cat facts, donation information, funny, love, shelter information, Uncategorized, volunteers

A day in the life of a Shelter Cat

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of a Shelter Cat is like? Well, if you think we are stuck in cages – you are sooo wrong! At El Refugio‘s shelter it is really more like a sanctuary. You don’t believe me? Okay then, find a sunny spot to cuddle up with your favorite feline, and I’ll fill you in on shelter life.

Since I am adopted now (oh, I really love my new home!), I would like to introduce you to my guest feline writer today “Papaya“. She is a beauty isn’t she? I still have a cat crush on her (don’t tell her though, I am shy – lol). Isn’t she just the cat’s meow!!!

Alright Papaya, I’m all cuddled up with my favorite human and ready to hear all about El Refugio’s beautiful sanctuary (let’s be sure to chat later to hear all about the latest catnip at the shelter).

I love cuddling next to my human (purrrrrrr)

Thanks Norman, you really put me in a purr mood when I heard your handsome meows. We miss you at the shelter. I especially miss you since you know how I am shy and sometimes the younger cats pick on me. No worries, I can handle them, but I do miss our afternoon catnaps together (sigh). Okay, let’s talk “a day in the life of a shelter cat.”

First off, Norman wasn’t kitten around, we really don’t live in cages. And, we never call them cages any who, the ones we have at the shelter are called “cat condos”. While there are some cat condos inside the shelter, these are reserved for cats with special needs. For example, like pretty Priscilla who was found at the beach with a broken leg. (Who would do such a thing to a baby kitten!!) She stayed in a cat condo until her leg was healed, and now she is running around having a blast with the other kittens and cats.

Another reason the condos are used are when cats and kittens are found in the streets or dropped off at the shelter. To protect the rest of us cats, the new cats and kittens need to be in quarantine for awhile just to make sure they are healthy. And, the last reason I can think of, is when we have a new mama cat and kittens that need some time on their own until the babies are big enough to be away from their mama. Or, the mama just needs some time away from her babies to rest. If you are a mama, you definitely know what I am talking about here!!!

So, at the El Refugio shelter, we live in an open space where we can roam free in three big rooms. We have cat trees throughout the space and toys and shelves with warm, cozy blankets to lay on.

We even have giant, funny humans to play with us. Sometimes, they are better than toys. They really do make us felines laugh. We even have a human (we call her Tia Karol) who we LOVE SO MUCH that stays most nights at the shelter to just make sure everything is going okay. Although, I hear it is to watch over the canines in the back. Us felines are angels, right?

The giant humans (I’ve heard them called shelter volunteers too) arrive in the early morning and do all the dirty work (ha ha). First thing they do is feed us (thank goodness) and then they clean our litter boxes, the floors, the blankets, and they make sure the place is super clean (for us to mess up again lol). After the cleaning is done, they sit with us and let us walk and hang all over them. They also play with us. I sometimes overhear them talk about their own lives but I do NOT ease drop (oh boy, Norman, I have some catnip for you later!!).

After playtime with the giant humans, us cats have our catnaps, and when we wakeup, another set of giant humans are here again for more cleaning, playing, and thankfully more feeding! Now, you might be wondering, what happens when the giants aren’t visiting with us, especially when it is dark out and the humans are sleeping? Well, have you ever heard the ‘ole saying “when the humans are away, cats play”? I haven’t either, but it is true!!

One time, the giant humans forgot to put away a roll of paper towels. Oh boy, was that a night of fun! My kitty lips are sealed on who started it (Keylor), but the ripping, the rolling, the tearing, of that yummy paper towel, FURTASTIC! You know, cats are skilled paper shredders! The cats were in cat heaven for hours. Just look at this picture I took of them (for possible catmailing purposes later – lol).

Most nights though, we just visit with each other, give each other baths, and sleep. I read in one of Norman’s blogs, cats sleep about 12-16 hours a day and kittens up to 20 hours a day (wow me-ow!). So, while some nights we are having extra fun with a paper towel roll or chasing an unlucky bug, most nights we are sleeping, dreaming, and waiting for our human to come find us.

Even though we aren’t in our forever homes (yet!), we are lucky to be living in such a beautiful cat sanctuary. Alright Norman, back to you my love! Norman, WAKE UP!

Thanks Papaya for that very interesting catnip. My human says the reason I am really socialized and a wonderful cat is because of living at the El Refugio shelter and learning how to play with other cats and the giant humans. I must agree!

If you haven’t already, please go visit the El Refugio shelter and see for yourself the uniqueness of the space. It really is more like a cat sanctuary. I know they also need more donations to help keep the shelter running smoothly. Now, I must go catnap with my Purrfect feline love Papaya. As always, thanks for reading my blog.

Cheers,

Norman

Your cat will never threaten your popularity by barking at three in the morning. He won’t attack the mailman or eat the drapes, although he may climb the drapes to see how the room looks from the ceiling.
–Helen Powers–

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Keylor at El Refugio Costa Ballena, Costa Rica

Keylor is a young adult male cat. He is full of energy and gets along well with other cats. As soon as you walk into the shelter, he comes to say hi. He would love to meet you and bring fun into your life.

cat facts, funny, health benefits, love, Uncategorized

Are you a Crazy Cat Lady? Impossible, it isn’t a thing!

I’m sure you have probably heard the old saying “Crazy Cat Lady.” Maybe it conjures up an image in your head of an older, single, crazy woman hoarding hundreds of cats. I’ve been told shows like the Simpsons, or the Office had their very own crazy cat ladies too. Angela Kinsey from the Office says being referred to as a cat lady is actually cool.

But all kitten aside, the stereotypical Crazy Cat Lady just isn’t true! Look at these 11 Celebrities Who Make Cat Ladies Cool and who have had no problem finding love and sharing their life with feline family members.

While there may be women (and men) that hoard lots of cats (or dogs, or pigs, or snakes, or horses, you see where I am going with this), that is a totally different and very unfortunate subject. But, in regards to the stereotype Crazy Cat Lady, society has unfairly labeled (only) women who adopt multiple cats as Crazy Cat Ladies. Remember my blog I’ll Get You a Date, If You are a Man That Is, it actually proves that if you are a man and own a cat, cats actually help MEN find dates, and find LOVE. ME-OW, that just isn’t fair (to women) although great for us cats (ME-OW ME-OW lol)!

A recent study at UCLA in fact concluded that owning multiple cats does not mean you are crazy mad, anxious, or sad, but proves you are absolutely PURRFECT! Which honestly just means you love cats (and if you love cats, you really are PURRFECT!). And, as I have previously blogged about, owning a cat can actually lower your stress level, lower your anxiety level, and make you more happy. This doesn’t sound like crazy behavior to me at all!

So, if you are a woman, and if you love cats, stand tall, and be proud. If you have considered adopting another cat but have been worried about being called a Crazy Cat Lady, don’t worry about it, it just isn’t true! Because owning more than one cat doesn’t make you a Crazy Cat Lady, it actually makes you a super SMART human being who will be HAPPIER, less stressed, and of course proves you have a BEAUTIFULLY huge heart.

Now, my PURRFECT humans out there, please post a picture of yourself with your amazing, beautiful felines in the comments section. Let’s share the love and continue to save each other’s lives Purrrrrrr.

Cheers,

Norman

Just watching my cats can make me happy
Paula Cole

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Hunter at El Refugio Costa Ballena

Hi, my name is Hunter. I love humans, dogs, and of course felines! I would love to come home with you, especially if you have other cats. I would be PURRFECT for a PURRFECT cat lady. Hugs, Hunter

cat facts, funny, love, Uncategorized

Do Cats Dream? Let’s ask the experts (and ME).

You may have noticed your feline family member tends to sleep a little, okay A LOT! Did you know adult cats sleep 12 -16 hours a day, while kittens and senior cats may sleep up to 20 hours a day (Wow, fur real?). That is what I would call professional sleepers!

Siblings Andy, Bear, Ollie, Spot, & Tina Louise dreaming about their next meal with mama Graycie.

But, most of the time we are just snoozing – have you ever heard of a catnap? About three quarters of our daily sleeping is actually considered catnapping (or dozing) where we are sleeping light enough to pounce at a moment’s notice! We may even have one eye open – watching you (lol).

Twix is definitely a one-eye-open kind of cat!

Alicia keeping an eye on you because you are sooo dreamy!

Cats spend the remaining one quarter of their sleep in a deep sleep. Senior cats spend probably more like forty percent of their sleep in deep sleep. Deep sleep helps us regenerate and stay healthy, and, YES this is where we DREAM!

You may see a cat’s whiskers or paws twitching, this is probably a dream in the works. Also, in dream sleep, you may see a cat with his paws or tail over his eyes, like an eye mask.

Okay, so cats dream, but what do they dream about? Well, thankfully you have a cat writing this blog, so you can be comfortable knowing you are getting the facts!!!

We dream of being on the hunt. For my wild cat friends or those that aren’t lucky enough to be living in a house, they dream about being on the hunt. They will dream about whatever prey they were chasing in the previous night, what they caught, and what got away (sigh). An interesting fact, us house cats actually sleep more than our wild feline friends because we don’t have to worry about a predator coming after us! Now, just a friendly reminder here, cats that stay indoors stay alive longer, and so does the wildlife.

We dream of the entire day. For most of us felines, we dream about what happened during the day. Maybe we saw our human do a funny thing (like always!), or maybe we played with the resident dogs (NOT!), or maybe we watched the birds in a nearby tree. But, most often I will dream about the fun times I had playing with my humans during the day.

Hunter and Bryan probably dreaming about each other. They are best friends at the shelter.

We dream of YOU. Now, don’t let this go to your head, but YES, we dream about YOU. We dream about your face, your smile, your voice, your smell, your laugh. We love you, and we dream about you. We cannot wait to see you again when we wake up.

Now, what about the cats at the shelter that do not yet have a human? Who do they dream about? Well, they dream about the day that YOU will come rescue them. Are you ready to make a special cat’s dreams come true? There are so many wonderful cats waiting at a shelter near you.

If you are in the Costa Ballena area of Costa Rica, come stop by the El Refugio shelter and meet some of our professional sleepers that I have mentioned in this post. Maybe they are dreaming about YOU right now.

Well, all this talk about sleep sure has made me sleepy. It’s time for a catnap.

Cheers,

Norman

“All I do is eat and sleep. Eat and sleep. Eat and sleep. There must be more to a cat’s life than that. But I hope not.” – Garfield

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Graycie at El Refugio, Costa Ballena Costa Rica

Hi, my name is Graycie, and I bring Sunshine into a room on a Cloudy Day. Do you want some sunshine in your life? Come meet me. xoxo Graycie

Before you adopt, cat facts, health benefits, Uncategorized

I’ve Adopted a Cat, now what? I’m so glad you asked! Ten tips to prepare your home for your new feline.

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on becoming an even better, more amazing human being!!! Bringing a cat into your family will not only make your kids healthier, but also will make you healthier, less stressed, and definitely more attractive (mainly because you are healthier & less stressed!! – DOUBLE ME-OW LOL!)

First Tip. Bring a cat carrier for the ride to pick up your new cat. Us cats don’t like moving vehicles – they are scary, they are fast, and they are smelly. Having your new cat in a carrier will help with some of the anxiety that will most likely occur when in a scary, fast, and smelly car.

Second Tip. Have a nice, “safe” room for your cat. It doesn’t have to be a suite like I have, with an amazing mountain view no less! But, a room that has a litter box, bowls for food and water, a toy or two please, a scratching post of course, and a shelf or somewhere high for your cat to perch or rest.

Third Tip for us sound sensitive cats (which are most of us!). If your feline friend chooses to hide for awhile, no worries, let him hide. He will come out eventually. He is just getting used to all of the new smells and sounds.

Fourth Tip, although I can’t believe I need to share this one. The litter box and food and water bowls should NOT be in the same area. You wouldn’t want to do your business where you eat would you? We aren’t talking about dogs here, us cats are refined and have manners!

Fifth not so messy Tip. If you can, use the same brand of litter that your feline friend had at her animal shelter. You don’t have to use the same brand forever, but just until she acclimates. You will be REALLY glad you listened to me on this one!

Sixth tummy Tip. Also, use the same food she was eating at the shelter. When starting to introduce a new food, it should be gradual. Our tummies can be sensitive at times.

Seventh fun Tip. A toy or two or three please! Although, the best toys are toys that my humans play with me.

Eighth super fun Tip. A cat tree would be awesome for your new feline. But, if you don’t have a cat tree available, a tall shelf in your cat’s new room would be helpful for them to have a place to jump up and feel safe.

Ninth very important Tip. If you are bringing a feline friend home to a home that already has a cat or dog, please be patient. While most of us felines get along well at the animal shelter, being in a new place can be very stressful for both resident animals and new cats. It may take only days but could take weeks or even months to have them all get along. The best introductions are very brief, and monitored interactions with humans involved.

Tenth very VERY important Tip. Never let your dog chase your cat – very uncool! Also, when you are not able to supervise the new feline family member with your other household animals, please keep them separated. Honestly, we might never become friends, but we can surely coexist.

Oh, and one more thing, get ready to BE AMAZED, at all things FELINE AND FABULOUS!

Cheers,

Norman

“I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It’s not. Mine had me trained in two days.” – Bill Dana

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Prince at El Refugio

Hi, my name is PRINCE. I am an adult male. I am a little shy around other cats, but I LOVE my humans. I love ear scratches and just hanging out. Let’s chill out together! Come meet me at El Refugio. xo Prince

cat facts, funny, shelter information, Uncategorized

Black Cats – the envy of us all!

In the shelter life, us shelter cats are soo envious of our feline friends that sport an all-black coat because of the good fortune they bring with them. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and Japan, black cats are known to bring good luck and were even worshipped by the Egyptians. But there are many more reasons being a Black Cat or adopting a Black Cat is just plain lucky!

Black Cats NEVER have bad hair days. Their coat always looks so shiny. I just don’t understand it. Take a look at Bandit at El Refugio. She is drop dead gorgeous all of the time. Look at how shiny her coat is. Oh, I am so envious of her!

Their color is slimming! This is no secret of course. We have known for the ages that wearing black is slimming. One of my human’s favorite Netflix shows Queer Eye’s fab Five, illustrates to us that All-black is one of the strongest palettes you can wield (but make sure that your shades match up). Take a look at sweet Dulce (another El Refugio fashion diva) sporting an almost all black attire. She even has had kittens and she looks strikingly slim. Way to go Dulce!

Black cat hair doesn’t show up as much as other fur colors! Really, I’m serious, I have the research to prove it! But, if you have white carpeting or are wearing a white suite (aghast!) black fur would not be your friend. But wearing an all white suit would probably not be your friend either (lol). Black really does go with everything!

So, there you have it, I do have one flaw. I am envious of my feline friends who have all-black coats because of their ability to NOT have a bad hair day, NOR a drab, dull coat, and YES, they are super lucky to have around.

Life is better with a beautiful feline by your side, or on your lap, or in your desk drawer (lol ME-OW).

Cheers,

Norman

A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere. – Groucho Marx –

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Snickers at El Refugio

Hi, I’m Snickers. I know I’m not a Black Cat, but Norman says I am the sweetest thing since sliced bread. I am not sure what that means, except maybe he is really hungry. Anyways, I would love to meet you. Come find me at El Refugio in Costa Ballena, Costa Rica. xo Snickers

Before you adopt, cat facts, love, shelter information, Uncategorized

Kitten or Cat? Yes!!

Well, you have decided to adopt a shelter feline friend – congratulations! You are now a part of the Select SECRET group of beautiful humans called “Cat Lovers & Friends“, along with millions of others, but whose counting. All us shelter felines are so glad to have you in our midst. You will forever be loved, adored, and amused. Seriously, you will be!

Okay, so back to your question. Should you adopt a shelter Kitten or a shelter Cat. Here are a few questions to help you decide.

Do you want hours of AMUSEMENT? Then Yes, adopt a kitten, because amused you will be! BUT, Catster suggests adopting two kittens because it will be the same amount of work, plus 2x the fun, and emotionally healthier for the kittens. They will also entertain each other preventing less possible destruction to your house (lol). Plus, it does seem that the introductions are easier when bringing a kitten (or 2!) into a household that already has a cat or dog.

But hold on now, before you go adopt Kit & Kat or Cheech & Chong or Sonny & Cher or (okay, I couldn’t resist!), answer these questions for me. Are you Patient? Are you quick on your feet? Are you home to supervise your new kittens? BECAUSE, kittens, which are hard to resist, and so dang adorable, don’t know the difference initially between chairs & scratching posts or electrical cords & play toys. They will need some training and supervision. Also, they often tend to “magically appear underfoot“. At the shelter, the humans are told to “shuffle” rather than walk when kittens are on the loose! But with some gentle supervision and kitten-proofing of your home, you will be all set!

On the other hand, are you LAZY? Ha ha, just kidding, but are you looking for a feline that is already trained to use the litter box, the couch as a bed not as a scratching post, and the drapes to keep the sun out not as a climbing tree? Then, an older cat is just your style! Plus, a cat tends to know how to entertain himself when left alone. But, make sure to leave him some fun cat toys.

Also, when adopting a shelter Cat, you can choose a personality. When you go to the shelter, sit with the cats for awhile. Observe and see which cat CHOOSES YOU! Now, at El Refugio Animal Shelter, it is pretty dang amazing, the shelter cats are not enclosed in cat condos or cages, but roaming about in the shelter’s very large rooms. Okay, well, mostly snoozing, depending on the time of day. Any who, you will be able to see which cats are lap cats, or are very independent, or playful, or very lazy. And, just ask the shelter volunteers about the cats. They will gladly give you valuable personality information on each of them. Also, before you bring home your new shelter Cat, read my 10 tips to prepare your home for awesomeness.

Regardless, if you adopt a Cat or a Kitten (or 2!), you will be saving a feline’s life. Because when you adopt a shelter cat, a vacancy is opened at the shelter to save another feline! Also, you will be giving a home to a well deserved feline. You will also be filling your home (and your heart) with amusement, entertainment, and lots of FURever love. No one should go through this life or any of their other 8 lives (oh, that is just us cats I hear) without the love of a feline.

From all us shelter felines and members of the Select SECRET group of beautiful humans called “Cat Lovers & Friends“, WE THANK YOU!! You are PURRFECTLY awesome!!

Cheers,

Norman

“‘We’ll be Friends Forever, won’t we, Pooh?’ asked Piglet.
‘Even longer,’ Pooh answered.” — Winnie-the-Pooh

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Bach and Chopin at El Refugio in Costa Ballena, Costa Rica

“A kitten is in the animal world, what a rosebud is in the garden – Robert Sowthey”

cat facts, funny, love, shelter information, Uncategorized

Holy Mackerel, look at those stripes!

Holy Mackerel, is that a tiger I see? Whew, it is just a Tabby cat that looks like a Tiger. I think I might have lost a few lives there!

As I wrote in a previous blog post “Why “M” stands for Tabby, and also for Marvelous, and well ME”, there is more than just one type of Tabby cat, not just us beautiful, original, purrectly everything Orange Tabby Cats. So, I guess it’s only fair for me to introduce you to a non-Orange Tabby cat with some purrty stripes – the Mackerel Tabby. I know, do you feel it too, that hairball feeling coming up? Let’s try to see the beauty in another type of Tabby cat. It will be hard, but let’s try.

So, the Mackerel Tabby does look a lot like a tiger, a much smaller version. Because of the stripe pattern on most Mackerel Tabbies, they do resemble the big-in-the-wild-cat, the African Wildcat (double wow ME-OW ME-OW).

But then why aren’t they called Tiger cats? Well, actually many times they are, but their correct description is Mackerel Tabby because of their coat pattern made of orange or gray background banded hairs and darker vertical stripes. These vertical stripes are highly reminiscent of fish bones, similar to the mackerel fish. Hence why they are called the Mackerel Tabby.

Okay, I see it, I guess. Seriously, I did not make this up, who could!! Oh, some mackerel fish does sound really good right now. I wonder what time it is? Breakfast time? Lunchtime? Snack time? Dinner time? Mackerel Time? It must be one of those times!!!

Oh, okay, where were we? The Mackerel fish, no I mean, the Mackerel Tabby. Another common marker on a Mackerel Tabby is a pink nose color with a black pigmentation around it. Look at Rosario & Ramona below. They definitely have some pink noses with black pigmentation around them. And here I heard they were brown nosers (just kidding). These two are the sweetest kittens ever!

Even though these Tabby cats aren’t the beautiful orange tabbies we ALL so greatly love and adore, they do have some awesome characteristics. They are similar to us Orange Tabbies where we are highly intelligent, very playful, highly curious, and can hypnotize you to sleep (okay the last one is just me!).

Rest assured, any type of Tabby cat is the BEST type of cat. So, get off of your lazy sofa, go down to your nearest animal shelter, and let a Mackerel Tabby adopt you! If you are in the Costa Ballena area of Costa Rica, El Refugio has quite a few purrfect Mackerel Tabbies for you!

Until we meet again dear humans.

Cheers,

Norman

All I do is eat and sleep. Eat and sleep. Eat and sleep. There must be more to a cat’s life than that. But I hope not. – Garfield

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Tony the Tiger at El Refugio

Before you adopt, cat facts, Uncategorized

My favorite 4 new words – “My Very Own Home”

So, its been 3 weeks since I came to my new home. Oh, I still love the sound of those four sweet words, MY VERY OWN HOME! Now don’t get me wrong, the El Refugio Animal Shelter was a nice shelter, with wonderful human volunteers, and other beautiful feline friends, but MY VERY OWN HOME – yes, I love it! Days filled with napping on my own sofa.

A comfy place to sit high and watch the birds all day. And a cozy place to watch the sun rise from the mountain and then watch the sun set through the trees.

Oh ME-OW, can you hear my purrs. They are contagious. Remember, feline purrs are healing – free medicine for your heart AND for your soul.

Now, in these 3 weeks I have taught my humans and my new dog roommates ten very important lessons. I thought it would be good to share these FREE valuable lessons with you for when you adopt a feline friend for your family.

Okay, so what are some important things to do before bringing home a new purrfectly extraordinary feline? I am so glad you asked!

First lesson. Bring a cat carrier for the ride to pick up your new cat. Us cats don’t like moving vehicles – they are scary, they are fast, and they are smelly. Having your new cat in a carrier will help with some of the anxiety that will most likely occur when in a scary, fast, and smelly car.

Second homey lesson. Have a nice, “safe” room for your cat. It doesn’t have to be a suite like I have, with an amazing mountain view no less! But, a room that has a litter box, bowls for food and water, a toy or two please, a scratching post of course, and a shelf or somewhere high for your cat to perch or rest.

Third lesson for us sound sensitive cats (which are most of us!). If your feline friend chooses to hide for awhile, no worries, let him hide. He will come out eventually. He is just getting used to all of the new smells and sounds.

For example, I live in the southern coast of Costa Rica in MY VERY OWN HOME. My humans tell me that I am in a rainforest with mountains all around us. So, let me tell you a not so funny story. The first night I was here, guess what I was introduced to? I was introduced to a HUGE, HAIRY, black, did I say HUGE animal. Well, I was introduced to his sound. My humans call them Howler Monkeys.

Thankfully, their home is in the trees at the other end of our property. But, I could see him, I knew he was there. Did I say he was HUGE! And, his howl, it was nothing like the cat howls or dog howls I am used to at the shelter. And, boy, some of my old feline friends and shelter dogs, they were howlers! Okay, I digress. My human tells me we are safe because the monkeys stay in the trees. I am definitely going to keep my eyes on them! But, again, double ME-OW WOW, they are loud. If you don’t believe me, check out this video of them https://youtu.be/xxzbqmFkXwU.

Fourth basic lesson, although I can’t believe I need to share this one. The litter box and food and water bowls should NOT be in the same area. You wouldn’t want to do your business where you eat would you? We aren’t talking about dogs here, us cats are refined and have manners!

Fifth not so messy lesson. If you can, use the same brand of litter that your feline friend had at her animal shelter. You don’t have to use the same brand forever, but just until she acclimates. You will be REALLY glad you listened to me on this one!

Sixth tummy lesson. Also, use the same food she was eating at the shelter. When starting to introduce a new food, it should be gradual. Our tummies can be sensitive at times.

Seventh fun lesson. A toy or two or three please! Although, the best toys are toys that my humans play with me.

Eighth super fun lesson. A cat tree would be awesome for your new feline. But, if you don’t have a cat tree available, a tall shelf in your cat’s new room would be helpful for them to have a place to jump up and feel safe.

Ninth very important lesson. If you are bringing a feline friend home to a home that already has a cat or dog, please be patient. While most of us felines get along well at the animal shelter, being in a new place can be very stressful for both resident animals and new cats. It may take only days but could take weeks or even months to have them all get along. The best introductions are very brief, and monitored interactions with humans involved.

Tenth very VERY important lesson. Never let your dog chase your cat – very uncool! Also, when you are not able to supervise the new feline family member with your other household animals, please keep them separate. Honestly, we might never become friends, but we can surely coexist.

Now, its time to watch the sunset before my catnap. So, remember, before you bring home that purrfect extraordinary feline family member, follow these 10 very important lessons. The love of your life is waiting for you at your nearest animal shelter.

Cheers,

Norman

“If there were a universal sound depicting peace, I would surely vote for the purr. Barbara L. Diamond.”

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Cadbury at El Refugio Animal Shelter in Costa Ballena, Costa Rica

Hi, I’m Cadbury. If you like sweets, I’m your cat! With my purrs, my eye kisses, and my paw tickles, you will be the happiest human ever. Let’s make chocolate together! Hugs Cadbury

success story, Uncategorized, volunteers

I knew it would happen!!!

Well, I told you in my very first blog post that I would get adopted – and yes, I never lie – I was adopted!

Now, don’t worry, as I said before, I will still be visiting the shelter with my human eyes (I can’t believe I have my furever human now!); and I have my shelter furry friends who are reporting to me with every exciting purrtastic happening at the shelter.

**My foxy human** – ME-OW AND DOUBLE ME-OW WOW

Now, I’ll be writing at my very own desk, with my very own lazy cat chair and my very own cat sofa. I don’t even have to share the litter box anymore – thank the lord!! I have my very own scratching posts now too – did you hear me – THREE scratching posts. And my very own dogs – well, they aren’t trained yet, but we are working on it.

**Sometimes the drawer is a better place to be creative**

**A great view of my human as she works and I take a catnap**

**Sometimes litter boxes are best for a head rest**

Did you know, I was the oldest cat at the shelter – over 2 years old! I was abandoned as a kitten at a bus stop – can you believe it? Thankfully I was rescued by a wonderful El Refugio volunteer and brought to the El Refugio Shelter where I waited two years for my foxy human to come find me. Now, as I lay on my cat sofa while my human scratches my ear, I gaze out at the Costa Rica mountains and think to myself, what a Purrfect life it is.

Now humans, go adopt yourself a shelter cat. There is one waiting especially for you. Don’t make him wait as long as I had to wait – did you hear me say I waited two years!! By adopting a shelter cat, you will gain a furever friend and save a furry feline’s life too. What a PURRfect life it will be for you!

Stay tuned, in my next blog post we will rock the world in a tuxedo.

Cheers,

Norman

“What greater gift than the love of a cat. – Charles Dickens”

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Hunter at El Refugio Animal Shelter in Costa Ballena, Costa Rica

Hi, my name is Hunter. My shelter mates call me cool, and the shelter female felines call me James Bond. I’m one cool cat! I’m around 2 years old and want to finally be with my furever human. Let’s meet soon. Cheers, Hunter

Norman's Corner

by Norman the Cat

Tag Archives: #normanscorner

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I knew it would happen!!!