China enters the modern world?

You know the world has gone crazy when China, where every critter big or small is fair game, considers banning the human consumption of cat and dog meat.

What will be next? Lead-free toys? Untainted prescription products, baby food and toothpaste? One can only hope.

Chinese legal experts call for ban on eating cats and dogs: Widespread and ancient practice of eating dog meat increasingly distasteful for China's growing affluent, pet-loving middle class.

(Photo: Caged cats after being rescued by China Small Animal Protection Association from a market in in Beijing where cats are traded for meat and fur. Photograph: AP)

Scruffy's Story

The time has come. Yes, it's time to share the story of Scruffy Gray. The Humane Society of Skagit Valley has requested stories of animals that have found homes because of the shelter. And it's time for Scruffers to spill his guts. Scruffy, come on, it's time to tell us what happened to you!

I have pen and paper ready and I am preparing to interview him right now - ok, as soon as he wakes up from his afternoon nap. Stay tuned!

Block watch kitty

Someone has to watch out for this house. If it's not going to be the humans or Scruffers, than I guess it will be me. Geesh!

It all started when Heather was on the phone talking to her mom tonight. The doorbell rang a couple of times and someone started banging on the door. Heather ignored it while we jumped a foot into the air. I mean, hello! Why would you interrupt our nap so rudely? But then it happened again - the ringing and pounding at the door.

So what does Heather do? Sets the phone down and opens the door. Didn't look out the window, nope. (Hello? Any brain cells in there?) And that's when she realized there were two strange women who didn't live in the neighborhood at her door. And then I saw it: Recognition passed through her eyes. What if this had been dangerous? I mean, there was that woman just the other day who answered her door and two guys forced their way in and tried to rob her. (But her dog bit the guy and the ran off.)

What was Heather expecting? That Scruffy would hiss them to death? Luckily Heather was very assertive and scared the strangers off so I didn't have to go after them. Who knows what they were doing, anyhow. They were pretending to sell magazines, but it was a complete scam.

Are they casing our neighborhood? Checking out the houses to see who has an attack kitty? Just so you know I have very sharp nails and I will use them. And I am the neighborhood block watch kitty, so just you try and come back. I'll be staring out the window watching for you.

Mid-afternoon ramblings

I am so upset I can barely enjoy my nap. How can I be an indoor kitty, with all the food, love and toys I could ever want while there are people starving in Haiti? The unfairness is eating away at my conscience.

Not that I'm unhappy with my lot in life. No, quite the opposite. I love my life as an indoor kitty. I love Craig and Heather and my buddy Scruffy Gray. I love my bowl and my fleece snuggle bed and my yellow mid-day napping chair in the living room. And my toys.

But I'm having a hard time staring at photos of people who are obviously living in extreme poverty, suffering even more than they were in everyday life. Look at them. Roads, buildings, lives - completely destroyed. And yet, here I am, getting ready for my afternoon nap and the most difficult thing I have to do is decide where to spend my afternoon.

I guess the only thing I can do is feel thankful for what I have.

The unwanted bath

Demoralizing. That word sums it up pretty well.

I know, I am not a snuggly, play-with-strangers and sit-on-your-lap type of kitty. No, I realize I come across as aloof to newcomers. To everyone but Craig and Heather. But it doesn't mean that I don't have a heart.

I admit it. Heather and Craig's leaving for almost two weeks completely stressed me out. What would you do if the people you loved and saw all day every day suddenly packed their bags and kissed you goodbye? How was I supposed to know they were coming back?

Scruffy Gray took it all in stride. He was sure they would return, but me, well, I'm a sensitive kitty. And so the day after Heather and Craig came home, my stomach did the whirlies. I tried to make it to the kitty box on time, but alas, I failed.

But the worst part was when Heather and Craig "inspected" me for cling-ons and forced me into a lower body bath. Oh man! I ran downstairs to escape their overzealous towel drying when Scruffy saw me and laughed at my sopping wet tail.

I hope tomorrow starts off better.

New year, same old routine

Us kitties never follow calendars. Why would we? It's not like we ever have to be somewhere on a specific date. And if we do (the vet), I don't want to know about it ahead of time, that's for sure!

January, shmanuary, it's all the same to us. Here's Scruffy Gray following his new year's resolution: to get enough sleep.

Happy whatever date to you!