Here is an interesting cat toy I found on Amazon for only $10.
The toy moves randomly, which simulates real prey. I found that it really attracted our cats’ interest, but I was hoping it would be a good tool for getting our cats moving. They both can use some exercise, especially Floki, who doesn’t go outside for walks like Frankie does. I suppose the fact that Floki is over nine years old and Frankie is pushing fifteen has something to do with it.
One problem I noticed is that the toy’s tail got stuck on the floor a few times. The floor on our patio is not tile; it’s more like garden stones, which have a rough texture. I don’t know what the toy’s tail is made of, but it tended to stick to the floor like Velcro. I’m sure it would be fine inside the house.
If you are interested, here is a link to what I bought. It is an affiliate link, so if you make a purchase, I will finally be able to buy that yacht I’ve been looking at.
I’m happy to report that my new book is available now. I wrote this one much faster than the first one, which took five years. I finished the first draft in less than six weeks. It is a little shorter than my first book, but I believe it will appeal to a broader audience. It is part mystery, part romance, and it has a little science fiction sprinkled in. It is called The Last Healer.
Like last time, I could use some help. I need people to review the book. I chose not to enroll this book into KDP Select this time so, unfortunately, I will not be able to offer it for free. Because it is shorter, it is cheaper than my last book, and because it is not in KDP Select, I was able to publish it on other platforms. So far those other platforms only have the e-book version, but I’m thinking of offering the paperback version elsewhere besides Amazon, even though my cut would be half. Click here to see some of the places the book is available. I’m still waiting for Google Play Books to approve it.
On November 14, 2009, we brought home a cat that would be both the best and worst adoption decision we ever made. Of course, I’m talking about Chris. He turned our house upside down for years but he also has been the most loving and affectionate pet we ever had. The funny thing is, we took more time deciding to adopt Chris than some people take to decide to adopt a human child.
I first encountered Chris on September 24th or 25th of that year when I was a volunteer for a local cat rescue organization. He was up for adoption at Petsmart and I was cleaning the cages there that morning. I let out every cat on the top row and as I was cleaning the cages Chris jumped on my back and proceeded to climb onto my shoulders. Once there, he started licking and biting my ear and my nose.
We already had four cats at the time (Abbey, Alex, Tigger and Flash) and didn’t need another one. There was also another cat at the shelter, Kinsey, who was also a shoulder climber and one my wife and I both liked, but we had a belief at the time that gold cats made exceptionally good pets.
The organization that had Chris was called Sav-R-Cats and they rotated with two other shelters at the Myrtle Beach Petsmart. I think each organization got two weeks there. Chris was back at their shelter on October 3rd when I brought my wife, Rose, to see him.
Chris at adoption center with Rose.
They hit it off very well but we were not ready to adopt another cat at that time, especially since we had to go back to Tampa for a week-long cruise that I booked when we lived there. I picked a Tampa cruise so we wouldn’t have to drive far.
Another six weeks would pass before we would decide to take Chris home. At one point, either before or after my first encounter with him, someone adopted Chris and returned him the next day because he annoyed them all night by biting them. If they hadn’t brought him back, I would probably not be blogging today.
To celebrate Chris’s Gotcha Day, I made his ebook, “Bad Cat Chris; The Baddest Cat You’ll Ever Love” free for three days, starting today. This book is a condensed version of this blog with some added material. It chronicles the ups and downs of our life with Chris from the beginning until the middle of 2013. It was a very difficult and rewarding time for us. Thankfully, or not, Chris has mellowed some since then but we still can’t let him sleep with us because he is still a biter.
If you do read his book, I would love it if you would write a review on Amazon.
Chris’s book, Bad Cat Chris: The Baddest Cat you’ll Ever Love, will be free on kindle today and tomorrow only. Amazon allows only five free days per 90 day enrollment in their KDP Select program. I already used three of those days, and since I don’t plan to re-enroll in the program, this may be the last chance to get it free. If you haven’t already picked up a copy, you can get it by clicking here.
I just want to ask everyone a big favor. Please, please, please, if you have read the book or plan on reading it, I would really appreciate a review on Amazon.
A good part of the book is taken from this blog and there is some added material as well. It is less than 30,000 words and can be read in one good sitting. Best of all, you don’t need a Kindle to read it. You can get an app for just about any device you have.