Cat Rescue Archives - Cat Lady in the CanyonCat Lady in the Canyon

When I announced to the cats that management mandated furlough days because of dismal first quarter projections, they both looked unimpressed. Upon hearing the news of my having to take mandatory days off from work without pay, Lex gave me a pensive stare as if trying to comprehend what that meant.

Bobcat just languidly stretched a curled up leg out from under his chest onto the side of the sofa.

Seriously, how could they possibly relate—everyday was a furlough day for them. They don’t quite understand how the whole work thing…works. Lucky for them I’m the one that puts the cat food on the table. At that, I was done feeling frustrated. Rather than yowl and hiss about the cut in pay, I looked at furlough days as much needed time off.

My first furlough day, a Friday in January, started with a meeting at Zinc Café with a fellow Blue Bell Foundation volunteer to discuss the upcoming Cat’s Meow fundraiser and basic catch-up conversation. That led to errands around town then back home for a power walk along the beach.

Cats don’t understand work, but they do understand routine and know that five days a week I leave the house in the morning and am gone all day. So I’m sure when the cats realized I was not dashing out the door at 8:00 a.m., they thought they’d have an extra day to hang out with me. Ha—I was barely home. And then just when the cats thought they would get to relax with me on the patio to watch the sunset, they instead watched as I touched up my lipstick, fluffed my hair and said, “Bye sweetie-pies! I’m off to happy meower at Catmosphere…!” as I grabbed the car keys.

Move over dog park, a cat café has come to town!

After walking into the chic cat-themed café, I was greeted with a big smile and hug by Catmosphere’s proprietor, Gail Landau. I sat down at the bar facing the window to the very well-appointed kitty lounge adjacent to the café where the adoptable cats live and are visited by guests looking to adopt (or not—some like me just want to play with the kitties). Gail took a break from her operation and visited with me while I sipped on a red blend.

Nestled in downtown Laguna with its whimsical window décor and cool cat-in-sunglasses logo, Catmosphere makes even the non-cat person curious. Gail tells me that many people wander in because they want to find out what it’s all about—and end up being quite impressed. The first of its kind in Orange County, Catmosphere is the purrrfect business model for cat adoption. Cats live in a more enriching environment causing their personalities to shine because they’re relaxed and happy, rather than being in an unnatural and stressful caged environment while waiting to be adopted. This is much more conducive for the cats and their soon-to-be new family to get to know and bond with each other. I finished my wine and went into the lounge to get my fill of cat cuteness before heading home.

My furlough day ended with lots of fur-babies by my side, including my own as I settled in for the night, content with earning currency of the kind you can’t put into the bank, but the kind that fills your heart.

Since Catmosphere’s August 2018 opening, it’s found forever homes for forty of its feline fosters! Congratulations! For more information about Catmosphere visit catmospherelaguna.com

Four years ago, I lost one of my true loves—the love of a furry and tailed kind. I suppose that all my cats are, and have been true loves, but like certain people, Bella touched me on a soul mate kind of level. Pretty Bella 2

Bella had only been in my life for three years, far from the many years I was expecting to share with her. Over those three years, Bella had worked her way deep into my heart as she opened her guarded soul to me. I adopted her from New Beginnings for Animals and was her third home. When I met her at the PetSmart adoption center, she cautiously came out of her cage and carefully looked up at me. I knelt down to meet her face to face. She sniffed my forehead, cheeks and nose, stepped back and sized me up. The volunteer said that Bella had been there for months, yet never showed interest in anyone, gently urging me to consider this eight year old Persian mix. I had intended to adopt a kitten, but told the volunteer that I would think about Bella. Over the following days, not only did I think about Bella, I could not get her out of my mind. My desire for a kitten was overshadowed by my instant connection with Bella. It seemed that she’d been patiently waiting for me. A week following our introduction, I returned to the adoption center. Bella greeted me again, demonstrated her craze for catnip and I promptly signed adoption papers. This stoic beauty was coming home with me.

Bella and Cat Nip

Our initial connection grew into a strongly bonded relationship—bonded with love, trust and a lot of humor. I got such a kick out of her. Bella was a dancer trapped in a cat’s body and I was audience to her burlesque routines. Miss Bella would sashay across the hardwood floor, just beyond the coffee table, in front of the T.V. then stop mid strut as if remembering something important, which lead to a dismissive glance over her shoulder before she strutted off the “stage.” She appeared to be on her tippy toes, and her rubinesque behind swayed purposefully while her fluffy tail would oscillate in sync with her sassy struts. At the end of each act she ended-up on my lap loudly purring and proudly looking up at me with her big round orange eyes. I could see and feel Bella’s contentment—that sense of finally belonging; finally being loved and adored.

Three Little Kittens

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I still smile when I think about the three years we had together. And four years later, tears still fall when I think of our last day together—Bella snuggling with me, Topper and Lex on my bed for several surreal hours before the vet arrived.

At one point she sat up, stretched and nonchalantly licked her paw, then licked a drop of chamomile tea from my fingertip as if she were perfectly fine. Other than labored breathing and murky eyes she still looked healthy and beautiful. But the cancer had gotten the best of her, and she would have passed on her own within days. I couldn’t bear to see her suffer.

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Dr. Sultzer arrived at 2:30 p.m. on April 30, 2012 to help Bella cross over to the Rainbow Bridge. I held her as she peacefully passed with Topper and Lex by her side.

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