Instacat!

Oh, If only I had the moxie and the money of Mark Zuckerberg. What would I do immediately, you might ask? I would sell my fantasy company Instacat to Facebook’s founder. And, like the creators behind the photo-sharing start-up Instagram, I would ask $1 billion for it. Instacat is every cat lover’s dream. I could upload a photo of myself with a brief, 15-word description, e.g., “Petite, late-middle-age brunette Cat Lady seeks a brown tabby to love and adore.” On the other side of the equation, a Cat Lady would respond with the instamessage: “Got one!” I haven’t figured out all the details yet, so please share your ideas with me. We Cat Ladies know that we are into enabling one another—via old-fashioned correspondence or apps, smartphones or websites, you name it—all on behalf of our beloved felines. Query of the Day: Will you participate in my Instacat IPO?

I Did It Again!

I have omitted the “Oops!” from the title of this post because I do not feel apologetic, and I would never want anyone to confuse me with Britney Spears (as if I am in danger of mistaken identity…).

I did it again can mean only one thing: I found a home for a cat in need. When my friend and colleague Marty casually mentioned that her sister Terry was missing having a cat in the house, I told Marty that I knew of a cat who wanted a home. In fact, Mordecai, a black cat living at Dr. O.’s clinic, had longed for a home his entire life. He had lived on the streets for four years and was rescued by Dr. O. two years ago. This handsome six-year-old cat was ready for some serious cohabitation with Marty and Terry. The Cat Lady prod (as opposed to the cattle prod) worked quickly and gently. Marty reports that Mordecai loves his new surroundings, and that she and Terry are in love with their new furry friend. He is not a lap cat—yet—but all signs indicate he will be heading in that direction any moment now. Never forget the Cat Lady’s tried-and-true formula: One person saving one cat makes a difference. Query of the Day: Do you like black cats as much as I do?

What If?

I haven’t reminisced about Tom for a long time. I hate to sound thoughtless, but I need to conserve my energy to focus on Tom’s progeny. To be clear, seven of the ten cats living at Catland were fathered by Tom.

I must thank the cat with the unoriginal given name, and with the biggest head I have ever seen on a feline, for getting me into this line of work.

Twelve years ago, Tom mated with so many female stray cats in the neighborhood that I couldn’t keep up with his bragging rights—and brag he did. Tom swaggered, too. Still, I managed to rescue and adopt his sister, Lillie, and their first litter of children: T.J., Perkins, and Miss Tommie. Then along came their second litter, Leo and Acorn. And then Linus and Alvar arrived at the back door, announcing themselves as the offspring of another one of Tom’s girlfriends. Ah, the “Tom gene.”

Tom disappeared one day, and we cherish the single photo of him that we took while he was reclining in our backyard on a typically scorching summer day. Tom was camera-shy, just as he dodged our efforts to trap him and have him neutered.

Given that Tom does not live on through numerous photographs of him, I could not believe the image I found recently when visiting the Friends of Life website. The “virtual cat” staring directly at me was Tom’s look-alike, and he goes by the name of Rocky Balboa.

Rocky’s pedigree indicates a track record that approximates Tom’s glory (and gory) days. Rocky is a street warrior, wearing his wounds prominently on his nose. In short, the blurb was sufficiently persuasive, and the timeline accompanying Rocky’s classification as an “adult cat” fell within the realm of possibility.

What if Tom were still alive and waiting for us to rescue him, at last? I am often in the vicinity of the Friends for Life shelter in Houston because some of my favorite antiques shops are nearby. Much as the web presentation featuring Rocky Balboa is convincing, I suspect that I will know definitively if Rocky is Tom only by visiting Friends for Life and seeing for myself.


Query of the Day: Should I go?

Pin Code for Cat Ladies

Perseverance. Perspicacity. Stick-to-it-tiveness.

These are all qualities that editors and Cat Ladies cherish. And I have found the perfect adornment for the editor and the Cat Lady to wear—not on her sleeve, but perhaps on the lapel of her blazer or suit jacket.

Check out this Victorian cat’s-head stickpin.

Meow…and ouch?

Query of the Day: Do you wear cat-themed jewelry?

Take No Prisoners, Only Strays

What Cat Lady wouldn't love the headline "Cat Got Your Brain" in today's New York Times? The "Loose Ends" column by Choire Sicha is written from the perspective of perceptive cats (aren't they all?), and it's overflowing with memorable one-liners.

I wonder why I think I hear Clint Eastwood reciting this particularly clever phrase:

"Take in more strays and no one gets scratched."

Let me go find my bullhorn....

Query of the Day: When you rescued your first stray, did you get scratched?

“Undercat”

Everyone loves the story of a triumphant underdog, and who fulfills that role better these days than the NBA’s virtually overnight superstar, Jeremy Lin, of “Linsanity” fame?

Reading recently about the hoopster’s on-court accomplishments made me think about the rather unflattering term of “underdog.” Would “undercat” be better?

If so, I nominate none other than Lucius as the world’s ultimate undercat. He’s got a great jump shot when it comes to leaping for treats. I also can vouch for his lovable insanity, as can Dr. O.’s prescription refills for his “kitty Prozac.”

Query of the Day: Who is your favorite undercat?

Tee Time or Meow Time, Take Your Pick

Do you suspect, as I do, that a Cat Lady conceived and directed the new TV commercial for Whiskas cat food?

The scene unfolds with a guy cuddling his tabby cat. Another guy is waiting for him in the wings, ready to hit the golf course as soon the cat-cuddle session concludes. The commercial's tagline is to the point: “Cat love. Get more.”

You got it! And tee time can wait.

Query of the Day: Do you keep dates waiting while logging more cuddle time with your cat?