Black & Grey Day!

(Left) Minouche (black) has stopped in for another visit. She's getting up there in age now... aren't we all?! She is one of my special needs' kitties. She sleeps a lot these days but still has time for her neck scratches. I've known her for almost 8 years, when I first opened the Pet B&B.




(Left) My long time friend Portia (grey) visited me again this past week. She's also getting older now but always a pleasure to see. We'll see her again in a couple of weeks.






(Left) Yes, another black cat... this little cutie is named Monk. He's the new young brother of Kenji. Monk is quite the Monkey! He loves the action.... he creates most of it himself. He had a great weekend with Maman, Catou, Lucky and Romeo.... as well as with his brother. It's his first time in. He was a natural..... one of those kitties that hits the ground running!

(Left) Typhoon (grey Burmese) and his brother Blackie are back to visit again. They'll be with me a couple of weeks. They haven't been in for a while but remembered all of their favorite places. They are both very gentle and affectionate.

Big, little, shy and not......

(Left) Smokey (grey/white) visited me once again. I remember what a tiny little fluff ball she was, the first time she came to the Pet B&B. She used to be so shy. These days, she's all growed up.... and loves attention and neck scratches. It was fun to see her again.





(Left) Buttons (grey/white with button nose) is in for her first time. She's a big marshmallow and loves to hang out with the other cats. The rainbow is one of her favorite sleeping/viewing spots so far. She's making lots of new friends this week.




(Left) Churchill (black/white) is back again with his brother Burt.... and, he's shaking things up, like Churchill loves to do when he's in.... He's still quite a little guy but that personality and confidence, just keep stretching the boundaries of his physical size. He's keeping everyone else in shape this week! and, his brother Burt, is happy to have a little help in being Churchill's full time play partner.



(Left) Our handsome Romeo (dark tabby) is visiting again with his sister Catou and mother Maman. As per usual, his favorite hang out is under the kitchen counters, in the cupboards. He's such a gentle little boy and can be very schmoozie.





(Left) Rocky (black) was in last week with his brother Murphy. Rocky is getting a bit older and isn't as active as he once was. He tended to hang out in the back 'hay bails', well out of the way of the goings-on, in the busy group areas.

They really are like us... more than we realize!

I had the opportunity to talk with a handsome big male cat that I have known for many years. I was interested to know about his frequent squinting, which seemed to have worsened in the last six months. I wanted to know about his personality and about if he had any health issues that I wasn't aware of.

He mentioned that his kidney, left side wasn't strong enough, getting weaker all the time. He said that his eyes hurt all the time too. His eyes, he said, hurt from a light sensitivity, mostly to sunlight. He said that there was pressure from the outside eye, outer eye layer was thinning, breaking down. He didn't find regular light bulbs or flourescents too painful but said that sunlight and the camera flash really do hurt his eyes. He also said that he's having trouble seeing colors now. 'Can't see color at all anymore, it's all one now, everything looks the same. He couldn't remember exactly, but thought that the light sensitivity happened at about the same time as the loss of color. He said that he's not liking being unable to see colors, 'was more fun with color, life was more meaningful, vivid'. He said that it happened over time and had been like this quite a while now. I asked if there was anything that would help his light sensitivity. He said, 'stop going outside in the bright light of the day, night is fine.

He said that his kidney 'had blockages, slowing down, processing slower now, not like before, not good like before, slowing down'. He said there is 'not enough filtration, too much sediment building up, blockage. I asked him, emotionally speaking, what's causing his kidney problems? He told me, 'not processing my life the way I should, not making the effort to be at peace with myself, I get so controlive sometimes and don't accept the way I am, I have a hard time to be just me. I prefer/wish I was someone else sometimes/mostly, most of the time'. I asked him who he wishes he was? 'Not me. Anyone else but me. What's wrong with being you? 'I'm not that kind with others. I try to be, but I don't really like other people/cats. I'm not naturally like that. I find it hard to like others. I judge everyone, all the time. I don't like that part of myself but, I don't seem to be able to stop doing it, even though I try sometimes. I just think that I'm not a very nice boy a lot of the time.

He described his personality as 'smart, playful, bit of a braggart, think I'm more special that everyone else. I'm real beautiful, handsome, gorgeous. People always tell me that stuff'. What would you change about your life if you could? 'let more light/life into my world, through my eyes, let myself shine more, outwardly'. Emotionally, what caused your eye sensitivity? 'Not being there to enjoy my life, spending my time being judgemental and not very nice, alot of the time.' What makes you happy? 'Not being with me. Explain? 'Being like the others, not me. I don't like being me. I'm happiest when I'm someone else. Explain? 'I put my face on someone else.'

More Ottawa Cat GobbleGobble pics!

(Left) Here are a few more of our Thanksgiving Kitties.... Our handsome orange & white tabby is called Mimi. He's an energetic little guy. He had a lot of fun with his old buddies.






(Left) This cute little grey & white kitty is named Clint. He is the brother of Matilda, from earlier this week. He did very well on his first visit. I'm interested to talk to him to see if he has any information about the seizures that he gets. Some of these cats have incredible knowledge about their own health, and ours.

(Left) Menou (calico) is a long time Pet B&B guest. She has, from her early days, years ago, decided that the kitchen cabinets are her favorite 'safe' spot. She usually chooses the same cabinet too. Who said that animals don't have memories?

(Left) My little Xena Bean (black & white) also has her favorite pillow. Xena is the sister of Aries. They have both been visiting me, almost from my start. We usually see them twice a year. They joined us for Thanksgiving this year too. It's always a pleasure to see them again.

(Left) Thor (orange tabby) is a big boy that many regular readers will recognize. He's one of my diabetic friends and gets insulin shots twice a day. He too, has his favorite relaxing places. Once in a while, his brother visits us too. I've had so many cats in lately/currently, that have medical conditions/medications.

More adorable Ottawa Cats, Anyone!?

(Left) Frankie (black/white) loves to flash his 'Life is Good!' pose.... He's such a cutie. He visited us this past weekend with his brother Lefty.... We'll see both boys back in again, real soon. The big orange and white cutie, behind the french doors, is our friend Paco again.... still lovin' that tractor!







(Left) Our gorgeous big girl Jesse (tortoise shell), goes for a nice big scratching, on the airplane's leg.... I'm thinking it's about time that I recarpeted all of those posts.... they have been very well used and enjoyed, this past summer... it's all good.... Mel's reno mode is kicking in, now that the long weekend has passed. These guys love to watch me build....



(Left) This handsome black & white, is the brother of Jesse, above. Waldo is an absolute charmer.... He loves his cat beds, up on the loft.... I always say that he turns into a big kitten when he arrives.... He loves to run, jump through the air and give all of the structures a good scratchin', even more than Jesse does.




(Left) What are sunfilled mornings for?? Mia (calico) stretches herself out, in one of the open-top train cars, right in line with all of those brilliant sun beams.... When the sun stops shining, she'll move down a floor, to a more enclosed, cozy train car. She is quite the adorable, playful cat too!





(Left) My little ZarZar Bean.... isn't she precious?! Zaria (white) is a fit, compact, lovable little girl.... Her favorite pass times include being adorable, being charming and being a little white ham! Seriously though, she is quite the climber. She must have a ball outside at the cottage!

So many kitties going home today... almost as many coming in!

(Left) This picture was just taken on the weekend, but it's a dead ringer for a few of the pictures that I took this past summer, when Lefty (black) and Maggie (black/white) ended up vacationing with us, at the same time. They both managed to hook up again. They had much fun together a few months ago.... They met on the plane again, naturally!




(Left) Our gorgeous little Chloe (dark tabby/white) is back for her second visit. She was hammin' it up for the camera on Sunday. She has adjusted real well and is fitting right in. She spends a lot of her day on the back bunk beds.... She is one chatty girl..... It's hard to get a picture of her with her mouth closed.... no, really! She loves to talk!



(Left) From Chloe to Cleo.... Cleo (dark tabby) has been visiting the Pet B&B almost from the start.... at least 7 years, I'm guessing.... She is a gorgeous, fit, independant big girl. She likes to hang out in the big red phone booths... if you look closely at the picture, you will see that she has lined herself up quite nicely, to view BigBird1, from her little wall opening.... Here's another cat with a plan!

(Left) Tiggy2 (calico/white) has visited us many times in her young life, already. She's a playful, curious and busy little girl. She had fun playing with Miloshka and Lucky, this weekend. Here, she thought she'd see what that colorful tunnel was all about.... She doesn't miss much..... and she loves to stop by and visit with BigBird2 from time-to-time.

(Left) This handsome big orange tabby is named Alfred.... He is a bit shy with people but is fine with the other cats. It's his first visit with us. He likes to position himself comfortably, in the big red phone booth to the right of BigBird1. Cleo, above, hangs out in the phone booth on the left.... Two very different kitties..... same big ambitions!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

The long weekend is in full swing at the Pet B&B....
(Left) One of our newbies, Matilda (siamese with tortoise shell points), is just an 8 month old little girl... and boy, can she play! She is visiting us for the first time with her shy brother Clint. They are both real curious and interesting.... These are 2 kitties that I plan to have chats with in the coming weeks....



(Left) Juliette (tortoise shell) is continually coming up with new ways of doing things.... Here, I snapped her, sitting on the window benches, with front legs balanced on the bowl holders, while she drank out of the red water bowl.... Some might say that there are easier ways to get a drink of water..... but, our girl Juliette, is an independant, free thinker.... the world can never have too many of those! I love it when they teach me new things!

(Left) Our good buddy Jak (dark tabby/white) spent the long weekend with us again. He is an action packed little boy, even if he is looking rather calm and quiet in this picture. He can swing and fly through the air with the best of them! Always fun having him with us!

(Left) Some boys & girls just can't get enough height! This little handsome guy is named Murphy.. He's visiting again with his brother Rocky. Both boys are very friendly and affectionate... Murphy though, is the adventure seeker, of the two! Here, he's seeking adventure, up on the townhouse roofs!

(Left) This big handsome boy is named Paco (orange/white tabby). He hasn't been in for a visit in 2 years. He certainly remembered the place and his way around. He had never seen the big orange tractor before .... It doesn't take our repeat kitties long, to find the new play structures.... Another big orange teddy bear here!

Darwin & Joey Looking for their 'Forever Home'

Two short haired, medium sized, Brown tabbies.
Darwin and Joey were wee kittens when they first came to the Cat Rescue Network. They were born in November 2008. At eleven months old they are very calm, affectionate and obedient. All a person has to say softly is "No, no" and they will stop whatever they are doing. They have been described as the most loving cats their caretaker has ever had. Their mother was found on the side of the road in the country. She was taken in and cared for, and her kittens were born indoors. They were well cared for by their mother, a very content cat with a good disposition. They have been great with all of the humans that have been in their lives so far. They were adopted together by a lady who has a long history with the Cat Rescue Network. She is a free lance writer and worked a great deal from home, so they received a great deal of attention. Sadly, the lady has become quite ill and cannot care for them; so they have been returned to the Cat Rescue Network.

This is what their previous owner says about them:
"Here is the best shot I have of the two boys. They were younger in this picture but they still look the same, only a bit larger. They both have golden eyes. I have a file on their history with me, shots, neutering, etc. along with rabies tags. All are up to date. I am sad to lose them but I trust you will find them a good home. They are very loving, well-behaved and still playful. I will donate their carrying crate, climbing tree, favourite toys and leftover food to your organization. Thank you for finding them for me in January. I will never forget them."

We hope that these brothers can once again be adopted into a good home together, if possible.
Darwin and Joey are up to date with routine shots, house trained and have been neutered.

If you are interested in adopting these two boys, or any other of our animals, feel free to contact the Cat Rescue Network, Ottawa, ON at (613)820-7088 or by email : flora_louise@yahoo.ca

We can't assume anything.....

One of my long time customers called me last week. She had called previous times, when she was upset with her female cat for spraying, occasionaly, in her house. The lady would get angry with the cat but would tolerate it. This time, she called me, and was determined to have the cat put to sleep, finally. The cat had been spraying more often and the relationship between the two was very tense. I asked the lady to give me a chance to have a little chat with the cat, in an attempt to perhaps understand what was triggering the bad behaviour.

When I checked in with the cat, I explained that her mother was at the end of her rope with the spraying, and had finally decided that she would put her to sleep. The cat very confidently answered, No she won't! I tried to get the cat to understand the gravity of the current situation and how frustrated her mother was, still she came back with, No she won't! That's where it started.

The female cat wouldn't give me much in the way of Why she was doing it. She danced around the question without giving me any reasons, so I approached from a different angle.
I asked her what she thought of her mother? 'Not nice at all, mad at me all the time, she's boring, not fun at all'. She was happy enough with her dad and certainly didn't like kids. The woman had always told me that the cat sprays in the house when people, family, dogs, etc. come to visit, and even after they leave.

After a good lengthy chat with the cat, my sense was that she had a poor self confidence and she was a very sensitive little girl. She wasn't spraying in the house because people/dogs come to visit, she was doing it because these people/dogs, got so much more attention and a warm, friendly greeting, from her mother, than she does. The lady had referred to the cat, for years, in a negative manner, mostly because of her behavior. The cat was sensitive to the fact that her mother didn't particularly enjoy having her around, and often compared her to all of the well behaved past cats that the family had owned. The little cat was upset that, in her perspective, her mother didn't like her, was always mad at her, didn't spend time with her and wasn't particularly nice to her when she was around.

I mentioned to the mother, after the chat, that her cat's issues stemmed from not getting enough attention, not being given enough importance, always being labeled the 'bad child', and not having any bonding or fun, with the woman. The lady mentioned that she spoils the cat rotten with all the treats, etc. that she cooks up special for the cat. I explained that, like a child, that is given the moon, in toys and treats, they will act out, if they are not given attention and time. All the treats in the world will not take the place of time spent/importance given. The lady said that the spraying problem had started after about 6 months in the house.... she later mentioned that she did used to spend time each evening, the two of them, playing and hanging out together, but had stopped doing that. It hadn't been a conscious decision to stop, from the sounds of things. It just happened that way. I suggested that the lady make time, each day, one on one, with her little cat and try to start over with her, make friends with her, send her good thoughts and refer to her in a more positive light, be it verbally or in her thoughts. Lets not forget. Our animals are reading our thoughts, all of the time, but especially if the thoughts are about them!

Learning new things, is part of each new day at the Pet B&B!

(Left) I explained to Tara's (grey/white tabby) parents, that grey and white female tabby cats can be a little bit 'wild'... This is one of Tara's regular poses.... running at people sideways, right before she either jumps up your leg, or does a straight-up jump in the air, followed by a complete backwards summersault.... She is hilarious to watch and play with.





(Left) Big boy Gunther (dark tabby) is at home, flying around in his 'Spaceship' .... I often find him sleeping inside of it, with his feet in the air, lying up against the plexi glass windows.... I think his brother Moe has been giving him private Mo-ga lessons, in between visits to the Pet B&B!






(Left) Speaking of Moe (black/white)... here, he was enthralled with BigBird2. My LoveBirds have some pretty smooth moves of their own... Is Moe watching BigBird? ... or... is HE getting lessons too!?














(Left) Handsome Spencer (orange tabby) is one of my regular kitchen cupboard dwellers... You do find him in the airplane sometimes, but that's more of a 'viewing' spot for him. When it comes to downtime & snoozin', he's usually found in the lower cabinets.

(Left) Our gorgeous little Twyla goes home real soon. She's adjusted beautifully... and is completely at ease, to explore at will. That's our big boy Gunther (dark tabby) on the yellow pillow behind Twyla.

Ottawa Cats, thankful to be inside, when it's raining out there!

(Left) Matilda (tortoise shell) and her cousin Beau (black/white), below, just went home. They both did very well at the Pet B&B. They each have really different personalities, but are both social, people kitties... It was fun having them visit for the first time.

(Left) Many regular readers will recognize Miloshka (black). He's a sleek, slender and very fit little boy... and, he can be very fast too! .... especially if his mom is trying to catch him to put him into his travel carrier....

(Left) There she is, our little Alley girl (dark tabby). As I mentioned earlier, no more hiding for Alley! She will sleep, all curled up, right here in the tractor seat, even when there are strange people standing in the hallway, in plain sight. I'm very proud of her!

We're building up to a furry long weekend!

(Left) Olaf (dark tabby) is back in for another visit. This handsome little boy is a pleasure to be with. He's very gentle and loves to curl up with our stuffed pup when he's in.






(Left) There's our adorable Betsy (black/white Rex). She likes cozy, snuggly warm spaces. I was changing all of the fleece blankets in the train car... before I got them in place, I found her all nestled up in the middle of the stack of them. She's also keen on the fleece lined basket that I've put out for her.







(Left) This little fire cracker is only 3 months old..... but, our little Tara (grey/white tabby) has the energy of 2 kittens! This is one busy little lady.... She is very cute and knows how to turn on the kittenish charm.... She isn't, however, very impressed by closed doors.... especially if she can hear you on the other side.




(Left) Javert! That's all you have to say, and this handsome big guy will Meow at you, to tell you that he's there.... I've known Javert and his brother Spencer, for many years. They are both gentle and love attention. Spencer can be a bit shy with strangers.

Some are shy.... other, not so shy!

(Left) I've mentioned this gorgeous big girls many times in the past year, but we seldom get a chance to see her, in full.... She usually peeks a little face out from underneath one of these pillows, up on the top bunk beds.... She is a true burrower.... and, quite shy, when people are around. She's fine with the other cats though.








(Left) Careful, careful, my handsome little Wiley (dark tabby/white).. He was being very goofy, trying to get my attention yesterday morning. He is very gentle and playful. It was fun to spend time with him. Dad will be happy to see this little guy, later today.



(Left) So many dark tabbies in right now.... This little cutie is Moucia... We met him for the first time, earlier this summer. He can be a bit shy of strangers but adjusts very well. He loves his height.... this new friend of ours....





(Left) Here is another not-so-scared-y-cat..... Mom warned me about how shy our adorable little Lucky (black/white) was. I have yet to see any sign of that... He's doing great and has since he arrived. He's an adventure seeker and very schmoozie..... It's gonna be a fun few weeks hanging out with him....

What is on Chief's Mind?

I talked to Chief this week. He heard me talking to many cats over the past 2 weeks and each time that I sat down to start, he wanted me to engage him in conversation. I've spoken to Chief a few times over the years and he always has interesting things to say. I wanted to ask him a few 'macro' kind of questions.

I started by asking him if he knew how we communicate when we telepath with each other? He told me, 'through the light with in us all. We are all light at our core. We are made of light. We make it work by being in the 'now'. We make it all travel with focus. We can make whatever we want appear and disappear with focus. We pay ourselves what we think we're worth. Explain? 'We make happen the rewards of our fruits, not the fruits of our labours, like most people think we do, that's not it at all.' He mentioned that the way to true success is to keep moving forward.

I asked Chief what kind of new play structures he'd like to see at my kennel? 'Eiffel Tower, so tall, so far to climb, what a great view, see all of the birds up there. Others? 'A bridge or two, like the cars use, but don't allow any cars. Others? 'How about a space ship like you built upstairs', Others? 'A low to the ground swing set'.

I asked Chief what I could do to improve the energy at my kennel? 'You can make it a priority to sing and dance in here, each day. What will that do? 'It stabilizes any bad energies and plays with the harmony in the room, it fortifies, makes it stronger, stabilizes the positive effects into the 'now', creates calming and lightness, especially with humming added to it. It dances throughout the building and makes everything happier, warmer and more peaceful. It adds a degree of magic to the place, that lives on, dances on, for the whole day long. It's very positive energy that. People just don't realize the magic of music and sound waves on the energy of all living things, plants even.'

Everyone has their favorites!

(Left) Here's our handsome Gunther, on his favorite yellow pillow... Now that Javert & Spencer have arrived, He'll be sharing his favorite pillow with Javert('s favorite pillow). I have so many regular kitties visiting over the next few weeks... everyone has their favorite spaces & play structures. Many of these boys & girls have met each other before.



(Left) Our adorable girl Naomi (dark tabby) jumped up on the Pirate Boat so that she could better access the Rainbow, behind. Mom may be stopping in for a little visit in the next few days... Naomi & her sister Alley, will be very proud to show mom around this time. No more hiding for Alley!





(Left) There's Twyla again... She'll be with us for a while longer. She's quite quiet and reserved, compared to some of the 'talkers' that I have in currently. Twyla used to spend a lot of her time in the castle and the airplane... this trip she's more apt to be found here, on the stair structure, or on the ferris wheel, all curled up, snoozin'.


(Left) This gorgeous little black kitty is named Alice. She is also very calm and quiet when she's in... but, once she gets home, she's quite the little chatty-bug.... instantly, as soon as she steps foot across the threshold.... She is gentle and sweet by nature. This, of course, is one of her favorite spaces, inside of the red Phone Booths...