Hi everyone and a warm welcome to all the newbies who have joined us since the last Mewsletter or Scratching Post was sent out.
HEADS UP!!
I’m running a new competition now that the 2015 cat calendar competition has closed. This one is slightly different. I would like you to write a short story (up to 1,500 words) or a poem (up to 20 lines) about Christmas. This can be a fictional story about cats, or a story where your cat(s) saves Christmas, or what Christmas means to your cat(s). The cat is the star. The winning story and poem will be published on the website in the December update in time for Christmas. The winners will receive a signed copy of A Cat Called Dog by Jem Vanston. As a special treat we have 10 signed copies that you can buy now if you’d like to put one away for as a Christmas gift. Price in the UK will be £6.99 and free postage and packing. Prices for the US will be $10 and free shipping. If you live anywhere else in the world and want a copy please contact me and we’ll work out the currency differences.
Also, if you’d like a free critique of your story and/or poem let me know when you submit them.
Send them to p.dewberry@ntlworld.comby November 25th; this gives me a couple of weeks to work through them in time for the December update. If you have any questions about this competition please contact me.
Thank you to everyone who sent me actual birthday cards, and virtual birthday cards, and various other means of birthday greetings. I had a lovely day thank you.
Someone on Facebook sent me this link for my birthday. I thought I’d share it with you because I think it’s hilarious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikW0GYt5gF8
IF PETS HAD SUPER POWERS
According to a recent survey by the PDSA, one in 3 pet owners wished their pets could talk. The next most popular wish expressed by 1 in 8 of the owners surveyed was to have their pet live forever or to have ‘eternal health’ so they wouldn’t ever be parted.
What ‘super power’ would you like your pet to have and why? Let me know at the above email address.
UNWANTED GIFTS
A Daily Mews’ subscriber wrote to me to ask if I knew of a way to deter her cat from bringing home unwanted presents. In the space of about 2 ½ weeks, she was treated to 1 pigeon, 1 seagull, 1 moth and a mouse, all of the deceased persuasion. If anyone has any ideas, please write to let me know and I’ll pass your tips on. Thank you.
AMAZING CATS:
I am thrilled to tell you that Service Cats (the AMAZING Service Cats) Dezi and Lexi have agreed to write a regular column for the wonderful Daily Mews readers/subscribers. How cool is that!
Here’s their first ‘outing’ as Daily Mews’ correspondents. Do let me know what you think of these sassy cats.
Welcome to Lexi and Dezi’s World
ARTICLES:
John Grafton writes a good cat story – on that we’re agreed, aren’t we? Well, he just upped his game and has written an amazingly good cat story which I just know you’ll love. And I love it so much I’ve put it on the Home Page under the ‘Message from Pauline’ spot. No higher accolade for an aspiring writer to be!
Just go to www.thedailymews.com and it’ll be right there staring at you!
ED KOSTRO:
It’s hard to believe that it was 9 years ago (on the 29th August) that Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and caused destruction, devastation and disruption to the lives of thousands of people. But the call to rescue all the displaced animals – some of which were never reunited with their original families – was too strong for people like Ed Kostro to ignore. He made several trips there, rescuing cats and dogs and bringing many of them back to Illinois to share his home.
The 9th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina – Ed looks back
CAT CHAT:
Sally Rowe’s article will have many of us nodding our heads in sympathy and agreement. She’s a great writer but more importantly she loves cats.
The making of a crazy cat lady
Doreen Johnson from Canada sent me little snippets about two of her cats, Suzi and Bear, which I think will resonate with a good many of us. Those of us that feed the chancer that waits outside the cat flap or those that bravely venture through into our homes, our lives, our hearts will understand what it’s like to take on a ‘travelling cat’ and how it hurts when they upsticks and leave.
MEWSERS’ MEWSINGS:
HOL AND DAISY SAUCE (clever huh?)
Jimmy – the Daily Mews first feline reporter – is greatly missed since he left for Rainbow Bridge on 12th June 2014. But his two sisters, Holly (Hol) and Daisy have bravely taken up the mantle to try to carry on his good work. Holly has written her first ever column this month – heavily influenced and ‘channelled’ by Jimmy. I do hope you like it. Hers is the voice of the future.
George made another appearance after his enforced incarceration for a couple of weeks. Casey missed him but when George showed up on Monday afternoon, Casey wasn’t well. George hung around for a couple of days and satisfied that Casey was getting better, he went back home. Here’s his latest Mewsings (which you‘ll find in the Humour section – Mewsers’ Corner).
NAPPING ON A SUNBEAM:
I meet lots of lovely people on Facebook and Twitter and Sean Click is no exception. Earlier this year he lost his beloved lion-headed rabbit – Mufasa. Here’s is Sean’s moving tribute to him:
SQUIRT’S SCRIBBLINGS:
It’s great to have something from Squirt this month and I know you’ll enjoy his latest ‘scribblings’ from Sunny Scotland. (Don’t forget: it helps if you imagine he sounds like Sir Sean Connery when you read his words!)
TEDDIE TUMPKINS:
Carol Lake wrote the Introduction to Teddie Tumpkins ages ago and we’ve been searching for an illustrator ever since. But thankfully, Frances Gillotti answered a desperate plea on Facebook and you will love her illustrations.
To refresh your memories, here’s the introduction plus Chapter One (I’m spoiling you!)
Introduction to Teddie Tumpkins
Chapter One: Ginger Podgers and Fred Who Stares
I do have Frances’ bio which I’m going to add to the Mews’ Team along with details of all my other star writers/contributors, so you’ll have to wait just a smidge longer to see what the gorgeous Frances looks like and to read her motivational and inspirational story.
WHISKERS, WORRIES AND WOES:
Despondent Denver from Devon (UK) wrote to Squirt with a problem or two that Sensible Squirt has sorted out for him.
Here’s the link:
Managing lampshades, pills and bullies
At the time of writing I couldn’t get the image to load properly so I’ve sent it to my tech guy to sort out for me. I’ll remind you next time.
And that just about sums it up this time. Summer days are shorter, children are returning to school, and the dreaded tinny music in shopping malls up and down the country piping out ‘Jingle Bells’ in the run up to Christmas is upon us. Great Cat save us all!!!
Take care – purr-filled blessings
Love
Pauline – Editor in Chief
Casey – Assistant to the Editor in Chief and Generally Wary of Round Ginger Cats with a Healthy Appetite
A Cats Purr
"Cats make one of the most satisfying sounds in the world: they purr ...
A purring cat is a form of high praise, like a gold star on a test paper. It is reinforcement of something we would all like to believe about ourselves - that we are nice."
Roger A Caras