» GREAT WAY TO START A DAY

Often in the morning I wake up feeling dopey and less than happy. Recently, my usually non-cuddly cat, who sleeps with her head on the pillow next to mine, has decided to help me out. When I put my hand over to her, she wraps her very soft, warm body around my hand and purrs. It warms my heart as well as my hand to start the day with such affection.

~Marianne

» FORREST

Forrest always makes my day. We got him nine years ago at the Toronto Humane Society, I was eight then. We had a scare with FIP two years ago, where he went blind and we were told he would probably die within two weeks. I cried for three days straight. A month later, he was back to normal. He now warms my feet up at night, and he snuggles me when I need a snuggle, even though I sometimes have to sacrifice a chair or pillow for him to be comfy. He scares my little cousins off when they bother me too. He also is good for comic relief on a long, tiring day with the silly things he does. He’s just getting over a kitty cold, and I love when he sneezes, he crosses his eyes and looks at his nose and makes wimpy little achoo’s. And nothing warms my heart more then seeing him clean his face. That is the cutest thing ever. 

~Katrina

» SNICKERS

November 2003, my aunt saw a small animal across the street from her house. When she went outside, she realized it was a kitten, too little to be out on his own. She took the kitten inside, and he ran to hide in a box that had Snickers written on the outside. My aunt made "found kitten signs" to post in the neighborhood but no one called. That Christmas I saw little Snickers, who was friendly, outgoing, and had tons of personality. When I left her home I couldn't stop thinking about him. I called her and asked her if Snickers could come live with me. Snickers and I have been together for almost a year now. Everyday he
does something amazing. He often sits in my lap, loves to listen to NPR, and watch nature shows. He loves to visit the other people and animals in the building. He's just wonderful!!!!

~Nicole

» DANDY AND DAZZLE

» THE CAT HOUSE

When this scrawny, tired kitten wandered into my shop, THE CAT HOUSE, in Georgia, she truly looked like something a caring cat may drag in. Well I decided to adopt her. The rest is history. You can see by her picture why she makes my day. I certainly can.

» CATS IN THE MANGER

Christmas time is a favorite time for our three cats. Aren't we lucky that they respect our Christmas tree with all its many ornaments. In fact, they become part of its landscape! They assume the positions of the animals in the manger. Yes, Bancha, Aztec and Luka hang out under the tree and lap up all the attention and joy that the tree is given. You should see them, it makes our day!

~Andrew & Family, N.Y.

» MESSAGE FROM MY MOTHER

Mom died three years ago in Seattle. After the funeral, I mused, "Mom, please send me a message. While in Seattle I stayed with my brother and his two cats, Razz and Pumpkin. In the past they hardly noticed me. But this time both cats came to sleep on my bed and did so for the remainder of my visit. Mom knew I'd recently lot my own dear Siamese, Genji. Perhaps she was the inspiration of Razz and Pumpkin's watch over me. I like to think this was her message.

~R. Lorch, N.Y.C

» BUCKWHEAT

Buckwheat is our cat and lives with us in Salsbury on Mt. Desert Island in Maine. About two years ago he followed my husband home and established himself as a member of the family. His favorite game is to chase a frozen cranberry. You might say our Buckwheat is "au naturel" when it comes to his water consumption. One look at him in pursuit of "the drips" shows one of the many ways he makes our day!

~Guardians Rick & Alison, Salsbury, Mt. Desert, Maine

» TIFFANY CALLING

Tiffany, our silver grey Cincilla/Persian cat is of royal line and disposition. Although happy to chat occasionally on the telephone to local ‘known and suitably introduced’ friends, Queen Tiffy is more interested in long distance calls. From our residence in Melbourne, Australia, she particularly enjoys deep and meaningful calls from her special friend, Steven, now resident in far away Los Angeles.

Telephone to ear, listening carefully, she hears Steven’s “Hello Tiffy” on the line from USA, and bursts forth with a resounding “Miaow”. Steven works in a Hollywood studio so always has lots of interesting stories to recount. Fascinated by the sound of that familiar and much loved voice, Tiffany, perhaps not catching all of his words, responds appreciatively with repeated soft “miaows”.

Tiffany’s attention is broken only when Steven finally says, “Good bye, Tiffy”, and the Pacific widens again to separate him from his beloved furry favourite.

Steven, with constant thoughts of his folks at home, finds that TIFFANY’S ‘PHONE CALLS OFTEN MAKE HIS DAY!!

~ Val Jacobson

» PONCHO

Poncho is a miniature black panther of a cat. Poncho was a one-year-old feral cat when we adopted him two years ago. We used your introduction technique and he's bonded with us and our three older cats much easier than we expected, for example, he didn't understand "play" when he arrived. If you threw him a toy or threw it for him to chase, he thought it was prey and took it off to a corner somewhere to rip it apart. He's a happy soul who is loving with us and playful with the other cats. When my work is done Poncho leaps into my lap in a bound, flops into my chest with a thump, and lets out a big purr that I can feel inside my chest. It's such a wholehearted, unmitigated expression of love that I just melt - and I don't melt easily. Most cats express love more subtly. They arrive gently, rub against you lightly, pause to let you respond with some pets or scratches, etc. It's a little dance of a minute or two, before they settle in and purr. Very feline and feminine - and that's fine. But Poncho is different. He just lands on me and starts rumbling. Maybe it's a guy thing, but I just love it. Poncho makes my day – every day.

~ D.J., New York

» TOOTHACHE RELIEF

One of my clients told me how one night she went to bed very early with a throbbing toothache. She woke up in the middle of the night to find her twelve-year-old cat curled up beside her on her pillow. Her toothache was gone! Never before had her cat slept on her pillow. "He must have soothed my nerves and muscles," she told me. Of course, she scheduled an appointment with her dentist that day. But she felt she had her cat to thank for temporary relief.

» GELI'S GIFT

Our 18 years old, spayed cat Geli is, to us, a miracle. With daily fluid-therapy, we've been able to control her renal failure for the past three years. She's not fond of the routine but tolerates the inconvenience. A few weeks ago Geli lost her sight. We were afraid we'd lose her. But the vet decided to start her on medication for high blood pressure because her loss of sight might have been a result of her kidney dysfunction. No promises, but maybe! Well our Geli regained her sight. I must say we're still thanking her "lucky stars' that she was given another one of her nine lives. Geli continues to MAKE OUR DAY.

» NICKY

My cat Nicky entered my life thirteen years ago. So we've lived together through her kittenhood and now senior years. Although Nicky is most independent and often sedate, she has incredible timing. She seems to know when to appear and hand out with me. One of things I love best about her is our morning time. Each morning I spend some time vocalizing and doing my acting exercises. Each morning Nicky plops down beside me. It's almost as she knows an actor loves an audience. I think of Nicky as my live-in coach because if I stumble over my lines or hit a wrong note, Nicky flicks her tail or shuts her eyes. Her company and awareness always "MAKES MY DAY!"

» TOADIE

I am privileged to be the guardian of SEVEN rescued cats and love them all dearly. But the one I’ve had the longest is Toadie, white, with one blue eye and one amber eye. I rescued her when she was abandoned at about three weeks old. Whenever she needs a cuddle, she comes to me to let me know. I pick her up and she snuggles into my neck, purring loudly and licking my neck. No matter what kind of day I’ve had, I’m all better—thanks to my Toadie who MAKES MY DAY!

» For MORE INFO, ask the cat therapist