Since this is the first post on an art blog called mice4mars, I should explain the name… Mice for Mars, who is Mars?

Mars was Mr. Marsberry Cat, who passed in 2016 at the ripe old age of 18. He was a house cat, a studio cat, who thought he was my guardian. He spent many a day curled up at my feet while I was zoned into making art.

After he died, I told myself that’s it, no more cats… I’m too old for pets, don’t have another 18 years left in me to take in another cat. So what am I doing now? Feeding feral cats. The first was KiKi.

Oh, I tried to adopt her after a neighbor gave me a sad-sob story about a poor abandoned and abused little kitty, a female gath ddu (black cat). I agreed to take her, sight unseen… yeah, that poor little kitty turned out to be a 20 pound alpha female, the local Queen of Cats. She absolutely hated being trapped indoors. After a week, I let her go… then we developed a relationship on her terms. All she wants from me is food and fresh water, enough set outside for her and her feral friends. Even when temps dropped below zero, I could not lure her in so my neighbor set her up with an outdoor shelter. I know KiKi’s the alpha female because I watched how other cats behave around her. She controls who eats here and which strays are allowed to cross my yard.

Then came Max, as in Maxwell Storm. I adopted him when a young girl knocked on my door with a gray tiger kitten in her arms. Would I please take her Stormy, their landlord said he had to go… should say that I took him in and KiKi adopted Max as she started coming into the house just to mother on him. I call her Mama now. And Max? He answers to Baby Boo.

So, I officially have ONE cat (Max) and feed the Queen, who allows select feral cats to share her dishes. They come in the night. Most totally avoid humans, so I rarely see them. Ye gads, Mars passed and I’ve become a cat lady.

Thanks for reading!