Valentine's Day Cat Book Feature: "You Know Your Cat Loves You Because..." by Jeff Parks and Nina Brissey, Illustrations by Mark Sean Wilson

Valentine's Day is the day of LOVE!!! What better day for you to show love for your cat(s), and your cat to show love to YOU than Valentine's Day, right? Well, truth be told, our cats show us they love us EVERY SINGLE DAY of their furry little lives....or DO they?

After reading You Know Your Cat Loves You Because...The Sweet, Silly, and Scientific Ways Our Cats Show Us How Much They Love Us  I am having some SERIOUS doubts as to whether or not Cody TRULY LOVES ME! (But more about that later!!)

When author Jeff Parks connected with me via email, (thank you to Layla Morgan Wilde of Cat Wisdom 101 for sending Jeff my way!) it was easy to see why cats love him! He is affable, funny, warm hearted and any guy that decides to adopt his ex-girlfriend's cat when their relationship ends, is pretty ok in my book! That's exactly what happened with Jeff and his cat "Windows" who was the first cat he bonded with. Jeff got custody of "Windows" when the couple split. Sadly, Windows passed (and Jeff is still morning him).  Windows is one of 3 cats (the other two are Macready and Sinbad, Sinbad lived with co-author Nina Brissey) that this witty and fun book are dedicated to. I am hoping Jeff doesn't mind that I am quoting an excerpt from his email communication with me:

Author Jeff Parks

"My bond with Windows was like no other bond I had had before with an animal. It got pretty intense three years before I had to let him go, due to me taking care of him for a bunch of treatable conditions. That meant a lot of vet visits and pharmacy runs. He was worth all of it. Like you, if I think about him too hard, I cry pretty easily. I still have Mac, who is a wonderful cat, too. Thankfully he is in great condition."

(ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Jeff Parks is a freelance writer and editor.  He shares a home in Temecula, California with his spirited and wonderful cat, Mac.) 

Windows is the cat who turned Jeff Parks into the epitome of a loving "Cat Daddy"

As you can see above, the illustrations by award winning illustrator, Mark Sean Wilson are just too cute and capture the purrsonalities of the amazing felines that we all know and so deeply love. The above illustration is one of 50 black and white illustrations (that have captions beneath them), featured in the book. Let me tell you my kitty loving furiends, this is a book you MUST GET YOUR HUMAN PAWS ON!! You will be laughing and nodding your head in agreement, or....like me.....you will start to question whether or not YOUR cat TRULY LOVES YOU!

Now, remember when I said that Cody must NOT love me? Well, when reading this hilarious book I was given documented proof!

"When you're sick, they stay close until you feel better"  In Cody's case that is FALSE!! Cody would step over me if I were laying dead on the floor. My Angel Bobo was the one who stayed close by me when I was sick.

"They create beautiful art for you" (By shredding toilet paper)...something Cody has NEVER done.
  
"Sometimes they walk across your back and give you a massage." Cody never has done that!

"They play in every cardboard box you open..."  Cody is not a fan of boxes!

See what I mean? Cody doesn't LOVE ME!!!!

Well, that is a LIE! Why?

Because in You Know Your Cat Loves You Because...  it features A TON of ways that show me that CODY DOES LOVE ME!! HE LOVES ME! HE TRULY LOVES ME!!! I am not listing all of the ways that Cody DOES love me because I urge you to pick up a copy of  You Know Your Cat Loves You Because...

 YOU need a copy of this book to find out if YOUR cat(s) LOVE YOU!!

From You Know Your Cat Loves You Because...

"You know what every meow means, what every lift of the tail signals, what your cat likes, and of course, what they dislike."

"Cats show their love in a multitude of ways. Ways you may never have known or imagined. From the scientific, to the sweet, to the silly, this book illustrates all the ways our cats indisputably love us!!!"

Right Cody?

"You Know Your Cat Loves You Because...The Sweet, Silly, and Scientific Ways Our Cats Show Us How Much They Love Us" is a love letter to cat owners everywhere. It's funny, heartwarming, and a bit nutty. Just like our cats."

Available on Amazon

Cody and I give it a zillion head bumps

 and 4 paws and 2 hands up!!!!

International Cat Day: "Humanity Must be Their Voice"

Today is International Cat Day which has taken place every year on August 8th, since it first was celebrated in 2002. It was created by the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Found on Pinterest

International Cat Day is a day to raise awareness about cats and to learn about ways to help and protect them. I would say that virtually all of you who read this blog already KNOW about ways to help and protect our feline friends, but it is the general public who needs to be educated.

 Rescuing cats who need homes as most of us have done, is just one of many ways we can help and protect them. Kudos to so many of you who help your community/feral cats on a daily basis and have done so for many, many years.

Other ways to help and protect cats is:

Keep poisonous plants out of our homes
CAMPAIGN TO MAKE DECLAWING CATS ILLEGAL IN EVERY STATE! 
Take them for regular Veterinary visits
Make our homes "cat proof" as in reducing dangers that can cause trauma/unwanted tragedy for our pets.
Cut handles OFF OF ALL BAGS, PLASTIC, PAPER, TOTE BAGS, ALL BAGS! (When I see photos of cats playing in ANY sort of a bag with handles I cringe.)
Educate children as to the proper way to approach/touch/handle a cat
Dispel antiquated myths about cats
And simply......LOVE THEM!!

I love this graphic created by The Catington Post:

Mom and I would also like to extend a most heartfelt THANK YOU for  the overwhelming outpouring of caring, support, well wishes, love and prayers for Dakota!!! We have some extremely GOOD news (and some things that we are still working on that I will know more about as the week unfolds). The GREAT news is Dakota's blood pressure was NORMAL!!! Two readings were in the low 140s and one reading was 160 (at the very beginning). He did not have to have an abdominal ultrasound, he did have a test for the protein levels in his urine. He may have to have a chest xray before his dental to remove the tooth that is abscessed. The two other things that may be going on  I believe will be treatable.But........for now............the blood pressure news is FANTASTIC! Mom, Dakota and I send much love and gratitude to ALL of you! We will keep you posted as we know more.

Cody and I are beyond lucky that thanks to  the Internet, we get to celebrate World Cat Day EVERY DAY, because we have feline friends all over the World!!!

We love you all!

Enjoy International  Cat Day!!!!

Much love from Cody,  Mom and Dakota too!!!

"Love Saves The Day" by Author, Gwen Cooper, Order NOW and you could win a visit from Gwen!

Gwen Cooper, the renowned author who brought us  Homer's Odyssey, (which I reviewed here on August 8, 2010), has just released her latest book: LOVE SAVES THE DAY!

Gwen has a special place in my heart.  Little did she know when she contacted me on Twitter back in the summer of 2010 asking if I would be interested in reviewing Homer's Odyssey, I was terrified! The review I did for her was my FIRST book review. I never told her that because I didn't want her to know that I had no clue what I was doing at the time. My review of Homer's Odyssey was the beginning of what is probably the most popular feature on Cat Chat, my book reviews.

I am honored to be one of a number of cat bloggers who were personally asked by Gwen to review her latest book: LOVE SAVES THE DAY! My review will be featured at a later date, but I wanted you to know about an exciting contest that Gwen is conducting right now!

ORDER LOVE SAVES THE DAY BETWEEN NOW AND JANUARY 20th and you could win the GRAND PRIZE, a visit from Gwen! Gwen will come to your home town and lead a book club discussion in a library, at your favorite shelter, at a coffee shop, book store or even in your living room! She will answer all of your questions as well!

SECOND PRIZE: you could win a portrait of your dog, cat, horse or whatever animal, by Sue Hains, an incredibly talented animal portrait artist who did this gorgeous portrait of Homer. She CAN work from photos!

Photo Courtesy of Gwen Cooper

THIRD PRIZE: Autographed copies of LOVE SAVES THE DAY and Homer's Odyssey,  plus one of the original photos of Homer (also autographed) that was used to create the artwork for Homer's Odyssey.

For complete details on how to enter, click here

Purchase LOVE SAVES THE DAY on Amazon by clicking here

Barnes & Noble click here

You can also purchase it "in-store" at your favorite bookstore!

Good luck with the contest and watch this blog for our review of LOVE SAVES THE DAY coming soon!!!!!!

My Love Of Cats, When Did It Begin?

When did your love of cats begin? What drew you to these wonderful, magical, mystical beings?

For me it started in the summer of my 15th year. My family had moved to a new home and I was quite lonely after having left a community that I had lived in for 4 years, which meant I had to leave my first "best friends" behind.

My brother and I were in our backyard where at it's furthest point was a large wooded area. We kept hearing this noise that sounded like shrill little squeaks or peeps. Upon further investigation we discovered a tiny, tiny calico kitten....not more than a few days old (if that) abandoned under a pile of leaves.

She was precious. Her eyes were little slits and she was fairly helpless, no signs of her Mom or brothers or sisters anywhere, I imagine she could have been the runt of the litter. I gingerly carried her to our house.

My Mother HATED CATS, when I say hated cats she REALLY, REALLY HATED CATS. I was allowed to keep the kitten in the basement in a cardboard box with a hot water bottle. As soon as she heard me stirring in the morning her tiny little voice would hungrily begin to squeak, I was her world, the only "Momma" that she knew and I was so proud of my furry little baby!

  In my heart I felt her Momma had abandoned her and I was determined to care for her in such a wonderful, diligent and responsible way that I was certain my own Mother would reward me by not abandoning my hopes of being the kitten's surrogate Momma and allow me to keep her.

 The kitten  was so tiny I could hold her in one hand  while I fed her ever so gently with an eye dropper. I am trying to think now what in the world did we do about litter because I honestly don't remember and no one in my family had ever had a cat.

 I barely remember what I fed her (I am assuming milk which couldn't have been a good idea but we did it and the kitten thrived).  Caring for the kitten proved to be the perfect remedy for the sadness I had felt when we moved and I was forced to leave my friends. I knew in my heart that this little kitten would indeed fill the void and become my new best friend!!

One day I came home (I doubt the kitten was even a month old) and my mother informed me she had put an ad in the local paper advertising a "free kitten". The people who would take the cat were on their way over.

The pain I felt was unreal, but not nearly as unreal as the pain I felt when I was forced to hand the adorable, tiny,  warm milk smelling furball who I had so diligently and lovingly cared for over to her new "parents". I remember my hands shaking as I handed her to them (my mother made me hand the kitten to them because she refused to touch the cat).

Anthony and Maureen Willott's former kittens

 I abruptly left the basement and ran to my room where I was overcome with grief. I remember sobbing so desperately on my bed. My heart was broken. My plan of caring for the kitten in a most mature and responsible way and sharing many, many years with her was thwarted by my cat loathing mother. I never forgave her for that and from that moment on I became obsessed with all things cats. Cat shirts, cat drawings, cat banks, anything and everything that pertained to cats.  I vowed I would have a cat of my own one day. It took over 15 years for me to have one but indeed I did and he was the most special cat that ever lived.... aren't they all?

This post first ran in November 2009...I thought it was worth repeating....Caren