Category Archives: Pets

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

Posted on by

A serene landscape featuring a wooden bridge over a small stream surrounded by green grass and colorful flowers. A bright rainbow arcs across a golden sky with soft clouds, and a butterfly hovers near the center, creating a peaceful, dreamlike scene.

In Memory of Mr. Jazz Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day was created by author Deborah Barnes in honor of her beloved cat, Mr. Jazz, who passed on August 28, 2013. It’s a day to remember the pets who touched our lives and left pawprints on our hearts.

Today we honor the pets who shared our homes, our routines, and our hearts. Pet loss is a grief that cuts deeply. They become family, and when they’re gone, the silence they leave behind is enormous. Many people say they mourned a pet more than a person — and while that can feel uncomfortable to admit, it’s true for many of us. We love them fiercely, and we lose them fiercely. And still, we adopt again. Because love is worth the risk.

My Rainbow Bridge Roll Call

Mittens – My first cat. Black with white paws, and the beginning of it all.

Squinty – A semi‑feral, long‑haired, scruffy stray… but I loved him anyway.

Starsky and Hutch – A matched pair of white cats with black ears and black caps on their heads.

Shadow – A polydactyl adventurer who loved car rides and terrorized every squirrel in the neighborhood.

Pyewacket – The sweetest little black‑and‑white kitty.

Little Joe – A rescued Persian, loyal right to the end.

Smoky – Saved from animal control and a hoarding situation. Declawed, poor thing, but still gentle and sweet.

Buddy – My boomerang cat. I tried to re‑home him three times, but he kept coming back. He wanted to be with me — and he was, until he passed.

Rocky – My first orange cat. A very special boy. We were together almost 20 years, and his passing left a hole in my heart.

Each one gone, each one remembered. All of them loved.

And beyond the cats…

There were dogs who wagged their way into my life, a parakeet who filled quiet mornings with chatter, and even a horse whose steady presence taught me patience and trust. Each one left their own mark, but the cats — oh, the cats — have always been the constant thread through my years.

The Present Moment

Banner and Balboa are here now — six years old already, somehow. Half their lives lived, half still ahead.

A Wish for You

If you’ve recently lost a pet — cat, dog, bird, reptile, or a companion I can’t even imagine — I wish you comfort. I believe they will be waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge, whole and happy, ready to greet you again someday.

National Toilet Paper Day: A Celebration of Softness, Strength, and Cat Chaos

Posted on by | 6 Comments

Four cats in a bathroom surrounded by shredded toilet paper. An orange cat sits on the toilet batting at a roll on the wall, a black‑and‑white cat stands nearby holding an empty cardboard tube, a fluffy gray cat sits among torn paper on the floor, and a black cat lies down with toilet paper draped over its back. The floor is covered in ripped toilet paper, creating a humorous, chaotic scene.

 

The WMEO Household: Where Toilet Paper Goes to Die

Today is National ToiletPaper Day. Yes that bathroom essential has a day of its own.

Toilet paper is one of those everyday items we barely think about  — unless you live with two cats who treat it like a recreational sport. Banner and Balboa are so enamored with toilet paper that I eventually had to remove the wall‑mounted holder entirely.

Not because I wanted to. Not because it looked better. But because every time I left the holder empty, my housekeeper would helpfully put a fresh roll back on it.

I tried to explain why a roll on the holder is basically an invitation for chaos, but the concept of cat‑induced toilet paper carnage didn’t quite land.

So the holder had to go. Now the roll sits upright on a pole like some kind of minimalist sculpture — safe from paws, safe from shredding, safe from becoming avant‑garde hallway décor.

Toilet Paper Art: A WMEO Tradition

Before the Great Holder Removal, Banner and Balboa created masterpieces. Long ribbons. Confetti explosions. Entire rolls dragged triumphantly across the floor like festive parade streamers.

They weren’t being naughty — they were being artists. Expensive artists. But artists nonetheless.

And they’re not alone. The internet is full of cats who share this obsession. Toilet paper is apparently the universal feline muse.

A Brief Moment of TP Panic: The 2020 Shortage

Of course, toilet paper became internationally famous in 2020 when the COVID pandemic hit and people started stockpiling it like it was currency. Shelves were empty, stores were rationing rolls, and everyone suddenly became very aware of how much TP they used.

Meanwhile, in the WMEO household, Banner and Balboa were living in blissful ignorance — happily shredding rolls like tiny furry anarchists while the rest of the world was treating toilet paper like gold bullion.

If they had known how valuable it was at the time, they would have demanded velvet ropes and museum lighting for their “installations.”

A Surprisingly Fascinating History

Toilet paper may seem simple, but its history is anything but:

  • Ancient Romans used communal sponges on sticks. Communal.
  • China was producing toilet paper by the 6th century, and by the 14th century they were making millions of packages a year.
  • In 1391, Chinese royalty used perfumed toilet paper made exclusively for the emperor.
  • Early Americans repurposed leaves, corn cobs, newspapers, and famously the Sears catalog — so popular that Farmer’s Almanac started pre‑drilling holes for outhouse hanging.
  • Modern toilet paper arrived in 1857, marketed as “Medicated Paper for the Water Closet.”
  • Perforated rolls appeared in 1890, courtesy of the Scott Paper Company.
  • Colored toilet paper was a 1950s décor trend until they realized the dyes weren’t great for humans or plumbing.
  • And yes — someone makes 22‑carat gold toilet paper costing over $1.3 million a roll. Truly flushing money away.
  • Conservationists cringe but one person’s lifetime usage of toilet paper, if made from virgin paper, would take around 384 trees to make! Of course, using toilet paper that has been recycled from other purposes helps to cut down on this extensively.

How Cats Celebrate National Toilet Paper Day

Some cats nap. Some cats chase toys. Banner and Balboa? They honor the ancient traditions of their ancestors by shredding toilet paper with the passion of tiny furry historians.

Balboa prefers the dramatic “confetti bomb” technique. Banner goes for long, elegant ribbons. Together, they create installations that would impress even the Romans — and those people used sponges on sticks.

Conclusion: Toilet Paper Is Fun

Who knew toilet paper had such a wild history? And who knew two cats could make it even wilder?

Around here, it’s never dull — especially when toilet paper is involved.

 

WMEO Special Report- Black Cat Appreciation Day Confusion

Posted on by | 4 Comments


MEO SPECIAL REPORT

Late last night, chaos swept through the WMEO newsroom. Papers flew, chairs toppled, and Balboa — our black‑furred co‑anchor — went full house‑panther berserker mode.

Why? Because yesterday was Black Cat Appreciation Day, and WMEO failed to appreciate the black cat.

A black cat with bright yellow eyes lies stretched out on a wooden mantel beneath a wall‑mounted television, with a small red digital clock beside it and plants visible in the background.

Balboa, deeply committed to dismantling anti‑black‑cat superstitions (and to earning bonus treats), waited all day for his tribute. When none appeared, our usually mild‑mannered co‑anchor went postal, launching a dramatic protest with teeth, claws, and interpretive rage‑dancing.

An emergency archive check uncovered the truth: Dusty (Deborah) has always celebrated August 18, not the 17th. The newsroom calendar listed the wrong date, and Balboa did not take the oversight lightly.

Mom corrected the calendar, restored order, and soothed the newsroom. No humans suffered injuries, and the WMEO schedule now reflects the proper date for 2027.

WMEO issues heartfelt apologies to Balboa, Champion of Black Cat Awareness.

End of WMEO Breaking News Alert. Please return to your regularly scheduled chaos.

Happy Birthday to Balboa, Age 6, Professional Diva

Posted on by | 4 Comments
Black house panther cat with striking yellow eyes lounging on a blanket, showing his diva personality.

A House Panther’s Sixth Year: Drama, Treats, and Tiny Claw Pokes

Six years ago, I adopted a “shy, skittish” cat. They said you’d hide. You’d be nervous. They did not say you’d become the CEO of the household and union leader of the Treats & Cat Grass Department.

You were never shy with me — but strangers? The door opens and you perform a disappearing act that would make Houdini proud. Banner might try to escape for adventure; you vanish to avoid conversation.

You’ve grown from a tiny lap kitten into a full-grown house panther who still needs pre‑appointment medication just to survive a vet visit. It’s a checkup, Balboa, not an assassination attempt. No one is plotting your demise; they just want to look in your ears.

Fireworks remain your mortal enemy. Banner watches them like he’s waiting for popcorn, but you hear one “pop” and immediately enter Witness Protection. This year’s barrage was especially bad; you’re still decompressing in your safe zones like a little furry war veteran, tucked into your kitty condos and behind the headboard. Can cats have PTSD?

But when the world is quiet? Balboa, you strut. You rule. It’s snacks on demand with the confidence of a cat who has never once paid rent. You boss your brother, you boss me, and you poke me with those tiny claws when you feel I’m not paying proper tribute.

Happy Birthday, Balboa. May your next six years be filled with treats, naps, and minimal explosions. You will always be my baby kitty.

 

Banner’s Closing Statement

“Yeah, yeah, Happy Birthday, Balboa. I’d have gotten you a present, but every toy I buy somehow becomes your toy anyway. Also, please stop screaming when the vet calls — you’re embarrassing both of us.”

 

Time to Celebrate Our Feline Companions with International Cat Day

Posted on by

# 🐾 **WMEO BREAKING NEWS BULLETIN** We Meow. You Listen…

Two cats sit behind a newsroom-style anchor desk labeled “WMEO 9.” The orange cat and the black cat each have a sheet of paper in front of them, with a microphone centered between them. Behind the desk is a blurred cityscape and multiple monitors, creating the look of a professional news studio.
**Dateline: Taunton — August 8**
**Subject: International Cat Day Launches with Global #ThinkCAT Initiative**

This just in from the WMEO Newsroom:
Today is International Cat Day, and the world is celebrating with this year’s official theme — #ThinkCAT — a three‑part mission to help humans everywhere level up their feline care.

WMEO’s esteemed anchors, Banner and Balboa, have issued the following guidance from their respective command centers.

—

C — Cat Friendly

 

Banner, reporting from atop the newsroom printer (which he has declared a sovereign nation):
“Cat-friendly means predictable routines, quiet zones, and respect for our delicate emotional ecosystems. Also, stop moving chairs without notifying us.”

 

 

 

 

Balboa, speaking from inside his fortified cardboard bunker:
“Mobile vets count as cat-friendly. They come to *us*, which is correct. Please continue this policy.”

—

A — Annual Check-ups

WMEO Health Desk notes that cats are elite-level illness hiders.
Annual exams are essential — even if the exam requires… additional measures.

Balboa’s official statement:
“I must be medicated to survive my yearly physical. I do not apologize. I am simply built different.”

Banner adds:
“I personally enjoy performing my own check-ups by screaming at birds.”

—

T — Tips & Advice

Expert-backed guidance helps cats thrive from kittenhood to their senior years.
WMEO’s Science Desk encourages humans to stay informed, stay gentle, and stay stocked with treats.

Balboa’s tip

“Breakfast in bed. Every day. Forever.”

Balboa notes that this practice supports:

  • Reduced morning stress
  • Improved human compliance
  • Optimal biscuit‑making conditions
  • A smoother transition from Sleep Mode to Guardian Mode

He further clarifies that breakfast should be delivered directly to the box, bed, blanket fort, or designated soft zone, depending on the day’s emotional landscape.

Banner’s tip:
“If your cat stares at you from across the room, they are either admiring you or plotting. Both are valid.” Banner gooes on to respond to Balboa’s Breakfast tip: by demanding “second breakfast,” citing fairness.

 

—

How to Participate

WMEO encourages viewers to join the celebration:
– Highlight one Cat Friendly change you’ve made at home
– Remind friends to book their cats’ annual check-ups (mobile vets welcome and endorsed)
– Display the “Supporting International Cat Day 2026” badge proudly

—

WMEO Editorial Note:

Banner has proposed turning International Cat Day into a federally recognized holiday.
Balboa has proposed snacks.

End of bulletin. Please resume your regularly scheduled scrolling.