Post Thanksgiving Relaxation

My sister sent me this cute squirrel massage animation in an email today. It looks like just the thing for everyone who overexerted themselves by lifting all those Thanksgiving leftovers to their mouths!

Ahhhhhh....

Random Image

I liked the look of the stuff on my desk, as seen through the coils of a DSL wire that was lying there, and snapped this photo.  I'm not sure why it pleases me, but it does, and here it is so you can see it too.

'Cat Ladies' Documentary

I just watched a video clip from this documentary, and I find it absolutely fascinating, as I can so relate to these cat fixated women. While I only have 9 cats, I could be happy with many more. But I don't have enough space or $$ to care for more. All the same, given the importance of cats in my life, and the fact that I do prefer the company of cats to that of humans, I probably already fit into the definition of a 'crazy cat lady'...

Below is the description of this film, taken from the film's website. Click HERE to go to the website where you can learn more, watch a clip from the documentary, or order the DVD.

About the Film

Cat Ladies is a verité documentary that unravels the real story behind the oft ridiculed ‘crazy cat lady’.

Through intimate access with Diane, Margot, Sigi and Jenny, we create a sensitive and emotionally honest portrait of women whose lives and self-worth have become intractably linked to cats.

Some of these women have only a few cats; others share their small homes with hundreds. It’s not the number of cats that defines them as a ‘crazy cat lady’, but rather their attachment, or non-attachment, to human beings. They share backgrounds that usually include abuse, death, rejection and loneliness. Because of this they turn their natural instinct to love and nurture to an alternative society of felines, creating a world with their cats in which they feel reward and acceptance - a world where they ultimately have value.

The cat lady comes in three basic forms. There is the person who is obsessed by cats and has a unique personal relationship with her wards that goes far beyond the average human-pet bond. Then there are the ‘cat rescuers’, who are self-appointed protectors of abandoned cats. They start taking in cats later in life, often after a failed marriage, the loss of a job, death of a relative, or the estrangement of children. Someone or some incident turns them onto the plight of the unwanted cat and their homes gradually become sanctuaries. Finally there is the ‘cat hoarder’, perhaps the least understood of all. The hoarder collects cats to the detriment of their health and her own. She may have started with the best intentions, but some crisis or break with reality pushes her past the point of being able to cope.

It’s a murky world, secretive by nature and horribly misunderstood. Local authorities are ill-equipped and uneducated and cannot accurately deduce who is a destructive cat hoarder and who is an enthusiastic cat rescuer or an obsessed cat lover. City bylaws are arbitrary and very rarely acted upon. At best, a few cats might be removed from the home, but the women themselves almost never receive treatment or counseling. One thing we know for sure: the recidivism rate for hoarders is 100% when left untreated, which is almost always the case.


Margot
Margot's universe revolves round her three cats – Bongo, Fritz and Little One. She skips work to stay at home with them and has re-designed her entire apartment to accommodate them. But the love and connection she gets from her cats is also getting in the way of her developing any relationships with human beings - and it's only through tragedy that she can glimpse an alternative.


Jenny
In her mid 30s, Jenny appears to have it all – an attractive, fiercely independent sales agent with her own home that she just happens to share with 16 cats. It's not that she wouldn't want to find a partner or have children, but the experiences she endured as a child have prevented her from having healthy adult relationships. Jenny knows she's on the cusp of becoming "the Crazy Cat Lady". All it would take is a few more cats…


Diane

Diane is a vivacious former banker whose early and un-wanted retirement turned her to a life of saving cats from the streets. Now, she's sharing her home with 123 felines and when she's not feeding, cleaning and nursing them she's feeding and trapping feral cats in the wild. Diane wants to stop – but the thought of a cat starving or suffering breaks her heart. It's also ruining her health, sucking her bank account dry and alienating her from friends and family.


Sigi
Sigi is on a mission to save cats. Like Diane, she's turned her house over to hundreds of the furry creatures, but unlike Diane she's unapologetic about her choices. If women like her didn't take matters into their own hands, who else would? Sigi's mission isn't one that her neighbours are buying into – the acrid smell and noise is an intolerable toll on anyone living close by – but Sigi's been a fighter all her life and being on the margins only makes her more defiant.

Women like Margot, Jenny, Diane and Sigi are easily dismissed as "crazy cat ladies", but these women deal with the issues that all of us face to some degree – alienation, loss and loneliness in a society that devalues the "different".

Gamma Dreams

Just after I took the photo of Fieldsie in the post below, Gamma got into the basket and went to sleep, snuggled up against Fieldsie. In no time at all, she was dreaming her Gamma dreams...

Foxy Fieldsie

While playing around taking photos with aperture priority in low lighting, I got this sweet close up of Fieldsie as he was falling asleep... He looks a bit like a fox to me in this photo!

Cat Eating Off Chopsticks!

Some people might think this is just crazy, but I think it's crazy CUTE! I especially like it when the cat gets impatient and bats his paws at the chopsticks or the hand. And why is the cat called 'squirrel-like' in the video title? Because he is standing up? Or do sqirrels also enjoy eating off of chopsticks?

Handsome Henry

This was Henry, snoozing next to my computer last night. Henry is an exceptionally wonderful cat. I always feel happy when I see him. I suspect he may be some being of higher intelligence pretending to be a cat. I'm very glad he is part of my group of furry loves.

Beautiful Bella

Now and then I board other people's cats in my home. I always enjoy the chance to have more cats to play with and love. The cat shown below, a beautiful calico named Bella, was a delightful kitty guest. She has a wonderful personality and I really enjoyed getting to know her.




Bella is highly skilled at playing with this cat toy. If there was an Olympic competition for this game, she might take the gold medal.


And I was especially charmed by the pose she would take up in the window, with her legs stretched out behind her. Adorable!

Under The Storm Cloud

The image above was something I doodled during a staff meeting at work a few months ago... Due to my weird schedule, I often am not able to get enough sleep before having to go to staff meetings. I'm guessing this image was drawn on one of those low energy mornings.