I've been waiting to get something from this artist and I fell in love with this one. She's going on my desk at the shelter when she gets here. ❤️ Reminds me of Lumi, and also the fish Hobbes (TNR community cat) brought home once. 😅

More happy comfy Chessie. I do legit love seeing how she's grown in the right environment. ❤️ She's still my feisty and fierce little girl, but she's also learned how to be comfortable in her space sometimes.

I am really liking The Silt Verses so far - on episode 6. I'm also still relistening to The Magnus Archives on and off, but TSV has some really gorgeous writing.

Happy Chessie earlier today, all comfy after a nap in the sun. ❤️

Oooof. Large outdoor shelter event today, so I am ded now. BUT this year at least I'm on beta blockers, and I knew I needed extra salt and electrolytes even though it "wasn't that hot." I'm tired, but I think less ded than last year at least. Next year goal is a station where I can sit. 🫠

Time for one of the best things. Charlie trying to take a bath. 🙂 (Video: Cow kitty with an orange kitty brain cell attempting to bathe himself. Lots of kicking himself in the face and general flailing about.)

It's being a long week and I apologize for the lack of cat pics. But also I just saw S2:E11 of The Pitt and holy shit. *Great* ep, but I'm second guessing if I should be watching while we're also really having a lot going on at work. The "this is too much" feel treads too close to irl sometimes.

Lumi would like to know she's only sitting on the armrest of my chair to read all of your excellent posts and not I repeat NOT trying to get fed early, how dare you, the very idea

Snipped and tipped, Big Mac is headed to his happy ever after at a nice heated barn! #TNR www.fffvt.org

Just saw an update about the cat I really really wanted to help a little while back, but that my own shelter wouldn't have been a good place for - he's found a home, and I have so many feelings. Partly relief of course, but also because it's really hitting me that even if I couldn't take him (1/?)

Bc it's that time: Neokittens almost always do better with mom, even outside, than away from mom, even inside with a foster. and A busy animal shelter is just about the WORST place for a feral mom with kittens. There's a reason you will sometimes be told, "Put them back until babies are older."

Smol potat alert! I got a better pic, but I like this one bc it shows her smile. She is just learning the ways of the calico - she raised her paw to hit me when I tried to pick her up, then changed her mind and decided I'm allowed to live. Hopefully the finder can trap mom soon!

On the one hand, how dare algorithmic social media just assume I want to watch a video about a heat and motion activated feral cat trap. OTOH I mean, that's really cool and now I'm sharing it, so. 🤷 youtu.be/p3ZqTHf1UkY?...

Giant cheeks and sad eyes. ❤️❤️❤️ He had his TNR surgery today, and will be much happier when he goes home tomorrow. (And yes, we made a note for the vets to check on that blep.) Even if he's stressed in the moment, TNR will help keep him safe from mating related fights from now on. ❤️

So eepy! These babies came in with mama - normally we'd wait until they were older to TNR mom, but there were concerns with mom bc she had struggled with their birth. So far mom and these babies seem fine now, but it could have gone either way. TNR saves cats from difficult and dangerous births!

The face of a cat who just bit my elbow FOR NO REASON, and has no regrets.

The shelter I work at isn't set up for long term holds, we're a super busy open intake and need to move animals through quickly. A kitty I love SO MUCH and who's been here since October just got adopted and I'm so happy for him! ❤️❤️

Historians agree that the real Pandora’s Box was likely a basket of grumpy kittens. Postcard from my collection, mailed 1904.

Took the last post down bc I saw the AI tag at the bottom of the Steam page. :/ I don't know how much it was used, but I'm not comfortable sharing the link not knowing more about the AI usage.

My little angel allows snuggles, but no toucha da peets!!! 👿 😂 (Short video: I, blond white woman in blue/purple glasses, pjs, and a tan sweatshirt, am face snuggling an ear tipped tuxedo cat who is resting on a table. I touch one front paw with my finger and she spins around to smack me.)

My little angel allows snuggles, but no toucha da peets!!! 👿 😂 (Short video: I, blond white woman in blue/purple glasses, pjs, and a tan sweatshirt, am face snuggling an ear tipped tuxedo cat who is resting on a table. I touch one front paw with my finger and she spins around to smack me.)

I've said it once, I'll say it a million times. When the world is shitty and the news is filled with people cheering on murder, spread kindness and love like the world depends on it, because it does.

Read Across America week. I'm already signed up to read to multiple classrooms in two different school districts. Who am I? Somebody important? Heck no. Just somebody who cares and is willing to spend time reading to kids (and give the teachers a chance to sit down).

Too early in the year for you, illegal kitten! (Came with a mama at least. ❤️)

Miss Mirage Stubentiger Featherduster in all her magnificently floofy glory. #TNR #Cats #CommunityCats

Chessie being ridiculous. Sometimes she tries to bite me and sometimes she says it's lap time. Sometimes she refuses to even look towards my phone and sometimes she says, "oooo, wat dis?!" 😂

Blurry bc it's zoomed in from a porch camera. But Claudius was loafing with The New Cat today, peacefully. Imma have to find a day I can be home and try to trap him. The hard part is keeping the other cats out of the trap. 🙃

I am so happy right now. ❤️ We had a super sweet kitty come in with his caretaker recently, in a situation that was beyond what my shelter is able to assist with. I listed some local cat rescues who might be able to help, and I just saw a courtesy post from one them on social media. 😭

10/10 for creative lap napping by Hamlet.

Chessie today Having Opinions about Calvin yelling for attention. I still love her airplane ears so much. 😅

Super appreciate the love, folks. ❤️ There are some days I feel like too many people don't understand that a "busy day" at an animal shelter means juggling multiple high emotional and time sensitive situations all at the same time, all day. Sometimes with actual life or death decisions mixed in.

LONG rough day. One of the days where by the end I had to literally ask people to please talk one at a time and please give me quiet while replying to emails bc it was *too much* overstimulation for like 10 hours straight. 🙃

Garfield, playing Brave Explorer in the bushes in our front yard.

We have a sweet kitty who's being picked up to go back to her original rescue tomorrow morning ( @ckshowalter.bsky.social ) and I was trying to get a nice pic to send along. She decided to walk right onto my knee and give me hugs and kisses instead of posing as intended. ❤️

Please enjoy Laguna trying his very hardest to form one single thought.

Tiny Pest Control is on patrol! No flies shall survive!

I've listened through the first season of The Magnus Protocol, but now I'm having to go back because I realized FAR too late who one of the characters was. 😆 Oops. It's not capturing me quite as much as TMA did, but my brain really super latched onto Jon which doesn't always happen.

A very sweet, handsome boy at work leaning over to say hi. ❤️

Calvin has some big feelings about the rain. If he wasn't sometimes a face-biter this would be much cuter, lol. (Video: Ear tipped brown tabby circles me and grumbles as I crouch down on my porch. He eventually climbs on top of my crouched legs and attempts to balance there.)

Stray cats I feed: Woe! Woe are we for we have never been fed! Me: I put wet food out for you an hour ago. And some dry food. Stray cats: We are naught but skin and bones. Me: You ate the wet food. Stray cats: I don't see any wet food plates out here. Me: You knocked them off the porch.

Emergency kitten-retro Potats, tiny squeaks edition.

We were able to open up some extra TNR appointments at my shelter this week, yay! As many as we can get through before spring is here for real. 🤞

Of all the amazing lines so far in the Magnus Archives, "Yeah? Well, your truth is rude," is in the running for one of the best. Bravo. (#191)

We had excellent playtime before I let the dog back inside and RUINED it.

Hobbes (left) and Susie (right) made an appearance today! Calvin, Hobbes, and Susie were our first 3 TNR's here, but Calvin is the only one who still mostly stays around. Susie is usually looking far more glamorous, but I caught her in an awkward moment. ^_^

Miss Mirage Stubentiger Featherduster hanging out on top of the discarded dollhouse waiting for breakfast at the West Phoenix Flophouse & Kibble Kitchen for Wayward Felines. #Cats #CommunityCats #TNR

Also Calvin, after he climbed onto my bent knee bc apparently he was feeling goofy and snuggly instead of bitey this morning. ❤️

Calvin! :)

And this is the thread I did when Chessie turned a year old, if anyone wants the Chessie lore. She came to my shelter as a very VERY upset feral kitten, and it's been an entire saga from then to her current community cat life. ❤️

*waves* Hello new folks! I'm in a bit of a quieter than normal stretch, but I work at an animal shelter, TNR in my neighborhood, and usually mostly use this account for cat pics and rescue talk. ❤️ My team at work is extra short handed just now, so I'm just pretty busy atm!