MSI Press Blog

  Sophia's first Christmas in her forever home 🎄🐾 Incorporating Cats into Christmas Celebrations at Home The holidays aren’t just for humans—our feline companions deserve a safe, joyful place in the festivities too. Here are some thoughtful ways to make Christmas cat‑friendly: 1. Decorate with Cat Safety in Mind Skip tinsel and fragile glass ornaments (they’re irresistible but dangerous). Hang ornaments higher on the tree, leaving the bottom branches for sturdy, non‑breakable décor. Secure your tree base—cats love climbing, and a wobbly tree is an invitation to chaos. 2. Create a Cozy Cat Corner Set up a festive blanket or box near the tree so your cat has their own “holiday perch.” Sprinkle a few catnip toys wrapped like presents—safe gifts they can open themselves. 3. Include Cats in Traditions Stockings aren’t just for kids—hang a small stocking for your cat with treats or toys. Family photo? Let your cat join in with a holiday collar or bow (if they tolerate it)....

  Kokee (Sophia) posing with her owner by her choice Sophia came to me courtesy of the one and only local TNR volunteer. Normally, cats in her situation would go to a shelter—but no shelter would take Sophia. She was “too wild.” She’d earned that reputation. The first time she was trapped, she somehow escaped the cage, streaked through the room like lightning, clawed her way up the curtains, hissed, spat, and evaded every attempt to recapture her before vanishing. When she was finally retrapped, she was put under close observation. Snipped, but not subdued, she allowed no one near her. “Not adoptable,” they said. Like so many of my cats before her. Sophia—whom the four-year-old in the household quickly nicknamed Kokee for her Sokoke breed—was special even among the feral arrivals. The Sokoke, from Kenya, is considered the last truly wild domestic cat breed. They are rare in the United States, known for their intelligence, agility, and fierce independence. We placed Sophia in the c...

Our feral-turned-feline-friend, Sophia Ever had a domesticated darling go full feral in a flash? Or a streetwise bruiser melt into a trembling puffball at the vet, making you look like a drama queen for warning “He’s a killer”? Welcome to the feline paradox. 🔹 Triggers for the feral flip Even the most pampered housecat can channel her inner alley warrior when: Cornered or restrained (especially by unfamiliar hands) Overstimulated (petting that goes one stroke too far) Startled by scent or sound (new animals, vet smells, vacuum cleaners) Pain or illness (cats mask discomfort until they can’t) It’s not betrayal—it’s survival. Cats are wired to react first, apologize never. 🔹 Why ferals flop at the vet My beautiful, untouchable at the time, Sophia, a Sokoke (those last remaining remnants of the wild cat-converted-to-domesticity breeds), generally untouchable and out of reach, terroized me when I carriered her for her first vet visit after rescuing her. Oh, my! What would she do...