Hi and a warm welcome to the first blog I’ve ever written. Although, in essence, there is probably little difference to the commentary I write at the beginning of each Mewsletter. This is the bit of the Mewsletter where I chat about ‘stuff’ usually relating to my cats and which you’re probably skipping through anyway to get to the good stuff – namely links to the new articles and items on the website.
In trying to make the Mewsletter a more ‘user-friendly’ ezine and as I know a good number of you receive it at your place of employment, the ‘old’ style Mewsletter was either ignored because it was too long to get through in one sitting, or people generally got fed up trying to wade through all my waffle and ramblings first.
Welcome, then, to the ramblings.
The mystery of the pointy ears (from the last issue of the Mewsletter) has been solved. A little doppelganger to Casey has been making himself known over a period of a few weeks. Each evening Casey looks at me while I’m knitting away on the sofa, clears his throat and has a quick wash and brush up before heading through the cat flap. There he meets up with ‘DG’ (explanation shortly). I follow at a discreet distance to see what happens and it’s really sweet. As soon as Casey emerges through the cat flap, DG does a little airborne skip and greets him with a little chirrup – they then do a gentle head butt and sit down near each other to discuss the day’s events.
Over a period of a few days DG has been brave enough to allow me to pet him and I put food out for him which he polishes off. He also comes inside and eats the leftovers in Casey’s dish and he peed on the new bed I bought Casey – I did wonder if this was perhaps a way of expressing his gratitude, like burping after a meal in some countries is expected from the guests to show the hosts that the meal was enjoyed.
Originally, as I didn’t know what sex DG was, I chose the name ‘Stevie’ because it’s a unisex name (think: Stevie Smith (f) novelist and poet and Stevie Marriott (m) who was the lead singer of my favourite group when I was a teenager – The Small Faces) I know it might be hard for some of you to picture me as a teenager bopping around a radiogram listening continuously to the raw sound that groups had in those days – but I kid you not – I was once a teenager! Hard to believe, I know!
Anyway, back to DG; I tried calling him Stevie but it didn’t seem to suit him. And I tried a couple of other names I’d always wanted to call my cats should one appear without warning one day, but they didn’t seem to suit either. DG is the abbreviated form of ‘doppelganger’ but I’m going to ask my beloved – and hugely appreciated and highly respected - Daily Mews subscribers if they can suggest any sensible and purrfect names for this little chap who is the spitting image of Casey (KC).
Write to me at the usual address: p.dewberry@ntlworld.com and put ‘Names for Casey’s friend’ in the subject line of the email. If I like any of them I’ll try rolling it around on my tongue before asking DG if he would like to be called ‘****’ I might even throw the winning name a prize to the sender – so there’s an incentive!
Squirt’s staff, Penel, suggested Clooney – which I like as it goes with George (see below). She arrived at Clooney by taking the letter C (for cat) and suggesting in a nice way that he could be a looney for just turning up; put C + looney together and you get Clooney. Which I quite like. But can anyone suggest anything a tad better?
He is the absolute spitting image of Casey – but he is a young cat, I’d say 6 months, 9 months max. I don’t know if he will move in on a permanent basis. Unlike Casey who spent all day and night on my decking before he moved in, for several months, DG only visits in the evenings so I’m guessing he has a perfectly good home somewhere although not perfect enough that they would consider neutering as an option as his ‘manly’ bits are very much in view.
I did fantasise that he had come looking for Casey (who’s been with me now for about 14 or 15 months) to try and encourage him to go back ‘home’, but perhaps Casey – in turn – is trying to encourage DG to leave wherever he lives because it’s much better at Chez Mews!
Anyway, maybe I’ll have more to share with you in the next ‘ramblings’ – watch this space, as they say!
As if one newcomer wasn’t enough, there has been a ginger cat who I decided on a whim to call ‘George’ who’s been an ad hoc visitor to the gardens and estate of the Chez Mews. Sporting a red collar, he’s neutered, but very unkempt and dishevelled as if he lives rough, he calls every so often for a quick breakfast or three, or a snack on the go. He’s very friendly and has allowed me to pet him, and what’s even more amazing, when I called him George, he answered straight away – so maybe it IS his name! I was thinking ‘George Peppard’ or ‘George Clooney’ because of the looks – this is a good looking boy! And Casey seems to like him as well so maybe in a few months Chez Mews will be rocking to the purrs of Casey, DG and George!
You may have noticed a ‘Tweet’ button and a ‘Like’ button at the foot of the latest articles/stories that are on site. Eventually, all content on the website will have them but that will require hours of going through every article and adding them – something that will take me ages. But for now, each new piece I put on the website is given a ‘Tweet’ and a ‘Like’ button. Please do click on them if you’re on Twitter and like them. Sometimes, seeing how many ‘likes’ an article gets is the only feedback I get.
I hope you like your new look Mewsletter without all the rambling preambles and that you’ll find time to check out the new blog. As always, I welcome your feedback, good, bad or indifferent.
I have an excellent team of writers who write on a regular basis for the Daily Mews website and I got us all together (via email) and asked for their opinions, suggestions, feedback etc on how to make the website a good experience for visitors. I also asked for advice on how to make the Mewsletter more user-friendly.
Many of the subscribers to the Mewsletter and Scratching Post are unaware of the actual presence of www.thedailymews.com. They think the Mewsletter IS the website. I’m often asked if I will consider something for inclusion in the Mewsletter, when in actual fact, the Mewsletter is a side dish – if you like – TO the website.
So let me give you a potted history for any new comers and even people that have been with me for a while:
The Daily Mews website was created in May 2002. In 2012, its tenth year, it came third in a shortlist of five websites for the title of Best Cat Website in the World. What was so amazing about this for me, personally, was that the other four websites were all American; The Daily Mews was the only non-American website and it came third. I’m very proud of that fact.
But I don’t want to rest on my laurels. I want your visit to www.thedailymews.com to be a pleasurable experience where you’ll laugh at the funny antics of other people’s cats, and commiserate with those who write the most moving tributes to their now departed pets – and you’ll find interesting articles on health and fitness in the Feline Fitness section plus a whole more in other sections.
So please, don’t just go to the links in the Mewsletter, please take some time to amble around the website – it’s been created for you, the cat lover, and another please coming up – please tell your family members and friends all about www.thedailymews.com and suggest that they sign up for the free monthly Mewsletter and Scratching Post.
Thank you.
With love
Pauline – Chief Editor
Casey – Chief Assistant to the Chief Editor and General Procurer of Lost Felines Searching For New Luxurious Accommodation with Board and Cuddles Thrown In For Good Measure!
xxx
A Morning Kiss
A morning kiss, a discreet touch of his nose landing somewhere on the middle of my face.
Because his long white whiskers tickled, I began every day laughing.
Janet F Faure