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 | Winter crashed in today with a torrent of rain, including three short power outages. It's a great day for a cozy fire, but not so great when a newsletter is begging to be published. Warm up with a mug of hot chocolate and pile on a blanket of cats, and we'll weather the storms together. Connect With Franny Facebook | Twitter | Free Newsletters | |
Red Cats Celebrated in December
 It has been our tradition for several years to honor red cats in the month of December. While mellow as old gold, red cats are often the alpha cats of a feline family. Whether you call them red, orange, ginger, marmelade, or golden boys, red cats are a continual joy as family members.
Photo of Garfield, Credit: © GRACE LOCK, About.com Guest
More About Red Cats Red Cats Profile | Readers' Red Cats | Share Your Red Cat
| Stress and Urine Spraying
Thanksgiving day was the one year anniversary of moving into our new home in a forested paradise, and we love it more every day. The cats do too, but being cats, they are more sensitive to external happenings than we are. For example, the day before Thanksgiving, we had problems with both toilets, which was traced back by the plumber to a drain blockage in our septic tank. I'm sure I telegraphed my stress to the cats, plus having a worker in heavy boots coming in and out of their home was the magic quotient for new stress. As if that weren't enough, Jaspurr has started marking his territory by spraying urine for several days, including the hallway near our front door...read more
| Separation Anxiety in Cats
During the holidays, you may have occasions when you just can't take your cats along, such as weekend visits to friends. Your cat may suffer from separation anxiety while you are away, which will be evident upon your return. Amy Shojai, CABC, former Contributing Writer on Cat Behavior, gives help to make your absence less traumatic, and your homecoming joyful for both your cat and yourself. Amy notes that even cats who have never shown separation anxiety before can demonstrate it, as circumstances change. She says, "Think of separation anxiety as a form of grief. Cats don't mean to 'act bad,' they just miss you so much they can't help themselves." Read this detailed article, and put Amy's advice to use, and the next time you have to leave your cat, you'll be grateful for her sound advice.
| Cat Picture of the Week: Bonnie Blue
 Our last Cat of the Week for November, Bonnie Blue was a rescue kitten, along with 10 others, from two mom cats after having been born across the road in bushes.
Charlie and his wife kept Bonnie Blue and her tuxedo sister, Banjo, after homes were found for most of the other kittens. Charlie describes Bonnie Blue as unlike any other tortie he's encountered, and his veterinarian agrees. Part of the reason is her "ice blue eyes" and part is her personality, which is playful and loving toward all the other cats in the family. Charlie wrote, "Her temperament is the best. Bonnie takes turns snuggling with all the other cats. She doesn't want anyone to feel left out." Bonnie's photo and full story appear in the Life With a Tortoiseshell Cat Show and Tell.
Image © About.com Member csmith700
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Although I had cats in my teens, it wasn't until I met my husband-to-be in high school, that I acquired a passion for cats, which remains to this day. Here, then is my tribute to some special cats I'm thankful to have known. You will also be able to post your own Thanksgiving tribute to cats you have known and loved, with an easy form. Several readers have already posted their "Giving Thanks for Cats" Show and Tell stories, and I hope many more will be submitted by Thanksgiving Day this year. 
This week's Cat Picture of the Week is Maia, a stunning nine year old tortoise kitty who lives in Australia with her adopted Mom, Balbrenny.
While I can't influence your personal likes and dislikes, I can help you analyze those feelings to help you make a choice. Naturally, I hope that choice will be a cat. I love nothing better than helping to mold a stranger to cats into a happy, knowledgeable, responsible cat parent. 
Poor Peyton bounced through two homes in short order as a rescued kitten until she finally landed in Kimilee's home, where she has been loved and nurtured for the past four years. In case you're wondering why, it is because Peyton has an excess of the famous (or notorious) "Tortitude," a character trait that many tortoiseshell cats share. In fact, Kimilee describes her as "Mentally disturbed. I often say that the fuzzy must go all the way thru her brain. I also say she is all mixed up because her colors are." Despite this description, Peyton adores Kimilee, and snuggles with her, having chosen her as "my person."