We are lucky to have a guest post from WereBear on her exciting new Cat Shelter Project, complete with cat art of the latest kittens! I am told that the black one is Morgen Le Faye and the dilute tortie is Rhiannon. I know we want to hear about the new project, but Cat art first, right? ~WaterGirl
*the Cat Shelter Project*
by WereBear
Over the years, as my cat writing gained fans – yay! the Cat Appreciator Jackals here :) – I always wanted my ideas to help shape opinions, too. This long led me to explore how Way of Cats might give back to cat rescue causes.
When we virtually-opened our cat toy shop with organic herbs custom-mixed by Mr WereBear, we set some aside for every product sold. My readers donated to get the rest of Sir Tristan’s family vet treatment and new homes. When we adopted our last two kittens, from widely disparate shelter situations, I brought an autographed copy of my book to donate to the shelter.
On top of that, I always tip.
In fact, that’s one of the ideas I hope to promote with my long dreamed-of venture that launches this holiday season. #TiptheShelter will reflect my practice of adding extra each time I adopt. I know how hard they work and how heartbreaking it can be.
The Cat Shelter Project will be how Way of Cats can help both shelters and seekers of cats. Easy care for a happy new friend. Training for scratching post, litter box, and leaving (some) things alone.
Because I realized, after a dozen years online, dodging writer’s block like a character in a video game, I’d gotten into PhD dissertation territory. Sure, lots of readers have been reading me for years. They love teasing out mental constructs of cat behavior as much as I do.
There were others who need my help. For them, I should dial it back.
Half of my cat site remains free to all, even as its popularity demanded more investment in infrastructure. (SWIDT?) But now it’s about navigation and chaining ideas for everyone, and having a place they can go to.
These are people interested in cat acquisition. But know they don’t know enough, so they are seeking. They need a guided tour. Not only of my site, but also of cats themselves.
I have sections of the site full of posts about how to choose, care for, and make friends with this elusive, then delightful, pet. When I help people reach their cat and solve their problems, they can love each other more.
Which increases the amount of love in the Universe. Keeps cats in their homes. Influences people to say, “I guess so,” with resignation (and secret delight) when a new rescue potential shows up.
Shelters want those homes to be forever, and they can’t be a resource for cat training. Vets are great about some things, but I’ve found them — unless they have multiple cats themselves — clueless about others. Neither have the time to delve into it, so they can’t exactly point to where to go online, either.
I want to be such a resource. For shelter newsletter, for a new parent teaching a toddler how to love the cat,
This will turn into the How to Love the Cat podcast. (I’m thinking Buzzsprout as a pod-home — anyone have thoughts to share?) I have been experimenting with formats and tech for months. I needed a new laptop by then anyway! The old one having passed the magic 7-year Mac milestone, where it starts doing mysterious things. Hey, at least it’s a warning.
Then I learned sound engineering. Then I tried to muffle noise and keep the cats quiet. THEN I realized they were cats. Now Tristan, as actually heard in my latest broadcast, is my co-host. I do think it would be a first for a cat podcast to have a cat as on-air talent. But then, Sir Tristan, Lord of Pickledish, and Duke of Gherkin has never lacked for talent.
Listen to him with my blog post, Pickle Loves Podcasting.
This was a lot of backstory to bring the Cat Shelter Project ready to burst into bloom. My Patreon site is excellently equipped to become Way of Cats University. I need to extend that concept to take care of two groups close to my heart.
Shelters, and the people who seek them. They are highly worthy causes, and I found a way to combine them. But I do think they have mutual interests, certainly.
Over years of running what developed into an actual site, I had refined my ideas, message, and focus. I got better at explaining the holistic part of the cat relationship. From the detailed end.
Going Big Picture for Newbies? I think that’s a calling. Because simplicity is its own challenge.
And is just as needed. Happy Holidays to all Jackals everywhere! Because this is Earth, and someone has a big solstice celebration, somewhere.
That’s who we are.
Learn more at catshelterproject.com.
This has been a Way of Cats PSA
If you’ve got questions, I bet WereBear has answers!
Ruviana
Morgan Le Faye looks very r e l a x e d
ETA: I’d say first but I don’t want Raven to yell at me.
Yutsano
This looks fun and exciting! Hopefully you place as many cats as possible.
WereBear
@Ruviana: She wears herself out on the regular.
JoyceH
Just a general cat comment. I currently have two cats. One was always my cat, and one I inherited when my sister died. They weren’t getting along and I installed a Feliway diffuser and that really helped. I thought I’d only need it until they got used to one another, but it’s been two years now, and when the diffuser runs out, Liam starts taking out after Abby. Just a few days ago, they started scrapping around and I looked and sure enough – it was empty. Put in a replacement, and problem solved. So – if you have cats that don’t get along, or who pee maliciously, Feliway. Stuff really works.
WaterGirl
WereBear, is there anything more that you can tell us about your podcast plans?
Benw
We are adding a new cat to the household next week, moving in with a family member. She’ll have the run of the upstairs while she gets adjusted. Then we’ll introduce the cats and dog separately.
sab
@JoyceH: That’s my experience with Shadow our feral rescue. When the felways are empty she is a bundle of nerves and makes life miserable for the other cats. Otherwise she is fine.
WereBear
Working on all the extra stuff I need to do that; artwork, figuring out a show format with different segments, training with the puppets.
Yes, there will be puppets. I won’t ask my cats to be unhappy or scared, so stunt cats it is.
WaterGirl
@WereBear: I have two more questions for you.
One, is there anything we can do to help your new venture be a success?
Two, I ave never used nor needed Feliway, but my two kitties really got into it this morning. I suspect that it’s a one-off, but I may be away for 6 days at Christmas and they will be here with the pups, with people looking in on them.
I have never left them that long before and I’m wondering if maybe the Feliway diffuser might be a good idea? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated
Also my boy kitty used to regularly get flare-ups of his chronic UTI condition but he really hasn’t since Covid. I always thought it was related to when I travelled, but now I am pretty sure of it. So he will be stressed when I am gone. (If I go.)
WereBear
@WaterGirl: Never known it to hurt. How experienced are they at absences?
WaterGirl
@WereBear: I added this to my comment at #9, probably after you read it.
Also my boy kitty used to regularly get flare-ups of his chronic UTI condition but he really hasn’t since Covid. I always thought it was related to when I travelled, but now I am pretty sure of it. So he will be stressed when I am gone
edit: pre-Covid, I always had someone stay at the house with the kitties and dogs. So this will be new.
WereBear
@Yutsano: My plan is to be like the support team that keeps the cat from boomeranging back to the shelter. That’s just as important as getting them one in the first place.
And there is incredibly bad cat advice out there. I wrote an expose on one where I sweat they had just done search & replace with the word “kitten” instead of “puppy” and it was a recipe for disaster.
Dear Pammy, Is this bad kitten advice?
WereBear
@Benw: Sounds like a good plan!
One of the tricks of cats and change is just keep acting like it’s no big deal, until the new, is no longer new :)
WereBear
@WaterGirl: I always leave a shirt I’ve slept in, or more than one.
Give the Cat a Shirt
Can they meet the people before you go away? “These are good people, be nice to them.”
But still, staying in their home is usually the best plan.
sab
I don’t know if you need attagirls, but your advice over the years was crucial to Dobby making it in our house this summer. My husband has cat charisma and I don’t. I’m a dog person. But he is large and loud and I am small and mostly quiet (unless the cat is peeing on my stuff in full view of me.)
Dobby’s previous owner was a quiet young teenage girl. He has never lived in a house with cats, only chihuahuas (and a tolerant pitbull.). He was initially curious and then entranced with cats. His human household had been tumultuous except for his young girl.
We followed your advice from over the years and now we love him. If she wants him back I ‘d send him, but I would be very sad. She does miss him, but sees how happy he is. Surprisingly, he likes me better than my husband, who over-revs him up during play. The little guy is still toothy and clawy when excited.
WereBear
@sab:
That’s my favorite kind of attagirls.
sab
@WereBear: A couple of my cats love to sleep on my laundry basket, which is an actual old fashioned oval shaped wicker basket with my laundry. I keep the socks and umderwear at the bottom, and an old sheet on top. Everyone sleep on my shirts or nightgowns if they can find one somewhere comfortable. (chair or bed.)
WereBear
@sab: Tristan loves to sleep on the bolster behind my head, with his nose in my hair. Smell means even more to them.
Another Scott
Speaking of cats, …
:-)
(via nycsouthpaw)
Cheers,
Scott.
WereBear
@Another Scott: NICE! Thanks :)
sab
Dobby hid in the basement until he gradually got the courage to come upstairs. We fed him and watered him down there. The rest was up to him. Up here is where we are, come up if you want, don’t if you don’t want, go back down if you want to
He is mostly upstairs now, but he is hurt or offended if I don’t change his litter box every morning, even though he uses everyone elses. I think Shadow uses his, maybe because it is cleaned on a different schedule, or maybe to offend him.
WereBear
@sab: would they share?
sab
@WereBear: They share everything, although the older girls can be nasty. Sometimes I wish I was a cat. That is a girl’s world if you don’t mind having multiple children every year as a single mom.
ETA Our girls are spayed and it is still their world. Interesting different dynamics from humans. Boy cats tiptoe around girl cats, who often have attitude.
sab
@WereBear: Sometimes they do share. I am not as good as my husband about cleaning Dobby’s litter box. ” We do have other boxes.” That hurts his feelings. He sulks and begs a bit when I neglect the basics. I always always feed him on time.
sab
@sab: He also always wants to be fed in the basement although he mostly eats upstairs and StarScream eats downstairs and everywhere else. They all had their special first introductory place that they still expect to be there for them.
sab
Six cats in one house is quite manageable. Six dogs in one house is nuts unless they are all golden retrievers. I have done both. Love dogs, but more cats is easier.
Steeplejack
@Another Scott:
It’s great, but I don’t think it’s real. (Except for the cat.)
sab
@sab: If dogs are ignored they are bereft. If cats are ignored they look for other better cats. They are not pack animals. They can take or leave their associates. But they are colonizers. Sociable cats always like to be around other sociable cats.
sab
@Steeplejack: Agree with you. Cat was the chump, but since he was merely curious he didn’t care and lost nothing.
Another Scott
@Steeplejack: The comments have a link to the FB source – a magician/YouTuber in Egypt.
Well done.
Cheers,
Scott.
WereBear
@sab: I find they do like friends.
Steeplejack
Speaking of cats—libertarians! A great definition.
Gin & Tonic
12 hours without an open thread.
Steeplejack
@Gin & Tonic:
Eh, co-opt this one—it’s the Balloon Juice way.
Gin & Tonic
@Steeplejack: I’m thinking all those B-J commenters who are itching to discuss the Kyrgyz elections won’t poke into a cat thread.
Alison Rose
@Gin & Tonic: Truly, the Lord hath forsaken us.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Gin & Tonic:
Point taken.
sab
@WereBear: I have five cats currently. All of them are friends with at least three other cats, and most are currently friends with all but one cat. The all but one cat varies between cats, so most of them are mostly living with friends. No cat has less than three friends Not at all like my experience of summer camp.
My numbers don’t work because we lost Mac this week and everyone loved him.
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic: For what it’s worth, both the calendar thread and the pet bleg both had Open Threads assigned as one of the categories.
Another Scott
@WaterGirl: I saw that and appreciate it.
But when 99% of the replies are on topic, it’s hard for me, personally, to feel that it’s Ok to post something dramatically off the topic in the title.
Thanks for all you do.
Cheers,
Scott.