a sign from the rescue cats at the cat cafe-
cats have such a great sense of humor
—
‘common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds.
a sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.’
-clive james
—
charleston, south. carolina, usa
october 2025
poppy the baby possum (hugging her stuffed koala)
came to my daughter’s house
when her opossum mother was killed by a car
a cat brought her home
the family took good care of this little one
only 5″ long
feeding her goat milk with a syringe
water for drinking
keeping her warm
providing her darkness in a box
with an open doorway out
cuddly blankets
a safe space
human contact
in a few days
she found her new home
with a wildlife rehabber
at motor city possum rescue
a perfect match
when she went to drop poppy off
another woman arrived
with the same breed of baby possum
sweet serendipity.
—
“no matter how convoluted my life got, one thing remained consistent-
my hair looked like a baby opossum had taken refuge in it,
invited some friends over, and thrown a party.”
-jennifer l. armentrout, american author
pete’s glam shot
—
and just like that
in steps pete the cat
(i named him after my fav politician/good human, pete b.)
born memorial day weekend
found in the trunk of an old car in a barn
by faerie tales cat rescue
how could i not support a group with this name
how could i not choose this sweet guy to join our family
pete is a little shy right now and stepping out tiptoe-style
soon he’ll be prancing around
singing his song
in his white shoes
playing and bonding with olive.
both sweet and gentle cats
pete’s foster mom
said his hobbies are
watching tv, eating treats, and playing with feather toys
and
is the most affectionate cat she’s ever met
very similar to olive’s demeanor and minimalist athletic style
i see them as ‘soon to become best friends/siblings.’
—
-pete the cat
credits: pete the cat and his white shoes: eric litwin, james dean, harper collins publishing
peanut on the farm – rip, old girl and world champion
Peanut, the world’s oldest chicken, dead at twenty-one: The Chelsea, Michigan clucker, certified as the oldest living chicken by Guinness last January at age twenty, died of natural causes on Christmas morning, according to its owner, Marsi Parker Darwin of the no-kill farm Darwin’s Eden. In an article last year, Darwin credited her neighbor, Todd Gillihan, with bringing global attention to the hen she rescued from a cold, abandoned egg. He “pestered me,” she said, to go for the world record, resulting in coverage in publications as far flung and prestigious as the Smithsonian Magazine’s website, Washington Post, and the Times of London. A retired librarian, Darwin authored a picture book, “My Girl Peanut & Me,” which is available for on the Darwin’s Eden site.
—
“if i hadn’t started painting, i would have raised chickens.”
-grandma moses
—
source credits: ann arbor news, smithsonian.com, ann arbor observer
On February 14, the company published a call for help on social media, saying they were struggling to get in touch with Francois. The Dominica-born sailor made headlines after he spent 24 days adrift in the Caribbean Sea in January. After being rescued by the Colombian navy, Francois, 47, told officials that he had survived off of a bottle of ketchup, garlic powder, and Maggi stock cubes, which he mixed with water. Ketchup helped him survive weeks lost at sea.
Heinz told CNN on Monday that they found Francois with the help of local reporters in Dominica working for the publication EmoNews. The company had previously said that they hoped to gift him “a new, state-of-the-art boat” to celebrate his safe return. “We were able to connect with him and discuss the best way help support him and his family,” a Heinz representative told CNN. “We (Heinz) and Elvis are currently working out the logistical details of gifting him his new boat.”
The company emphasized the central role social media played in helping locate the sailor. “Anyone who shared, liked or commented on the brand’s post helped broaden the reach and played an important part in finding Elvis,” said Heinz.
Francois was repairing his boat off the island of Saint Martin in December when his boat was pulled out to sea. He told Colombian authorities that he lacked the navigational knowledge to return to shore and spent 24 days lost at sea. He was rescued after a plane spotted his sailboat with “help” engraved into the hull, according to Colombian authorities.
—
—
credits: zoe sottile, cnn, emonews, columbian navy press office
Elvis Francois was working on his boat in St. Maarten in December when he accidentally started drifting out to sea. The weather had suddenly changed, and he said in a video released by the Colombian Navy, who rescued him, that he had lost his ability to navigate.
“I tried to [go] back to port, but I lost track because it took me a while to mount the sail and fix the sail,” he said. “…I call my friends, my coworkers. They tried to contact me, but they lost service. There was nothing else I could do than sit down and wait.”
He wrote out the word “help” on the back of his boat, and he was eventually rescued – after 24 days with nothing but “a bottle of ketchup…garlic powder and Maggi [soup].”
The navy said that officers took Francois to the Port of Cartagena to receive medical care and that he was “found to be in good health.” While there, they also started the necessary actions to help him return home.
“We’re setting this message adrift into the sea of the internet, because if anyone can help us find him, it’s you,” the company said. “If you or anyone you know can help us get in contact with Elvis Francois, please drop us a DM.”
In a statement to CBS News on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Heinz said that they want to “gift” Elvis a “new state-of-the-art boat.” That boat, they said, will be “equipped with full navigational technology to avoid another disaster in the future.” It’s currently an international effort, with Heinz markets “around the world” getting involved. “We’re hoping to spread the word far and wide so Heinz can finally gift the new boat to Elvis,” the company said.
—
“for whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it’s always our self we find in the sea.”
-e.e. cummings
—
source credit: liz cohen, cbs news
The Paris Aquarium Is Home to a Massive Rescued Goldfish Sanctuary
The future rarely looks bright for an unloved goldfish. Its owner may confine it to a small bowl and deprive it of the space or stimulation it needs, or worse, flush it down the toilet while it’s still alive. But the Paris Aquarium is offering regretful pet owners a better solution: Any unwanted fish that are brought there will be cared for and given a new home in a massive tank, The Nation reports.
The French aquarium launched its goldfish rescue program two years ago, and it houses roughly 600 rescued fish today. Many of the pets that are handed over arrive in poor health. Each specimen is given medical care, including antibiotics and anti-parasite treatments, and kept in quarantine for a month before transitioning to the tank with the rest of the fish. Some goldfish don’t survive the move, but those that do often thrive, growing up to a foot in length.
People have different reasons for taking advantage of the aquarium’s service. For some, it’s a convenient—and eco-friendly—way to get rid of a pet they no longer want. When fish are disposed of in sewage systems, they face almost certain death, and when they’re released directly into a pond or river, they can grow to monstrous proportions and wreak havoc on the local ecosystem.
In other cases, pet owners see that the aquarium can provide a better life for their fish than they ever could. Goldfish can suffer from depression when they’re kept in a small, empty environment, and goldfish bowls have even been banned in some parts of the world for being inhumane. The fish sanctuary is open to members of the public to view—including anyone wishing to check up on a former pet.
—
“a goldfish is reason enough for living, if someone needs a reason.”
-martin cooley
—
credits: michelle debczak, mental floss, the nation
something tells me that
perhaps the wrong cat
drank the rescue remedy calming drops
from the water bowl.
one is facedown in a bowl of seashells
while the other, (my intended target)
is busy outside
standing up on two feet
looking in at me through the window
and meowing loudly.
—
“mixing one’s wines may be a mistake, but old and new wisdom mix admirably.”
-bertolt brecht
and we have added to our family once again.
this handsome fellow,
a flyweight
weighing in at just 8 pounds
and 8 years old
has lived a hard life
first on his own
surviving
on the mean streets
with scars, and cuts, and ruffled fur
then with a family
who may not have fully appreciated his charms
and he was sent away
to spend his days in a small cage
with nothing but an uncertain future
and a short timeline ahead
but he has persevered
against all odds.
–
and when we walked into the shelter
and he reached
with
a tiny ginger paw
out of his cell
to wave to us
and called out
with a little voice
we knew
he had been waiting a long time
to meet us
just as
we had been waiting a long time
to meet him.
and when
we carried him into the cottage
he
was instantly transformed
into
the most affectionate and gentle cat
we have ever met
and knew that he was home at last.
(he has been lovingly named nacho, and he is the furry one with the orange hair.)
I didn't have my glasses on.... 