Welcome to My Crazy Cat Life! I’m so excited that you’re here! I can’t wait to share with you all of the things I’ve learned over the last 25+ years of cat ownership (or, more accurately, 25 years of being owned by cats). Let’s get the introductions out of the way, shall we? Fair warning, I’m horrible at these “tell me a little about yourself” things. 😀
What is My Crazy Cat Life?
My Crazy Cat Life is a passion project that I’ve put off for way too long. I actually had the idea for it years ago but the timing was never quite right to launch. Last week, though, all of the stars finally aligned and here I am!
So, what, exactly is My Crazy Cat Life? It’s hard to sum up in one catchy tagline. I guess you could call it an “insiders guide to life with cats.” I have big plans in store for you! Expect to see everything from humor to the latest cat-related news to product recommendations and more.
Hi, My Name is Nicole and I’m crazy about cats…
I’ll keep this short because I know you’re here more for the cats than the crazy cat lady writing about them! Besides, I really stink at these “tell me a little more about yourself” things. Where to start?
While My Crazy Cat Life is a brand-new site, I’m far from a “newbie” myself when it comes to writing about cats. 😀 First, I own PrettyOpinionated.com, a lifestyle and review site that’s been around for over a decade now. I’ve written quite a bit about my cats over there, too.
Second, I’ve worked in the pet website space as both a writer and editor for about 7-ish years now. When that business relationship ended, I has a bit of an “aha” moment. I realized that I could either continue busting my butt and selling my soul for pennies on the dollar helping others build their empires…or I could get back to work on building my own. I’ve wanted to start my own cat site for a long time, so here I am!
What else do you want to know about me? I’m a single mom. My son is a high school junior and pretty much the best kid on the planet (although, admittedly, I may be a smidge biased). Along with my son and my two cats, I also share a home with my zany Pharaoh Hound named Freya and my mom.
I have severe anxiety disorder, and not in an “everyone is anxious these days” sort of way. I’ve lived with it for over 30 years now and I’ve gotten pretty good at managing it, but I’m still kind of socially awkward. At parties, I’m the girl hiding in the corner talking to your cat or playing with your dog.
That about sums me up. Now, how about I introduce you to my cats. They’re far more interesting.
Meet Alex, aka The Fuzz
Alex’s full name is actually Alexander the Fuzz, but that’s quite a mouthful, so we just call him Alex. He’s some sort of cross between a Maine Coon, a bunch of other Western breeds and a dog (or at least he thinks he’s part dog). I had a Base Paws DNA test done on him and he’s pretty much a little bit of everything rolled into one incredibly cute package.
Alex was born outside my front door to the feral colony that we care for, but he was never truly feral. From the moment he could walk on his own, he walked right up to us and demanded affection. After his mom died when he was just 6 weeks old, we brought him inside (we took him to the vet to make sure it was safe for our other cats).
He was one pound and one ounce of pure fuzzy love. Today, he’s much bigger, but he’s still all heart and fuzz.
Meet Zoe
Zoe is…well, I have no idea what she is. She’s unique, that’s for sure! She was also born to a stray, a beautiful grey cat that was abandoned outside during one of the worst cold spells in history (or at least in my lifetime). Best I can tell, she’s a mix between a Russian Blue (or maybe a Chartreux), a Domestic Shorthair, and an opera diva.
See, Zoe LOVES to sing. I don’t mean howl or meow. She literally sings her little heart out, usually to her favorite toy- a wooden dowel that just appeared one day. I have no idea where it came from, but I hope it didn’t go to something important because I can never take it back now.
As you’d expect from an opera singer, Zoe is all culture and class. She has zero time- and even less patience- for Alex’s crazy cat antics. When she’s not belting out tunes at the tippy-top of her kitty-cat lungs, she’s busy trying to con us into giving her treats or sleeping on a plush pillowtop bed. MY plush pillowtop bed, not hers. Cat beds are beneath her.
Zoe isn’t as much of a cuddler as Alex. He loves being cradled like a baby. She’ll claw your eyes out if you try that nonsense with her. When she decides she wants affection, she takes it…by force if necessary. She’s a total lap cat, but only on her terms.
Meet My Ferals
Along with Alex and Zoe, we also care for a colony of feral and stray cats. Some of the older kitties are totally feral. They’re happy to accept food and shelter from us as long as we keep our hands to ourselves.
We were able to socialize a lot of the younger ones, though, so they’re more like strays. I’d love to see them all go to real homes, but our shelters are overflowing with cats as it is. So we give them the best life we can. My mom built elaborate warm shelters for them, they’re very well-fed, and we spend a lot of time with them, both to keep them socialized and because they just plain love attention.
That about covers it! Again, thank you so much for reading. I’m looking forward to sharing everything I’ve learned about cats over the last quarter century!