Terre Pruitt's Blog

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Posts Tagged ‘the dancing cat’

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Scratchers

Posted by terrepruitt on August 29, 2015

A cat came into our lives in 2000.  So we were blessed to have had her as our cat for fourteen years.  She had a few scratching posts and things to scratch on.  Well, she had two scratching posts, an area where cats are supposed to scratch on her tower, and another horizontal carpeted scratcher.  She never really scratched anywhere else except when she wasn’t feeling well.  That is how I knew she wasn’t feeling well.  When she got sick she started scratching on the bottom steps in the stair case.  Our stairs are split so she had two steps to scratch up.  The bottom two steps are all torn up.  Lovely.  I didn’t know about cardboard scratchers until The Dancing Cat came into town.  They introduced me to the cardboard things that the cats scratch on.  If I had know about them perhaps they would have saved our stairs.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueI don’t remember ever seeing them when I would look for cat stuff.  Well I didn’t really look for cat stuff after a while.  I mean, when you first get a cat you buy all kinds of stuff.  But then after a while you stop buying toys and things.  For us, Spot was our only child so our friends and family would kindly give her stuff – all the time.  At Christmas she would get more gifts than John and I put together.  Cute, huh?  What great friends and family we have.  Plus . . . she was like most cats, she liked bags, string, boxes, and paper.  She even liked cotton swabs.  So I never shopped for things.  I never had the opportunity to see this cardboard scratcher dealie-bobber!  I don’t think they had these things all those years ago when we first got Spot.

What great things these are.  And Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Techniquewith our cats, they already were used to using them.  The reason I knew they would be good is that I had seen one, if not both, Smokey and Esmeralda, use them while at the lounge/cafe.  They are pretty cool.  I like ’em.

They make a mess because it quickly becomes shredded cardboard particles all over, but still so much nicer than shredded couch, shredded carpet, shredded curtains, you know what I mean.  I do hope that the cats continue to use and enjoy them.

Our cats have one that has a ball on the outer edge.  They like that one, too.  The cardboard in that one is much tougher so it does not shred as easily.  They seem to like to sit on it more than scratch it.  Go figure.  There are some pretty fancy ones out there, for sale.  One looks like a piece of art to me, but I don’t know how long that would last and I would rather buy A LOT of little disposable ones than have one beautiful one that I had to discard.

I am thankful for these scratchers, the cats use them all the time and I am convinced they save our belongings from being shredded.

Do you know about these cardboard scratchers?  Do you have any if them for your cats?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Sisterly Love

Posted by terrepruitt on July 7, 2015

I have not decided to turn this blog into a cat blog.  But I have been very much preoccupied with the cats.  Not that they need a lot of attention.  They are very mellow girls.  I just LIKE giving them a lot of attention.  Plus I spent a lot of time at The Dancing Cat last week so my brain is still on cats.  I want to continue to talk about The Dancing Cat because having a place where you can go meet your potential pet is the greatest thing.  I went there to meet a particular cat that had been posted on The Dancing Cat’s Facebook page.  The second I walked in I wanted to scoop her up and run.  She was so tiny and so cute, just a beautiful girl.  But after watching her for a while I realized that our home would probably not be the best place for her.  She is a very active cat.  She is still young and might mellow out a bit, but she is still more active than we were looking for.  Her being active is not a bad thing at all.  And me recognizing that her level of activity is more than we want is not bad either.  It is EXACTLY what a cat cafe is for.  Well, one of the things.  It is also there to allow people to visit with cats, but its highest purpose it to match people with pets.  I didn’t want two cats.  And I still don’t.  I want the sister we have.  They are still adjusting to their new home.  It is a learning process for all of us.  But so far, my hubby and I are very happy.  We are enamoured with the girls.  We feel extremely blessed.  We are grateful to The Dancing Cat.

Since I have never had two cats, I am learning how to do it.  I never know which one to pet first.  And I always feel as if I have to give them equal time.  Which is probably not true at all because Smokey seems to like her pets in small doses.  But, as I said, we are all learning.  One thing that comes with two cats is their interaction.  I recorded a bit of their little bath session today.  I could have stood there all day, but I only got a couple of minutes because I decided I could leave them alone.  Smokey first bathed Esmeralda, then they switched.

I know for many this is not a big deal.  Happens all the time.  I know I will get accustomed to it, too.  But for now, this just amazes me.  Sister love.

The black cat is Smokey and the tortie is Esmeralda.  On the way home with them in the car my husband and I decided to keep their names.  She doesn’t really seem like an Esmeralda to me.  I looked up the name Esmeralda and it translates to emerald.  The tendency with Esmeralda is to call her Ezzy/Essy.  Don’t like.  She really doesn’t seem like an Ezzy to me.  But as the case is with pets there always seems to be a nickname.  Going along with the emerald idea, I have been calling her Emmy!  When I said that my husband said, “Like the award?”  And I said, “No, like short for the precious gem!  An Emerald.”Ahh, we will see.

My Facebook friends have been very kind and understanding about all the pictures I have posted.  I hope you understand, too.

Posted in Cats, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Fourth Of July 2015

Posted by terrepruitt on July 4, 2015

I hope, for those of you that celebrate, you had a very wonderful and safe Fourth of July.  I have been a bit preoccupied with family things.  So I forgot about Thursday’s post as well as today’s post.  But, it is good stuff, additions not subtractions.  Saving lives, not losing lives.  Remembering those that we were honored and blessed to have as part of our lives.  Sharing the love we are bursting with.  Sharing what we work hard for and the blessings we have.  Just brace yourself because this might turn into a blog about cats.

There were cats, friends, food, fireworks, and lots of love.  I give a shout out to my hubby who helped make it all happen and sacrificed his desires because of my needs.  The cats came home to a comfortable and clean space which took me a bit to achieve.  But they are home.

Thanks for reading.  Thanks for understanding.

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Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Posted in Cats, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Cat Cafe In San Jose

Posted by terrepruitt on June 27, 2015

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueYou may have heard of cat cafes, that is where someone can go, for a small fee, and visit with cats.  According to Wiki, the first Cat Cafe was open in 1998 in Taiwan but they didn’t really become popular until 2004 when one opened in Japan.  For those that have room for pets and have pets, a place where you pay to visit with a cat might sound weird.  But when you think about it, it is not really any different from a petting zoo.  And for some reason people think of petting zoos as completely normal.  Again . . . think about it . . .it is much more “normal” to pet a cat than to pet a pig or a goat.  So cat cafes make a lot of sense.  They can be great for people who enjoy the company of a cat, but don’t have room.  Or perhaps their present living situation is temporary and so they are not wanting to get a forever pet.  It could be that they love cats, but live with someone who is allergic to them.  There are many reasons a place that has cats you can visit is a good idea.  There are Cat Cafes in Japan, Canada, Europe, and the United States.  So . . . if you are inclined you might be able to find one near you.  If you are near me, I can point one out to you.  The Dancing Cat is in San Jose and is open for your pleasure.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueFor those of you that read my blog and/or know me . . . you probably picked up on how the name is very attractive to me.  I mean the DANCING Cat.

I don’t know about the OTHER cat cafes, but The Dancing Cat is a temporary home to cats that are up for adoption.  Every cat you see can be adopted.  It is my thinking that visiting a cat in a nice relaxed atmosphere gives you a better chance to see the cat you are actually getting.  I know some kitties might not act different from their true selves in a shelter or store, but I imagine most do.  They might be scared or even just a little more cautious or reserved.  Whereas in a little shop where they have run of the place you possibly get to see their actual personality.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueAt this writing the Dancing Cat plans to stay open only until August.  I quizzed one of the co-owners on what it would take to keep it open longer and I think they are still working on what exactly they would need.  But in the meantime they could use people visiting the cafe and paying the small fee of $10.00 per hour.  They could use volunteers to help with the duties that come along with keeping a home for cats.  As with most places they also accept flat out donations.  So, if you are interested and able to do any of those things, please don’t hesitate.  As I said, it it only around for a couple of months.  Perhaps with support they will be able to make it a more permanent adventure.

This past Thursday was the year anniversary of our cat’s death.  I am sure I am not alone in feeling that it is difficult to get a new pet – a new child.  Spot was such a good kitty.  Yesterday I went to visit the Dancing Cat and got so much good cat ju-ju.  Cats are amazing animals.  For over an hour I played with six cats.  Not all six for the entire time, but I was able to interact with each one at least once.  Cats are so fun to watch.  Cats are so amazing with their concentration and their acrobatics.  There were more than six at the facility, but four were off sleeping for most of the time.  Two of the “sleepers” were actually awake, but in the quiet area of the cafe.  When I went to peek in on them they were more than willing to present a belly for rubs.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueThe facility is so super cute.  The two women running the show really did a nice job of making it a comfortable place for the cats and their admirers. They have free coffee and tea available.  They even have a few snacks that you can purchase.  They have a few items of merchandise you might be interested in.  And they have cats.  They definitely have cats.  As I mentioned, there were 10 cats there, ranging from 10 months to 4 1/2 years (I believe).  The cats DO get adopted so that information could change by the time you read this.  So far they have adopted out 21 cats.  Can you imagine what they could do as word gets out?  They could end up pairing off dozens of cats with cat lovers.

Ann, one of the women who opened the shop, excitedly told me that the adoptions that have happened so far were perfect pairings.  The cats and the people/families matched up well.  This is a very important thing when adopting out or adopting a pet.  It needs to work.  Personalities need to be mesh-able.  So, that is why I think a Cat Cafe is awesome.  Cats and people get to meet and get to know each other a bit before committing

I really enjoyed my visit and that is the reason I am posting this.  I asked if I could write a post to share what is going on and that is what I am doing.  I hope, if cats are something that interest you, that you will go visit and socialize with the wonderful cats and wonderful people who are there!

What do you think of Cat Cafes?  Would you visit a cafe if there was one near you?

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Posted in Cats | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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