Emma

Ginger cat laying on his back in a computer chair, twisting the front of his body toward the camera

A tabby w/white markings laying in a red chair, resting her back on a white pillow, and her shoulders on a red embroidered pillow

Two, because I've been remiss :) Turmeric loves sleeping in my computer chair like this (left), and Allspice needs her Princess Pillow in order to snooze in the red recliner (L) <3 They're spoiled, and I love them!

Clockwise from top- a Calico, torbie and brown/silver tabby are all three sharing a bowl of cat food, on a patio

Don't believe them-- they have another huge bowl of kitty food on the patio... My community cats are just as picky and bossy as my inside cats! They claim they are staaarving!! They are not <3 These three have been TNR-ed-- so ask me if you want to know more about it!

Small cup of "Superman" icecream that is multi-coloured, blue, orange, pink, yellow and green

Not kitty photo today, just Superman ice cream. It's a Michigan thing-- delicious, tastes like sugar and vaguely fruity, reminds me of my childhood <3 We got it from a Michigan-centric store in Mesa, of all places :) Worth the drive, and we'll go back.

Lickable kitty treat box with a visible cat bite in the plastic

ginger kitten wearing tiger striped jammies and laying on the legs/casters of an office chair getting ear scritchies

Got a two-fer for ya: on the left we see the attemped Churu-napping marks. Investigators say it might be "The Littlest". And on the right, we see said Littlest pouting because he has to wear jammies, but still wanted scritchies <3

Brown tabby w/white face and legs is laying on a workout bench facing away from the camera, and looking over her shouler at the lens

Allspice is a great workout partner, as long as you don't need to use the bench <3

Support AZ Gives Day! on Arizona Gives Your donation supports the food, litter and medical care for at-risk cats living at the Hermitage.

Wanna help kitties? The shelter I work for is participating in AZGives Day this year :) check us out!
www.azgives.org/story/Oh64wf

Allspice likes taking naps in the magical space called "The In-Between"! That part of the bed between her human parents, right by our pillows <3 And she gets crabby when we move :)

Because healthcare saves lives. Abortion is health care. Ergo, abortion saves lives @ppfa.org

Three-legged brown tabby playing with a purple dinosaur cat toy

Not only is Pippin a fierce hunter of dino toys, she likes to roll in catnip before biting said dinos <3

a ginger kitty and a calico kitten playing in a laundry basket with some clothing visible

We start them young, battling for the Fortress (TM), or well, the laundry basket. One rule is: wait until it's empty-- and ask you can see, these two were still learning. I took this one back in October <3 Saffron (calico) is fierce, and Trouble (ginger) is, well Ginger <3

Ginger tabby with his paw on a computer mouse

Turmeric wanted to help me work and so took over "mouse" duties :)

Brown tabby peeking out of a cubby in a cat tree

Pippin, aka Pippers, is peeking out of the cubby. She's my tripod, and also has an auto-immune disorder. She's on atopica and flupoxitine, and will be 12 very soon! <3 Sometimes cat's health is complicated, but her purrs and snuggles (and bitching!) make it worth everything!

Grey/Brown tabby with green eyes laying on a hashbrown box looking at the camera

Ginger kitten sitting in a hashbrown box looking at the camera

Got two more "Hashbrown" kitties. When I say, "Oh, Finn is a hashbrown!" and he looks at me like that (left) or if I sing 🎶"WindWave is a hasbrown" 🎶 he looks at me like that (right). They both have their best "Whatever Mother" faces on <3

Torbie kitten sitting in a chair looking over a table like she's waiting for a plate

Lullaby was not amused when I told her she couldn't have her food at the kitchen table. She looked at me like this for 5 minutes before harumphing herself out of the room. Ah, torbies <3

prescription bottle of medication for "WindWave [feline]" and half a white pill

ginger kitten looking at the camera

Behold! The last dose of WindWave's FIP medicine <3 He's done with his series and he's beaten FIP!! Woohoo!! On the right is a reshare of WindWave, him handsome self :)

If you want to learn more about FIP, please go to Cornell University's page about it (they're pretty fantastic) www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-...

FIP was a killer, and now it's treatable. Hooray Science! Hooray Vet Med! Hooray Shelter Med! And Thank you to all the vets, scientists, and pet parents out there who are making this journey with WindWave and me (and my family). We're making medical history and that's pretty awesome!

Since it became available here in the US the shelter I work for has treated 5 kittens for FIP:
Two hit the adoption floor today! They're ready for their forever homes.
Two were "staff kitties", so we're celebrating our own personal kitties making it
One just started her meds-- and doing great! 🧵

However, the amazing scientists at several vet schools here and around the world made a miracle! An antiviral called GS-441524 has been found to work to treat FIP. It became legal in the US in June 2024.
This anti-viral works very quickly, and in 3 days we saw inprovement in WindWave. Three. Days!🧵

Until very recently, FIP has been a death sentence. Often a diagnosis of elimination, you got the dx and then were left with "how soon should you schedule the injection and say goodbye?" It was that serious and that deadly. Cats simply did not make it, there was no cure, no real treatment. 🧵

FIP, Feline Infectious Peritonitis is a viral disease caused by some strains/mutations of feline corona virus. Most cats have FCV, it's as ubiquitous as corona viruses are in humans. Ever catch a cold? You'd had exposure to a virus in that family! Kittens are often exposed to FCV in utero 🧵

Ginger tabby with amber eyes looking right at the camera

Good news everyone! The Vet cleared Mr WindWave! He has 2 more pills to take in his FIP series, but she says his bloodwork and ultrasound are great! He's beaten FIP! 🎉
A little bit about FIP 🧵

three cats sleeping on a red chair; one on the top of the back, two in the seat

Working out is exhausting! Just ask Finn, WindWave and Saffron. They were the cheerleading section, but still, <whew>

ginger cat curled up in a hasbrown box/case

Turmeric thinks he's a Hashbrown <3 I won't disabuse him of that notion, because I love hashbrowns almost as much as I love cats!

two gingers kittens playing with a black widow spider toy on a lino floor

No spiders were harmed in the making of this photo (or the vid I recorded!) But don't tell Turmeric and WindWave that-- they firmly believe they conquered the spider! Woohoo!!

Medium haired torbie looks at the camera with grocery bags in her immediate area. Brown tabby w/white markings faces away from the camera exploring the groceries

Lullaby (front, looking at the camera) and Allspice (the tabby in the back) love to help with groceries-- and by help, I mean sniff every single thing, and try to steal the bags <3 May all your chores be complicated by kitties "helping" with purrs and snuggles

White cat with a black patch over his right eye and ear, sitting on a counter labeled "Adoption"

This is Dinkie-- he's FIV+, sans teefs, and adorable! He's one of my favourite kitties at work, and I call him "My Dinkie Do" because he's perfect <3 He is available for adoption-- as are most of the ~300 kitties in our care.

“In 150 characters or less” by @nikitagill.bsky.social

brown tabby w/white markings in front of a ginger tabby, who has his arm over her shoulder-- laying on the top tier of a cat castle

Allspice and Turmeric are very snuggly siblings-- I hope you have siblings (the birth kind, or the heart-friend kind) who make you feel this safe <3

(L) brown tabby w/white and (R) ginger tabby watching a dove through a sliding door

Here Birdie Birdie... we won't eat you.... we just want to bite you! Allspice and Turmeric were talking some mad shit at the doves, but thankfully didn't brain themselves by trying to pounce through the glass