The Good Friday Kitty

Today marks the third anniversary of Scruffy Gray (aka Scruffers, Ms Gray) being my faithful assistant office assistant (Giuseppe is the office assistant). Yes, it is true that I am one of those crazy cat people. I have always loved cats (and dogs too), but Scruffers has put me over the edge—and I am better off for it. The story of Scruffy Gray is told around this house often. It was on a cold March 9^th in 2009, that a scruffy gray cat came out from nowhere to win over the hearts of Heather and me—as well as our sensibilities. Giuseppe (our number one cat) and I were enjoying lunch that day when this scraggly, heavily-matted cat crawled out from out under our deck and plopped herself down to soak up the warming rays of the afternoon sun. We went out to meet her and saw that beneath that scruff was a loving cat. We fed her and allowed her to sleep in our garage to escape the cold 20 degree nighttime temperature. After three days we took her to the Skagit Valley Humane Society hoping she would be adopted because we just didn’t want to take in a second cat. It was a tough decision.

However, there was something about this cat that immediately tugged at me, and it was obvious that God had sent her to us. So after much debate (and a visit to see her at the Humane Society all alone and looking like death was nearing) we decided to adopt her as we knew that this older somewhat special needs kitty was probably not going to be adopted by anyone else. It was on Good Friday 2009 that Scruffy came home with us. We questioned our sanity as we took this abandoned cat in and slowly nursed her back to life giving her supplements and administering eye drops to her malnourished eyes. We had her shaved, removing the heavily matted and dirty fur that covered her. And we quarantined her in Heather's office until her fear slowly subsided and she was able to get along with Giuseppe. It was a long and trying process. We spent a considerable sum of money on her health care and questioned our sanity. One month after we had adopted her, the Vet was concerned that she may only have a few weeks to survive.

But, now three wonderful years later, the Good Friday kitty is providing us with much love and joy. We have an incredibly loving cat that we can't understand how and why anyone would have abandoned in the first place. She loves to snuggle every chance she can get. She appreciates her food and never snubs it. She loves to nap all over the house and enjoys chasing Giuseppe around from time to time. And when I'm on the road, she misses me and usually greets me at the door upon my return with a little love nip. Like the Cat Who Came For Christmas, the Good Friday Kitty, Scruffy Gray has provided us with much redemption and unconditional love. Our lives have been touched by this little fur ball and we are all the better for it. Tonight we tip our red wine back for you Scruffers, happy third anniversary. We still laugh when you received your “sex change.” We thought for nearly two years you were a boy! We have no idea how old you are and we don’t know how much longer you’ll grace our home. We pray that you stick around for awhile—and no matter how much longer you grace our home, you have already become a big part of us that will last forever.

There are lots of abandoned cats and dogs out there that need a loving home. And despite the expense and sometimes inconvenience of caring for one of these fur balls, they pay you back with unconditional (yes, even cats are capable of this) love and definitely help you get through this crazy world and times. Thanks, Scruffers for making my life a little (okay, a lot) better!

(Photos- Above: Scruffs now. Below: Scruffs the day she arrived) 

Scruffy Gray One Year Later

It was on a cold March 9th evening one year ago, that a scruffy gray cat came out of nowhere to win over our hearts and sensibilities. Giuseppe and I were enjoying lunch the following day when this scraggly, heavily-matted cat came from under our deck and plopped himself down to soak up the warming rays of the afternoon sun. We went out to meet him and saw that beneath all of that scruff was a loving cat. We fed him and allowed him to sleep in our garage to escape the 20 degree nighttime temp. After three days we took him to the Skagit Valley Humane Society. And after much debate we decided to adopt him as we knew that this older somewhat special needs kitty was probably not going to be adopted by anyone else. We questioned our sanity as we took this abandoned cat in and slowly nursed him back to life giving him supplements and administering eye drops to his malnourished eyes. We had him shaved removing the heavily matted and dirty fur that covered him. And then we quarantined him in Heather's office until his fear slowly subsided and he was able to get along with Giuseppe. Now one year later and after spending a few hundred dollars on him, we have an incredibly loving cat that we can't understand why anyone would have abandoned in the first place. Every morning Scruffers sits on my lap and we read the paper together. He takes the news a lot better than me! Every evening he gets back on my lap and helps me enjoy my nightly glass of red wine. He appreciates his food, never complains, loves to nap all over the house and enjoys chasing Giuseppe around from time to time. And when I'm on the road, he misses me. He's a great little guy and we hope that he hangs around our home for years to come. There are lots of abandoned cats and dogs out there that need a loving home. And despite the expense and sometimes inconvenience of caring for one of these furballs, they pay you back with unconditional (yes-even cats are capable of this) love and definitely help you get through this crazy world and times. Thanks Scruffers for picking us-you did well for yourself!

(photos -left Scruffy Gray March 2009, right Scruffy Gray March 2010)

Scruffers and Giuseppe Couldn't be any happier!

This morning's routine was the same. Up at 5:45- feed the kitties, start the coffee (actually the other way around-start the coffee-feed the kitties-sorry guys-priorities!)-snag the newspaper-grab a cup of joe-plop down on my favorite chair-and then wait for Scruffers to jump in my lap and we begin to read the paper together. Mostly the same ole same ole-Health Care showdown- Gov. Gregoire still waiting for money to fall out of the sky to balance her budget-heartbreak in Haiti-car crashes-gang violence-lost souls and wasted lives-but wait-what's this?- a story about China that doesn't involve their eminent takeover of the world! Why yes! Scruffers' ears perked up-Giuseppe's too who took a break from grooming himself on the couch-can it be true?
The headline read-
Chinese legal experts call for ban on eating cats and dogs

There may indeed be hope for our little furry friends after all. Pugs and Shar peis rejoice for your brethren!

(photos-above-Giuseppe "Could it be true?-below- Scruffy Gray "Say what?!")

Cat-tastrophe for the planet?

I am always amazed at just how wacky the environmental fringe has become. Now mind you, I am a hardcore conservationist who revers Theodore Roosevelt, Ed Abbey, Henry David Thoreau and Chico Mendez. I belong to over a dozen conservation organizations. I live simply and practice sound conservation principles. But I am also a member of the human race that consumes resources. I don't feel guilty over it. I don't believe that we are on a course for environmental catastrophe right now-although there certainly are areas of concern which we need to address. I believe that our climate is changing, but I am skeptical on how much of that is human induced and how much of it is part of a natural process-after all we have had huge waves of climate change in the past (ie. the Ice Age) when human activity wasn't exactly flourishing. Well, it seems now that the environmental extreme nutcase lefties who believe that the world will end in just a few short years are now suggesting that you eat your pet! Well, not exactly consume them, but they want you to feel guilty about having a dog or a cat and say that it is leading to global warming-as is everything these days in their minds.

A British couple, the Vales have released a new book; Time to Eat the Dog?: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, in which they make preposterous claims about how much of a carbon pawprint old yeller and fluffy have on the planet and that if you truly respected the planet you would not have them shedding, snoozing, and flopping around your house! Of course, typical for these types of environmental whackos is their hypocrisy. As pointed out by Ryan O'Meara in K9 magazine, he couldn't purchase the book digitally-all of those sacrificed trees-and gasoline needed to transport these books around the globe most certainly be contributing to the destruction of Mother Earth, no?!

These whackos just can't enjoy life can they? Everything be it a cheeseburger to a car-camp trip is a guilt-ridden activity that is destroying the planet in their eyes. The planet is not dying! And making ridiculous demands on a hurried and anxious population is not going to help much either in just making reasonable suggestions for more simpler living. Mainstream folks will just turn you out or ridicule you and any good messages of environmental protection will be lost because of these extremists. Pets bring joy and solace to people and contribute to a fulfilling life. Sure, there are problems with pet ownership. I believe that our over pampering of them definitely has some ethical dimensions worth exploring when you consider that there is a lot of human suffering in the world and perhaps some of the resources allocated to ole Scratch can better be used for our human brethren. And I don't allow my cats outside, not only to protect them-but to protect native wildlife as well. I am well aware of the non-discriminatory predation that ole ragamuffin can have. But this far left kook fringe of greenie-whackos wants to control every aspect of your life by telling you what to eat, where to live, what to drive, and now what you can live with. Basta!

Most of these doomsayers are hypocrites in so many degrees and if they truly believe that man is a plague on the planet well they can start by reducing their own carbon footprint by drinking the hemlock. It gets crazier everyday with these people. I am all for a sustainable environment-but it must include dialogue that respects and includes humans (and their pets) and takes into account that the world is not going to end tomorrow-that we have some serious environmental problems to address-but a communist world order of how I am going to live to cure them is not the solution. There needs to be serious climate change action alright-one that welcomes logic and reason and not hyper-emotional scare-mongering into the equation for working towards a sustainable future. Okay, Scruffy and Giuseppe, you guys are off the hook-go back to sleep and keep providing this household with warmth and love. Doomsayers-go back to your hole and let me and millions of other decent hardworking and responsible folks enjoy life a little!

(Photo-Scruffy Gray barely bats an eye on the news that he is contributing to global warming-lap warming maybe-but definitely not global warming)

It's So Hot Out Today!

How hot is it?

I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking!

Giuseppe and Scruffy Gray are not happy kitties today as the thermometer pushes past 90. Giuseppe is a Maine Coon with a thick coat of fur-and Scruffers is an old rescued kitty who has had a tough life as it is. Hey what's with this heat they're thinking. I thought we were in the temperate Pacific Northwest. Definitely the hottest weather I've been in here in my 20 years of living in Washington. So its time for a little trip down memory lane to put a perspective on this-

• I grew up back east where most of the summer is hot and muggy!
• I worked outside as a surveyor in Vermont in the summer of 1988, a record year with nearly half of July's days recording over 90 degrees
• I spent two weeks in the Amazon back in that same year!
• I've hiked in France in July and in Sicily in June- chaud and caldo!
• I hiked in Ybycui National Park in Paraguay- mucho calor!
• Hiked in Nevada and Eastern Oregon in August!
• Bicycled across Kansas, Colorado, Utah and southern Idaho in May and June in temps up to 110.

You know I'm feeling better already. Of course my buddies Marty and Rob in south Florida are saying-get over it and have yourself a margarita! Not a bad idea-but what can we give the cats?

Scruffers hates fireworks (and so do I)!

The heat this Independence Day weekend would have been enough discomfort for my two cats, Giuseppe and Scruffy Gray (aka Scruffers) but they had to endure the bombs bursting in air as well. I had to spend a good part of the weekend consoling my kitties-especially Scruffers who we adopted two months ago. This poor little guy has lived a tough enough life without having to freak out while neighborhood rowdies set the sky afire. But I have to admit that I too spent most of the weekend stressed- worried that my house would go up in flames from some idiot's errant bottle rocket. You know- I love the Fourth of July but I absolutely can do without the fireworks. And many of my friends it appears concur. I see no reason why we even allow fireworks to be sold (can't understand why it is okay for Native Americans to sell something legally that the rest of us aren't supposed to posses-and where is it in Native America culture that fireworks play? If anything-if we are going to allow a certain ethnic group a privilege that is not extended to the rest of society- we should allow the Chinese to profit on firework sales-after all they invented the stuff! But, I digress). Seriously, the Fourth is a great celebration-but blowing up things, terrorizing war vets and animals and setting the countryside ablaze makes no sense to me. Especially this year in the Northwest with our tinderbox fire conditions we allow for such foolishness to go on. As of this morning there were four fires burning in my county-only one of them was from a natural cause. Thank God it is raining today and thank God Scruffers is back to his snugly self no longer in a catatonic state hiding under the guest bed. Peruse the papers today and you'll read familiar stories of firework induced injuries and firework sparked house fires. Not a good price to pay for our Independence is it? Next Fourth of July, how about heading to the mountains to hike, bike, swim, paddle or just lounge around. Bring your loved one with you and perhaps you'll see a little fireworks-the safe kind-and the one kind to set over and over again. Scruffers encourages it-He wishes you all a safe rest of the summer.

Kill a feline become a felon!

Giuseppe and Scruffy Gray were happy to hear this morning that a cat killer in Claremont NH will go to jail for brutally killing an innocent cat named Buddha. Read about here in the Manchester Union Leader: Whipping of Cat ends in Jail Time.

I wonder if he was tried by a party of his purrs?!

Cat Napping

One of the best things about working at home is being able to take a nap. One of the best things about being self-employed is being able to take a nap without scorn from the boss. One of the best things about sharing a house with two cats is that they encourage you to take a nap! My big Maine Coon Giuseppe is a lovable feline but not much of a snuggler. Scruffy Gray, the cat that showed up at our deck on one of the coldest nights of the year is now a member of this family. He is a big time snuggler and will crawl up on you at any chance he gets. Matter of fact he is sleeping on my lap right now as I type this entry. Scruffy and I love to take our naps together-and its a good thing he is only 10 pounds-because he is usually plopped down right on my chest. Yesterday, Heather and I did an 18 mile training run (we have a marathon scheduled next month). I'm sure that today's nap will be a deep one! And for the Scruffer, he doesn't need to expend great amounts of calories and energy to enjoy one of life's simpler pleasures-the nap! I can hardly wait to take my first one in an alpine meadow this year. Sorry, Scruffer-the couch will have to do for you!

(photo-Craig and Scruffy Gray catch some Z's-photo by Heather)