As a dog and cat lover, a blogger/writer and marketing enthusiast, I’m always scouring the Internet for helpful information, funny stories about cat and dog antics and amazing achievements and so on.
Upon reading Cat Chat (another favorite cat blog) one day I came across a link for Zee & Zoey. Just the photographs alone, (high quality, vivid, almost 3-D) were mesmerizing. My first reaction was that this blog was produced by a giant media company like Disney. Upon seeing these two gorgeous cats, I was drawn to their story. Like many pet blogs, the pet owner, Deborah Barnes, shares the whirlwind courtship of her male Maine Coon cat (Zee) and a female Bengal cat (Zoey) and the subsequent litter of kittens adding to her brood and up- to- the- eyebrow level of tail chasing and the true joys of pet children. Deb and her fiancé now have seven cats. Folks this is not fiction!
On the home page is Deb’s photograph in cat attire. You might think straightaway that she’s a crazy cat lady dressed in head to toe in leopard print, her affinity for the spotted wild cat. But as a cat lover, rescuer, and educator myself, and in reading her blog, it was abundantly apparent that Deb discovered the extraordinary essence of cats. She understands the way her cats think and act and wanted to get into character, to identify with her subjects that teach us about life and relationships. For every person that says they’re not a cat person, I now have another reference to direct them to! Cats are like dogs in many ways—silly, playful, mischievous, intelligent and trainable! But each one still possesses a unique personality.
On the home page is Deb’s photograph in cat attire. You might think straightaway that she’s a crazy cat lady dressed in head to toe in leopard print, her affinity for the spotted wild cat. But as a cat lover, rescuer, and educator myself, and in reading her blog, it was abundantly apparent that Deb discovered the extraordinary essence of cats. She understands the way her cats think and act and wanted to get into character, to identify with her subjects that teach us about life and relationships. For every person that says they’re not a cat person, I now have another reference to direct them to! Cats are like dogs in many ways—silly, playful, mischievous, intelligent and trainable! But each one still possesses a unique personality.
Little did Deb know at the time, what started out as weekly emails in 2009, journaling the birth of four kittens after Zee and Zoey united in feline bliss, was the foundation of a book. The blog it turns out, was a “behind the scenes” making of the book. As happens with life’s interruptions, the book was delayed and the blog has grown into a multi-functional cat blog featuring guest bloggers and Mewsworthy posts including efforts to help homeless cats. Deb was kind enough to write a post about Amber & Rudy, two special adult cats, still in foster care awaiting a furrever home. Their story will move you to tears.
Do not fret my pet lovers. Deb completed her book and it’s soon to be released this fall “The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey—A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary”. What a great title! Thanks to Deb's fiance, Dan, a photographer extraordinaire, readers will also be treated to pages of surreal photographs. So be sure to subscribe to this blog (see right hand side) and you’ll automatically receive an email announcing the release of this book. I just read a preview of Chapter 8, where Zoey is brought home and Zee’s pent up vigor and lust now have a welcoming target. Let the mating begin! My goodness, this is like a mini soap opera. However this reality story is not staged and teaches us real life lessons.
[NOTE: While Zee and Zoey were not strays, it's important to know that Deb had adopted strays throughout her entire life and this is covered in the Prologue. Like many of us true animal lovers and rescuers, Deb lived part-time at the vet's office, a ping-pong of trips to get each one spayed and neutered. She had every intention of spaying and neutering Zee & Zoey but nature beat her. Thankfully Deb acted responsibly and kept the kittens rather than surrender them to a shelter and had all the cats sterilized, including two other cats she already had, Jazz and Harley].
In the meantime, I’m enjoying this blog. It’s like reading a book at your pace, where you never get far behind. If you’re new to reading blogs, please follow proper blog etiquette. If you read a blog, be sure to leave a comment now and then. At the end of a posting (a “posting” in a blog, is the same as an article in a magazine), go to the “comment” section. It’s nice to know who’s reading our blogs, a labor of love.
[NOTE: While Zee and Zoey were not strays, it's important to know that Deb had adopted strays throughout her entire life and this is covered in the Prologue. Like many of us true animal lovers and rescuers, Deb lived part-time at the vet's office, a ping-pong of trips to get each one spayed and neutered. She had every intention of spaying and neutering Zee & Zoey but nature beat her. Thankfully Deb acted responsibly and kept the kittens rather than surrender them to a shelter and had all the cats sterilized, including two other cats she already had, Jazz and Harley].
In the meantime, I’m enjoying this blog. It’s like reading a book at your pace, where you never get far behind. If you’re new to reading blogs, please follow proper blog etiquette. If you read a blog, be sure to leave a comment now and then. At the end of a posting (a “posting” in a blog, is the same as an article in a magazine), go to the “comment” section. It’s nice to know who’s reading our blogs, a labor of love.
I can’t wait for the book release and to read about the journey of two cats intertwined with Deb’s life story, her triumphs and challenges, and how this sexy cat lady landed a fiancé with four cats?!
Christine
Christine
