Be a Positive Part of the CommUNITY!

Happy Sunday, Readers, 

We cats are very protective of our mamma, and now there is a study we want to share with all of you that we think is interesting: 

Cats don't avoid strangers who behave badly towards their owners, unlike dogs 

The outcome of the study really surprised us. Cats are always considered standoffish. However, I would like to believe we would protect our mamma from a mean stranger. 

And this got us thinking, what are we doing on the daily to protect our neighbors? Protect the community we live in? There is so much going on in the world, and a lot of it is ugly. 

It seems to us being neighborly is a thing of the past, and I would like us to reenergize that sense of community. You can join us by doing something anonymously for a neighbor in need, or by volunteering and joining a local organization. Community groups are a great way to connect with neighbors and they empower us to make a difference in our world.

Here are some ideas, if you want to do something nice for a neighbor this spring:

• Give them a call and check in. 
• Bring over a baked good or a home cooked meal.
• Offer to run an errand for them.
• Bring them flowers, or plant some for them.
• Next time you are heading to the store, ask them if they need anything.
• Take in their garbage pails. 
• Shop at local businesses (supporting local is supporting your neighbor, and you can always pick up something for your neighbor there!). 

Pasqua demonstrates community outreach! 😸

Have fun doing something nice for your neighbor and please share what nice things your neighbors have done for you.

If you missed mamma's premiere of her read aloud children's book, check it out here: SuperCat Kismet

Have a blessed week!

Purr & Paw, 

-Stivali. 🐾

The purpose of life is to listen - to yourself, to your neighbor, to your world and to God and, when the time comes, to respond in as helpful a way as you can find. - Fred Rogers.

Grateful for having a cup!

Last week, we offered an acronym to help us maintain optimism - PERMA. How did you do this past week displaying happiness and maintaining a positive outlook? We hope it was a week of being grateful for having a cup instead of viewing that cup as half-full or half-empty. 😸

Since you liked the PERMA acronym so much I thought I would share another one my mamma uses to foster a positive world. We all are going through so much right now - we need to let one another vent, and maximize personal connection by caring, actively listening, and creating transparency. We all deserve to be treated fairly, and connection happens when we practice empathy. 

Listen
Acknowledge
Understand
Relate
Act

Listen to your friends and family, acknowledge the emotional impact and their feelings, understand their needs, relate to them, and take action to make things better for them.

LAURA - it is that simple. 

Putting PERMA and LAURA together could truly help all of us, don't you think? 

Grigio's Fall Portrait.😻

                                                            When all else fails, nap! 😽

Every one is unique, and empathy is an important factor in adapting to someone and their current situation. Being empathetic creates positive friendships and relationships while reducing conflict and misunderstandings. Next time you are chatting with someone who you have a difference with, try out the LAURA technique, and see if the conversation is smoother than usual for both of you! 

Have a blessed week, Readers.

Purr & Paw, 

-Stivali. 🐾

"You only have twelve notes, do what you want with them." - Eddie Van Halen. 💓

It is a beautiful day.

Do you ever think, "It's a beautiful day" when it is raining?

Do you think it during a snow storm?

Or only when the sky is clear and the temperature is 73 degrees and sunny?

It was hot today where we live - felt like one hundred degrees outside - and very humid. Not a comfortable day outside at all, so, we kept our focus on gratitude and the electricity we have that makes our air conditioning run.

If we reframe our definition of a beautiful day, maybe we would start to view each day differently.

Starting today, Pasqua and I affirm, it is a beautiful day every day. 😺

Here's to a week of beautiful days ahead for each of you.

Purr & Paw,
-Stivali. 🐾

A Sunday well spent brings a week of content. - Proverb.

Cats and Coronavirus

I am sure you all have read by now that two house cats in New York tested positive for Coronavirus. If you are familiar with FIP in house cats, then you know how scary this is for us beloved animals.

CDC recommends to treat pets as you would any other human family members – do not let us interact with people or other animals outside of our household. If a person inside your household becomes sick, isolate them from everyone else, including pets. Read more here:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html 

It is vital at this time to not succumb to fear. Please don't drop your beloved pet off at a shelter or abandon them in a park somewhere. Please keep loving us. We need it just as you do during this challenging time.

Don't be discouraged, don't fall apart, keep moving forward and thanking God that He is fighting our battles.

If you are interested in learning more about FIP - here is information from WebMD:
https://pets.webmd.com/cats/cat-fip-feline-infectious-peritonitis#1

Pasqua says "Hang in there!"

Healing is coming, trust that. Choose faith over fear. Stay strong and safe.

We are thinking of all of you, and praying for your health.

Purr & Paw,
-Stivali. 🐾

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. - Eleanor Roosevelt.

Two Words

Hello Readers,

This week, my ma's boss opened up a team meeting by asking the following questions:

• What one word would you use to describe how you are feeling today?
• What's one word to describe what you are grateful for today? 

We would like to do this exercise with all of you. If you feel shy and don't want to add it to the comments, just marinade on it, and think about it for your self. 

• How are you feeling today?
• What is one thing you are grateful for today?

We three will go first:

• Today we feel optimistic.
• We are grateful our health.

With the chaos of today's uncertain world, reflecting and sharing our feelings is more important than ever. Connecting with one another will help us stay mentally strong as we adjust to new realities and grieve the loss of our old realities.

Most of us are simply trying to manage our daily lives taking care of our children, parents, work, finances, and learning a new way to live. All the stress we feel related to COVID-19 can transcend to negative feelings like depression and anxiety. This collective trauma that we are all experiencing may feel bleak, but we must stay mentally strong during it. 

We've all read the basics on how to do this - create daily habits, exercise, eat healthy, and connect with our social support system using video calls and social media.

Researches pose the following to stay mentally strong:

• limit news, media exposure, and toxic people
• accept your feelings
• focus on facts
• focus on self-compassion, self-care, and identify your needs

What would you add to the list? How are you staying mentally strong during this? 

Please take good care, and we hope all is well with you and your loved ones. 

Purrs & Paws.

-Stivali & Pasqua. 🐾🐾

The strength of your mind determines the quality of your life. - Edmond Mbiaka.

Maneuvering through your new normal.

Hello Readers,

Status check: How are all of you feeling? How are all of your loved ones coping during these tumultuous times? 

If you need assistance navigating through this "new normal" don't be afraid to ask for help. You have lots of support in your friends, family, colleagues, and there are many resources to help all of us.

Try not to feel helpless as you are self quarantined. The uncertainty of the future can be daunting, but we can use this time to be grateful for what we do have. Even if the world seems "closed" there is still plenty to do outside like taking a meditative walk or gardening - and inside, be sure you are getting plenty of exercise and drinking a lot of water.

What activities are you doing at home to keep your spirits up? 

Try to use this time as much needed me-time - have a home spa day, and treat yourself to some pampering. Learn a language online or how to play an instrument, with all of the tutorials available on YouTube, you will keep busy while keeping your brain active and focused on something other than the news. 

This is also a perfect time to overhaul the home with a deep spring cleaning, or de-cluttering and donating items you are not using anymore. 

Lots of museums, galleries, and zoos are offering free streaming services  - check out https://artsandculture.google.com/ for some ideas. 

We are eating and napping as per usual, and happy that Grigio is still visiting us daily and reminding us what we are grateful for: warm home, electricity, running water, plenty of food, friends, and family. 

Stay safe, Readers.

Purr & Paw,
-Stivali. 🐾


The way to bring about change is to be proactive and active. - Octavia Spencer