Ruby Goes to the Dentist – Part One: Diagnosis and Choosing a Veterinary Dentist

Ruby's Reflections| 10 Comments

tortoiseshell-cat-face

Finding out that your cat needs dental work provokes anxiety in most cat guardians, and I’m not immune to those fears. Despite my years of working in veterinary clinics, and having been through many dental procedures with the cats that came before Allegra and Ruby, there’s not much that makes me feel as anxious as the thought of one of my babies having to undergo anesthesia. A year and a  half ago, I shared my experience about Allegra’s dental procedure in a four part series. Last month, it was Ruby’s turn.Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Say No to Drama

Sunday Purrs| 6 Comments

tortoisehshell-cat-drama

I like a good drama as much as the next person. Intrigue, passion, mystery – what’s not to like? But when I say I like drama, I’m talking about fiction, not real life. When it comes to real life drama, I don’t want any part of it.

There’s an awful lot of drama everywhere you look these days. It’s probably disproportionately represented in online communities – for some, interacting with others online seems to remove a “courtesy filter” that sometimes stops drama from happening in “real life.” Continue Reading

Cats and Drums: How Cats Became an Important Part of Jeff Plate’s Life

Feline Lifestyle| 8 Comments

Jeff-Plate-drummer

Jeff Plate is one of the most accomplished and hardest working drummers in rock and roll. The New York State native began taking drum lessons at the age of 12, after a sports injury ended his dream of becoming a pitcher for the New York Yankees. Best known for his work with Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Jeff has performed on every TSO release since the band’s inception in 1996 and has been part of every TSO winter and spring tour,) he has been the drummer for Heavy Metal icons Metal Church since 2006, and has also worked with Savatage, TSO guitarist Chris Caffery, and former TSO violinist Mark Wood’s Electrify Your Strings program. Jeff shares his rural New York state home with wife Cathy, two cats and a dog.Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Don’t Let Fear Rule Your Life

Sunday Purrs| 7 Comments

cat-burrowing-blanket

We live in a culture of fear. There has never been a time when people have been afraid of so much. Three out of four Americans say they feel more fearful today than they did twenty years ago. The media would have us believe that we need to be afraid of everything: the weather, the economy, terrorism, threats to our health. We get warnings via e-mail, text and social media. Surely, Armageddon is just around the corner.Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Practice Kindness

Sunday Purrs| 6 Comments

kindness

Have you ever been the recipient of a random act of kindness? Maybe someone let you go ahead in the grocery store line because you only had one item. The driver in the car ahead of you at the toll booth paid your toll. A friend you haven’t talked to in a while called for no reason at all. If you’ve been on the receiving end of such an act of kindness, you know how wonderful it feels.Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Accepting What Is

Sunday Purrs| 6 Comments

accepting-what-is

Every single moment in life offers us a choice: we can either be in the moment and accept what is happening, or we can resist it. This is a lesson that life tends to present to us over and over. Whether it’s weather throwing a wrench into our plans, or a friend or co-worker not cooperating with our wishes, gracefully accepting what is can be challenging.

Look to your cats for clues on how to do this.Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Why You Need a Buffer

Sunday Purrs| 4 Comments

tortoiseshell-cat-pillow

There’s no question that we live in challenging times. Between our daily to do lists, the stress and anxiety that has become the norm rather than the exception for many of us, and the state of the world in general, we all need to take even better care of ourselves than ever. And one thing that can help you navigate life better is a buffer.Continue Reading

Allegra and Ruby Make New Year’s Resolutions

Allegra's World, Ruby's Reflections| 8 Comments

new-years-resolutions

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. Even though the idea of a “fresh start” is appealing, I find that setting intentions for the year is a more powerful way to go about making permanent changes in your life. However, Allegra and Ruby have been discussing their New Year’s resolutions extensively, and they’ve been bugging me to share their top 3 resolutions with you, so here you go!Continue Reading

Happy Boxing Day

Author's Life| 3 Comments

boxing-day-cat

The day after Christmas is known as Boxing Day in the UK – and I would bet that it’s probably a favorite holiday for cats around the world!

We’re taking a short break from bringing you new information today, but we’ll be back tomorrow to reveal our top 10 products of the year.Continue Reading