The Rescued Interviews: Belladonna

Meows from Mudpie!

Back in 2015 Angel Truffles started interviewing the cats featured in Rescued: The Stories of 12 Cats, Through Their Eyes, an anthology of rescue cat stories compiled by Janiss Garza, who writes the Sparkle Cat blog. She was unable to see it to completion but I was more than honored to continue the series once I settled into my forever home and took full reins of our blog. Now Rescued Volume 2 is on store shelves and it's my goal to interview as many of the kitties as possible once again! (If you missed our review, it can be found here.)

Each author featured in the book has nominated a cat rescue and was assigned a month to promote the book, with a third of the profits from that month going to their rescue. July's spotlight is Belladonna, one third of the feline team behind the popular Paws and Effect cat blog. Sweet Bella was just a baby when she was diagnosed with feline diabetes and found herself in the unenviable position of being a special needs cat looking for her forever home. She scored a wonderful one with a cat blogger eager to use her platform to spread the word about living with a sugar kitty!

Welcome Belladonna! Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. Could you start by introducing yourself to us and telling us what made your story such a good fit for the Rescued anthology?

Thank you! It's a pleasure to be here. Hmm, well, I am a very special kitty (and humble, too), so I think that's part of what made my story such a good fit. But mostly I think it was because ultimately my story was one of healing for me, and for Mama and my kitty siblings, too. You see, before she met me, Mama had lost two cats within six months--one to cancer, and one due to one of those one-in-a-million surgical complications--and she was very depressed and broken-hearted when I met her. But thanks to me, she was able to come out of her despair and find the courage to make a cross-country move!

As the title of your story says, you're a "sweet sugar kitty", diagnosed with feline diabetes at a very young age and subsequently relinquished by your first family. That must have been such a frightening time for you. What do you remember about it?

It was scary, just because I wasn't sure what was going to happen. And I felt bad for First Mama (as I call her) because I know she loved me but she just wasn't able to take care of a cat with diabetes. I don't have any hard feelings toward her. She was very good to me, and she did a lot more than most people would have. Mostly what I remember is being in a cage in a room full of barking dogs, and that wasn't much fun. But the vet was good to me, too--she even said she loved me and gave me little petties between seeing patients!

My Mommy took care of a sugar kitty herself for a few years, and she says that looking after a special needs cat created a bond like she had never experienced before. Is that how it is for you and your Mama too? 

I'm not the first special-needs cat Mama's ever lived with, nor will I be the last. And I think you're right--it does create an amazing bond between person and kitty when there are challenges you have to meet together. I don't know if you know about my kitty sister, Tara. She was so scared when she came into our family that she hid under the couch for six whole months! But thanks to Mama's patience (and of course, thanks to my repeated offers to be her friend), Tara has been enjoying life with the rest of us for a while now! It sure is fun. I like to chase her, and now she chases me back, too, so that's super-fun! Um, what was I saying? Oh yeah, the bond between special-needs cats and people. I definitely feel super-close to Mama, not just because she adopted me but because of the work we do together to keep me healthy.

You've inspired your Mama (an amazing cat blogger, we might add!) to use her platform to educate people about living with feline diabetes. How is your partnership helping other cats in need?

Mama says "thanks for the compliment!" She and I have really enjoyed helping other caretakers of diabetic cats to understand the disease, and helping other diabetic kitties find homes, too. For a while, we were running a feature called Sugar Kitty Wednesday, where we shared stories about my fellow diabetic kitties at HART of Maine (that's the place where Mama adopted me from, by the way). A lot of them found their forever homes, and I like to think that it was due at least in part to the fact that we shared their stories! Mama also served on the board of directors of Diabetic Cats In Need, the organization that helped save my life and get Mama started with the supplies she needed to test my blood glucose and keep me healthy, for a couple of years. We've been sharing the word about DCIN and hopefully helping them raise some funds to help other sugar kitties.

What's life like for you today?

Oh my Bast, I don't think I could ask for a better life! I've got an awesome snuggle buddy--my cat friend Thomas--and a kitty sister, Tara, who likes to play tag with me...what do you mean, you don't like playing tag with me, Tara? Anyway! Not only that, but I get to help Thomas and Tara write our blog, Paws and Effect, and I get lots of petties every day. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, I've been in remission from diabetes for four years now! That means I don't have to get any insulin shots! Mama and I are both really happy about that.

Photo: DCIN Facebook

What shelter have you chosen to receive your proceeds from the book this month and why?

The group I chose is Diabetic Cats In Need. They don't operate a shelter, but they help people all over the United States and Canada to be able to keep their sugar kitties and pay for medical expenses (diabetic crises are really expensive). DCIIN also helps to arrange transport for diabetic kitties who find themselves without homes, and educates people on how to care for their diabetic cats. I chose DCIN because, like I said earlier, they helped to save my life by making it possible for HART of Maine to care for sugar kitties, and I think all diabetic cats deserve to have a happy forever home like I do!

What do you hope people learn from your story and what would you like your lasting legacy to be?

I want people to know that diabetes isn't a death sentence. A diabetic cat can live a happy and healthy life with the right care--and, in fact, could even go into remission. If I've helped even one person to feel less overwhelmed by finding out their cat has diabetes, I'll feel like I've done my job.

In the bigger picture, though, I just hope people will think about adopting special-needs cats, knowing through my story that even a cat with a serious disease like diabetes can provide many years of love and purrs.

Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday

Welcome to this week's edition of Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday!

We hope you enjoy our choices.

Familiar Trouble (Familiar Legacy Book 1) by Carolyn Haines

From the publisher: BLOOD IS THICKER... Sometimes a unique talent is inherited—and such is the case for Trouble, son of Familiar the black cat detective. Trouble’s rather indolent life in the sleepy town of Wetumpka, Alabama is upended when a serial killer arrives on the scene. Trouble begins to apply the skills he learned from his dad and his hero, Sherlock Holmes. 

When local bookseller Tammy Lynn is attacked at the site of an impact crater, Trouble realizes he must protect his human and solve the mystery of the Silk Stocking Killer.

Aiden Waters, a local deputy, has tracked the SSK to Wetumpka. Since his wife’s murder, Aiden won’t risk romance, but when Tammy is endangered, everything changes. Especially their hearts.

Tortie Shorties Review: I've been collecting cat mysteries for about 15 years now, and when I started one of the very first series I was introduced to was the Familiar, Black Cat Detective series of romantic mysteries written by Carolyn Haines. Seventeen books were released by Harlequin Intrigue starting in 1990, and I have every one in it's original paperback format. I was so excited to learn that 6 of the original titles are being re-released in ebook (the first, Fear Familiar, is available on Kindle for only 99 cents!), and now we're seeing the debut of a brand new line of romantic mysteries starring Familiar's son Trouble, who is following in his dad's paw prints as a black cat detective!

In this first book in the Familiar Legacy series we're introduced to Tammy, a bookseller in Wetumpka, Alabama. It's a rural little town in big trouble when it appears that a serial killer has made it his new hunting ground. It's personal for local deputy Aiden Waters when bodies start piling up because his own wife was murdered by the Silk Stocking Killer, and when he starts having feelings for Tammy he's forced to put them on the back-burner while making sure she stays safe. Thankfully her newly adopted cat Trouble, who learned some crime-solving techniques from his famous father Familiar and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock, is also on the case! The sections narrated by Trouble break the tension a bit with his completely feline way of viewing the action around him. This book is cozy but it's also purrfect for fans of romantic suspense. Four paws up!

A Devious Lot (Antiques & Collectibles Mysteries Book 5) by Ellery Adams

From the publisher: Molly Appleby has promised her new husband that their honeymoon will be trouble-free—specifically, no sleuthing. Unfortunately, trouble seems to follow Molly wherever she goes, even to England.

After a glorious week in London, the newlyweds have escaped the city to visit Molly’s great-aunt in the quaint English village of Marlow Crossing. The setting is idyllic, as beautiful and serene as Molly could hope for, but as the talented reporter and senior staff writer for Collector’s Weekly knows, appearances can be deceiving. And when a local woman turns up poisoned to death, Molly’s convinced there’s more to the story than meets the eye.

Putting her honeymoon on hold, Molly agrees to help local inspector Devon Boyle with the case, especially since the sleepy village presents such a small number of suspects. But when two of them go missing and the tragic death of another woman comes to light, Molly realizes she’s up against a much more sinister criminal than she thought. Untangling a web of lies and deceit as she searches for a motive and a murderer won’t be easy, but Molly’s determined to put all of her detective skills to use to catch a killer before her trip, and her life, are brought to a sudden end.

Tortie Shorties Review: In the first chapter of A Devious Lot we meet Gingersnap, a sweet kitty who belongs to Molly's Aunt Tessa's neighbor Tiffany and visits everyday. Poor Molly just can't escape murder and mayhem, even on her honeymoon in a quaint English village, because it's Gingersnap who leads her to his owner's dead body early one morning. The local inspector knows of Molly's crime-solving success back home and asks for her help chatting up suspects. A key piece of evidence is a piece of "lover's eye" jewelry whose history we learn through the story of Lillian Gilbert back in the 1850's who falls in love with a wonderful man while intended to marry a repulsive, secretive old widower. The book weaves back and forth between modern-day and the past, adding an extra layer of intrigue. 

This is a series I've enjoyed from the very beginning and I love that they're continuing into Molly's married life. I'm a collector at heart so it's always interesting to learn more about the various pieces Molly encounters and how they fit into the puzzle she's trying to solve.

Disclaimer: As members of the Amazon Associates affiliate program, if you click on our links and buy something Mudpie gets a little money for her piggy bank! I received review copies of these books in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

Concerned #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Mommy is saying all the time that she could eat me up.

I know mud pie desserts are yummy...but she does realize that Mudpie kitties aren't meant to be eaten, doesn't she?

Do you think I'm in danger?

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

Caturday Art

Meows from Mudpie!

I don't think I could recreate my Caturday Art project this week if I tried! I started with an effect in Photo Lab, then went to PicMonkey where I played with the colors and cloned out some unwanted "background noise" and added the old-fashioned photo corners border. I really love how it turned out!

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

And now our weekly answers (answered by Mommy) for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and McGuffy's Reader!

1. My favorite line from a film is "Life is made up of meetings and partings; that is the way of it. I am sure we shall never forget Tiny Tim, or this first parting that there was among us." from The Muppet Christmas Carol. That line never fails to make me tear up.

2. Other than blogs, a website I visit often is Amazon. I buy everything I can there, from vitamins to DVDs to Christmas gifts. Why chase around from store to store when stuff can be delivered to your door?

3. When I feel down, I cuddle Mudpie. She can fix just about anything.

4. If I could find a loving home for every abused, abandoned and neglected animal, I would devote my every waking hour to make it happen.

Remembering A Pair Of Angels

Today is the second anniversary of the day my baby girl Truffles flew off to the bridge, and the fourth anniversary of the day her big sister Tara paved the way before her. It goes without saying this is the hardest day of the year for me. I thought this year might be easier but if anything it's been harder. I've been dreading this day for weeks. 

In honor of my precious girls, please give your own fur babies a little something special today. Maybe an extra hug or kiss, a few more minutes of play or cuddle time, extra treats wouldn't hurt either.

Our time together is so fleeting; their fragile lives all too short. Never miss an opportunity to show them how much they're loved.

Why Forever Young Is Truffles' Song #TBT

This is a story I wrote about once before in a sponsored blog post, but since those don't always get as much traffic we think it's a "tail" worth telling again, especially this week.

Around the middle of June back in 2015 I was lying in bed working on a blog post about the dog movie "Max" that was about to premiere. I started to watch the music video by Blake Shelton for the movie's theme song, "Forever Young". I don't know if it was the images from the movie or the song itself or the two combined, but I started crying. Not just a few tears either but outright sobbing.

Truffles ran into the bedroom, hopped on the bed, got into my lap and started rubbing against me and purring. She knew that I was terribly upset and her first instinct was to comfort me the only way she could...with her love. Little did I know a few short weeks later she would be gone. Sometimes I wonder if either she or I had a premonition of what was to come.

That moment is the reason why I titled the blog post announcing her passing "Forever Young, Precious Truffles". She was only four years old and it's the way I will always remember her...forever young.

Wapiti Labs Chest Formula Review #ChewyInfluencer

Meows from Mudpie!

You might remember that shortly after moving into my forever home I was diagnosed with asthma. Thankfully my vet said it was mild and didn't recommend any medication, which made Mommy very happy because she didn't want me starting on a lifetime of meds and all the side effects that come with them at such a young age. (Of course if my symptoms were ever to worsen I know that I'll get everything I need and then some!)

Still, worrywart that my Mommy is she wanted to do something, so she started doing research on holistic alternatives and started me on two different homeopathic drops. The first didn't do much, but the second apparently did because at my wellness visit in December the vet couldn't even hear any "noise" in my lungs! He told her, "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it!" We still don't know what my asthma triggers are because there doesn't seem to be a pattern (although we're currently working on something super cool that might provide some answers!), but between my drops, unscented litter, an air purifier, lots of vacuuming, and a complete furnace cleaning, I'm doing just fine!

My latest Chewy Influencer email introduced us to a new supplement for my repertoire: Wapiti Labs Chest Formula for Respiratory Function, an herbal formula designed to naturally relieve respiratory congestion for cats.

About Wapiti Labs "The Original Elk Velvet Antler Company":

Wapiti Labs’ natural pet supplements are endorsed, recommended and distributed by veterinarians practicing both Eastern and Western herbal medicine. They are a family-owned company with their very own elk ranch in Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota, which is where the Elk Velvet Antler used in several of their all-natural pet supplements comes from. Antlers are removed once a year from healthy bulls in a low stress process under the direction of the herd veterinarian. Wolf Creek Elk Ranch markets green and freeze dried antler as an ingredient product, and Wapiti Labs produces premium supplements created with Minnesota Elk Velvet Antler and Chinese herbs using a proprietary extraction process.

This concentrated liquid supplement is dispensed in a dropper which goes into my yogurt treat each day. Mommy uses a toothpick to mix it in, and I actually like that it makes the thick Greek yogurt thinner and more watery. (Of course most humans can add the dropper right into their cat's wet food, but since Mommy can't depend on me to eat my wet food each day that's a no-go in our house.) It can also be administered directly into the mouth but Mommy says that she values her life a little too much to go that route. Go figure!

I can't say that we've noticed any huge difference since I've been taking it because it's working inside me and like I said, my asthma symptoms are thankfully pretty well under control anyways, but our paws are crossed that at my next wellness visit Dr. John says I'm just as purrfect as he did last year! We're huge believers in using holistic medicine and natural remedies whenever possible, but of course you should always have a discussion with your vet before deciding on any course of treatment!

Wapiti Labs has a selection of formulas for both cats and dogs of all ages and with a variety of medical issues, and they can all be found at Chewy.com. Tell 'em Mudpie sent you!

Disclaimer: A bottle of Wapiti Labs Chest Formula was sent to us for free by Chewy.com as part of their Blogger Outreach Program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own and we never recommend a product we don’t fully believe in.