Double Bonus Picture to Fill Space-Scotish Fold Cat

Since Maru the Cat, the Scottish fold cat who resides in Japan, has become a Youtube sensation, we thought we'd thought an image of a cat from the same breed; this particular one presumably resides in Latvia.

On Sat. April 20th, the Safe Haven for Cats, a no-kill shelter in Raleigh, NC, will host its annual Tuxedo Cat Ball at the Marbles Kid Museum in downtown Raleigh. the contact number for the shelter is (919) 872-SAFE.

Quote of the Week- R.Crumb

One of our heroes R. Crumb, the creator of "Mr. Happy" and "Fritz the Cat," is heading down under to speak at Sydney Opera House in Australia on Aug. 21, which is a long, long way from here in Goldsboro, NC (I am actually in a different town in the Tarheel State, but all of us are experiencing near 100-degree heat!).

Here is his quote:

"When I come against the real world, I just vacillate."

In our last entry on our other blog, we mentioned Safe Haven for Cats in Raleigh, NC. The no-kill cat shelter has an ad in the current pet issue of "Independent Weekly" which can give a ten-dollar discount of spaying and neutering. The shelter's phone number is 919-872-1128_the picture of the tuxedo cat in the ad looks amazingly like our beloved family cat Godzilla (not his real name) who turned seven last week.

THE WHOOPS DEPT- this entry was meant for the other blog!

Happy Birthday, Lale!!!

I want to wish a happy 36th birthday to my sister Lale. To show her my love and affection towards her, I am going to surprise Lale by sending her an Abyssinian cat (pictured here) from a breeder in Philadelphia. It's going to cost me $800* plus shipping, but I know it's well worth it!

I also know my sister, my brother-in-law, and their two adult cats will be pleased to have a new kitten jumping on the couch in their living room. In fact, he may cost even more than the priceless vase he might knock over on their mantle piece.

*-Actual cost for an Abyssinian cat. Perhaps, some Abyssinians retail lower than this at pet stores in your areas, but they are show cats!

PS-In all actuality, though I am not destitute, I can not affford an $800 cat but perhaps one day if I win the North Carolina Lottery I will surprise Lale with this gift. But, there are also lots of cats that cost significantly less than a used car which need a home.

Since this is St. Patrick's Day, we thought we'd mention The Pulaski County Animal Shelter in Dublin, Va., which is currently offering the following three cats: Beans, a female calico kitten, Jewel, an adult orange tabby cat and Shenanigans, a male tuxedo kitten.

The shelter's web site is nrvanimalshelters.com/Pulaski

Merry Christmas from Gizmo the Family Cat!

The photo here is actually of Bob, a tuxedo cat in South Carolina, but Gizmo looks almost exactly like him! Apparently, Bob is a cat who needs a home, so......

We are using our entries today to focus people's attention on animal adoption. We found Gizmo at a gas station in Ironto, Va., as we were coming back from Virginia Tech in October of 2004. But, many cats and dogs aren't so lucky (Uh oh! I am getting on a soap box!).

We named Gizmo after the title character in "Gremlins," which surprisingly has a very long wait on NetFlix!

We have company from Johnson City, Tenn., so I need to get off the computer and be polite. It's not something I'm always good at unless I'm at Chamber of Commerce mixers.

But, before I do that, I want to mention that the city I live in, Reidsville, NC, near Greensboro, has one of the highest kill rates for its local animal shelter so if you live in the area and you need a pet please don't go to the pet store at Friendly Center in Greensboro (unless you want hamsters! They do have a great selection of hamsters,actually! But, Gizmo would probably eat them).

In all seriousness, the animal shelter in Reidsville can be reached at (336) 342-4022. My friends at the Backstreet Buzz Coffee House in Reidsville have also been helping to get the word out about the animal shelter, and I really appreciate that. I just wish my apartments allowed pets!

Similarly, the animal shelter in my hometown of Salem, Va., (www.salempets.org) can be reached at (540) 375-3038. I also really wish we could get another cat for Gizmo who lives with mom in Roanoke, Va., but she hates taking out the cat litter as it is and I'm not to sure Gizmo, who is perhaps the wildest domestic cat in town, would care for another Garfield!

Movies of Our Youth- (12 of 12) "Gremlins"

Why a tuxedo cat as an image for a movie about creepy little reptilian monsters?

Because I named my tuxedo cat Gizmo after the title character in Joe Dante's vintage sci fi flick.

My friend Joe Scott will screen "Gremlins" as part of his "Mixed Tape Series" at the Carousel Luxury Cinemas in Greensboro, NC, on Thursday, Dec 3 at 7:30 and 10:00 p.m.

Alas, I teach class on Thursday nights so it looks I will not only miss a chance to see this movie for the first time in over 20 years, but I will also miss the 'wedding episode' on "The Office." But, since I'm not a newspaper reporter who has to cover an execution, I won't complain:)