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CATS DISCOVER HOW TO SLEEP AND ENJOY TV & COMPANIONSHIP (without spending a dime)

There is a tranquility to cats that can be guiltlessly envied by a human.
It has to do with sleeping and napping.
These two cats are periodically photographed in the catagory of "cats being cats." Thus they are spotlighted in this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
The smaller cat is the older cat, my Senior Office Cat William Powell. The larger cat is Hastings Streetboy, rescued as a tiny, tiny kitten with marble-sized globules dangling off his eyes.
How'd I get these photos? Absolute luck. I happened to walk into the bedroom Friday afternoon and discovered that the cats had divided up our bed and gone to snoozeville.

THE WILLIAM STORY? I met William when I was actually outside, actually on a ladder, actually doing labor I'm not qualified to do. It was way back in 2018 that William and I repainted the wood trim on our home. That's how we met. I was up on a ladder balanced in loose dirt in the brick planter that stretched across the front of the house. 
This full grown cat wandered up, saw me on a ladder and sat down on the front walkway to wait for the spectacle of a fat man with no sense of balance falling toward the dirt and flowers but missing and hitting the concrete sidewalk. He was very helpful, mewing encouragingly loud each time I took a step. I didn't fall; he needed a home --- it all worked out. He may have been some kind of Licensed Cat Foreman at the time.
Years later (in 2021) I was running an errand In Duncanville and saw the tiniest of kittens trying to figure out how to cross a city street. His vision was obscured by two nearly marble-sized globules of who-knows-what dangling from where his eyes were supposed to be. He heard me walking toward him and he ran toward the other side of Hastings Street, bounced off the curb, got up and jumped (inexplicably!) to the top of the curb. Then he ran into a flowerbed and stopped. That's when I reached in and picked him up.
He became very calm as I held him and rubbed his back and tummy gently while I drove him to the Pet Medical Center of Duncanville.
Those dear folks immediately began cleaning up the weeks-old kitten and his eyes. 
 After a night or so with the vet, I took the fully doctored kitten home. Martha bottle-fed him for a month or so and helped him learn all the skills he'd need to survive as a tiny kitten in a home with humans. I think he already had the ability to purr, but Martha's got teaching skills. 
And, clearly, Martha taught him well. He knows how and when to eat, how and when to visit "the facility" and how to make friends with cats and dogs. 
So, there you have it -- Martha and I paid a lot for a bed with more push button controls than a spaceship just so cats and dogs could be comfortable at any point in a day. We didn't really know that when we handed over the credit card, but that's how it turned out. Happy cats and dogs in bed as they watch the big screen TV across the room.
And in two of those photos, taken only seconds apart, you can see that I snapped one picture as William yawned and, mere seconds later, snapped a photo of Hastings yawning. Just dumb luck.
[DEAR READERS: Send snoozing pictures of your photogenic dogs, cats and other critters to [email protected] and we'll present them to the world via Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. We love to hear your stories of your critters and why you love them.]

DOGS, CATS, PEOPLE, FOOTBALL, BASEBALL -- ANY OTHER WORDS YOU'D LIKE TO SEE?

[EDITION OF FRIDAY, JAN. 3, 2025 [PetPowellPress] Hang on a second. I was about to start typing when Porche Noel came scratching at the office door and I let her in. Then I had to move her bed to the side of my chair. Some mornings
she's happy on the bed when it's near the open door; sometimes she wants to be where she can look up at me as I try to type. The treat payoff is better when she's close enough to pet.
This position is her "If you have a snack, this is where I am" position.
She was a free dog, you know. Dallas has always had an abundance of free dogs on the streets -- it's not because Dallas has a lot of generous people handing out second-hand free dogs to residents. I use the term "handing out" loosely. "I hope ol' Kitty can find a home," is the attitude, as is "We can always get another dog at the shelter if Spot don't come back. I told him not to go visit that girl dog while she was in heat!"
Yeah, after all these years of observation, evidence supports this declaration: "The problem with animals is people."
My Senior Office Cat William Powell heard me type "treat payoff" and suddenly he was at my right hand. He'd been napping.
More in Contemplations because William's all snacked-up and ready to advise.
A QUICK EXIT NEEDED
FOR HOUSTON DOGS....
We got the story of these dogs from our longtime Houston tipster Alexandra Kelsey. She's been touch with Teresa Bowman, the rescue coordinator at the Harris County Pets Resource Center.
AK's note explains, "The dogs have tentative interest from an adopter and a rescue, but no matter what, they have to be out of the Harris County shelter by Monday."
The story is that Sweet Pea (left) and Gracie (below) "grew up together and when their mom died, they went to Harris County, where they aren’t able to be kenneled together.  They are so happy when they get a chance to see each other and hang out for a bit.
Gracie and Sweet Pea are adorable and clearly love each other to pieces. 
"The shelter staff are crazy about this pair and hope they have a home together for the rest of their lives."
To ask about helping them, call Teresa Bowman at 281-999-3191 or email [email protected]. [LARRY ASIDE: We suspect Teresa helped Sweet Pea pen this bio for himself and sister Gracie."]
Sweet Pea's bio reads, "I'm a mellow fellow, preferring quiet moments to wild adventures. ... I've always been the independent type, but I've got a soft spot for a good cuddle. You see, my heart is full of love to give and so is Gracie’s. We may be a seniors, but that just means we’ve had more time to perfect my cuddle technique. My wish? To find a home where I can share my golden years, offering companionship and unconditional love with my sister Gracie and a new family, we have been together all of our lives. Rescue / Adopt us, and I promise we will  be the sweetest peas in your pod."
Again, to ask about Sweet Pea and Gracie, call Teresa Bowman at 281-999-3191 or email [email protected].
A CUDDLER AND A CUTIE?
QUESO BLANCO!
We got the story on this little guy from veteran Mesquite dog biographer Debra Chisholm. Here's Debra's story and

some photos.
"This adorable mixed breed pup was named Queso Blanco," she wrote, then explained. "He was found in a shopping center near a Mexican restaurant (hence the name) ... close to a busy intersection on 12/31. A citizen brought him to the shelter."
Queso is #57553725 at the shelter. To ask about him, cite that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].

"Queso weighs 16 pounds and is approximately 2 1/2 months old. He is currently rescue only due to his age. He is a high-spirited little fellow with plenty of puppy energy and behavior. He is very
friendly, sociable, affectionate, and gives kisses! He just thoroughly enjoys being around and interacting with people! He will 'talk' to you. This youngster is very playful and loves toys and balls. He will entertain himself and you with his antics.
"When I tried to give him treats, he would toss them in the air and play with them rather than eating them.
"He was vaccinated and micro-chipped upon arrival. You will notice that he has a skin issue and loss of hair. A skin scrape determined he does not have mange and is not contagious. He has been given a NexGuard to begin treating the skin issue and was given a medicated shampoo bath today." And Debra closed with "Won’t you please help this charming pup's stay at the shelter be a short one?"
There are other dogs and cats waiting in the Mesquite Shelter and you can read their bios and see their photos by clicking on the Animals-in-the-Shelter link HERE. . We even have a little follow-up in CONTEMPLATIONS....Keep on keepin' on. And, of course, Queso Blanco keep on cuddlin'!

CONTEMPLATIONS
A CAT AND SOME OTHER STUFF....
LARRY'S CAT CONTEMPLATION: When I opened the Mesquite Animal Shelter's available animals listings, I saw this
little guy Gerald (#57495820), a 4-and-a-half-month old fellow who came in on Dec. 19. He's available to light up
human lives and a good home --just adopt him and enjoy a purrfect pal. And, one of the reasons I grabbed his photo and wrote about him is personal: He looks almost exactly like a little yowling only-weeks-old kitten I pulled out of a mimosa tree about five years ago: This next photo is our sweet big cat on the arm of his couch -- yep that's

Junior Office Cat Stevie Ray Treeboy. We do not worry about a maternity suit from young Gerald. Nope, Stevie Ray hasn't had to sweat that for years. We always spay or neuter our foundlings. I'd clone Stevie Ray, of course, so my own human clone would have a cat to sit with and watch old movies on the Turner Classics cable channel. We're both big fans of Myrna Loy and William Powell, the actor who inspired the naming of our Senior Office Cat William Powell. Such a sophisticate....
As the 2025 NFL regular season is ending this weekend, we'll quote former Coach Jimmy Johnson one more time: "How 'bout them Cowboys!" Stinking lousy record this season. So, after the season, may everybody who coached or played find good, high-paying wages for the 2025 season. Not that you'll need to, of course. ....
Word around the mediaplex is that the Texas Rangers' pitchers and catchers report for spring training in Surprise, Arizona, on Feb. 14, Valentine's Day. The Rangers open regular season at home against the Boston Red Sox on March 27. Not sure when the World Series will be played -- we'll just have to follow the Texas Rangers' post-season schedule. OK, enough daydreaming for a chilly day in January.
--- Offer advice or baseball tips by clicking on 'comment' below or by emailing [email protected] and put 'THROW STRIKES AND SCARE THE BATTER' in the subject line. ---