but ends up dead-the victim of a brutal murder. Charlie is asked by the lead investigator's mother to poke around for information to help her daughter solve the case. As it turns out, the investigator doesn't really need the help and Charlie (already on her bad side) seems to only irritate her.

The story has several potential killers, all with motives to murder the not-so-nice author. There are a couple of twists, but nothing that is all too surprising. Diesel is ever-present throughout the story, greeting people and hanging out with Charlie.

The most noticeable difference between this cozy and others I have read is that the main character is a man. Typically, the antagonist is a woman in cozies, so this was a change. Also, the main character didn't actually end up solving the crime in this book. It was nice to have things mixed up a bit from other cozies I have read, instead of the same format I have read previously.

If you are a cozy mystery fan, you will probably enjoy the book. I know I did!

Anipal Photo Hunt #15: THE VET

I don't have any piccies of me at the vet, but I do have one of the carrier I go in when Mom takes me to the vet. She puts me in it, then seatbelts it in the car. I don't like it!


I hope I don't have to go in that carrier for a loooooong time!

Thankful Kitty

Today is my first Thanksgiving with my Mom. It is a special day and I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you.

There are so many things I have to be thankful for. First and most importantly is that I now have this amazing forever home. My mom pampers me and treats me like I'm the most important thing in her life. After being a shelter kitty, I will forever be grateful for being adopted and loved.

I'm thankful that even though I have tummy troubles, Mom never yells at me when I puke on the carpet. Even while she's on the floor cleaning it up.

I'm thankful for Grandparents who bring me gifts when they come to visit and a guinea pig sisfur who wants to give me nosetaps even when I try to whack her with my paw.

I'm also thankful for all the luxuries in my life. I get to drink out of a running water fountain-or the toilet if I want! I can get under the covers of the bed when I'm chilly and snuggle down to nap. I have a tree right outside my bedroom window that squirrels climb and a deck I can watch birdies on (after Dad puts out seeds to attract them).

I know all my anipals are thankful on this day, too. I'm thankful that I have all of you and hope you know how much you mean to me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wordless Wednesday-Laundry Day

Review of "Please Send Money" by Cheshire Kitten

My friend Cheshire Kitten wrote a book called "Please Send Money" and I won it as a prize at a #pawpawty! I couldn't wait for it to come so I could read it. Last night Mom and I read it in bed together and it was PAWSOME!

The book is all about Cheshire and his fursibs faced with the task of having to earn money to pay for their kibble. They come up with all kinds of ideas that just don't work out until they find the perfect way to keep their bowls full of food.

You know what my favorite part of the book was? The very front-where it was pawtographed!! I'm very proud of my friend Cheshire. I think all my anipals and their humans should buy his book. Go check out his blog and order one for yourself!

A Blog For @Ryker_Tyker and @WaysideWaifs

Were you at #NipClub last night in honor of @Ryker_Tyker? If you weren't (or if you were and things are a little fuzzy today) and want a little overview, check out my guest post on Wayside Waifs' blog!

I know everybody is wondering so, drumroll please...We raised $85 for Wayside Waifs in Ryker's name at #NipClub last night! Of course it doesn't have to stop there just because #NipClub is over. You can continue to give and honor our friend Ryker. I hope you do!

Anipal Photo Hunt #14: Mom!

This is me and Mom in the kitchen tonight. I can't believe she's wearing mousie slippers!

Let's see a picture of your mom too!

I Guest Blogged for Wayside Waifs!!

Check out my post on Wayside Waif's blog! http://blog.waysidewaifs.org/2010/11/wayside-kittens-visit-cats-the-musical/

GREENIES JointCare Wag & Walk 4 Life

Hey doggie friends! Have I got news for you! GREENIES JointCare is issuing a challenge to you and your humans. They have gotten together with veterinarian (don't stop reading, I'm sure he's a purrfectly nice person who just happens to be a V-E-T) and triathlete Dr. Ernie Ward to get Americans to go out and walk with their dogs. It's called the GREENIES JointCare Wag & Walk 4 Life.

Here's the challenge: Go to the GREENIES Facebook page at www.facebook.com/greenies and pledge to walk a certain distance with your human every week. Once all the pledges add up to 25,000 miles (the distance around the earth), GREENIES JointCare will begin monetary and in-kind donations to Freedom Service Dogs, based in Englewood, Colorado. The donations will support their training camp that places a service dog with a disabled veteran who needs a mobility partner. With Veterans Day having just passed, isn't this a good way to give back to those who have fought for our freedom?

In addition to helping out Freedom Service Dogs, you and your human will see personal benefits. For every 30 minutes of dog-walking, 120+ calories are burned-that is great this time of year when you won't be able to keep your human's hands out of the holiday goodies. Also, studies show that regular dog walking builds stronger bones, leaner muscles and healthier joints for both the human and the dog.

So get on over to the GREENIES Facebook page and pledge to get out there and walk! It will be good for you, your human and a veteran who needs the help of a service dog.

Wordless Wednesday-My New Spot on the Couch

Anipal Photo Hunt #13: From Where I Stand...

I love to look through the railing on the deck. I make sure to look out all three sides every time I go outside. This is the view to the north, where the squirrel tree is. I call it that because we get squirrels there sometimes and I can watch them nom on the nuts we put out for them. There's also a fire hydrant that I bet some of my doggie friends would like!
You should join in the Anipal Photo Hunt and show us the view from where you stand!

Banana Abby-She's a Wayside Waifs SupporterToo!

I just wanted to share a blog with you that I found yesterday. It's called Banana Abby and she's got the BEST pictures of dogs who are available for adoption at Wayside Waifs. Mom has been following her on Twitter for a little while, but this was the first time we looked at her pictures. I don't think she's actually taking the pictures, but you can bet she's the brains behind the operation!

You should check her out and say hi!

Rosie Loved His Tomatoes!

This is a little update to my All Souls' Day post. So many of my friends commented on Rosie's love of tomatoes, that I had Mom scan this old picture of her sharing a tomato with him.
Sorry it's a little crooked. *looks at Mom* It's not her best work. But, it shows Rosie (and Mom!) back in his younger days before he got chubby and kinda scraggly looking.

Thanks for sharing the love on the other post! I hope you like the update!

Need A Donation Idea?

Mom was shopping at Target today (she didn't bring me anything, by the way) when she saw a great way to donate to your local shelter for just a little money.

In the "Dollar Spot" section there were fleece blankets for just $2.50! You could buy 4 of them for just $10 or 10 of them for $25.00. That would make a wonderful donation to your local shelter. Shelters are always needing warm blankets for their kitties and doggies waiting for their forever homes. It would mean a lot to a homeless pet to have something warm to snuggle on with the weather getting colder.

Just a little something to keep in mind when you're out doing your regular shopping: You can pick up an item or two on each trip and soon have a huge gift to give to your shelter. Always be on the lookout for specials like the blankets at Target or sales on things like paper towels, bleach, cat litter or treats. Shelters are always needing these items!

Wordless Wednesday-Election Day

Anipal Photo Hunt #12: All Souls' Day

This week's Anipal Photo Hunt is in celebration of All Souls' Day, a day to remember those who have passed on. Cokie explains it here.

Mom recently wrote a post about her doggy, Oscar, who went to the Rainbow Bridge on Halloween three years ago, so I thought I'd honor her Wichita cat, Rosie. He (yes, he) went to the Rainbow Bridge this past June, right before Mom and Dad left for Boston to get married. He was an old kitty, at least 17 years, and had been declining in health over his last year of life.

Mom had to leave him in Wichita when she moved to Kansas City, so he lived with Grandma and Grandpa. I never met him, but I knew all about him. Mom told me stories about how he would sleep with her at night and every morning they had a cuddle session. After she moved, he learned to cuddle with Grandma instead.

Rosie's favorite people food were cheese and tomatoes. He and Mom would go out on the front porch and eat a tomato together. When it wasn't tomato season, they would share a little can of tomato juice. He got cheese as a reward when he had to go to the vet or have medicine.

Mom was very sad when Rosie went to the Rainbow Bridge because she couldn't be there to help him. Grandma was there though and I know he understood Mom's absence. I'll meet him one day at the Rainbow Bridge; until then, I'll enjoy Mom's stories about him and honor his memory on days like All Souls' Day.

In Memory of Jimmy Dugan

Yesterday was a sad day at our house. Our fish, a betta named Jimmy Dugan, went to the Rainbow Bridge. He was the first pet Mom got when she moved here, so he lived over a year and a half. I guess that's a pretty good life for a fish.

I thought he was very fascinating when I first moved in. I could see him in his tank way up on the counter. I would sit on the floor and look up at him, watching him swim around, up and down. He was a pretty blue color (I can't believe Mom didn't have any pictures of him!) and had elegant, flowing fins. It was great entertainment for a kitty! Sometimes, when Mom was gone, I would get up on the counter next to him so I could have a better view.

Jimmy didn't have much to say, but he would swim up to greet Mom when she approached his tank. It was like he was saying, "Hi there! How's it going?" Now it's just an empty tank on the counter. I hope we get a new fish to watch, but I'll always remember Jimmy Dugan, my brofin.

Wordless Wednesday-Sleeping In On The Weekend

Anipal Photo Hunt #11: Trick or Treat

For last weekend's #pawpawty on Twitter, I dressed up as a vampire kitty! Pretty cool costume, huh? My Twitter friend @danapixie made it for me. I think she did a very good job, don't you? I'm going to wear my costume until Halloween, then I'll go back to regular @SeabassCat.

Grandma and Grandpa's Visit

My Grandma and Grandpa came to stay with us last weekend. It was the second time they were here since I came to live with Mom. It was so much fun! Grandma brought me a bag of treats and let me sit on her lap.

Grandpa didn't want me to sit on his lap, but I tried a few times anyway. He always said no. That's okay. Some people just prefer to look at me I guess.

Grandma talked to me a lot while she was here. I like to talk pretty often and when I did, she would have a conversation with me. She even let me go into the bathroom with her when she got ready for bed at night.

It was fun having my grandparents visit. I hope other anipals get visits like this too. It made me feel like a very special kitty.

Anipal Photo Hunt #10: How Annoying!

My Mom can be soooo annoying! Not only does she take endless pictures of me, but then she tries to get in them too! I love her and all, but this gets old sometimes.

Anipal Photo Hunt #9: Compromising Positions

Oh my goodness! Mo-oom! Don't take a picture of me licking my toes!!

Another #ReadPawty Book

I read two books for this month's #readpawty on Twitter. The first one was "Homer's Odyssey" by Gwen Cooper. You can read my review of it here. The second one was a cozy mystery called "Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter" by Blaize Clement.

The cat sitter in the title is Dixie Hemingway. Dixie was a deputy in the local sheriff's department when her life was turned upside down. She left her law enforcement career to become a pet sitter and leave her former life behind. On one of her routine assignments checking on a cat named Ghost whose owner hired Dixie to watch her pet while she was out of town, Dixie discovers a dead body face down in the cat's water dish. All signs point to Dixie as a suspect; she had a key to the house where the body was found, nobody had seen her on her early morning assignments and she was already looked upon as a bit unstable in the community.

Dixie uses her skills she developed in law enforcement to dig deeper into the mystery of the dead man and Ghost's missing owner. Her questions come naturally, as does her ability to read people. Soon, she is getting in further than she should, but she can't stop the nagging thoughts about the case until everything finally becomes clear, with a little assistance from Ghost. (Of course she couldn't do it without the cat!)

Throughout the book, Dixie shows compassion for all the animals on her watch, but indicates that she doesn't want one of her own. Because of the recent upheaval in her life, Dixie can't seem to get close to anybody, including a pet. I bet if she gave a shelter kitty a chance, she would see it's worth it, but that's just my opinion! MOL.

The only thing I really didn't like about the book was how it was wrapped up after the case was solved. There were a lot of loose ends that I had to make assumptions about and I would rather have had some more details about the characters I had gotten to know in the story. I would have liked to have seen more details about Ghost especially, both during the story and at the end, but I guess it wasn't a book about a kitty, it just had a kitty in it. Overall, it was a fun mystery and I will check out the next book in the series, "Duplicity Dogged The Dachshund".

Anipal Photo Hunt #8: I'm With The Band

I finally posted my entry for this week's Anipal Photo Hunt. I'm not much of a musician, but I sure love to sing!
I like to use my singing voice a lot. Mom doesn't really like it when I practice at night, but I gotta stay well tuned!

Anipal Photo Hunt #7: Hey! That's Not Me!

Check out my Toki Poki card compared to my brofur from another mofur, @BorisKitty! You can get more views of our cards here and here.

Boris has more white on his face than I do, but we certainly look like we're related!

A Book About A Cool Cat

I read two books for this month's #readpawty. The first one was "Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, Or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat" by Gwen Cooper. Ms. Cooper writes about Homer, the kitty she took in as a little bitty kitten who had to have his eyes removed when he was very young.

The title really sums up the book. Ms. Cooper is (for most of the book) a single gal living with three cats. Her kitties, the focus being mainly on Homer, teach her about love and what is important in life. All three cats have very different personalities and they all have lessons to offer about life. Specifically, Homer shows her that, even though he is blind, lack of sight does not lessen his enjoyment of life. He is a happy cat and believes there is no other way to be.

There are wonderful stories in the book; some made me and Mom laugh and some made us cry. Have your tissues handy when you read about their experiences on September 11, 12, and 13, 2001. Ms. Cooper shows the kind of passion many pet parents feel for their fur-kids. Fortunately, we have never had to go through a tragedy like they did, but I think my mom would try just as hard to keep me safe.



If you are interested in getting to know Homer, you can follow him on Twitter. Also, he was featured on a recent episode of "Cats 101" on Animal Planet! He's a really cool cat and I'm glad I've gotten to know him even better by reading his mom's book about him. Homer and his mom deserve extra *nosetaps*.

Wordless Wednesday-*yawwwwn*

Less Adoptable Pets Who Are Actually Very Adoptable

Since this is the final day of Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week, I thought I'd introduce you to a few pets in my Mom's life that some people may have seen as "less-adoptable", but to her they were very adoptable!

First is Oscar. Mom had him before she had me, while she was living in a different city. Oscar is a Borzoi that was 2 years old when Mom got him. He had never been a "pet", instead he was raised to be a show dog, but had too many faults. The breeder gave him to Mom on the condition that Mom would pay to have his papers changed over and have him neutered.

Mom fell in love with him right away, but things were difficult from the very beginning. Since he wasn't raised as a pet, he had never been inside a house until the day Mom went to get him. He didn't know how to act in a house and had never encountered stairs. The whole idea of being indoors was very unnerving for him and his entire life, he never spent much time inside.

He had been cared for by one person before Mom adopted him, so it was hard for him to bond with people and was frightened of most humans he came into contact with. Most people would have considered Oscar too neurotic to make a good pet, but Mom's patience and understanding paid off and they developed a strong bond over the 6 years they spent together. Unfortunately, I never got to meet Oscar because he passed away due to cancer 3 years ago.

After Oscar went to the Rainbow Bridge, Mom's dad was anxious for her to get another dog. Mom wasn't ready yet, so Grandpa decided he would adopt one of his own. After reading a story in the local paper about black dogs having a harder time finding their forever homes, he made up his mind that he would find a black dog to adopt.

Mom, Grandpa, and Grandma all went to the Kansas Humane Society in Wichita one afternoon and that's where they met Yaz, a corgi mix.

His name when they met him was Flash and Grandpa decided he liked his friendly demeanor. They decided to change his name and Mom suggested Yaz, after a former Red Sox player. Grandpa agreed and Yaz became part of the family. He has been a great pal for Grandpa and Mom loves to visit him. He's a spunky, fun-loving little dog that makes everybody who sees him smile!

Of course, the most recent "less-adoptable" pet Mom has let into her life is me! When Mom and I met at Wayside Waifs I was 7 years old. It's easy to overlook a chubby, mature kitty that just wants to lay around and cuddle when there's so many frisky kittens around. But Mom saw something in me that she connected with and I did my best to convey what a good kitty I would be. The rest is history!

I hope you remember these success stories when you are looking to adopt your own pet. Pay close attention to ALL of the pets who are looking for their forever homes. You never know what you could be missing if you pass up a pet who seems "less-adoptable".

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Itchy

Today's featured pet for Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week is Itchy. He's a 6 year old kitty looking for his forever home at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. Itchy is front declawed, so he will need to be an indoor-only cat. Mom has spent some time with Itchy and says he's very sweet and loves to be petted. He gets along with other cats and with children.

His previous owners gave him up because of the lady's allergies. Can you imagine living somewhere with a family that loves you, then suddenly being in a shelter? Let's find somebody who can #BeTheChange for Itchy.

If you want more info about less-adoptable pets, take a look at what Petfinder has to say. Older pets are the ones hardest to place in homes. So many families looking to adopt a cat will pick a kitten instead of seeing the benefits to adopting a mature kitty like Itchy. It's time to stop overlooking these so-called "less-adoptable" pets and seeing them for the awesome family members they could be!

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week-Tri

Honestly, I don't see anything "less-adoptable" about Tri at all. He has a black coat and walks with just three legs, but he's young and full of energy. What's less adoptable about that? He's 10 months old and his amputated leg doesn't seem to cause him a problem getting around. He's a typical puppy and is learning to walk on a leash. He already knows "sit" and is treat motivated.

Black dogs and cats are often overlooked in shelters, but don't overlook Tri! He would make a great addition to your home and would make a wonderful pal. He's available for adoption from Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. You can #BeTheChange for a cool dog and I'm sure he could #BeTheChange for you too!

Wordless Wednesday-Gimme Gimme Gimme!

Blackie Is VERY Adoptable-Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week

My Wednesday selection for Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week is Blackie. Not only is he a black cat, but he's 8 years old.

Not long ago, Mom had a family come into Wayside Waifs looking to adopt a cat. The lady said "No black cats, they're bad luck." Well, Mom couldn't believe her ears! She let the family look around and one of the cats they looked at was a black kitten. Mom told the lady that black pets have a harder time finding homes because of superstitions. The lady seemed leery, but relented and the family adopted the little black kitten. Maybe if people realized that black pets are many times the last picked in shelters, they would adopt more of them!

If you're in the Kansas City area, come on by Wayside Waifs and take a look at Blackie. Maybe you could #BeTheChange for him. I'm sure he would appreciate it!

Day 3 of Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Capone

It's the third day of Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week and I'm writing about another doggy that I want to #BeTheChange for. His name is Capone and he's a 7 year old Rottweiler mix. He's available for adoption at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City and has been waiting for his forever home since early June. He's got a great video! Check him out in action!

Capone could be considered less adoptable because of his breed, his coat color or his age. But after watching his video, his age clearly isn't a problem! He's as active as a puppy! His former family had glowing things to say about him:


Doesn't Capone look like he would make a great pet? I think so and so does Mom. In fact, she said if we had a house, we would adopt him ourselves. *sigh* I guess he'll have to make a fun pal for someone else.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Jazzy

Today I'm featuring a very special dog for Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week! Jazzy is available for adoption from Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. She is a one and a half year old, white Pit Bull who is deaf. (By the way, it's also Deaf Dog Awareness Week!) Not only is she less adoptable because of her special needs, she may be a victim of breed discrimination. It is also noted on her paperwork that she needs to go to a home with older children (kids 12 and older only).

She's lovely, though! Did you notice her different colored eyes? What a beauty!

A dog like Jazzy will need special consideration while training. She may be a good candidate for obedience training through sign language. There are resources out there for owners of deaf dogs. Check out Deaf Dog Education Action Fund.

Who will #BeTheChange for Jazzy?