It's Caturday!

Welcome back for another edition of Caturday, where we catch up on the week's latest cat news, and get to meet some of your amazing kitties!

Before we get into this week's stories, I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on 2011 and give thanks to all of my family, friends, and readers - who are all quite possibly the same two people (Hi Mom and Dad!) - that have supported me throughout the past year by regularly stopping by and reading my posts, or leaving much appreciated comments of feedback and support.

As I sit here listening to the Smashing Pumpkins cover of the Missing Persons song "Destination Unknown" (sample lyric: Life is so strange / Destination unknown / When you don't know / Your destination / Something can change / It's unknown / Then you won't know / Destination unknown), I can't help but think that some of the best things that happened to me over the past 12 months (going to L.A. for the Fancy Feast commercial shoot, winning a Petties award, etc.) were things I couldn't have even dreamed of for myself. So, then why is it during this time of year we spend so much time focusing on setting restrictive goals for ourselves, when there's a whole world of unlimited possibilities ahead, better than anything we could have even planned or imagined?

In the second season of Mad Men (Episode 5), Bobbie Barrett delivered the line, "This is America. Pick a job and become the person that does it." I remember pausing the TV after hearing her say it, empowered by the revelatory nature of the statement. The quotation really resonated with me during a time of professional uncertainty in my life, when I felt my current job wasn't right for me, but was still unsure of exactly what I was "supposed" to be doing. I'm not sure that anyone, myself included, just wakes up one day and decides to become a cat blogger, but this is what it is, and 1,159 posts later, my resolution for 2012 is to just keep going with it to the best of my ability.

On to the week's cat news..

This was an abbreviated posting week due to the holidays, but I still managed to round up some items I really loved, including one about an angry kitty in a wig, one ugly cat necklace, a cat Christmas gift round-up, and a profile on Steve Madden, the feline fashionisto™ who went from rags to consignment shop kitty riches. Elsewhere, Russell Brand filed for divorce from his wife/kitty mama Katy Perry yesterday, and as bummed out as we all were by the news, my thoughts immediately turned to the couple's three cats, Kitty Purry, Morrissey, and Krusty. Kitty will surely stay with Katy, and Morrissey will remain with Russell - but what of their sole joint offspring, Krusty the kitten? Even her name (a mash-up of Katy and Rusty) is a reminder of their damned union, and I'm not trying to make light of this heartbreaking situation, but won't someone please think of the cats?

My "Best of 2011" posts also came to their thrilling conclusion this week, with the final entries devoted to my 20 favorite cat videos of the year, and a compilation of the best Maru moments of 2011 (pssst if you missed any of my "best of" posts which also included entries on cat news, commercials, and fashion, you still have plenty of time to catch up on them here).

Honey

This week's featured feline is a recently rescued cat named Honey, and I must admit that her journey from abandonment to beloved pet made me choke up a little bit. That being said, her tale is a thoroughly happy one, and feels like the purrfect way to end this, the final Caturday of the year.

Sonya writes,

"We rescued Honey a few weeks ago when a friend of ours found her in a box on the side of the road, and thought about us for a good home for her. We wanted to adopt a kitty for the longest while, so we went for a visit and felt the connection right away.

I don't understand why someone would do this to her, she is the sweetest little thing (that's one of the reasons for her name). She is calm, doesn't make any mess around the house, purrs like a little tiger, and she's so affectionate. We can tell how grateful she is just by the loving look in her eyes. My husband and I are already so in love with her. She sure found her home in our hearts!!"

Special thanks to Sonya for sharing Honey's story with us this week! We'll never know who left this beautiful girl on the side of the road that fateful day, but I wonder if they could've imagined it would end up being the best thing that ever happened to her. Congratulations to Sonya and her family on their new addition, and here's to wishing them a long, wonderful lifetime together, with days filled with the sweetest of Honey.

Alright, everyone. Have fun, and make sure to give your cat a big kiss at midnight tonight.

See you next year!

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Want to see your cat(s) on Catsparella? I'm always accepting submissions for my weekly Caturday post! Just email your best kitty pics to catsparella@gmail.com, and include your cat's name and anything else you'd like to share! I can't wait to hear from you!