California Wildlife

While vacationing in California, I was always on the lookout for wildlife (click on photos to enlarge):


17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, winds through a lush forest and along a rocky coastline. How wonderful it must be to live here. We stopped at Bird Rock, home to sea lions and ... well, lots and lots of birds.



A sign along 17 Mile Drive advises visitors not to feed the animals, but this squirrel looks like he does all right.



In Muir Woods, a deer ventured close to the trail for a drink. Like a pack of hungry paparazzi, tourists snapped at the bit of fur visible through the leaves.



Sea lions or seals? I'm not sure, but these guys in San Francisco are a noisy, comic bunch.



Question: We wondered why is the rock along the coast is white? Is it bird poop? I'm not quite sure what that speck is in the middle of the photo -- a bee, a helicopter, Superman?

Problem with Comments

There appears to be a problem with the comments left on my blog. I receive an email notification of a new comment, but it doesn't appear here. Checked the help group, and others are experiencing it as well, but there doesn't seem to be a fix for it.

Update: Looks like it's just my "Silly Kitties" post that is giving me problems. I can only see the comments after "Anonymous" if I collapse that particular comment. Unfortunately, I there is no trash can to delete it. Thanks for your help, NT.

Silly, Sleepy Kitties

Cats are usually so elegant and reserved, but sometimes they just can't be bothered with appearances. Because of her black fur, it's always difficult discerning Meeko's various body parts in a photo. You should see the live action when I venture downstairs in the dark -- and she's sleeping on the steps. Click on the picture if you'd like to get up close and personal. Although, to be honest, I don't believe I'd want to be checked out at such close quarters -- technology can be unkind.





While visiting friends at their cottage, I snapped this pic of their two cats, Artemis and Yogi, who are great pals. Arty (on the left) is the cat who wore the cone earlier this year. As you can see, his health has improved, and he's free of the dreaded device.

Party Report

Matilda's birthday has come and gone, and I'm told it was a hit.

As you're probably aware, I'm not crazy about cats being dressed up, but it was all for a good cause -- kitties raising money for kitties. Perhaps a better idea would have been if the people who attended had to wear faux fur cat costumes. I doubt Matilda wore anything but her own luxurious coat.

Cat Hoarders

I dropped by my local Humane Society (OSPCA) today to drop off some stuff for the yard sale they're holding on August 23rd. The large storage room was bursting at the seams, so it should raise lots of money to help run the centre.

While there, I visited the cats (of course) and found that the shelter had recently taken in 42 cats from the home of a "cat hoarder". I'd never heard that term before, and discovered it applies to anyone owning ten or more cats. I looked up "cat hoarder" on Google, and got over 5,000 hits, but didn't check any of them out because I was afraid there would be heart wrenching photos -- and I'd already seen enough.

The OSPCA had posted some pictures at the shelter depicting the living conditions the felines had to endure -- mounds of garbage strewn throughout, and filth coating every surface. The cats had never played with toys nor had any human interaction, yet they didn't turn away when I patted them. I'm hopeful that once adopted, the cats will respond to the love given by their new families.

You know, we joke about the 'crazy cat lady' , but having too many pets might overwhelm the average person -- no matter how much that person believes they love the animals. I suppose, instead of treating these people with humour, we should make sure the cats are receiving the appropriate care.

Just Got Back

I just returned from vacationing in California. On our drive along the coast, we stayed in Huntington Beach, Monterey and San Francisco. Although I did the trip about 20 years ago, I was once again blown away by the scenery. I need a few days to get caught up with life (and laundry), but will be back. I'm also looking forward to catching up on all the posts of my favourite bloggers.

Wonderful People

There are some wonderful people in the world, and the founders of "Angel's Gate", an animal hospice, are the cream of the crop. Please take a moment to check them out.

Matilda's Birthday Bash

Earlier this week, I received an email from Kim Hong writing for the Algonquin Hotel in New York, inviting Meeko and I to Matilda's 13th birthday party. Do you remember Matilda, the Algonquin cat? I wrote about her here. Unfortunately, we're unable to attend the celebration, but I promised Kim to let you know about it.

Festivities, benefiting the North Shore Animal League America, will include:

North Shore’s Purrrrfect Company therapeutic cats, taking the day off from hospital and nursing home visits, to strut their stuff on the Algonquin Hotel’s “cat-walk.”

Meow-Wear outfitting Matilda’s friends in the latest teen-kitty couture for the cat fashion show.

The North Shore Animal League giving Matilda a special birthday gift of helping find homes for some of her feline and canine friends at their mobile adoption units outside of the hotel from 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

The Algonquin Hotel’s signature Matilda cocktail and a variety of special purrrr-tinis being sold to benefit North Shore Animal League.

The cat fashion show and birthday reception will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on August 7th. Attendees are requested to RSVP by calling 212-419-9197 or emailing matildaalgonquincat@algonquinhotel.com.


This is a worthy cause, and should be a lot of fun, so if you're in the area, why don't you and your furry friend(s) drop by?

Mark Your Calendars

Sometimes we need a nudge to celebrate the furrier members of our world:

National Cat Day
October 25, 2008

National Dog Day
August 23, 2008

One purpose of these special days is to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of cats and dogs that need to be rescued each year. Another is to urge you to celebrate the pet(s) in your life, to give them unconditional love for the companionship they bestow.

Humane Society Walk for the Animals
October 5, 2008

All proceeds benefit the lifesaving adoption, humane education, and spay/neuter programs.

Wild China

Wild China is a six-part BBC documentary on the people, wildlife and history of China. Here in Canada, the series is being shown on CBC's The Nature of Things, and is narrated by David Suzuki.

Apparently, the biggest problem the producers had was trying to find wildlife to film. But over 16 months and many miles, they succeeded in putting together a fascinating series. Highly recommended.

Of course, it's the Olympics that made the entire production possible -- the BBC was given unprecedented access to remote areas within China. And we can also thank the upcoming Games for the recent Chinese government ban on selling dog meat in restaurants.

Cat Emergency

On the weekend, I applied to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA ) to become a volunteer at our local shelter. I often visit the cats, bringing clean blankets and new toys, and patting as many as possible. On this visit, the patting took much longer than expected.

The shelter is experiencing a cat emergency. The enclosures are full, and there are 300 more cats in the back. Three hundred! Where are they coming from? There are a few kittens, but most are adults, and all were friendly and eager for attention.

I bought Meeko there four years ago when she was just a tiny kitten. They had named her 'Trouble', but she's been no trouble at all (although she did terrorize my other cat Chowder when she was alive). Meeko enjoys the company of people, yet she isn't keen on other cats. If she was, I'd be scooping up a few more from the shelter.

If you live in or near York Region, north of Toronto, please consider adopting one of these guys. They not only need a loving home and family, they deserve it.

Canadian Loonies and Toonies

Yesterday, July 1st, was Canada Day, celebrated with parades, fireworks, the whole shebang. Canada is only 141 years old -- still a baby compared to our cousins across the pond. Anyway, I thought I'd share a few money facts about this great country:

The beaver is our national animal, and is featured on the back of our nickel. The animal's importance to this country stems from the value of its pelt when Canada was first explored.

The loon is featured on the Loonie, our dollar coin that's been in circulation for about 20 years. There is nothing quite as lonely as the sound of this water bird when you're sitting by a lake up north. Apparently, the loon mates for life. I like a bird that can make a commitment.

On our two dollar coin, the Toonie, there's a picture of a polar bear. I just hope these magnificent animals can survive global warming and all the other crap people have thrown at the Earth.

And yes, "Loonie" and "Toonie" are the official names of the coins. Only in Canada, eh?