I made a SUPER quick unpacking video of what's in my first Horror Block. There's a cameo by Vicktor Frankenstein too. (Sorry, I'm a little tired looking.)

Included in the box is...

1. A Monster Totem Pole T Shirt, which is cool and looks almost tiki-esque.

2. "Your Luck Just Ran Out" Leprechaun Pin. It's going on my jacket.

3. Ash vs. Evil Dead Socks. In my opinion, this was the winner of the box. I love them.

4. DVD/ Blu Ray of the Eli Roth movie the Stranger. Can't wait to watch it! Maybe I'll review it later.

5. Penny Dreadful Ceramic Mug. It was actually cracked when I opened it. I contacted Horror Block to see what can be done. I loved Penny Dreadful, the costuming was outstanding.

6. Vampirella Comic presented by Nerd Block. Andrew will probably steal this from me.

7. Shark Mania Rue Morgue Magazine. The blog I reference in the video is here.

8. Nerd Block Magazine.

All in all, I'd say it's worth it. I can't wait for the next one. Eeep!!!

4/11/17: Here's an update, I received my replacement Penny Dreadful mug and it's working out perfectly!

Spring is the season when all the animal shelters are overrun with cats and kittens. Unsuspecting people gravitate towards kittens because they are adorable, but keep in mind they need more attention than adult cats do. Here's some tips on what to expect when you become the proud parent of a tiny puff ball with razor claws.

You don't want to remove a kitten from it's mom or litter mates too soon. At about six weeks you can separate them from their litter mates for a few minutes at a time by moving them to a different room and encourage them to explore and play. This helps them become more independent. Make sure the kitten is at least 8-12 weeks old and weaned from their mom before it's given to somebody or put in a new environment. Their mom will teach them how to use the litter box and basically be a cat. That's when they can start with cat food paste and water, eventually, when they have a full set of teeth, they can work up to solid cat food.

A new kitten.

Keep in mind kittens are VERY curious and will crawl into spaces of your house you never knew were there. They are still very small and delicate. Be sure to keep an eye on them so they don't get stuck or trapped. Start with letting them explore one room for a few days, then two rooms etc. It could take a couple of months before they are ready to be let loose in the whole house.

 Tiny kitten, big house.

Luckily kittens can be trained, and can learn which spaces they are allowed in, older cats may be set in their ways ~ which is good and bad. For example, our Vicktor hops on the kitchen counter. He always did and probably always will. Ginger has never EVER been on the counter.

Kittens have the sharpest claws ever and love to scratch and climb. You might think your kitten is destructive, but they are just learning how to use their little needle claws. Get some cardboard scratching pads sprinkled with catnip and place them next to whatever they are scratching as an alternative. If they are ripping into your furniture, there's several ways to discourage them. You can try sticking double sided tape to the spots they scratch, they don't like the tacky sensation, but don't let them get wrapped up in it! You can put foil on it too. You can try the "no-scratch" spray they sell at pet stores. Once kittens are cats you can keep their claws trimmed, so they are less likely to scratch up you and your house.

I'm cute and deadly!

Kittens nibble. Be aware of anything that looks like a mouse tail including cords, string, tinsel, thread...the kittens will either chew it up or eat it. I had a friend who had emergency surgery on her cat because it ate thread and the thread wrapped around it's tongue! Try to wrap cords together or hide them, and clean up after yourself. It will prevent cats from eating things that are left out. They force you to keep a tidy house!

 If possible, get a matching set. They can entertain each other and you!

 
If you've never had a cat before you might not know if you're allergic. Having a kitten you can't always tell, but once the cat is fully grown you might be allergic. They say having a long haired, lighter color female cat is better for allergies because the long hair keeps their sticky saliva from spreading into the air and that female cats and light colored cats make less of the protein that causes allergies. Another option is getting a hairless or hypoallergenic cat. Plus you can limit the spaces the cat roams in and try and keep a couple rooms pet free, so that you can escape the allergy zone. You can get a good air filter for your living space, and try to have fewer rugs and plush upholstry that will collect the cats protein and fur too. Finally, you can take allergy meds too. It depends how committed you are. I've read that really only between 2-10% of the population are actually allergic. So really there's lots of options and it's probably unlikely you'll be sniffling and sneezing.

My friend Jodee and one of her new kittens.

Final thoughts on kittens... whether kittens or cats are better for your lifestyle, it's great that you are considering adoption. They just want love.

Back in October 2001, I was really excited that THE Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead fame would be coming to speak at the University at Buffalo. He was touring for his first book If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor, and he was scheduled to give a lecture, then stay after to sign books and paraphernalia.

Cover of Generation, October 16, 2001 (University at Buffalo publication)

I remember his lecture was charming, interactive, and very funny. I was eager to meet him! Afterall, I was the fan that had an Evil Dead themed party complete with movie viewing, and games like Pin-the-Hand-on-Ash. (a cooler version of Pin-the-Tail-on -the-Donkey)! Extra points for getting the wrist and arm area! For those that don't know ~ in Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn his character, Ash, looses a hand and replaces it with a chainsaw.

His lecture concluded, and it was time for the meet and greet. The cult icon said anyone that brought his book to be autographed could line up first. Well I already had his book AND I already had it signed too. Let me explain.

When Andrew and I were still dating he interned in New York City and lived there during the summer of 2001. Bruce Campbell was signing books at the Barnes and Noble in the bottom of the World Trade Center and Andrew, my *now* husband, gave me an autographed copy for my birthday. Instead of bringing the already signed book, I brought a VHS copy of Evil Dead II. I was second to last in a line of about 100 people. After waiting about two hours and finally going up to his table, I did something I NEVER thought I would do. I fangirled.

I rambled on to the great Bruce Campbell about how much I loved his movies, I told him about my Evil Dead party and Pin-the-Hand-on-Ash and how I thought he was awesome. His response was (and I'll never forget it), "So what do you want me to sign?" Well I guess after meeting the 98 people in line ahead of me ~ most with his fancy new book ~ he was done and didn't have to be charming anymore. I slid over my VHS and asked to take a picture. He said,"Sure." and that was the end of the Bruce Campbell encounter. Needless to say it was disappointing. Just as he was exhausted from the fans, I was exhausted from waiting in line to get treated like a schmuck. Little did HE know I already had his book signed, from a place that no longer existed.

 My signed VHS tape.

A snapshot of the "Sure." photograph.

Don't get me wrong I'm still a fan, and watch Ash vs. Evil Dead. It's campy with lots of unnecessary blood ~ my kind of show ~ but I don't need to meet him again. When I heard he's touring to promote his latest book Hail to the Chin and the closest city will be Toronto ~ I thought good, I can appreciate him from a distance. I'm not sure what I expected. Maybe the pedestal I had him on was too high. Maybe it was about timing, both of us were tired. Maybe I AM a schmuck. Hopefully if you ever meet him, your experience will be gratifying. You can find all the dates and cities for his new book tour here.

I was given these Atomic Lace White Cat Earrings from a friend and I find myself reaching for them almost every other day. They go with all my outfits and they are just so cheery. They remind me of shrinky dinks and that makes me happy! Oh I just realized I might be dating myself by saying "shrinky dinks". Here's the definition. Bonus: they are really well made too!

My other go-to is this Cat Lady Lace Cardigan from Sourpuss that's available at my shop Cats Like Us. It's a longer style with black, red, and white, so I feel like it's a neutral and pairs well with everything from skirts, jeans, dresses to stripes, polka dots and gingham. I also love that it says "Cat Lady" on the back. What's the Little Black Dress (LBD) equivalent to a Little Black Cardigan...LBC? Nah, that sounds like Long Beach California. Weird. Anyway, I love this sweater and I want to wear it to bed. I highly recommend it and not just because you can find it at my shop. It's the current rockstar sweater in my wardrobe right now.

Earrings, sweater and double cat eyeliner for the win!

Every year as a kid I would write out my Christmas List and every year a Fangoria Magazine subscription was on it. I would go to the mall and my mom would drop me off at Walden Books where I would stand there and read Fangoria from cover to cover while she shopped. And the answer is nope, Santa never gifted me a Fangoria, not one single copy. (Insert sad monster face here.)

As an adult I like reading books and magazines ~ the tangible books and magazines, not something I have to read on a screen (although if you are reading this, I appreciate it). So here I am writing about my interests that include creepy crawlies and I thought it's WAY past due, but I'm going to subscribe to Fangoria. Well I have news for you kiddos, they don't have a magazine anymore! Not in the way my 10 year old self had hoped. There's an official statement from Fangoria, it was just posted last month about them dissolving their print issues. You can read it here. What a bummer for me. I really should have subscribed sooner. I blame Santa.

There's also Rue Morgue Magazine from our neighbors in Canada, which I started subscribing to when my shop Cats Like Us began advertising with them a few years ago. (We sell retro/ rockabilly clothes and accessories but that often includes universal monsters and everything with a skull.) Rue Morgue would send out a monthly issue, except for February, and recently they announced changing that to every other month. (Insert - adult - sad monster face here.)

Cats Like Us Ad in Rue Morgue Feb 2105

So when my subscription to Rue Morgue was up last month, I looked into renewing and decided to join the Horror Block monthly subscription instead. Horror Block is a mail order service that sends out a box with horror themed pop culture items including Rue Morgue Magazine. So I really haven't given up yet. All I can say is this Horror Block box better be good! This month's block theme is Evil Dead and Vampirella, that's a great start. I'll let you know how the box is once I receive it. *wink* Do you subscribe to any horror related things?

Nearly every local animal shelter has a website with information, some even have a Wish List. So if you can't foster an animal ~ or ~ don't have money to donate ~ or ~ time to volunteer, check our their Wish List! This popped up on my facebook the other day...

(Picture taken from : http://www.scarymommy.com/donate-old-mascara-wands-appalachian-wildlife-refuge/)

Clean MASCARA WANDS??? The mascara you should throw away after 3 months has a place to be recycled. The Appalachian Wildlife Refuge collects clean mascara brushes to remove fly eggs stuck in animal fur. Who knew?! YOU NEVER KNOW what your local animal shelter might need! They also collect other things too.

I know what I'll be doing with those used wands! They can be mailed to:

Appalachian Wild​
P.O. Box 1211
Skyland, NC 28776

I frequently check out our local SPCA Serving Erie County Wish List and the needs are grouped by department. They collect obvious things like blankets, cat food, and pooper scoopers, but not so obvious things too, like crowbars, highlighters, zip ties, and bandanas. Always check.

So be sure to think outside the litter box when it comes to donations. It's a win-win when you recycle and it goes towards a great cause!

I'll be the first to admit it, back in 1997, when I heard they were coming out with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show, I laughed. I saw the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie at the theater and I was really hopeful, but it left me less than impressed. It can be really hard to harness the combination of horror and comedy and make it work. So I imagined the TV show would end up being goofy and not last very long. Needless to say, I didn't watch it. I was in college, working two jobs and didn't have time to watch much TV. However I ended up driving my baby brother to school, so I'd have to wake up early in the morning. The only thing on TV that was worth watching at 7am was reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I knew the characters and it ended up making my morning routine enjoyable. At the time it was still airing new episodes, so I made sure I caught up and saw ALL of them. Now I have every season on DVD and it's my go-to when I want some background TV on at home.

 It goes without saying that I need to celebrate Buffy the Vampire Slayer's 20th anniversary. It's my absolute FAVORITE TV show, even after all these years. No other show has ever compared ~ monsters, action and whitty comedy ~ count me in! It's a shame it only lasted seven seasons and Supernatural is on thirteen. (Yeah, I wrote about how I'm plowing though it ~ in the middle of season 3 right now. You can read my thoughts so far here.) Buffy is an inspiration, so I'm going to share with you my top 20 reasons (in no particular order) why I love it and hopefully, if you haven't watched it, you'll give it a chance like I did.

1. Anyone can be a fighter and fight the good fight, even a little blonde girl.

2. If Billy Idol and David from The Lost Boys had a baby it would be Spike.

3. There's a singing episode called "Once More with Feeling".

4. There's a silent episode, that's pretty creepy called "Hush". It's Emmy nominated.

5. Willow, Buffy's best friend, is the first portrayal of a lesbian on US TV!

6. Fashion ~ the 1990s style ~ Willow's bad sweaters ~ Xander's Hawaiian shirts.

7. Buffy works at Doublemeat Palace at one point, and I really feel that everyone should work in food service at least once.

8. The slang on the show has become part of the real world vocabulary. For example, nouns become verbs, adjectives become nouns. i.e. The Wig = the creeps. Used in a sentence, "You gave me the wig." Can also be wiggins, major wig etc.

9. The special effects are sometimes laughable, but you have to remember this isn't a movie, it was a mini movie on EVERY WEEK. I'd say that's still impressive.

10. Anya, Xander's girlfriend, is my spirit animal. She fears rabbits and I fear of butterflies. (I don't want to talk about it.)

11. There's werewolves too. Even though I'm an Anya, Oz is my favorite character.

12. There's messy life stories going on, and lots of metaphors for real life that people can relate to.

13. Buffy's mom dies in "The Body" episode and doesn't come back, well not permanently. You'd think with a show where Buffy always wins the fight, there would be no tragedy. Yes, likeable characters get killed off.

14. Xander in a speedo. (You just have to watch the episode for that.)

15. The bands that play at the Bronze for the most part are real bands, and truly the soundtrack for 1990s alternative music. The Breeders, Aimee Mann, and Cibo Matto are some examples.

16. The acting is good.

17. Without Buffy there would be no Hunger Games, or even Jessica Jones.

18. It subverts expectations with plot twists. Check out the Halloween episode "Fear Itself", it's my pick for best plot twist. You have to watch it through to the end though!

19. Buffy's an empowering feminist leader that fights many misogynistic monsters, some in the form of men.

20. Buffy gives the greatest inspirational speeches. Here's a sample of one toward the finale of the show.

Finally, I hope that the Buffy inspired line of clothes coming out from Hot Topic this year is cool and not just repros of Willow's pink fluffy sweater...

If you love cats, you need to see the movie Kedi. When I heard the historic North Park Theater in Buffalo, NY was screening it, I just had to go! The North Park Theater is a neighborhood movie house that has beautiful Art Nouveau paintings on the ceiling and a classic neon marquee out front. I haven't been there in years and was looking forward to see all the renovations since the last visit. You can find all the information on the North Park here.

There was a bonus too ~ Cats from the Ten Lives Club were on hand in the lobby before the movie, so you can bet I went early to pet the kitties! The Ten Lives Club is the second largest cat adoption site in Western New York next to the SPCA. My business ~ Cats Like Us ~ has helped them out by donating gift baskets to events such as the one coming up April 1, 2017 called Tats For Cats. You can see the event page here.

I met Donna the cat with her super soft fur. (I should also mention it was 15 degrees out, that's why I'm insanely bundled up.)

This is Cordelia, she was a sweetheart. Super chill kitty.

The documentary Kedi is about how stray cats in Istanbul are just a way of life. Makes you want to live there right?! The movie interviews people and their connection to a specific stray cat that chose them. Cats pick you, and you might want them to go away, but they don't. The cats are carefree and don't have "owners" necessarily, but just the people in their lives. I was surprised at how many people take it upon themselves to make food for the cats, tend to kittens, and even seek out medicine for these cats if they need it. If you show a cat love they will love you in their own way. Cats are very much like people with their own personalities. It's inspiring how stray cats can impact your life for the better.

Warning: There is a very sad part in the middle of the movie when someone finds a dead kitten. They take it to one of the people that's being interviewed and in turn, that person takes it to a clinic, presumably to be buried. Ugh, I cried. I was hoping they would check in with the kitten at the end of the movie and that it was brought back to life. Didn't happen. Otherwise it was great.

It's a gorgeous film, and I have no idea how they were able to follow around these cats without the cats caring at all. Ahhh to be a cat.

Recently I was at a local goth night called War Dance (I know I'm an old fart, but I still try to get out to the club when I can), and I heard this song...

It's called "Lost in the Shadows" by Thomas Newman and Lou Gramm (lead singer of Foreigner) from The Lost Boys soundtrack. I started singing it, and the people I was talking to didn't know what it was. I said, "It's from The Lost Boys soundtrack!" I got very excited and one of my friends responded, "I'm not sure I ever saw that movie." This blew my mind. I've seen The Lost Boys well over 100 times and I know all the dialog. It's easily in my top 10 vampire movies of all time. Ok, flashback blog time, and yes, there are spoilers.

As I write this, it's the seventh anniversary of Corey Haim's death, March 10, 2010, let's take a moment to reflect on my favorite movie of his, The Lost Boys. It was released in the summer of 1987. It's a story about a divorced mom and her two sons. They need to move in with her dad because they've run out of money. Grandpa lives on the outskirts of the imaginary city Santa Carla, California aka "Murder Capital of the World". Santa Carla has a boardwalk with carnival rides, live music on the beach and tons of missing people posters. We soon find out that the vampires are responsible. When you think about it ~ at the time ~ it was unusual to think of vamps living in bright and sunny CA. It was WAY before Buffy the Vampire Slayer and this is why I was drawn to seeing it, the juxaposition dark brooding vamps in CA.

The extreme fashion in The Lost Boys is stylish, dated and wonderfully campy. There's a little bit for everyone, no matter what your taste. You have the sexy young vampires in leather jackets, leather pants, trench coats, tank tops with long perfect mullet-y headbanger hair and lots of chains and belts. Main vamp David, played by Kiefer Southerland has a perfectly coiffed platinum mullet. Yes there are blonde vampires, contrary to popular belief! It's really the opposite of dark, brooding, and  mysterious. I think that's what makes him so sexy. Let's take a look...

OMG, yum! Am I right?!!!

Oh, and here's the rest of them.

Older brother Michael.

Then you have the complete opposite style of the vamps in the youngest brother Sam Emerson, played by Corey Haim. He wears lots of pastels, big yellow and white high top sneakers, shoulder pads, mixed patterns and at one point a "Born to Shop" T shirt. His fashion is actually similar to Max, the man his mom starts dating. So you would think that this is a bit of foreshadowing of them getting along. Nope.

 Yes, it's true, some of us dressed like this in the 80s.

Here's Max. Two words: SHOULDER PADS.

Finally you have the Frog brothers Edgar and Allen, played by Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander, dressed in military camo, and bandanas.  Like mini Rambo-s.

As a teen I thought the Frog brothers were the comic relief of the movie, but as I got older and watched the movie more, I really think it's the grandpa that holds all the cards. He knows everything going on in Santa Carla, but doesn't tell his family. I really think he's in denial of vampires, that's why he moved to the outskirts of town. Without giving too much away, grandpa saves the day. There's also a tiny plot twist at the very end, so make sure you watch all of it!

Finally I have to mention the random oiled up sexy sax man, or should I say SEX man? This is clip is near the beginning of the movie and as a metal head in the 80s, I couldn't fathom why, OH WHY are people headbanging to this song? My guess is that this was not the song they were headbanging to, but a different song and the makers of the movie liked the clip so they kept it. It made the scene "edgy", just like the opening sequence when they are riding around in their station wagon while listening to "People Are Strange" by The Easybeats and Echo & the Bunnymen and the camera is panning around to all the punks, goths, and weirdos occupying the boardwalk.

I still have an unanswered question. The scene where the vamps are hanging upside down by their nasty ass talon feet, then the camera shows them flying out of their lair. Do they stop to put their shoes on? These are the things that keep me up at night...and the closet monster.

Happy (early) 30th Birthday to the most iconic vampire movie of the 1980s, The Lost Boys!

You can watch the trailer here.

p.s. When you go to a goth club you might hear this song. It's the more popular song from the soundtrack. ;)

I own a retro clothing store called Cats Like Us, and I was really surprised at all the people that take our name literally! When we first opened we'd get phone calls almost weekly asking if we sell cats, board cats, adopt out cats, sell clothing for cats etc. Nope, the "cats" in our name represents slang for cool cats. Definition ~ a stylish and admirable person. HOWEVER that doesn't mean we don't like cats. We LOVE them and here's the proof...

Since there was so much confusion, we decided to complicate things a little more. Just down the street from our store front is the SPCA Serving Erie County and we were trying to figure out ways to work with them to raise awareness for both of our businesses, after all, our kitties Ginger and Vicktor came from there too. I knew that in the springtime when the kittens are running rampant is when the SPCA is desperate for donations. So that narrowed down the time frame to do an event. We call it Cats Like Treats! and this marks it's seventh year running. It always takes place the second week in March. You can read about it here. Basically we collect cat treats, dog treats, and anything from the SPCA Wishlist. The wishlist has everything on it from towels and blankets to pens and stamps. Depending on how much a customer brings in, they can get a discount up to 25% off everything in our store. We like to say 'Gather your kibble and save some scratch." This event has been beneficial to our shop sales and we've collected boxes and boxes of items for the needy animals.

Pictures of everything donated from Cats Like Treats 2016.

Cats Like Us is also an official off-site adoption location for the SPCA Serving Erie County. Now that doesn't mean we have animals running around, but a simple digital frame with the current animals that are up for adoption is on our front counter. New pictures get emailed to us almost every week and all we have to do is update the frame. It's exciting to have a customer look at it and say, "That's the cat I just adopted!" ~ It's happened more than once! Or "I should check out what animals they have." The frame more like a subtle reminder that there's lots of animals that need love.

The frame on our counter that features about 25 animals at a time.

We still wanted to be MORE involved because we love animals, so just last year we took some Cats Like Us accessories to the SPCA for a photoshoot with all the pretty kitties. The cats were really amazing, and the people that volunteer there are angels. They know every cats personality, what they like and don't like and how to get them to pose. It was really a heart warming experience that we hope to do again this year. Here's some of the pictures we used... and me in the kitten room.

Sadly for me the SPCA is moving to the southtowns in about a month, so instead of being a 10 minute drive it'll be 20 minutes away. That being said, they are moving into a GIANT new facility that looks state-of-the-art from the outside. We hope to have a new photoshoot in their new space.

Even if you don't have an SPCA near you, please consider supporting your local animal shelter whether it's though a monetary donation, volunteering, or simply collecting something from their wishlist. It doesn't take much to change an animals life. Be kind to animals, all they want is someone to care for them. (And in our Vicktor's case, food. All the food.)

I don't watch TV very often and I don't even have cable. Haven't had it in over 15 years, but I do subscribe to Netflix. On the days I find myself bundled on the couch in a blanket coocoon I flip through the TV stations before I turn on Netflix. When I stumble upon Supernatural reruns, I get sucked into the show. It's easy ~ you know the few main characters and the premise. The brothers Winchester go out and hunt supernatural things. I was talking to a friend of mine about catching a couple Supernatural episodes when they are on TV, and he just keep repeating, "Oh it's so good, it's SO good, but you have to get past season two." I thought, ok cool, how many seasons are there?  I just found out the show has been renewed for a 13th season. Yes, I said 13. THIRTEEN. What better time to start at the very beginning and watch ALL the episodes in order? It's the longest running American fantasy series. So it must be good, right?!

I'm here to tell you a couple observations as a casual viewer of Supernatural. There's basically the stereotypical "tough guy", older brother, Dean who likes to eat crap, drink, sleep with easy women, drives a fast car, and likes hard rock. Younger brother, Sam, is book smart, was going to school to be a lawyer, and appears to be a gentile giant.

I've completed watching seasons 1 and 2.  So far, it's really a monster-of-the-week type show with lots of damsels in distress. Sometimes the girl IS the monster and sometimes she's the VICTIM. I feel kind of ho-hum about that. I hope it's true that things get better after season 2. (Please don't spoil it for me.)

In season 1 the "metal" music is SO bad. I listened to metal in the 1980s, the music aka crap they play in season 1 is painfully generic. Thank goodness by the season 2 it's real songs from real bands. Viewers probably familiar with a lot of the songs ~ you know the lyrics and they really set the tone of the show. My favorite featured song so far has been a nod to the 1960s "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals in the "Roadkill" episode, season 2, episode 16. It's a creepy song to begin with, so it just makes sense for the plot. Take a listen here...

The hotels that the Winchesters stay in while driving back and forth across the country to hunt are rather spectacular in theme. I would love to find places to stay in that look like these. I'm sure it's just one room that the set person reuses, by switching the beds to the other side, and adding a different room divider that's in theme with some matching wall decor. Just look at those room dividers!

I know the show is filmed in Canada, but every episode is rainy, snowy, cold or damp. Sometimes just watching it makes my feet cold. I'm going to go put extra socks on now.

On to season 3, "I'm not afraid of commitment. I'm not afraid of commitment." That's the phrase I'll just keep repeating to MYSELF over and over.

Vicktor was adopted the same day as Ginger (you can read about her here) and he took a liking to Andrew, my husband, right away. He's an all black big-boned chubby bombay cat, twice the size of Ginger with yellow teeth. He was abandoned. I'm guessing it was because he ate the family out of house and home. Vicktor will eat anything, even if it's not food but smells like food. You can ask me about the time he ate a paper towel and basically his butt looked like a tissue dispenser. THAT was an emergency room visit I'd rather forget.

Caught Vicktor eating from a tub of yogurt.

The time Vicktor opened the refrigerator and pulled out all the bread to eat.

He's also an avid sunbather. I think it helps him recharge his appetite. Vicktor finds heat, absorbs it, and then radiates it. If there's a sunny spot anywhere, you can bet Vicktor will be sitting in it and when the sun goes down he'll find a black rug to sit on so no one can find him. Sometimes when Ginger gets cold she walks over and sits on him. It's super cute.

We were originally going to name him Vincent, but Vicktor Frankenstein seemed more fitting. Vicktor is running out of lives and has been pieced together a few times.  A couple years ago his tail started bleeding. He hopped up on the bed and started chewing on the tip of his tail, then it started spraying blood everywhere. It was like a horror movie. I picked him up and threw him in the bathroom, while I went to get his carrier and take him to the vet. He had to have two inches of the tip of his tail removed. To this day we don't know what happened. It's a mystery.

Halloween 2011. I was a witch and Vicktor was my cat familiar.

Why is there an abundance black cats up for adoption all the time? It breaks my heart. Even though Vicktor can be a moody bastard, his fur is as soft as fine silk and he smells amazing. I never really got the attraction to newborn baby smell, but I get the clean kitty smell. It's odd because his breath smells like rotten fish doritos, so you'd think when he cleans his fur it would be foul, but I have to say if I could bottle up his musky scent I'd make a million. Everyone should have a black cat companion, their temperament is curious, loving and warm.

We were lucky to find two cats at the same time that get along.

Here's Ginger and Vicktor in their heated cat bed.

Moral of the story: adopt a shelter pet.