Wow I am really chuffed to have won 2nd prize for this painting at the Alan Reading Memorial Art Awards. Very unexpected but a welcome win to add to my artistic credentials which has been a goal this year. This art exhibition is to raise funds and awareness for cancer and cancer research so it's a plus to also be part of such a worthy show. In fact in it's fourth year I have been quite fortunate that three of those shows have either yielded a win or a sale for me. Next year I would like a first prize !

Yesterday we adopted a very large grey and white 4 year old male cat. By far he's the largest cat I've owned and one of the biggest I've seen. He was rescued from the pound and has enjoyed the loving care of Deb a foster carer at Little Paws Kitten Rescue in Brisbane so after seeing him online we drove to Brisbane to meet him. What a sooky boy he is and so gentle too. A brief meeting between Fergus and Monty as we've named him went surprisingly well so putting them together may not be the challenge it sometimes can be introducing two cats. It's the first time I've ever adopted another cat following the loss of another but it just seemed right. Losing Rueben after he has been so much a part of my life for at least 17 years was devastating so adopting Monty will give us new focus help heal the grief and give another needy cat a home. He's beautiful.

Putts is the oldest cat in the world at 25 +. Isn't she gorgeous. Having just lost my wonderful old companion Rueben at 18+ I love to see how other old cats are doing. I wonder what gives them such extraordinary longevity, it's probably the loving care they get throughout their lives but I believe it's also genetic.

This wonderful story of a pit bull caring for an injured companion dispels the nasty assumptions about the breed as a mean fighting dangerous dog. That animals are capable of such devotion each other is something that should make us pause and think about compassion and how little of it seems to exist at times in the human world. 

How many toes does a cat have ? Well if you have a polydactyl cat he will have more than the normal five on the front feet and four on the back and it's caused by a genetic abnormality quite common in cats. This strange physical condition causes no illness and does not hinder the cats life in any way, perhaps it could even be beneficial having a couple of extra toes. I think they are pretty appealing with their big chunky feet and it certainly wouldn't put me off owning a cat with extras.

How good is this ? We all need a laugh don't we and even though I've seen this a few times it never fails to give me a giggle, it's great.

It's understandable you want to please and entertain your cat but you can also make mistakes without thinking. Imagine the distress of causing severe illness or even death for your cat. You would never forgive yourself. Common things around the house and certain foods can be lethal for your cat so it's wise to be aware of the potential dangers.  Laser lights seems to be ok but I have to say I got rid of the one I bought for my cats, I just wasn't comfortable about the risks of that intense light flashing into their face so in the bin it went. We have a large ceramic jar full of various toys to entertain,lengths of rags tied together, pieces of string and balls of tin foil. The string things are never left lying on the floor where they could be chewed up and swallowed. When the cats lose interest the strings go back in the jar. Food probably represent the biggest risk, tempting kitty with all kinds of stuff a cat was never meant to eat so my motto is no human food ever. And don't forget flowers such as lilies that are absolutely lethal to your cat.

How can it be that these appalling conditions in back yard zoos are allowed to exist. Why is it I wonder that America has not done something about introducing laws to prohibit the keeping of wild cats such as these by people who clearly don't care for the animals they hold captive. I have the greatest respect and admiration for the people involved with the rescue of their poor animals from the dreadful conditions they are kept in and this story highlights the situation they must be confronted with every day. When will attitudes towards animals change to one of understanding that a wild animal is just that, wild, not meant to be kept in cages in distressing conditions with neglected medical conditions. The people who keep these magnificent animals this way should hang their heads in shame.