“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”

Last month I wrote about the Number 1 lady in my life, this month s about lady #2- Queenie our cat. I will admit, I never in a million years thought I would own a cat. I was a dog man! I loved coming home and having Jesse, my greyhound, meet me at the door with a wagging tail!! Yes, I know part of that wagging tail was his way of saying “I have to go!” but I’d like to think most of the wagging was for me -:) Jesse was my family! We did everything. Everything I knew cats couldn’t do.  I thought cats were standoffish, selfish, and showed no love or emotion.Until I met Ms. Queenie. Below are Queenie and Debra.

How did we get Queenie or Kat as she was known when she came to us? Debra was out of town doing a show, and a friend called and asked if she could take her. Seems the owner was 84 and had fallen and broken her arm. Her nephew, who had her, was allergic, so Debra called and asked me if we should take her and foster her until her owner got better and I said OK. I didn’t know the first thing about cats, other then they scratched and made you do their bidding!

Me and Lady Q were alone together for two months, since the wife was out of town working.

(Quick aside, as I write this Queenie is sitting by my chair and being the good dog owner I was, I tell her to jump up in my lap, I even patted the chair to show her the spot! What I’d get? A “your kidding, right? stare)

Being diligent and thoughtful foster parents, we decided to take Queenie to the vet to make sure our little kitten was of sound mind and body. Turns out our little kitty is a 10 year-old old cat!!!  That was a shocker!! We were fooled by her lithe six pound body. Does this look like the face of a senior kitty!!

To make a long story short, at six months, the nephew asked if we could just keep her. Our first thought was about the Aunt and if she was OK with it. The last thing we wanted was to take, what may have been a joy in her life, away from her. Seems her arm didn’t heal properly, and she would not have been able to take care of Queenie.

Is life with a cat any different then a dog?  Yes, in one major way. Whenever we are out we do not have to rush home! If you’ve owned a dog, and don’t have a dog walker, then you know what I’m talking about. That kitty litter box is a Godsend! How do they know to go there anyway???

Another head scratcher  is the need to lay on any and everything!! Like my computer cover hanging on the back of our loveseat.

The remotes and cell phones, which she also tends to kick off!

And the biggest headscratcher of all-PAPER!!!

She slept in this paper-bag for at least a month, if not longer and she has a nice kitty bed, which of course she has never laid a paw in! :)  Why do people buy their pets all that useless stuff, when the things they end of playing with the most are the ones that cost nothing.

Another thing I found out? Cats sleep hard! Hard enough that you can put anything you want on them :)

Do animals play favorites?? I think so. I’m pretty sure Queenie never looks at the door longingly waiting for me to come home like she does with Debra.

Overall, the cat experience has been great, now we have to work in a canine. Queenie, you listening?

I didn’t think so.

Next month, images from my NYC parks and parade walkabout.