Island-Cats.com…the Home of Our Happy Grosse Ile Cats

  Zoey:  Hi everyone!  I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me but a lot has been happening.  I finally made it upstairs to The Big House!!!  Or at least a room in the Big House!  YEAH!!!  It’s nice in here.  There’s a nice, soft bed to sleep on and WINDOWS!!!  I can see outside now!  And it sure looks nice out there…lots of trees and chirping birds!  There’s so much to see!!!  And I can lay in a sunbeam!  Oh joy!!!

And I met those other cats I heard!  They call themselves the Island Cats… Boy, these Island Cats sure have it pretty good here!!  Am I an Island Cat now???  One of them is named Ernie.  He is all black and is a lot bigger than me.  And he has the biggest feet!  I’ve never seen such big feet before.  At first, it was a little scarey seeing him.  But then I realized that he just wants to play.  We played a little through this fence that’s across the door.

The lady with the yellow hair (the Island Cats call her “Mom;” should I call her “Mom” too????), well, she let Ernie into the room to play with me and at first I wasn’t sure if I could trust him.  But after a while, we were jumping and play fighting and playing with all the toys together.  I like playing with Ernie’s tail!  And we sat in the window together and watched the birds.

I’ve never been around a nice cat before….this is great!  I really like it here.  And I think I’m going to like being an Island Cat!! 

The other Island Cat…the orange stripey one…his name is Wally.  I don’t think he likes me.  He hisses at me.  So I hiss back.  I wonder why he doesn’t like me??? 

The lady with the yellow…I mean, Mom…walked me around the rest of the Big House.  There’s a lot of stuff to see…more windows to look out.  I can’t wait until I can run around the rest of this place!!

  Ernie:  Wally was right!!  There was a cat in the room down below.  And now she’s in Wally World!  Mom lets me go into the room and play with her.  It’s so much fun having someone new to play with. 

But she’s WILD!!!  She chases me almost as much as I chase her.  And she won’t leave my tail alone!

  Wally:  I was right!!  I was right!!  I was right!!  Mom and Dad brought another cat into our house!  And I’m not very happy about it.  I mean, what about me???  And she’s a girl cat!  Hey, no girls allowed!!!  Well, except for Mom…

Ernie’s a traitor!  He jumped right into Wally World and started playing with that new cat!  How can he be so friendly so quickly???  That new cat might have cooties…doesn’t he know that??

Mom says this cat didn’t have a home and was living outside where it was cold and wet.  And she didn’t have any food…she had to find food in garbage cans.  Mom says we had to give her a home.  But does it have to be my home??!?

Mom says I’m still top cat around here.  But I don’t know…I still don’t like it…no, not at all!

A friend sent me this funny video.  The guys that developed this video describe it as follows:

Two professional engineers illustrate the proper care and practical benefits of cats. None of the cats, humans, or engineers were mistreated in the making of this film. They were however, slightly annoyed.

 I hope you get as much of a laugh from it as I did. 

Remember my post regarding Nermal, a feral cat that was taken in by some nice people and is now no longer living outside? 

  
(See:  An Interview With Nermal)

A few days after posting that interview, I received a very nice e-mail from Nermal’s auntie Pat.  Pat informed me that Nermal is an Island Cat!  How about that!??!!  Nermal lives on Prudence Island, RI.  The only time he goes to the “mainland” is to visit his doctor…and when he does go, he has to go by ferry boat!  I wonder if Nermal has his own life jacket???  Come to think of it, the only time the Island Cats go to the “mainland” is when they go to the doctor, too.  But they go by car, not by boat.

Wally and Ernie (and now Zoey) welcome you to the Island Cat Club, Nermal!!!  So nice to have you as a member!!! 

Having a polydactyl cat myself, I found this LOLcat pretty amusing.  This isn’t Ernie, but  it could have been since Ernie has “four flats” too. 

See more funny LOLcats at www.icanhascheezburger.com

  Hi there!  They call me Zoey….and sometimes Sweet Pea or the Little Princess.  I don’t know exactly where I am now but all I know it’s lots better than where I was. 

I used to be outside…it was cold, sometimes wet and sometimes snowy.  And it was loud sometimes…lots of machines moving and making noise.   And it was dirty and muddy.   And I was hungry and I never knew if or when I was going to eat.  It was scarey.  Someday I’ll tell you my whole story.

But I’m not outside anymore.  Now I’m here in a nice warm place.  But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t scared when I first got here.  I was.  I mean, I didn’t know if I could trust these people that brought me here – the nice guy and the lady with the yellow hair.  But I’ve been here for a few weeks now and I think I’m going to be okay.  It’s warm and dry here and I never have to worry about food…the lady with the yellow hair gives me food every day…three times a day, as a matter of fact.  I think I’m getting a little fat!  Imagine that!!  And the food she gives me is REALLY GOOD!  Beats eating garbage and mice and bugs.  (Wait a minute, a good bug once in awhile isn’t so bad!  )  And I get to watch this box that has pictures in it and the pictures talk and make noise (these people like watching something called “HGTV”).  And I have lots of toys to play with even though it’s not as fun playing with a fake mouse after you’ve chased the real thing.  And I think the nice guy and the lady with the yellow hair are okay.  It’s still a little scarey here, but I think I am happier than when I was outside.

Like I said, I’ve been here for a few weeks now.   But I think there’s more to “here” than what I see.  I mean, the nice guy and the lady with the yellow hair come down the stairs and give me food and play with me and then they go back up the stairs and leave.  Where are they going?  What’s up those stairs?

I climb up to the top of those stairs and I hear all sorts of stuff on the other side of that door.  I hear the nice guy and the lady with the yellow hair talking and I hear other cats meowing and sometimes scratching on the door.  What’s going on up there????

Sounds like it might be kinda fun up there.  I wonder if those meowing cats like to play?  I wonder if they would play with me?  I hope so.   ‘Cuz I love to play!  I think I could play all day.

So when do I get to go up there, too?  I hope it’s soon.  I mean, it’s nice here but something tells me it’s even nicer up there!!!

  Okay, now it’s mine turn on this blog. 

Wally says there’s something going on in that room below.  I think he may be right.  Mom and Dad keep going down there.  And I’ve seen shadows and smelled something strange at the door.  Today I even heard something meowing at the door! 

Wally doesn’t like the strange smells.  When he gets a wiff, he gets mad and yells at me.  Like it’s my fault or something.  If he wants to get mad, he should get mad at Mom and Dad, not me.  The smells don’t bother me…they’re just different…and they just make me more curious.   

Wally says it’s another cat down there.  Personally, I don’t care if it is another cat.  Another Island Cat might be fun…somebody new to play with.  Wally doesn’t like to play with me all the time.  He can be a real stick-in-mud sometimes.  And I like to play.  Chasing Wally is one of my favorite games!! 

I just don’t want to have to share my food.  Food is very important to me.  I love to eat!!!  I don’t mind sharing Wally’s food…I just don’t like it when he tries to share mine.  That’s why I eat so fast.  So Wally can’t get my food.  If it is a cat down there, I hope it doesn’t want to share my food.  That would not be good…no sirree, not at all.  I’ll have to start eating my food even faster, I guess.

So I don’t want to share my food.  Oh yeah, and my spot on the bed.  I don’t want to share that either.  Food and spot on the bed…I’m not sharing those.   Everything else, fine by me.

Wally and me are trying to get down there to see what’s going on but, so far, no success.  Mom and Dad are just too careful when they come through the door and we can’t sneak by them.  And I’ve had no luck turning the doorknob myself.  We gotta get down there and see what’s going on!

Hey, there’s something on the other side of this door!!!!

Having just taken in a semi-feral cat (ssshhhh!!!  Don’t tell Wally and Ernie!!  They still haven’t figured out what’s going on!), I found this article from Itchmo (News for cats and dogs from Itchmo) very interesting.  Taking in this semi-feral cat and trying to socialize her has made me more aware of the plight of the feral cat.  That’s why programs such as TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) are so important and can be helpful. 

This interview with Nermal provides an interesting viewpoint from the perspective of the feral cat.  It is worth reading.

An Interview With Nermal

Posted on Friday, March 21st, 2008 at 11:59 am  By: Patty Richard

The following is an interview with Nermal, Rochester’s housemate. Shortly before his death, Rochester wrote his final piece for Itchmo.  In it, he told his faithful readers that Nermal would attempt to fill the void left by his passing. Nermal has been practicing his cat-to-human communication skills and should be ready to write his own articles soon.

Reporter: Hello, Nermal. Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to talk to us today.

Nermal: Did you bring any cat candy? I was told there would be cat candy.

Reporter: Can we do the interview first?

Nermal: Ok, but don’t forget.

Reporter: Nermal is an unusual name. How did you get that name?

Nermal: Auntie named me after a kitten in the Garfield cartoons.  Nermal is the cutest kitten in the world.

Reporter: So you’re the cutest kitten in the world?

Nermal: I guess so. Except I’m not a kitten. Auntie never saw me when I was a kitten. Is it time for cat candy yet?

Read the rest of this entry »

  Hi, it’s me…Wally.  I’m taking over this blog today because I have something to say.  There’s something going on in that room down below.  I don’t know exactly what….but I have my suspicions.  The last couple of weeks, Mom and Dad have been spending way too much time down there….and they never spend that much time down there….well, not together, at least.  And Mom keeps taking dishes of food down there.  What’s that all about?   And they won’t let me and Ernie go down there and play.  And the other day…I actually smelled something different and saw strange movements on the other side of the door.  Ernie’s noticed it too, but he doesn’t get as excited about it as I do. 

You know what I think???  I think there’s another cat down there.  Yep, that’s what I think.  And I’m not too sure I like that.  I mean, I’m still getting use to having Ernie around.  Please don’t tell me that they are planning to bring another one into my space.  Do we really need another Island Cat???  Mom keeps telling us how lucky we are…that we’ve got lots of room here…and that every cat wants to be an Island Cat.  But I’m not sure I want to share with someone else.  I mean, I’m already sharing everything with Ernie.

I just have to get down there and see what’s going on.  Ernie told me he wants to get down there, too.  We got to figure out a plan to find out what’s going on down there.  Maybe Ernie can use those big paws of his to turn the doorknob and get the door opened.  I’ll let you know when we find out what’s going on…

   Hmmm, what’s going on down there???

  Hey, Ernie.  Reach up there with those big feet of yours and turn that doorknob, okay?  We gotta get down there and see what’s going on!!

   There’s gotta be a way to get this door open….

Here’s a quote I found that explains the difference between cats and dogs.

“A dog looks at you and says, ‘You take care of me.  You must be a god.’  A cat looks at you and says ‘You give me food and shelter.  I must be a god.’”

How true!! 

Today, March 11, is the two year anniversary of Ernie entering our lives and becoming an Island Cat.  I had just lost my beloved cat, Scooter, in January.  I was somewhat reluctant to get another cat, but I knew Wally needed a playmate. 

When I heard that black cats were the least adopted in shelters, I decided that I wanted to adopt a black cat.  I began searching on petfinder.com and found at the Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society, not only a black cat, but a black cat that was a polydactyl (meaning he has extra toes).  He was about 6-7 months old.  “Perfect!” I thought.  I called the shelter for more information and found out that this kitten was at a veterinary clinic in Clinton Township recovering from a respiratory infection.  I asked if I could see him and was told yes.  I drove to the clinic which was over an hour away.  There I met a friendly black cat with the biggest feets!  Wow!  Here is a photo of Ernie at our first meeting.

Check out his feet!  I knew after this first meeting that this cat was destine to become an Island Cat. 

A day or so later, I called the shelter and told them that I wanted to adopt this black cat only to find out that he had been moved from the vet clinic to a PetSmart where he was made available for adoption.  They immediately put a “hold” on him and told me he was mine.  That following Saturday I drove another hour to the PetSmart to pick up Ernie and bring him to his forever home.  I spent the entire drive home talking to him in the carrier, telling him how much fun he was going to have being an Island Cat.

Ernie is a wonderful addition to our Island Cat family.  He is friendly, charming, silly and sometimes a stinker.    We couldn’t have asked for better.  Some say Ernie is lucky that we found him but I think we are the lucky ones!

Happy Anniversary, Ernie!  We are so happy you are part of our lives!

Saw this on youtube.  Enjoy!  Make sure you have your volume on! 

Janet Comeford, a good friend of my MIL, has been a volunteer for many years at the St. Francis cat shelter in Venice, FL.  (Personally, I think shelter volunteers are saints.)  The St. Francis is a no-kill shelter that cares for approximately 200 cats.  Some have been at the St. Francis since it opened 14 years ago.

On cold days, Janet says six or seven cats will cuddle on top of the warm clothes dryer.  Janet sent this picture of the “Dryer Gang.”

Here’s some more info about the St. Francis shelter: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/sfarfl.html

Keep up the good work at the shelter, Janet, and thanks for sharing the photo of the “Dryer Gang.” 

This is a truly amazing story about two unlikely BFFs  — a kitten and a crow.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

There’s a myth about Black Cats - that they are bad luck and evil.  I say “myth” because nothing could be more farther from the truth.

What you may not know about Black Cats…

• Black cats are considered good luck in England, Japan and Australia.
• Some believe a bride will have good luck on her wedding day if a black cat sneezes near her.
• In Scotland, finding a black cat on your porch is a sign of riches and happiness to come.
• Some believe stroking the fur of black cats brings health and wealth.
• Having a black cat enter your home is also thought to bring good luck.
• Fishermen’s wives kept black cats while their husbands went away to sea.  They believed that the black cats would prevent danger from occurring to their husbands.  Black cats were considered so valuable that they were often stolen.

It is only in some Western cultures like the U.S. that the black cat is considered bad luck and evil.  Did you know that because of this misconception, black cats tend to be the most overlooked in shelters?  They are statistically proven to be more difficult to adopt from shelters despite being sweet, friendly, affectionate and well adjusted just like their more colorful counterparts.

And now that I, myself, am owned by one of these sleek, black creatures, I can say this is TRUE!!  Black cats are WONDERFUL!!! 

How could you not love this??

Or this??

When I learned of the fact that black cats had difficulty being adopted, I made it a point to adopt a black cat.  And I don’t regret it.  Ernie is such a sweetie!  I couldn’t ask for better.

Here’s some more reasons to adopt a Black Cat:

• You’ll save $$$ on their Halloween costume.
• You can always find them in the snow.
• Holding a black cat is very slimming.
• Black cats will match any decor.
• Black kitty hairs won’t show up on that perfect little black dress.
• Black cats are like onyx, a beautiful gem.
• Hey, they don’t care what color you are! 

Jodi sent this photo of Leo.  Leo wants to be an Island Cat, too!

   What a face!

Leo likes sinks just like the Island Cats.

Welcome to the Island, Leo!