Lola

Lolabelle: Adventure Cat

The life of a domestic cat in this house is rough. My cat, Lola, can attest to this! First there is eating, then there is napping, then there is whisker cleaning, which is followed by the time-honored art of the stalking of the sun spots. Somewhere in between all this, one must find time for litter boxing and monitoring the bathtub. (Just to sit in it for 10 seconds to verify it’s still there. Because you can never know when a pesky bathtub is going to pick up and take off on you, can you?) Then she has to climb onto the bed to make sure I made it, but if it’s too flat, it’s no good and must be unmade so it’s ready for remaking.

You can see how loaded and tiresome a cat’s schedule can be.

To combat this inertia and help cats live the best life possible, Purina Pro Plan has proclaimed June 15 National “Take Your Cat on an Adventure” Day! This can mean conquering new territory, arranging play dates, or bringing in new toys or settings for kitties to explore.

When Purina Pro Plan asked me to take my cat on an adventure, I thought the answer was obvious: a walk outside in the yard. Purina Pro Plan did a “cat walk” in NYC on May 23, so I thought we’d do a little one at home. It’s been a crazy long winter and although Lola is an indoor cat, she loves the occasional stroll in the garden. So, of course, I waited until late morning on a sunny day when there would be a minimal chance of a dog walking by (this is for the dog’s protection, not Lola’s). I scooped her up in a blanket and walked out to the yard, gently sitting down in the grass so she could acclimate to her surroundings. Considerate cat mother points, right?

WRONG. As soon as she hit the ground and ran away, pawing furiously at the door to go back inside. Can’t we just have a nice stroll through the garden?

So, of course, I let her in. An hour later, I picked her up to go back out and again, she gave me the business.

So much for outdoor adventure!

Outdoor activities are not for every cat, but there are many ways you can bring adventure inside as well. I followed her lead and decided to keep things safe and indoors. After much consideration I asked myself, “What is Lola’s favorite thing to do inside?” I looked at her and she looked at me and then she stuck her head in the glass on my lap.

BINGO: Lola’s greatest excitement comes from drinking water from glasses and bowls that don’t belong to her.

So this is what I did…

I filled ten bowls and glasses with water and hid them in random spots around the house: in the closet, by the dishwasher, on an end table…

It doesn’t look like much, but for Lola, this is Disneyland. Random water sources wherever she goes is the most exciting thing to happen around here in ages. Oh, Lola. Let the adventure begin!

So let’s talk about this! How would you provide an adventure for your cat?

Feeling adventurous? Visit www.mygreatcatadventure.com to learn more and share your experiences with #MyGreatCat and @ProPlanCat.

National “Take Your Cat on an Adventure” Day is June 15th. How will you be celebrating?

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This post was sponsored by Purina; all opinions expressed within are mine. Or my cat’s. Mostly hers. Either way, thank you for supporting the brands that make this site possible. Thank you!

Fancy Feasting with Lola

by aunt peaches 52 Comments

Lola, or as she is known by her formal name, Lolabelle the Magnificent, is more than a cat. She is a lifestyle. Since adopting her from a shelter in 2008, she has become my companion, my alarm clock, my business coach, and my child-with-fur.

Lola’s portrait by Colleen Jorgensen

Though she now lives the life of a princess, Lola once lived as a feral cat on the Southside of Chicago, then later at The Treehouse shelter. At the time, her eyes were bad and a respiratory infection made it difficult for her to breath. When she walked into my lap and started purring, she began drooling and her nose stared to drip. I could feel a painful raspiness in her lungs vibrating on the top of my leg. The Treehouse had saved her from another Chicago winter outside, and they were treating her as best they could, but the stress of the environment wasn’t helping her to get better. Given her health, and her “anger management issues” with other cats, almost any other shelter would have put Lola down without a second thought. The Treehouse gave her a shot.

And then they gave her to me.

Within a few days of her arrival home, Lola’s infection began to clear up, her confidence surged, and slowly but surely, she assumed her reign over my house, and at times, my life in general.

Sometimes that means waking up at dawn to find her sitting on my chest, whiskers illuminated by morning light.

Sometimes that means making party hats to celebrate her birthday with friends (none of whom are cats).

Sometimes that means taking orders from her on my work. Lola loves to help make crafts. Perhaps, at times, a bit too much.

Sometimes that means buying an orange couch to show off her orange fur to its best advantage.

Sometimes that means getting up at all hours of the night as she is howling in the bathtub because she wants water directly from the faucet.

Sometimes that means dancing to Tupac songs at 6am.

A video posted by Peaches (@aunt_peaches) on Feb 9, 2015 at 6:19am PST

Sometimes that means purchasing a grown-man-sized cat tree, only to have her reject it and demand a bed directly next to said tree, even if that means she now takes up 30% of my desk at all times.

Sometimes that means feeding her three times a day. Yes, three. Plus dry food around the clock. Of course, glamourpuss that she is, Lola only eats the best and she demands a variety of options. She frequently turns food down and wails for a replacement dish. When Fancy Feast asked if they could send me some of their new Broths with Chicken to Lola, I said we’d try them out and see what happened.

A week later we got the box, opened the packets, and the food literally looks delicious. Somewhere between chicken soup and a seafood stew. You can see the individual ingredients. I was impressed! Of course, my opinion does not matter here; the question was, what would Lola think?

This is what Lola thought.

Lola approved. Lola approved in 12 seconds flat.

Wow.

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Full disclosure: The post was brought to you by the makers of Fancy Feast. I received compensation to write this post. All opinions within this post are entirely my own. Or Lola’s. Mostly Lola’s.

Lola and I want to thank YOU for supporting the brands that make this site possible. Thank you, Fancy Feast!

If you would like to learn more #WaysToWow your cat, visit Fancy Feast’s social media channels.

Tumblr | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | WOWServedDaily.com

Lolabelle: The Portrait

by aunt peaches 9 Comments

Number 68 on my life list: “Get Lola’s portrait painted.” I had a feeling it would be the last straw in my magnificent spiral toward crazy cat lady, but, so be it. I was ready to take the plunge!

Fortunately for me, about a month ago I was in an online conversation with some blogging friends when Amy suggested Colleen might try her hand at pet portraits. Actually Amy told Colleen, “You NEED to sell custom dog portraits.” …and that was that.

Opportunist that I am, I said I didn’t have a dog, but my cat was as worthy of painterly attention, if not more, especially considering her special talent for yodeling, whisker dancing, and drinking from the bathtub (!!!!) Why, can you even imagine a cat more deserving of a portrait than Lola?

That was a rhetorical question.

So I contacted Colleen and said I’d be one of her first customers and sent her 5 or 6 photos. A few days later she showed me a preliminary sketch, which was impressive all by itself (see here process here). A few days after that I saw another one, then a few days after that guess what arrived on my doorstep?

It’s a bit like eating dinner with the Mona Lisa, but less old and with better hair.

I really was not expected to love it so much. My many, many, (many) photos of Lola are wonderful, but there is something so special about a painting made with love. The hand and the care of the artist comes through in the brushwork. When Colleen told me she at one time kept eight cats (EIGHT) I wasn’t surprised — you can see her love of cats in her work.

I wish you guys could see it in person. Pictures of paintings never do the work justice. Y’all have to come over and check it out!

Not surprisingly, in just the last few weeks, the demand for Colleen’s work has already taken off — you can see a gallery of her work right here (this little guy is my favorite).

As she launches into portrait painting empire, and as a favor to me, Colleen is offering a limited number of commission portraits to Aunt Peaches readers at the friends/family discount rate of $99. Her 8×10 pieces usually start at $150 (which is still half of what commission portraits of this quality go for these days) (believe me, I have been looking for some time). Are you interested in a one-of-a-kind work of art portrait of your fur baby?

Thought so.

Go to Colleeen’s Etsy shop. First first ten readers to enter PEACHES1 as a coupon code gets the $150 portrait (8 x 10 on canvas or paper) for $99.

FYI: Colleens typical turnaround time is 3-4 weeks, but you can also purchase one now as a gift for someone else at a later date. Actually, some friends of mine just got married and one of their gifts was a portrait of their pooch — it wasn’t on their registry, but it’s their favorite gift. Now why didn’t I think to give them that?!

Also FYI, I just want to take a sec to clarify that this is not a sponsored post. Colleen did not ask me to do this. I am her friend, but I am also her customer and her fan. I believe in work and I’m honored to have a piece of her talents on display in my home. And Lola feels the same…

You can’t tell from the photo, but she just said THANK YOU COLLEEN!

See Colleen’s talent in motion: Blog | Etsy shop | Facebook

Team Cat Lady

by PEACHES 9 Comments

Let me tell you something, it’s rough being a cat lady. People are all, Wouldn’t you rather have a dog? Or a husband? Cat’s are so judgmental. You can’t tell what they are thinking. They just poop and eat and all you can do is pray they don’t kill you while you sleep.

What do I tell these people?

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

This weekend I went to the International Cat Video Film Festival. I sat in an auditorium with hundreds of other cat people watching famous cat videos that most of us already saw on Youtube.

That might sound weird to you, but I’ll tell you something, it felt good. Watching cats on the internet is generally, a solo activity. On Saturday, it was done as a group. It felt good to be part of something bigger. To be part of a team. A team of people. Cat people. My people.

Sometimes I make fun of people for being fanatical sports fans. People who follow a team like it was their job. People who can quote key player stats easier than their own children’s birthdays. Those people creep me out. They say it’s not about the game…“it’s about the team. Being part of something huge! A legacy!” Like I’m supposed to understand that. I didn’t. I didn’t until I sat in a room full of hundreds of other cat people and sighed and squealed with them unison, excited and elated to watch the same things at the same time. We were together. We were rooting for a common cause. I looked around and thought, This is it. This is what it’s like to watch a playoff game at Hooters.

Now I get it. Sports fans, I understand you now.

I apologize for any unfavorable judgments I previously cast upon you. I now know better. You are just cat people with domestic beer and organized gambling. You are crazy for the Bears or the Yankees like I’m crazy for Maru or Henri. You have ESPN, I have I Can Has Cheeburger. You get excited to see your favorite players – me too! Me too, my friends. We are more alike than we are different.

You do you, I’ll do me. Team Cat Lady FTW!

PS: Let it be noted that some cats like sports too. Go Ducks.

The Feral Cats of Disneyland

by PEACHES 23 Comments

If there is one thing I can’t stand it’s a litterbug.

I don’t care who you are, if you drop garbage on the ground in front of me Imma pick it up and hand it back to you with a heavy helping of my stank eye.“EXCUSE ME, YOU DROPPED THIS.”

Of course, you can feel free to ignore me just like I can feel free to shove it in the open pocket of your purse, or drop it down the back of your shirt. “YOU’RE WELCOME.”

I can also feel free to take solace in knowing that if your first instinct at that moment is anger for me and not shame for yourself, you have much bigger problems than garbage. Can I get an amen?

Amen!

Living in a major city and riding public transport every day, I see littering all the time. People drop their garbage on the ground like it’s someone else’s job to pick it up. And you know what? It is. Because of litterbugs, businesses and municipalities have to pay people to pick up garbage on the street. It is a real job. If you have ever been to an amusement park, you have probably seen custodial attendants walking around with brooms and dustpans on sticks, finding crap to pick up every ten feet. They keep things clean looking on the surface, but with food garbage, even if you pick up the wrapper, the residue is still there – chip crumbles, soda spills, melted ice cream smears, hot dog slime…you know, the fun stuff. And where there is food residue, there is, wait for it…vermin.

There is a reason why city rats are so big – we feed them. Same goes with amusement parks. Can you even imagine how well-fed the mice at Disneyland must be?

Now that is a bigass mouse.

By no fault of their own, Disneyland is a mouse magnet. And with all that litter and food residue, I can’t blame the mice for trying. Disney could set traps and lay out poison, but why bother when you have the food chain on your side? These people were smart. Folks, meet the feral cats of Disneyland!

There are 200 of them. By day they reside inside one of the park’s five official feeding stations, by night they roam the park in search of mice (who are not named Mickey). These hard-working cats keep the park rodent-free!

The first colony was discovered sometime in the 1950’s, and after unsuccessfully attempting to chase them off, Disney decided to make them employees. In exchange for their thankless service, the cats are spayed, neutered, given regular shots, and have access to open spaces that cannot be reached by the public during daylight hours.

Once again, and excellent case for why cats are awesome. And employable.

Like Cats and Dogs

by PEACHES 15 Comments

One time somebody wrote on my Facebook wall “You talk about cats too much. They are so ugly!!!!” and then I got offended and cyber stalked them until I realized they were a dog person. And a Cardinals fan. And she plays way too much Candy Crush. And even though she said my fur baby was “ugly” I will not describe her kids as “ugly”, so let’s just say they didn’t get hit with the pretty stick. But mostly, based on Facebook, I’d say she was a dog person.

I get it. Dog people get tired by cat people. Same in reverse. This isn’t going to change any time soon.

This is funny because I am a dog person too. I am mostly a cat person because logistically it would be difficult for me to provide a proper home for a dog, (and yeah, okay, Lolabelle would go feral all over the poor dog’s face), but that does not mean I don’t like dogs. Just to prove it, I am seriously considering getting one.

…made out of merino wool.

This place will take a photo of your dog and make it into a stuffed animal. Love it.

Only thing I don’t love is that they don’t offer the service for cats.

Can you believe that?

Calm down, Lola. We’ll get you one. Or make you one. I’ll start saving your fur and with any luck, we can felt one up in the crock pot by next spring.

Tacos for Everyone: Happy Birthday Lola

by PEACHES 24 Comments

It’s now been five years since Lola (formerly known as Lolabelle the Magnificent) arrived home from the shelter. Five years of dancing in the rafters of catladyhood. Five years of waking at dawn to the sound of bathtub yodeling and the scampering of fury, ham hock legs running the length of the house, back and forth, back and forth. Five years of hugs. Five years of hats. Five years of Lola.

We celebrate this day of wonder with long naps, bad breath, and a hefty helping of Lola’s favorite treat – goldfish crackers. Later on, Lola will snuzzle up on the warmth of a laptop keyboard and watch Mexican soap operas on Youtube, thus honoring her spicy Latina heritage and keeping her occupied while dinner preparations take place – a takeout feast from her favorite restaurant, Wholy Frijoles.

Tacos for everyone! Happy birthday Lola!

Cat Lady Friday

by PEACHES 7 Comments

It’s Friday.

Sometimes I hate Fridays because I spend the day dreading what will come tomorrow, Saturday, when I have to take Lola to the vet.

Yes, I realize no cats really enjoy going to the vet but with Lola it is a particularly terrible undertaking. Even though it has been years since she lived on the streets, her fight or flight instincts remain as sharp as ever. True to badass self, Lola is a fighter. I mean biting, scratching, lunging, peeing (click here to see another kitty doing an impersonation of Lola)…ungodly smells release from her butt and murderous howling noises come from her mouth. The kinds of sounds that could make felons jump. No, I mean that literally.

When she first came to me I would take Lola to get her nails trimmed at a grooming salon that specifically hired people transitioning out of incarceration –big, burly, gang-banger dudes with neck tattoos– and Lola scared the crap out of them too. One time they had to debate amongst themselves as to who would let her out of the carrier. It took so long that she started doing what they call “alligator death rolls” inside the box. All of the sudden they claimed that there was “no licensed technician” on location that day to cut cat nails.

Oh, Lola.

One vet flat out refused to treat her because she said that she did not feel safe.

Unsafe? My little kitty? The peanut butter bear who sings in the bathtub each morning and sleeps next to my head every night – unsafe? It broke my heart. I didn’t even know doctors could reject patients like that.

Her current vet – a kind man who looks and speaks like St. Nicolas, so we just call him Santa— now requires the she be sedated by injection the minute she gets in the office. Even if it’s just to trim her nails and clean her ears, the minute I bring her in they open a private room and Santa follows me in with the syringe. I know that probably sounds horrible but at this point it’s the only option. We tried countless alternatives. Nothing worked. Before this, Lola and I would have to go home half the time untreated, exhausted and traumatized. It’s not fair to Lola and it’s not fair of me to ask someone, even a veterinary professional, to treat a cat knowing that they are guaranteed to come to physical harm.

So, here we are, like clockwork, every two months Lola goes in for a nail trimming and a basic check-up, and, of course, the shot. I stay by her side until she goes under and then Santa and his elves poke around and do what they need to do. Eventually she falls asleep with her eyes open and her tongue hanging out which is equal parts adorable and frightening. After a while, when she looks slightly less un-dead, they let me take her home. She sleeps a while longer in her carrier then wakes up in a stupor, stumbling around the house, hissing and swatting at the walls like a drunken pirate.

By the time she comes back to life, she curls her tail under and burrows a fox hole in an occupied laundry basket where she can sleep undisturbed. She avoids eating and making any sort of eye contact. She hates me. It will be a full three days until she trusts me enough crawl back on my lap for her usual round of cuddling or conversation. Santa tells me this sort of behavior is to be expected, “It’s sort of like raising a teenage daughter!” and then laughs in spite of himself.

Oh, Santa.

I wish there was a way I could get Lola to understand that the people at the veterinarian’s office are only trying to help her and that I am not taking her there to be tortured. Unfortunately, I fear our current method is only reinforcing her association; in her mind, Carrier + Vet = Pain and Trauma. It’s a vicious cycle. I’m not sure what I can do to rectify it, but, the guy below has got me feeling inspired.

Billy Browne, caretaker of Rufus The Cat, was feeling bad about giving Rufus painful ear drops to treat an ear infection. For weeks, Rufus remained scared and would scamper away when Billy came near. As an act of apology, Billy created a tower of boxes for Rufus to play in. You need to see this….

Warning: the video is oddly impressive and emotional. I got all weepy eyed at about four minutes in, and by five minutes I was blowing my nose in my shirt. When it was over, I grabbed Lola and made her watch it with me again. “You see! You see Lolabelle? That kitty’s ears hurt so the medicine made him better and then his daddy made him a castle fort! You see Lola? YOU SEE!” …and then, in true gangster fashion, Lola rolls over, digs her nails in my thigh and farts on me.

The cycle begins again.

Doggy Cones and Kitty Pirates

by PEACHES 14 Comments

Courtesy of John Hartzell

If you follow me on facebook, you might already know that Lola had surgery last week to remove a growth off the left side of her neck.

All is well, thank goodness, but the procedure undertaken to remove something no bigger than a chicken tongue has left her with a scar the size of a chicken nugget. And a ginormous bald spot. And a bad attitude.

For a couple of days there she would would aimlessly wander the house, hissing and swatting at nothing in particular. And the site of the surgery must have been very close to her vocal chords because she is keeping her typically long and operatic vocalizations have become short and gruff.

Paired with her scar, her behavior gives off the air of a drunken pirate.

A badass precious kitty pirate.

Now, had the growth been anywhere but her neck she would be wearing a cone, which would have been very sad indeed. What sort of self respecting pirate wears a cone?

Oh dear…

My girl Tracy’s dog Juno just got a cone and she has to wear it for a whole week.

A whole week?

How can she embrace her inner pirate with a cone around her head?

Sigh. Poor Juno 🙁

Tracy says,”My plan so far is to tie a scarf around it, but can you think of how else to make my girl’s day brighter?”

Obviously, my first instinct in these situations is to prescribe marabou trim, but that might be a bit much. What about taking a gold pen and writing the lyrics to Juno’s favorite song around the rim? Or what about punching some holes and weaving some ribbon around the perimeter?

There must be something Tracy can do to spiffy up Juno’s cone — what do you suggest? Ideas welcome!

Cashmere Cat Bed for $3 in Ten Minutes

by PEACHES 25 Comments

Lola is a picky kitty. She likes the finer things in life. Cashmere in particular.

If I’m wearing a cashmere sweater of scarf, it takes her all of ten seconds before she on me like a hair on soap. Something similar happens with sequins.

She knows what she wants. And whatever Lola wants, Lola gets.

So when I found this old cashmere sweater had been eaten up by moths, I decided to give it new life as a bed for Lola. It keeps her super warm and, let’s face it, Lola looks great in red.

Must give credit where it is due: I saw a similar pet beds for sale at a flea market last summer, but their construction was a bit different and the sleeves were much fuller, making the sides taller and not appropriate for all cats. Which brings me to….

Rambling cat lady side note: Not all cats like beds, and not all cat beds are the same. While most cats like to have their own special ‘nest’ for napping, some cats feel trapped or unsafe when sleeping in a confined space, like in a bed with four high sides. This is sort of like how some people can only sleep with their socks off (for the record, anti-sock people are just plain weird, but we love them anyway)… So if your kitty is anti-bed, try offering them a bed with low sides, or three sides, and see if they like it. Cat beds are great, because not only do they help kitty feel comfortable, they help keep shedding cat hair in one place. Win-Win!

Materials:

Old cashmere sweater. Any sweater will work, but most cats will avoid acrylic on account of the static electricity. However, I have heard from people with small dogs who love snuffling on sturdy acrylic sweaters. Use your discretion.
Cotton quilt batting.
Needle and thread.
Glove warmers (optional).

1. Stuff the arms with cotton batting (see note above about cat beds with high walls)

2. Tuck the cuffs into each other so you get a sense of how large the bed should be.

3. Fold the corners of the sweater in to create a rounded off bed bottom

4. Stitch the neck and the bottom of the bed closed.

Now tuck the cuffs back together again and stitch them to the perimeter of the sweater (which is now the bottom rim of the bed). This part gets tricky to demonstrate here but it’s actually very easy to do, especially if you use some safety pins to hold the sweater in place while you stitch. I should note, I just use big loopy stitches with my needle–nothing fancy or hidden (Lola has distinguished taste, but not that distinguished).

Tip for folks with mature pets : Lola has some issues with arthritis, so during the cold months I create a hot spot by tucking a glove warmer in where the two cuffs overlap. It doesn’t warm up the whole bed, but it’s provides a nice hot spot for her to warm up any achy joints, sort of like a hot water bottle.

The fur in the photo above shows you just how much Lola likes her hot spot. It is already well worn!

Sweet dreams 🙂

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