• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

The next time the wall wtreet journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

In my day, never was longer.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Infrastructure week. at last.

Eh, that’s media spin. biden’s health is fine and he’s doing a good job.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Mobile Menu

  • Winnable House Races
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Balloon Juice 2023 Pet Calendar (coming soon)
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • War in Ukraine
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • 2021-22 Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Guest Posts / WereBear’s Mission Statement: More cats in more homes!

WereBear’s Mission Statement: More cats in more homes!

by WaterGirl|  November 28, 20213:00 pm| 40 Comments

This post is in: Guest Posts, WereBear Guest Cat Posts

FacebookTweetEmail

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

Rhiannon
Morgen Le Faye

*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!

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Cat Rescue Bleg — East Tennessee
Next Post: Medium Cool with BGinCHI – Food! »

Reader Interactions

40Comments

  1. 1.

    Ruviana

    November 22, 2021 at 7:28 pm

    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.

  2. 2.

    Yutsano

    November 28, 2021 at 3:09 pm

    This looks fun and exciting! Hopefully you place as many cats as possible.

  3. 3.

    WereBear

    November 28, 2021 at 3:09 pm

    @Ruviana: She wears herself out on the regular.

  4. 4.

    JoyceH

    November 28, 2021 at 3:22 pm

    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.

  5. 5.

    WaterGirl

    November 28, 2021 at 3:22 pm

    WereBear, is there anything more that you can tell us about your podcast plans?

  6. 6.

    Benw

    November 28, 2021 at 3:26 pm

    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.

  7. 7.

    sab

    November 28, 2021 at 3:30 pm

    @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.

  8. 8.

    WereBear

    November 28, 2021 at 3:44 pm

    @WaterGirl: WereBear, is there anything more that you can tell us about your podcast plans?

     
    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.

  9. 9.

    WaterGirl

    November 28, 2021 at 3:57 pm

    @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.)

  10. 10.

    WereBear

    November 28, 2021 at 4:02 pm

    @WaterGirl: Never known it to hurt. How experienced are they at absences?

  11. 11.

    WaterGirl

    November 28, 2021 at 4:21 pm

    @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.

  12. 12.

    WereBear

    November 28, 2021 at 4:33 pm

    @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?

  13. 13.

    WereBear

    November 28, 2021 at 4:34 pm

    @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 :)

  14. 14.

    WereBear

    November 28, 2021 at 4:36 pm

    @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.

  15. 15.

    sab

    November 28, 2021 at 4:41 pm

    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.

  16. 16.

    WereBear

    November 28, 2021 at 4:45 pm

    @sab:

    I don’t know if you need attagirls–

    We followed your advice from over the years and now we love him.

    That’s my favorite kind of attagirls.

  17. 17.

    sab

    November 28, 2021 at 4:48 pm

    @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.)

  18. 18.

    WereBear

    November 28, 2021 at 4:55 pm

    @sab: Tristan loves to sleep on the bolster behind my head, with his nose in my hair. Smell means even more to them.

  19. 19.

    Another Scott

    November 28, 2021 at 4:58 pm

    Speaking of cats, …

    I so hope this is real.

    “I give this masterpiece of silent cinema a 10 out of 10!” https://t.co/yQB3teaUqI

    — Kurt Andersen (@KBAndersen) November 27, 2021

    :-)

    (via nycsouthpaw)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  20. 20.

    WereBear

    November 28, 2021 at 5:03 pm

    @Another Scott: NICE! Thanks :)

  21. 21.

    sab

    November 28, 2021 at 5:16 pm

    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.

  22. 22.

    WereBear

    November 28, 2021 at 5:27 pm

    @sab: would they share?

  23. 23.

    sab

    November 28, 2021 at 5:34 pm

    @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.

  24. 24.

    sab

    November 28, 2021 at 5:45 pm

    @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.

  25. 25.

    sab

    November 28, 2021 at 5:54 pm

    @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.

  26. 26.

    sab

    November 28, 2021 at 6:11 pm

    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.

  27. 27.

    Steeplejack

    November 28, 2021 at 6:16 pm

    @Another Scott:

    It’s great, but I don’t think it’s real. (Except for the cat.)

  28. 28.

    sab

    November 28, 2021 at 6:19 pm

    @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.

  29. 29.

    sab

    November 28, 2021 at 6:23 pm

    @Steeplejack: Agree with you. Cat was the chump, but since he was merely curious he didn’t care and lost nothing.

  30. 30.

    Another Scott

    November 28, 2021 at 6:28 pm

    @Steeplejack: The comments have a link to the FB source – a magician/YouTuber in Egypt.

    Well done.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  31. 31.

    WereBear

    November 28, 2021 at 6:36 pm

    @sab: I find they do like friends.

  32. 32.

    Steeplejack

    November 28, 2021 at 6:37 pm

    Speaking of cats—libertarians! A great definition.

  33. 33.

    Gin & Tonic

    November 28, 2021 at 6:53 pm

    12 hours without an open thread.

  34. 34.

    Steeplejack

    November 28, 2021 at 6:58 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Eh, co-opt this one—it’s the Balloon Juice way.

  35. 35.

    Gin & Tonic

    November 28, 2021 at 7:01 pm

    @Steeplejack: I’m thinking all those B-J commenters who are itching to discuss the Kyrgyz elections won’t poke into a cat thread.

  36. 36.

    Alison Rose

    November 28, 2021 at 7:02 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Truly, the Lord hath forsaken us.

  37. 37.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    November 28, 2021 at 7:12 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Point taken.

  38. 38.

    sab

    November 28, 2021 at 7:14 pm

    @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.

  39. 39.

    WaterGirl

    November 28, 2021 at 7:18 pm

    @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.

  40. 40.

    Another Scott

    November 28, 2021 at 7:59 pm

    @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.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

2023 Pet Calendars

Pet Calendar Preview: A
Pet Calendar Preview: B

*Calendars can not be ordered until Cafe Press gets their calendar paper in.

Recent Comments

  • tobie on War for Ukraine Day 336: The Russians Renew Their Bombardment of Ukraine (Jan 26, 2023 @ 8:41pm)
  • Sure Lurkalot on Repub Venality Open Thread: Bill Barr & John Durham In Cahoots (Jan 26, 2023 @ 8:37pm)
  • Sister Golden Bear on Repub Venality Open Thread: Bill Barr & John Durham In Cahoots (Jan 26, 2023 @ 8:36pm)
  • Baud on Repub Venality Open Thread: Bill Barr & John Durham In Cahoots (Jan 26, 2023 @ 8:34pm)
  • JPL on Repub Venality Open Thread: Bill Barr & John Durham In Cahoots (Jan 26, 2023 @ 8:34pm)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
We All Need A Little Kindness
Favorite Dogs & Cats
Classified Documents: A Primer

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup

Front-pager Twitter

John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
TaMara
David Anderson
ActualCitizensUnited

Shop Amazon via this link to support Balloon Juice   

Join the Fight!

Join the Fight Signup Form
All Join the Fight Posts

Balloon Juice Events

5/14  The Apocalypse
5/20  Home Away from Home
5/29  We’re Back, Baby
7/21  Merging!

Balloon Juice for Ukraine

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!