Caturday Art

Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

1. The summer is just about over and I have yet to eat any watermelon or berries. I have had lots of sweet corn and peaches though. 

2. The highlight of my summer was Summerween and Christmas in July.

3. Garfield is a fictional character I really relate to. He's the feline version of myself.

4. My interest in cats began when I was born...if not before! I've been cat obsessed my entire life.

Ernie the Blankie Thief #PetPhotoFails

Meows from Mudpie!

Thank you for joining us for this month's edition of the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop! We are SO excited to see September on the horizon, although we're happy to say that we've been enjoying a bit of a fall preview with high temps in the 60s and 70s! The nights have been downright chilly too! Cuddle time!!!

The subject of our photo fail this month is a neighbor kitty named Ernie. Ernie has a doggie sister named Amber, and their mom always has blankies and pillows on the lawn for when Amber is outside because she's 14 years old. However, many times Mommy has driven by to see not Amber, but Ernie on the blankie! 

Ernie loves visiting with Mommy and always runs to see her so Mommy has never been able to snap a picture. The other day when she came home from shopping she decided to try taking a picture from the passenger window. Needless to say, it didn't come out very good, but it's too cute not to share.

That's our blooper...let's see yours!

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Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day ~ Alphie's Legacy

Vermont's only cat cafe, the Kitty Korner Cafe in Barre, has faced its share of challenges over the past year. 

In July 2023 a catastrophic flood severely damaged the cafe. Owner Alexis Dexter was forced to hammer holes into the floor to force the flood water into the basement, destroying all the supplies she had stored there. She was a true hero and managed to keep every one of the 57 cats in her care safe. 

The cafe was closed for months while repairs were made, and shockingly, on the one year anniversary of the 2023 flood, the cafe was damaged by yet another flood! Thankfully the damage was nowhere near as bad this time, but the basement had to be mucked out yet again. 

Then on July 24, 2024, a Good Samaritan found a horribly neglected cat at a local playground and brought her into the cafe. Alphie was skin and bones, dehydrated, and barely able to lift her head. After days of fluids, antibiotics, and syringe feeding, Alphie began the slow process of recovery. She began eating on her own, using the litter box, talking little walks, even discovering the joy of playing with toys.

Her favorite place became the shop's front window where she could soak up the sun. People would walk by the window and stop into the cafe to ask about her and shower her with the love and attention she'd obviously never received before. One of her fans even redecorated her window seat one weekend with a bed, blankie, and toys, all for her. 

This past Saturday afternoon the weather was so nice that Alphie got to go outside where she watched the world go by in the sun. Sadly, her precious little body had sustained too much abuse, and on Sunday, August 25th, Alphie crossed the Rainbow Bridge. 

The heartbreaking announcement on the cafe's Facebook page is a must read...

"Whoever Alphie began her life with did everything they could to make this girl suffer and in the end, they caused something we couldn't fix with all the love in the world," Alexis wrote. "She brought a community together, made people smile and brought awareness to a sad but true reality where not every cat gets the love they deserve until it's too late," she added. "If people could be half as good and pure as this little kitty, we would live in a much better place." 

This is Alphie's legacy. 

Even though I never had the honor of meeting her in person, I will never, ever forget Alphie, and I know everyone who followed her story feels the same way. 

ABOUT RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY:

This special day was created by Deborah Barnes – author, award winning blogger, and cat advocate in tribute to her cat, Mr. Jazz, who she had to say goodbye to on August 28, 2013. She shared the journey of letting him go in her book, “Purr Prints of the Heart: A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond,” a warm and heartfelt book that is written in the wise and comforting voice of Mr. Jazz himself as he shares his life and death journey to offer guidance and understanding through a cat’s perspective as to why sometimes letting a pet go can be the greatest gift you give them.

A special event page for Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day has been created on Facebook so that people can share blog post links, pictures, poems, favorite memories, etc.

Traffic Stopping #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Mommy told me it's a good thing I'm an indoor kitty, because if I was outside I would stop traffic with my beauty! I think she's just a tad bit partial, don't you?

 We're joining our friends at The Cat On My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!   

Still Waiting For Fall #CaturdayArt

And now our weekly answers (all answered by Mommy this week) for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

1. I am in my cat lady era. Can an era last from birth until death? 

2. I am insecure about my smile. 

3. I'm really happy with my recent purchase of cat-related Halloween decor. I've been going to TJ Maxx and HomeGoods every other day for the past month.

4. My alarm clock is usually set for 9am. I'm a night owl.

Feline Friday: Nothing To See Here...

Meows from Mudpie!

A couple summers ago we had a leaky spot in our gutter that was causing seepage in the basement. Until Mommy was able to get it repaired she put a piece of plywood and plastic up against the house for extra protection. 

In spite of having two cat houses in our yard, our feral friend Mo started hanging/hiding out between the plywood and the house. Needless to say, Mommy never removed it, even though the plastic is now in tatters. 

A few weeks ago she came home from shopping to see his little bottom hanging out one end and couldn't help but crack up. We don't think he realized how visible he was! 

Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is:

Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute).

Happy 11th Gotcha Day, Angel Truffles!

Eleven years ago today I adopted Truffles. There's no happier day than the day a new fur baby arrives, and I still remember picking her up at Petco, bringing her home and her settling in like she was always meant to be there.

She was so young, we were going to have so much time together...but that wasn't meant to be.

Would I have brought her home that day if I'd known the heartbreak to follow? Without a doubt. In our short two years together she left me with memories that will last a lifetime.

And now I'm glad I didn't know

The way it all would end the way it all would go

Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain

But I'd have had to miss the dance

The Dance, Garth Brooks

Yucky Ear #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

My right ear has been driving me nuts so I haven't been feeling great since Friday afternoon. Mommy has been putting medicine in it so hopefully the itchy scratchies will go away soon. She says I'm gonna shake my brains loose!

 We're joining our friends at The Cat On My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!   

Caturday Art

Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

Mudpie's answers:

1. I am so not looking forward to my next wellness visit. My diet plan kinda went off the rails.

2. Fancy Feast is surprisingly delicious. Mommy always said I'm the only kitty she ever had that didn't love Fancy Feast. Of course, I've never been a fan of wet food, period. But now that Mommy buys FF for Mo I rather enjoy it! 

Mommy's answers:

3. I need a welcome sign at my front door that says Cats Welcome. People Tolerated. Oh wait...I already do! 

4. I would go to bed earlier if it meant that I could go to sleep. I don't usually go to bed until around 1 AM. I read, scroll Facebook, play Murdle (anyone else love Murdle???), and watch videos until I get sleepy. If I went to bed earlier I would just lie there wide awake for hours.

Feline Friday Flashback: Dumpster Diving

Meows from Mudpie!

Mommy's summer-long cat sitting gig ended on Sunday, so with a little extra time on her hands she's been on a clean-out spree this week. On Monday and Tuesday she went through tons of paperwork in our front hall (which also kind of doubles as an office because our desktop computer is in there) to sort through years of old tax and medical papers. She had to keep some, but most either went in the recycle bin or in a box to be shredded. 

Then yesterday she took a garbage bag into the bathroom and cleaned out the medicine cabinet and a closet crammed with old medications, cleaning supplies, makeup and shampoos. The bag ended up so heavy she couldn't even pick it up and had to start a second bag to put some of it in.

Me? I stayed out of her way. When she gets into these moods I start to worry that I'll end up in a box or bag! Mommy reminded me that back in my younger days (this picture was taken in 2016) I used to knock over the wastebasket to see what she was chucking. I haven't done that in a long time so I guess I never found anything that belonged to me. 

Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is:

Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute).

You Know What I'm Waiting For...

Could you say NO to this face?

Mommy can't either.

Golden Girl #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Today I'm super excited to be the featured anipal at Zoolatry's Animals special event! When Ann & June sent us our graphic and told us what day it was scheduled for, we replied that they couldn't have picked a better weekend. Friday was my Gotcha Day, and today would've been my beloved Grandma's birthday, so it's a pretty special weekend 'round here.

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

1. Equestrian events are my favorite Olympic sport.

2. I won't spend money on anything I can do myself. I go to the landfill/recycle center so I don't have to pay to have it picked up, I mow the lawn and shovel/plow the driveway myself so I don't have to pay someone to do it, I trim my own hair, I cook my own meals unless I have a really, really good coupon.

3. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm middle-aged. I don't look or feel it though. The other day in Michaels I ran into the mother of a girl I went to high school with and she said I hadn't changed a bit! 

4. My computer search history includes lots of weather forecasts. Back on Monday local meteorologists started warning us about the remnants of Hurricane Debby headed our way. Nothing freaks me out more than predictions of a bad rain storm, so multiple times per day I read and watched every updated forecast I could find. Debby made her arrival on Friday, and while the rain wasn't as bad as expected (under 2"), the wind was horrific! Our airport recorded a 62 MPH gust and there were tens of thousands of power outages statewide, including at our house, but thankfully for only an hour. 

Happy 9th Gotcha Day, Mudpie!!!

Meows from Mudpie!

Nine years ago today my life changed forever when Mommy decided I was the kitty to fill the empty hole in her heart that Truffles left behind. We've told this story for the past 8 years on my special day, but it's a real life "fairy tail" and I didn't think you'd mind reading it again. I know that I never get tired of telling it!

It all began 10 days earlier with a series of photos posted on the shelter website. Mommy says she saw my picture and had the same feeling in her heart that she had the first time she saw Truffles. Still, she didn't want to make a hasty decision so she saved my picture to her PC and tablet and kept looking at it over and over. When she finally decided to call the shelter and ask about me it didn't take long for her to decide that I was the one.

She filled out the adoption application, gathered the needed references, and was immediately approved, but then we hit a bit of a snag. The shelter doesn't typically finalize adoptions before the prospective family meets the pet, meaning I couldn't be placed "on hold" (for lack of a better term) and when Mommy spoke to the shelter on Friday afternoon she learned that another lady had just stopped in and was very interested in me! Thankfully the nice shelter volunteer heard the panic in Mommy's voice when she reiterated that she just couldn't come get me until Sunday (they had already agreed to open the shelter just for us!) and said she'd do everything she could to steer the lady's attention to another cat. (People are just drawn to me...what can I say???)

So on a sunny Sunday morning Mommy and my Grandpa made the hour drive to make our union legal and bring me to my forever home.

She had never been to this particular shelter before and thought it was so beautiful. She especially loved the cat quotes on the walls.

She enjoyed spending a little time with Thomas, the shelter mascot, but her heart was pounding with anticipation to meet *me*!!!

There was a cute little tortie in the front holding room, and at first Mommy thought it was me! Then she was told that I was sequestered in the shelter director's office because I don't play well with others. Tattle tails!!!

As soon as Mommy saw me it was all over...I held her heart in my paws!

In no time at all the paperwork was complete and I was on my way home. Mommy rode in the back seat with me and I barely made a peep. We just gazed at each other as we fell completely in love.

I made myself at home the moment I walked in the door, immediately gravitating to the toys set out waiting for me...

...and the pawsome cat beds too! (Geez, wasn't I a skinny, scrawny little thing???) I was totally tuckered out at this point!

The whole day was just a dream come true, one Mommy and I will never forget. Life is pretty darn amazing for this little tortie today. I have a wonderful family who worships the ground I walk on, and loads of friends in the blogosphere who welcomed me with open arms.

Of all the kitties in the world, Mommy picked me. And I thank Cod for her every single day.

Note from Mommy: I thank Cod for you every single day too, precious girl!

Do you remember the day you moved to your forever home?

2024 Cat Writers' Association Certificates of Excellence

Over the past 7 years I'm honored to have won 17 Certificates of Excellence and 2 Muse Medallions from the Cat Writers' Association. Last month I learned that I added 2 more to my collection from the 2024 contest, including one that I'm especially thrilled about.

While I think I'm a fairly good writer, I'm the first to admit that I'm a horrible photographer. I never would've even considered entering a photo of mine in any of the Photography categories before now.

Then I took this picture of Mudpie at the vet's office last fall. I immediately thought it was exquisite, but I didn't know if it was a truly good photo or if I was just being partial because it's my beautiful Mudpie. Thanks to the encouragement of cat photographer extraordinaire Marjorie Dawson of the Dash Kitten blog I decided to enter it in the Photography (Single Image) category and it was one of 9 (out of 31 entries) to win a Certificate of Excellence. I couldn't be happier!!!

I also won a Certificate in the Written Article: General/Other Short category for my article titled The Best Cats for Allergy Sufferers.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think such things were possible when I joined the CWA back in 2013. Cats are my greatest passion and being recognized for my creative endeavors involving them is truly a dream come true.

Where Did My Ears Go??? #SundaySelfie

 We're joining our friends at The Cat On My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!  

Dreams of Paris #CaturdayArt

Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

Mudpie's answers:

1. I want to try other brands of squeeze up treats. Delectables will always be my #1 but there are tons of other brands and flavors available now.

2. Competitive squeezie eating should be an Olympic sport. I would be the champ!

Mommy's answers:

3. I'm grateful that the world was a more normal place while I was growing up. These days it seems like the world has gone completely mad. 

4. Fostering animals deserves to be more popular. It saves so many lives. 

Thankful for Treats Thursday

Meows from Mudpie!

Like so many of my kitty friends, I'm a bit of a treat junkie. I love Friskies Party Mix, and my favorite flavor is Morning Munch. I like my bacon and eggs! 

Does this picture show how much I love treats? I knocked the package over onto Mommy's feet and then proceeded to take a snooze on top of it. 

Did my adorableness earn me some treats? Of course it did :)