Sundays at the Shelter

Maggie got something in the mail, and all we got is this stinkin’ box.

“Whatcha got in there, Tommie?”

It’s actually a pretty good box…

Gracie sighs, “Will it be my turn soon?”

Tags: cat toys, Gracie, Mickey, polydactyl, tabby cats, Tommie | Category: Home Cats | 16 Comments »

Mickey Mouser and I watched the wild turkeys approaching our house in a snow storm last week.

It was a very good day to be inside!

Meanwhile back at PAWS…

Oscar was in his hammock at the shelter, safe and warm.

Tags: cat hammock, Mickey, orange tabby, PAWS animal shelter, tabby cat | Category: Home Cats, Shelter Cats | 16 Comments »

Our Mickey Mouser looks pretty relaxed here, but he panics easily. Vacuum cleaners and friendly visitors all send him into hiding. Knowing we were going to have loud workers around our house, we decided to try a Thundershirt.

The pressure of the snug fitting shirt is supposed to have a calming effect on cats and dogs. It’s very nicely made and was fairly easy to put it on him. Mickey immediately laid down on my lap, but I wondered, is that because I pulled the velcro straps too tight? I loosened it a bit, and he seemed comfortable.

Does this cat look calm to you?

Actually, this is an improvement. Mickey is on high alert but he’s not hiding. The Thundershirt isn’t the miracle I hoped for, but it seems to help.
Next time we go to the vet he’ll certainly be wearing it.

Has anybody got scaredy cat suggestions?

Tags: cat products, Mickey, scaredy cat, tabby cat, thundershirt | Category: Home Cats | 16 Comments »

Resting from our labors. Mickey Mouser

Grace Lillian

Tommie
Wishing you all a Happy Labor Day!

Tags: Gracie, Mickey, Tommie | Category: Home Cats | 15 Comments »

Two years ago this week, we took delivery on a 11 week old kitten that we were supposed to foster for PAWS until the shelter had room for him. He had been living in the woods along the edge of the city’s dog park.

It wasn’t long before we realized that he wasn’t a temporary visitor- he was family. It took a bit longer to convince Tommie and Ms Grace Lillian! Happy Gotcha day, Mickey!

Tags: animal shelter, baby kittens, Mickey, PAWS animal shelter, tabby cat, tabby kitten | Category: Home Cats, Shelter Cats | 39 Comments »

The nice people at Mr. Chewy offered us a $50 gift certificate to their site.
They have a huge selection of cat and dog food. There’s also free shipping if you spend over $49.
I ordered treats for the cats at PAWS and the box arrived the very next day!

My cats were so excited!

Then I told them that they could only keep the box…*

*Only kidding. I paid for an extra bag of treats for my cats at home.

If you shop at Mr. Chewy, use the code SWAN3421 on your first order and get 10% off. They’ll also donate $10 to an animal shelter.

Tags: cat treats, Gracie, Mickey, Mr. Chewy, PAWS animal shelter, Tommie | Category: Home Cats, Shelter Cats | 6 Comments »

Around our house, this is the toy that Mickey Mouser finds irresistible.

Mickey and I were playing with it the other night while watching Jackson Galaxy work his magic on Animal Planet’s “My Cat from Hell”. Suddenly Jackson opened his guitar case and pulled out the identical toy!

I think the secret of its allure is a very flexible long wire and a cute little mouse made of bristles. We highly recommend the Cat Catcher.

What’s your cat’s favorite toy?

Tags: cat toys, Mickey, toys | Category: Home Cats | 7 Comments »

Here’s Mickey checking out the ipad app, “Game for Cats“. It has three levels of play which include a mouse, a butterfly, and a dot of light similar to a laser toy.

Gracie was briefly amused, but when the mouse went off screen she tried to get under the ipad to see where it had gone. Cats are hunters and my cats weren’t interested for long- once they found out they weren’t going to actually catch anything.
Still, it’s a free app and if you have an ipad, Mickey and Gracie suggest you check it out. Tommie opted to take a nap.

If you like people games for mobile devices, my daughter has a review site – Best Game Apps.

Tags: cat toys, Gracie, Mickey, tabby cat, toys | Category: Home Cats | 4 Comments »

You’ve probably been wondering how our own furry family has been doing.

Tommie, Ms. Grace Lillian, and Mickey Mouser have formed a club which meets frequently during the day at various locations around the house.

Last Fall I wrote several times about the bumpy road we were traveling trying to ease baby Mickey into the family. Time and patience took care of most of the problems.
If you’re in that situation with your own cats, hang in there!

Tags: Gracie, Mickey, polydactyl, tabby cat, Tommie | Category: Home Cats | 4 Comments »

If you live in the area, please join us at Cranbury Park, Norwalk, CT next Saturday, September 17th from 11am to 3pm. This is the fourth annual fundraising dog festival for PAWS. Even though the event is mostly about the dogs, it’s still a lot of fun!

This year the cats will have their own booth with pins and toys and paraphernalia for sale. They won’t be attending though. The cats will be back at the shelter waiting for us to bring home the kibble.

If you can’t join us and want to help support PAWS please CLICK HERE. Thank you!

Gracie (top photograph) is keeping an eye on the merchandise. Mickey took one for the team and is reluctantly helping out.

Tags: Bark in the Park, Gracie, Mickey, PAWS animal shelter | Category: Shelter Cats | 4 Comments »