First Word

  CATS ARE TRENDING Cats are getting more attention than ever before.   Last year cats began trending on the Internet and social media. We saw cats in popular TV shows like And Just Like That where the character Che gives the iconic Carrie Bradshaw a kitten. On social media such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, cats took center stage in groups with titles like Cat Lovers. On Tiktok, cat enthusiasts post popular cat videos on the CatTok channel. With so much increased interest in our feline friends, a new book titled Kitty Wisdom: A Cat Lover’s Guide to Adopting and Caring for Kitties is being released for the new year.   Written by author Michelle Gamble, the book is her love letter to her two kitties, Slurpee and Icee. She wrote the book in a memoir style to share her adoption journey and all of the funny, entertaining moments she has experienced with her fur babies. Gamble walks readers through the adoption process and then explores dail...

  Ah, now we have “Ice Man,” which I randomly call him. He’s the sweetest little guy I ever adopted. Icee can’t get enough pets and scratches, and he rewards you with loud purring. I love my little Icee, the kitty I never intended to adopt. Shhh … don’t tell him that one. He would be so offended. “Not adopt moi? How could you suggest such a thing. Mom, it’s me, me, me !”             I love telling Icee’s adoption story. I visited my son Cole and his partner Andrew. Andrew adores kitties, and he has a tuxedo kitty named Lucy. (I cat-sat Lucy.) Andrew wanted to adopt a pure black “void” kitty. We were at Cole’s house in Tuolumne City, and I agreed that Andrew should adopt a void. Plus, I secretly wanted to go look at the kittens. I thought it would be fun. Again, remember going to look at kittens and not adopt one is like being a diabetic in the candy store. You’re tempting your vice.       ...