Hi Everyone and a huge head butt and belly rub for all the new subscribers who’ve joined us since the Mewsletter went out towards the end of October.
Well, we survived Guy Fawkes’ Night here in the UK and Diwahli (which is the Festival of Light where more fireworks go off!) and we’re preparing now for the next main event – Christmas although I realise, of course, that the next main event for non-UK people is Thanksgiving in just over a week’s time.
AMAZING CATS:
My next love, after cats and orangutans, are donkeys and for many years I’ve supported The Donkey Sanctuary which is based in Sidmouth, Devon, which is in the south-west of the UK. They do wonderful work trying to educate people on the best way to work with the donkeys without cruelty and they take in hundreds of abandoned donkeys every year. In the newsletter which came recently, there was a lovely little snippet about Beau, who lives nearby but spends his days at the sanctuary. I was given permission to use it:
ARTICLES:
CAROL LAKE:
It’s usually a good idea to get a puppy and a kitten at the same time so they are able to bond with each other (the kitten will still be the boss). So it’s never a surprise when people write to me and tell me that their cat is spending all day on the shed roof because they’ve got a new dog.
Here’s a cautionary tale from Tom Cat Towers (where Carol Lake and various feline chums reside) about a new dog around town.
LYNN SCHIFFHORST:
I hope you’ve all been enjoying the wonderful Father Risolino stories that Lynn writes about with such passion. Here’s the latest:
Beautiful Words Don’t Feed Cats
NATIONAL BLACK CAT DAY: 27TH OCTOBER:
Thank you to Bernadette, Judy, Nancy, Sally and Suzanne who sent me pictures of their beautiful black cats. They have been added to the page and you can find them all here:
BOOK REVIEWS:
I read a ton of books while on holiday in Bulgaria – that’s the beauty of taking a Kindle with you; it doesn’t weigh your case down with lots of books! One I read was by Fiona Darlington, and for those of you that like writing – especially, writing about cats, this is the ideal book for you.
The Cat Diaries: 101 Creative Writing Prompts
I treated myself to a cute little book that I’ve seen lots of times in various catalogues and I wasn’t disappointed. This would make the absolute perfect Christmas stocking filler for all cat lovers of any age!
BOOK QUIZ:
Congratulations to Jody Tucker in the US for getting all 5 answers right and commiserations to Jared and Ellen for being pipped at the post. Well done.
To see the answers, click here:
For this month’s book quiz, please click on the link below. Answers to pauline@thedailymews.com by 25th November. Thank you.
CAPTION COMPETITION:
The last caption competition (of the two little kittens side by side in tissue boxes) netted some great entries. Well done to Andrew Lane, of Southampton, UK, for his winning entry. And thank you and congratulations to everyone else who took part. To see the winning caption and the other entries, please click here:
What do you make of this month’s caption competition? Entries – as always, no more than 5 please, to pauline@thedailymews.com by 25th November. Thank you.
My thanks to Earla Hollon in the US for sending me her picture of GrayC.
CHARITIES AND RESCUE CENTRES:
Last month Carol Lake wrote about Sweetee, the little cat that was cared for by Joana who helps, along with several other ladies, to run the AAC – Madeira.
I’m happy to include details of their organisation and if you’re able to offer any help, donations (financial, food, bedding, litter, etc) then contact Joana via their Facebook page.
KITTYBITS:
We’ve all heard ‘old wives’ tales’ about what is right (or not) for cats. Well, here’s 10 myths that have been dispelled.
LINKS:
Britta sent me this link:
http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Sharing_stuff/Singitkitty
Robert Blau sent me this link to a kitten having fun with balloons filled with water:
Matt Deluca sent me a great little video of a cat do an uncanny impersonation of Jack Nicholson in The Shining:
MEWSERS’ MEWSINGS:
CASEY’S CHATS:
Casey’s offering this month is also the Home Page message. So do go to the Home Page and scroll down a little way and you’ll see what he has to say this time.
TOFF CAT:
I don’t know about you, but I just love Carol Lake’s wonderful vignettes about ‘how the other half lives’; they’re so irreverent, taking the mickey out of ‘posh folk’ and describing the wild differences between the Chavs and those with a title and a ridiculous name!
Here’s the latest:
Professor Sir Simon Singeton Smedlington
Hooray Henrietta Gruffington-Gussets
QUESTIONS FOR SQUIRT:
As you probably all know Squirt, who has his own column, ‘Squirt’s Scribblings’ also offered his services as the ‘go-to’ cat if you have any problems. And this month, he’s dealt with a situation we often see and hear about in the Daily Mews Office – when an older cat has to deal with a much younger cat that their Staff have brought into their territory. Dumpty shared her problem in the hopes that it could help others in the same situation and Squirt was happy for his answer to be shared – so that Human Staff would think twice before having the temerity to do such a dastardly deed.
Help – Maid has got me a Toy Boy
And that just about sums it up this time. Hopefully – health permitting – there will be a Mewsletter towards the end of this month and then we’ll be waiting in excited anticipation for Santa Paws to visit us in December. Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate - we do have much to be thankful for. As always, we’re grateful for feedback: good, bad or indifferent.
Take care
With Love
Pauline – Editor in Chief
Casey – Reluctant Tester of Home Made Beds Lovingly Knitted By a Dotty Mum
xxx
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