Thursday, January 29, 2009

Baby Possum

Baby Possum Helps me sew!
Just like our kids, we love looking at old pictures of our pets too.  This was so cute.  Possum, just a tiny little thing, had to be in the center of my sewing experience.  Things havent changed.  As you know most of my photos of quilts and other projects include a cat!  

A Little Did Ya Know About Cats
This hint comes from my heart.....I do a lot of sewing and quilting, which of course means I have pins and threads and other objects that can be dangerous to our kitties.   I have watched my Lucy sit on the quilt machine and pick ALL the pins out of the take up roller and drop them one by one onto the floor...she usually does this when she wants attention.  I know she could swallow one or get one caught and it terrifies me.  One other time, Ricky was making a funny smacking noice with his mouth and I found thread in there that he was dragging down from the attic!  The spool was up there on my table, about two feet was down his throat and the rest was strung thru out 3 floors of house!  If it wasnt so dangerous it would have been funny!  Please be careful with your hobby items.  They can be deadly to your pet!  Meow!

Friday, January 23, 2009

This is Pathetic, not Pitifull!


I wonder if Ricky and Lucy and Possum know exactly how fortunate they are to have found my house!  Not only are they warm and fed, but I make them their own quilts and toys!  Oh brother.  This little creation, I'm calling a Kitty Play Pad...is actually a small quilt with attached ribbons so that you can tie on toys or just leave free to dangle...My kitties love it!  Especially when I filled the little "pillow" with fabric scraps and catnip....I have a video on my personal blog if you are interested....wwwhumantouch.blogspot.com  Check it out if you are bored.  These play pads will soon be available for sale at my Etsy shop at www.katsfabricsnmore.etsy.com  Oh! And when you aren't using it on the floor with toys and catnip, put it on the chair or sofa back a cozy place for your kitty to rest and protect your furniture.

A Little Did ya Know About Cats!
You don't have to look very far to find some simple items that make fascinating toys for Kitty.  Save the tubes from inside paper products and let her roll them around to her hearts content.  Or string plastic shower curtain rings together and let them hang down within Kitty's reach!  Meow!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

This Cold is Killing me!

This picture is from tonight, when the temperature is 21 with a wind chill of 13.   I put a little box in the corner of the front porch. This is the area that is the most protected from wind and weather. I lined it with a fleece baby blanket and extra quilt batting and hoped that "someone" would find a warm bed there...Well here he is.  I've noticed that the blankets are flat and slept on, but hadnt seen who it was until just a few days ago.  Now it seems most nights he is there.  I think its Boo but Im not sure.  I put food out every night and its gone in the morning.  Its just too cold to mess with the trap, so Im just glad he is warm and fed.  This pic was taken in total darkness, with my flash.  He tries to stay very still so I dont notice him.  I was surprised the flash didnt scare him out of the box, but it didnt.  Maybe he is starting to trust me alittle.  I have to tell you, its hard to be inside in the warm house, knowing that just outside the wall is a cold kitty.  eeeekkk!

A Little Did Ya Know About Cats
Did you know that mixed-breed cats who need adoption offer many advantages as pets.  Because they come from a larger gene pool than the purebreds, they're generally less prone to abnormalities and are apt to have stronger immune systems.  They're also every bit as intelligent and full of fun.  So come to Walnut and take your pick! MOEW!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Little catnip mouse is finished!

Wow..I made two posts in a day!  Of course I have no idea if anyone in this vast world really reads anything I write (please comment if you do!).  So I may well be talking to myself...but here is my little catnip mouse, all done and waiting for a home.  Donate a minimum of $10 to Take Pitty on the Kitties...and this little guy can belong to your favorite kitty.  Right now this little toy is living in the freezer.  The aroma of catnip and the allure of the red wool was just too much for Ricky.  He went berserk!  So I have to make him his own toy today!  Each little mouse will be different, and I will also be making other shapes; hearts, stars, heads and even a little "person".    These are perfect for your pet and purrfectly cute!

Catnip Toys and Inquiring Letters!

Attack with a vengance!

What do you mean it isnt "done" ?

Free with $10/$15  donation to Take Pitty on the Kitties!

Ok, this little catnip toy isnt done, but as you can see, Ricky cant leave it alone already.  I had several other pics, but the cats were a blurrrrrrr of movement trying to play with this already.  I think it will be popular!  It is made of recyled wool, some embroidery and filled with fabric scraps and catnip from my own garden!  Even cat toys 'Go Green' !

My idea is to offer one to anyone in the US who donates at least $10.00 (includes shipping).  If you are out of the US..minimum donation is $15.  Every one will be a little different and I have an idea to make "heads"....cats always leave the heads for last.  Watch for more pics.

Help us help our out door friends.

Our weather has been really cold, sub zero and I worry so much about the kitties I see outside.  Its really hard to find a place in the snow and cold to put the live trap, where they will go to it and where I can moniter it.  With wind chills at 40 below, Im having a hard time getting what I want to do done.  

So for now, I am just feeding them.  I purchased two big bags of food, one from Aldi.  As the cashier was lifting it to skan it, the bottom broke open and cat food splayed everywhere.  Of course I bought a different bag....BUT I asked the manager if I could purchase the broken bag for a lesser cost and she said NO.  The company will not allow broken pet food to be sold or given away.  I explained our project to no avail....the same thing happened at Target and Petco.  Now, that seems totally stupid to me.  They will throw away good food that could go to a good use.  Dumb!  I will be writing inquiring letters to these companies and more.

A Little Did Ya Know About Cats!
We all know the appeal of catnip to our feline family members!  Catnip is a perennial herb belonging to the mint family.  Catnip contains a naturally occurring compound found in fragrant plants and essential oils.  It is neither toxic or addictive, and its greatest effect is on cats of reproductive age, rather than the very young or the very old.  Catnip is easy to grow, but be careful, it can be quite invasive!  MEOW!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

More Good News!


I talked to Pott County Animal Control today. They have dropped off a new trap for us to borrow to trap some more kitties to get in to get fixed. They sound so kind and very cooperative in our efforts. I am happy and hope to get some of our babies taken care of before things get out of hand.

We received another donation! My sister visiting from LasVegas, NV gave us $25 to get one spay! Thank you, Kris! She saw first hand, some of our kitties and, just like me her heart was touched.

I have to admit, I am a little overwhelmed with this project. I'm not sure where to start nor what to do. I just know that I love these babies and that I don't want them to be trapped and euthanized. I guess we take it one step at a time... Step one was to get a vet....did that! Next, was to ask for cooperation of the county animal control...did that...! Now I guess we just start with the funds we have received and get TWO kitties fixed.

"A Little Did Ya Know about Cats"
With the inauguration of the new Pres in just a week away, this quote seems appropriate!


There are people who reshape the world by force or argument,
but the cat just lies there, dozing; and the world quietly reshapes itself to suit her comfort and convenience."
Allen and Ivy Dodd

Saturday, January 10, 2009

I meant to do that!


Ricky with that "look"...I wonder what he did...?

A Little did ya know about Cats!
"Cats keep their cool, no matter what. Even when they do things like fall or lose their balance, they'll walk away with an attitude that seems to say 'I meant to do that.' " Michael Jordon

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Moses, the Wanderer...


Who is Moses?
Where did he come from?
Where does he belong?
This guy has been spotted all over town. He has been eating from my back porch food for a couple weeks and was spotted in Cheryl's courtyard this week. Cold day...and he was pawing at the door to get in to get warm. It sure "appears" that he is declawed in the front, and most likely neutered already. We dont know if he belongs to a Walnut resident, but he is friendly and is really, really pretty (did I mention I can only have 3 cats??)! I plan to post a pic of him at the post office to try to figure out if he is owned or stray. I call him Moses...as he is a wander-er...

"A little did ya know about Cats!"
Cats rule...dogs drool! In the US there are an estimated 69 million cats compared to 62 million dogs....

We want this "win" to be because more people love and care for cats as pets than they do dogs, NOT because we are leaving our cats to multiply, wander the streets and fields alone, hungry and feral...