Shelter Cats and Redemption

Guess what?  Today is national cat day. Of the many "days" that seem to permeate our culture, this is the one day I can get behind with all my heart. So....to one and all.....happy national cat day. If you have a cat, or cats, spend time with them today.  Hug them, give them extra treats.  Play with them.  Let them know how much they mean to you. If you don't have a cat, what's wrong with you? I jest. In all seriousness.....go to a shelter, it's a beautiful day!  Adopt a shelter cat, give a shelter cat the forever home they all deserve. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

Yin and Yang, 2009.

We interrupt our month long Tiger birthday celebration for an exciting update! Ashley, my forever love, took these two great videos of Jackson just a few moments ago! Fully recovered and svelte from his life-saving June 2015 bladder surgery, Jackson is happier and more playful than ever.  This brings tears of joy to my eyes and fills my heart with love to see my boy so happy. Enjoy!

One of my favorite pictures of the original feline dynamic duo.  Sharing an Ikea chair together, 2010 or so.

All October long I mark what would have been Tiger's fifteenth birthday.   Let's continue with another re-post from last year, slightly edited.  Hindsight as they say..... How Tyler and Tiger met I fell asleep with my new cat curled up on my chest.  He was warm, cuddly, and purred the whole night.  I was in heaven.  Despite my love for Tyler, and our inseparable bond, one thing he was not was a lap cat.  I can count on one hand how many times he sat on my lap in nearly 14 years. It was nice to have a cat that liked to cuddle, and Tiger LOVED to cuddle.  I woke up the next morning to evidence that Tiger had eaten and used the litter box.  Both VERY good signs considering how he was just a few hours before at the shelter.  I found him sitting in the window behind my headboard, soaking up some sun and his new view.  "Good morning Tiger.  Enjoying your new view?" MEOWOOO.  He arched his back as I scratched it.  H...

The first of a month-long celebration of Tiger Tuesdays, all October long. Tyler and Tiger, one of the many shots I got of them sharing a bed together, 2009 or so. 

This month marks what would have been Tiger's fifteenth birthday.   What better reason to have another month-long commemoration of the original "sweetums" right? Let's start with a re-post of the blog I wrote, just about one year ago, about how Tiger and I met. Ready to re-live these (slightly edited) memories with me?   Let's talk about.....Tiger.  Tyler's brother from another cat-mother. I dedicate this post to my favorite orange cat, and the original "sweetums." Isn't his name Tiger? Yes. So why did I call him "sweetums?" I can't pinpoint the actual day I gave him that nickname, but one day I just started calling Tiger sweetums and it stuck.  He was a sweetums.  He was the sweetest most gentle soul I ever came across, he stole my heart and Tyler's as well. Anyway, here's how we met. By the summer of 2008, Tyler had turned 9.  He was still the lovable curmudgeon I always knew, but the first...