Happy Christmas, readers — and welcome to my new subscribers!
As we head into the holiday week, I have some thoughts on the spirit of the season. I also want to introduce you to a few of my favorite Christmas things.
You may know that one of my “reasons” for this Substack — perhaps one of my reasons for being — is to help animals in need.
Like this sweet angel
This is Little Miss Kitty1
She lives behind my apartment building. She was either born outside or dumped there. I’ve been feeding her for about two years, and she’s transformed from a totally feral cat who wouldn’t come near me, to a kitty who seeks affection and greets me every day with a meow and a head butt. Sadly, despite my efforts, she is too afraid to come inside — so we created a warm and safe space for her to eat and rest.
Soon after I gained her trust and started feeding her every day, I started worrying about her showing up with a litter of babies. I had no idea what to do to get her the medical care she needed.
Luckily, a friend told me about a local group of vets who volunteer at a free monthly TNR — Trap, Neuter, Release — clinic here in Richmond. I called the group — Operation Catnip — and got her an appointment at their next clinic.
Then I had to trap her.
I ordered a humane trap online. Operation Catnip has traps you can borrow with a deposit, but I figured we might need it again in the future.
The night before the clinic, I baited the trap with some tuna fish and we watched from our balcony. Sweet baby walked right in, the trap door closed, and we brought her inside for the night, which she spent in the bathtub.
The next morning we took her to the clinic bright and early, where there were at least 60 other cats getting fixed. We dropped her off, and they told us they would call us to pick her up in a few hours. The Man and I went and grabbed some breakfast, and collected her around noon — spayed, vaccinated for rabies, and treated for ear mites.
We kept her in the bathtub again that night as she recovered, and released her late the next morning.
I was pretty upset. Even though I knew we did the right thing, I felt like I had violated her kitty trust. She had even brought me a mouse the morning I trapped her.
But in the nearly two years since, I am grateful every day for sparing her a life of endless litters full of starving babies, running from male cats.
It may sound silly, but caring for her is one of the bright spots of my day. Knowing that I helped make her little life better. It’s the same feeling I get when a bird eats the seed I put out on a cold winter’s day.
In these dark times, I choose to be a ripple in the pond of kindness.
You may not be able to save the world, but you may be able to save a life.
I also want to put it out there — I absolutely freaking love Christmas.
I think it’s the nostalgia. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is putting up our tree. My mom got me an ornament every year when I was a child, so decorating the tree is always a trip down memory lane.
The Man and I continued this tradition when we moved in together. We gift one another a few ornaments a year, or buy them while we’re traveling.
A few of my faves:
Do you have any favorite ornaments? Share in the comments!
We also love watching these relaxing walks through European Christmas markets while we drink our morning coffee:
And finally, your Mr. Kitty Christmas pic
This was his official adoption pic. Once we bought the litter box it was a done deal.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, cheese and cat lovers! May your holiday be full of fromage and happiness!
Curd Culture is a reader supported publication. Thank you for supporting my dream of using my cheese experience to make a difference on two issues I care about: sustainable family farming and animal welfare.
Another of my insanely original animal names.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!