Out of Practice

I don’t know what happened to the month of February. It arrived according to schedule, and I lost track of time. I was out of pocket each week because of publication deadlines and commitments, and I worry that I got out of practice writing to you, my fellow Cat Ladies. Yet I wasn’t oblivious to numerous bright spots that appeared on the Cat Lady calendar, so here goes:

The play “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was in rehearsals on Broadway last month, and many a cat auditioned at an open casting call for the part of the unofficially named ginger tabby “Cat,” who lives with the free-spirited Holly Golightly. And the winner is…?

A SpeedBump cartoon titled “Zen Kitties” described the special “art in the sand” that our cats “make” every day. “And then it is wiped clean to reflect the impermanence of life.” This eloquent prose belongs on a museum wall label!

Photo by Filippo Monteforte/Getty Images

Pope Benedictus XVI resigned, and no sooner was he transported via government helicopter from the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo than the world was introduced to his beloved cat, Contessina, pictured above. She is a beauty, and I can’t imagine a luckier cat. I had forgotten that the Pope Emeritus has written about his boundless love for cats, going so far as to get into the mind of a cat in Joseph and Chico.

Speaking of books, here comes the self-promotion: Copies from the second printing of Cat Lady Chronicles began shipping to feline-friendly booksellers nationwide and across the pond. As always, thank you for your warm support.

My next post will bring me up to date, to this month. I watched a great film classic on TV a few nights ago, and I can’t wait to tell you about my new favorite cinematic cat. Does the name “Pyewacket” mean anything to you?

Query of the Day: Was it just me, or did February come and go more quickly than usual?

A Token of Our Love

Let’s hear it for Hasbro, Cat Ladies!

Introducing the new Monopoly cat! Photo by Associated Press

Did we ever doubt that a cat would prevail as the newest token on the Monopoly game board?

When I saw the breaking news announced on websites this morning, I smiled and thought to myself, “Tell me something I don’t already know.” But I didn’t know the percentage of votes, and I wasn’t aware that, of the old tokens, the Scottie Dog was a fan favorite, earning 29 percent of the vote. I had to throw a dog a bone….

I haven’t played Monopoly in a very long time, and now there is a built-in, meow-y incentive.

Query of the Day: Did you and every Cat Lady you know cast your vote for the cat token?

Call Me Maybe

I have not been looking outright to adopt another cat, but I always welcome the opportunity to help a cat in need. So call me maybe?

I have found myself humming “Call Me Maybe” all too frequently these days. Without fail, during my five-minute commute to the office, the song comes on the radio. When I’m pushing a grocery cart (stacked with cat litters, naturally) at my neighborhood Kroger, I hear Carly Rae Jepsen whispering in my ear. If I’m volunteering at my favorite resale shop on a Saturday morning, the Sirius station broadcast via the PA system plays and replays the song during my three-hour tour of duty.

During the past few weeks, an adorable stray tom kitty has scampered across our front yard. One morning, when he stopped in his tracks, I sensed that he was reaching out to me. OK, he was starving, period, and maybe he had heard about my book? I couldn’t resist feeding him, and after I did so, I felt certain he would return that evening for more. I was very surprised, and worried, when I did not see him again.

Then just last night, as I was driving home from work during prime time, I heard Carly Rae’s song again. I realized that this peppy song could become a sort of Cat Lady anthem. Think about these lyrics the next time you open your front or back door to a cat you have never seen before:

Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy

But here’s my number, so call me maybe


Guess what: Tom Kitty was waiting for me last night. He’s got my number, and there is no maybe!

Query of the Day: Who will adopt Tom Kitty?

Ring 3 Needs the Tonkinese

That phrase keeps ringing in my ears after having worked this past Saturday and Sunday at the 60th Houston Charity Cat Show. I use the term “worked” loosely because, obviously, a Cat Lady enjoys being near A LOT of cats—both household domestic and breeders’ exotic pets—and surrounded by empathetic Cat Ladies.

My colleagues at The MFAH Shop rented a booth to showcase the many artful books that the store carries for feline fanciers. Yes, very selfishly, I attended the show to hawk my Cat Lady Chronicles.

Some women who approached the museum shop's booth may have thought I was rude initially, because one of the first questions I was asked was, “Are you the Cat Lady”? I responded, “No, but I am one of thousands of Cat Ladies here today.” All joking aside, I was very pleased to meet others who wear their hearts on their sleeves, literally. I have never seen so many leopard-print-clad ladies in one room, and Exhibit Hall A at the George R. Brown Convention Center is huge. You get the picture.

The show’s announcer, whose booming twang might do well at an even bigger gig (the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo), made both of my days whenever he let all show attendees know that cats were leaving the building for their forever homes. Many of Houston’s prominent animal-rescue and shelter groups had set up on-site adoptions. I remember distinctly that there was tremendous applause for Mabel and Desirée when they bid goodbye to the devoted volunteers who had cared for them.

I wanted to bring home a female orange kitten for our three geriatric orange boys, but the voice of reason prevailed.

Query of the Day: Do you like to attend cat shows?

Will the Real Cat Lady Please Stand Up?

What does a Cat Lady look like? What does a Cat Lady wear?

These are among the questions that I am asked frequently, especially now that I have written a memoir about being a Cat Lady.

In Cat Lady Chronicles, I did not portray a composite figure or attempt to describe myself as the personification of the fascinating photograph pictured here. All I was equipped to do was to tell my own story, and I am gratified that my “Catland” has become yours.

We have universal tales to share, but that is not to say there should be a definitive, “I-can-spot-one” personality profile of a Cat Lady. I would be hard-pressed to pick the “real Cat Lady” in a crowded room. The one seated—not the one already standing—could be ready to pounce and to make maximum impact upon landing.

My new year’s resolution is to continue my always interesting conversations with Cat Ladies and to revel in the glory of all things feline. If you are just getting started as a Cat Lady, 2013 promises to be full of rewarding opportunities.

Query of the Day: Party hat or velvet cat ears for tonight’s celebration?

Pictured above: Wanda Wultz, Io + Gatto, 1932, Alinari Archive, Florence, Italy

Merry Christmas, Leo

Long before I became a Cat Lady, I confess to having quietly hummed a few of the opening bars from "My Favorite Things." I'm sure you know the ones I mean: Those "whiskers on kittens" bring back fond memories of simple times and childhood innocence, of waiting for Santa to come for cookies and milk, and, of course, to deliver some hoped-for presents under the holiday tree.

One of our ten cats sits peacefully under the tree without fail, every year. Ever since Leo spent his first Christmas here at Catland, in 2001, he has ushered in the season with an unforgettable spirit of playfulness and generosity.

I'll never forget the Christmas morning when I asked him if he knew what was about to happen that day. Leo responded by grabbing (he has huge paws) a Santa ornament from the tree and tossing it by his plate. I am not kidding. As if on cue in December, Leo's whiskers function as Santa-tracking radar.

Leo also loves to share his toys on the biggest gift-getting day of all. While Lucius pushes his loot of catnip mice and shiny crinkles into a corner, all the while perfecting his hoarder routine, Leo distributes his spoils.

I wrote in my Cat Lady Chronicles that Leo quickly became our cat who loved Christmas, and I am a bit haunted wondering still why he has such an affinity for the holiday.

If you believe that a cat has nine lives, and most of us Cat Ladies do, then I suspect you will not make fun of me for cherishing the thought that Leo experienced some form of Christmas before he entered our life as a kitten. Perhaps Santa simply scratched his beard a few times, and then he made his glorious decision.

Thank you, Santa, for sending Leo our way.

Query of the Day: Which of your cats loves Christmas best?

Back on the Beat

I’m back on the beat, and it’s great to be here.

I took several weeks off to prepare Catland for the holidays, and I also was in need of a personal “reboot.” I think all of us Cat Ladies can relate. Sometimes the need to be on-call for felines is overwhelming because our duties converge at once. Also, a certain alpha named Lucius had indicated that he was looking for even more “incessant stroking” to keep his spirits jolly and bright.

At this time of the year, material temptations are also potentially overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong; I am a firm believer in retail therapy. But, as this year draws to a close, I am thinking especially about the infinite gifts of unconditional love that our cats deliver to us every day. As Cat Ladies, we have our own version of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

My reboot worked, and I was reminded recently of the simple joy of being a Cat Lady when I read an opinion piece by Peggy Noonan. She had asked a colleague, who serves as an editor of a news site, about what makes him grateful. He lives near a forest and responded that he is grateful for “love, nature, and innocence.” She wrote back and rephrased the question slightly. Yes, but, “what do you love right now?” He replied with a photo of his beloved cat, appropriately named Buddy. He went on to write that, while the topsy-turvy world of news is spinning around him 24/7, he looks to Buddy to help him “slow down” and to savor each moment. Buddy’s world “ends up being the preferred reality.”

I guess it goes without saying that I, too, prefer the reality of a life surrounded by cats.

Query of the Day: Do your cats allow you to slow down during the holidays?