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.

A freshly gilded throne

This curvy wingback chair is irresistibly comfortable for me and the kitties. So I made it a new slipcover from a 1960s bedspread.

The slipcover attaches with a long zipper down the back. That's Homer yawning and gazing.

Below, Hooch naps while Suzy lurks beneath.

Cameo cats

These kitties now have updated profiles: Pincurl Homer, Disco Amy, Redhead Hooch, and Dreadhead Puppy.

The Joan Crawford filter

I've learned to watch TV through the filter of a kitty lying on me.Now I'm starting to find meaning in these kitty silhouettes.These images of Hooch's ear tips perfectly complement her movie star alter ego, Joan Crawford.

What's new, pushy cat?

Puppy (left) and Hooch are opposite but equal -- he is smotheringly sweet, she is bossy and sour. They are constantly invading each other's space, double-parking on top of one another. Neither of them seems to mind; they enjoy the squeeze play.

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.

Seeing a pattern

When I lay out fabric and patterns, kitties can't wait to participate.Shown here are pattern weights Hooch and Olga. The tricky part for me is to dodge swishing tails while cutting.

She does windows

I love the top ventilation of double-hung windows. Hooch agrees.

In vs. out

It's a law of physics: the inside cat wants out, and the outside cat wants in.This conundrum is not resolved by opening the door. That only creates confusion, inertia, and the changing of minds.

Flying cat-shaped particles

One minute earlier reveals the reason for Natalie's sudden propulsion: the uncomfortable proximity of Waldo. Also seen are black Linus and tabby girl Cricket. (Click photos to enlarge.)

Our new garage shelves

I finally finished building my scrappy shelves in the garage. The kitty climbing steps are denoted by folded green fabric (and Natalie).The climbing tower is really clunky, but I hope it will ease some of the feral kitty traffic and squabbling when the food bowls are put under the tower.I like how the diagonal kitty steps along the wall help shape the storage spaces above and below.

Group portrait with benches

I made these 14 benches from old discarded wood left over after I rebuilt my fence. The benches are perfectly proportioned for me and the cats. I rearrange them all the time, all over the yard.The kitties-in-the-round are, clockwise from center bottom: Natalie, Linus, Olga (face and paw only), Gidget, Daisy (back only), Alvin, and Betty.Gidget (left) and Betty prefer the top bench.

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!)

Who shot the sheriff?

Natalie did. Then she stole his hat.

Acupuppy

Puppy had his first acupuncture treatment this week. His tooth-extraction surgery was a short-lived success -- it did not cure his stomatitis (painfully infected gums). The fact that he is FIV-positive is the biggest problem, because his immune system is weak. For a few weeks after surgery, Puppy did great -- he ate dry food (possible even without teeth), gained weight, and even played a bit. But the gum ulcers returned, and he's now back on a liquid diet.Puppy is nearly 6 years old, so he's now one of my oldest cats. He's an absolute doll, a pure love. In this photo of strange bedfellows, Puppy is the black shape next to big bossy Natalie.

We'll be doing laser-acupuncture treatments for several weeks. After just one treatment he seems to feel better and more eagerly "drinks" his food. The acupuncture sessions are also mama-puppy love time, because the only way the vet can reach all his body points with the laser "needle" is for me to cuddle purring Puppy in my arms.

Bunny kicks the blanket

Natalie pities the Bunny (Alvin). He suffers from frequent and incontrollable fits of seizing and bunny-kicking the bed covers.

Christmas riches

I'm so thankful this Christmas for my friend Delicia in Tennessee. In exchange for kitty beds, she let me have three rare rolls of gorgeous mod vintage drapery fabric. Below are those fabrics as beds.Since then, Delicia has generously given me more wonderful vintage fabrics for kitty beds. She too cares for homeless/abandoned cats -- the photo below shows her ingenious "Tennessee deck house," a storage bin-within-a-bin that keeps stray kitties warm and dry. She says, "Any benefits of the fabric I send can be used to spay/neuter/shelter or feed the felines."

All I want for Christmas is my teeth...

...pulled out, followed by lots of morphine, then an easy life of soft food and lazy living. That's my wish for Linus (Puppy), my black kitty. He had major dental surgery Friday -- all of his teeth extracted to treat stomatitis, chronic gum infections that make eating excruciatingly painful.The post-op period has been a trauma for both of us. Puppy is so freaked out, reverting to his feral ways. He's not letting me give him enough pain meds. He hides under the house. He growls at me -- I've never heard this sweet kitty growl before. He still can eat only liquids. This surgery might not even help him. If this doesn't work, we've run out of options.

In this photo taken days before his surgery, Puppy snoozes alongside Natalie. She's mean to every cat except Puppy, and he's the only cat that's not scared of her. They cuddle on top of each other and me in bed. Natalie even licks his face. That's how irresistibly lovable Puppy is. He so deserves to get well and happy (and fat!) again.

Kitty beds in gift guide

We're featured in an independent design holiday gift guide. The photo of Natalie's hind legs is more artful than I intended.Lately none of my kitties are into modeling beds. We do all kitty bed photo sessions outdoors, on account of the way superior lighting out there. But this time of year, if it's warm enough to take photos, it's warm enough to run and play and frolic. And what kid wants to lay down in a bed during recess? Our kitty model poses will likely get more abstract and conceptual before spring arrives.

2 witches

I'm selling my Bewitched Endora costume on Etsy, under a new shop name of Frau Blumenkatz.

Natalie makes an appropriate witch's familiar. But she would give even a snarly witch like Endora a run for her money.