CAT FANCY MAGAZINE

GROWING UP AS A KID, WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE PETS. SEVERAL TIMES I HAD STRAY DOGS “FOLLOW” ME HOME ON MY PAPER ROUTE, ONLY TO HAVE THEM TURNED AWAY AT THE DOOR BY MOM. UNCLE HANS WAS ONLY SLIGHTLY MORE SUCCESSFUL, AND HAD A PET PARAKEET BIRD, NAMED PENNY.

I HADN’T EVEN GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE AND BEGAN MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME. THE “OD” USED TO SAY THAT HEIDI, THE MINATURE DACHUND, HAD A BA DEGREE FROM LUTHER COLLEGE. SO THE PET PARADE WITH MY KIDS BEGAN, HAMSTERS, HOMING PIGIONS, GOATS, DOGS, CATS, AND HORSES. CATS WERE MY LEAST FAVORITE, BUT PAULIE ALWAYS HAD TO HAVE ONE AROUND, DOGS WERE MY CHOICE.

IN THE “HAPPY CAMPER” RV LIFE STYLE WE WENT TEN YEARS WITHOUT A PET. I GREW TO HATE THOSE YAPPY LITTLE RV DOGS THAT MOST CAMPERS HAVE.

OUR FIRST SUMMER AT WATERFALL MOUNTAIN AND THE MOUSE WARS BEGAN. MARY ISN’T A PET PERSON, AND ON A WHIM IN VEGAS ONE DAY WHEN I SUGGESTED A CAT AS A WEAPON IN THE MOUSE WARS I WAS SURPRISED TO HAVE MARY AGREE TO THE IDEA. JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW MUCH MARY HATES MICE.

SUSIE-Q, THE CAT, HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT TRAINER TO MARY AND I ABOUT CATS. IT DIDN’T TAKE HER LONG TO TEACH US WHAT GREAT PETS CATS CAN BE.

IN MARY’S RUNS TO THE LAUGHLIN LIBRARY I FOUND MYSELF PICKING UP THE CAT FANCY MAGAZINE EACH MONTH TO READ THE COVER STORIES ON THEIR SELECTED PURE BRED CAT OF THE MONTH. IN FACT I WAS SAVING PAW POINTS OFF OF THE LITTER BAGS TO GET MY OWN FREE SUBSCRIPTION AT HOME.

I’VE DEVELPOED AN INTEREST IN SPOTTED CATS, SAVANNAHS, BENGALS, AND OCICATS. ON THE INTERNET I’VE VISITED CATTERY WEBSITES FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, INTERESTING READING AND RESEARCH.



ON SUNDAY WE’RE OFF TO LAS VEGAS TO A CAT SHOW IN SEARCH OF SPOTTED CATS. I’VE BEEN TO HORSE SHOWS, DOG SHOWS, AND EVEN GOAT SHOWS, BUT THIS WILL BE MY FIRST CAT SHOW. STAYED TUNED.