You’re not alone
even when the night is dark
there are angels nearby
guarding around
You may feel afraid, hungry, and hopeless too
but know an angel is watching over you
Be certain that she sees you there
your life is a gift of love and light
don’t despair
When I saw you there
my tears poured down
I felt your pain, your fear
of being alone
Were you abandoned
or did you lose your way
It’s still hard to believe the world
would turn away
We are learning and trying
to be better each day
Our true hearts are shown
in how we choose to live today
As you rest your head
upon the rocky ground
know that you are loved
You are never alone.
-Alexis Cress
We are never alone. When I started writing this poem, I was reflecting on the abandonment and neglect of animals. But, when I came back to the poem, I was thinking of those in our society who are forgotten, ignored, broken. How we choose to live today is not only important to our own physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing, but it also affects all beings around us. We are so powerful and we are so loved. We are never alone.
Hi, my name is Alexis Cress. I’m a poet, activist, writer, yoga and meditation instructor, vegan, and a huge lover of all animals (wild and domesticated). This blog was originally created back in 2019 to showcase the awesomeness and uniqueness of shelter cats, especially the cats in Costa Rica where I am currently living. The blog was called “Norman’s Corner” because I adopted a beautiful orange tabby cat from the animal shelter El Refugio in Costa Ballena, Costa Rica.
While the blog will continue to honor his name, our Norman will take a much needed cat nap (he is still the best cat ever and continues to encourage the adoptions of shelter cats to everyone he meets, even while lovingly annoying his canine siblings!).
Because the blog has evolved into something much bigger, I will take over the writing of the blog. But knowing my sweet, but very vocal cat, I will have guest writers share their feline and canine knowledge once in a while. The blog will now include my poetry and excerpts from my poetry book “Rainbow Light in the Cricket Sound”, animal activism writings and educational materials to share (in both English and Spanish), spotlights of animal welfare organizations (and people) who are making huge differences in the lives of animals, and other topics that are near and dear to my heart. So, please stay tuned.
Share a blog post with others if it inspires and connects with your heart, and above all, be the unique, divine self you are meant to be today and everyday! And TOGETHER we WILL ease the suffering of all beings in this world.
Do you ever wonder if us fantastic felines have personalities too? Well, as a matter of fur fact, we do! We have many different fascinating personalities, just like you!
One purrfectly awesome reason to adopt a kitty cat from El Refugio Costa Ballena animal shelter (although, there are many!!) is because the shelter is a house with 3 big open rooms where the cats roam, rest, and play freely. Because of this unique environment, the shelter volunteers are able to see each cat’s personalty in action! When you come to adopt your new feline family member, the shelter volunteers can help you find the purrfect feline for you!!
So, let me introduce you to the Feline Five personalities and some of the felines at El Refugio Costa Ballena that represent them.
Affectionate and Sociable, also called the “love mooch”. They just can’t seem to get enough of You and your attention. They love to be near their human. Mickey from El Refugio Costa Ballena is a love mooch.
Mickey at El Refugio
The Chatty Cat speaks in almost complete sentences (wow MEOW). If you love the sound of meows, this is the purrfect type of cat for you! But, rumor has it, if you talk to your cat, eventually your cat will talk back to you. Remember my recent blogs, “Whoever said Cats don’t Speak”, along with “How to talk Cat”? Please read up and soon you will be talking with your feline family member!
We’ve had quite a few “talkers” at El Refugio, like Keylor and Rocky (boy, could they talk!). And, yes, ME – I bet you are not surprised! But, Keylor, Rocky, and me have all been adopted (we are sooo happy!). Although Havy, a foxy feline at El Refugio, I’ve heard is becoming quite the “chatty cat” these days.
Havy is Heartsome!
The Movie Star is El Refugio’s Twix. He is full of sass and enjoys showing off. Give him a little attention, and he will give you a free show of fun and laughter.
Twix is a Movie Star
The Shy and Aloof Type – the Mysterious Stranger. Now, don’t let “shy” scare you away. This type of cat is great for the undemanding human who doesn’t want or expect ongoing attention from their feline. Often shy or aloof felines are independent and very sweet like Gody at El Refugio Costa Ballena.
Gody is Shy but very sweet
Lastly, we have the Leader of the Pack(although, I guess I should have started with this one – haha, I crack myself up sometimes…) With lots of spunk and independence, this type of cat loves her human, but isn’t a “lap cat”. She is fine with being near but not too close. She will give you attention, but often on her terms. In a multi-cat household, she is often the first one to the food dish and water bowl. Rica at El Refugio is definitely a “Leader of the Pack”.
Rica is sweet sass
So, there you have it – Personalities for every type. Each Feline Five personality is sure to bring you and your family a lifetime of love and gratitude.
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.
Alexis Cress Yoga and Rainbow's Light 