black cats

BLACK CAT FRIENDLY FRIDAY FILL-INS

Friendly Fill-Ins

FriendlyFillIns I am pawticipaing in today’s Friendly Friday Fill-Ins and using them (except #2) as a way to purrmote Layla Morgan Wilde’s (Cat Wisdom 101) Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds to publish her new book Black Cats Tell: True Tales By 22 Amazing Cats. You can read more about this below.

My fill-ins are in teal italics.

1. The best brand of cat is a black cat.
2. I refuse to buy clothing unless there is a sale or a coupon.

3. I am inspired by black cats.

4. Whenever I see a black cat, I fall in love.

One of the most special cats I ever loved was a gentle and sweet black panfur, Thelma. She left us suddenly and too soon at age 12. She was my first “heart” cat. You can read more about her here.

Angel Thelma

Friendly Fill-Ins is a blog hop hosted by Ellen from 15 And Meowing and Annie from McGuffy’s Reader. Click on their badge to be transported to Annie’s blog where you can enter the link to your post.

New Book from CatWisdom 101 Author

From Layla’s blog: This is the first non-profit anthology of myth-busting, true stories by 22 amazing, BLACK CATS to raise shelter adoption rates. Humor and entertaining stories can chip away at preferences and prejudice. That’s the idea behind Black Cats Tell: True Tales By 22 Amazing Cats. By simply sharing positive stories told from the cats’ perspective, opinions about them can change.

From famous cats to the cat next door, these real cats tell it like it is. Their funny, surprising and entertaining tales aim to shift the perception of black cats and in turn increase their adoption rate.

It’s so simple and yet there are no books like this, yet.

NATIONAL BLACK CAT DAY

National Cat Day in the USA was yesterday, October 29, and today is National Black Cat Day in the UK. We think everyday is Cat Day whether it is celebrated nationally or internationally, but Mom decided to pawticipate in this Black Cat Day being as it is the day before Hall-o-ween. And one of the most recognizable images at Hall-o-ween is the black cat! Besides, she loves the mini-panfurs!

Thelma

Our humans had two black cats before we came to live with them. Thelma (Mom’s very first heart cat!) and Twinkle were both off-spring of the neighborhood stray who our humans called, “Mom.” Twinkle was the only kitten who got away when the neighbors caught Mom and her kittens and took them to the SPCA. Mom and Dad were away on vacation when this happened and found out too late to get them out of jail before they were euthanized.

Twinkle

Our mom and dad tried to trap Mom on several occasions to have her spayed but were never successful. Two other of her offspring were part of our household. Daphne and Thelma’s sisfur, Louise. Even though our mom wanted to keep some of the other kittens, particularly Skippy, Teddy and Alex, good homes were found for them and all the kittens from Mom’s litters.

Though today is Black Cat Day in the UK, many shelters and rescues in the U.S. will not allow black cat adoptions this week or sometimes for the entire month of October due to Hall-o-ween and mean people who might hurt these special kitties. But if you are in search of a new kitty, purrlease consider an older black kitty who may have been languishing in a shelter for quite sometime. They are consiered the least adoptable cats, but they are just as sweet, loving and adorable as any other kitty. Look at these faces of Thelma and Twinkle. What’s not to love?

Whatever color or breed of cat lives with you, purrlease be extra careful to protect them during Hall-o-ween. If you do allow them to go outside, consider not doing so at all tomorrow. At the very least, make certain they are in the house well before dark and have a place to chill-out away from the noise of the doorbell and squeals of the trick-or-treaters. A couple of us are super curious and want to see what the commotion is about. But most of us scatter as soon as the doorbell sounds. If the weather is warm, our humans sit on the front porch to hand out candy so we won’t be subjected to the hubbub and confusion. We won’t have to worry about all the racket this year. With Mom at Bark/Meow World, we won’t be participating in Hall-o-ween; though, we are praying cat sitter, Chris, will bring us a catnip treat like she usually does.

Stop by tomorrow to see us in our Hall-o-ween costumes. But most importantly, stay safe!

Purrs & paw-pats, Kitties Blue

YOU
For Fiona

It seems like only yesterday…
You were just a kitten.
When I saw your pleading look,
I was completely smitten.

Now at only six years old,
You are getting ready to leave,
Soon you will have your wings.
I’ve already started to grieve.

You’ve fought hard for the past year,
And I’m not ready to say good-bye.
I can’t imagine you not in my life
I am so sad…today I had to cry.

I am grateful and blessed
For my six years with you.
You’ll live in my heart forever.
You’re one of the best ever Kitties Blue.

YESTERDAY

Many yesterdays have passed since
You gained your angel wings. Today
Is six months since you left us behind
To remember and mourn. Our hearts
Continue to hurt, and we miss
You as much as the day you left.
Giulietta whined from the catio
Yesterday as I worked in the yard.
I know you put her up to it. That
Was your way of getting me to,
Allow you to join me as I
Gardened. You were there with me
In spirit. With every meow
I thought of you and how much I miss
Your sweet face and disposition.
In these past few months, many friends
Have traveled your same path in your
paw-steps. I am certain you were
Waiting to greet them with purrs and hugs.
I pray you and your friends are laughing,
Frolicking and having fun together.
Picturing that makes me smile, but
Does not lessen my sadness at your
No longer being here to snuggle
And receive our love, care and kisses.
Fiona, please do not ever forget
You are still and always will be loved.

ONE YEAR MISSING YOU

One year has passed since you flew away,
And I still think of you everyday.
I see your sweet face in my mind’s eye
And wish we’d never had to say good-bye.
It’s nice you’ve sent us kitties needing a family,
But my dearest love, we are now at capacity.
You thought it would take more than one cat
To take your place in our habitat.
We love Cooper Murphy and baby Sawyer dearly
But thinking either could replace you makes me teary.
You were one-of-a-kind and will stay in my heart
Until the day I join you and we’re no longer apart.
When once again I can hold you in my arms
And revel in all your love and feline charms.
Together with you and all who have passed.
I will spend eternity contemplating how blessed
I was to share my life with my furry children,
Each and every one of you one-in-a billion.

UNTIL

I miss you each day.
Until we meet in heaven,
The pain will remain.

ONE OF A KIND

I don’t know how to say good-bye.
I thought you were invincible; though,
You used up many of your nine lives.
You ruled us all with an iron paw;
Never took “no” for an answer
And always got your way.
If not, you’d bark to signal your
Displeasure and sometimes raise a paw.
I always joked that you were bi-polar.
When I told people you were a calico
They immediately understood what I meant.
Today was unnaturally quiet in the house.
Can a home seem empty with eight cats?
I will miss waking up at night to find you
Sitting next to me and staring at me.
I will miss you yelling at us as you did
When you wanted breakfast and dinner.
I will miss watching you lounging and snoozing
On the porch settee on a warm afternoon.
But most of all I will miss your kisses!
When kitten Sawyer befriended you,
We suspect you were imparting your
Wisdom and secrets for controlling us.
Time will tell if he was a good listener.
But whatever he may have learned,
Neither Sawyer nor any other cat
Can or will replace you in our hearts.
Lily Olivia, you were one-of-a-kind.