Wednesday, September 30, 2020

The Heartbreak of a Saddle Thrombus Blood Clot

Over the past couple months many people have asked that I republish my Muse Medallion winning article here on our blog since the majority of Canidae's content was removed when their blog shut down. Here it is, in its entirety. 


The July 4th weekend in 2015 was much like any other – way too hot for my liking – and I was looking forward to spending some lazy days in the air conditioning with my tortie Truffles. Starting to weigh on my mind was the fact that Truffles’ breathing was noticeably heavier than usual. Having lost a cat two years earlier to congestive heart failure I had become somewhat paranoid about watching my cats breathe, but she was otherwise acting perfectly normal, it had been very hot, and she had been trying to bring up a hairball. At only four years old there had to be an innocent explanation. Trying not to let myself get overly worked up, I was glad I had the long weekend to monitor her. Something in my gut told me a vet visit would be in order that coming week. 

Returning home from work Monday afternoon I found her enjoying a long nap in the screened-in bathroom window. After dinner I curled up on the couch to watch TV and Truffles came out to see me. Suddenly she became very uncomfortable, moving from spot to spot on the rug. Then she got up and ran for the bathroom crying, typical behavior when she felt a hairball coming, so I was relieved that it might be coming out. Instead she just laid down again and then headed for the kitchen floor.

That's when it got really bad. She started writhing all over and opening her mouth to gasp for breath. Then she started screaming, getting up to head for another room but her back legs went out from under her and she couldn't walk.

We headed straight to the emergency vet, which we found packed with patients. As soon as I yelled that my cat couldn’t breathe a vet standing there grabbed the carrier and ran out back with her. After filling out some paperwork I was brought to a room where I could still hear her screaming.

After what seemed like an eternity the vet came in and asked what my cat’s name was. She explained that Truffles' back legs were cold, and a test of her blood sugar showed a big difference between her front and back legs. This told her that she had a blood clot that broke off and cut off the blood supply to her back legs - a saddle thrombus. She said Truffles was in extreme pain and the kindest thing would be to let her go, because even if she survived the chances were very high that it would happen again.

Knowing I would never be able to live with myself if she had even the slightest chance, the choice was made to put Truffles on powerful pain medication, blood thinners, and time in the oxygen cage. If she was stable in the morning an echocardiogram and further testing would be done. I was allowed to visit her in the back room where the oxygen cage was located in order to say good night, then I reluctantly went home.

I hadn't been home for a half hour when the vet called saying the pain meds had already worn off and she was screaming again, gasping for breath. She didn't even dare take Truffles out of the oxygen cage to evaluate her. I knew I had no choice but to end her suffering. I told the vet I would be there as fast as I could so I could comfort her one last time, but by the time I got there my baby was already gone. It still kills me to think she died surrounded by strangers, likely wondering where her Mommy was. I was assured nothing could’ve been done to save her, that as incomprehensible as it was, it was just “her time”.

There’s no overstating the cruelty of a saddle thrombus blood clot. I think it’s safe to say it’s something most cat owners have never even heard of until they find themselves facing it, yet it’s a frighteningly common occurrence and devastating diagnosis.

What is a Saddle Thrombus?

Feline aortic thromboembolism (FATE), also known as a saddle thrombus, occurs in cats with heart disease and affects as many as 25 percent of cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a common feline heart condition. FATE usually occurs without warning and can be the first and only sign of heart disease in some cats. Ninety percent of cats with FATE have a pre-existing heart problem.

An aortic thromboembolism is a blood clot that forms in the left atrium of the heart. Part of the clot dislodges and travels through the aorta, the largest artery in the body which runs down the entire length of the back. The aorta splits into two arteries (the left and right iliac arteries) to supply the back legs. That split is called the saddle. The dislodged blood clot often gets stuck in the wedge at the top of the saddle, preventing blood flow to the back legs.

Symptoms:

Usually the signs of saddle thrombus will come on incredibly quickly, and include:
  • Paralysis or weakness of the back legs
  • Restlessness initially, presumably due to pins and needles type feelings in the leg(s) as blood supply diminishes.
  • Crying or screaming
  • Panting or open-mouthed breathing
Your vet will look for:
  • Loss of pulse in the affected limb(s)
  • Rear legs that are cool to the touch
  • Leg muscles that are hard and extremely painful
  • Paw pads and nail beds that appear blue-tinged
  • If clipped beyond the quick, claws on the affected limb fail to bleed
  • Reduced glucose level in the affected limbs
  • Abnormal cardiac sounds

Diagnosis:

A saddle thrombus is typically diagnosed based on its distinctive clinical presentation. Additional testing may be needed, such as a complete blood count and biochemistry profile, chest x-rays and/or echocardiogram (ultrasound) to evaluate the size and shape of the heart, and doppler test to confirm the absence of blood flow in the legs.

Treatment:

Because of the excruciating pain a cat with a blood clot is experiencing, the administration of strong morphine-derived pain killers is the first course of action. Medication will be given to dissolve the clot, as well as anticoagulants such as aspirin or Plavix to thin the blood and help stop additional blood clots forming. (The cat I had prior to Truffles with heart disease was on Plavix for a couple years as a preventive measure.) Cats in concurrent heart failure will receive diuretics to remove fluid build-up and oxygen therapy.

Cats with acute FATE require intensive care in a hospital setting for the first 48 hours or more. Strict cage rest is required at home and may last several days to weeks. Around the clock care will be necessary to keep the paralyzed cat clean and comfortable while the hind legs slowly heal and regain function.

Prognosis:

Due to the devastating nature of the condition, extreme pain, and subsequent long term management of the underlying heart disease, at least a quarter of pet parents choose euthanasia over any form of treatment. Even if the cat recovers from the initial event, the risk of another clot forming is extremely high. There is a slightly better prognosis for cats with milder blockages that affect only one leg or don't cause complete paralysis of the legs. These cats may eventually recover full function and do relatively well. Incredibly, medicinal leeching is being studied as an alternative treatment, with an Israeli veterinarian claiming to have a 90% success rate in returning cats to a normal life using leech therapy.

I can easily say without a moment’s hesitation that watching what Truffles endured that night is the most heartbreaking thing I have ever experienced. A saddle thrombus is truly every cat parent’s worst nightmare. My heart soars when I learn about a cat who beats the odds and recovers, and my greatest hope is that ongoing medical research will one day discover new treatment options to offer a glimmer of hope to an otherwise incredibly grim diagnosis.

Monday, September 28, 2020

Fun Feline Finds: Cats, Coffee & Country Music

Country music fanatic that I am, it's no secret that visiting Nashville one day is at the top of my bucket list. For a few years now I've been following their cat cafe, the Mewsic Kitty Cafe, on social media, with hopes of making that one of my first stops whenever I got there. They feature adoptable cats with creative country music-themed names, paintings on the wall of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson & Dolly Parton holding cats and cats dressed to look like them, not to mention the ever-present Conway & Loretta record sitting on the window. 

Needless to say, I was heartbroken to learn last month that they will be closing the cafe for the final time on Wednesday, September 30, COVID putting the final nail in their coffin. 

I immediately went to their online store to pick up a few souvenirs, just little trinkets like a button and guitar pick with their logo on it. But I gasped out loud when I saw this coffee mug. Isn't it absolutely purrfect for me???


Cats, coffee, and country music...3 of my favorite things! (Of course Conway would be my 4th "C".) I couldn't buy it fast enough, but I'm not likely to ever put a beverage in it. It's a permanent part of my Conway/classic country music collection.

I'll always regret never having had the chance to visit Mewsic Kitty Cafe, but I'll always cherish these mementos of such a special place.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Sorta Strange #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Today I snapped my selfie while doing something Mommy finds rather strange. When I'm enjoying my sunny back door, sometimes I lay across her dirty old tennis shoes! I can't really say they're comfy, but if I'm laying on them she can't put them on and go anywhere, right?


Hmmm...maybe she's right and it is kinda strange! What say you?


We're joining our friends at The Cat On My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Caturday Art

Meows from Mudpie!

Mommy and I love seeing my warm, rich tortie colors in pastel. It's hard to improve on purrfection, but I do look good!


Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!



And now our answers (all answered by Mommy this week) for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

1. My house is too small. That sounds better than saying I have too much stuff, right?

2. I am willing to give up sleep for Conway. The other morning an overseas record that I wanted was bidding on eBay at 5:45 AM (an obscene hour for me). I always make sure I wait and bid at the last minute for the best chances of getting something so I set my alarm for it. I won the item and promptly went back to sleep. 

3. One random fact about me is I've never been swimming. I'm not a water person at all.

4. Everything about me makes me unique. You can have tons of things in common with someone else but no two people will ever be exactly alike, and that's what makes life interesting.

Friday, September 25, 2020

One P.O.'ed Tortie #PetPhotoFails

Meows from Mudpie!

Is it just us or did September fly by? I guess that's what happens once fall finally arrives! Anyways, thank you for joining us once again for the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop! 

Mommy helped me snap this selfie a couple weeks ago and I was so horrified by it that I refused to let her use it. I should've known she wouldn't delete it and it would surface again as a blooper. 

It's more than obvious how annoyed I was when she took it, likely because I was taking a bath in my sunny door at the time. A girl wants to look her best in selfies, and I clearly wasn't ready. But what really made Mommy "squeee" out loud (and I'm sure you will too) is the tuft of fur sticking up between my ears from where I'd just been washing. How embarrassing!!! 

That's my blooper...let's see yours!

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Thursday, September 24, 2020

It's Time To Help Others #SeeTheLight About Pet Adoption #RememberMeThursday

I have a cousin who worked for our local humane society back in the 1980s, and I will never forget the day she told me that on the day a dog was to be euthanized they would go out and get them a hamburger from McDonalds as one last special meal. If that doesn't simply gut you I just don't know what to say. I can't even type it without crying. Those innocent little angels deserved the kind of life your own cherished pets enjoy, but they were never given that chance.


We've come a long way since then - this same shelter now adopts out animals so quickly we're able to partner with shelters down south to save even more lives - but as a nation we still have a long, long way to go. The sad truth is, for over a million healthy, adoptable animals each year, help never comes. Thanks to awareness that number has consistently decreased in the last decade, but just one animal dying alone, forgotten in a shelter, is one too many.

That's why animal-lovers and animal welfare organizations across the globe will unite today with a Remember Me Thursday pet candle-lighting ceremony. The candles, which will be lit on the exact same day across the world, will honor the millions of pets who lost their lives without the benefit of a loving home and shine a light on the millions of healthy pets who are still awaiting adoption. The Remember Me Thursday global awareness campaign encourages individuals to light a candle this day (literally or virtually) and to opt to adopt, reducing the millions of orphan pets euthanized each year.


Since this is a cat blog we put together a list of  just 5 purr-fect reasons to adopt a cat at your local shelter, but these same reasons hold true for dogs, rabbits, and pocket pets too!

1) You're saving TWO lives. Every time a cat is adopted, you're actually saving the lives of 2 cats, the adopted cat and the next one who will take their place in the shelter.

2) Choices, choices, choices. Are you looking for a Persian or a Siamese? A tabby or a tortie (YAY!!!)? Every breed and color pattern can be found at your local shelter or breed rescue group. Do you want a kitten, an older cat, a special needs baby? Each spring during “kitten season,” thousands of newborn kittens join the millions of cats already in shelters across the country. That means your local shelter has tons of cute, cuddly newborns, in addition to all the mellow, older cats and everything in between.

3) Spay/neuter, vaccinations, deworming...oh my! All of these things are taken care of before you leave the shelter with your new pet. Some shelters even send you home with a certificate for a free first visit to the vet, a microchip and a goodie bag! Trained shelter staff also evaluate each cat for any possible behavioral issues.

4) Encourage friends and family to adopt. Many people fear that shelter cats are feral or not very friendly or well-adjusted. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most are happy and healthy, well socialized, and house-trained. They are also much less expensive than purchasing a cat from a breeder. By adopting a shelter cat and talking about your positive experience, you'll encourage others to do the same thing. Changing just one mind can save a life.

5) Adopting a cat can benefit your health. Studies have indicated that people who live with a cat have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. This includes lowering the risk of having a heart attack. Cats are also credited with helping to reduce stress levels, helping to reduce blood pressure, helping to lower cholesterol levels, and helping to reduce the risk of depression. It turns out money CAN buy health and happiness...in the form of an adoption fee :)

Shelters are full of animals who are in need of a second chance. They are homeless due to no fault of their own. If you have room in your heart and your home for a new best friend, one is as close as your nearest shelter. If you're not in a position to adopt right now, share some of their stories on social media. They are counting on us...let's not let them down.


Orphaned pets can't speak for themselves. We are their only voice. Spread the word about Remember Me Thursday on Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels. Don’t forget to use the hashtags #RememberMeThursday and #SeeTheLight to share your thoughts and feelings about the importance of pet adoption.

CONTEST: Win life-saving funds or food for a rescue or shelter of your choice! Take a photo of your rescue pet and tag the picture with #RememberMeThursday and #SeetheLight on social media to be entered into the challenge!


Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Fun Feline Finds: Vintage Cat Mask

Last year around this time I was browsing Walmart's website for Halloween goodies when I ran across this vintage cat mask. I fell in love with it, but of course it wasn't available in my store, and it was sold out online too. I found a few listed on eBay for $50 paired with a vintage pumpkin mask that had also become scarce. Once the spooky season was over I gave up trying to find it.

Fast forward to last week when I was once again checking out this year's Halloween offerings at Walmart, and when I did a search for "Halloween cat" the very same vintage mask was at the top of my search results! Not only that, it said 2 were available at my local store! I was hoping to be able to order it online and then pick it up later in the day, but that wasn't an option. I was so eager to get my hands on the mask I nearly left work early, but I was a good girl and waited.

Finally at lunch I flew out the door and headed for Walmart, where both masks were still sitting on the shelf. (Which leads me to ask, with everyone so paranoid about COVID, why are Halloween costumes out in the open for anyone to try on, possibly contaminate, and then put back down?) 

But anyways, I finally had my vintage cat mask, which I plan to hang on the wall with my Halloween cat decor. Better still, Mudpie's squeezies were finally restocked after being unavailable all summer, so it was a very successful shopping day!

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Hand Over the Squeezies and Nobody Gets Hurt #SundaySelfies

Meows from Mudpie!

This week Mommy helped me snap my selfie from the coffee table where I eat my squeezies each day. If I look rather impatient it's because I am. I'm not a fan of lollygagging when it comes to serving up my favorite snack, and taking a picture of my desperation felt like she was mocking me!

(For anyone concerned about the abuse I endure, I'll admit that immediately after this was taken I got my half squeezie. Yes, I only get half at a time so I can have them more often, or so Mommy says...)


 We're joining our friends at The Cat On My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Meow Like a Pirate Day #CaturdayArt

Ahoy! It is Mudpie, pillager of cat treats! 

Since Meow Like a Pirate Day falls on Caturday this year I decided to cartoonize my very first pirate post from 2015 as I guarded my pink treasure chest full of squeezies! 


Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!



And now our answers (all answered by Mommy this week) for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

1. If you are looking for unconditional love, try adopting a pet.

2. People who devote their lives to making the world a better place for animals fill me with hope.

3. It’s only a matter of time before things get back to the way they were pre-2020. I hope. Who would've thought "the good old days" were last year?

4. Cats and Conway are my favorite conversation topics.

Friday, September 18, 2020

Unboxing September's CatLadyBox

The theme of September's CatLadyBox was Cozy Cats...here's what was inside!


Featured Cat Lady Artist: Celeste Gagnon Smale "Fall Echo" The character Echo is based on the illustrator's late cat. Can you see the little mouse hiding in the leaves? I would love a larger print of this. One of the cutest cards yet.

Cozy Cats Shirt: Our blog is all about living a cozy life with cats, and this trio of cozy kitties is just the cat's pajamas. The autumnal color will go purrfect with my fall wardrobe.


Cozy Cat Rope Basket: I can honestly say I've never had a cat-shaped basket! Such a clever design. I'm going to use this to hold some of my favorite collectible cat dolls.

Counting Cats Pillowcase Set: Last spring Mudpie started sleeping on my pillow at night for the first time. I loved having her so close while I was sleeping and hoped she wouldn't forget doing it over the long, hot summer. She didn't! Over the past couple weeks she's been curling up on my pillow again, and now we have these cute new pillowcases to share pillow talk on!


Fuzzy Squirrel and Fall Leaf Toys: It seems like every month the accompanying tags on these toys are just as adorable as the toys themselves! CatLadyBox thinks of every detail, right down to the tag artwork. Once Mudpie is through bopping these around I just might snitch them for my fall decor!

Not a subscriber yet? Visit CatLadyBox today!

Interested in purchasing individual items from past boxes? You can do that too!

Disclosure: I receive a discount on my CatLadyBox subscription as a thank you for my monthly review. Regardless of compensation received, we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers.

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Bag Ban Blues

Meows from Mudpie!

Ever since July Mommy has been griping about the plastic bag ban instituted here in Vermont. Retailers are no longer allowed to provide single-use plastic bags even though many people repurpose them as trash bags (not to mention for used kitty litter!) Stores can still provide paper bags but there's a ten cent fee now! Mommy says she refuses to pay for something that's always been free.

So now every time Mommy goes shopping she has to make sure she has enough reusable bags in the car. So you know what I started thinking? If I lay down on the reusable bag, she won't be able to leave me and go shopping!

What's that, Mommy? There are more bags in the car? Oh well, I tried. Bring me back some squeezies!

Monday, September 14, 2020

September Retro Country Rewind #MewsicMovesMe

Last year we premiered our mewsic feature "Retro Country Rewind," a look back at favorite songs that hit #1 during that month from 30, 35, 40 plus years ago. We have so much fun gathering the songs for it and hope you enjoy our selections.

Let's take a look at September for this freebie week in the Mewsic Moves Me blog hop...


45 Years Ago - 1975, Feelins', Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn

If I told you that I loved you
Could we slip away where the lights are low
And if I put my arms around you
And held you close could you tell me no

Take me away, Conway...


40 Years Ago - 1980, Lookin' for Love, Johnny Lee

(From the Urban Cowboy soundtrack)


35 Years Ago - 1985, I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me, Rosanne Cash

(I've selected 3 songs from 1985 because I couldn't choose a favorite. I love them all equally!)


35 Years Ago - 1985, Modern Day Romance, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band


35 Years Ago - 1985, I Fell In Love Again Last Night, Forester Sisters


We hope you enjoyed our picks this week! Let us know if you have a favorite!

Saturday, September 12, 2020

Caturday Art

Meows from Mudpie!

I love creating autumnal art because of my beautiful tortie furs. We found this leafy template on Pho.to and couldn't decide which we liked best so we decided to use them both. Do you have a preference?



Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!



And now our answers (all answered by Mommy this week) for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

1. I wish I had been alive during the entirety of Conway's career. I've always wished I had grown up in the 50s. It was such a fun, innocent time, before the downward spiral of the 60s. I just know I would have discovered him as soon as he hit the scene in rock and then followed him to my/our first love, country music. To have witnessed his 35 year career as it happened would've been heaven.

2. My favorite way to have apples is straight out of the tote.

3. I was sad to find out that Kevin Dobson passed away last weekend. I loved the nighttime soaps like Dallas and Knots Landing growing up and he played one of my favorite characters on Knots.

4. Most things in life aren't rocket science. I think we're all guilty of making things harder than they really need to be.

Friday, September 11, 2020

We Remember

 


Feline Friday
is simple to join. All you have to do is:

Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute).

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Book Excerpt: French Stones, Meeting Minou

We recently received an email from author Ronald Peeleman asking if we would like to share an excerpt from his new book, French Stones: Life in a 12th Century Crusader's Castle, containing the "tail" of how he and his wife met their beloved cat Minou. Of course we were interested but when we also discovered that Minou is a beautiful tortie, the answer was even a more resounding yes! It's the story of a French village in the midst of a feral cat problem, and the challenges cats face who have been left on their own...


Chapter 51: Minou 

The mairie declared war on Saint Siffret’s cats soon after moving into their brand new offices. The announcement came in the form of a document placed in the display case at the side of the mairie where building permit applications were usually posted. Stamped with blue and red seals (so everyone would know it should be taken seriously) the announcement made public that the commune “once again” intended to combat the village’s feral cat population. Only this time, the document stressed, they meant business. 

It made for funny reading. The sternness with which the pronouncement was written suggested irritation on the mairie’s part, which was understandable, given what we’d heard had happened during the prior anti-feral cat campaign. 

Without question, Saint Siffret had a cat problem. We’d seen that for ourselves one day while taking a peaceful stroll through the village and, perhaps distracted by the beauty of the place or having become lost in conversation, we mindlessly turned a corner and found ourselves in a very bad cat place. 


Easily twenty feral cats loitered at the front of an unprepossessing house toward the end of the street. The cats louchely lay in the middle of the street, were strung across the home’s lower story window ledges, and clustered beneath a ragged-looking shrub across the way. They were an unattractive bunch. Ears had been chewed off in battles, eyes put out in brawls, and wide patches of fur had gone missing in kerfuffles. 

Twenty heads swiveled in our direction when we entered the street, and forty eyes (more or less) regarded us with suspicion as we approached. The cats, both in number and unattractiveness, were an intimidating sight, and brought us to a halt. We looked at them. They looked at us. 

“This feels weird,” Linda said. “Should we keep going?” 

“They’re cats,” I said dismissively and moved forward, but soon began to question the wisdom of my decision. The cats held their ground and glared at us as we approached, trying to bluff us into turning back...and it almost worked. But the tails of those hiding beneath the shrub began to flicker nervously as we drew closer, and they soon bolted. Others, in small pairings, followed. The oldest and toughest cats, however, stayed put. They clustered in tight groups near the house’s stoop and stared daggers at us as we approached, their elongated bodies kept low, heads even lower, the tips of their tails always slightly in motion. 


I took pains not to make eye contact with the last cats as we walked by, figuring it might only cause trouble. But I snuck a quick glance out of the corner of my eye at the last second, which proved that none of these cats were going hungry. They couldn’t possibly be, with all the food that had been set out for them by the old woman who lived there. Plastic bowls of various colors and sizes cluttered the house’s doorstep, ran along its window ledges, and were pushed up against the wall opposite. A bowl had even been put on top of the old wooden shed across the street. 

Unfortunately for us, the street soon dead-ended, and when we turned around we saw that the cats had regrouped, meaning we would once again have to run the feline gauntlet. It was only then that we began to understand how having a mob of cats ruling the neighborhood might lead someone to call the mairie and demand that something be done about the situation. 

But announcing a feral cat removal program—and having it succeed—are two entirely different things, and the villagers we spoke with seemed to think that the mairie’s latest initiative would fail, just like the prior one had. 


The first campaign, they said, had begun with a burst of optimism. The mairie posted flyers throughout the village which informed Saint Siffretians that the feral cats in the village were unsightly (everyone would have agreed); posed a potential health hazard (a definite possibility, given the cat’s mangy nature); and did not present a visitor-friendly image for one of the prettiest villages in the region (all heads would have nodded in approval). Further, the mairie assured, only humane traps would be used, and every cat that was caught would be taken to an animal shelter where it would be well treated. 

All this was entirely reasonable, and confident that the citizenry would support their effort, the mairie put out the traps. And a few days later, realized that most had been stolen. 

Afraid that the same thing might happen again, the mairie made pointed reference in their latest announcement to “some” in the village who had in the past taken it upon themselves to interfere with their “most necessary program,” and warned that stiff fines would be levied against anyone caught removing the traps. Everyone having been duly warned, the mairie put out the traps. 

And they disappeared again. 


This shouldn’t have surprised anyone. The well-meaning people at the mairie had simply failed to take into account their fellow French citizens who, deep within their genes, coupled a strong rebellious streak with an instinctive affinity for the downtrodden...the downtrodden in this case being the village’s wild cats. And when we took walks in the village during the campaign, it was almost laughable to see how many more people than usual had put out food for the cats. 

There wasn’t the slightest question that the people of Saint Siffret appreciated and supported their mayor. Something needed to be done, and almost everyone endorsed the mairie’s initiative...but people didn’t much like the idea of trapping animals either, and it didn’t take long before the mairie flew the white flag and focused their attention on less controversial items of business. 

One evening, as Linda and I took a post-pogrom walk through the village, a wisp of a kitten—more shadow than solid—slipped through the cracks of a pair of ancient, barely held-together wooden barn doors and bounded cheerfully up to us. It had jet-black fur, and a tiny brass bell on its red collar tinkled prettily as the kitten brushed against Linda’s legs. 


Linda was instantly won over and bent down to pet the singularly friendly cat. “You’re so pretty, but why are you out alone at night?” she cooed, using the tone of voice she normally reserved for young children. 

Then she shot upright and turned to me, and I could see she was troubled. “She’s starving,” Linda said, almost whispering. “Her ribs are showing. Feel them.” 

I bent down, and found it impossible not to be dismayed as I felt the sharp ridges of the kitten’s ribs as I petted it, each rib outlined in bold relief. Questions tumbled forth. She was such a pretty and friendly little thing. Why was no one feeding her? Especially in this village of cat lovers? 

Linda bent down again and continued petting the kitten, it reveling in the attention it was being given. “She has a collar on,” Linda observed. “So someone’s taking care of her. But I wonder why she’s so skinny.” 

“She’s been abandoned,” I blurted out, surprised at how quickly the words had come. And we instinctively knew it was true.

Credit: French Stones: Life in a 12th Century Crusaders' Castle


We hope you enjoyed meeting the lovely Minou, and please check out Ronald Peeleman's book if you'd like to read more about how she purred her way into his family's hearts and home. I'm told she ended up being quite a handful. She is a tortie, after all!

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Happy Birthday, Mommy!!!

Meows from Mudpie!

Please join me in wishing Mommy a purr-fect birthday today!


If anyone is so inclined, Facebook gave us the opportunity to create a fundraiser for her birthday, so why not take advantage? We chose Fox Foster Kittens, a wonderful kitten foster mom in Florida who we follow both on Facebook and Instagram. Thank you in advance to anyone who chooses to donate!

Lastly, Mommy would never forgive me if I didn't play this for her today, so here goes!

Sunday, September 6, 2020

In Case You Missed It #SundaySelfies


Meows from Mudpie!

While you're enjoying my selfie this week (taken while I was playing in the bathtub), I wanted to let you all know that my adoption story was featured this week on Lola the Rescue Cat's blog as part of their Rescue Stories series! Mommy and I love Lola, Lexy, and mom Dawn so much, and we were honored to have the chance to write for them about how I mended Mommy's broken heart after Angel Truffles' sudden passing. We hope you'll take a few minutes during this long holiday weekend to read it! 


We're joining our friends at The Cat On My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!

Saturday, September 5, 2020

Mudpie Noir #CaturdayArt


Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!



And now our answers (all answered by Mommy this week) for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

1. To smother Mudpie with extra kisses while she's sleeping or not to disturb her? is a question I ask myself.

2. I wish everyone would calm down. Yes, our country is facing some serious issues right now, but tearing it down isn't going to solve them.

3. I'm on the fence about buying a color printer/scanner. I know I would use it a lot in the short term, but not sure about long term. 

4. If you don't try to do something, you won't know if you can. Earlier this week I mowed my lawn for the first time. The kid that had been doing for several years it went away to college. It's not a huge yard, but it's big enough, and my dad didn't think I could do it. I DID!!!