HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO HEIDI, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE

FROM THE CATS WE TAKE CARE OF & CAT DADDY STEVE

We are the cats and other fur babies protected by your monthly donations to the ASPCA. Some of us have very sad stories to tell, but life is getting better because of your love and support.

We are a colony of cats that lives near the seafront ramparts called the Skala de la Kasbah on the Atlantic cost of Essaouira. The fishermen with the famous blue boats give us lots of fish scraps and chin rubs, but the Moroccan Dirhams Uncle Steve donated helps a team of volunteers to build us shelters.

We are the Kedi of Istanbul. You saw us in an award-winning documentary. Turkey may be the best place on earth for a street cat to get the love of every passerby. But still, there are countless numbers of us, so Uncle Steve’s donation of several hundred Turkish Lira helps volunteers in our ancient city to build clusters of homes for us.

We are the felines of the Cat Café outside Orlando. While Disney, Sea World, Universal and water parks get all the attention – we’d like to think we are the most wonderful location in the land of theme parks. We loved the hugs you gave us, the money you donated and we look forward to safer times when you can visit again.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

WE DON'T REALLY GIVE GIFTS ANYMORE -- WE DONATE TO PET CHARITIES

Okay, we give some small gifts to friends, family and colleagues.

But 90% of our gift giving is to animal welfare.

We make a donation each Christmas to Siamese Cat Rescue, on behalf of family members.

We make a monthly donation to the ASPCA in honor of family member’s birthdays.

This year, our anniversary gift to each other was a combination of contributions to cat cafes in Miami Beach and Paris.

Our birthday gift to each other was sponsoring a Siamese rescue cat at the Largo di Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary.

Our Valentine's Day, celebrating an accomplishment/milestone and other annual gifts are spent on food, shelter and medicine for dozens of Little Havana outdoor cats that congregate on our small urban lot just south of Calle Ocho.

We encourage our friends to make donations to animal welfare non-profits, rather than buying gifts for us.

Please. Instead of one more gadget, one more electronic toy, or another outfit to take up space in the closet – think of donating your time and money to protecting stray cats and other animals.

HONEYBEAR OUR RESCUE SIAMESE -- 4

IN A SHOE BOX ON MY BED

Hundreds of dollars in cat toys.

And the best toy of all is a dusty old shoe box.

Tossed on the bed for a moment...

...before it goes in the trash.

Nope, forget trying to figure out if it's eligible for the recycling bin.

Lidless shoe box now #1 toy for our rescue Meezer girl.

HONEYBEAR OUR RESCUE SIAMESE -- 3

LOVES TO BE PETTED

Daddy Steve.

I love you.

But if you don’t rub my belly right now.

My front left paw is going to accidentally hit the delete button. 

HONEYBEAR OUR RESCUE SIAMESE -- 2

WANTS ME TO ALWAYS WORK FROM HOME

She insists I:

Get more done.

Write more creatively.

Produce more efficiently.

Get more whisker kisses.

HONEYBEAR OUR RESCUE SIAMESE -- 1

SAYS “DADDY, I CAUGHT A MOUSE”

Well, it’s technically a track ball.

And she’s also discovered the “enter” key is quite close by.

Depressing it gets quiet a reaction from her Cat Daddy.

But not quite as much as hitting the “delete” key after he’s typed out a few full screens of draft work product.

CAT CAFE - 6

SOUTH BEACH

CAT CAFÉ SOUTH BEACH

1423 Washington Ave., Miami Beach

305 397-8201

10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

CatCafeSobe.com

http://catcafesobe.com/

CAT CAFE - 5

SOUTH BEACH

More than 100,000 stray cats run rampant in Miami-Dade County, the Humane Society of Greater Miami estimates conservatively. 

Other volunteer organizations put the number at 150,000 in Miami Beach alone.

About 15,000 cats are brought to Miami-Dade County Animal Services every year, while only about 3,000 are adopted.

--Carlos Frias, Miami Herald

http://catcafesobe.com/

CAT CAFE - 4

SOUTH BEACH

Customers pay $15 to enter the cat area, where they can play with and adopt the animals.

Proceeds go toward the cafe’s partner, Sobe Cats Spay and Neuter, to help control the feral cat population in South Beach. 

There’s no extra cost to watch from the cafe side while enjoying coffee ($2.60), Cindy Lou Cookies ($5), loaded tater tots ($3.50) or avocado toast ($8), among other options.

--Carlos Frias, Miami Herald

http://catcafesobe.com/

CAT CAFE - 3

SOUTH BEACH

Cats and kittens rollick in the room next door. 

They climb replicas of South Beach’s iconic life guard stations. 

They tight-rope-walk a scaffolding high above the room. 

And they jump and chase cat toys beneath a sunny, beach-themed mural.

--Carlos Frias, Miami Herald

http://catcafesobe.com/

CAT CAFE - 2

SOUTH BEACH

Between the two are double-glass doors and a high-efficiency air filtration system to make sure kitties and dander stay on one side and baked treats on the other.

Before passing between areas, guests must disinfect their hands and wear plastic booties over their shoes.

--Carlos Frias, Miami Herald

http://catcafesobe.com/

CAT CAFE - 1

SOUTH BEACH

It’s real, Miami.

In the works for over a year, it quietly opened Friday morning at 1423 Washington Ave.

Just as renderings had promised, it’s part adoption center, part coffee shop, where you can buy pastries, gourmet Cindy Lou’s Cookies and locally roasted coffee while watching adoptable cats jump, climb and frolic on the other side of a thick, glass pane.

--Carlos Frias, Miami Herald

http://catcafesobe.com/