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 My life started out as one of seven in a litter of either all gray or all black kittens in a shelter across town. I looked like my mom a Russian blue. My siblings and I were named after the seven dwarfs but that never made a lot of sense to me.
The shelter employees say that I was the most playful in my litter so I am not sure why they named me Grumpy. I am never grumpy.
When I was a few weeks old Bashful and Sleepy left with a family then Happy left. Little did I know that I was the next one to leave.
One day a couple came in and let me outside. She took me into her arms, petted me and I ran as fast as I could. I ran and ran and ran! What did the bench smell like? How high could I see if I was sitting on the cat tower? What do the humans do on the other side of the counter?
These were the questions that I had always pondered about and now I could finally find out for myself! I planned to escape through the big double doors until the man caught me. The man said that he liked me because he thought I was cheeky and had character. He told his wife that I was the kitten they should pick. They put me in a carrier and she kissed him. He said to her, “happy birthday my love”. The next 45 minutes were horrible. They placed me into a car and I hated it. I couldn’t keep my balance as the car drove and all I wanted to do was get out of the carrier. I screamed, “Help me! Help me! Help me!” but no one listened. I tried scratching my way out, kicking and getting really angry. Luckily, the journey didn’t last too long. The wife is my owner (Trish) and she let her husband (Luke) rename me after one of his favorite soccer players who plays for Chelsea Football Club; Fernando Torres but everyone calls me Nando like the restaurant.
The first few days in my new home I was able to explore. I could tell that someone else was here but it wasn’t a feline and then I finally met her, a dog. She was huge and I am pretty sure she wanted to eat me. Trish picked me up and allowed her to sniff me. All I wanted to do was run away; she was scary! Trish came to my rescue a few times when the dog put her mouth over my head. I hissed and ran away. She stopped doing this after a while but she kept staring at me for the next month. Then she would stare at me with her bum in the air and her tail wagging all over the place!
 Was she mad? What did she want? I was really confused.
On a really boring day when Trish and Luke were at work I decided that I wanted to play. I ran down the stairs, through the kitchen and into the living room where she was sleeping. I slapped her on the nose with my paw, quickly made a U-turn and headed back through the kitchen and tried to go into hiding.
She barked at me. Then I froze. I didn’t make it into my top secret hiding place. She put her bum up in the air and wagged her tail again. She sniffed me then put my leg in her mouth. ‘Oh, I see that she wants to play!’ I slapped her again with my other paw. She barked and I rolled on the ground and attacked her with my vicious claws as she sniffed my belly.
After this we were friends.
 White cats are naturally interesting for they come from an animal family of rich history. This account does not pertain to damaged furniture, messed up homes, and spilled food in the kitchen of every household. Instead, white cat history also entails that this lovable feline also has heroic traits.
Surprising it may be, but there are heroic cats that captured the hearts of people around the world. To know more about these hero cats, the excerpt below will tell their uplifting stories of bravery:
Jack, the Cat Who Chased a Bear
Jack is a 15-pound cat that has chased a bear in West Milford, New Jersey in June 2006. The cat did this despite the danger for he is not happy the bear is in their backyard. The tabby courageously confronted the bear and sent it climbing up a tree in the neighborhood.
The funny thing is, Jack simply hissed as if it will kill the bear. In a span of 15 minutes, the big bear was trapped in the tree. When it tried to get away, the cat even chased him out to another tree.
According to Donna Dickey, the tabby’s owner, Jack does not want anyone in the backyard.
Tara, the YouTube Sensation Turned Hero
Tara is the popular, brave cat that saved the four-year old Jeremy Triantafilo. A video showed how bold the cat is in rescuing his owner from a neighbor dog biting and pulling the child from the bike. The cat slammed the dog and Erica Triantafilo, Jeremy’s mother, stated that she was bitten by the dog.
In YouTube, the video was shared and achieved five million views in less than a couple of days. The kid was taken in a hospital to receive ten stitches.
Tara was adopted by the family six years prior the incident. Erica stated that the cat is not naturally violent, but instead a mellow pet.
 white cat in the garden Baby, the Tabby Who Saved a Couple and Twins
Baby is the 13-year old tabby who saved a couple and their twins in suburban Chicago. A night in 2010, Josh Ornberg and Letitia Kovalovsky have fallen asleep on their couch. Little do they know that the back bedroom is already on fire and smoke is already filling the house.
Their tabby cat jumped on Josh and woke him up. According to him, the cat became the fire detector of the family no matter how embarrassing it may be. The couple was surprised for the cat has been timid all their lives.
Everyone survived despite losing almost all their possessions due to fire. The outcome is unfathomable without the help of the cat, said the police authority.
The aforementioned stories showed that cats are extra special. They have a heart of gold when it comes to their owners. They may be naturally playful but deep inside, they could change their personality for the sake of their owners.
Apart from the three heroic cats, there are more who have saved their humans from danger. These shows that even your white cats could be hero kitties regardless of the situation – accidents, house fires, or medical emergencies.
 It is a long standing tradition for many people to teach their dogs to fetch. But, what if you are a cat lover? Can your cat be taught to fetch as well? You bet! In some cases, your cat may surprise you and teach itself this little game.
Playful cats that love to run and jump and play and pounce on objects are ideal candidates for fetching practice. The chances for best results come from items that you would often otherwise throw in the garbage. If this sounds weird, trust me. I have had cats all of my life and have spoiled each of them with more toys than I even had when I was a child. Inevitably, they always go for the garbage like aluminum foil balls, caps from bottles and the plastic rings that you remove from gallon jugs of milk . Basically, anything that makes an appealing noise when it hits or bounces or rolls on the floor. Especially if it rolls in odd and unpredictable directions.
Being a writer, a popular item around my home is wadded up scrap paper. One of my five cats actually will run to me from another room when he hears me wadding up another piece. He is ready and wide-eyed waiting for me to throw it so he can run and bring it back to me. An unfortunate, but adorable side effect of his interest is that if he knows I have thrown a wad of paper away, he will dig it out and play with it. A word of advice, if your cat is as enthusiastic as he is, be sure to hide the toys at night or he/she will stay up until all hours playing and costing you sleep.
I also have the fortune to have two fetching kitties in my household. One was taught when she was a kitten and the same male who enjoys paper wads learned from watching his mother. The third of the younger cats tend to have the typical holier than though attitude and upon my throwing something for him to fetch, looks at me as if to say, “Well, you idiot, you threw it, you go get it”.
 “Cats are blissfully unaware that they have only a finite time in which to finish their ‘to do’ list.”
– Jon Edgell Some cats will bring the toy back to you in their mouths, while others will play with it and bat it around for a while, then swat it back in your direction. The key is getting them to realize that if they return the item to you, then they will get to chase it again. In some cases you may need to repeat the process over and over for a few days. In other cases, such as my two cats, they learned within a couple of hours.
An important point to remember is do not throw the toy directly to your cat. He/she will likely look at you like you are crazy because the feline instinct is to chase things that run away. No potential cat prey ever ran straight toward the cat’s awaiting paws. Get down on the floor with your kitty and gently toss the toy a few feet away and tell him/her to bring it to you. Often the first couple of times your cat swats it back to you it is accidental, but eventually this may become part of their game. Either way, when it is returned to you give your kitty lots of praise or a treat. As kitty learns the game, gradually throw the item further and further away. If your cat shows interest, you will likely have a fetcher before too long.
A final word of caution, don’t become the trainee. If you continue to go and get the toy yourself, your cat has just trained you. Better to end the fetching practice and try again another time.
 Why Won’t My Cat Eat? Oftentimes, cats do not eat for an extended period of time due to being over stressed. This can be compared to us as humans. As many of us have probably experienced, when we are stressed, we do not seem to eat, or at least not as much as we regularly would. Even if you do not notice it, your cat may very well be stressed and this is what is affecting his/her eating habits. Cats become stressed due to a number of factors, though the main reason is usually because of a change of environment.
When a cat moves from one house to another, they will usually experience lots of stress. This will lead to a loss of appetite. Also, when cats are given a different kind of food than they usually eat, they may also find a loss of appetite. And lastly, cats may lose their appetite when another cat or animal is introduced into their environment. If you get another cat, your first cat may feel threatened that this cat is in his/her environment, thus not eat as much, or at all in some cases. Whichever of these problems you may be facing, it is important to fix the problem so your cat will return to its regular eating habits.
On another note, cats that are not eating as regular might simply be sick. If you keep telling yourself they will get better, the cat may finally reach a point where it is to late too become well again. Studies have shown that cats not eating for extended time may evidently experience liver problems. If your cat eats a lot regularly and is quite larger, and suddenly stops eating, they may also experience severe liver problems. These liver problems can quickly lead to death.
Sometimes the best thing to do when your cat will not eat is just give him/her more attention than regular. Sit down and play with the cat for a bit, and if they become happy, they want to eat. If this does not work after a few days, you should consider seeing a vet as soon as possible. Since your cat is already stressed enough, it is not a good idea to actually take your cat to the vet. See if you can find a local vet that will actually come to your residence to examine your cat.
Cats can make the perfect pets. They are fairly self-sufficient and extremely lovable. You can spend time with them on a lonely evening, or you can leave them alone for an entire weekend. However, if you have never owned a cat, there are some tips to keep in mind. No one wants a cat that harms their belongings. Likewise, no one wants a harmed cat. Here are a few tips for first time cat owners to prevent needless mistakes.
Unsafe Toys
Many cat toys include strings, ribbons, and feathers. Although these are extremely fun, and quite safe when supervised, they can become dangerous when unsupervised play is allowed. String, dental floss, ribbon, tinsel, or any other stringy material can be swallowed by a cat and get caught in their intestines. Make sure you use care when decorating for the holidays or making a sweater.
Limit Fish
It is known by almost everyone that cats LOVE fish. However, magnesium rich fish can cause urinary tract problems in cats. Male cats especially have this problem. Only allow your feline to feast on the delicious fish food occasionally.
Scratching Post
Many indoor cats are declawed. However, there are several feline pets that are both indoor and outdoor pets. This means claws should remain. To maintain your cat’s claws and protect your furniture, invest in a scratching post. Some cats initially resist these posts, but rubbing cat-nip on it will help a lot.
Under the Car
Cats love warm places. This is why you will see them basking in the sun on top of a couch. This is also why it is extremely important to use care when starting your vehicle. Cats love to climb under cars and lay beside the engine. To prevent killing your kitty, honk the horn a few times before turning your key in the ignition. It will save you a lot of headache and pain in the future.
Protect Houseplants
Buying a cat does not mean you have to get rid of all your houseplants. Simply bury an orange, lemon, or grapefruit rind in the soil. The odor will prevent your kitty from digging and killing your plant while making the house dirty.
Overall, cats are great pets. However, you should always know the tricks to make your pet’s life and your life easier. These cat tips will improve the quality of your cat’s life as well as your own.
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