My love affair with cats started at the age of 2, when Santa brought my 1st cat for Christmas. With each passing year, my love has grown into more of a passion. Unfortunately, we are not allowed enough time on this earth with our beloved furbabies. I was devasted, 4 years ago, when one of my newest babies passed away from FIP a day before his 1st birthday. I had never heard of FIP and had so many questions. (A great resource on FIP is https://www.zenbycat.org/) How was that even possible? I have had feline companions for 46 years and thought I was very knowledgeable about them. Boy was I wrong!
Thus began my research into how to ensure that my cats are living a healthy and happy life. What could I do for them so we can have more time together? As a high school English teacher, reading and research comes naturally for me. And research I did. One topic led me down a rabbit hole only to discover another topic and a deeper rabbit hole. I have learned so much over the past 4 years and continue to learn something new every day. My thoughts and beliefs change as I read and learn more. Being a teacher, I thrive on journaling, note-taking and lists. Education is so very important to me.
Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.
Maya Angelou
And, so, The Dedicated Feline Enthusiast was created. As the proud caregiver of 19 cats, I have been called The Crazy Cat Lady more times than I can count. Most of the time there is a negative connotation added to the phrase. I have always taken offense to the word “crazy”. Is it crazy for me to want to give my cats a good quality life? Is it crazy to want to feed them a food that is going to nourish their bodies instead of harming? Is it crazy that I want to provide my cats with a happy and stimulating environment? Is it crazy that I want to help give other cats a better life through spay & neuter, rescue and fostering? The answer for me is always no. It is not crazy for me. For me, it is natural, it is passion. For me, it is dedication.
My goal for this page is to share with you all that I have learned and continue to learn. Over the past 4 years, I have compiled a massive list of resources and products that I believe in. My lists and knowledge have become broader over the past 6 months after my beloved Monti Boi was diagnosed with, and ultimately passed on from, Feline Kidney Disease at the young age of 4. That was an eye-opening experience that led me to more research and more rabbit holes. I have tried many different techniques and approaches on various topics with my cats. Some with great success; some with even greater failure. But it is through mistakes that you grow. I want my blogs to be fun and educational. Inspiring and thought-provoking. And, maybe even, sometime controversial. In the end, I hope that you learn and grow with me.
