A great day for cat caregivers

Yesterday I attended a fundraiser for a cat rescue organization in my area. Good Mews is where I adopted Rosalie, the star of my story that appears in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Best Cat Ever. It officially goes on sale Tuesday but I had the opportunity to sell advance copies at the Harvest Market, with all proceeds going to Good Mews to help cats in need.

The weather was amazing and people were kind and generous: I sold nearly my entire case of books and raised over $200 for the shelter. I enjoyed hearing the stories about cats fostered and adopted from Good Mews. The organization is powered by a dedicated crew of volunteers who perform daily “feed and clean” duties and community groups donate time and effort to maintain the outdoor area. There’s a fantastic wildlife refuge area in the back and the cats love to sit by the windows and watch the birds, chipmunks, and squirrels enjoy the feeders.

Caregiving comes in many forms and I’ve cared for both pets and my parents, but the majority of my caregiving duties have been tending to my pets. It’s a lot of work and can be very expensive to care for pets with special needs or develop conditions as they age. Yet we make the sacrifice because of the joy and love pets brings to our lives.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Best Cat Ever goes on sale Tuesday, Oct. 27 at all major book retailers. I had a few people at the market ask me about a digital version and yes, it will be available in print and digital formats. I tend to read books on my Kindle so I totally get the preference.