#WordlessWednesday - Spying

This is a Blog Hop! 

Happy Cat Month - Happy Multi-Cat Week

September has been declared Happy Cat month from the folks over at Catalyst Council, and this week is Happy Multi-Cat Week.  I decided to share my experience with my cats, because in the beginning we were not a happy multi-cat household! But with patience and determination we got there.  (I’ll make a disclaimer here; I do not claim to be a cat behavioral expert in any way, I’m just sharing what worked for me and my experience.)

Lexy was an only cat for eight months when I decided she was lonely during the day and would be happier with a friend, so I started to look for a companion for her.  A month later I found Lola’s photo on Facebook. I thought I would start the introduction process as soon as possible, so I brought a towel that Lexy had been sleeping on to the vet (Manhattan Cat Specialists - the best vet in NYC!) where Lola was being medically cared for and asked the tech if it could go in Lola’s kennel.  It was advised against because Lola’s immune system was still compromised. On the flip side, it was also not advised to bring anything from Lola’s kennel home to Lexy.  So there went that idea!

When Lola came home I kept her in the bathroom for a week (mainly because she was still on medication).  Lexy was not happy with this intruder, to say the least.  She would sit and growl by the bathroom door at night – a growl I had never heard from her.  Lola wrote in her book that she thought Lexy wanted to eat her, and I agreed with her! During that week I showered Lexy with attention when she wasn’t near the door.  When she was near the door and sitting nicely, I showered her with more attention and treats. (I’m a Behavioral Psychologist by trade, and I figured the underlying principles of positive reinforcement probably don’t change much when working with animals.  I still don’t know if I’m right! But I followed my instinct.) When she sat by the door and growled I silently shooed her away with no other positive attention.  

When Lola’s medications were finished and she was ready to meet the world, I rubbed washcloths on both of their faces and let them smell the others’ scent.  The next day they changed places – Lexy went into the bathroom and Lola roamed the rest of the apartment.  I did this a couple of times, and Lexy didn’t mind snacking on Lola’s food.  (One morning during the switch Lexy got locked in my closet.  Don’t ask for more details, please. Just know it was a scene out of Seinfeld!) 

Then came the day for them to see each other.  I let them peek at each other through the bathroom door and Lola’s inner big cat came out. She growled and swatted and growled some more.  I brought Lola out in a carrier but it appeared she felt trapped so that wasn’t a good idea.  I brought her back out to the living room and sat her on my lap.

I don't like that thing. 

National Day of Encouragement

Hello everyone, this is Lexy checking in.  Did you know that today is National Day of Encouragement? This is a concept that Mother believes in very much, so I decided to write a post about it.  Mother has been a supervisor for many years, and has been able to run her department successfully for a long time.  She always tells her staff "a supervisor is only as strong as the people who works for them", and is always motivating them and encouraging them.  Mother also believes that small words and acts of encouragement can mean the world to someone who is feeling down and out or who are not able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  

The National Day of Encouragement was founded in 2007 at Harding University in Searcy, AR and is celebrated each year on September 12. According to Andrew Baker, the organizer of the National Day of Encouragement and the Executive Director of the Encouragement Foundation “The National Day of Encouragement is about inspiring Americans to make deliberate words and acts of encouragement a part of this day first, and then a part of every day of their lives.” There isn't a lot of information on the internet about this day (or the foundation for that matter), but it doesn't take a lot of effort to participate.  We came up with a few ideas to help encourage people.

1.  Smile! A smile can cheer someone up in a second, and it 
     can also let a person know you accept them or their idea.

2.  Give someone a compliment! It's simple. it can be a 
     simple statement such as "you look nice today", "I really 
     like that color on you", or "that report you wrote was 
     excellent!" You get the idea. 

3.  Send a card. Mother has a friend that sends cards all
     the time.  One day when she was feeling down she 
     opened the mailbox and there was a card that told her
     not to quit. It made her day!

4.  Say Thank You!  Gratitude can never be expressed 
     enough.  And don't take for granted that people know 
     your grateful for something.  Tell them! 

5.  Show an interest in what someone else is
     doing!  Step out of your box and into someone else's. 
     Someone will be encouraged by knowing you're 
     interested in what they're doing. 

Do you have any other ideas about how you can encourage someone? We hope you participated today! 

Lexy

Tonight is Caturday and we're holding our weekly Caturday Night Meow over at our Facebook Page. Come meow with us! We start at 8:00 pm, but you can meow at whatever time you want! 

Happy Labor Day!

Hello and Happy Labor Day! Lexy and I decided to take it easy today and made a couple of niptinis. They must have been a little strong because they made us see stars! 

Did you know the first ever Labor Day parade was held right here in New York City? Yep! That's right! On September 5, 1882 10,000 union workers took an unpaid day off and marched from City Hall to Union Square in support of the holiday. In 1894 it became a national holiday.  Just another reason NYC rocks!

We hope you are enjoying a relaxing Labor Day. 

Lola

It's Happy Cat Month!

Hello and Happy Saturday Caturday! Did you know that September is Happy Cat Month? The folks over at the Catalyst Council created this annual event to debunk the myth that cats are aloof and need less medical care than dogs do.  The goal of this event is to negate these stereotypes and make sure all cats get the proper care they need.  Pretty cool, huh? 

So today I decided to share a few things that make us happy. (Oh, by the way, the Catalyst Council says that taking us to the vet on a regular basis is a way to keep us happy.  Umm... I hate to burst their bubble... but getting a thermometer put you know where does not make a kitty happy).  

As long as Lexy has something to lie on she's happy. She lies on the strangest
things sometimes, like laundry bags, grocery bags, and shoes. 

CatLadyBox was a big hit at the White House

Lexy agreed to hand over the reviewing responsibilities to me today because I was very excited to receive my CatLadyBox from Dorian Wagner.  

Hurry up, Mommy! I want to see what you got!

Mother will love reviewing this. 

#WordlessWednesday in the Kitchen Window