“This is not as bad as it looks,” I reassured my spouse, Laurence. I was lying on the floor of the bathroom beside the toilet with a towel under my...

Third time’s the charm – or at least I hope it is when it comes to finding and staying in a good location for Small Things: Cats and Books.Small Things...

As we stumbled to work today, my husband said to me, “When is the last time you saw a javelina trot down the street?” No, this isn’t the start of...

182 out of 196!No, that’s not my MCAT score – but it is cat related. 182 is the number of cats adopted out of the 196 taken in by Small...

Ah, Christmas in Arizona. What’s not to like? I’m saying this now, sitting in the sun on the couch at our Fifth Wheel (trailer) wrapped up in my fuzzy sweater...

I remember the first day I met Kaiba – seven years ago. Not Seto-Kaiba, the animated Japanese anti-hero. No, more like heavy-set Kaiba, the fear-frozen Errington St. stray from Chelmsford....

One day a few years ago Baby Elaine (who is actually 23) said, “I want to have a turtle.” Why would I care? A few reasons, other than that I’m...

Ugh, the first day of snow. I know I should feel happy, but I don’t. I want nothing to do with it, because I don’t do anything with it anymore....

On Wednesday, we were on our way to the lawyer’s office when my husband, Laurence, commented, “Did you notice there’s a couch in the back of our van?” I replied,...

Before I tell you about a recent dream, there are a few things you need to know about me. Ten, actually.1. I’m an intentional optimist. Not a natural optimist. Intentional....

 I am sitting here in my office during lunch, and it is cat-free. Even still, there are reminders everywhere. Fur on the clothes, scratches on the hands, my “rescued” calendar,...

My hubby, Laurence, and I recently visited some friends in Arizona - Elvie and Ian. We went on a number of auto trips, occasionally getting out of the air-conditioned vehicle...

(This blog entry was written in December 2008) What weighs 300 pounds and takes 300 pounds to carry it? I’ll give you three hints. 1. It happens just before Christmas....

I find it quite entertaining to watch the relationships between young children and cats. One encounter stands out in my mind. I got a call at Small Things some time...

There is a proverb in the Bible that reads like so, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard. Consider her ways and be wise!” But if you want to learn about...

You may wonder how volunteering at the local pound can be any fun. Let’s be honest, while the vast majority of dogs will be adopted, the vast majority of cats...

(This is a story I wrote in November 2008) I was shop-vac-ing my “Princess Cat Parlour” – I’ll explain what this is shortly – when I heard a “thwop” following...

Not every companion animal themed column is a happy one. Two days ago we had to euthanize our not-so-old (to us) Golden Retriever, Mercy. Mercy is not the name we...

One of my favourite children’s books is Erik the Viking Sheep, written by Elizabeth Creith and illustrated by Linda Hendry.  If you had little ones in the 1990s, and they...

It is an easy thing to get mad at animal shelters, especially the ones that take in cats. Even more, the ones that are mandated to take in cats and...