Cat Scratches & Scribbles – Cat Cafés & Cat Rescue
June 23, 2024
Cat cafés are multiplying all over the world. Although these establishments are novel to the United States, they are not to other countries. In 1998, the first cat café opened in Taipei, Taiwan. Six years later, Osaka, Japan, became the...
Cat Scratches & Scribbles: Remembering Benny
February 18, 2024
Two weeks ago, I lost my precious Benny to congestive heart failure. Benny was sixteen. For a cat, he had a long life, but it is always so hard to let go. I had hoped Benny would be one of...
Mark Malatesta Interview and Review with Author Kathy Finley
January 5, 2024
During this interview and Mark Malatesta review, author Kathy Finley talks about her memoir, her best tips for writers, and her experience working with former literary agent Mark Malatesta, who helped Kathy get literary agents and publishers interested in her book. Kathy is...
Cat Scratches & Scribbles – My New Book Demonstrates the Strength of the Human- Animal Bond
December 5, 2023
My book, My One-Eyed, Three-Legged Therapist: How My Cat Clio Saved Me, was recently published by Purdue University Press (in their Animal-Human Bond Series). I hope that readers will find that the book shows how cats (and for that matter...
Cat Scratches & Scribbles – Pets and the Ukrainian War
April 26, 2023
It’s been a little over a year since the war in Ukraine broke out. Compounding the human devastation is the tragedy of homeless and displaced pets. The result has been extreme trauma for the pets and their pet parents. If...
Cat Scratches & Scribbles – The Cat Who Died of A Broken Heart
February 27, 2022
My cousin’s cat (Sid) passed away several months ago. Although I live three hundred miles away and only saw them once or twice a year, my heart is broken over Sid’s death and the circumstances of his passing. Sid was...
Cat Scratches & Scribbles – The Rescue Cats Who Rescued Me
January 16, 2022
The ASPCA estimates that 6.3 million animals enter shelters each year. Of that number, 3.2 million are cats. A large number of those animals don’t make it out of a shelter and are euthanized. When we rescue an animal –...
Cat Scratches & Scribbles – Cat School
September 11, 2021
It’s September and school (whether virtual or in-person) is in session for children. School is also in session for cats. We learn a lot from our cats (e.g., unconditional love, self-esteem, self-confidence, etc.), but it is well known that cats...
Cat Scratches & Scribbles – Pandemic Pets
June 8, 2021
Last year in my inaugural blog post, I discussed how pets (both cats and dogs) have made the pandemic more bearable. Recently there has been concern about the fate of these animals now that the nation is opening back up,...
Cat Scratches & Scribbles – Who Will Care for Your Pet After You Are Gone?
April 5, 2021
Several days ago, one of my older friends passed away suddenly. She had been in an assisted living facility and except for mobility issues was in good health. Her sudden passing reminded me that everyone should plan for their pets’...
Cat Scratches & Scribbles -Animals & Domestic Violence Victims
February 18, 2021
In previous blogs, I discussed about how animals can help us cope with the pandemic and provide unconditional love for those who have been bullied or have gone through a bitter divorce. Pets can also help survivors of domestic abuse....
Cat Scratches & Scribbles – Bullying, Pets, and Unconditional Love
January 7, 2021
Bullying and Unconditional Love from Pets. I was bullied as a child, bullied during my first marriage, and occasionally bullied at work. Bullying has long-term effects (as I describe in the book I am publishing), and fortunately, I overcame those...
