A heated panel discussion

Every evening in prime time, four provocative panelists discuss the hottest issues of the day -- or the hotness of the day.

Messing with Texas

I made this jumbo dog bed for my dad a few years ago; it's now for sale on Etsy. My cats turned it into a Texas geography lesson.

Above, Homer stares out from the Panhandle at Liesl lounging in New Mexico.

Daisy dips into the Gulf of Mexico (above) while Homer slips past El Paso.

Homer does Dallas with his tail wrapped around Big Bend. Liesl heads for the Colorado Rockies.

Kitchen for kitties

In winter my house is more crowded than ever with cats, so I've added sleeping quarters in the kitchen. That's Liesl on the fridge and Roger on the range-top loft.My recently renovated kitchen has a folksy streamline theme. I did all the work myself, even making new door moldings and corner shelves. Below, Hooch drinks from the sink while former feral Buzz eats from a vintage lazy susan. The kitty door leads to the back porch.The countertops are real linoleum, and the floors are original pine.

Peanut butter and jelly

I picked up this 1970s board game in the freebie bin at an estate sale. Liesl immediately took over the center sandwich position.

Amazons in a box

The items I ordered from Amazon were eligible for Free Super Tortie Shipping. And I have the super torties to show for it. That's Natalie above and Liesl below. (Honey West isn't a tortoiseshell, but she has an ocelot named Bruce!)

48 hours of fame

We are Etsy's featured seller!After midday Sunday, my interview will be archived here.

Autumn leaves

Today I realized what a tortoiseshell cat's abstract color pattern is all about: it's autumn camouflage. Find Liesl in the tree below.Daisy is not so camo, but she knows these chartreuse leaves complement her tangerine coloring. The dark spots on the leaves even match the beauty spots on her nose.

Washington Postal

Today we're on the cover of the Washington Post Express Lookout section.I'm thrilled and delighted. However... They requested to borrow this bed to do a doggie photo shoot, but I don't think their shot is any improvement to the photo I sent them of Liesl expressing her tortietude. (I was going to make a complete mock-up of their cover, but here's the gist of it.)

Summer love

Liesl and Linus skip the fireworks show for a romantic rendezvous.The 4th of July is an ordeal for us. Neighbors set off fireworks all night long, terrifying the kitties. Last night I had a bed full of scaredy cats. Ordinarily in summer I can't pay a cat to stay in bed with me.

Alvin was the most fearful kitty last night. And former feral Olga got in bed with me for the first time! It helped that Alvin was there -- Olga has a huge crush on him.

Get well, Keenie

Keenan is very sick. He's only 3 years old. The vet doesn't know what it is, but suspects FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). We won't know the FIP test results for over another week. It's not feline leukemia (my first guess) or FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus).

Below is an older photo of Keenan and his sister Liesl. They're not related, but were rescued together as kittens and bonded like littermates -- meaning that Liesl regularly and exhaustively washed Keenan, and he allowed her to enjoy the privilege of servicing him.

It's been a couple of years since Liesl and Keenan did their washing-and-loving sessions, so it was wonderful to see them together again a few days ago. Liesl is concerned about him.

I'm crazy in love with Keenie. He has an insufferable ego but an aw-shucks Gary Cooper charisma and a lanky, lazy Pink Panther face. His nicknames are Queenie, Keenuckle, Bucky.