The Texian Tuxedo's Texas Tuesday!
Good evening felinity assembled and howdy, Texas!
I had considered all T's in the title of this new weekly notion of mine but, alas, it didn't appeal to me as much as what I decided on using.
Oh, and yes, I KNOW today is Thursday...just go with me, here, OK, hee, hee!
I am Sneakers the Texian Tuxedo!
What's a Texian Tuxedo?
Regular readers of this blog know the story, but for first time visitors let me introduce myself in the best way I know how...
"Over the past 160 years there has always been what became known as the Texian Tuxedo, born in a year soon after the previous one went to Rainbow Bridge. This feline, always male, seemed to live during times when interesting, even important, events in Texas history occurred, even possibly playing a role in such events.
These cats, all male, were all independent, curious, strong-willed and opinionated; storytellers, poets and passers on of news from the human and feline worlds wherever they went. None made their homes among humans, at least not permanently, always finding some reason to move on.
The last one died in early 1998.
A lot has happened in this state, since, yet no successor was born, leaving felinity assembled in TX to wonder…."
And that, dear reader, brings us to me.
The rest of the story and the history of the previous Texian Tuxedo's can be read here:
THE TEXIAN TUXEDO: The Secret Story Behind the Rescue of Sneakers
As for the death of my immediate predecessor...
Begin here: A Street in Laredo: A Ballad of the 8th Texian Tuxedo
I am the first female of the line and the first to be an indoor cat, living a life of security and comfort, not roaming the countryside on my own, using feline survival instincts to survive from day-to-day.
The question for me, then, was this:
How am I going to do my part to forward the cause of Texas, its growth and security and, most importantly....
how am I going to do my part to help forward the cause of Texian felinity, both indoor and feral, and promote rescues, shelters, events, blogs and more from a tiny apartment in a corner of the Sharpstown district of Houston?
There's also this...I am fixed and thus the last of the direct line back to Alley Mo.
Unless I choose my successor, or Daddy Kiril is inspired by Ceiling Cat, if I am not alive, to do so, then there will be no more...
But, that last is something for the, hopefully, distant future...
Now, today, it is time for me to begin to make my mark on Texas, trusting in Ceiling Cat to guide me, and let the future take care of itself.
I can do so in ways and with resources that my predecessors never dreamed of.
I have spent time talking with both my mentor Elvira Mistress of Felinity and Daddy Kiril, hearing their stories of the online activism of the legendary Mr. Nikita and looking at the resource pages he built before and after he began this blog and Elvira has continued adding to.
I have also been exploring old blog posts by Nikita more than ever.
I recognize that I can help Elvira carry on his legacy in ways unique to who I am.
Like Nikita and Elvira, once daddy gets a new one, I can even become a Stroller Kitty.
Like them, I can rely on daddy as my research assistant, photographer and liaison with humans, able to do things and go places I can't.
Nikita and Elvira built up 2 resource pages relevant to my mission, both of which I hope to add to:
Rescues, Shelters, Societies, Foundations and Associations is a page with a growing selection of Houston, Harris County and Texas links.
Texas Animal Bloggers (TAB) is a page devoted to identifying and listing links to Texas animal and pet bloggers.
As far as I, Elvira and daddy know, since Fall 2012, this blog is the only cat blog in Houston (we have a friend in nearby Spring, though!).
It is my hope that readers who are, or who know, TX. bloggers will help me add to the list, especially for cats, but other pets are welcome to be added as well.
I also hope to learn of rescues, shelters, societies, foundations and associations to add to THAT page as well.
Elvira and Daddy Kiril actually laid the ground work for me, a year ago (Feb-April), with several blog posts, e-mail letters sent (and mostly ignored) and responses received, related to the serious stray crisis we have here in Houston:
The Elvira Factor 12: Houston We Have a Problem (A 5 part series)
Daddy Kiril Writes Letter: Mayor's Office BARCs Back!
Cats and Houston: What's the History?
Wescue Wednesday Preview: Getting Locals Attention Not Easy (Elvira wants to revive her Wescue Wednesday idea at last!)
Daddy Kiril says he & Nikita once sent out an email, introducing this blog, with questions related to rescues and shelters and what they do, to Houston area rescues but no-one responded.
I may try this approach again, we shall see.
Anyway, I hope this preview wets readers appetite for more and thank you for reading and even sharing it and its related links.
NEXT UP: Texas Tuesday With The Texian Tuxedo #1
I wish you much luck Sneakers. I hope you can improve animal welfare in Texas and beyond. You are a cutie!
Posted by: Ellen Pilch | February 13, 2015 at 09:25 AM
I love your blog posts, Sneakers!! So does Grace. (Her boys are not as cultured, however!)
Excellent collection of rescue sites, too!
Posted by: Marilynn | February 13, 2015 at 09:31 AM
sneakers; if yur lookin to find palz in de grate state oh TX...pleez ta chex out shiner; sure herz a dawg but her mite haz sum...
connectionz.... :)
ya noe...
we dunno wear shiner lives...cept texas
http://www.mypawsitivelypets.com/
happee hearts day oh love two all
heerz two a topminnow & trumpetfish kinda week oh end ♥♥♥
Posted by: da tabbies o trout towne | February 13, 2015 at 11:49 AM
N like duh.... { we haz fry day brain two day }
heerz another !!
http://lonestarcats.blogspot.com/
Posted by: da tabbies o trout towne | February 13, 2015 at 11:53 AM
Hey Sneakers and Kiril,
Thanks for your email about this!
I honestly don't know of many Texas bloggers... you'd think there would be more of them. If I think of any others I'll let you know.
You already have Texas the Cat on your list. Unfortunately, not too many cat blogs other than CatTipper.com =/
A long time ago, I tried contacting some rescues via email. I wanted to see if they'd be interested in some sort of partnership... mostly I just wanted to share their adoptable pets maybe once a week or something.
None of the rescues I emailed ever responded. Even this past August I talked with Austin Rat Rescue at the Pet Expo in person about this but never heard from them.
SO now I just take it upon myself to randomly choose adoptable pets on PetFinder if I ever want to share adoptable pets.
Ann of Pawsitively Pets, Round Rock TX.
Posted by: Ann Staub | February 15, 2015 at 12:35 AM