Introducing "MammaMeow"

MammaMeow -- Your Guide to CATVIDEOS.com

As a child, I had my own personal zoo. My family always had at least five cats or kittens in our home, along with a bevy of domesticated and wild animals. We rescued some pets from shelters, while others were found orphaned in the wild. As a young pet owner with the responsibility for care and feeding of our pets, I gained a natural respect and reverence for all animals. My parents saw wildlife as “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” and taught me that all animal life is precious.

We raised many a litter of kittens and I named each after characters in books I was reading at the time, popular songs, or current events that stirred my imagination. When Apollo 13 was dangling precariously at the edge of eternity on April 16, 1970, a litter of kittens was born. I watched the continuous television coverage of the space near-disaster and prayed along with everyone else that the astronauts would make it home. I named the three kittens born during the world-wide vigil Odyssey, Aquarius and Apollo. (By the way, their mother was named Venus, from the song, “Venus” by Shocking Blue.)

My current pride started with the big boy, Shadow, now 14, and the resident “Lion King.” We found Shadow in a flower pot at about five-weeks-old. Careful feeding and a lot of tender loving care saved the kitten. Oliver, age 6, was my 2006 birthday gift and is my “grey flannel pajamas” kitty. This Russian Blue rescue is a love-a-cat and snuggles nightly with his MammaMeow.

The third member of my pride is Nico, dubbed “The Luckiest Cat in the World” by my husband. Nico is a Burnt Orange Tabby that ran across the street (with a broken leg) as our daughter and I were driving to a Texas Longhorns football game. The game had to wait, as we were determined to find and rescue the dehydrated and injured kitten. After rushing Nico to the animal emergency clinic, it was clear the Burnt Orange tiny tot was, “A sign from above,” as our daughter put it. Texas won the game and Nico became an instant good luck kitty. Nico now raises his Burnt Orange paw – like it or not — when “The Eyes of Texas” is played before each game. 

We also have two dogs that I will write about later as they each have a very special relationship with our cats. Our five animals give new meaning to the word “wildlife.” The house is full of wagging and switching tails, hisses and spats, kitty litter flying and the sounds of the loudest-purring cats (and barking dogs) on the planet. I go through a new vacuum cleaner every year. Even the special pet fur version is no match for this furry family.