Handsome Harvey

Harvey came to live with me two years ago. He's quite a handsome guy with gray and white long hair.  He's got a great personality and a twinkle in his eyes. It was love at first sight for both of us.
 
My sister Ruthie claims I'm a needy-cat magnet.  My friend Sue says I can spot a cat a mile away while driving 70 mph.  So there was no doubt that, two years ago,  I would notice two needy kittens sitting in the parking lot of the local Dollar General Store.  The thin, hungry little guys were hosting dozens of fleas.  Of course, they both went home with me!  So that lucky day, Harvey and his brother, Theodore, increased my cat family by two.
                                                                                                                                                                       Now more about Harvey.  Harvey is . . . well, goofy in an entertaining, delightful sort of way.  I don't need an alarm clock because Harvey is very dependable and persistent in getting me up in the mornings.  As soon as he thinks it is time for his breakfast, Harvey is right there on my pillow, patting my face with his paw.  He politely waits a few minutes to see if  I am taking him seriously.  If not, he continues to intermittently pat my face until I agree with him that yes, it is time to get up.

Harvey likes to sit on top of the refrigerator. This way he can supervise everything that is going on in the kitchen and dining room.  Occasionally he will knock down a cereal box just to remind me he is up there.  When I open the refrigerator door, he leans down from above to peer into the frig.  A few times Harvey has even jumped into it. I always remind him, that while it's OK to be a "cool cat",  being inside the frig is probably a little more cool than either of us has in mind.

Last night I was sitting on my lazy boy recliner.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something swinging.  Why, it was my hanging spider plant! Now what could have make that flower pot swing like that?  Ohhhhh, there was a cat sitting right on top of the spider plant, squashing it flat. He had a twinkle in his eye as if to say, "Wheeee, look at meeee!"  And no, it wasn't Theodore.

It must be time to end this post, because Harvey just jumped up between me and the computer screen. Goodness, is it time for the kitty treats already?

Plants and the Cats Who Love Them!

Cats have a natural desire to chew on plants. If you don't want Tabby to eat your house plants, you may need to convince him that he doesn't want to!

Read my article, Cats and Plants, a Likely Combination 
for suggestions on how to be creative and keep both you and your cat happy.

Don't Expect Any Leftovers!

This is me,  Phoebe,  The Wondrous Story Cat!  I'm sharing one of my comfort-food holiday recipes that uses two of my favorite foods.  They would be Peppawridge Farm's purrfectly seasoned stuffing and Catbell's Mouse broth.  Don't worry, I haven't purrposely  omitted any ingredients, so your catserole will taste just as good as when I make it myself!

To the young kittens  experiencing Christmas for the first time--you will surely want to mew and purr for this recipe every Christmas!

Flavorful Mousy Catserole

4 cups Peppawridge Farm Catnip Seasoned Stuffing

8 mice

purrprika

1 can Catbell's Mouse broth

1/4 cup cream

1 tablespoon chopped catnip

Directions:

• Mix stuffing, 1 cup boiling water, and 1 tbsp butter.
• Spoon stuffing across center of 3-qt shallow baking dish.  Place mice over top of stuffing.  Sprinkle mice with purrprika.
• Mix broth, cream, and catnip.  Pour over mice.
• Bake covered at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.
• Bake uncovered 15 minutes or until mice are crispy.

Yields four servings; guaranteed no leftovers!

The Tabby In the Nativity

The Tabby in the Nativity  
Phoebe, the Wondrous Story Cat is often lamenting that she has never seen a nativity scene that included a cat.  And I understand her perplexity. Baby  Jesus was born in a stable.  There are mice in a stable.  I can't even imagine a stable without a cat . . . or two . . . or more.  Yet, I have never seen a manger scene with a cat.  Have you?   Oh, there are cows, sheep, lambs, donkeys, and camels.  But never a cat or a kitten.

But one of Phoebe's Facebook fans told her about a tabby that was part of the nativity.  You've noticed the "M" on the forehead of a tabby cat, haven't you?  Some people say a tabby with a "M" brings good luck.  But I prefer the legend of The Tabby In the Nativity.  Here it is!


According to cats.about.com, there is a wonderful legend about the origin of the "M" tells about Mary and the tabby cat in the manger. It seems that the baby Jesus was cold and fussing, and Mary asked the manger animals to move in closer to warm him. The manger was simply too small to accomplish that, but a little tabby cat came in and nestled next to the baby, and cosseted Him with purring and warmth. Mary was so grateful, she bestowed her own initial, "M" on the cat's forehead.