Happy Two Cats Tuesday, Cuteheads! There are actually three cats today, so that's a bonus!
Today Moo wants you to see how snuggly and cute he gets when he cuddles up in my arms. He is the ultimate cuddlebug... when he feels like it, of course.
I am cuddly cow cat.
Also this week, Pimp decided to take advantage of the fact that we got a new mattress, and has been hanging out on the old one and next to it. It's lying in the back of the living room (it's a long room), next to the table behind the couch. He never cared about that table, or the blankets under it -- until the mattress got there. And now it's his new spot!
A shelf and two blankies makes me a happy Pimp!
And here's the bonus kitty! Longtime followers will remember Little Meow. If not, now you get to know her!
She used to be one of my parking lot kitties in my old job's parking lot. She and her friend, Daddy Meow, were the best cats ever, and the highlight of my workday. When Daddy Meow got sick and we helped him to the Bridge, Little Meow was left alone out there. And so we launched a super important mission to find her a forever home!
And she got one with my friend, Giselle! Now this former parking lot kitty lives the life of luxury inside, spoiled like a princess. Giselle sent me this picture over the weekend!
Gorgeous Little Meow, my favorite rescue story of all time.
Happy Two Cats Tuesday, Cuteheads! Well, I guess it's technically Three Cats Tuesday today, huh? So many kitties, so little Tuesdays!
First up, we have a most wonderful montage of pictures of Pimp's heart-shaped nose. If his little nose doesn't make you want to smooch his face, I think you need to get your face-smooching reflexes checked.
The line for smooches starts here.
Next up, it's Moo atop his mountain. What mountain, you ask? Well the mountain of comforter and clean sheets I made, foolishly thinking that piling it high would keep a kitty off of it.
No, sir. When I got home, he was perched up there and had made a cat-sized crater in that mountain of clean stuff.
Mount Moo.
And last, but certainly not least, long-time readers will remember Little Meow, my former parking lot kitty who found a most wonderful home with my friend, Giselle.
Little Meow had a rough start in her new home. She did not like Giselle's husband much (she has never really liked men!) and had a few potty issues. But after plenty of love and patience, she has become an absolute princess.
Giselle sent me this picture of Little Meow last week -- she not only likes her husband now, but she has become his lap kitty! These makes me happier than I have words for. I loved Little Meow like my very own out there in my office parking lot for years.
Little Meow the princess! (See her ear-tipped ear? She's a former feral!)
P.S. In case you missed it yesterday, Santa Paws Drive has officially started! It's a toy and treat drive I started four years ago to give shelter animals some holiday presents (our kitties and doggies at home get lots of gifts -- these animals deserve some, too!). Please check it out and spread the word, and donate if you can spare a few dollars. If not, simply share. Every little bit helps! Thank you! Why not subscribe to Your Daily Cute by email? Don't miss a Cute!
Daisy the Curly Cat is one of my favorite cats in the cat-blogging world, and she very smart, too! In this video, she shows off her new trick -- she rings a bell for treats!
Her Mommeh, as she calls her, taught her that every time she dings the bell on the counter, she gets a treat. She is very good at her trick, and it is fun that she also shows how she learned it!
I think if I taught Pimp this trick, none of us would ever get any rest around here, what with the non-stop dinging...
Also, yesterday I sent a little email out thanking everyone who contributed to Bully's surgery. I was so touched by all the support, that I can't begin to tell you all how much all your comments and kind words mean to me.
In my email, I mentioned that I had gotten a plaster pawprint of Bully's little foot, and that I have four of these now from parking lot kitties that we've helped to the Bridge. They are all very special.
Someone asked if I would share a picture with her, and I did. But I also thought you all might like to see, too. Kitty paws and noses are my favorite part, so I love having these as a tribute.
Can you believe 2010 is almost over? We can't either! And we also can't think of a better way celebrate this great year than highlighting the Top 10 Cute posts of 2010!
There's been a whole lot of cuteness in the past year (363 of them so far, to be exact!), so I couldn't wait to find out which ones you all liked and shared the most. Some of the winners might surprise you -- Can you believe the surprised kitten didn't make the list?! -- but I love each one of them!
#10: Kitty Cats Playing Patty Cake Well, this one's no shocker. What might be shocking is that it's not higher on the list! We'll chalk it up to it being a fairly new video, and a pretty recent post!
Unfortunately, the video owner disabled embedding since we put it up, but you can view it here. Good thing is, someone came up with a translated version...
#9: Best Adoption Video Ever! (Must Watch!) The Nevada Humane Society made a video like the "Wedding Dance" video to celebrate the adoption of a very lucky doggie named Cooper -- and it was brilliant! Getting adopted is just as big a day as getting married. I still get teary-eyed watching this one!
#8: Two Cats Tuesday: The Sweetest Faces You Ever Did See This was a very special edition of Two Cats Tuesday where we featured Lenox and Diamond - two special cats looking for a forever home. Lenox is blind and Diamond has one good eye, and is Lenox's seeing-eye cat. They are STILL looking for a home if anyone has room in their heart... Please, please spread the word. Read their whole story and info here.
Beautiful Lenox!
Dashing Diamond!
#7: The Most Beautiful Thing You'll Read Today This is a beautiful poem I got about rescuing animals and why we do it. Anyone who's ever rescued an animal (or is an animal-lover, really) will be truly touched by it.
I am an Animal Rescuer. I will never bring about world peace. I'm not a brain surgeon and I'll never transplant an organ to save a life.... I don't have the ear of a powerful politician or world power. I can't end world hunger. I'm not a celebrity, and God knows I'm not glamorous! I'm not looked up to by millions around the world. Very few people even recognize my name. I'll never win the Nobel prize. I'll never save the rain forest or end global warming. There are a lot of things that I'll never do or become. But today I placed a cat!Read the rest...
#6: Rally the Troops: Little Meow Needs a Home! Speaking of rescuing animals... of course Little Meow made the Top 10 list! What a success story my sweet former-parking-lot-kitty is. You all know and love her, and now she has a happy loving home because of it!
#5: YouTube Animals Sing "Deck the Halls" This one sure made it to the top of the list quick, didn't it?! We just posted it a little over a week ago!
#4: Two Cats Tuesday: Pimp and Moo Want to Help! You know Pimp and Moo had to show up on this list somewhere... and what better way than in this post where we we teamed up with Iams Home for the Holidays to help donate food to animals in shelters!
With your help, we raised 21,200 bowls of food! Yay!
#3: Kitten Hiding in a Pile of Kittens The title alone is enough to make this Cute a huge success. I could watch this video over and over again...
#2: Black Cats Are the New Black YES! I'm so happy this post made the list -- and so high up, too! I have such a sweet spot for black kitties and hope this post helped more people see how beautiful and special they are. (By the way, Knight, the gorgeous man-cat in this post, is still looking for a home!)
Am I your Knight in shining fur?
Black cats are all the rage, and if you don't have one, you better go out and grab one quick before they run out. Act fast! All the cool people have them... Man, I wish this were true. Black cats are beautiful, amazing, gorgeous creatures. Read the rest...
#1: Maru's Fresh Step Commercial Surprise, surprise... Look who's the cutest Cute of 2010. None other than the king of YouTube, the baffoon of boxes, the crazy cat we've all come to love -- Maru! And in his TV debut no less!
You know what I love about this Top 10 list? Sure, there's lots of cuteness here... but look at all the AMAZING things we've been able to do through Your Daily Cute! We find cats homes, we feed shelter animals, we raise awareness about less-adoptable pets...
I have never been prouder of my little blog than I am now. I didn't fudge this list. These are truly the things that interested all of you most. You know what? WE are amazing. All of us.
We hope you enjoyed all these Cutes and we look forward to even more cuteness next year!
*The top 10 Cutes were decided by which posts got the most views during the year.
Hello Cuteheads! Extra special treat today... two new videos of Little Meow,all cute and happy in her new home! I have been cat-sitting her and her brother, Shongy, for the past couple days so I made sure to get some cute videos of her to share.
Hanging out with them has been lots of fun -- I didn't realize how much I missed that little girl until I got to spend a little extra time with her. What a sweet thing she is. I really think she was soooo happy to see me... just full of purrs and rubs.
I posted these on the Cute's Facebook page in the past couple days, so if you've already seen them, tough noogies! :) Watch her cuteness again.
This first video is of her just being the love that she is. Love how comfortable she is being and inside kitty! You would never know she had lived in a parking lot for seven years... (Listen close at the end when she comes to the camera to hear her purring like a maniac!)
The second video is of Little Meow and her favorite toy, Carrot. Carrot was her first toy ever (I got it for her when she first went to her new home with Giselle), and she still loves it! Look how funny she is playing... This made my day. :)
Happy Two Cats Tuesday, Cuteheads! Pimp and Moo would probably not be happy if they knew I was showing you these pictures today... They like to look their best, you know.
But, sometimes even my supurrmodel sons have a bad camera day.
This may be hard to see unless you biggify (click to do that), but Moo is looking VERY nappy in this picture. Somebody needs a visit from the Furminator! Just look at those chest furs...
And have you ever seen a crabbier Pimp? Usually he looks so happy and sweet and smiley and wise. But today... Really, mom? Get that darn camera away!
LITTLE MEOW UPDATE! I've been promising one for about a week to our Facebook friends, but it keeps slipping my mind, so here we go...
Little Meow is doing fabulous!
We had a bit of a worrying couple weeks (she was acting out and peeing a lot out of her box), but that seems to have passed and she is settling in better and better every week. Lately, she is much braver, comes out for company (go, Meow!) and hasn't had any accidents in a good long while. (Well, one, but her litter box was moved so the room could be cleaned and she didn't like it one bit.)
Little Meow, we are learning more and more, is very persnickety and temperamental. The slightest change to her comfort zone or her regular routine and she is thrown off. But that's understandable... I mean, look at all this poor little girl has been through in such a short amount of time!
But, she's doing well. And Giselle and her husband love her and are saints for helping her out and giving her the chance she's always deserved. We're still day-to-day and I still worry that she'll act up again sometimes, but she is a good girl, and every day she proves it more and more. :)
Thank you all for caring for her so much to keep asking! I love her more than I can say, and I especially love that she's safe in a home now, and not in a parking lot.
P.S. I'm cat-sitting her and her brother, Shongy, at the end of the month. I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures and stories to share!
I'm pretty sure that most of the time a kitty goes after a bug, it's not to kill it... it's to play with it. How fun! They pounce and paw and sometimes nibble, and those buggies just keep on keepin' on.
Little Meow Update Well, Little Meow has had her good days and bad days. Lately, she's taken to peeing where little girl cats are not supposed to... like on their humans' bed and in their cat beds. She did it three times last week all of the sudden -- she'd been a good girl the whole time before that (one oops, but we chalked that up to a new environment, so she was excused).
It could have been several reasons, probably behavioral why she did it, so we have done a few things to help her stop. We bought her four Feliway diffusers to put throughout the house and some Feliway spray to spray on her spots.
She is also spending the nights in her room now, instead of free roaming around the house. Her new mommy says their cat, Shongy, has been chasing her a little more, so that could be stressing her out. This way, she gets some relaxing separation (and she's been doing her bad peeing at night, so this should help that). So far, pretty good with the new plan.
She also went to the vet Saturday to rule out any urinary infections, which could cause this as well. She was a horrible patient and the vet couldn't check her out, and he didn't want to sedate her since she hadn't fasted and she could throw up and choke on it. (Awww.) But he did speak with Giselle and her husband and they all agreed it was probably behavioral.
They are going out of town next week and Little Meow is going to stay in her room during that time. Giselle's parents will be staying there so Little Meow and Shongy won't be alone, but paws crossed Little Meow decides she likes them! She has met them before and even rubbed on their legs, so it should be OK...
Basically, we have to get the pee pee behavior under control. We have taken some good steps and now it's up to Meow to do her part. And she HAS to do her part... (She will, I just know it!)
I don't have any new pictures today, but check her out on the header at the top of the page! :) Have a great day, everyone!
Updated update! I talked to Giselle this morning. Little Meow was good last night -- no pee pees outside the litter box! But, she's noticed she's been limping a little. We think maybe fighting the vet might have strained her little leg or something. It's not bad, she doesn't seem to be in pain and she is acting totally normal and unaffected by it, so I told her to just keep an eye on her and hopefully she'll rest and shake it off. :) She's a trooper!
Psst... Don't miss the Little Meow update at the end!
Well, I guess Pimp and Moo aren't actually covered in paint... but they are paintED! I'm so excited that they custom portraits I had done of them are finally done!
I have been wanting to have BZTAT paint Pimp and Moo for what seems like years now, and a few months ago, I finally broke down and decided it was time. I had an empty wall... and she had a paintbrush and a bunch of paint... and it just seemed to make sense.
And I couldn't be happier! Just look at how awesome their portraits came out. I can't believe how exactly perfect she got their faces and expressions!
Pimp is a wise cat, and his face shows it. He is super expressive and super sweet -- and BZTAT nailed it!
And Moo... we all know he's a goofball. He's nuts, and I love him because of it. And BZTAT got it just right!
Seriously, I'm sure some people think it's crazy to spend money on artwork of their pets or to have giant (and I do mean giant... these babies are 24x24!) paintings of cats on their walls, but I think it's perfectly sane. Once I get these up on my wall -- I'm going to have the BEST-looking wall ever! Thanks to my beautiful boys... and BZTAT, of course.
By the way, she didn't ask me to post any of this or "sell" her paintings for her, I just love her and her artwork. If you want more info on getting your own pets painted, check out her site her: www.BZTAT.com. Little Meow update! Little Meow is a little princess in her new home. She is so loved and so loving. She loves to purr and rub on her new mommy, Giselle, and is even warming up to her new daddy, Stephen (she likes girls better, I guess).
She still hasn't met her new brother officially yet, but "her room" has a French door to the rest of the house, so they can watch each other and say hi without contact yet. And they seem totally fine with it, Giselle says! I know they'll love each other soon.
Here's a couple pictures of her she took this week. Little Meow apparently loves her catnip! Hehe. (You can click to biggify the pictures!)
I'm SO happy she's happy! Have a great day, everyone!
OMC, you guys! I think Little Meow found her home!
For the past few days, there has been an all-out "Find Little Meow" effort all across Facebook and Twitter, and I've gotten a couple good leads on possible homes for her because of it. It's been so great to see what we can do when we work together!
Just wow.
But today came the best news of all... Giselle, my friend who said she'd foster Little Meow until she found a forever home (but couldn't keep her because her husband was pushing back), told me that they'd talked about it over the weekend, and that IF Little Meow gets along with her cat, Shongy, then they'd love to keep her!
Little Meow and her hopefully Forever Mommy, Giselle! She loved her RIGHT away!
I wasn't expecting this at all... so you can imagine how big my smile was when I heard it! Little Meow (as long as it works out) could stay local and be in a home where I know she'll get smothered with love and excellent care! Wow, wow, wow.
When I dropped Little Meow off today, she seemed to know she had to make a good impression. I have never, ever seen this little girl be so friendly and so comfortable with someone as quickly as she was with Giselle -- she came right out of her carrier and started rubbing and purring and rolling around and making biscuits! I was totally floored, and so happy that she clearly liked it there.
Just look at this girl! Eyes closed, paws going crazy, halfway rolled over... Happiness!!
Sometimes, the stars just line up and everything seems to fall perfectly in place. I couldn't have dreamed up a better scenario for Little Meow.
I've already emailed back the couple people who contacted me with offers to give her a home, and told them I was incredibly grateful for their offers and asked if I could please keep their info in case this home doesn't work out. I truly appreciate the nice people who offered to take her without even knowing her! She is such a sweetheart, and anyone would be super lucky to have her in their family. :)
Oh, and here is Little Meow's new little big brother, Shongy!
Doesn't he look like a ladies' man? I'm sure they'll get along great! *paws crossed* everyone!
P.S. Is it just me or has this not been the best week ever?! First Black Kitty, then White Kitty and her FIVE kittens... and now Little Meow! Congrats everyone on an amazing rescue week. Be the Change!! :)
Today is a very special day... it's Pimp's birthday!
That's right, 11 years ago, the sweetest, most adorable cat was born -- PIMP! I feel like just yesterday he was this tiny little fuzzball with huge ears and lion paws.
Set off some fireworks, everyone! My birthday is the 4th of July!
I thought I'd embarrass him a little to celebrate: I'm going to share a bunch of his nicknames! (He wouldn't want you to know some of them, hehe.)
Pimp (He was named this because I got him in college and he lived in an apartment with 4 girls.)
Baby Pimp (I still call him this, even though he's no baby.)
Big Pimpin' (Cause he was fat. Was. Can you believe Jay-Z wrote a song for him? Haha.)
Pimpin' All Over the World (Ludacris has a song about Pimp, too!)
Poopie Pimp (You can imagine where this came from...)
Poopie (Shortened from the above, and extra ridiculous by itself.)
The Pimpster (I don't really call him this, but his grandpa does.)
You Little Stinker (Pimp used to fart and literally clear the room.)
I'm sure there are many more -- and I make up new ones all the time! -- but these are the ones I used the most. Don't tell him I told you about all that poopie and stinker stuff...
LITTLE MEOW UPDATE: Little Meow says hi, everyone! She's spending the weekend at my parents before going to her foster home tomorrow. I visited her last night and she was so happy to see me!
She is in their upstairs bathroom with a window for sunshine and all. She has her carrier in there and that's where she's spending most of her time (she's a little freaked out), but she has come out for food and the litter box. And she came out to rub and pet and purr with me when I went over! She's such a love.
She is still looking for her forever home. And I appreciate everyone's help and spreading to word. Keep it up!
Oh, and just to show you how nice people are, check it out: BZTAT did a portrait of Little Meow yesterday out of the kindness of her heart to hopefully help her find a home! So now, not only do you get a gorgeous Little Meow, you also get original art of her! (Artwork by BZTAT.)
UPDATE: Little Meow has a home! Yay! Thanks to Giselle for taking this beautiful princess in. Here's a post with Little Meow and her new brother in her new home!
Calling all cat lovers! Calling all animal lovers! Calling everyone! Little Meow of "The Meows" fame needs a home!
That's right... You (or someone you know) could own your very own Meow! How could anyone pass up this opportunity?
Little Meow, for those of you who aren't regular readers, is a sweet, love of a kitty that I have been feeding in my office parking lot for at least the last three years. She and her best friend in the whole wide world, Daddy Meow, have always been the sunshine in my workdays, my serenity when I needed a break from my desk and what I look forward to every single morning when I pull in to the parking lot. Please be sure to scroll down to see her video!
Hi! My name is Little Meow and I am looking for a mommy or daddy... or both!
Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, we had to say goodbye to Daddy Meow. He was losing weight fast, so I took him to the vet where we found out he had a tumor in his abdomen. Cancer. And I had to make the hard decision to help him to the Rainbow Bridge.
Daddy Meow and Little Meow enjoying a tasty meal and some delicious water.
It was for the best, but that left Little Meow all by herself out there. It absolutely broke my heart. For the next few days, I could tell she was looking for him. She would just stare off towards where he would run out of or look around to see if he was coming before she ate. Believe me, I gave her lots of extra love during this time!
Roll, roll, roll... Little Meow being about as cute as can be! Please click to biggify for the cutest effect!
And now my biggest concern is for her safety. She is a petite princess living in a parking lot. We all know that's not so safe. But she's not your average parking lot kitty. Nooooo, not Little Meow! She is super, super special... Don't forget to watch her video down there!
Little Meow loves to rub. She'll rub your legs, your arms, your hips, your face -- whatever is closest to her. And the whole while, she's purring up a storm.
Little Meow comes when you call her, and will follow you around like a puppy. I have lapped the entire parking lot with her just prancing along at my ankles. I'm pretty sure if I walked 50 miles, she'd still be there, happy as could be. "Where are we going, Mom? Huh?! Huh?!" Adorable.
Oh, do I hear someone calling me? Is it YOU?
Little Meow knows what she likes. Dry food? Meh. Maybe if it's all your offering. But canned food? YES! Especially Friskies Shredded Turkey and Cheese or Fancy Feast Flaked Tuna Feast. She has other favorites, but these will win you her heart in a heartbeat.
Little Meow loves to talk. If you have all day, she'll talk to you all day. And whatever you say to her, she's got some kind of comment to meow back. Silly girl!
Little Meow has the longest, whitest whiskers and the cutest little white spot on the right side of her lip. Sometimes it makes her look like she's snarling, but believe me, she's not... it's just the spot!
Hugs from Little Meow and her cute lip spot!
Little Meow will get along with other cats. You should have seen how she used to rub on Daddy Meow and love him to bits. That's the part that was hardest about saying goodbye to him -- knowing that she wouldn't be able to do that any more. :(
Little Meow loves to be petted, until she's had enough, of course. She is a cat, right?! Her favorite spots are along her back -- long strokes across her whole little body, or the top of her head. Sometimes, if you catch her at an extra cute moment, if you pet the side of her face, she'll completely collapse into a rolling, purring kitty. Special moments! The video is coming up! Just a few more scrolls...
I have to tell you all: Finding Little Meow a home is one of the hardest things I've ever decided to do. Not because I think she won't find one (who doesn't want a Little Meow in their life?!), but because I love her so much and it's going to be hard to let her go. But, you know, what they say is true... If you really love someone, you'll let them go.
I know that by letting go of Little Meow and getting her out of unsafe parking lot, I'm doing what's best for her. She deserves a safe, loving home where she can be pampered all day, have her very own cat bed and a bowl with clean, fresh water at all times. These are the things most kitties take for granted, but something Little Meow has never had.
This is no place for such a special cat!
And so, I'm asking for all of your help. The Internet is a powerful place and the people I've met and know through this blog are an incredible bunch. I know we can do this. I know we can make Little Meow the happiest kitty on in the world.
That said, Little Meow's new mommy or daddy has to be a very special person... She is extremely friendly with me because she trusts me. She will need time to get to trust you. And she WILL trust you and love you, but she's probably going to need a bit to adjust to her new life inside a home. I don't know if she'll ever be a "lap kitty," but I strongly believe she'll be a "couch kitty" -- just close enough to be sitting with you, but not on you. Cats... ;)
I wish I could bring her home with me (You have no idea how much I wish this! I really and truly love this girl.), but I am already over the cat-limit in my condo and I can't risk us all getting evicted.
I know there is someone out there who will give her a home. If you are interested in adopting Little Meow, please email me at AdoptLittleMeow@gmail.comor with the link on the left side of this page. I am happy to answer any questions, send more pictures... anything!
Also, please know that Little Meow comes with all her initial vet bills paid. She'll have all her shots, all her tests and she is already spayed and everything. She also comes with the rule that you have to send pictures to me and keep in touch! Also, expect packages for her around the holidays and at random times when I just want to send her presents. Hehe. I feel like I'm giving away my daughter...
Please help spread the word about Little Meow. As of today, I am getting her out of the parking lot and she's going to live in a very temporary place at my friend's house. She can't keep her, but she's offered to "babysit" until she finds a furever home.
The fact is, I'm scared for Little Meow in the parking lot lately. People have been really starting to complain about me feeding her and I'm afraid someone is going to take it upon themselves to "solve the situation" on their own.
And that's why I am getting her out of there without even knowing where she's going yet. My main concern is this little girl's safety and happiness. Please help me spread the word and find her a home!
Please post on Facebook, Twitter and on your blogs if you have a few minutes! You can take any info or pictures or video from this post -- and please do! All I ask is that you include her email address, AdoptLittleMeow@gmail.com, so that anyone interested can get in touch with me.
Her stats: Little Meow is a little black tuxedo cat with auburn highlights (you can see them in the sun!). She is about 7 years old and weighs about 8 pounds. She is currently in Fort Lauderdale, FL, but if the right home is somewhere else, we'll find a way to make it happen! My name is Dorian Wagner and you can reach me and Little Meow at the email address up there.
Friends, it is with tons of sadness and a really heavy heart that I tell you that I had to help a very special kitty friend to the Bridge yesterday.
Daddy Meow, as many of you know, was one of two parking lot kitties (The Meows!) that I have loved, fed, cared for and considered a part of my family for almost three years now. To call Daddy and his best friend, Little Meow, parking lot kitties is a huge understatement. I was their mommy -- they knew it, I knew it, and so did everyone else in entire office park.
I am still Little Meow's mommy. But yesterday, I did the hardest thing a mommy could ever have to do for Daddy... I had to say goodbye.
Daddy was one of the sweetest cats you'll ever meet. He lived outside, but you could hardly call him feral. He came when I called him (and if that didn't work, a jingle of my keys would do the trick; he knew the sound of my keys from everyone else's), he had breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, I would visit on weekends, let him get in my car with the heater on on cold days and even bring him turkey on Thanksgiving.
Daddy liked to be petted on the top of his head, but he'd sometimes get a little skittish and I'd have to reach my hand out long and lean in slowly to pet him -- and then he was all love. He loved to rub on my legs, and when I crouch down to pet him, he would just go in circles around me, rubbing my thighs, my hips, my hands, my arms... whatever was closest.
Sometimes (a lot of times, actually), Daddy would rather be petted than eat. I would find myself walking over to the food and petting him there so he'd see it and go eat some. He loved to love, and I loved to love him.
Here is a video of him doing just that... There is a pile of his favorite food, but he'd rather me love him. Love at what a gorgeous cat Daddy was! (This video is before Little Meow had her kittens and I got her spayed.)
Daddy's favorite food in the whole wide world was Friskies Seafood Sensations dry food. It trumped even Fancy Feast! What a crazy cat, huh? And when it came to canned food, his favorite was Friskies Tuna and Egg. Mmmm... the gravy in that was especially delicious apparently.
He spent his day sleeping either under my car or on my convertible top. I like to call it their hammock. I could look down from the kitchen in my office and see him and Little Meow on my car, and just love knowing they were there and happy and comfortably stretched out on their safe place. My parking space was his home.
If you biggify the picture, squint and trust me, the black stuff on top of my car is The Meows!
Sometimes when I'd get to work or come on the weekends, Daddy wouldn't be right there waiting. But I knew the other spots in the parking lot he hung out at, so me and Little Meow (she is almost always there waiting!) would walk around the parking lot together, Little Meow prancing right next to me at my ankles and me jingling my keys and yelling out "Daaaaaaadddddddyyyyyy..." until he popped out of his favorite bushes.
Then the three of us would walk over to my car for the regular buffet of their favorites that I keep in my trunk. I always thought it was funny that I'd be walking around a parking lot just yelling for my Daddy. :)
And he loved his water. I always made sure that I stuck around long enough for him to finish eating so he could have his water before any other parking lot critters (we have raccoons and ducks) came over and dumped it being greedy. Food first, then water. He had his routine and it broke my heart if some stupid bird knocked over his water bowl before he had a chance to get to it and I had no more water with me to refill it.
Daddy and his Friskies... and the water right there waiting!
Daddy was a gentle, sweet cat. He hardly ever meowed, and if he did it was soft and delicate. He would just look at me with his big, beautiful green eyes and I could see the love there. He didn't have to tell me; he showed me. I always loved the way he'd look up at me like that while I pet him.
Yesterday morning, I dropped Daddy off at the vet. I had noticed he was losing a lot of weight, and after trying to stuff him and not succeeding in fattening him up, me and a good friend who feeds some other cats in the office park decided we should get him checked out.
I was hoping for worms or, at worst, some mildly major thing that we might not be able to treat but that he'd be able to come back to the parking lot to live out his life with Little Meow, on my car and with my love. But it didn't happen that way.
The vet called around lunchtime with the heartbreaking diagnosis: Daddy had a huge mass in his abdomen the size of a baseball. Cancer. And it was bad. He recommended euthanasia.
My heart shattered.
I wanted him to come back home. He was just purring and loving on me the day before! Now this? I asked 100 questions -- Was he in pain? How long would he live? Would he suffer? Has he been suffering?
The vet didn't think Daddy had much time left, and that the time he had would not be good, so I realized the best way I could help Daddy right now was to help him to the Bridge. And I wanted to be there with him when he went. I didn't want him to go alone.
So we went right to the vet, said goodbye to one of the best cats I'll ever know and petted him and kissed him when the time came.
He is at peace now, and so am I, but it still hurts. Like Dana of The Creek Cats said, there is a huge Daddy-Meow-sized chunk missing out of my heart.
I loved that guy and I'm going to miss him probably more than I can imagine. We are having him cremated and I'm going to spread his ashes in his favorite bushes by my parking space. It's where he belongs... back home with Little Meow.
Thanks for letting me share him with you. I'm so thankful he shared himself with me.
Note from Cute: Whoo hoo! We blew past our $1,000 goal for Animal Aid donations, so we upped it to $2,000! I hope we get there!
Hi Cuteheads! In honor of the #chickfest fundraiser on Twitter today, I want to introduce you to two extra-special kitties in my life. If you've been following the Cute for a while, you already know about The Meows, but today I want to share even more.
The Meows are two parking lot kitties I've been feeding at my office parking lot for about two years now. They are Little Meow and Daddy Meow -- together, The Meows. Little Meow, from stories I've heard, is Daddy Meow's baby... hence the names. :)
Daddy Meow has always been fixed, but not so much for Little Meow. She had three litters of kittens while I've been caring for her, but until recently didn't trust me enough to let me grab her. For each of her first two litters, I was able to find and adopt out one kitten each.
This is them! Pirate and Peanut.
They both got happy homes. In fact, Peanuts 1st birthday is tomorrow the 12th!
When Little Meow had her next litter I lucked out and had help. A great friend helped me round up the baby kitties (only 4 days old!) and momma and we got them a foster home through Animal Aid, an amazing non-profit rescue here in South Florida.
(This is why I bring up The Meows today -- 100% of the money raised during #chickfest will go to Animal Aid! Yay!)
Animal Aid rallied behind Little Meow and her new babies and fully funded getting her spayed, feeding and caring for the babies and adoptions when they were old enough. I can't thank them enough.
These are the babies from her "last hurrah" litter: Beanie, Yin Yang, Scruffy and Swirl (clockwise from top left). I loved Scruffy!
Little Meow even ended up taking in three little orphan kitties whose mommy unfortunately died while giving birth to them. She nursed 7 babies! And after she was done being such a good mommy, Animal Aid paid to get her spayed and I was able to bring her back "home" to the parking lot... and back to Daddy.
This is their reunion video. (I cried the whole way through as I was releasing her. So happy.) This is me just making sure they would still know each other before I let her out...
A happy ending! It's been about 6 months since then and Little Meow and Daddy are happier than ever -- with no worry of kittens or getting pregnant -- and some super cute kitties have happy and safe forever homes.
All thanks to the amazing people at Animal Aid.
They are just a few people who spend an incredible amount of time and love on the cats they rescue and help. I can't say enough about what a great organization Animal Aid is. This is why I'm so excited about #chickfest today -- it's a 24-hour virtual "pawpawty" (2 p.m. today to 2 p.m. Saturday) on Twitter to raise money for this extra special group.
Animal Aid has a main center with a Cat Room which houses many adult cats and kittens hoping to find mommies and daddies to take them home. They also have several Cat Rooms at Petco and PetSmart locations where people can meet the cats and kittens, and hopefully fall in love with them.
The whole time they are waiting for forever homes, they are loved, petted, played with and cared for. They all have names -- and everyone at Animal Aid knows them by their names. You won't find anyone named Cage #127 here. They are a truly special organization.
If you have a few dollars to spare, and would like to help out Animal Aid so they can continue to do the amazing things they do, please consider donating to our drive. Our goal of $1,000 would go so, so far and do so much for these needy cats and kittens!
Thanks for reading... I'm off to feed The Meows!
P.S. Did you know that all the ad revenue I get from the Cute goes to buying food to feed The Meows? It does! So thanks for your clicks and support.
See you at #chickfest!
Update: I had to help Daddy Meow to the Rainbow Bridge on June 10, 2010. He was losing weight quickly, so I took him to the vet, where I found out he had cancer. There was a large tumor in his stomach, and the vet told me he was probably in pain and that it would be best for him if I let him go peacefully and comfortably. I'll never forget Daddy Meow. He was one of the best cats ever. Thank you all for letting me share him with you.
Updated update: Little Meow is now an inside kitty! She got lucky and I was able to get her out of the parking lot and into the most perfect home. Now she's the princess she always deserved to be!
