Mewsings on a Muse (Medallion)

Many thanks to Christine at Riverfront Cats for the graphic and mailing my Muse!

It was November 2013 that I was accepted as a Professional Member of the Cat Writers' Association, and I wrote then that it was a dream come true. I still have a file folder in my desk filled with articles I printed out from the CWA website dated 2006. Back then I studied the membership requirements and made a vow to myself that one day I would become a member of this exclusive group of cat writers. It took me another 5 years to start blogging, and even more time after that before I realized my true blogging passion was cats. What else could it possibly be?

Even after being honored with a membership, the idea of ever winning a coveted Muse Medallion was so far in the back of my mind it was practically non-existent. I still had much work to do on honing my craft. Still, you'll never know if you can achieve something unless you try, so with the knowledge that Truffles' tragic passing inspired some of the best writing I'd ever done, earlier this year I decided to dip my toe into the water and enter their annual writing competition.

I chose the Blog/Any Other Topic category, requiring me to submit 3 blog posts which represented my best work. From there, entries in each category are reviewed and judged independently by three professional CWA members and their scores are averaged by the Contest Chair to determine the winner. Anyone earning an average of 90 or higher based on the scores submitted by the three judges receives a Certificate of Excellence, with the highest score winning the Muse Medallion. I volunteered as a judge for the first time, and found it to be such a rewarding (and incredibly difficult!) experience. The talent in our group of writers is just extraordinary.

I received a Certificate of Excellence alongside a pair of my blogging heroes. It couldn't possibly get any better than that, but it did. When my name was announced at the CWA banquet as the winner of a Muse Medallion I was laying in bed 2,500 miles away, and when my sweet friends messaged me on Facebook with the news, I just started crying. Even now, holding the Medallion in my hands and seeing my name engraved on the back, it hasn't sunk in yet. To say it's a dream come true is putting it mildly. I can't thank the CWA enough for the honor, and look forward to being a part of this esteemed group of writers for many years to come. My only regret is that I was unable to accept the award in purr-son and meet the writers I respect so much.

If you're on the fence about joining the CWA, DO IT!!! They are an incredibly supportive group that gives members every opportunity to learn, grow and succeed. They've made this blogger feel like the sky's the limit!

When Your Favorite Toy Doubles As A Pillow...

The Day I Nearly Lost My Newly Adopted Cat #LostPetPreventionMonth

There's nothing much more terrifying than the thoughts of a beloved cat or dog going missing. Even indoor pets aren't immune from getting lost because accidents can and do happen to even the most vigilant pet parent, as I found out all too well in the summer of 2007.

It was late June and like every cat before her (and since), Angel Tara had adopted the screened-in bathroom window as her favorite spot for "snoopervising" her domain. I woke up that morning at 7, wandered into the bathroom, and discovered that at some point during the night the screen had broken and was now laying flat on the lawn.

Tara was gone...and did I mention that I had just adopted her 5 weeks earlier??? She didn't know anything about her new neighborhood. She wasn't even that familiar yet with her new name!!!

Always great in a crisis, I started running up and down the street (in my pajamas) yelling her name. My cat-loving neighbor, who didn't even know yet that I'd adopted a new cat, told me that at 5AM she had been awakened by a loud crash coming from my yard.

Two hours. Tara had been on her own in unfamiliar territory for two hours.

Now even more on the verge of hysterics I wandered back home into the backyard...and Tara walked out of the bushes right underneath my bedroom window.

My smart little monkey didn't decide to explore the neighborhood; she stayed right there waiting for me to come and find her.

Relief doesn't even begin to explain my feelings that morning...I don't think I'd ever felt so blessed in my entire life. Things could have turned out so differently. We were incredibly lucky.

Lost Pet Prevention Month was launched by PetHub because one in every three pets will go missing at some point in their life. They don't always get the happy outcome that Tara and I did, either. Less than 20% of dogs and 2% of cats that go missing will ever return home.

Following our scare my dad was given the task of finding out what went wrong. He discovered that the window screen clips (held in place with screws) were completely stripped. Whether this happened gradually over time or because of Tara's weight pushing on it, we'll never know. I even wonder if she may have seen another animal in the yard that night causing her to throw herself at the screen, breaking it herself.

We drilled new holes and replaced the four clips with eight new ones. We also added a piece of wire as extra reinforcement across the bottom of the screen. Now on a regular basis I check out the security of every window, screen and door in our house. Reinforcing existing windows and replacing any that are beyond repair is one of the easiest ways to ensure your cat's safety.

Another important proactive step to take is to always have some form of ID on your cat in case the worst happens. Tara didn't have any...if she had wandered off and been found, no one would have known where she lived. I couldn't have been happier that Mudpie came home with a microchip, which I immediately registered. (I think it should be mandatory for shelters to include a microchip as part of your adoption fee.) Just make sure to keep your information up to date and to ask your vet to scan the chip during routine exams to make sure it's readable and hasn't moved.

A safety collar with ID attached can also help increase the chances of being reunited with your pet. PetHub has a complete line of digital tags available which are QR code scannable and links to your pet's online profile which can include multiple emergency contacts, microchip data and critical medications. Special tags that identify medical issues such as diabetes and epilepsy are even available! In 2013, an analysis of hundreds of dogs and cats recovered through the PetHub lost pet recovery system showed that a whopping 97% made it home in less than 24 hours. In fact, 25% made it home in under an hour!

Part of being a responsible pet parent is making sure your cat is safe at all times. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so spend a little time making sure your home is completely secure, and should something catastrophic still occur, proper identification can help to ensure a happy ending.

Have you ever had a scare with a lost pet?

Tell us about it!

Book Review: Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

From the publisher: Combining the emotional depth of The Art of Racing in the Rain with the magical spirit of The Life of Pi, Lily and the Octopus is an epic adventure of the heart.

When you sit down with Lily and the Octopus, you will be taken on an unforgettable ride.

The magic of this novel is in the read, and we don’t want to spoil it by giving away too many details.

We can tell you that this is a story about that special someone: the one you trust, the one you can’t live without.

For Ted Flask, that someone special is his aging companion Lily, who happens to be a dog.

Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.

Remember the last book you told someone they had to read?

Lily and the Octopus is the next one.

Every book I read that focuses on the human/animal bond is special because I understand so profoundly the depth of that bond. That being said, this is one of the hardest reviews I've ever had to write; how do you do a book justice that has so completely touched your soul? In a word it is exquisite. I've spent the last few nights reading until the wee hours, savoring each and every word dreading the moment it would end. Every moment I wasn't reading it I was aching to get back to it, unable to stop thinking about it. I will never forget these characters or this story...it has a forever home on my keeper shelf and in my heart.

Ted Flask is a lonely writer whose deepest relationship is with his 12 year old dachshund. Life as they know it comes to a screeching halt one Thursday night when Ted discovers what he calls an octopus (a tumor) on Lily's head. From that moment on Ted's singular purpose is defeating the octopus, especially when it takes on a personality of it's own and begins taunting it's victims. Ted refuses to surrender his best friend without one hell of a fight...but we all know there's no fighting the inevitable.



Lily has completely stolen my heart. Her pure innocence and boundless joy is exactly why I love animals the way I do. From the first page until the last I had tears in my eyes whenever she spoke (yes, Ted and Lily have conversations). I loved her as though she were my own and my heart broke right along with Ted's as her illness progressed. When he finally had no choice but to let her go, I understood everything he was feeling in the vet's office, dreading the opening of the door, content to stay in that room, just him and Lily, forever.

Call it fate, perhaps even serendipity, that I read the final 50 pages of this masterpiece at the exact moments that one year prior I had been saying good-bye to Truffles. The circumstances were different: Truffles was gone suddenly and very unexpectedly, whereas Lily's illness was drawn out over a number a months, but anyone who has ever experienced the loss of a beloved pet experiences similar emotions. The anger, the grief, the denial, the utter devastation...all of which will be evoked while reading this unforgettable novel. Yes, it's heart-wrenching, but it's also filled with magic, all thanks to the wisdom and unconditional love of one brave little dachshund.



L:ily and the Octopus is sure to be a classic for anyone who loves a beautifully written story about the relationships that make up our lives, destined to be a cherished re-read because there is so much wisdom about love and life contained in it's pages you will want to absorb them again and again. I can't help thinking what a beautiful movie this would be.

Lily now has her own special place in my heart right alongside my own beloved pets...she feels that real to me.

Hurry! For a limited time only the Kindle version of Lily and the Octopus is only $1.99!!!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

You Look Mahvelous, Dahling #SundaySelfie

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

Inspurrational #CaturdayArt

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

Pet Blogger Bloopers Round-Up: Selfies Gone Wrong

Meows from Mudpie!

It's been an emotional week at our house so we're looking forward to some smiles thanks to the The Pet Blogger Bloopers Round-Up, hosted by The Lazy Pit Bull. It's the place to be on the second Friday of each month to see your favorite bloggers' blooper photos. This is a blog hop dedicated to showcasing the results of those photo sessions that have gone off the rails!

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Even though selfies aren't supposed to be perfect, I always try to look my best when I take one. I do have an image to uphold, after all. Sometimes they turn out horribly wrong though, so I decided to show you some really bad selfie bloopers today.

Don't say I didn't warn you...

Not sure who's photobombing who here...